Grandmother Wren

After a whole lot of searching, poking through streams and ponds and bogs – we found some! Tadpoles! An older boy at the park helped Maya with the capture, reminding her that you kind of have to keep them in water – not hold them in the cupped palm of your hand….

1. How to Raise Tadpoles

2. Another page on Raising Tadpoles

3. Nature Study Online has a section on Frogs and Toads – along with a lot of other great nature “stuff”

4. Frog Land – All About Frogs.org

5. Printable Frog Bookmarks

6. A Second Grade Class records their Tadpole Project

7. All About Frogs for Kids and Teachers

8. KidZone Frogs

9. Frog Unit Study on Squidoo

10. Help Save the Frogs

11. Exploratorium – Frogs

12. How to Draw a Frog

13. Frog Printables

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Read my other Thursday Thirteens

In Grandmother’s Patternbook – Crafting for Charity

In Grandmother’s Dollhouse - More Sock Dolls and Toys

This is a picture I took on our Saturday walk. It’s a view of the waterfall outside the senior housing complex where we are waiting, hoping, praying for an apartment to become available.

The apartment complex is actually a renovated mill, built in the mid 1800’s – the waterfall and the river that flows over and beyond it helped to power the mill. Beautiful!

my verse for this week: Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, they will keep My word and My Father will love them and we will come to them and make our home with them.     John 14:23

Visit the home of Word Filled Wednesday – Click Here

Today in Grandmother’s Dollhouse - Sock Toys – Make a little sock spaniel

Today in Grandmother’s Patternbook – Kimela shares the pattern for her Daisy Afghan

Deborah, this week’s hostess of “In Other Words” offered this verse as her response to a quote from C.S. Lewis.

‘Then He (Jesus) said to them all, ” If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily”, and follow Me.’ Luke 9:23 (NKJV)

or (in other words)

‘Then he said to all, “Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him every day and keep close to me!” ‘
Luke 9:23 (TLB)

Deborah’s references called the “other words” that Oriah Mountain Dreamer wrote in her poem The Invitation to echo up from my heart.
These words, for me, have always represented the real-world “how do I apply this to my life?” answer to Jesus’ call to “take up my cross daily and follow.”

‘It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.’

from The Invitation – Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Visit Deborah’s blog for more on this week’s In Other Words – Click Here

Today in Grandmother’s Patternbook - a lovely afghan from my friend Kimela and granny square patterns to share

Today in Grandmother’s Dollhouse - continuing with Sock Toys – How to make a Sock Cat

Today in Thrifty Creativity - How to design your own Cross Stitch Sampler

Outside my window… the weather could not be more beautiful. Sunny and clear and just the right temperature.

I am thinking… that I have a lot of good things to look forward to.

I am thankful for… the awareness that I have a lot of good things to look forward to.

From the learning rooms… polliwogs and tadpoles – we finally found some! They’re doing very well – our plan is to care for and nurture them until they emerge as frogs. We’re also on the look-out for monarch butterfly caterpillars.

From the kitchen… a family picnic at my sister’s house. The special treat of Swiss cheese for the cheeseburgers. Thank you, Beth and Ray!

I am wearing… a red and white gingham check shirt, white tee shirt and khaki pants. Bare feet.

I am creating… Russ’ blanket is almost done, I’ve started mine.

I am going… to the library in the morning; to look at more puppies later this week.

I am reading… The Perfect Storm

I am hoping… to get some more order restoring and decluttering done this week.

I am hearing… the steady hum of the fan over my head.

Around the house… happy nature projects – tadpoles, petals drying for potpourri, a cherry tomato plant

One of my favorite things… the start of summer

A few plans for the rest of the week: working on new Summer Pages, finishing Russ’ blanket, trips to the park with Maya

Here is picture thought I am sharing…

The Big Day With The Star ! on our calendar was Thursday, May 21.
This was the day that Maya’s poor little broken collarbone was declared healed and it was safe for her to return to the park and play on the playground.
Here are a few pictures of our Happy Happy Day

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Today’s Post in Grandmother’s Patternbook -  learn to crochet – a simple beanie

Today’s Post in Thrifty Creativity – Embroidery – A patch of denim

Today’s Post in Grandmother’s Dollhouse- Sock Toys – how to make a sock frog

Celebrated in most states on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is a time to remember the U.S. men and woman who lost their lives serving their country. Originally known as Decoration Day, it was established in 1868 to commemorate the dead from the Civil War. Over the years it came to serve as a day to remember all U.S. men and women killed or missing in action in all wars.

They shall grow not old
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them . .
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lawrence Binyon

Here are some ideas for observing Memorial Day at your house:

1. Visit the Arlington National Cemetery Website

2. A listing of National and State Veteran Cemetery Websites

3. Guidelines for Displaying the American Flag

4. Pictures and Instructions for Folding the Flag

5. The History of the Traditional Poppy Flower

6. The White House Commission on Remembrance

7. Free Memorial Day Email Greeting Cards

8. Memorial Day Graphics and Clip Art

9. The National Memorial Day Parade

Puzzles and Quizzes

10. Memorial Day Gathering - a puzzle of logic (warning…I love this type of puzzle and this is a tough one!)

11. American Flag Jigsaw Puzzle

12. Memorial Day Wordsearch

wishing a day filled with Peace for you and yours -
with love,

Grandmother Wren