Crook of Joy

Making muffins...simple joy! Sometimes, out of the blue, a wave of sympathy rolls through me as I wave at grandchildren leaving, or as son comes home for visit and fridge-forage, or as the word 'home' slips from my lips without second thought, until suddenly I am smitten with utter grief for the millions of refugees who had to flee their home-sweet-homes... Sometimes then, the Simple Sacred steals my breathwith a fresh and humble thankfulnessfor the beauty of our beloved crook of joy...home!Yes, with all of love's foibles and flaws, home, sweet home!! Enjoying the final bowl full of plush, pink peony-pom-poms for this year! Where child and garden flourishes in fleet simplicityWhere more than supper nourishes its precious companyWhere comforts are not fancy but are priceless, nonethelessAnd nothing on earth quite compares to its fair happiness Where flower bouquets bring beauty to duty’s dear mundaneWhere nobody outgrows the open arms of its domainWhere heartaches are confided, where we learn to give and takeWhere tasks are oft divided but then, so is tea and cake Where wonderful aromas waft through open kitchen doorAnd suddenly our burdens weigh less than they had beforeWhere the brunt of life's blessings overflows our tender heartsWith thankfulness for home sweet home and all that it imparts Where prayers and cares soft-mingle in medleys of smiles and tearsWhere summer always flies too fast into Past’s cast of yearsWhere patience is a virtue of great benefit and cheerTo safeguard joy and peace while youngsters learn to persevere Where we are always welcome to forage the cookie jarOr fridge or pantry no matter how older-now we areWhere no matter the weather or how far away we roamNo place on earth is better than the berth of home-sweet-home Oh Lord, we grieve for those whose homes they had to swiftly fleeAnd leave behind rooms filled with mementos of familyHow oft we mourn the war-torn town and countryside bereftOf happiness of home sweet home and only rubble left Then, we with meeker labor, repent of some selfish ployAnd become humbly gladder for our home-sweet crook of joyWhere there is nothing commonplace about its grace of choresOr laughter round its tables or mothers waving from doors © Janet Martin So what's today's 'grace of chores'? Weeding!The rain makes everything grow! And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (distracting baby with a coffee-tin drumbecause he wanted to mix muffins too!!)😂💗