Blackbird's Song

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How lovely to hear the blackbirds again!  While the weather was so bad, there was barely any birdsong outside our home, despite all the trees that they must have had to shelter in.  Today, the air is warmer, everywhere the snow is melting, and the wee garden birds seem to know that spring is on its way.  I love to hear the blackbirds especially - to me, they remind me more than any bird of the early spring evenings, just as the days begin to get a little longer.

The blackbird's song it takes me far away

To northern Land and to a distant day

His kin birds sang all day until sundown

In leafy groves just out of Millstreet Town.

A blackbird piping on a blackwood tree

Awake the nostalgic memories in me

Again I walk the lush green fields in Spring

And hear the wild birds on the hedgerows sing.

Bluebells bloom by the hedge by the bohreen

And cock pheasant often heard though seldom seen

In the knee high rushes clap his wings and crow

By their calls and songs the birds you get to know.

The distance from the home fields may be long

But whenever the migrant hear the blackbird's song

He or she will see the lushness brought by rain

And walk through fields where wild flowers bloom again.

To it the blackbird's song has a nostalgic ring

It takes the migrant to a distant Spring

And though far distant the Homeland near 'twould seem

And the dipper's song is echoing in the stream.

I thought this thing nostalgia I'd outgrown

But the blackbird's song it carries me back home

And I walk the high fields where I walked before

Up to the hill through the wood at Claramore 

Francis Duggan

So Thankful

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Oh my goodness!  It has snowed so heavily here!  Last night, just after we had sat down to our evening meal, the snow started to fall thickly, and it went on, and on.  And on and on and on!  It snowed so much that we just had to go outside and investigate!  It was great fun walking through the beautiful, freshly fallen snow in the dark.   We went to the big park near our home, where there are lots of evergreen trees and oh, they did look so lovely, frosted with snow.  After a long walk we were all tired and cold, and some of us were wet, too, from throwing snowballs!  So we went indoors again and enjoyed mugs of tea and hot chocolate.  It was still snowing when we went to bed, but it stopped overnight.

Burns Night

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Friday 25th January is Burns Night, the day on which people in Scotland and in many other parts of the British Isles (and further afield too!) celebrate the birthday of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns.  Burns wrote many poems and song lyrics including the very well known New Year's Eve song, "Auld Lang Syne" (otherwise translated as "old long since").   

Sounds Of Spring

Today walking through the park, there was no beautiful sunrise to see (it was cloudy) but we did hear the loveliest sounds of birdsong - so clear and cheerful, that it made me think of spring!

I know it's a few weeks yet before the earth begins to shed its winter coat, but it definitely felt more like spring than winter today.   I found this poem, by Thomas Carew, which makes me think of the birdsong, the sweetness, the brightness and freshness of spring, which will be so very welcome when it does arrive!  It was written in 1640, but the words are just as relevant today as they were when they were written, I think.

Now that the winter’s gone, the earth hath lost

Her snow-white robes; and now no more the frost

Candies the grass, or casts an icy cream

Upon the silver lake or crystal stream:

But the warm sun thaws the benumbed earth,

And makes it tender; gives a sacred birth

To the dead swallow; wakes in hollow tree

The drowsy cuckoo and the humble-bee.

Now do a choir of chirping minstrels bring,

In triumph to the world, the youthful spring:

The valleys, hills, and woods in rich array

Welcome the coming of the long’d-for May.

Now all things smile: only my love doth lower,

Nor hath the scalding noon-day sun the power

To melt that marble ice, which still doth hold

Her heart congeal’d, and makes her pity cold.

The ox, which lately did for shelter fly

Into the stall, doth now securely lie

In open fields; and love no more is made

By the fire-side, but in the cooler shade

Amyntas now doth with his Chloris sleep

Under a sycamore, and all things keep

Time with the season: only she doth carry

June in her eyes, in her heart January.

Sunrise And Love

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This morning, walking through the park with Papa Bear, we saw the most beautiful sunrise!  First it was dark red, then pink, then threaded with gold, then the most specacular orange.  The bare dark trees silhouetted against it looked spectacular, and although it was about 7.30 and almost rush-hour, the whole world seemed so still and peaceful as we walked along, admiring God's wonderful creation.  Just as we reached the edge of the park, we were treated to another wonderful sight - a sleek, golden fox, strolling elegantly across the path in front of us, as if he owned the park!  He looked so proud and serene!  He was almost the same colour as the sky behind him, and although they are really considered as pests here in England, he was so beautiful too that we couldn't help thinking how lovely he looked, and how lucky we were to have seen him.

Sweetness And Light

Source for this image here.

Do you make new year's resolutions?

We don't usually make resolutions, but the start of a new year is always a good time to review your daily habits and routines, and your living environment, and see if there are any improvements that can be made!  Today Little Bear and I were very busy doing a little "spring clean".  I focussed on the bathroom, and Little Bear worked on the kitchen.  Now that we are done, everywhere is bright and sparkling and it really feels as if we've made a fresh new start for the year!

Planning For A Healthy New Year!

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Today I am having a quiet rest day!  And very pleasant it is too.  I really enjoyed the rush and hurry of Christmas, and all the fun that we had together.  But I also rather like the peace and tranquility of the period between Christmas and New Year, which for me is a time to "take stock" and think about the year that has passed, and about how I hope the year to come will be.

O Tannenbaum

I thought I would share some pictures of our 2 Christmas trees with you today!  Little Bear has shown me how to take pictures using the webcam on our new(ish) laptop, which means that the blog should start to look a little more interesting than it has for the past few months.  We have a houseful just now - the four of us bears, 6 birds, 2 chinchillas, a large goldfish, and then as of yesterday, 2 brothers in law and 2 dogs!  Everyone seems to be getting along fine and this morning, despite the pouring rain, the menfolk went out to the park with the dogs.  That left Little Bear and I to get our chores and food prepping done - which we did in double-quick time - and then we switched on the laptop, and Little Bear sat down with me and showed me how to use the webcam!  So here are some "tannenbaum" pictures for you to enjoy ...

Coventry Carol

This is my favourite carol.

Coventry is a city in the West Midlands of England, about 150 miles from where we live now.  It was originally performed in 16th Century as part of a play based on the nativity story as retold in the Gospel of Matthew and in fact wasn't actually intended to be a carol, but was performed during the spring at the time of Corpus Christi.  However to me it symbolises perfectly the peace, majesty and simplicity of the nativity, and I like it far better than the more modern hymns.

The Gift Of Giving Part Two

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Yesterday I wrote about some of the spiritual aspects of giving gifts - and how in fact, our material possessions really can't bring us true happiness or contentment.  However, the act of giving - and of receiving gifts - does still bring us much pleasure, and I'm sure that almost everyone who celebrates Christmas, birthdays or other special days where gifts are exchanged, would agree!

Home For Christmas!

Well if you have been thinking that our blog posts just recently have been very short, I can share now that there is a good reason why this weekend just gone they were especially so.

We were home for Christmas!

Well, not exactly ...

Christmas Decorating

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Well our house has been transformed since the last time I posted!  

We had a lot of internet connection problems which once again were caused by the weather.  Up so high in our apartment block the connection is never brilliant, but it cuts out intermittently, making blogging a little difficult sometimes!  Fortunately today the weather is warmer, so we are online at the moment.

Be Still My Soul

My nausea has been bad today so the post I wanted to write must wait.   Papa Bear put this nice music on for me to listen to, to keep my mind busy.  Isn't it lovely?

"He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."  (Ecclesiastes 3: 11).

Our Congratulations

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How lovely to hear on the news today, that The Prince and Princess of Cambridge (Prince William and Princess Catherine) are expecting their first baby!  Our congratulations go to them both and are shared, we are sure, by millions around the world.  

Happy Friday!

Source for this image here.

This was the gift my sweet husband gave to me yesterday!  It was a thank you gift for a wonderful Thanksgiving!  He said he thought I would love it because not only is it a Precious Moments ornament (I love the Precious Moments  figurines that you can buy in America.  They are extremely hard to find in England, so as with this ornament, Papa Bear usually buys them for me from Amazon.com, where the customs and duty taxes are already worked out for you when you make your purchase) but it also has birds!  It is really very lovely - larger than you might expect from this picture, and the base is shiny as if the snow is sparkling.  I have given it pride of place on our night stand, and I can't stop myself from going upstairs to snatch another look at it.  Precious Moments figurines are so very charming and sweet - there is something very innocent about each cute little character, and I like that they represent the wholesome traditional values of love, marriage, family and faith.

Today we went for a walk around the lake near our home.  It was sunny and frosty - perfect weather for a walk!  We went with the cubs and 2 of Papa Bear's brothers, who are staying with us this weekend.  For this reason I shall be quite busy, and probably won't have as much time as usual to drop by here at the blog. But we will be back soon!  It is so fun catching up with our sweet family!  And I love my new ornament, Papa Bear!  Doesn't he spoil me?  He says I deserve it - but I still think I am a very lucky Mama Bear indeed!

My Favourite Things

Today we went for a long walk by the lake that is close to our home.  It was absolutely beautiful, very peaceful and a gorgeous sunny, breezy day - freezing cold, but we were all wrapped up so warm that it didn't matter!  Under our feet the gold and orange leaves that had fallen from the trees all around were crisp and crackly, and as we walked back home, the breeze got stronger, so by the time we were indoors, we were so glad to be there!  We had mugs of tea and hot chocolate to warm ourselves up, and Little Bear declared that going for autumn walks was most definitely one of her very favourite things to do!  That got us all thinking.  What are your favourite things?

Here are some of mine ....

Reasons To Be Cheerful

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"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phillipians 4: 8 - 13).

It may not be quite as gloomy outside today as the scene in that picture by the 16th Century painter Brueghel, but it is definitely not a day for spending much time outside!  Instead I have been busy doing some decluttering and general organising, in preparation for Christmas.  Although we live in England where Thanksgiving isn't widely celebrated, we like to have a special meal around about this time, in the run up to Christmas, so I am making plans for that, and this morning as Papa Bear had a day off work, we went to the supermarket and did our big Christmas food shop.

Together Forever

I have a family here on earth

They are so good to me.

I want to share my life with them,

Through all eternity.

While I am in my early years,

I'll prepare most carefully,

So I can marry in God's temple

For eternity.

Families can be together forever

Through our Heavenly Father's plan.

I always want to be with my own family,

The Lord has shown me how I can.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Revelation 21: 1 - 7).

Just A Closer Walk With Thee

Today when I walked through the park with Papa Bear to pick up his lift, everywhere looked so beautiful in the cold autumn sunshine that I was minded of this hymn - and it was a sweet moment indeed, when I told Papa Bear this, and he said he had been thinking exactly the same thing!

If like us you don't have a garden of your own, I think it's really important to be able to get outside somewhere that you can see God's beautiful creation for yourself.  I love the simple joy of walking beneath the whispering trees, breathing in the fresh sharp scent of the cool air, watching the golden leaves showering softly down through the sunlight as the earth slows down for its winter slumber.  It makes me feel closer to God - just like the words of this hymn.

As a family, this weekend we are going to try to get outside whatever the weather, so that we can enjoy God's world as it is meant to be enjoyed - pure and unspoilt, just as it was when He made it.

Comfort And Joy

Sweet memories of our precious little guy pictured top left above with one of the rest of our flock.  He passed away 2 years ago tomorrow, after a very short illness.  He was hand reared and the tamest little bird, with such a sweet personality.  He was adorable, and we miss him very much.

Oh!  We are having such a wonderful time!  I just know this precious week with all of us together at home is going to be so extra special.  Today has been especially precious, full of so many lovely things that will make memories to treasure.