The Houses We Live In

Atticus and I are listening to Amos Lee -- such a happy album. I think he and Keb Mo are so similar -- both great morning music. I am reading in Isaiah and James for my Bible reading. Today I re-found Isaiah 30:15 "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 'In repentace and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." Perfect reminder for this day.
Most days I wake to remind myself of two unchanging truths: That I am His and He is mine. That this is the day that He has made -- I will rejoice and be glad in it. After a night of very little sleep -- Atticus just was so frustrated and agitated last night -- I woke bleary-eyed, wobbly-brained, thinking nothing. But after an hour's nap and a few house chores begun and my son sleeping happily in my lap, I have noticed the sunlight and wind, the glorious morning I have been handed by my Creator-King. There is a two-story Lilac tree reaching up to my south west study window. I talked to my mom this morning -- she and my dad are planting the garden -- it is finally dry enough. My dad had just come in from roto-tilling the areas. He owns a Troy-Built machine -- which is one of his few prized posessions from our couple decades on our family farm. [Now my dad is a pastor of a rural Wisconsin church. My mom works at Border bookstore in the neighboring town.] I love that my parents still garden together. I love that my dad has an endeavor that brings him joy, that he has a way to work with his hands and grow things,
We will go for a long walk after lunch today...and drink in light and color and the pleasure of looking at houses. I've been reading an architecture book called The Houses We Live In: An Identification Guide to the History and Style of American Domestic Architecture edited by Jeffrey Howe. I've been enjoying it so much -- a bazillion pictures helping me identify the houses around our neighborhood. When I lived in Dekalb, IL I had a small casual project where I began taking pictures of distinctive house around town and, when the opportunity and whim arose, I would talk with the home-owner and find out what they knew about their home. Fascinating stories. I put all the photos in a book but never did get around to writing down the stories...
Yesterday Brad, A. and I took a long walk along Minnehaha Creek and then back through the neighborhoods south and east of our house. Mansion houses -- so much fun to walk through new unexplored neighborhoods.
Anybody reading this: Do you know of a good non-water-based gentle lotion brand? Atticus has some continuing dry skin problems and a friends recommended finding a different lotion from Johnsons. I've also tried Olive Oil with little effect. Let me know if you have any advice. Thanks!