The Wisdom of John Adams

On a recent trip to Barnes & Noble, I picked up a couple of small books about two of the "Founding Fathers." I'm reading the one titled "The Wisdom of John and Abigail Adams." It is chocked full of wise things, just like the title suggest. It's a great little read I can pick up and put down, always walking away with something to ponder. In the section titled Education, John Adams is speaking to his grandsons, sharing a bit of his wisdom with them.

We think, and improve our Judgments, by committing our Thoughts to Paper.~14 May 1783

I WISH YOU TO HAVE EACH A PENCIL, BOOK, always in your Pockett, by which you may minute on the Spot any remarkable thing you may See or hear. A pocket Ink horn, any cheap thing of the kind, and a Sheet or two of paper, ought always to be about you. A Journal; a Diary is indispensable...Without a minute Diary, your Travels, will be no better than the flight of Birds, through the Air. They will leave no trace behind them. Whatever you write preserve. ~3 May 1815

As I read along, I wondered that Mr Adams would have appreciated the Internet, having always at his disposal, a cherished Laptop. Perhaps he would have "stored memory" a tremendous repository of his amazing life experiences. I am so appreciative of these times we live in.

Now days, he would certainly have no use for his "pocket ink horn."

Blessings..... Dee Dee Note: Look on sidebar "Reader Of Compliments"

Winter Courtyard View

Photo taken before the winter temps dropped into the 30s.....when the courtyard area of our garden was still thriving. Sadly the tall "Travelers Palms have seemingly perished, along with the demise of our delicate pink "Rose Bushes." The lilipoped Tangerine tree has survived the cold quite nicely. We are hopeful that all will come back in the spring.

Blessings...... Dee Dee click on photo....

Expressions Of Love

The Reader Of Compliments.....One smile from her lips will never be forgot,
It refreshes, like a shower from a watering pot.
She's my myrtle, my geranium,
My honey suckle, my tulip, my violet,
My holly hock, my dahlia, my mignonette.

She's my snowdrop, my ranunculus,
My hyacinth, my gilliflower, my polyanthus,
My heart's ease, my pink water lily,
My buttercup, my daisy lily, my daffydown dilly.
~From "The Broken Hearted Gardener,"
a nineteenth-century ballad

One of my lovliest of all possessions, is an old book titled Compliments. It is a treasury of tributes to friends and lovers, relatives and rivals. It is a collection of the most memorable compliments from different times and many places, paid by the famous, the infamous, the obscure, and the unknown, to those they loved, respected and admired. All this week before Valentine's Day, I will post on some of these expressions of tenderness. Some are subtle and others are funny. All of us enjoy being on the receiving end of lovely compliments and genuine expressions of love. I hope you enjoy.
Blessings...... Dee Dee

Be Blessed This Lord's Day

.....God ministers to us so gently, so stolenly, as it were, with such a quiet, tender, loving absence of display, that men often drink of His wine, as those wedding guests drank, without knowing whence it comes...without thinking that the giver is beside them, yea, in their very hearts. Source: Jan Karon's A Continual Feast

Watching Them Grow

Very dear to our hearts, are the children in a small Christian school in upstate New York. Our daughter is director of the school and we have the honor of being one of the very first benefactors of the school. Many of you who've followed my blog for a while, know this already. Now and then the children write to us, sending sweet messages and photos. We delight in watching them grow and learn, and are amazed at how they're excelling academically and especially spiritually. In recent days, we received photos taken of the children on a "Snow Day." The photo in my header, are some of the girls setting side by side in the snow.

Can you tell whose having the most fun? Hint: He has a tennis ball in his mouth.......

Blessings..... Dee Dee

Pretty Things....

There is none other like it, and they can truly boast of having the largest variety. Barnes & Noble's magazine rack is a favorite hang-out. That is how I came by the January issue of Country Living.... British Edition. You see, I'm a bit intrigued and a little curious as to the life styles and behaviors of those on the "other side of the pond." I've found there's not a lot of difference, the British and the Americans, for we've long been connected in so many ways. Opening to the first page of my new magazine, I read the words of the Editor, and knew I was hooked.

"Rid the log pile, get a blazing fire going in the grate and settle down to enjoy this January issue of Country Living." Well, I could hardly do that, living in Florida with temps in the 70s. But I found a comfortable chair and embraced each feature with vigour and enthusiasm.

Frustrated decorator at heart, I enthusiastically enjoyed even the ads and that is what brings us to the topic of my "post" for today.

I discovered Oxfordshire workshops, where some of the finest English furniture is hand made. Pink being my favorite color, I thought you might enjoy what I found. Hmmm....some pretty things to see by Wesley-Barrell.

Enjoy the day..... Blessings.... Dee Dee click on pictures

Teacups

Photo...Google Images

Always on the hunt for lovely old teacups and saucers, I often wonder of where they might have originated. Were they from a home of fine quality, or a simple dwelling where fine things were part of an enheritance.

I like to....think about the houses

and the drawing rooms, the

kitchens and the cupboards

where (the teacups) were kept.

And the people who cared for

them and what they thought and

felt and loved and lost. For as a

wise French writer once said,

"The reconstitution of the past is

a delicte pleasure of which one

should not be deprived.

~Geraldene Holt

Blessings for you today..... Dee Dee

Faces

Last evening, deep in thought as to my likes and dislikes, I discovered I'm drawn to art of the Victorian era.... faces precisely. I adore the wigs worn by women and men, and find their costumes extravagant and a "bit over the top." Blended in with my love of Folk Art, I've concluded my style of art could perhaps be "Victorian Folk Art." Is there such a thing? I wonder....What faces will I create with my drawing pencils and watercolors?

Faces of friendship

The face of singing music

The faces of hunters and fishers bulged at the brows

The shaved blanched face of orthodox citizens

The pure, extravagant yearning questioning artist's face.

The sacred faces of infants, the illuminated face of the mother of many children.

The old face of the mother of many children.

Behold a Woman! She looks out from under her Quaker cap...her face is more clearer and more beautiful than the sky.

~Selected lines from poem by Walt Whitman "Faces"

Be blessed today.....Dee Dee

Love Is Not Affectionate Feeling

Our grandson Isaac is two on Saturday. He's a gentle, sweet natured and happy little boy. I've never seen him without his smile. While wrapping some wooden toy animals for him, I thought of how unconditional his love is for everyone in his family. With three other siblings, he fits in nicely, claiming a secure spot and trying to keep up with the older children. My, how we all love this little guy. It's always the same when he first sees me...his little arms are out-stretched and he gives the best hugs.

I made the card I'm giving to Isaac for his Birthday. (borrowed photo Google Images)I was inspired by one of the wooden animals we're giving him.....the lion. It reminded me of Aslan, a character in "The Chronicles of Narnia." Isaac has heard the story, read by his father, on a child's level. The words I selected for his card are not the typical two year old birthday wishes. They are lasting words that his grandfather and I want him to know. Perhaps it will remain in his keepsake box for a while.

Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.

~C S Lewis

Good blessings for the day..... Dee Dee

Reflecting On Tonights Bible Study

I've posted before that I attend a Bible study each Monday night. Bible Study Fellowship in an international Bible study, even now in China. I encourage you to look for one in your area. This is my second year, and I can honestly say, this is the nicest thing I have ever done for myself. This year we are studying in the book of John. Tonight's lesson was sad, as we read of how Jesus prepared his disciples for the inevitable....his death on the cross. I have learned so much about the person of Christ....Son of Man....Son of God, Messiah...Savior.

Each week our study and preparation allows each of us in small groups to share our thoughts and discuss answers to our study questions. Afterwards, in the sanctuary, we attend a lecture on the same material. What a blessing our speaker is, and I look forward to this part of the program each week.

The whole coming together of believers, is sometimes a bit overwhelming to me. Beginning the evening with singing, the voices of over two hundred women can be heard making a joyful noise unto the Lord. There is something incredibly amazing to be with a group this size, coming together to study God's word.

Be blessed this week...... Dee Dee