I love the American Flag. I’m delighted to use a photo of the flag as my July 4th response to Life of B’s photo challenge, Simply Red. To gaze at a flag snapping and fluttering in the wind against a blue sky fills me with joy, not only for the flag itself but for the nation it stands for…God bless the USA.
Becky, writing from the Life of B WordPress blog, has named July 2025’s Square Photo Challenge “Simply Red.”
I am lucky to live near both the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay. Each has their advantage over the other. The bay is easier to fish and crab, and the ocean can’t be bettered for jumping and riding waves and walking the boardwalk.
The square photograph today is a shack along the Delaware Bay. At first glance, it might appear that it is a place for selling crabs, but it seems to be more of a refueling destination for those who are crabbing in the waters of the bay. The bay has many trails for riding bikes, and this photo was taken while riding bicycles.
Becky, writing from the Life of B WordPress blog, has named July 2025’s Square Photo Challenge “Simply Red.”
Millville is a small town in southern New Jersey. The city has branched out in so many directions; there is something in the area for everyone to participate in. Two of my grandsons ride their dirt bikes in Millville at the Field of Dreams. We enjoy taking an afternoon now and then to watch them race or even practice the jumps and curves.
The squared photo is an old snapshot, taken before the digital age, but happily reproduced on these pages through a picture of an old photo. It shows my son on his red dirt bike. When he rode, the places to take part in the activity were few, and I wish a place like Field of Dreams had been available to him. No worries, though; after twenty years, he bought a dirt bike for himself to ride alongside two of his sons while they chase their dream of racing.
Becky, writing from the Life of B WordPress blog, has named July 2025’s Square Photo Challenge “Simply Red.” I plan to participate every day throughout the month and will post a square photo, as per the challenge’s requirements, along with a brief paragraph on any memories or thoughts the photo may evoke in me.
Today’s photo seems a perfect way to start July. I often left my bicycle lying on the ground as a child. The bike would be abandoned as I played with friends or explored something interesting.
Today’s bicycle was photographed in a park called Betty Park in Pitman, New Jersey. When I was seven, I played on the playground there for the first time. Many pieces of playground equipment have since been removed over the six decades since I first played at the park, deemed too dangerous for today’s children. The Witch’s Hat was both scary and thrilling, and children did at times get banged up arms and legs on the metal bars. I would love to find one, though, and have just one more spinning ride.
I can’t speak to my father any longer, but now, my shelter is the memory of him. God bless all the fathers on Father’s Day.
We recently spent five days on Sanibel Island, Florida. It was our fourth time down, and the devastation from Hurricane Ian is still visible. Yet, the islanders and businesses are booming back. There were still shuttered areas, but many businesses have reopened. We were saddened to see that the hotel we always stayed in, The West Wind, has been torn down, but we are hoping they will rebuild it. The place we chose to stay in, Periwinkle Cottages, was terrific and a perfect substitute for The West Wind.
Sanibel is known for seashells, and the beach did not disappoint us. Fighting conchs, enormous cockleshells, and pristinely pink scallops, the photograph does not show the beauty of the shells. We also found a few olive shells, whelks, and many small shells with holes for stringing into projects or jewelry. I also found an intact angel wing seashell and managed to get it home in the same condition. If you have a chance to visit Sanibel Island, I can promise you will find shells.
I have to limit myself on how many I bring home before I even step on the airplane. I packed a large plastic container inside my suitcase to be filled with seashells. Doing so keeps me from bringing home too many. There were mountains of shells on the beach while we were there. I highly recommend wearing water shoes if you plan to go. Seashells are beautiful, but walking on them can feel like sharp gravel under your feet.
“The lizard in the image is a Common House Gecko (also known as Asian House Gecko, Pacific House Gecko, or Moon Lizard), scientifically known as Hemidactylus frenatus.” ~Google
A common gecko was small enough to wander into the shower through a small drainage slit in the window frame. He was so adorable. I didn’t want him to die in the cottage we stayed in by becoming shut up in a closet or cabinet. With just a small prod to his tail, he jumped on my thumb; he was half the size of it, and I deposited him in the front garden. I hope he enjoyed the shower we shared.
A way to preserve flowers is to pound their essence and color into a sheet of paper. I had some handmade paper, measuring 6×4, with deckled edges. I found it the perfect background for pounding some of my garden flowers.
I started my flower pounding with violets. Years ago, I transferred some from the woods into my garden beds. I have hundreds of violets in my grass and flower beds in early spring. I don’t mind them at all. I pull them out if they overwhelm my perennials or annuals. Because they sow seed, there will be many more to take their place next year. They are also a great ground cover for areas I don’t want to weed weekly. The leaves are a host for the fritillary butterfly.
The beautiful violet color is easy to transfer. I place the flowers and leaves on the handmade paper, then, using a piece of tracing paper to see what I’m doing, I place this over the flowers and pound them flat with a small hammer. It is easy to work in a corrugated box based on the floor rather than on the floor itself. Some flowers stick to the handmade paper. I let these sit for a few minutes, and then gently remove them. Voilà, there is an impressionistic-type print of the flowers.
After drying the paper out for about two weeks, I used a 005 permanent marker to create a few lines, using the photos I took before I pounded the flowers as a reference.
I love the way the finished product turned out. I will continue pounding flowers all summer, labeling each pounded flower print with where it was taken from in my garden or other places. At the end of the summer, I intend to make a handmade book containing all the prints.
The roses in this arrangement are a type of damask Rose. The blossoms are usually one of the earliest to open in my garden beds. They are a lilac-blue color, and the soft petals are abundant and fragrant. The small arrangement is within a crystal votive, easy to fit in a nook of the house that needs a bit of brightening.
Thanks to Rambling in the Garden for hosting this challenge.
I hope everyone has a blessed Easter Monday. My IAVOM (In a Vase on Monday) is a day old since it was Easter Sunday’s table arrangement. Three rooting bottles hold a sprig of Aucuba evergreen, deep purple Iris with a slightly grapelike fragrance and variegated tulips. All flowers and foliage were gathered from my garden beds. A piece of glittery tulle ribbon dressed up the bottles a bit, and the arrangements were slim and not cumbersome as they decorated the tables.
Thanks to Rambling in the Garden of hosting the IAVOM challenge.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
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I love receiving palms at the end of the Palm Sunday service. I added mine to my IAVOM (In a Vase on Monday) arrangement. The only other plant material is crabapple buds draped gracefully from slender branches. They are lovely, about to bloom, and seem to have the slightest of sweet scents. A small handmade cross, received at Hart’s Sunrise Easter service in Northeast Maryland two years ago, adds a touch of gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice for us.
The vase is a blown glass pitcher of Jamestown Glass. Thank you to Rambling in the Garden for hosting the weekly challenge, and to the Ragtag Daily Prompt challenge host.
I hope the days leading up to Easter Sunday will be a blessed week for all my blogging friends.
I am sitting beside a window covered in a drenching bout of raindrops. The wind is blowing, and it is cold for April. Tomorrow is forecast to be mainly in the mid-40s. Our local weather forecaster reported eleven days out of the past fourteen have been overcast or rainy. Bah! It is a good weekend to watch a few movies.
Two oldies are musicals. There is something about the musical genre that always can cheer me up. The first is, of course, Singin’ in the Rain. Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds, who I loved in everything she starred in.
The second musical is also a favorite: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I can sing most of the songs from both musicals. Although I don’t know all of the words, I’m a ringer on the first verses and choruses.
Third, I’ve chosen Green Card. There are so many reasons to watch this movie: the lovely and talented Andie MacDowall, the surprisingly endearing Gerard Depardieu, the breathtaking setting of an indoor apartment garden and rooftop, and a good story with a surprise ending. This movie is one of my favorites from the late 80’s/90’s era of sweet romantic comedies.
Enjoy this trio of oldies.
GOD IS PRESENT EVERYWHERE
by
Oliver Holden (1765 – 1844)
They who seek the throne of grace
Find that throne in every place;
If we live a life of prayer,
God is present everywhere.
In our sickness and our health,
In our want, or in our wealth,
If we look to God in prayer,
God is present everywhere.
When our earthly comforts fail,
When the woes of life prevail,
‘Tis the time for earnest prayer;
God is present everywhere.
Then, my soul, in every strait
To thy Father come, and wait;
He will answer every prayer;
God is present everywhere.
Amen.
I found these lyrics by chance as I looked through a songbook with a signature and date of 1890 on the front piece. I loved the rhythm of the lyrics/poem and thought they were perfect for my April 6th Signpost.
I also enjoyed learning about Oliver Holden’s life. A carpenter by trade, he fought in the Revolutionary War.
I stumbled upon this amazing rendition of the song while searching for the tune on YouTube. I was astonished by the beauty and rendition of the lyrics, some added by the additional composer. The song touches my heart. I hope it touches yours as well. Because I am not sure about the copyright of this song, I am only posting a link to it. Thanks so much.
God is Present Everywhere – Matt Jackson
I haven’t participated in Judy Dykstra Brown’s Numbers Game for quite a while. I came upon the challenge today, and happily, I had three photos that were either 187, this week’s number, or had a sequential run that included 187.
The first is a photo of a beach on Block Island, Rhode Island. We spent many happy vacations there, and I am so glad I took dozens of photographs on each trip.
The two tulip photos were sequential, having 187 in their number. They are a perfect addition to the challenge for this time of year.
I love tulips. The outdoor varieties are just now beginning to open up. They aren’t as long-lived as the daffodils and never seem to spread, but they are beloved when they appear. Tulips are also a favorite of mine to purchase as vased-cut flowers. They always are a cure for the winter blues in the middle of February.
The hyacinths and furry bumblebees are awash in spring sunshine. What a lovely time of year!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! In honor of my grandfather, half-Irish, on his mother’s side. She was born in Galway County, Ireland.
The clover isn’t out yet. A few more days of warmth and the shamrocks will begin to emerge. I always find a four-leaf clover or more in the yard.
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ~John 14:2-3 (NKJV)
He will receive you freely. Accept Him as your Lord and Savior, believe that only He can save you from your sins, and commit your life to Him.
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33 (NKJV)
