MISTY'S MORNINGS

Will this day off bring you rest?  Will you find a moment, or two, to stand quietly beneath the canopy of the sky and listen to the peace God is offering to you today?  We are all called to work, to toil, to be active in our daily lives.  But we are also called to a weekly Sabbath, a rest, a pause, a time to remember our truest purpose in life.   Today's Intercessions in the Magnificat struck me as beautiful so I will share them here.   Pray along if you wish. With confidence in God's love for us, let us pray:                                Look kindly on your servants , O Lord, our God. You have called some to serve by work and some to serve by waiting: ~grant just working conditions to laborers and hope to the unemployed.                                Look kindly on your servants , O Lord, our God....

  Yesterday, as I was walking around the house trolling for weedlets in the mulch, I stopped short in surprise at this camellia bush.   How in the world had this bright green new shoot shot up so quickly without me seeing it yesterday?   The contrast of its bright color and verdant  youthfulness caused me to snap a picture (and have a little fun editing it using Instagram ).  As the day went on, I kept thinking of this random shoot and how my spirit felt a little like it had sprouted a bright green shoot of its own this summer.  We had an abundance of time this summer.  So much freedom to play, read, think, talk, go, rest, and enjoy.  We had predictability, regular home-cooked family meals and weekends at home to get things back in order. My joy for life shot out its own bright new shoot and I felt like our little family flourished. Now school has started and we have four different soccer practices a week plus two games each Saturday. ...

~PRETTY~ In the calm before the storm, I took lots of "before" photos.  With the predictions for Irene being as bad as they were, I fully expected to lose some trees and see the flower beds wiped out.  ~HAPPY~ The boys' school cancelled the day before the hurricane so we could make preparations.  And prepare we did. We bought a brand new generator (cough!), lots of batteries, mini reading lights, bottled water, canned food, peanut butter and jelly sandwich makings, french press coffee maker, propane, extra gasoline,  and Play Doh.  All the deck furniture was moved into our living room and the TV blared weather updates all day long.  Once we were finally ready, the boys ran around in the dark backyard thinking they would be housebound for the next 36 hours. ~REAL~ Never had we seen houses and stores being boarded up before.  It all added to the uneasy yet strangely exciting anticipation of the storm yet to come. In the dis...

Can you feel Fall catching up to summer?   It's in the slant of the sun in the golden afternoon, the slight coolness to the evening breeze, the first leaves turning every so lightly yellow around the edges.  It is the beginning of the cozy season and every September I get antsy for it to arrive a little sooner. One of the ways I attempt to lure Autumn to my door is by baking something cinnamony and comforting.  This pumpkin treat looks like October, tastes like November and makes the perfect September after-school snack. Deep, dark chocolate chips snuggle into their moist blanket of pumpkin and spice. Try it with milk or strong black coffee.  It will not disappoint! Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake INGREDIENTS 1 2/3 c. flour 1 c. sugar 1 heaping Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 2 eggs 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree 1 stick unsalted butter, melted 1 c. dark chocol...

At this moment there is a storm raging outside our home.  We still have power but the kitchen table is loaded with candles, lighters, flashlights, batteries and battery powered electronics.  They are signs of what is almost guaranteed to come, days without power.   Irene is not even directly over us yet but she has certainly sent the rains and winds to clean a path ahead of her. I managed to make two "hurricane pies" ( apple pies requested by RW) but had to turn the ovens back on four times as power flickered out.  They are out of the oven and the scent of cinnamon and coziness is filling the house alongside the blaring weather channel updates.  A good balance I think. Like the  tropical storm,  fear is swirling all around us .  For three days - since the earthquake  - we have been preparing our home to withstand the possibility of a category 2  hurricane.  School was cancelled to allow families to stay together and get themsel...

~ PRETTY ~ This lovely rose in my front yard was glistening in the sunrise after a brief shower from the sprinklers.  This verse filled my heart and soul out of nowhere: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. Luke 1:46-47 (NAB) Isn't the beauty of God's creation simply stunning at times? ~ HAPPY ~ New scooters bring about the biggest smiles these days as little KC is able to keep up with his big brothers. ~ FUNNY ~ Have you seen these adorable pencils at Office Max?  I decided mom needed a few back to school supplies too! ~ REAL ~ A sign of things to come and I can't wait! P.S.  Please pray for us and (all along the East Coast) as we prepare for Hurricane Irene. The earth shook us up the other day and rattled our nerves. Now the impending storm has us literally battening down the hatches so blogging will be on the back burner for a while. My kids are frightened for our home. Ple...

My boys go back to school tomorrow.  The backpacks are loaded, the supplies have already been dropped off at meet the teacher night.  They know where their desks are, who is in their class, what their new teacher looks like.  Uniforms are pressed.  Shiny new black shoes are laid out by the back door.  Lunchboxes stand at the ready for the early morning fill up.   There will most certainly be a love note from mom tucked behind the sandwich.   I love you.  Enjoy your first day.  Can't wait to hear all about it tonight.  Yesterday I opened the pantry door and the first thing my gaze fell upon was a small bag of alphabet letter pasta.  That's it!  Back to school soup.  Here's how I made it. BACK TO SCHOOL SOUP INGREDIENTS 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 3 stalks of celery, chopped 1/2 onion, chopped 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried  2 Tbsp. olive oil 49 oz. can of chicken broth water 2 Tbsp. chicken...