Spring Beauty in Art and Music

It has been a quiet afternoon here with glorious sunshine streaming through the windows as I have had the pleasure of catching up on my reading as well as having the luxury of a much-needed nap.
I thoroughly enjoyed both books that I recommended to you yesterday, feeling like I had truly travelled to both India as well as Italy.
Secret Daughter has also given me a better picture of India where my daughter is presently.
I really miss her but am so thankful that she is in good hands (thank-you N) and that we will reunite next month.
In the meantime, I am gearing up for a major Spring cleaning project which I will share about tomorrow. That also means that I will be winding down here at Seasonal Hearth, which I will also share about soon. I really should be completing my course as well as the online exam but am a royal procrastinator. Can anyone relate? Instead I am distracted by the beauty of art and music, which I am now passing along to you....
My middle daughter introduced this group to me this afternoon. I just had to share the beauty and gift of their music with you.


Art by Artist: Angela Staehling

Aston is group of young musicians from Sydney, Australia who wanted to challenge the traditional sound of both classical and pop music. Daniel (percussion), Hanna (cello), Eliza (violin), Michael (violin), Will (guitar) and Ella (piano) bonded over their passion for not wanting to follow the traditional classical path at the Conservatorium of Music...
Enjoy the beauty of their music......don't forget to pause the playlist at the bottom of the screen...

Spring's Simple Joys

Last week I was careful to look for signs of Spring so that I could encourage those who were weary of this cold weather we have been experiencing.
God is so faithful to show us!
~♥~The birds have been singing their songs here every morning. I have spotted and heard the red cardinals,
the mourning doves,
the chickadees and sparrows,
the blue jays and robins,
and even the red- winged black birds,
one true sign of Spring which you can read about here. Although this article is from New England, the same evidence can be said of Ontario.
As I was driving to town for groceries and errands, I grabbed my camera to capture a few scenes for you.
I get so excited when I spot even the smallest indication of Spring, so bear with me as I tell you that I pulled over immediately when I spotted this first picture, but felt so embarrassed when the farmer stopped his tractor thinking I wanted to speak with him,
I quickly took the photo from the window as I drove away:)
The things I do to share Scenes of Spring with you...I tell ya:)
~♥~This was a joyful scene for me as I have not seen many farmers out spreading manure yet, and this truly reminded me of Spring.

~♥~Maple syrup buckets were hung in many sugar bush areas...

~♥~The new Spring collection at Bath and Body Works...
the packaging alone is so adorable, so fresh and Spring-like,
and the scent is wonderful:)
My favourite new collection is Country Chic,
although I prefer to say: Country Chick~
a blend of wildflowers, woods and citrus....love it!
You can visit their website here

~♥~The sweet and feminine dress my daughter ordered
for her college gala from Ruche
and the vintage collection of clothing,
including many lovely dresses found here.

Her English Muse Ivory Lace Dress:

~♥~The glorious Spring sunshine in the windowsills
as I observe this on my drive into town...

~♥~The sunlight streaming through our windows at home,
morning and evening...

~♥~An action-packed Sunday as our dear friends met us at church, their excited reunion with many friends they hadn't seen in years, a beautiful service concluding with this song by Lincoln Brewster; a powerful reminder taken from Isaiah 40:

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint, You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

(pause playlist to listen;
you can click on the four arrows for full screen viewing.
The song gets loud but the ending is worth it...so precious)

~♥~And the Spring Party that followed our church service as we had three families over to our home for the day. There was so much laughter and chatter as we caught up...secretly I think that at least three of the women had a serious case of Spring Fever...but don't tell them I said that.
The meal consisted of caesar salad, spinach lasagne, garlic bread followed by desserts.
Don't you just love the cinderella glass slipper in the form of that precious little glass tea pot, a thoughtful gift from friends, who also included Lady Earl Grey tea which is wonderful. You can visit the Teaopia website here. The pretty spring collection of tea cups (for my oldest daughter) was purchased for $3.00 at my favourite thrift shop, the MCC which you can check out here

~♥~The decadent desserts included:
cherry cheesecake,
chocolate fudge cake,
(both brought by my friends)
and the carrot cake,
which I shared before in this post here

~♥~The little spring gifts for my friends because:
Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"
~Robin Williams

~♥~Cheerful Gerberas bringing Spring indoors...

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven -
All's right with the world!
~Robert Browning

Hope is the thing with feathers...

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
~Emily Dickinson



A favourite nature artist of mine is dutch artist, Marjolein Bastin, who shares this:

"When you open your eyes and your heart for nature's beauty around you, there is so much joy and love. I see each day as a gift with a possibility to discover something new. Discoveries I want to share with you through my paintings."

"Parents can hardly know or guess what's happening then, or what can happen, when they put their children in the garden or in the grass or in the park," says Dutch artist Marjolein Bastin.

Marjolein's earliest memory is when, as just a toddler, she would lie in the grass outside her family's home near Utrecht, The Netherlands, breathing in the sights, sounds, and smells of the natural world around her. Little did her mother know that when she lifted little Marjolein from her baby carriage and placed her into the hands of nature, she was placing nature into the hands of Marjolein.

As a little girl, Marjolein collected and treasured simple items from nature – pine cones, seeds, and flowers. As soon as she was able to hold a pencil and paintbrush, she began to lovingly capture the beauty of nature in her sketches and paintings.

"It was my way of holding forever the impression I loved so much in nature," she says."
You can read her story and see her paintings here For more of her beautiful artwork you can visit this art gallery here


It is a glorious morning here with an early morning sunrise set in a pinkish sky; tree branches adorned with hoar frost. I am baking for my family as well as putting together a gift basket for another family that I hope to deliver later this morning. It will be a grocery shopping day today as I didn't get far in my errands on Wednesday due to the snow storm which caused driving to be treacherous.
Many of my dear friends have been commenting on this snowy weather, feeling like we will never see indications of Spring as it has been so cold here. I empathize with you and wanted to dedicate this blog post to all of you. I am so confident of the fact that Spring weather is just around the corner as the sun is shining warmer in the sky, the birds continue to sing cheerfully, the days are getting longer, and I have spotted green shoots coming up out of the dormant earth.
A dear friend of mine shared her thoughts in a recent comment left here. I just loved this and wanted to share her perspective with all of you:

"It is almost effortless to cherish the fresh hope and new life of spring - the ample warmth and lavish fragrance of summer - the vivid colours and clear air of autumn - but what about winter? It is a cold and tempermental season, to be sure, but while all around us is covered in the slumber of snow, we are allowed a time of quiet reflection and rest. Winter makes room for dreams to be explored and spirits renewed. A time to feel sad and amazed... lonely and grateful. Strangely enough, winter is necessary... for it is the very thing that sets the stage for our souls to be uplifted the other three seasons through."

Take heart and hope, my friends, your patience will be rewarded with glorious Spring in all her splendour! We'll have to celebrate with a Spring Tea Party:)

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"
~Robin Williams

As I was cleaning on Wednesday, I was drawn to the windows many times to watch the sparrows and the chickadees, as well as the chubby robins as they moved from branch to branch in the trees, carrying on as if they had no cares in this world.
I was reminded of this scripture verse:

Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:26

And in my heart I was singing this song
as a reminder that God is faithful
and He will bring it to pass...

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Raised on Country Sunshine

Yesterday morning before I left for work training, I wanted to celebrate our glorious sunshine with all of you so I created a Sunshine Playlist to go along with my post. You can pause it, turn your speakers off or just crank it up which is what I did this morning while baking cookies for my family.
The sun continues to shine today and the music is making me feel nostalgic, although I was very young when many of these songs became a hit (wink, wink)
Enjoy a 'new to me' british artist, a wee bit of spring, some nostalgia along with country sunshine...


"Mary Dipnall says that she would rather be sitting in a meadow full of wild flowers, sketching with the sun on her back than anywhere else. Born in Portsmouth in 1936, her childhood and subsequent painting style was much influenced by family picnics and holidays in England's beautiful West Country. Perhaps it is Mary Dipnall's lack of formal art training or her pastoral lifestyle which infuses her work with such colourful freedom and warmth. Whatever it is that makes her work inspired, it strikes a chord with all those who love and value the English countryside."

Art by Mary Dipnall

You say you love me and it's invitin'
To go where life is more excitin'
But I was raised on country sunshine
I was raised on country sunshine
green grass beneath my feet
Runnin' through fields of daisies
a wadin' through the creek
You love me and it's invitin'
to go where life is more excitin'
But I was raised on country sunshine
I was raised on country sunshine
I'm happy with the simple things
A Saturday night dance, a picture show and the joy that the bluebird brings
I love you please believe me
I wouldn't want you to ever leave me
But I was raised on country sunshine
There's just something bout the mornin' makes each day a joy to see
Nighttime brings a peaceful feelin' rest inside of me
I love you please believe me
I wouldn't want you to ever leave me
But I was raised on country sunshine
Yes, you love me and it's invitin'
to go where life is more excitin'
But I was raised on country sunshine
Uh huh I was raised on country sunshine
oh oh I was raised on country sunshine

(pause playlist below to listen)

I Will Rise

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

~Isaiah 40:28-31

Saturday's Simple Joys

"But Mary treasured up all these things
and pondered them in her heart."
Luke 2:19

It has been awhile since I have shared my simple joys but I promised my daughter in India,
who is missing the beauty of winter at the moment, to share some winter photos.
I also have some time to share as it has been a quiet afternoon/evening with my
family away.
Hubby is spending the afternoon with our son, middle daughter is at work
and youngest daughter is snow-boarding with a friend.
It has been a wonderful day with much to be thankful for.
Here are just a few simple joys to share:
♥ breakfast prepared and served by hubby to his family this morning
♥ all of us around the kitchen table except eldest daughter (you are missed k)
♥ baking blitz this morning in preparation for company we are having tomorrow

♥ talking on skype with oldest daughter k today
♥ the sense of accomplishment after cleaning the house; a productive day
♥ an afternoon winter walk
♥ and the peace and stillness of winter amid the gently falling snow
♥ time to reflect, treasure my blessings, and ponder them in my heart
♥ beauty of the winter landscape






♥ going on a date yesterday with middle daughter for some shopping and lunch
at this authentic Mexican Restaurant
♥ music is one of those treasured gifts so I was thrilled with the discovery of a new singer from Norway after my colleague at work shared this video with me...Enjoy!

The poetry/prayer/nature is stunning!

I wish you Health...
So you may enjoy each day in comfort.

I wish you the Love of friends and family...
And Peace within your heart.

I wish you the Beauty of nature...
That you may enjoy the work of God.

I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities...
For those things that really matter in life.

I wish you Generosity so you may share...
All good things that come to you.

I wish you Happiness and Joy...
And Blessings for the New Year.

and this prayer:

Thank you Lord for giving me
The brand new year ahead
Help me live the way I should
As each new day I tread.
Give me gentle wisdom
That I might help a friend
Give me strength and courage
So a shoulder I might lend.
The year ahead is empty
Help me fill it with good things
Each new day filled with joy
And the happiness it brings.
Please give the leaders of our world
A courage born of peace
That they might lead us gently
And all the fighting cease.
Please give to all upon this earth
A heart that's filled with love
A gentle happy way to live
With Your blessings from above.
~ Charlotte Anselmo ~

You can read more about Sissel Kyrkjebø
the beautiful exquisite Norwegian soprano singer here and here
When I was younger, this was a favourite song of mine.
I haven't heard it in awhile but this version is just stunning,
especially with the piccolo (meaning small in Italian)
Duet sung with Russel Watson...

Auld Lang Syne

We are leaving shortly for the Niagara area to spend the day/evening with my family, but I wanted to take a few minutes to wish you all a Happy New Year.
Auld Lang Syne is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song. It is well known in many English-speaking countries and is often sung to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight.
The song's Scots title may be translated into English literally as "old long since".
It is one of our traditions to listen to this version by Andre Rieu as we have his DVD series.
It is also a tradition of ours as a family to 'pray in' the New Year, remembering all that God has done for us over the past year, and asking Him to lead us into the new year.
It is our prayer for all of our family, friends and acquaintances, including all my kind visitors here, that God may be gracious to you and bless you with health and peace in this new year 2011.

"Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand,
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand...."

I am leaving you with an Irish blessing that can be found here and here
May the blessing of light be upon you, light on the outside and light on the inside.
With God's sunlight shining on you, may your heart glow with warmth like a turf fire that welcomes friends and strangers alike.
May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes like a candle in the window, welcoming the weary traveler.
May the blessing of God's soft rain be on you, falling gently on your head, refreshing your soul with the sweetness of little flowers newly blooming.
May the strength of the winds of Heaven bless you, carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean, sparkling after, in the sunlight.
May the blessing of God's earth be on you and as you walk the roads, may you always have a kind word for those you meet.
May you understand the strength and power of God in a thunderstorm in winter, the quiet beauty of creation and the calm of a summer sunset.
And may you come to realize that insignificant as you may seem in this great universe, you are an important part of God's plan.
May He watch over you and keep you safe from harm.

Blessings and love,
Joanne

God's Gifts during this Christmas Season

André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu, born October 1, 1949 in Maastricht, The Netherlands, is a Dutch violinist, conductor, and composer. You can read more at his website here.
He was in Toronto recently, and although it wasn't feasible for us to attend his concert, I have thoroughly enjoyed his music in CD/DVD form, and also online. Music is such a wonderful gift to be enjoyed by all who want to listen and be blessed.
This video arrived by email this past week (thanks G) and was such a blessing to our family.
I am so thankful for the gift of God's amazing grace in my life~♥~
Be Blessed!
(be sure to pause the playlist below; you can click on arrows in right hand corner for full-screen viewing)

In the Bleak Midwinter

Star of Wonder by Trisha Romance

Inspiration while I write my Christmas Cards:

"In the Bleak Midwinter"
written by Christina Rossetti
mid-19th Century
sung since 1906 - The English Hymnal.

In the bleak midwinter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter,
Long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When he comes to reign;
In the bleak midwinter
A stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air;
But his mother only,
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

What can I give him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him —
Give my heart.

Another beautiful rendition by Loreena McKennitt:

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." ~Isaiah 9:6

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Emmanuel~God with us

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel~God with us.
Isaiah 7:14

Life Lesson # 1: It's all just stuff!

My family teased me, they challenged me....they even dared me!
Instead of shying away from the challenge, I have decided to boldly take it on as a reminder that:
1) life is not perfect
2) blogs tend to showcase the good and the beautiful,
but avoid the not so pretty
3) people are more important than stuff
4) my treasures are my faith, my family and my friends

So here's my story taking some liberties from a poem you will all know:

I had just settled down for a time of quiet reading,
My morning devotions was what I was needing.
When out in the kitchen there arose such a clatter.
I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.
This sounded serious, I knew I had to dash,
So away to the kitchen I flew like a flash.
Only to see the look of shock on my daughter's face,
and broken dishes scattered all over the place.
The shelf in the cupboard was falling,
so for help my daughter was calling.
I stood in silence, not a word was spoken,
as I surveyed the damage and all that was broken.
Suddenly it became clear to me what I must do,
Call on my hubby, let him know we had a crisis or two
Isn't that what every woman would do?:)
Calm was his style and wide was his smile
as he simply took the broom
then swept the contents into a box,
and vacuumed up the room...
He is my hero!

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth..."
Matthew 6:19

On a lighter note, we enjoyed a wonderful day yesterday as we had a special service at our church in the morning, followed by an afternoon tea enjoyed by all of our guests.



In the evening we took our guests to an old-fashioned hymn sing celebration that was....
So beautiful! The ladies who directed it, the costumes, the choir, the soloists, the organist and all the drama characters did an amazing job.
There was the Bishop of Ambrose who sang:
"Of the Father's Love Begotten"
Martin Luther who wrote:
"A Mighty Fortress is Our God"
John Calvin who wrote:
"Sing, Sing a New Song to the Lord God"
Fanny Crosby who, despite being blind, wrote over 8,000 hymns, making this one of her most beloved hymns:
"Blessed Assurance"
John Work, who wrote:
"Go, Tell it on the Mountain"
Robert Lowry who wrote:
Shall We Gather at the River"
And finally, my favourite song of the evening written by John Newton:
"Amazing Grace"
Thank you to all involved in making this such a special evening. It truly was one of the highlights of our day!

The Voice of Angels....Libera

After a busy day out, I am home again and eager to finish up my decorating for this coming season. I just made myself some tea of the british sort to go along with the Scottish shortbread that I purchased today.



The weather is overcast, drizzly and a wee bit foggy, with temperatures hovering around zero with a possibility of freezing rain. Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow, so winter is knocking at the door.
It will be a perfect evening to stay indoors this evening.
As I was sipping my tea, I was checking my emails. A dear fellow anglophile sent this my way knowing that I would appreciate it. Thank you M!

Introducing Libera from South London, England...Enjoy!
(be sure to pause playlist)

Christmas Shopping with a bit of Random Culture at the Mall

Last week on my errand day, I popped into the Mall to get a glimpse of the Christmas decorating there. Thankfully it wasn't busy so I was able to enjoy a leisurely stroll through the mall and take a few photos to share with you.
(click on photo to enlarge)

Magical Fairy theme this year:

One of my favourite shops, Bath and Bodyworks:

Chic decorating...black is in:

Great wreath idea:

And on to my favourite store, Chapters, where the display is cosy and inviting...makes me want to wrap myself up in a knitted blanket, curl up in a favourite chair by the fireside with a candle glowing, quiet music playing, then immerse myself in a captivating novel.
Of course I would need to have my favourite seasonal Starbucks drink to enjoy...

I chose a gingerbread latte to go along with some magazine browsing...
The perfect combination: Enjoying my new Christmas CD playing beautiful inspirational Christmas music and sipping the last of my latte as I meander home again.

And...
Have you seen this? Last week a patron shared this with us and it moved me to tears and sent shivers down my spine.
I thought I would share it with you, my readers...
(be sure to pause playlist to listen)

"On Saturday, October 30, 2010, the Opera Company of Philadelphia brought together over 650 choristers from 28 participating organizations to perform one of the Knight Foundation's "Random Acts of Culture" at Macy's in Center City Philadelphia. Accompanied by the Wanamaker Organ - the world's largest pipe organ - the OCP Chorus and throngs of singers from the community infiltrated the store as shoppers, and burst into a pop-up rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah" at 12 noon, to the delight of surprised shoppers. "
(click on four arrows in right hand corner for full screen)



And closer to home, in my family's neck of the woods, at Seaway Mall in Welland, Ontario....
"One minute, Stephanie Tritchew was just a face in the busy Seaway Mall crowd, sipping coffee at a cafeteria table and chatting on her cellphone.
The next, the St. Catharines native was standing and belting out "hallelujahs" from the famed chorus in Handel's Messiah in front of a stunned food court congregation."
You can read more about it here.