Music to My Ears

One of the most beautiful sounds a mother can hear...

A steady heartbeat.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee: for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.     Psalm 139:13-14

Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies

A crisp dough with juicy filling with the taste of June. Delightful!



Dice 3/4 cup strawberries and 3/4 cup rhubarb.



Toss the fruit with cornstarch and sugar.



Mix up your favorite pie crust or use the recipe below. I like a little sweeter dough so that it has a crisp sugar cookie taste.



Roll out the dough and cut with a biscuit cutter (about 2 1/4 inch).



Spoon a teaspoon or two of fruit filling in the center of the dough circle. Dampen the edges of the dough with water and top with another dough circle.

 

With a fork, crimp the edges. Cut a slit on the top.

Bake until lightly browned.

 
Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies

3/4 cup diced strawberries
3/4 cup diced rhubarb
1 T cornstarch
2 T sugar
2 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup lard or shortening
3 T cold water

Toss the finely diced fruit with cornstarch and 2 T. sugar.
Mix flour, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in butter and lard. Stir in water. Knead slightly. Roll out the dough and cut with a biscuit cutter (about 2 1/4 inch).

Spoon a teaspoon or two of fruit filling in the center of the dough circle. Dampen the edges of the dough with water and top with another dough circle. With a fork, crimp the edges. Cut a slit on the top. Optional: You may brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Eat warm or at room temperature. These are best eaten in a day or two.

In July I want to try these with blueberries and rhubarb - or maybe even raspberries!

Abundance

Is there any month better than June?

Especially in the garden.

Asparagus, broccoli, and spinach have ended.

But taking their place is red beets,



strawberries,



and sugar peas.

Thank the Lord for His abundant gifts.

Priority

"Having a heart of sympathy for your children will mean, by necessity, choosing a less busy lifestyle. It will mean lowering your expectations about what can and must be accomplished in a day. If it means winning your child's heart, though, the trade offs are well worth the results." Sally Clarkston

You may have guessed that life has been busy here. I didn't plan to take a blogging break, but somehow writing has fallen to the bottom of the list. Some day I'll be back, but I'm not making any promises of how soon that will be.

Hope you are taking time to enjoy your children today. 

The Lord is Good

Thanks so much for praying for our daughter's eyesight.

On Friday we visited the eye specialist again and he was impressed by how much better it looked in 24 hours. He said that she will probably have permanent scar damage. I asked him how the scar will affect her eyesight. He said that since it is not affecting her eyesight now, it probably won't ever. But if it was a couple millimeters higher, closer to the center of her eye, it would be completely different report. "She is blessed," he said.

I was so glad the doctor said "blessed" and not "lucky" because we truly do feel blessed by God.

Today (Saturday) her eye looks even better than yesterday. She can open it wider and she doesn't shield her eyes with her hands when she walks into a bright room. The doctor said that light sensitivity is common in eye injuries. Yesterday she didn't want to go outside, even with sunglasses on, but today she has been running in and out almost like normal.



It is so good to see our cheerful, bright-eyed daughter return! I admit that my faith was rather shaky this week. When Ed walked out the door with a sobbing child with swollen eyes, I wondered if she'd ever see again. I thought over all the things I could have done differently to avoid the accident. Definitely a "bad-mommy" moment.

I had to cling to the knowledge that God is sovereign and always good. He loves Brooke even more than we do and can take anything that happens to her and work it out for His glory. The life of Fanny Crosby, the blind lady who wrote so many beloved hymns, came to mind. I'm so glad we can trust God to bring healing, or peace, whichever He has for us.

Thanks again for remembering us.