Winter

The winter has started scratching at our door.

It seeps through our house, it cools the bustling summer right down till everything is moving slow.

It chills my flight and frenzy to deep running thoughts and solemn pondering.

When I feel the winter coming, I can't help but let it dull me, it seeps through me just as it does the walls of this house.

It reminds me of all the things summer has let me forget.

It brings out the sensible me.

It turns the oranges and reds to lifeless grey scale.

It tugs the leaves right from their warmth and robs the trees of their blankets. Even the trees are solemn and dull, lifeless and still.

The sharp air brings with it the intention to change me, to restrain me, to make me listen.

I am to stay put and let the iciness still my flittering summer soul.

As I let it take a slow and firm hold, I am there, in that space, where God can speak to me, now that I am reverent and still.

My soul needs the winter. My heart needs to be cooled, so that the warmth of God's love can be felt filling me again.

Just as the trees stand bare, cold, waiting and waiting for the fresh touch of spring, so am I- here waiting.

Waiting for the Father to release me from my winter.

The inevitable blog

This is a blog that has been destined to happen since the day 'The Daily Ayly' set up shop here in blog town.

Actually I have been wanting so desperately to write about this 'thing', but have thought "Is it too early in my blogging career?" or "Is it too much to reveal?".

I can't wait any longer, the time has come...

TEN REASONS I LOVE TIM 'POORBY' GIRLING

1) He is a REAL man. Yes, none of this fairy flossed, city slicked, man-bag wearing, metro styling. MY man owns more than one flannelette shirt (don't be jealous ladies), he wears AVIATORS and the only jewelry you'll see is his wedding band. And although he has fine ankles and shapely legs, he WALKS like a man, with spunk and attitude.

2) He doesn't have heaps of chest hair. For this I am forever grateful.

3) Nine times out of ten he will stop me from embarrassing myself. Yes, this man knows me so well that he can predict when I am about to go 'to far'. With a quick look or a firm "Ayly..." I know that it's time to back down from my verbal post.

4) Poorby has a GREAT laugh. Chesty and deep, with a slight cackle at the end. You understand that when you earn his laugh you have TRULY impressed him with your humor. It is so worth trying to earn, it is INFECTIOUS and makes your laugh sound like a kitten that got trodden on.

5) He likes to sing in harmony. Yes, I know that you all wish that you had someone to "Take the top line" when need be. In the car, in the kitchen, out and about, I can always count on him to compliment my melodic stylings.

6) Tim is the BEST dad. No more said.

7) Tim knows heaps of mad facts about everything. He is the closest thing to Wikipedia you'll find in a human. He makes others envious with his vast knowledge on life and all it entails. He even knows that a car accident at 40 km/h can be fatal, he told me yesterday.

8) Poorby LOVES God. He is a man of the word and he LIVES it out. He never compromises his faith, he is not afraid to GROW in his faith and he doesn't hide it, he shines it!

9) He is the BEST friend you could ever have. Trustworthy and loyal. Fair and firm. Hilarious and ridiculous. He LOVES talking and you can have really good conversations with him. He isn't boring, in-fact he's down right INTERESTING.

10) He cleans the kitchen. EVERY NIGHT (well 99 percent of the time) he cleans up all my cooking mess. He even wipes the benches down. He is GREAT at loading the dishwasher.

So there you have it. My inevitable blog. It was bound to happen. I can't help but LOVE Poorby, and as you can see from my list, what NOT to love.

What a man.