Did you know that the word "Lent" actually is derived from the Middle English word "lente" which means "Spring"? At first that struck me as odd, but now I'm beginning to see how that is truly fitting. This Lent has been a beautiful one for me so far... The extra fasting and extra praying, coupled with the snow melting and the buds budding has awakened new life and joy in my soul. Or perhaps it's just the sunshine adding some much needed Vitamin D in my body. Likely all of the above. I hope your Lent and Springtime seasons are filling your soul with new life and joy as well!
Here are our final pictures of winter weather and our new pictures of the first signs of Spring:
Farewell cool snowman--we'll build you again next winter!
Farewell snow in the valley (within days all the snow around our house was gone too)
Farewell to my cool new Sorel boots and hello to my trail running shoes!
Farewell to Paul's new winter toy.
Now he's taken the plow off and can play with it all Spring, Summer, and Fall too.
Hello swing!
Isaiah was so happy to be able to play outside without his hat, gloves, and snowpants again!
He loves getting a "helicopter spin" in the swing :)
Hello hiking trail around our property---it's so good to see you again!
Hello sweet boys who love to bond outside in the Spring weather!
Hello tree buds bursting with new life!
Hello chickens who can finally venture outside their coop.
And soon we'll be saying hello to some cute new baby chicks in May--yay!
Hello Crossbill and other birds too swift to capture with my camera--
it's a delight to see you all again and hear your songs outside our windows.
HELLO SPRING!!
I'm so glad you're finally here!
And for you literary lovers out there, here are a couple of famous poems about Spring:
Spring (an excerpt)
by William Blake
Sound the flute!
Now it’s mute!
Bird’s delight,
Day and night,
Nightingale,
In the dale,
Lark in sky,—
Merrily,
Merrily merrily, to welcome in the year.
Now it’s mute!
Bird’s delight,
Day and night,
Nightingale,
In the dale,
Lark in sky,—
Merrily,
Merrily merrily, to welcome in the year.
Little boy,
Full of joy;
Little girl,
Sweet and small;
Cock does crow,
So do you;
Merry voice,
Infant noise;
Merrily, merrily, to welcome in the year.
Full of joy;
Little girl,
Sweet and small;
Cock does crow,
So do you;
Merry voice,
Infant noise;
Merrily, merrily, to welcome in the year.
A Prayer in Spring
by Robert Frost
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, give us pleasure in the orcahrd white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh, give us pleasure in the orcahrd white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.
For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.
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