Last night about midnight our baby, Hope America arrived home from Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village. She had some new jewelry–a diamond ring on her left hand! Her boyfriend, Tim Kolb is now her fiance. They are planning a wedding some time this year. It’s a happy time out on Bittersweet. Tim and Hope met a the weddings of two of Tim’s siblings where Lois and Hope were photographers. Tim is from Britton, Michigan. He is a nurse at Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. You can expect some engagement photos soon.
Here is what Hope wrote:
“Last night my sweet Timothy took me to Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village, drank hot cocoa with me, laughed and talked with me, and then got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I haven’t stopped smiling from ear to ear since that moment. Tim, I’ve imagined a million different versions of who my future fiancé might be but I was never able to imagine how amazing you would be or how much I would love you and everything about you. You put so much time and effort into planning every detail of our special moment last night and you did it all so perfectly. And my ring is just so much more beautiful than any ring I ever would’ve chosen myself. You did so good lover! I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life getting to know you and love you and do everything alongside of you. You’re never getting rid of me now, baby”
Christmas Birds
Christmas this year was not white but it was golden. The sun shown and warmed the earth like a spring day. The bird feeders were empty because the squirrels out-hustle me. Grandchildren visited Bittersweet Farm at Christmas. I love to putter around and do little “farm chores” when the grandchildren are here. We moved our little chapel bird-feeder to the front porch where the squirrels can’t get to it and filled it with black-oil sunflower seeds. We keep the sunflower seeds in a clean trash can in the Carriage House with a tight lid so the mice can’t get to them.
There is something therapeutic about feeding the birds. I know the birds don’t really need me to feed them, but I feel that it is rendering a kindness to them. I feel like it is a humanitarian act. It’s a small kindness and it is not without its rewards. (I get to watch the graceful creatures come and go).
For some reason happiness comes to my soul when I fill the feeders. I hang the feeder and I hear a voice. It’s a voice I have come to recognize through the years. I believe it is the voice of the Spirit in my soul. It is consistent with the Scriptures. “I care about the birds and I care about people. There is a simplicity and sweetness in showing kindness to people. Show kindness to the people in your life.”
I answer in silent prayer; “Help me, Lord. I want to be a kind man. Help me to show kindness to the people in my life.”
I fill the feeder and I go inside. I grind some coffee beans. The aroma of the grounds perfumes the air. I warm water on the stove until the kettle whistles. I pour the water over the grounds and make myself a cup of coffee. I walk to the window. Within a few hours the whole front of the house is alive with birds.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23, ESV)
Bittersweet Farm
December 29, 2019
WOW!! Congratulations to you all. Beautiful ring!!
GOD BLESS you as you start your new life in the near future.
I’ve been following you for years. I love your posts.
I am so happy for Hope America, she is such a beautiful young lady, beautiful ring too! I appreciate your story about feeding the birds, they are beautiful creatures. For many years now we have been feeding our neighborhood squirrel, we named Skippy (as in the peanut butter lol) he would come right up to us. But now there’s a new one that visits us his name is Skippy Jr. (he is a little skittish) and everytime we feed him he brings his 2 buddies with him and all the blue Jays dive bomb their peanuts, the squirrels use to run from them but now they just all share the peanuts, it’s a beautiful thing! I feed them faithfully every morning now , since our beloved dog (Shadow) has passed, last September. My neighbor passed away and none of her family wanted her (also old) beloved dog (Whyit), they wanted to give him to Foster care, I couldn’t bear him being with strangers at the end of his life. We use to take care of him alot for her, so we took him and loved him as our own. Well 11 days after Shadow passed Whyit passed unexpectedly and in between that my husband’s brother passed, it was a rough month! Now since I have alot more time on my hands, I look forward to seeing and feeding the squirrels (that God has given us) and the blue Jays. I noticed you got a different phone number, I wrote it down just in case I have to contact you, looking forward to seeing Lois’s beautiful pictures of Hope and Tim! God’s Blessings Always!
Cindy Sharpe–so good to hear from you and read about your Skippy 🙂 Hope you are doing well. Thanks for your kind words and good wishes for Tim and Hope.
Thank you Becky Menn. Kind of you to write.
Bless you Charlotte Moore. Thanks for reading and writing back.