Anne of Green Gables

last week we had the opportunity to see Anne of Green Gables at the theater, my mom and karla joined us. a few of B's keeper friends were also there with their moms, making it a really fun girls' night!

playcrafters allows charitable groups to sell tickets to their dress rehearsals, benefiting 100% from the sale. this time it was the boys' school.

playcrafters is celebrating their 80th season! when it began, they performed where ever they could. it wasn't until 1960 that the barn was donated to the community group. i love going to the barn. they have most certainly enriched our community with their theatre.

the stage is literally in the loft of the old barn.

i love the high ceiling with it's rafters showing.

this place definitely has a lot of atmosphere!

girls' night out :o)

chatting before the play begins

ordering hot chocolate after the play... never mind that it is 10:15 pm...

B with anne, played by our piano teacher's daughter. she did a wonderful job!

everyday gift: a girl's night at the theater

autumn pleasures

a fall center piece

sugar baby pie pumpkin

making pumpkin puree and roasting seeds


"ewwww. this feels so cool, mom! are you sure you don't want to put your hands in here?!"
B really loved sorting the seeds from the pulp. we will let them dry before seasoning them and roasting them.

our autumn nature table. some of these items were collected recently on our nature walks, others are from our on-going nature collection. we have really been enjoying our fall nature study by jane claire lambert.

there is nothing quite like raking in the wind.

leaf impressions

just a quick 'thank you' to melinda from the fiar boards who inspired this project! :o)
you can check out her blog for instructions.

everyday gifts: enjoying the things that make each season special

grilled lamb chops with rice pilaf

this was very, very good! (thankfully the kids separated themselves enough from our spring lambkins to enjoy this meal, too!)

grilled lamb chops

marinate chops with a little olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, salt and freshly ground pepper. i grilled these to about medium to medium well, to please my family...i prefer medium rare!

rice pilaf

1 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
dash of salt
1 bay leaf

combine these ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. cover and reduce heat. simmer for 45-50 minutes. meanwhile....

prepare vegetables:
1 cup onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1 carrot, grated

saute vegetables in 1 tablespoon oil plus 1 tablespoon butter, about 2 minutes. stir into cooked rice.

enjoy!

everyday gift: lamb chops

i voted...

and now i'm praying.

everyday gift: enjoying the many freedoms of the USA

saturday with my american girl

after reading the book, The Saturdays, B began dreaming of her very own saturday to go and do something really special. she wanted to see the american girl place in chicago. after all, she has been doing extra chores and saving her money for the kit doll ever since seeing the movie this summer. she was about half way to her goal of $90. she dumped her kleenex box out to count her savings: 2 $10's, 2 5's, 11 $1's, 28 quarters, 2 dimes, and 8 pennies = $48.28. i was amazed. i didn't think it was realistic that she could make it that far! i would have let her go further, but i wanted us to make this special trip before the christmas rush, so i gave a donation toward her goal, and loaned her the remainder. she will fold clothes at 50¢ a load, vacuum the living room, and clean the guest bathroom in the weeks to come to pay for her debt.

B and kirsten, buckled up and ready for the trip

B and kirsten outside of the american girl place, water tower place, chicago



oh. my. look at all those red bags!





beautiful glass elevators in water tower place.
oh, the funny feeling in your tummy as you fly up to the seventh floor!

we had pasta for lunch at the california pizza oven

(thanks, mom!)

chicago's old water tower

pigeons everywhere!

seeing horses made the trip complete for B!

horses and carriages lined up

we had a fabulous time! i really cherish these specials times we can have, "just the girls". B's expression was priceless as she shopped and gazed at the beautiful displays for each of the historical dolls. and the store clerk's expression was also priceless when B pulled out her purse and dumped her money on the counter to pay! ;o)

everyday gift: my american girl and her dolls

raccoon woods

mark was busy on sunday getting our new barn site ready for the concrete. the kids and i brought some sandwiches out to him for a picnic. the weather was much warmer than i expected, so shedding our sweatshirts, we set off to explore the autumn woods.

hmmmm, a hole in this old tree....

and look who S found looking back at him! sorry to have disturbed your sleep!

photo by S, nice job!

these are interesting fungi,

little puff balls that send spores into the air when you give them a poke.

beautiful lichen on decaying branches

my two hikers

everyday gift: surprises along the nature trail

harvest

our farmer neighbors are bringing in the corn harvest. we have had a summer with an abundance of rain and the corn grew well. it is now dried out and ready for the harvest.

sun rising on a harvest day

*
we are surrounded by fields and they mark off the seasons in such a profound way. watching the seasons pass on those farm fields is one of the things i love about living in the country. through out the winter the fields will be desolate and barren, with cold snowy winds making drifts across the open space. spring will bring a flurry of activity with plowing and planting. and then summertime we wait and watch the black tilled dirt sprout green, first just a tinge of color, and then seemingly overnight, the fields are overtaken with growth. now it is fall and the cold nights have brought the growth to a halt. the plants have done their job and their fruit is ready to be brought in. each season follows the other in perfect order.
*
and so do our lives have seasons. seasons of cold and loneliness, of new hope and budding faith, of growth and flourishing activity, and of fruitfulness. which season am i in? what lessons or work does God have for me in this particular season of my life? i pray that i would be sensitive to those seasons

"For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will complete." Deuteronomy 16:15b

ancient fence line of petrified posts and rusty barbed wire,
marks off country borders



"A man reaps what he sows.
The one who sows to please his sinful nature,
from that nature will reap destruction;
the one who sows to please the Spirit,
from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap

a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity,

let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
Galatians 6:7b-10

everyday gift: the season of harvest