The Adventures of Timmy Bear

     I haven't much to write today, and so I thought I would put the first part of a little children's story I wrote a few years ago, on the blog. I wrote this when my first grandaughter came along.

THE ADVENTURES OF TIMMY BEAR

            One day, little Timmy Bear was taking a long walk in the woods near his home.  He looked all around as he walked, at the pretty pink flowers, and the green leaves on the trees, and the birds that flew in the sky above.

            He loved the woods, and he was happy there.  Everything is so beautiful, he thought to himself.  I just love all the colours .  This is a very special place, and I’m glad that I live here.

            Suddenly, from out of nowhere, came a great bird, swooping out of the sky, and landing on the branch of the tree right beside Timmy Bear.

            “Wh….wh….wh…at is that?  Timmy looked up, and saw a big raven on the branch just above his head. “You scared me,” said Timmy.  “Do you always make that much noise when you land?”

            The raven looked down at Timmy, and then he started to laugh. “Haw, haw, I meant to give you a little scare!” said the raven.  “Your eyes got so big; I thought they would pop right out of your fuzzy little head!”

            Timmy didn’t think that what Raven had done was very funny at all, and he told him just that.

            “I like to surprise bears and squirrels and other birds, and foxes and owls and anything at all,” laughed Raven.  “It’s fun!”

           “Maybe for you it is,” said Timmy, “but not for us.  You should be nice to your friends here in the woods.  This is our home, and we should all try to get along, and especially not scare each other.”

            “And why should I do that?”  Raven was still laughing at Timmy.

            Timmy told Raven that they all had to live together, and they should try to be kind to each other.

            Raven told Timmy that he didn’t have to, because he wasn’t stuck here in the forest.  He could spread his wings and fly off into the sky, to the farms around, or to the town, or anywhere he wanted to, anytime he wanted to.  It didn’t matter if he wasn’t kind.

            Timmy Bear shook his head and looked very sad.  “I’m sorry if that’s the way you feel,” said Timmy.  “It’s nice to have friends.  We can look out for each other, and help each other and have fun together.  Don’t you want to be a part of that?”

            Raven just flapped his big black wings, and threw back his shiny black head, and laughed with a loud raaaaaaw.  Then, he took off from the branch, shouting to Timmy as he went.  “I don’t need friends.  I can do anything I want.  Nobody can stop me.”

            Soon Raven was out of sight, and Timmy began to walk again, but he wasn’t very happy now.  He was sad, because of what Raven had said.  Everybody needs friends, he thought.  Everybody needs somebody to care about them.  Poor Raven.  He thinks he’s happy, but I wonder if he really is.

    

       That's the first part......I'll leave the rest until tomorrow.

What's That?

     I have several projects that I need to get started on. Why is it so difficult to get going on at least one of them?  I know that once I get started I get right into it, but it is actually picking up the pencil or the brush and making the first line or stroke that is so hard.  Folks who apparently know these things say that people procrastinate because they dont believe they can do it, and are afraid they will fail.  Personally, I'm never sure what I can do until it's done and even then I wonder.

     These are some of the clay items that I mentioned before.  They are a good example of not knowing how it will turn out, till it is done.  A friend put a picture I had painted into a really nice frame, and it looked so good.  I had trouble believing that I had done it.  I guess, perhaps I don't have a lot of confindence in my abilities.  Definitely not a good way to be but...........that's me.

Back to Routine

     I just got home a little while ago from our first choir practice of the new year.  What a wonderful group of people.  We have such fun, singing and enjoying each other's company.  I love each one.  I have written a few poems about the choir over the years.  People have come and gone, for various reasons, but the core has remained steady.  I was going to say that we are like a family, but I will correct that to we are a family.  At least I feel like they are my family.  I have adopted them all, but they don't know it.
Here is a poem I wrote after the choir had practiced extremely hard and sang the Christmas Cantata so beautifully.
   

Cantata 1990 is over, and I know we did our best.

We put hard work and love in it, and God did all the rest.

He takes us as He finds us, with all our many flaws,

And molds us, by His Spirit, into a ministry for His cause.

God, in His great mercy uses us to His own glory,

Enabling us to sing, with grateful hearts, the joyous, age old story.

But it’s not just the final service that God blesses, for I am sure,

That the love and special bond we share is blessed, and sweet and pure.

For how could we proclaim His love without Him in our midst?

He’s the One who fills the heart and church, length and breadth and width.

God has given us something quite unique, in which we can delight;

Love and respect for one another.  Let’s hold on to this so tight.

And humbly, reverently thank our God for the gift that He has given.

That warm and loving family feeling that can only come from Heaven.

     I am blessed to have such wonderful friends, I mean, family!

Stonehenge Farm....What?

     Our farm has the name Stonehenge, not because we have a great circle of giant rocks, or druids dancing through the orchards, but rather, it came from an off-hand remark from a neighbour when the barn was just being built in the early 1980s.
     When we built the barn, after the floor was down, we had the corner posts, window and door posts standing up, before we started adding the logs for the stack walls.  The neighbour just commented that it looked like Stonehenge. The name stuck, and really, no one seems to wonder about it.
     Not that we don't have rocks here.  Every farm on the south mountain has rocks, I'm sure.  Our rocks, most from decades before we arrived, are in the form of rock walls.  I guess we've added some, with much more ease than the early land clearers.  It is really amazing if you think about the time and effort it took to build those stone walls, in those years long past.  And of course, as rocks do, there are those that are lying in wait for the mower, or the plow or the ankle to find them.

Storm Over

The sun decided to shine today, and I can actually see some blue sky.  It's a nice change.  This is what it looked like yesterday.  Snow always pretty, but definitely not good for driving.
Our orchard and barn are across the road from our house, and from my den, the barn is always in view.  I can only see a small part of the orchard.
I fed my chickadees today.  They are getting more tame.  Only a few seconds passed before one little one was on my hand.  Another decided he would have a better choice of seeds if he landed in the dish of seeds I was also holding. 
Mr. Squirrel also visited the feeder earlier.  I really can't begrudge him a few seeds.  He looks so cute sitting in the feeder.  He doesn't stay long.  Yesterday I also had the doves, jays and even an american goldfinch and two evening grossbeak.
Having the chickadees landing on my hand brings me such a warm feeling.  It puts a smile on my face.  It's amazing how something so simple can make one feel so good inside.

Getting back to routine

I have packed away all the Christmas decorations in their plastic cartons, but have not yet put them in the attic.  In order to put the boxes in the attic I have to bend over from the waist, because of the sloping roof.  That's not too bad, except that after I have spent time in that position in the attic, it takes me a 20 minutes to stand up straight, and it hurts. I walk around bumping into things, until I can stand upright.  I count that as my exercise for the week.  Isn't it said that if exercise doesn't hurt, it isn't doing much good?  Maybe I'll put things away   tomorrow.  And there is still the outside tree and bear.  Yes bear.  I'm not sure what a bear has to do with Christmas, but I like it.
I am the "director" of our church choir.  They are a fantastic group of people.  We have such a great time, praising, singing and laughing together, and I am looking forward to getting back to regular practices.  Our organist is away, and so my nervous  fingers are doing the organ playing.  I'm not trained, so I hit a lot of wrong notes.  If the choir sings loud enough, bless them, no one hears my bloopers.
I have another week before our Bible Study group starts up again, but I had better get at my research.  I wish my brain would retain more of the things I read.  Old Testament study is really interesting, and I wish I knew more about the times and traditions of the OT.
I spent the afternoon, well not all of the afternoon, carving a clay bowl.  I do a lot of what some may call, strange things.  I make things out of clay, and then carve designs into them.  I am never too sure what the outcome will be, so it's always a surprise.  Everyone needs surprises now and then, right?

First Day of 2011

The first day of the new year is almost over, and I have already met one of my "to do" items for the new year, which was, of course, to start a blog.
I spent part of the evening with my daughter and 2 grandaughters, and we have begun to do a1000 piece puzzle given to us by my other daughter.  Puzzles are magnets.  It is extremely difficult to walk away.  There is always that next piece that you have to find......and then, another, and then, another. It is fun, but it can drive one a little nuts.
A couple of years ago, when I was going through a bit of a difficult time, I did puzzle after puzzle.  I guess it helped me get through the hours.
I will try in the next few days to write about where I live, and how I pass most of my days.