Monday, May 31, 2010

In Honor ~ Memorial Day

With thoughts and prayers and thanksgiving to all who have served and are serving our country, and to their families this Memorial Day and every day.










Do any of you remember this recitation? When I was a girl growing up it played on the country music stations. It still gives me goosebumps when I hear it. I thought of all the people who may not have heard it, and thought I would share the words here. I understand it has been recorded in more recent times as well.

DECK OF CARDS (SPOKEN):

During the North African Campaign, a bunch of soldier boys had been on a long hike.
They arrived in a little town called Casino and the next morning being Sunday, several of the boys went to church. A sergeant commanded the boys in church.

After the Chaplain read the prayer, the text was taken up next. Those of the boys that had a prayer book took them out. One boy had only a deck of cards, and he spread them out. The sergeant saw the cards and said, "Soldier, put away those cards." After the service was over, the soldier was taken prisoner and brought before the Provost Marshall.

The Marshall said, "Sergeant, why have you brought this man here?" "For playing cards in church, Sir," was the response. The Marshall asked the soldier, "And what have you to say for yourself, son?" "Much, Sir," replied the soldier.
The Marshall stated, "I hope so, for if not I will punish you more than any man was ever punished."

The soldier said, "Sir, I have been on the march for about six months. I have neither bible nor a prayer book, but I hope to satisfy you, sir, with the purity of my intentions." And with that, the boy started his story ...

"You see, sir, when I look at the Ace, it reminds me that there is but one God.

And the deuce reminds me that the bible is divided into two parts: the Old and the New Testaments.

When I see the trey, I think of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

And when I see the four, I think of the four evangelists who preached the Gospel: there was Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

And when I see the five, it reminds me of the five wise virgins who trimmed their lamps; there were ten of them: five were wise and were saved, five were foolish and were shut out.

When I see the six, it reminds me that in six days God made this heaven and earth.

And when I see the seven, it reminds me that on the seventh day, God rested from his great work.

When I see the eight, I think of the eight righteous persons that
God saved when he destroyed the earth: there was Noah, his wife, their sons and their wives.

And when I see the nine, I think of the lepers our saviour cleansed, and that nine of the ten didn't even thank him.

When I see the ten, I think of the ten commandments that God handed down to Moses on a tablet of stone.

When I see the King, it reminds me that there is but one King of Heaven, God Almighty.

And when I see the Queen, I think of the blessed Virgin Mary who is the Queen of Heaven.

And the Jack or Knave is the Devil.

When I count the number of spots in a deck of cards, I find 365, the number of days in a year. There are 52 cards, the number of weeks in a year. There are four suits, the number of weeks in a month. There are twelve picture cards, the number of months in a year. There are thirteen tricks, the number of weeks in a quarter.

So you see, Sir, my deck of cards serves me as a bible, an almanac and a prayer book."

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Time To Wake Up!

From what feels like a long winters nap, or at least a slow awakening to spring!


I came out of the barn the other day and looked up the hill to see the rooster (with our neighbors flag behind him), still crowing at ten in the morning! I happened to have the camera with me (taking pictures of lambs) and couldn't resist this shot. It seemed like it was a nudge to me to shake off winter and wake myself up!

"Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for on You do I lean and in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my inner self to You..." Psalms 143:8 (Amplified Bible)

Flowers and grass are growing, trees are budding ~


We are done lambing, finishing with thirty five live lambs. Some glamorous whites and wild colors:


We lost two, one at the beginning and one at the end of lambing season. I only had to assist with one birth (with timely help from friend Mary). We have one bottle lamb this year, an endearing little fellow (now wethered) named Gordon that you will see here one of these days. Two sets of triplets, the first set triplet boys from Amanda and the second set, three little ewes from Ava, sired by Autry! The plan is to keep all three of them. Didn't have to help with either of those births!

Yes, it is time to wake up, there is lots to do....always lots to do. But maybe it would be okay to have just one more snooze in the sunshine before getting started...


(Ava's triplets, sleeping in the sun...one is a grey badgerface, one a solid black and one white! Way to go Ava!!!)