Lily-of-the-Valley

::They're out and so are the Lilacs. The beautiful mixture sure makes for a very lovely smelling garden and home!::

Clustering Round Young Bingo

'Has Jeeves thought of another scheme?'

'No, but I have.' Bingo bent forward and patted my knee affectionately. 'Look here, Bertie,' he said, 'you and I were at school together. You'll admit that?'

'Yes, but--'

'And you're a fellow who never lets a pal down.  That's well known, isn't it?'

'Yes, but listen--'

'You'll cluster round.  Of course you will.  As if,' said Bingo with a scornful laugh, 'I ever doubted it! You won't let an old school-friend down in his hour of need.  Not you.  Not Bertie Wooster.  No, no!'

'Yes, but just one moment.  What is this scheme of yours?'

Bingo massaged my shoulder soothingly.

'It's something right in your line, Bertie, old man; something that'll come as easy as pie to you.  As a matter of fact, you've done very much the same thing before-- that time you were telling me about when you pinched your uncle's Memoirs at Easby.  I suddenly remembered that and it gave me this idea.  It's--'

'Here! Listen!'

'It's all settled, Bertie.  Nothing for you to worry about.  Nothing whatever.  I see now that we have made a big mistake in ever trying to tackle this job in Jeeves's silly, roundabout way.  Much better to charge straight ahead without any of that finesse and fooling about.  And so--'

'Yes, but listen--'

'And so this afternoon I'm going to take Rosie to a matinee.  I shall leave the window of her study open, and when we have got well away you will climb in, pinch the cylinder and pop off again.  It's absurdly simple--'

'Yes, but half a second--'

'I know what you are going to say,' said bingo, raising his hand. 'How are you to find the cylinder? That's what is bothering you, isn't it?  Well, it will be quite easy.  Not a chance of a mistake.  The thing is in the top left-hand drawer of the desk, and the drawer will be left unlocked because Rosie's stenographer is to come around at four o'clock and type the article.'

'Now listen, Bingo,' I said. 'I am frightfully sorry for you and all that, but I must firmly draw the line at burglary.'

'But, dash it, I'm only asking you to do what you did at Easby.'

'No, you aren't. I was staying at Easby.  It was simply a case of having to lift a parcel off the hall table  I hadn't got to break into a house.  I'm sorry, but I simply will not break into your beastly house on any consideration whatever.'

He gazed at me, astonished and hurt.

'Is this Bertie Wooster speaking?' he said in a low voice.

'Yes, it is!'

'But, Bertie,' he said gently, 'we agreed that you were at school with me.'

'I don't care.'

'At school, Bertie.  The dear old school.'

'I don't care.  I will not--'

'Bertie!'

'I will not--'

'Bertie!'

'No!'

'Bertie!'

'Oh, all right,' I said.

'There,' said young Bingo, patting me on the shoulder, 'spoke the true Bertram Wooster!'

--Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse--

The Deeps

LORD JESUS,

Give me a deeper repentance,

a horror of sin,

a dread of its approach;

Help me chastely to flee it,

and jealously to resolve that in my heart

shall be thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust,

that I may lose myself to find myself in thee,

the ground of my rest,

the spring of my being.

Give me a deeper knowledge of thyself

as Saviour, Master, Lord, and King.

Give me deeper power in private prayer,

more sweetness in thy Word,

more steadfast grip on its truth.

Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,

and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord,

heavenly Husbandman,

that my being may be a tilled field,

the roots of grace spreading far and wide,

until thou alone art seen in me,

thy beauty golden like summer harvest,

thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no Master but thee,

no law but thy will,

no delight but thyself,

no wealth but that thou givest,

no good but that thou blessest,

no peace but that thou bestowest.

I am nothing but that thou makest me,

I have nothing but that I receive from thee,

I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

Quarry me deep, dear Lord,

and then fill me to over flowing

with living water.

--The Valley of Vision--

Fräulein Klein

 Fräulein Klein

I can't remember exactly how I came across this blog, but I encourage you to take a peek.  She has the most *beautiful* pictures!!  

Yes, it is all in German.

I don't know about you, but my German is a llleeeetttllleeee rusty.  Actually, in truth, the only think I know how to say is:

jawohl kommandant!-- Yes, Sir, Commanding Officer!

(Thank you Hogan's Heroes!!!)

But, have no fear, there is this wayswiftyneedo button on the top that translates it for you! Who knew?! And you thought you were going to have to dust off that German book. (:

All right, enough talk.  Now go take a look! :)

"...like the sand of the sea..."

Plantin'

It warmed up a couple days ago (I mean literally warmed up, it was in the 90's on Tuesday). But, the last 2 days have been cloudy and rainy... and cold!  So, I quickly planted potatoes and sunflowers before the rain started Friday, knowing that it might be the only chance I get for a while.  These are the first seeds that we've planted so far due to the cold weather.  I am SO ready for gardening again!

French Larkspur Giveaway

Jeanne Oliver Designs and a Giveaway

Echinacea Tea

:: With all of the colds going around in our house there's also a lot of Echinacea tea going around as well.  Rarely is there a time when the pot isn't full with hot water just waiting for a cup and tea bag ::