Sunday scenery #3

For God and Country. A couple of triple-windows in our church sanctuary are of a patriotic nature. They were made and installed in the late 1800s or early 1900s. They commemorate the American Civil War as far as I can tell. This is one of the windows.

oh, so that's what it is called

This summer at work I am with the five- and six-year old children. I work at a daycare. I like the children best when they are being angelic, unintentionally make me laugh at something they do, and when they are quiet! So I relish leaving the DIN each day and coming home to ahhh!, a quiet house.
In the category of making me laugh at something they do, today my class and I were coming inside from eating popsicles out in the yard. While waiting for the other children to line up a couple of the girls were having a conversation together. One said to the other, "You know that stuff dogs get under their eyes? That's eyeball juice".

my dog is American but he can eat like a Chinese

My Darling Husband is away on a business trip, so I thought I'd post some photos of what CutieDog and I have been up to while M.D.H. is away. He reads this blog so I'll add this to our forms of communication.
I was craving (not pregnant, Moms) Chinese food the other day so I bought some take-out. There are three Chinese restaurants in our Small Town. Two of them are Bad Dried-Out Hard Chinese Food restaurants, and the third is much much better. Not all the way up to Big City standards, but still good nonetheless. Mmmm, your food looks mighty tasty!
After using the fork for a few bites, I suddenly remembered these pretty chopsticks we have and what is Chinese food without chopsticks? These were bought from Crate and Barrel some years ago. Honey, the dog is well-educated in the area of international cuisine now.

Take a deep breath...this was after I finished eating. He got the scraps like a good dog anywhere in the world. I think he would order crab ragoons if he could.

Sunday scenery #2

Inside that front window at our church.

Sunday scenery #1

"Sunday scenery" is a series in which I post snapshots of churches, mainly in southeast Kansas. This one is our church.

sign of spring #5 or, this is dedicated to a niece I love

Graduations. Alright...this is the last "sign of spring" for spring--er, summer--2010. I promise. It's already June 4, but I can't go through the rest of the year without posting about this great event in a special someone's life.One of my nieces graduated from high school! Congratulations, Sweet Pea. I'm extremely proud of you and the Godly, creative, vivacious, friendly, caring, funny and tenacious woman you are and continue to become.

Wow. My niece...a woman. You are so grown up, I think I am going to cry!!!

I wanted to write a poem here for you because you like literature and because this post commemorates a special occasion. Poetry is useful for commemorations. I looked through my books of poetry and chose to quote Rudyard Kipling's poem, "If". (I hope this poem doesn't seem pessimistic to you, as Kipling is sometimes.) This poem reminds me of your bright, positive attitude to life and your desire to keep on keepin' on.

If

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good; nor talk too wise;

.

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master;

If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

And treat those two imposters just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch;

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run--

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

-- Rudyard Kipling