Archive for the ‘Beautiful Places’ Category
Sunrise Over the Rooftops – Happy Thanksgiving from HappyLittleSigh
Posted in Beautiful Places, Holiday Cheer, Misty British Isles, Scotland, tagged Britain, Photography, Scotland, Thanksgiving on November 27, 2014| Leave a Comment »
A Song of Scotland ~ the first
Posted in Beautiful Places, Inspirations, Misty British Isles, Scotland, tagged Avonlea Q Krueger, Britain, british, Celtic Music, Happy Little Sigh, happylittlesigh, Music, Scotland, Scottish Adventure, Scottish Music, The Silencers, Wild Mountain Thyme, Will You Go Lassie Go on November 5, 2014| 2 Comments »
There’s music in the air here.
You didn’t think it was all imagination,
fiction,
fantasy,
did you now?
It’s in the wind as it batters rugged coastlines,
whispers over green pastures,
whistles through winding streets.
It’s in the waves as they crash against the rocky shore,
against the ancient harbors of this land of fisher folk.
It’s in the breath of livestock as they plod their verdant pastures.
It’s in the seagulls’ cries.
And somehow through the ages this land,
as every land,
created its own music.
A wealth of hymns, folk, Celtic, pop and bag pipe songs that get your feet tapping
and also give your heart
a delicious little ache.
I’ll share one with you now.
From a collection of Scottish tunes given to me by John in the months leading up to our marriage.
He knew the power of music in winning a girl’s heart.
When You’re NOT Having Tea with the Queen
Posted in Beautiful Places, Inspirations, Misty British Isles, Scotland, tagged Christian Mothers, Christian Mums, Christian Parenting, Jim Elliot, Parenthood, Parenting, Scotland, Tea, Tea Party, Wherever you are be all there on October 23, 2014| 2 Comments »
Pictures paint a thousand words.
They can also tell a thousand lies.
A thousand lies of just the sort
you’d like people to believe.
People on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
all those people you want to impress.
It’s easy when there’s a filter
for what people see of your life.
And while I’m so glad to be back here in Scotland,
it’s not all tea parties,
trips to castles,
European shops.
Life is life,
with all the dull, the ordinary, the hard to swallow times
mixed in with all the good.
I was reminded this morning–
that moment I started up the stairs for The Professor’s school books,
but then realized Mr. Waddlesworth had a dirty nappy,
and John asked me to get the General’s shoes on just at that moment so they could get to the swimming pool on time.
And all I really wanted was to eat my cereal, which sat there on the table growing soggy, the milk now warm.
A moment of chaos and I wanted to scream.
Yes, even in Scotland there are nappies to change, toilets to clean.
And worse than that, we find that even in the most Paradise-like of places,
we cannot escape ourselves.
And wouldn’t I like to, sometimes?
Hit reset, start again, with a brand new me.
It’s easy to blame others for my impatience, irritation, foul mood,
but when I’m honest I realize that I need to hit the reset button on my own attitude.
Shake it off, let it go,
and embrace joy, grace, and usefulness,
in spite of all the expectations and hopes that didn’t come when and as I’d hoped.
The days have been quiet so far, quieter than I’d hoped,
without any visits to the friends or beloved places I’m so longing to see.
Quiet days, save the usual busyness of home life with the boys.
And even in such a place as this,
greyness can fall,
wrap around you like a fog.
We went for a walk, Mr. Waddlesworth and I, this morning,
to shake the shadows,
start again.
And as I went along the narrow streets,
between the rows of ancient stone,
thinking,
and drinking in
the cries of the seagulls as they soar,
the balmy breeze,
the North Sea’s roar,
I thought of these words . . .
And though I’m trying, still,
to feel them,
live them,
make them real,
I know,
that whether we’re cleaning toilets,
or laughing over a latte with our dearest friends
in our most favorite place,
our moments matter.
And words, our expressions,
they matter, too.
In fact, in the grey times,
when the light is dimmest,
is when our words, expressions, and actions,
mean the very most.
The Beginning of a Journey – SCOTLAND
Posted in Beautiful Places, Inspirations, Making Memories, Misty British Isles, Scotland, Uncategorized, tagged Avonlea Q Krueger, British Isles, Christian Parenting, Great Britain, Happy Little Sigh, happylittlesigh, Journeys, New Baby, Scotland, Tea, Travel on October 16, 2014| 2 Comments »
We’ve arrived.
Took months to get us here, it seems.
Passport renewals and plane tickets.
Hunting out the next size up of clothes for the boys (all three of them, and this new little one who will arrive while we are here).
Cleaning the house in the way that only a nesting mother-to-be can do.
Packing and nesting and saying “See you next spring,” to our friends.
And up until the last two weeks, immersing myself for an hour each day back in 1941.
And it was tiring.
I was tired.
Tired like an addict of some sleep-inducing drug.
But planes and newborn babies, they don’t tend to wait.
And so I pressed through, and I made it, and we’re here.
We’ere here!
Scotland.
Scotland, which was home for eight years, and now hasn’t been for three.
Scotland, where everything is dear and familiar, strange and new.
Even after all that time, the hills never disappoint me.
Never seem less beautiful than ever they were.
And I can never help but think that all of this–all of this crossing of oceans–must mean something. Must DO something, deep inside of me.
Because it always has.
But when you’re away, out of your routine, it’s easy to forget the working, the striving, and try to get by just sailing for a while. And sometimes you still learn this way. Sometimes the haphazard can still help you grow. But I don’t want to leave it to chance.
I’ve got people. Dear ones. They need me at my best.
And though in the rush of the sea I hear the whisper of my Maker calling, it can be hard to hear His voice amongst so many other things that charm. Here in this place that always stirred my heart.
But hearts, as you know, are not always true. They can lead us on a merry dance.
And so while I want to savour each misty hill, each cup of tea, each warm embrace of a dear friend, I want to end this journey with a clearer eye, a clearer vision, and a closer walk with my Saviour than when I began.
Join me?
Walk with me?
Let’s see where this road goes . . .
Our view from the house
Summer in Scotland (and here, too)
Posted in Beautiful Places, Misty British Isles, Scotland, tagged Avonlea Q Krueger, British Summertime, Happy Little Sigh, happylittlesigh, Poetry, Scotland, Scottish Poetry, Summer in Scotland on July 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »
The weather kept me guessing yesterday.
Couldn’t make up its mind between radiant blue and stormy grey.
Kept me running in and out to fetch the washing off the line–
rescue those white sheets billowing in the wind.
Reminded me of a Scottish summer’s day.
And so I dug out an old poem I wrote whilst we were still living there.
I’ve been told it needs tweaking, but I’ll share it anyway.
Summer
Another dreich* Scottish day—
The air, it runs with silver grey,
With droplets on the window panes,
And from the sun, the mist reclaims
The gently sloping highland hills,
All purple-clad and heather-filled.
Down in the glens, and ‘long the shore,
The wind, it howls, the rain, it pours.
The burns* are filled, the roads a-flood,
And many-a-field’s a sea of mud.
The mums, they all bemoan the rain,
For now their washing’s wet again.
And the children long to get outside,
For games to play and bikes to ride.
The farmers say their barley’s soaked,
And though it’s June, the chimneys smoke.
But in castles great, and wee bothies*,
The folks enjoy a spot of tea,
Or don their trendy Wellingtons*
(What good are these, when there is sun?).
The strawberries are somehow picked,
And beaches walked, and ice-creams licked.
There is no lack of summer fun
Even without the shining sun.
And if the sun stayed for too long,
They’d all complain, and wish it gone.
© Avonlea Q. Krueger
*dreich – wet and dreary , burn – stream, bothie – small cottage, Wellington boots – rain boots
England – A Virtual Getaway for Tired Mums
Posted in Beautiful Places, Inspirations, Misty British Isles, Parenting - Raising Wee Men, Uncategorized, Videos - If You Were There, tagged Avonlea Q Krueger, Christian Mothers, Christian Mums, Christian Parenting, David Crowder Band, England, English Country House Estate, English Gardening, English Tea Time, How He Loves by David Crowder Band, How He Loves Lyrics, Jesus' Love on March 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I know their fantasies. Whispered in the semi-dark of their living rooms, or over coffee on our girls’ night out, they’ve confided in me what they really want. And I’m not shocked. Not one little bit. After all, it’s what I want too.
A hotel room.
A cup of tea.
And a book.
No one else. Nothing else. For one entire day.
And that is the true, wild fantasy of mothers everywhere.
Not only strange, unusual mothers, but average mothers, like you or me.
A mother who endures drafty showers because someone has burst in to ask her to tie on their ninja mask. A mother who rarely sleeps through till morning, and must nightly peal herself from bed and lurch through the house to lift and calm a teething baby. A mother who must clean a food-encrusted high chair three times every day.
And that is to say nothing of the raisins that get squashed on the bottoms of her slippers, the puddles of water and crumbs that appear as if my magic on her kitchen worktops, the mountains of laundry that move in cycles around her house, and all the toys that she must daily return to their homes on the shelf. The little fingernails she must cut, the beds she must make, the toilets she must scrub. The meals she must prepare, the dishes she must wash, the floors she must sweep.
This, all this, a mother must do. And how she longs to do it well! With joy, and patience, and grace, so that her children and husband and any guests who enter may be strengthened and comforted by their time there, in this mother’s home.
And yet motherhood is not a part-time job. It’s not even a full-time or a live-in one. There are no vacation or holiday packages. No weekends or nights off. And so it’s not hard to see why a mother—a mother like you or me—could get a little tired. Find herself longing for escape. A time of refreshment. A break.
Like hiding in the closet, maybe, with a bar of chocolate. A trip to the grocery store all by herself! Or that hotel, maybe? A trip, a real trip away? How about England? A country estate? Yes? Then come with me!
A virtual trip to England . . .
to the quiet and the green . . .
Hear the bird song. Smell the lavender. Let the grass tickle your feet.
Stop at the tent for tea and scones. It’s all here for you, so enjoy!
There’s a concert, too. Did I mention?
Right here in the gardens, underneath the sky.
David Crowder Band. Ever heard of them? Listen, will you? to what they have to say . . .
How He Loves
He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions
Eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, how He loves us,
how He loves us all
And we are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way
Oh, how He loves us,
how He loves us all
Singer: David Crowder Band
Songwriters: John Mark Mc Millan
Hope you were refreshed by your visit. Come back any time.
For more than sunshine. More than chocolate. More than a new outfit, or a girl’s night out. His love is what strengthens. Renews.
Bask here for a while in the immensity of it.
For you will never find the depths of Jesus’ love.
A Walk with C.S. Lewis
Posted in Beautiful Places, Books!, C.S. Lewis, Misty British Isles, The Inklings, tagged Addison's Walk, C.S. Lewis, Cherwell River, Magdalen College, Narnia, Oxford England, Oxford University, The Inklings on October 18, 2013| 2 Comments »
A little hunting at my favorite second-hand shop uncovered this treasure . . .
Lock me up in a room with this book
(and a cup, and teapot full of tea),
and I’d be quite content for a good few hours.
Ah, and what ever could I say, when there are images such as these to be poured over?
Part of the magic of living in Scotland was the possibility of getting into one’s car,
and within a few hours, being able to see the home of
Jane Austen,
or Charlotte Bronte,
or C.S. Lewis,
as we did, one lovely April.
We went to Oxford, England,
to Magdalen College of Oxford University,
where C.S. Lewis taught for nearly thirty years.
Anyone can tour it.
See Addison’s Walk along the Cherwell River,
where C.S. Lewis liked to stroll.
And his rooms at the college, now marked by some red geraniums.
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy,
the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”
~ C.S. Lewis
happy little sigh 