Bittersweet

I love bittersweet. It's not very pretty during the summer when all the other flowers are in their blooming splendor. It sits back & waits for it's turn. Biding time unassumingly.

Then, when all the plants are quietly getting ready for their long-winter's nap, the bittersweet explodes with bright contrasting colors. Just when the world is putting on it's winter dress, the bittersweet is putting on it's party gown.

Bittersweet reminds me of my daughter, Hannah. She is still in the green leaf-stage at 13. I look at her & see what is to come. I can see the vibrant colors. But that's the thing. I'm hoping to see what should already be visible. I'm still waiting. How long will I have to wait to see the buds? I don't know.

Hannah has made great strides in gaining good speech. I would pray that God would let her talk to me, again. I have learned & trust that God is good & answers prayers. She now can have simple conversations & express her wants & needs. Like going to the store to buy some toy because she has money in her pocketbook. I think Hannah will always want to buy toys. This is bittersweet to me.

She looks like a girl in her fledgling teen years. She is good at math, when she's in the mood. Hannah sometimes smacks her brother when he is being a younger brother. She loves & shows compassion.

Hannah is my bittersweet. When all the other girls her age at the school dance, she is at home drawing her pictures. It's not that we forbid her to go. I don't know how much she would understand about that social confusion. That's all a junior high dance is anyway. She's happy to draw instead. She tells me that she doesn't want to kiss, let alone marry a boy. Hannah describes that as, "Disgusting!" I rest easy with that thought, for now.

Every so often I get to see a peek of dazzling color in her. She doesn't bloom all at once. One flower at a time. I savor it each time I see a glimpse of it happening. It happens in her time & God's.

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace. - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

God doesn't give me all good nor does He give me all bad with Hannah. He gives what I need, good & bad. Sometimes separate. Sometimes at the same time. I can rest assured that He is with me ALL the time.  

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.- Deuteronomy 3:16

So I will wait. I will wait & watch with eager eyes. Someday my Bittersweet will bloom, spectacularly.

Crazy Chickens

The Girls

"I'm running around like a crazy chicken." This is a phrase that escapes my mouth at least a half a dozen times a week. I don't know why I say this. I often feel like I am squawking at my kids to "do this" or "stop doing that" throughout the day. I peck at something over here then I peck around at a little bit of this & that. Nothing gets the full attention it deserves.

In my quest to make things more simple, I've added on to my brood. My dearest Hubby has given me a chicken coop that I have asked for the past couple of years. By God's grace, some one was giving away their chickens. I convinced Hubby that some of them wanted to live with us.

 I'd like to introduce you to The Girls.

Ginger the Easter Egger

Camilla the Amerucana

Bunty the Silver-laced Wyandotte

Babs the Rhode Island Red

 Now I spend parts of my day watching the chickens antics. The Boyo & I search the garden & yard for unsuspecting grasshoppers & feed them to the Girls. The Girly does not want to touch the chickens but enjoys feeding them grass & looking for eggs.

Why would I add to my "Things to Do" list? I really can't answer that. I really just love chickens.

I am trying to teach Boyo how to take care of the chickens. The only problem is he forgets that they can exit an open door at their will. I am constantly telling him to "Close the door!!"

As I watch them scratch & peck in their yard, I realize that no human has taught then how to eat & what to eat. They just know what to do. Nobody teaches a chicken how to be a chicken.

In stark contrast, children must be taught how to become adults someday. They must be shown & told how to do laundry, wash dishes, clean their rooms, scrub the floors or mow the grass. This is where I am now.

I am trying to teach the kids how to do things in life that will let them be independent adults. The thing that gets in my way is time. I'm running out of it. I didn't teach the kids enough when they were little, & now it's hard to get over old habits.

I am a type B personality. I don't like schedules. I find them restricting. If I'm not "on schedule", it ruins my day. I also get really sidetracked.

I've been trying to get in a routine lately. At least in the morning.

The other day I tried to have a routine. Sometime during the day I took the kids & the dog outside. It was a nice day. Some point while we were fascinated with the chickens, I realized I hadn't seen the dog, JoJo. I called for her, & she came slinking up the hill. This is how she walks when she knows she's been misbehaving. Then I see why she thought she was in trouble. JoJo rubbed her neck, chest & shoulders in what I assumed to be either cat or wild animal poo. This is not a new event.

JoJo hates the tub.

Since it was too cold to hose her down in the yard, I took her to the tub. This was NOT part of my plan. I had absolutely no intention of scrubbing my dog or tub that day. I could have found so many more things that I wanted to do that day. The truth was my tub did need a scrubbing before the dog needed in.

God knew that I needed to clean the bathtub. I knew it needed to be done, I just didn't want to do it. God knows whats best for us. Just like a parent who knows that it is best to teach the children how to be independent someday.

I will try to live with more intent on loving my children & husband. I will still find time to watch my chickens & not be a crazy chicken.