Moving On

Dear Friends,

Welcome to "Merry Hearts Cottage" today! We have had a busy, busy week, but we thought we'd stop for a bit and let you know that we've been thinking of you ;).

We are quickly trying to get our house ready and packed, before putting it on the market~ Nothing like trying to do four years' worth of house repairs in two weeks! Mr. Graham is planning on traveling out to Missouri with his parents on the ninth, so we will be in a whirl until then!

On Monday we were sad to give away our chickens to our friends who live down the street. We've had our chickens the whole time we've been in this house, and they were our friends. Hopefully it won't be too long before we can start all over again!

Audrey sprained her finger eleven days ago, and so has been unable to write or draw. To occupy herself, she has taken up "glamour photography" (wherein one coerces a sibling to dress up and pose in lots of different ways). Here are some of the results~

Even Noel was not exempt!

We'd better get back to painting the house now, but we are grateful for your friendship and prayers, and hope that you are having a blessed week.

Love,

Marqueta

"Home"

by Edgar Guest

It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home,
A heap o' sun an' shadder, an' ye sometimes have t' roam
Afore ye really 'preciate the things ye lef' behind,
An' hunger fer 'em somehow, with 'em allus on yer mind.
It don't make any differunce how rich ye get t' be,
How much yer chairs an' tables cost, how great yer luxury;
I ain't home t' ye, though it be the palace of a king,
Until somehow yer soul is sort o' wrapped round everything.

Home ain't a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute;
Afore it's home there's got t' be a heap o' livin' in it;
Within the walls there's got t' be some babies born, and then
Right there ye've got t' bring 'em up t' women good, an' men;
And gradjerly, as time goes on, ye find ye wouldn't part
With anything they ever used -- they've grown into yer heart:
The old high chairs, the playthings, too, the little shoes they wore
Ye hoard; an' if ye could ye'd keep the thumb marks on the door.

Ye've got t' weep t' make it home, ye've got t' sit an' sigh
An' watch beside a loved one's bed, an' know that Death is nigh;
An' in the stillness o' the night t' see Death's angel come,
An' close the eyes o' her that smiled,
an' leave her sweet voice dumb.
Fer these are scenes that grip the heart,
an' when yer tears are dried,
Ye find the home is dearer than it was, an' sanctified;
An' tuggin' at ye always are the pleasant memories
O' her that was an' is no more -- ye can't escape from these.

Ye've got t' sing an' dance fer years, ye've got t' romp an' play,
An' learn t' love the things ye have by usin' 'em each day;
Even the roses 'round the porch must blossom year by year
Afore they 'come a part o' ye, suggestin' someone dear
Who used t' love 'em long ago, an' trained 'em jes' t' run
The way they do, so's they would get the early mornin' sun;
Ye've got t' love each brick an' stone from cellar up t' dome:
It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home.

Happy Late Birthday to Beatrix Potter!

Dear Friends,

Thanks to our friends at "Corgyncombe Courant", Diane and Sarah, for reminding us of Miss Potter's birthday, which was the 28th. Evangeline had begged us to have a tea party on that day, and we even watched "Miss Potter", without knowing that we were celebrating her special day!

The Hostess

We even had Peter Rabbit carrots!

As with many of you, we are enamored of both the stories and the life story of this incredible lady. She had such a great talent for bringing her animal subjects to life, as well as for painting and sketching nature in all its variety. Here is a sampling of her work.

Here is a little video that features some of Miss Potter's sketches, along with the song "A Perfect Day", which was used as the theme for the short movies which were made of her stories.



We're sure that Heaven hosted a lovely party, too!

Love,

Marqueta

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"I remember I used to half believe and wholly play with fairies when I was a child. What heaven can be more real than to retain the spirit-world of childhood, tempered and balanced by knowledge and common-sense..."

~Beatrix Potter

Let's Take a Trip to Utah!

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for coming over today~ Pull up a fan and some iced mint tea, and join us while we visit a good friend and some family in Utah!

It's Rebecca's first long car trip, so Mama gets to ride in back with her and provide the entertainment that only mothers can give :).

We'll have to make a stop or two along the way, so we can stretch our legs and see the. . . "nature path"?




After we've passed the "Welcome to Utah" sign, we'll start a chorus of "Are we almost there?", until we reach our first destination; our dear friend Emily of "A Beautiful Life" and her sweet little family!




We'll visit for a few precious moments, and sadly depart. . .

But soon the children will be excited by the prospects of the family reunion at their Aunt Jennifer's place. . .

Which has the backyard we wish we had, with a pool, a trampoline, a playhouse, a little hill for sledding and sliding, a swing set, and lots of shade trees!



Oh yes, and lots of cousins!




We'll play until the moon comes up~


And then head homeward, where we'll be blessed to see this beautiful rainbow.


We hope that you enjoyed coming along with us, and that you are having a wonderful week!

Love,

Marqueta

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A something in a summer’s Day
As slow her flambeaux burn away
Which solemnizes me.

A something in a summer’s noon —
A depth — an Azure — a perfume —
Transcending ecstasy.

And still within a summer’s night
A something so transporting bright
I clap my hands to see —

Then veil my too inspecting face
Lets such a subtle — shimmering grace
Flutter too far for me —

The wizard fingers never rest —
The purple brook within the breast
Still chafes it narrow bed —

Still rears the East her amber Flag —
Guides still the sun along the Crag
His Caravan of Red —

So looking on — the night — the morn
Conclude the wonder gay —
And I meet, coming thro’ the dews
Another summer’s Day!

-Emily Dicksinson

Happy Birthday to Tasha!

Dear Friends,

On the 15th of this month, we celebrated the ninth birthday of our little Mama Bird, Tasha~

Who loves turtles and even made herself a turtle cake!

And even let Evangeline and Frankie (her baby birds) open one of her presents.



We are grateful for the sweet spirit that Tasha brings into our family, and wish her a lifetime of joy.


Today, we are going out to enjoy some fresh air and arnica :)


Blessings to you,

Marqueta

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"I believe we start to fail in the home when we give up on each other. We have not failed until we have quit trying. As long as we working diligently with love , patience, and long-suffering, despite the odds or the apparent lack of progress, we are not classified as failures in the home. We only start to fail when we give up on a son, daughter, mother, father, or self:" ~Marvin J. Ashton

Yikes! A Recipe for Comfrey Burn Paste

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for coming by! We hope that you have had a restful weekend, and are ready to begin a new week. Welcome to any new visitors who might be stopping by for the first time.

We had a scary experience last week, of Evangeline playing with matches in the backyard. She managed to catch her frock on fire, but fortunately AnnaMarie saw her and put out the flames before they could burn her badly.


She ended up with only a small third degree burn where the dress had melted itself to her back (Bad, bad polyester blend! Remind me to use only natural fibers from now on), which is healing nicely, thanks to Dr. Christopher's Burn Paste recipe. We were caught unprepared, but fortunately had all the ingredients at the time Evangeline was burned. Dr. Christopher said to always have some made up ahead of time, which is a very good idea! You never know, especially with summer's fireworks, campfires, etc, when it will come in handy!

Here is the recipe: Mix equal parts liquid honey and wheat germ oil. Then add enough powdered comfrey leaf or root (you can use fresh, but it's a lot runnier) till you have a nice thick paste. This paste is applied quite thickly and covered with gauze and some time of plastic covering to keep it from oozing (it will anyway :) ). As the paste absorbs, you add more paste, but do not remove the paste already on the wound.

We have used this recipe for quite a few scary accidents, and have never been disappointed with the results.
It keeps well for a long period of time, but would last even longer with the addition of a little powdered slippery elm bark powder.

Here is a link to more information about herbs to use for burns~

We are so very glad that Evangeline's guardian angels were watching out for her, so she could be right back out doing what she loves best~



On another note, Jenny had asked me about oily hair and how often it has to be washed. I have read that the more often you wash your hair, the more your scalp will produce oil, from the dryness of the scalp. I know that women used to use a dry shampoo of cornmeal between washings; perhaps that would help absorb the oil if you wanted to start tapering off on how often you wash your hair. I'm sure it may take a while for the scalp to adjust, but I'm almost positive you would see results in time.

A blessed day to all of you, from all of us.

Love,

Marqueta

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If thou of fortune art bereft
And if thou hast but two loaves left
To thee, sell one and wit the dole
Buy hyacinths to feed the soul.

~James T. White