A song to sing

I bought a Mary Engelbreit desk calendar yesterday, with a quote for each week along with her sweet artwork.

This week's quote is a Chinese proverb: "A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song." What a beautiful thought, especially for these days when there are so many more questions than answers.

I wonder if it's a "coincidence" that I woke up this morning with a song in my heart and on my lips! What a wonderful way to start my day.

This evening my son's cat gave birth to kittens, and this was the first time I've seen a birth (except for my own children, of course!)..... what a joy!

Soon, of course, we'll have the not-so-easy task of finding homes for the kittens. Meanwhile, this should become quite a lively household!

Have a wonderful New Year!

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.
--Emily Dickinson

Why does the "thing with feathers" in this poem sing the tune without the words?

It struck me today that the music of hope is never lost................ even when words escape us.

Where do I hear the song of hope today?
Or, am I lost in the cacophony of the endless cycle of bad news over the airways?

Today, I want to take some time, turn off all of the noisy electronics, quiet my mind.......... and open my heart to hope. I can remember being young, and teachers saying excitedly "shhhh... we have to be quiet to hear the beautiful sounds of nature". I want to capture that quiet of expectancy........... so I can hear the beautiful song of hope.

I want to share the experience with you, too. Do you hear what I hear?

My almost-a-month without a computer!

Whew, I am now the owner of a brand new computer. I am so thankful!

I have missed my blogging friends! Yes, I did say "friends", didn't I? Keeping up with each other through blogs is not quite the same as gathering around the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, but it is definitely a gift in my life!

So, what have I been doing this month? Well, I've been BUSY attending classes preparing me to be a "tax professional" this income tax season. Then, as soon as I got my computer up and running this morning (it took me 3 hours!!!!) I sat down and did some computer-based training.

Speaking as one fluent in "instant gratification via the credit card", I'm SO happy that I held out for real money to buy the computer. I can now attest that I CAN WAIT!

Then, as a testimony to God's perfect timing, a man who specializes in "hauling off junk, and finding ways to recycle" came knocking on my door this morning. So, he now has my old broken computer, as well as a perfectly good printer that simply doesn't "fit" with Windows Vista.

I feel like I'm almost missing out on Advent this year. I'm grateful for my lesson in waiting, though. Isn't Advent about waiting? "Oh come, oh come Emmanuel"!