beauty remains

I'd been saying for months that I needed a break, that I just needed life to stop a little and let me off.  After spending most of March either caring for sick children or being sick myself, it was more than time for some kind of respite.

Sugar, Spice, and I counted up our schooling days for the year and discovered that we only needed fifteen more, and had three months in which to fulfill them:  can you say "spring break?!?"

I could!

The girls wrote up proposals as to how they planned to use their hypothetical holiday.  The results were . . . entertaining.

Sugar's:

During the two-week spring break, I propose that we could keep doing typing, nothing else.  We would play outside, therefore doing nature study, seeing that flowers are blooming, and we would be furthermore occupied with playing with the cats.  The aforesaid playing with cats will also be useful towards our education; we will learn how they - cats - act, also about how to care efficiently for animals 

Another thing is this:  the spring break will be healthy for our bodies and our hearts because we will be exercising our hearts and muscles by riding bike and jumping on the trampoline. 

I suggest that you continue with the plans for a two-week spring break, seeing that it is approved on all sides.  I think that is is a most excellent plan, and I sincerely hope to see it put in use this spring.

Spice's:

Here is a list of things I might do during Spring vacation.  Your the best teacher I've ever had, since preschool. 

1) play with the cats
2) weed the daffodils
3) rake the leaves out of the flower beds
4) type
5) dig up the purple crocuses to transplant (with your permission)
6) sew (maybe)
7) write things
9) look for birds nests
10) pick flowers
11) bead
12) take books outside to read
13) take naps outside (only on warm days)
14) invite friends over
15) make candles 

So, I think two weeks of spring vacation is a very good idea!!

I submitted their proposals to the principal (my Farmer), who approved heartily, and we took a break:  two whole beautiful weeks of no [intentional] school, and lots of free play.  My mind relaxed, my body took itself outside, and my eyes were opened, again, to the beauty I'd forgotten existed.  It brought the deeper breaths, rejuvenating the jaded parts.

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If you're a news junkie (which most people are without realizing it, just like sugar addiction), you've lately been feeding on a lot of tragedy and fear.  In light of that, it could feel almost indecent to offer beauty to you here.  However, whether our media chooses to feature them for us or not, hard things are happening to undeserving people around the world every day ... and yet the beauty also exists, and is undimmed.

I can focus on the fear .... or on the beauty.

I choose beauty.

save a life, or two

Today I want to send you to the blog of my friend and neighbor to help save the life of a small child, or two.

If you want a little background, I've written about this friend before: an intro to their adoption story, and a promo for a past fundraiser to help others eager to adopt children in desperate straits.  Otherwise, just jump straight into her passionate plea to help rescue some horribly malnourished orphans with special needs who miraculously are already spoken for by families and matching funds are available if only enough is raised.

Or, go right to the fundraiser, called Mulligan's Stew, and make a donation to bring these children home. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see how to give).

Time is running out.

shopping with a purpose

The auction I told you about is now open and will close February 7th!!  

All proceeds go to help families adopt terribly neglected

  children at an orphanage in Katie's country.  

Go here to place bids on awesome items like:

...and my own sweet Sweater Teddies are being auctioned as well:

(to find them, click on "older posts" at the bottom of each page of the auction - 

they're at the bottom of the third page.)

    

   

God bless all who are helping in so many ways to rescue and care for his little ones.

hidden treasures

Remember Katie?  How she was rescued from neglect and loved from this ...

... to this?

Well, there are other children still living (if you can call it that) at the orphanage where Katie was.

They're waiting for families, and some families are waiting for them.  As you can imagine, rescue is not cheap work.  Here's a way we can to help.

Hidden Treasures is the name of a charity which raises funds via online auction to help families bring these children home.  The next auction will open at midnight, February 1, and among many other donated items will be four siblings of these guys, Sweater Teddies made from felted wool sweaters:

(each one welcomed at "birth" with a hug from Lil' Snip)

If you'd like to help some of these children find a home, check out the auction February 1st - maybe there will be something there you could use.  You can also donate an item for the auction, or make a monetary donation, by emailing hiddentreasuresauction@gmail.com.

diamond in the rough

Did you ever have a day when you needed a little shot of victory, even if it was someone else's?  Well, today was like that for me, and if you read on, it may be your lucky day, too.

I want to introduce you to a family who lives near me.  They have accomplished much just in raising their own family with love, but recently they took on something much, much larger - so large that God alone could bring success.

And He did.

They adopted a precious, desperately mal-nourished and under-developed little girl with Down's syndrome from another country, which was a miraculous journey in and of itself.  They are now trying to love her back to health.  I watch eagerly as the story unfolds, and this child of God is enfolded in the arms of God Himself through the loving care of this family.

Katerina is nine and a half.  Years, not months.  And this family has already, in a short, short time, loved her from this:














to this:


I hope their story blesses you as it has me.

Click here for Katerina's Story...