Stonehouse Sabbath

Ah, beautiful Sabbath morning

All is calm, all is bright

Bees bob about the unflinching faces of the hollyhocks

A humming bird assessed the lay of the land

before speeding off

Beau naps soundly at my feet

I am here, and I see

This old stone house

How many Sundays has it been full

Full of bustle, the aroma of scalloped potatoes,

Chatter and laughter,

New dresses and buckled mary janes,

Buttoned shirts and hair slicked back

Today lends itself to the calm and the quiet

I sit here

In a red Muskoka chair

Facing northeast

The water of the falls – wet and musical

Soon I must go

And slip on my own Sunday dress

And sample my potato salad

Making sure it is fit

For our mothers.

Published by Judy

On the edge of Waterloo county, resting sedately on knoll, is an old stone house looking out towards the Grand River. This stone house and farm has been in my husband's family for years. We have been graced to call this place home for the last thirty years. Our best crop has been our four children. After years of immersing myself in raising and educating our family, the proverbial nest has slowing been emptying, opening up space for me to fill with other pursuits. Both writing and photography have been knit into my everyday living since I was very young. Sharing them is both a bit of a dream and a nightmare. But living small and in fear shrivels up a life. My thoughts are musings on God, aging, family, and simply living. My shelves are lined with books, my baskets are brimming with skeins of yarn, my closet shelves are stacked with apparel, my cellar shelves are chock full of home canning - all testaments to my inclinations. Our journeys are not solitary affairs. As I share bits of my journey with you, I hope you will be enticed to look more closely, listen more attentively, and live with abandon. May God's peace rest on your journey. Judy Mae Naomi

4 thoughts on “Stonehouse Sabbath”

  1. Steve Peng says:

    So good. Can I preorder ‘the book’ today?? Love your writing…..

    1. Judy says:

      Thanks Steve. I’ve been reading some poetry this year, and it fuels my writing. Hmm, that book…

  2. Janet MARTIN says:

    oh! this is so full of nostalgic beauty!! love it…esp. the buckled may-janes, and the ending<3

    1. Judy says:

      Yes, the passage of time has me feeling the nostalgia! Your poetry often captures that essence as well. You put good language around it. Thanks Janet!

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