This cold November Monday finds me almost recovered from the virus that has plagued our little household for a couple of weeks. I'm grateful. It was good to rise early today after days of illness. I do so need those quiet hours to think, pray, and read. It's a delicate balance for me, this early morning habit. I do drink coffee in the morning, and I do nap after the noon meal, if possible. And at bedtime, I go to bed. It's so worth it.

Yesterday afternoon was a deliciously restful one with 'just us', lolling, dozing, eating chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven, watching the Vikings beat the Packers (OK, I mostly just heard about it, I was actually snugged on my bed, under the granny square quilt, reading Stillmeadow Calendar 'til my eyes closed...), evening chores for the menfolk [not so deliciously cosy for them. It was chilly and the cattle were out, I'm just saying so for the sake of truth in narrative. I find some poor souls are confused by my happy talk, as if it's always, ever, and only roses here. But that's another post, and I digress.]. We make pizza most Sunday evenings, and I thought it was especially yummy last night, thank you, Olivia.

Saturday began deer hunting opener here. Will had the pleasure of taking one of his visiting-from-afar-cousins with him--no venison in the freezer yet, but they saw a couple of deer and experienced what the freezer feels like. Only I think it was windier out there than it is in the freezer. They appeared to be chilled by mid-morning.

Speaking of the visitors from afar, yes, one of my dear sisters, and her husband and sons (missed you, sweet Michal!) stopped through here on their way west across the country to their home. How good it was to spend that time. Short, but very sweet. Katie, Caleb, and Greta came up for the Friday evening meal. Long table, shabbat candles, blessings, worship, simple nourishing food, good coffee and challah, laughter, looking at pictures--catching up on a year apart.

I've discovered something about my blogging self. Like my self self with all my solitude and home loving introverted quirks, I am only likely to communicate here in the gently contemplative moments of ordinary life. When I'm working out something important or serious in my mind, heart, and life, I get quieter. When the road (life's road. I'm being metaphorical :-)) gets steeper, I go inward and upward with it all--not horizontal. When my home is full of extra people (often), I'm intensely involved in that moment with them and little else. When happy family traditions and special days come around, I'm the cook in the kitchen and the listener/talker in the Mr. Badger living room. [And Katie daughter-photographer and co-curator of the family museum doesn’t live here to record it all any more!]

All that to say, you’ll likely see me here when I have sufficient ‘space’ to think and write at a gentle pace. And that will often be on a day like this. And it will likely involve cosy pictures (taken by one of my children, if the camera isn’t out near the streams and fencerows ;-) of this little house and the people who live here, eating, reading, learning, working.