It’s a hazelnut americano kind of day today. And, boy, does it smell good! The americano, I mean. Not the day. Do November days have a smell? I know damp October ones do, but most of that odorous decomposing matter seems fairly decomposed by this point in November.
This Remembrance Day has been a welcome respite in the midst of the chaos of late. Not that we took a full fledged holiday; the kids did do school this morning. But bankers and lawyers and home inspectors and insurance agents and realtors are off work today, so I’m enjoying a break from my mile long to-do list.
Here I sit, sipping my homemade beverage, thinking about a poem we have been memorizing this homeschool term called “The Mist and All” by Dixie Willson. “Finally — a poem that has something good to say about November!” Boo exclaimed when I read it through the first time. I knew she would be thrilled with this selection. She absolutely hates how poets habitually disparage the fall. Every time I read aloud a poem about autumn that reflects on death and dormancy and bleakness, she rolls her eyes and asks why nobody can seem to appreciate its beauty and quit complaining about the cold. Boo sees beauty in everything so it drives her nuts. She has appreciated Dixie Willson’s take on November very much. We all have, and I thought I’d share it here on the blog today along with our other memory work selections from this term. So grab a hot drink and enjoy!
The Mist and All by Dixie Willson I like the fall The mist and all I like the night owl’s lonely call And wailing sound Of wind around I like the gray November day And bare, dead boughs that coldly sway Against my pane I like the rain I like to sit And laugh at it And tend my cozy fire a bit I like the fall The mist and all
Disturb Us Lord by Sir Francis Drake Disturb us, Lord, when We are too well pleased with ourselves, When our dreams have come true Because we have dreamed too little, When we arrived safely Because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when With the abundance of things we possess We have lost our thirst For the waters of life; Having fallen in love with life, We have ceased to dream of eternity And in our efforts to build a new earth, We have allowed our vision Of the new Heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, To venture on wider seas Where storms will show your mastery; Where losing sight of land, We shall find the stars. We ask You to push back The horizons of our hopes; And to push into the future In strength, courage, hope, and love.
Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you. I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.” As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them. The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, and I will not speak their names with my lips. Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I will bless the Lord who counsels me — even at night when my thoughts trouble me. I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely. For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay. You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Psalm 16 (CSB)
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (CSB)
“Venez auprès de moi, vous tous qui portez des charges très lourdes et qui êtes fatigués, et moi je vous donnerai le repos. Je ne cherche pas à vous dominer. Prenez donc, vous aussi, la charge que je vous propose, et devenez mes disciples. Ainsi, vous trouverez le repos pour vous-mêmes. Oui, la charge que je mettrai sur vous est facile à porter, ce que je vous donne à porter est léger.”
Matthieu 11:28-30 (PDV2017)
My Peace in the Puzzle 