gifts

I have always loved this song, (come thou fount of every blessing) but this morning I listened to it on the treadmill three times and it was worship.

These lines:

Here's my heart, oh take and seal it.
and
let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wand'ring heart to thee.

Very good.

Also good:

* Spring. I'm adding to my collection of buried bulbs every fall and am so happy to see what pokes up in March. My favorites: the light pink tulips while they're still tightly closed. And the daffodils with white petals and orange centers.

* The library. The library is one of the happiest places on earth for me and my small ones. We load our book bag full of books and then we spend the whole afternoon on the floor, looking at the pictures and getting excited for bedtime stories. This week we got a couple of books on CD - the best. Henry laughed his face off listening to Hank the Cow Dog while I made dinner for some friends last night. Lily helped me make the cornbread - she loves to help in the kitchen. I'm so glad for that.

* The doves. They're back! Making another nest in our eaves. They are so gentle and sweet. We put birdseed out for them and Lily goes outside every morning after breakfast to check to make sure they're ok. The mama bird feathers their nest so diligently and the daddy bird stands by, somewhere close, keeping watch.

Did I ever tell you about the baby dove who fell out of the nest last spring? And how Nate and I found him shivering on the driveway late one evening as we pulled in from a Saturday night date? And how we brought him inside for a spendover? And it was the sweetest thing in the world?! Here are a few pictures from last spring:

The next morning when we took him outside, he flew up onto the fence and his mama (we think?) came and found him. A precious reunion.

* Yesterday was a gift of a day, and today too - so far. We're sprawled on the floor in the front room, listening to The Twits (read by a delightful British bloke,) watching the doves in the eaves outside the window.

* Finally, I would just like to say thank you to all of you who have reached out in love and kindness over this last little while. I open your e.mails, read your texts and comments, listen to your voicemails and gracious, do I feel encouraged, understood, cared for. Thank you. It means so much to me.