Pheathers – Wordless Wednesday/Snowfall
Pages & Perspective – The Millennium Kingdom
I am reading a book by Dr. David Jeremiah titled The Coming Golden Age. If you need a boost of hope in this current age we are living in, Dr. Jeremiah’s book will certainly be a blessing to you.
I’ve known of the Millennium reign of our Lord and Savior, but I didn’t know or understand all the facts surrounding it. After listening to Dr. Jeremiah in the YouTube interview I’ve included at the end of the post, and purchasing the book, I’ve had a sense of great joy within me. I’ve also understood a bit more why the song, Joy to the World, will sometimes burst out of me all through the year. Perhaps my subconscious has somehow known it is more a song of The Millennium reign of Jesus Christ, than it is a Christmas Carol. (Page 34 in the book)
Joy to the world; the Lord is come;
Isaac Watts
Let Earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
And heav’n and nature sing.
Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns;
Our mortal songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love.
I also had little idea of the amount of Bible verses that mention the ‘Golden Age’.
…I’ve been digging them up-hundreds of verses about the coming Golden Age, the impending thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on this planet. Some commentators say it is the single most mentioned subject in all of God’s Word. ~Dr. David Jeremiah
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Photographs – Six on Saturday
Visiting the Orchid House at Longwood Gardens is the perfect remedy for the winter weary. #SixonSaturday The large Paphiopedilum Orchids seem to almost float atop their slender stems.
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Program, Pages, and Philm – A Mystery and Romance
Photograph of Agatha Christie courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
I love mysteries, and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None is very good. I recently watched the story for the first time through an Acorn Subscription on Prime Video. The television broadcast was divided into three parts and was very suspenseful. I didn’t figure it out, and that is a very good thing. There were some actors well-known to me and a few new faces.
Miss Christie’s mystery and older versions of the movie have been around for decades. The book was first published in 1939, and a movie, which is free on YouTube now, was released in 1945. Miss Christie was a talented individual, and I am listening to an audiobook biography of her life, titled Duchess of Death by Richard Hack.
The classic Somewhere In Time, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, is a romance movie for the first weekend of February. I can watch it over and over again and never tire of it. Christopher Plummer, a favorite hero of mine in The Sound of Music, plays a very believable villain.
All of these are fairly easy to find through video subscriptions, prime video, youtube, public libraries, and Hoopla, a free service through public libraries.
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Planting – Forcing Spring Bulbs
I love to force spring bulbs at this time of year. I gathered these ‘Antoinette’ tulips from the cold shelves of the garage and brought them into the house, planning to grow them in water.
I’ve grown this variety outdoors in previous years. It is low in height, compact in spread, and, hopefully, a perfect bulb to force. So far, everything is moving forward perfectly. The bulbs began to push up green stems in a matter of days.
To begin with, I filled the bottom of the goblet with a layer of stones. This addition is threefold: it gives the bulbs a foundation to sit upon, the rocks keep the bulbs out of the water, and the appearance is aesthetically pleasing. I place the bulbs on the stones, barely touching the water.
Every time I have forced bulbs, they have developed a bit of bluish-grey mold. The bulb company calls this mold transportation mold. To remove this, I dip a paintbrush in rubbing alcohol and swipe it over the ugly fluff. Hydrogen peroxide works as well. After I treat the mold, I change out the water.
I keep the potted bulbs in the basement under lights. A sunny but cold window would also work well.
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Program and Philms – Weekend Matinee/January 24th
I am one of those people who fall asleep while watching television. I am careful of what I end the day with: no horror, violence, or trash. A way to fill that time is to watch Meerkat Manor. Oh, the joy of watching the victories and the problems of the Meerkats. Flower is the matriarch and a perfect ‘queen’ of the meerkats. I didn’t know much about meerkats before I watched this sweet show. This program is perfect for older children and is available through several cable networks. (Prime Video and YouTube, etc.)
- As in all true-to-life animal programs, mating, injury, and death are sometimes filmed.
Sabrina, the movie classic starring Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn, is one of my favorites. Sabrina, the remake starring Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond, is also one of my favorites. Both are wonderful, and I watch each at least once or twice a year. Do you have a favorite Sabrina? I would love for you to leave a comment as to which one, and why.
- The modern-themed Sabrina has a few romantic situations that might not be suitable for younger children.
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Photo Challenges – One-to-Three Photo Processing/January
I call my photograph Snow Shadows with Prints. I like how the table casts a highly cut shadow onto the snow. You can also see that the squirrels have ventured out of their nests in the pines to search for the birdseed and peanuts I put out for them. I chose this photo for Xingfu Mama’s One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge/January. It is a good depiction of the weather we are having, and since we are also in the deep freeze here in southern New Jersey, playing with photo filters is a fun way to pass the time.
Filter one, gritty, accentuates the silhouette appearance of the snow shadows even more. (Filter available through Ribbet.com)
Filter two, heat map, accentuates the snow’s glow and the table’s hardness.
Filter three, neon, highlights the lines and curves of the objects and shadows.
Thanks to Xingfu Mama for hosting this blog challenge.
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Quote – Wisdom Wednesday/Ralph Waldo Emerson
I have read and used many quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson, but this one was new to me. It is excellent; I wish I had read it and took it to heart decades ago. It is a perfect quote for Wisdom Wednesday.
I need to apply it to my life and, even more importantly, remember to do the same for others when their blunders and absurdities target me or someone I love.
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Programs & Philms – Weekend Matinee/January 17th
I had hoped to start a year of Weekend Matinee posts on the first weekend of January, but I didn’t get my act together until today. Most of the films I recommend will be classics; I haven’t gone to many theater movies in the past years.
For television programming, I’m recommending The Way Home. I love time travel shows, and this sweet show on Hallmark+ has not disappointed me. The first five episodes were free, and they entranced me so much that I subscribed to the station. I hope to find more Hallmark programs and movies to enjoy when I finish this series. There was no filth whatsoever in The Way Home. Other than the concept of Time Travel, and I am midway through the second season, I have seen no supernatural scenes or dialogue. Hopefully, the program will continue in the same vein and be suitable for all ages.
I am a bit of an enthusiaist for a classic film released in 1951, The African Queen is a good choice for a weekend matinee. Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart make this movie a favorite of mine, even in my top ten vintage films. During Sunday Morning services, when we sing the hymn, Bread of Heaven, my husband and I will look at each other and smile secretly. Why? Because the song is part of the opening scenes of The African Queen. We always remember the movie when we sing it and, in our mind’s eye, see Katherine Hepburn pumping the organ with her feet. I feel the movie is suitable for all ages.
I didn’t know until researching the movie that a sequel starring Warren Oates and Mariette Hartley had been made in 1977. I’ll have to see if I can find this on cable or through YouTube.
My third choice is a more modern classic, Enchanted April. The first time I saw this movie, I liked it a bit but wasn’t entranced. Now, the total opposite is true, and I revisit the film several times a year. Rose, Lottie, Caroline, Mrs. Fischer, and Melarche have all become so familiar that I almost feel they are my friends. The movie is suitable for all ages.
The three programs/films I’ve listed are available through cable television, Public Libraries, and many online sources.
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Phlowers – Mystica Amaryllis
I photographed this beautiful grouping of Amaryllis in the ‘Reimagined’ West Conservatory at Longwood Gardens. The Christmas display was lovely in this wing of the conservatories. The color scheme was subdued and elegant, with chartreuse and whites, with a few pops of color, blue sages, and towers of succulents. The Amaryllis was a unique plant in their Christmas display. I forgot to take note of the name, but researching the photo, I found that it might be called Mystica. I hope to find a bulb of this type to grow next Christmas.
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Photo Challenges – Pull Up a Seat – Forest Chairs
Sometimes, old photographs inspire me to revisit crafts from the past. These sweet fairy chairs, created from pussy willows, moss, lichens, and other dried finds from the forest, would be fun to create again.
The small chairs are also a perfect answer to Xingfu Mama’s Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge for this week.
Colder months are the best time to search out dried materials to use. There are no ticks and other biting insects in the woods. Dried materials are also easier to see when the disappearance of tree foliage and undergrowth is gone. I only take surface materials; disturbing the leaf cover can cause harm to the nests and burrows of hibernating animals.
Another way to use small chairs like these would be in a terrarium.
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Place – Longwood Reimagined Part I/Christmas Trees
Today, we visited Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The Christmas display was still in place and looked as fresh as if it was only the day after Thanksgiving. The building and reconstruction of Longwood Reimagined are nearly complete, and the new West Conservatory was open. The trees were gorgeous; photographs do not do them justice. The first was my favorite, between the East Conservatory and Exhibition Hall. If you are in the Philadelphia area, try to find time to visit Longwood Gardens.
WEST CONSERVATORY
MAIN CONSERVATORY/ORANGERY
SILVER GARDEN
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Quote – Happy New Year
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Phlowers – Whatsoever is Lovely/Amaryllis
I managed to choose a very cooperative Amaryllis from a local nursery. It budded up and bloomed in a timely fashion for the Christmas Eve gathering at our house. As always, the leaves and stems became too heavy for the pot, so I added some long branches of holly to help hold them upright. I like the extra bit of Christmas cheer the holly adds.
This amaryllis was a perfect choice for this week’s Whatsoever is Lovely challenge hosted by Xingfu Mama.
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Photo Challenges – One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge
I find many posts on WordPress that inspire me through challenges, how-tos, and devotionals. Today, I rediscovered Xingfu Mama’s One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge for December. I used a recent photograph taken after the summer season ended in Wildwood, New Jersey, an ocean town about an hour from my home.
I used Ribbet to tweak the photographs for the challenge. The first photo is the original cropped down to focus on the Ferris Wheel and Roller Coaster. Top right, I used the True Vintage filter. The bottom left is an example of the Sketch filter. The bottom right shows how the inverted filter changes everything around. My favorite filter for this photograph is the True Vintage.
The collage presentation of the photographs was also created in the Ribbet app.
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Phlowers – Schlumbergera/Christmas Cactus
The Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) I bought as a prize for a family game was so beautiful I wanted to keep it for myself. I will keep my eyes open when I go out this weekend for a similar plant. I have had several over the years, but I only have a small Thanksgiving cactus now. I want to find a new Christmas variety and grow it into a large specimen.
I’ve experienced rebloom on my Christmas cactuses, but never to the extent of the number of flowers they have when you purchase them brand new from their greenhouse start. This one may prove my experience with them wrong. I hope the winner of this plant enjoys the beautiful pink flowers.
When viewed sideways the flowers look like a bird on the wing. This Christmas Cactus bloom is part of Xingfu Mama’s Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge.
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Quote & Phlower – Poinsettia
Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life. ~Corrie Ten Boom
This beautiful poinsettia is part of Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge.
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Photo Challenges – Lens-Artists Challenge – Five Elements
Now and then, I am quick enough to prepare a post for the Lens-Artists Challenge. This week, the challenge is to use photographs that portray five elements that make up the world around us. The elements are fire, water, wood, earth, and metal.
My first photo portrays fire. The fire of the sun is an element in all of my photos. The view is what I see as I stand in my front yard and attempt to watch the setting sun through the trees.
Dandelions conquer whatever earth their seeds land upon. I love the way the clocks of the plant let loose their seeds in puffs of wind or are blown into the breezes by a wish-filled child. If I look closely at a dandelion in the fire of the sun’s rays, each small piece of fluff seems to mirror the sun’s light.
The sun’s rays seemed to deepen the shadows of the heart carved into the tree’s wood.
The last photograph combines the elements of water and metal. It is a bit blurry, but it was taken with my phone through a plate glass window as we finished Thanksgiving dinner in a favorite restaurant. The ship is sailing down the Delaware River near Philadelphia, and we are on the other side of the river in New Jersey. The light illuminated the metal ship with fire and reflected in the water.
Thanks to the hosts of the Lens-Artist Challenge.
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Quote – Gratitude
I give thanks today for the Lord Jesus Christ and all of you, my blogging friends.
God bless you.
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Quick Tip – Throwback Thursday/Covering a Pie
This post is one to pull back to the top of the blog for Throwback Thursday-a timely tip for the holiday. To keep a pudding, pumpkin, or any other pie without a top crust fresh, cover first with an overturned paper plate.
The paper plate protects the top of the pie from damage when covering with foil or plastic wrap. The plate has enough substance to protect the pie, but not enough weight to break the fragile crust.
