Note by Note

 The sun is rising, birds are singing, and everything is exploding to life in every color imaginable! Happy May morning, my friends, and welcome to another ramble with Rachael!  There is just something about stories that draws us in, isn't there? There's something about a twist of words, a turn of the plot, that makes us turn the page and delve deeper into mysteries previously unheard of. There's something wild and majestic in a story, something that is beyond us to understand. Yet it is something that draws us irresistibly.  The books among my favorites are not so because they have only a splash of romance ( Fawkes) , a daringly dangerous quest ( Lord of the Rings) , swordplay ( The Knights of Arrethtrae ), or harrowing intrigue ( The Book of the Wars ). Yes, those things only make me love them more, but that's not why I go back and read them again. And again. And again. It's the ache I have when I finish reading them that puts them among my favorites. Do you know ...

I take a sip of peppermint tea and fight off leftover sleepiness. My bonnet slides over my forehead, completely obscuring my field of vision on all sides. The clouds are layered, the snow is melting, and all is cold and quiet this fine March morning. Except, perhaps, for the random truck outside my house. Good morning, friends, and welcome to another day! It's days like these, when I'm armed with a notebook, my trusty fuzzy socks, and my devotion time with God, that I feel I can take on anything that comes my way.  Today, I'm choosing joy.  Yesterday started out almost exactly like today. Writing in my bonnet and socks, spending a few hours on school, and daydreaming about stories. But at some point in the afternoon, I crashed.  Have you ever spent an extended amount of time in the company of a person who absolutely cannot - will not - talk about anything positive? And after you've tried every other option - talking peaceably, offering advice, trying to fix whatever is ...

Grab that cup of tea, or coffee, or even some hot chocolate. Curl up next to the fire. Brrr, it's cold outside. Look, sunshine! Is that a squirrel romping around the maple tree? I wonder what he's thinking, if he's hoping it'll be warmer soon. Happy Friday, friends, and I'm so glad it's finally here! What do Fridays mean to you? For me, it means the end of the school week. It means hours at work Saturday before coming home to a house of sunbeams. It means a good book Sunday afternoon while my family watches All Creatures Great and Small. It means fun, family, and rest are just around the corner. But first, it means cleaning day.  Yes, it means that we have to vacuum and scrub and dust our lovely house. It means itchy eyes and an avalanche of sneezing if I happen to be in charge of dusting. It means a sink free of toothpaste when I finish cleaning the bathroom. It means a floor with no sand once my brother is done vacuuming. Oh, it means work, but it's teamwo...