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From Shiloh, Hannah quietly returned to her home at Ramah, leaving the child Samuel to be trained for service in the house of God, under the instruction of the high priest. From the earliest dawn of intellect she had taught her son to love and reverence God and to regard himself as the Lord's. By every familiar object surrounding him she had sought to lead his thoughts up to the Creator. When separated from her child, the faithful mother's solicitude did not cease. Every day he was the subject of her prayers. Every year she made, with her own hands, a robe of service for him; and as she went up with her husband to worship at Shiloh, she gave the child this reminder of her love. Every fiber of the little garment had been woven with a prayer that he might be pure, noble, and true. She did not ask for her son worldly greatness, but she earnestly pleaded that he might attain that greatness which Heaven values--that he might honor God and bless his fellow men.

What a reward was Hannah's! and what an encouragement to faithfulness is her example! There are opportunities of inestimable worth, interests infinitely precious, committed to every mother. The humble round of duties which women have come to regard as a wearisome task should be looked upon as a grand and noble work. It is the mother's privilege to bless the world by her influence, and in doing this she will bring joy to her own heart. She may make straight paths for the feet of her children, through sunshine and shadow, to the glorious heights above. But it is only when she seeks, in her own life, to follow the teachings of Christ that the mother can hope to form the character of her children after the divine pattern. The world teems with corrupting influences. Fashion and custom exert a strong power over the young. If the mother fails in her duty to instruct, guide, and restrain, her children will naturally accept the evil, and turn from the good. Let every mother go often to her Saviour with the prayer, "Teach us, how shall we order the child, and what shall we do unto him?" Let her heed the instruction which God has given in His word, and wisdom will be given her as she shall have need.

(Patriarchs and Prophets)

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Well, I took Molly outside with me for a bit. I put her bouncy chair on the sidewalk while I inspected my pots of things out back.

One of them appears to be full of rhododendron seedlings (there is a bush out right near where my pots are). I pulled most of them but left a couple as well as some other mystery seedlings that may or may not be what I actually put in there last fall.

I took all the weeds out of the second one and planted Concord grape seeds from the Carpenters' grapes in. We'll see if they grow. I need to go water them.

And in the pot that had basil in it last year, I planted in a V-shape a bunch of the tiny black seeds from the bush down at the end of Grove. I helped myself to a couple seed pods from it last fall, because the vibrance of the leaves was stunning: a pinky-red. I guess I probably won't know for sure until fall if it's the same plant or not. Except, of course, that it will grow in a V-shape. LOL.

And the catnip and chives pots are now free of their blanket of maple seed propellers. I'm so glad both seem to be just coming back from last year, so I don't have to try to replant. I have never had luck sprouting chives. I <3 chives.

***

I also experimented with cracking wheat in our mill. I think next time I will make it just a hair tighter (if I want to use it for cereal, anyway). For the purposes of the soup I want to make, though, it did a good enough job.

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We went shopping last night, and it helped my mood just to get out of the house. Molly was cheerful while we were out, too, and that was nice. I bought a thing of sage, because I have none and don't even actually know what it's like but things call for it sometimes. And a container of paprika so I have an actual thing to keep it in instead of a bag from WinCo. And more thyme and rosemary.

When we got home I put away food and then got Molly ready for bed and Dan and I read Bible trivia questions to each other while I was feeding her. That was fun.

Molly went to sleep to stay about 9 and only woke once in the night (around 2am) and I just fed her and skipped waking Dan to do her diaper.

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I always feel bad for being behind on my Bible/devotional reading, yet the thing I read about Hannah this morning seemed oddly appropriate considering how I felt yesterday, so maybe God knew I would need that right then. To be happy and content in my "trivial" duties is a good thing for me to learn.

Granted, a good night's sleep never hurts, either. But I've been able to keep busy today doing little things around the house that need to be done. Putting out a little effort to just do these things instead of constantly thinking about it is good for me.

And, now that she's sleeping, I better go down and plan lunch and wash up dishes.

Jary

http://www.soupsong.com/rjary.html

OK, this was DELICIOUS.

Two things:

I substituted pepper flakes for the cayenne, because I didn't have any.

I left out the mint.