Friday, November 26, 2010

November Days Dwindle Down to a Precious Few

Where does the time go? For me half of this month was spent in California, visiting our family. Time well spent. The weather was beautiful, warm days cool nights, and to my surprise I saw so many big beautiful crows, reminding me of my blogging friends back home, especially, old crow.

While in California I had the opportunity to enjoy the art of making a homemade pumpkin pie from scratch. It was fun and not so hard. The pumpkin did not come out of a can but out of a farmers market.
Pumpkins are such a delightful sight to me, coming in all shapes and sizes. Their beautiful orange color defines the fall season.

Why not try your hand at making a homemade pumpkin pie from scratch. Not only will you enjoy this old fashioned simple pleasure in life, but the taste is "frabjouslicious", to borrow a word from Sparrow's new blog.












There is not much time left to this month, so before it ends why not try to pursue some joyful activities you never seem to have time for, like a meditative walk in the woods.















Or, what about finding colorful leaves to preserve or hang in a picture frame. Fay, one of our dear friends and spiritual sisters did that and it was outstanding.

How about making a colorful fall wreath from things you may find in your own back yard.

Or perhaps sitting in front of the fireplace, sipping a cup of hot tea, curled up on the couch reading a good book.

There is nothing like the smell of homemade bread baking in the oven on a cool fall morning, and then sharing it with a friend, drinking coffee, delighting in uplifting spiritual conversation, and perhaps at times lifting up each others spirits because of discouragement and hardships in this life. Proverbs 17:17.

How about taking up the hobby of photography? I've been encouraged by the lovely pictures Sparrow has taken.

I am sure there are many other things you can think of that could be done to enjoy simple pleasures in life. If you would like to share some of your ideas it will be very welcomed.

In the new system we will have forever to enjoy the things we have so little time for now. The most important enjoyment we have now is learning more about our heavenly father Jehovah, and doing his will.
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What will you be doing these last few precious days in November? I hope it will be something you like.
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I will close this blog with one last gorgeous look at the fall season. Sit back and enjoy!



















This is Raven-as the crow flies!








Monday, November 1, 2010

November First!

Here we are again. The beginning of a new month. And as the custom has been, Raven tries hard to blog every first of the month. So here it is. This blog came close to not being done, especially because of the tragic events of the last few days. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those who grieve the loss of their beloved mom, and our dear sister in the truth.

What do you know about the month of November? How did it get it's name? Here's what I found out.
November!
November means "ninth month". Yet it is the eleventh month in the modern calendar. This anomaly has existed for over 2000 years. In the old Roman calendar (which was only ten months long) November was indeed the ninth month. But this changed when two months were added on to the year, and subsequently, in 153 B.C. the Roman Senate moved New Year's Day to January 1st. Curiously, the names of the numbered months were not changed to account for their new positions.

November began with 30 days, but Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome, took a day away in about 700 B.C. Julius Caesar added the day back when he reformed the calendar in 46 B.C. July and August had been named for the first two Roman Emperors, Julius and Augustus. The Roman Senate offered to change the name of November to "Tiberius". He wisely refused saying, "What will you do if you have thirteen emperors"?

November comes between autumn and winter. In the North Temperate regions during November, the trees are bare, and the dead leaves on the earth have lost the brilliant color they had in October. Soft snow seldom hides the bareness of the fields, but the grays and browns of the landscapes are sometimes relieved by delightful days of hazy sunshine. The Anglo-Saxons referred to November as "the wind month" and sometimes "the blood month," probably because during this period they killed animals for their winter meat.

This blog will be limited. Soon we will be flying out to California to visit family and I have so much to do before we leave Thursday morning, and I have accomplished so little to that end.

My biggest request to all my blogging friends, (Old Crow, Old Crow's wife Mickey, Sparrow, Swallow?), and others is to please pray for us. Sparrow, I know I can count on you. Thank you my dear friend. You know exactly how I feel.

I will end this blog with some beautiful November poetry. Enjoy!

Leaves
"How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.
At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow."
-Elsie N. Brady

Dull November brings the blast,
Then the leaves are whirling fast."
- Sara Coleridge (The Months)

"November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.
With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.
The fires burn,
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring."
-Elizabeth Coatsworth

"Two sounds of autumn are unmistakable,the hurrying rustle of crisp
leaves blown
along the street or road by a gusty wind,and the gabble of a flock of
migrating geese.
Both are warnings of chill days ahead, fireside and topcoat weather."
- Hal Borland














Until we return...
This is Raven-as the crow flies!