This and that

Happy Friday! What a great and busy week. I have been the mad gardener, filling in most of my newly roto-tilled dirt, putting in our garden and trying to get all the dirt out from under my fingernails. The weather has been particularly gorgeous, and what a pleasure to spend my days outside, with my hands in the dirt, listening to the birds sing and the kids play.

The girls and I found a woodpecker nest. We were resting on a bench in our yard after digging or some such labor, and we heard this constant "peep-peep-peep-peep-peep". We followed the sound and were led to a dead tree with a little hole bored in the middle of one branch, with a bigger hole 6" above it. We waited quietly to see the mommy bird come back, and waited, and waited...

We walked away and hid behind a tree, and immediately mommy returned and the babies peeped even more loudly. Now that we had learned what to look for, we found another woodpecker nest. Our Chickadee's have left the nest already, the finches are getting bigger, the mourning doves are gone from what I can see, and there wrens are busy as ever.

School is almost finished and should be able to be all packed up next week. The kids are getting upand getting their work finished by 10:00 am, and the rest of the day is ours.

I have a dear visitor coming today, my sister-in-law, and we are going to shop a little and work outside a little. She is very talented and energetic, and I can't wait to spend the day with her.

I'll leave you a little prayer of St. John Chrysostom. Have a blessed day!

"Lord, sprinkle into my heart the dew of Your grace.

O Lord, plant in me the root of all blessings: revernce for You in my heart.

O Lord, grant me to love always to do Your will.

Lord, send Your grace to help me, that I may glorify Your holy name."