I took my niece Sarah to the Mattatuck Museum and the Timexpo today. The state of Connecticut happened to be having their "Open House" event, so we were thrilled that we got in for free to Mattatuck and for a discount at Timexpo.

There was an interesting Civil War exhibit at Mattatuck. Below you see a copy of the Waterbury Republican after the war began. I thought it was interesting how small the type was compared to today's newspaper headlines and how many more words were on each page (and there were no pictures or drawings or prints anywhere.) People, quite literally, read more back then.

Coming to Connecticut after a youth spent in South Carolina where I visited the city of Charleston on a regular basis, where the Confederate rebellion is still celebrated, I was very surprised, even shocked, that quotes like this one were on prominent display here:

"You people of the South don’t know what you are doing. This country will be drenched in blood, and God only knows how it will end. It is all folly, madness, a crime against civilization! You people speak so lightly of war; you don’t know what you’re talking about. War is a terrible thing! You mistake, too, the people of the North. They are a peaceable people but an earnest people, and they will fight, too. They are not going to let this country be destroyed without a mighty effort to save it …Besides, where are your men and appliances of war to contend against them? The North can make a steam engine, locomotive, or railway car; hardly a yard of cloth or pair of shoes can you make. You are rushing into war with one of the most powerful, ingeniously mechanical, and determined people on Earth—right at your doors.You are bound to fail. Only in your spirit and determination are you prepared for war. In all else you are totally unprepared, with a bad cause to start with. At first you will make headway, but as your limited resources begin to fail, shut out from the markets of Europe as you will be, your cause will begin to wane. If your people will but stop and think, they must see in the end that you will surely fail." -Sherman

So, the exhibit had a decidedly Northern slant on the events of the Civil War and I suppose this is only appropriate since it reflects the history of the men and women who lived here at the time. But, as I compared this to my experiences in Charleston, I found this difference humorous since I think it shows how common it is for people to interpret the facts of history through their own experiences and sympathies.

This record of a town meeting in April 1861 mentions a Commander Chatfield. I wondered if he is a distant relative of the current Mayor Bob Chatfield, Prospect, CT. I used to write the Chat with Chatfield column in the Prospect Pages. I may be so bold as to call him to ask about this connection.

Notice where the globe is worn; further proof, I think, that we people are often self-centered in our perspective.

There is much more that I saw and more that peeked my interest at both museums today. But, I will have to share those things in another entry.

Today I took Sarah, Norah and Avril to the Wadsworth Atheneum, the oldest public art museum in America. We saw paintings by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Picasso...


There's always one or two works that I, personally, really connect with on each visit to an art gallery. This time I liked The Lesson by Thomas Armstrong. The painting looks very severe from here, but it provokes a totally different feeling in real life. I actually laughed out loud. I wonder if you can guess why I liked it so much.


The other painting that really inspired me was Hercules Wrestling with Death for the Body of Alcestis by Frederick Lord Leighton. This is only a small portion of the entire painting, but it's the part that really struck me.


It made me think of a friend I am praying for. I do not understand what actually happens in the supernatural realm when we pray, but I know that prayer can sometimes feel as if something like this is really happening in the spiritual realm.

I have a "friend" who believes that I'm foolish for trusting my husband to provide for me. She also thinks I can't be a blessing to him because I'm just a dependent. And, in her mind, my kids just add to that burden...

Minutes after reading something she wrote about women like me, I read this Scripture. It was actually part of my Scripture reading for today:

Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in obedience to him.

You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;

your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.

Yes, this will be the blessing
for the man who fears the LORD.

I believe the Lord had me read this verse (right after I read what she wrote) to remind me of His truth, so that the lies this woman believes wouldn't set a trap and put their hooks into my mind and heart. Our world says a man is blessed one way and that a woman is only truly secure in another way... but God designs blessings for those who fear him. And for those with wisdom enough to see them, the blessings look something like this:



Yes, this will be the blessing
for the man who fears the LORD.

I took Norah, Avril and Sarah to Kettletown State Park today. Sarah spent much of the day under the beach umbrella on her cell phone. (She burns easily.) But, she said she had a good time.


I spent most of the day swimming with Avril and Norah (or begging them to play in the sand just a little while so I could just sit and relax a little.) Avril wears me out because she needs constant supervision. Norah's a good swimmer/ wader and the swimming area at the lake is really shallow. But, I still keep an almost constant eye on her, too.


Here are a few pictures I took with my cell phone while the girls were having lunch: sandwiches and watermelon slices I brought in our cooler.


We got the State Park Pass from the library and we will have it through the weekend, so I think we'll find another place to beat the heat and go swimming tomorrow.

I'm back! I have caught up on all my Bible reading and I am back on track to read the Bible in one year. Now I can blog again everyday!

As I was reading these last few weeks, I "collected" verses that stood out to me, that I thought were interesting or inspirational or funny or whatever. When it occurred to me, I would copy these verses and paste them onto a sticky note on my computer's desktop.

Below are some of the verses I copied, in no particular order and without their references, since I didn't ever take the time to type those in. These verses are totally random (as you will be able to tell upon reading the list) and they are a mixture of what I read from the Old and the New Testament.

And, this list isn't complete. It doesn't include every single verse that I thought was notable. Today, for instance, I read a verse about a mighty warrior who fought with King David. He once fought for so long in the cold that his hand froze to his sword. I thought that was an interesting detail, but I didn't actually copy that verse.

Oh, and there was this other guy who got stabbed and the blade of the knife went so far into his belly that it disappeared and his belly fat closed in around it. I thought that was another interesting, though gruesome verse that I didn't copy down.

But, here's the list I did manage to collect.

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And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
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But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.
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Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.
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To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.
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You must recognize that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people.
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Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before— do not listen to them. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul.
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The witnesses must throw the first stones, and then all the people may join in. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you.
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David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.
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"If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
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For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering.And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead.
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“When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin. However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow. But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God.
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“A newly married man must not be drafted into the army or be given any other official responsibilities. He must be free to spend one year at home, bringing happiness to the wife he has married.
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The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us.
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"When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?' 'Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,' Elisha replied." -2 Kings 2:9

Ever since I read this verse, I've prayed that my kids will receive "a double portion of God's Spirit" than the one I have, just like Elijah gave Elisha. (I don't care much about my kids having material wealth, though I know it would be helpful to them, especially if they have character to use it.) But, I do want my children to have what is most precious in this life, so this verse seems a fitting thing to pray for them. And so, I've prayed it now for years.

But, this morning, I began to wonder... when this prayer is answered (and it may likely be), how big will my daughters' portions actually be?

How much is my portion now when it's doubled?

How much will it be in the end?

I'm not sure.

But, I've decided this is the inheritance I will spend the rest of my life to earn for them.

I wrote this poem for my husband:

Kings, subjects
Heroes, fools
And from above
The Lord God rules.

Times passes
But this business of men
Remains the same now
As it was even then

The wicked ones plot
while the righteous ones pray.
And God will answer them all
at the end of the day.



-Veronica Boulden