And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

So I went forth, and finding the hand of God, trod gladly into the night.

Minnie Louise Haskins

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Yesterday Sharon listed some “true facts” on her blog and as usual, she made me laugh. I have so many posts for my own blog in the works, but can’t seem to finish them. I’ve had a couple of posts started about close loved ones for a long time now, but can’t finish them without sobbing (in a good way), so I keep putting them off so I don’t get snot on my fancy Mac keyboard.

I thought I would share some “true facts” as well, copying Sharon’s idea and keeping the keyboard clean and dry. By the way, aren’t facts supposed to be true? Could there be such a thing as “false facts?” If pieces of information were false, would they then be facts? Maybe someone can answer this question for me.

True Fact #1 — Yes, indeed, my daughters did know all the words to Dolly Parton’s song “9 to 5” when they were very young, and were called upon on occasion to stand up and sing it. For about three years during the early 1980s I had a couple of Dolly’s albums and when I saw that the girls could sing along with many of the songs I encouraged it. Chalk this up to one of the 647 things I did as I mom and still have no idea why. Do you think having my daughters sing Dolly Parton songs when they were still preschool aged was odd? Really? I did use some discretion, however, and drew the line at them learning “Jolene.”

True Fact #2 — Sharon hasn’t seen any of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and I have never seen a Star Wars movie. Not even three minutes of one. I hope to never break this habit of not watching any Star Wars movies. If I fall off the I Refuse to Watch Star Wars Movies wagon, I will share about it here.

True Fact #3 — I am a slave to Cappuccino Coolers, my own concoction I make every morning from cold milk, instant coffee granules, Hershey’s chocolate syrup and hazelnut creamer. Sometimes I get a little daring and put my coffee cup in the freezer at night before I go to bed. Then when I wake up at 5:15 a.m. the next day, guess what my mind goes to? Thank you Lord, for another day? Sadly, no. The first thing I think of is how I’m going to quietly go downstairs and whip up my Cappuccino Cooler in that frosty coffee cup the minute my feet touch the kitchen floor. Things have gotten dire. I know I should stop drinking Cappuccino Coolers and have resolved to quit, but have not been able to forgo them with any long term success. I have thought about going to Betty Ford, but I am needed at home and can’t spare the time away right now. If you’re smiling at True Fact #3, stop it right now. I’m not kidding. :O

True Fact #4 — When I was very young I used to sit on upholstered gliders while wearing pleated skirts, red patent leather shoes and graciously buttoned sweaters draped over my little shoulders. My hair was a shoulder-length cascade of curls held back with a headband, and I liked to sit with both hands placed over to the right of my legs in order to strike a more genteel pose. For those of you having difficulty believing True Fact #4 is a true fact, I introduce into evidence the photograph below.

I was two months shy of seven years old.

True Fact #4B — In spite of the picture above, my hair was not red. It was a dirty dishwater blonde.

True Fact #5 — I no longer own any red patent leather shoes, pleated skirts or flowered gliders, and I don’t have cascading curls either. And if you should find me one day just benignly smiling and sitting with both hands placed to my right side, you should probably contact my nearest relative.

True Fact #6 — We have decided to put our house up for sale in June. If you know anyone who wants a large home with a large kitchen and a large master bedroom and a large yard near a large lake in a largely unpopulated state, please e-mail me.

True Fact #7 — God is on His throne, is slow to anger, full of mercy and grace, knows your name and mine and how many hairs we have on our heads (whether of the cascading or the moth-eaten variety) and loves us with an everlasting love. What would our lives look like if we really believed this?

True Fact #8 — I wear makeup now only a few times a year, so thought I would document one of those rare times this morning, for posterity’s sake. I hope posterity appreciates it.

Except perhaps you can’t tell in this photo anyway. But I’m smiling at you and greeting you today, and I hope your Thursday is thoughtful, thankful and therapeutic.

Blessings,

Five-year old Vivienne spent two nights at Grandpa and Grandma’s house recently. At least four times she approached me confidentially, leaned in to whisper something that seemed of utmost secrecy and asked out of the side of her mouth in her Viviennesque way, “Can I draw?”

“Of course you can!” I would answer, and she would help herself to typing paper and crayons or pencils, and set to work at the kitchen table.

Here’s one of Vivie’s masterpieces that I had to share with you:

This is her sketch of our older Schnauzer Edith. In case this doesn’t strike you as zee mossterpiece eet ees, here’s a random photo of a Schnauzer I found online so you can see how well Vivie did.

I think she captured the quintessential Schnauzer traits quite well for a five-year old who did the drawing in less than two minutes.

I have several posts of monumental importance in the works, but I’ve been a little occupied these past few weeks as Michael heals from his shoulder replacement surgery. He’s in a shoulder immobilizer and isn’t supposed to use his right hand or even move his arm for six weeks.

For now, a photo of a strange dog and a pencil drawing by Vivie, our little arteest, will have to do.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I hope you all had a blessed Easter.

Yesterday was the end of my 46-day Lenten fast from books. I’ve never gone that long without reading a book before. It was not as disorienting as I thought it would be, and I’m glad I did it. Now, I’m happy to dig in to the piles of books I’ve had stacked near my desk and bed for the last seven weeks.

The trouble is, I’m not sure where to start!

All of these books were either generous gifts from friends, or books I bought myself because of enthusiastic recommendations from fellow readers I trust. I wish I could go away now for 46 days to read these 21 books!

But my time is limited, so where shall I begin? What three books would you put at the top of the list from these piles? You can click to enlarge the photo to see the titles more clearly.

Have you read any of these? If so, what are your thoughts about the one/s you read?

Tonight when I go up to bed at the unheard-of hour of 8:30 p.m., my knitting will stay in its bag, at least for a day or two. My Sudoku book (I’m trying to keep my brain exercised) will sit unopened on the nightstand.

Montesquieu said, “I have never known any distress that an hour’s reading did not relieve.” I could use some “distress-relief” and tonight I’ll put that quote to the test.

Looking forward to your comments,

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When I was a little girl, Easter meant dressing up in really fancy dresses, wearing a hat and gloves, going to Sunday school, and finding hidden candy and Easter eggs in our yard in Southern California.

Today, Easter means hope and light and mercy and power and love and so much more to me. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and thank God for all this event means to us. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then absolutely nothing I’ve based my life on is true — it’s all a farce. If Jesus really did come out of that grave then everything He said is true and this path we walk on this earth is only the beginning of our existence. These things we experience and see are but shadows…

(mural painted by Ron DiCianni)

“The benefits of the resurrection are innumerable. To list a few: our illnesses don’t seem nearly so final; our fears fade and lose their grip; our grief over those who have gone on is diminished; our desires to press on in spite of the obstacles is rejuvenated; and our identity as Christians is strengthened as we stand in the lengthening shadows of saints down through the centuries, who have always answered back in antiphonal voice: ‘He is risen, indeed!’ ”

Charles Swindoll

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From our family to yours, may you have a very blessed Easter!

No, I’m not the girl from the north country. Bob Dylan had someone else in mind when he wrote that song a long time ago.

“Girl From the North Country” is the name of a yarn colorway that my daughter Sharon designed. I saw all the denim-y blues and the subtle shades of turquoise and gray, and the hints of green and even lilac, and I snatched up the yarn in about four seconds. I’m still a beginner knitter but I’m really enjoying it. I don’t know when I’ll ever graduate from making scarves to trying something more complicated and attempting to read a pattern — probably when I’ve knit a scarf for every person I know, which might take some time.

I can do the stockinette stitch, the garter stitch, and am making this current scarf in a ribbed pattern for someone I love very much. I held the yarn up to her eyes and it matches perfectly. If ever the Minnesota driver’s licenses allowed enough room for her to put under eye color: “grayish-greenish-aqua-blue,” then Carolyn could claim that description for her eyes and it would be perfectly true.

Here’s a photo of the scarf almost finished:

Yarn photography isn’t easy and this shot doesn’t do the “Girl From the North Country” yarn colorway justice, but it’s the best I could do with an old digital camera that temperamentally turns off and on of its own accord as I’m trying to take flashless pictures.

This scarf has a few mistakes design elements in it that will surely give it some character. I hope Carolyn will wear it this coming winter (yes, it’s currently April in Minnesota, but snow and below-zero temperatures are on their way; they’re always on their way in this part of the country) and feel wrapped in warmth and her mama’s love.

And now, back to Bob Dylan. I’ll bet most of you didn’t know that Bob and my husband Michael are cousins. I should try to figure out someday what degree of cousinhood they share — is it second cousins once removed? First cousins thrice removed? Third cousins nothing removed? We don’t know. Robert Allen Zimmerman was born in our city and grew up about an hour northwest of where we live. We have never met him and I’m sure Bob doesn’t have any idea that we have his huge family Bible in our possession. It’s full of various and sundry Zimmermans he would be well-acquainted with. Michael’s paternal grandmother was a Zimmerman, and somewhere in that weird and creative gene pool we are linked to the enigmatic man who wrote “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,”  “Gotta Serve Somebody,” and countless other songs.

This lovely colorway that Sharon dyed is one of her one-of-a-kind creations and isn’t available on her website. But I told her I thought she should reconsider and try offering “Girl From the North Country” as a regular yarn. I don’t know if it would be a big seller or not, but I would guess that girls from the north country might like it a lot, and maybe even Bobby Zimmerman might hear about it and buy a skein or two.

Why not?

Women are angels and when someone breaks our wings we simply continue to fly….on a broomstick.

We are flexible like that.

Unknown

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I’ve been enjoying a blog written by a delightful woman named Helen. She’s English, is married to a Swiss man that she met in San Francisco, she speaks several languages, and they have three children and live in Switzerland. Yes I know. Switzerland! Anyway, she had an ABC list on her blog recently and anyone who knows me knows I can’t resist a list. So here is my own About Me ABC. Because, of course, it’s all about me.  **Gag**

Age: 53

Bed Size: Queen and set up very high on bed risers

Chore You Hate: Cooking — I used to love it — now I don’t

Dogs: Two Miniature German Schnauzers — Edith Elaine Bubbleloo and Mildred Virginia Shackadorum

Essential Start of Your Day: A Cappuccino Cooler concoction I make myself

Favorite Color: Dark greens and blues

Gold or Silver: Gold

Height: 5’10″

Instruments You Play(ed): Hammond B3 organ

Job Title: Adult Foster Care Provider

Kids: 3 adult daughters

Live: Minnesota, near the biggest freshwater lake in the world

Mom’s Name: Virginia Ann

Nicknames: Ginny calls me Jewel, Tauni calls me Jules, Su calls me Dooley, my mother called me Julie McGooley and Michael calls me Honey.

Overnight Hospital Stays: Two baby deliveries (I had the third one at home), and a charming little surgery ending in ectomy.

Pet Peeve: Yes, I am one of those Grammar Nazis who really wish people wouldn’t use apostrophes in the wrong places. I also would like it if people would stop spelling the word congratulations “congradulations.”

Quote From a Movie: “My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.” (Anne of Green Gables)

Right or Left handed: Right

Siblings: 2 older brothers — Larry and Steve

Time You Wake Up: 5:30 am, but something’s gotta change

Underwear: Yes

Veggie You Dislike: Lima beans and beets

What Makes You Run Late: Hardly anything — I often have to stop myself from being a little too early

X-Rays You Have Had: Teeth, broken fifth metatarsal, spine for chiropractic

Yummy Food You Make: Panzanella, homemade pizza, decent shredded beef tacos

Zoo Animal You Like Best: Colorful birds in the aviaries, but I’m not an avid zoo fan — they all seem so sad and well, captive

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What is your About Me ABC list? If you put it on your blog let us know so we can come and visit. 🙂