Watch this one all the way through…you will be uplifted all day! Oohrah!
The Story Behind “The Days of Elijah.”
Philm – The Roosevelts
I enjoyed the recent airing of “The Roosevelts.” I found the series to be interesting and felt it was truthful concerning their lives and their presidencies. If you missed it, try to find it online. The presentation was well worth the time I spent watching it.
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Perspective – The NFL & The Unborn Child
This is a photo of the confusion of magnets, artwork and bits of paper on the side of my refrigerator. The shining star of the assemblage is the ultrasound photograph of my new grand-daughter, due in a few months; I already pray and think of her daily.
There are other precious babies, as yet unborn, who are in jeopardy of ever having a chance to walk this earth. Wouldn’t it be great if the mainstream media, newspapers, social media sites, and radio hosts would give as much time to saving them as they have to condemning the alleged abuses of a handful of men in the NFL ? I am not in any way condoning or diminishing the abusive behavior exhibited in the incidents, I’m just wishing as much verbal and written bravado was shown toward saving the unborn. It also would be encouraging to have several politicians actually fighting to diminish the ease with which the unborn are terminated rather than just giving “lip-service” to the pro-life movement.
Hmmmm…I just caught myself in my own net of condemnation, because isn’t that exactly what I am doing here…only stating the obvious? Speaking out against abortion is at least a toeing-up to the starting line. What are you saying or doing about the horror of abortion…anything at all?
And a thank you to my cousin Lisa, for opening up my eyes to the fact that I need to do more to uphold the right-to-life of the unborn.
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Project – Tutorial Trio/Snowflakes & Floral Bows
It’s the time of year to begin gathering ideas for the upcoming Autumn and Winter seasons. I’ve posted all three of these tutorials in the past, but decided to resurrect them for the coming holiday seasons. I will be starting to cut snowflakes for December decorating any day now. I like to have eight in each window. When you add it up, that’s a lot of snowflakes to cut. If I cut one or two per day I have more than I need by December 1st.
The first video in my trio explains how to create paper snowflakes.
The second snowflake video shows you how to coat the paper with wax so that moisture from the winter windows does not ruin all your work.
The third video demonstrates how to make a large-sized oblong bow for wreaths or packages.
It’s a good idea to get a jumpstart on plans and crafts for the upcoming holiday seasons of the Autumn and Winter. A little bit done each week equals less stress as the holidays draw near.
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Phun – Swings
I will never be too old to swing.
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Product – One for the Ladies
One for the Ladies: Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer
My lip shimmer favorite is called Peony. I am thrilled with this product. Usually, when I try to buy color for my lips I struggle to find the right product. Let me count the problems I have encountered. Quite often the shine is too metallic, or nonexistent and overly matte. Sometimes the consistency of the lipstick accentuates wrinkles, or is the wrong color. Let’s see…what else annoys me about buying lipcolor: shade changes, dried out lips, doesn’t match the color on the display chart, is discontinued, outrageously priced. Does any of this sound familiar? I have to admit, I have wasted too many dollars trying to find just the right shade of lipstick.
I was going through the dilemma of trying to find a new tube of lipstick, when by chance I happened upon the Burt’s Bees display. Hooray! I felt like I hit the jackpot the minute I spotted the tubes. How have I missed these little gems? Because I love the lip balm, I had an instant intuition that the lip shimmers would be grand, and yes, they are all I hoped to find in a lipstick…only better.
They stay put, the color is subdued, delicate, but long-lasting. I get a pleasant little tingle when I apply it to my lips, much the same as the lip balm delivers. I must admit they are not inexpensive, and they are rather small, but still, at $4.95 compared to 8.95 & up, they are a real bargain. They sell in my area in drug stores, larger retailers such as Target, and even in the supermarket. I bought two, one for my makeup bin at home, and one for my purse. Happy Smiling!
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Photograph – Luke 6:45
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Prompt – A Round Tuit
“Quickly list five things you’d like to change in your life. Now, write a post about a day in your life once all five have been crossed off your to-do list.”
My Daily List would look like this”
1. Get Around To It
2. Get Around To It
3. Get Around To It
4. Get Around To It
5. Get Around To it
Yes, I definitely need A Round Tuit. Would a round tuit point me in the right direction?
I think rather than composing lists a mile long, I need to make a list within the list of things that I need to prioritize.
My Secret: I LOVE making lists. Sometimes the lists give me more satisfaction than actually crossing off the items I’ve accomplished. Creating lists means I AM ALIVE and I have HOPE for the future. Hallelujah!
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Plants – Three for Autumn/Lobelia, Echinacea and Cockscomb
Blue Cardinal Flower (Lobelia siphilitica) is a perennial lobelia. The flowers bloom in late summer. I love this plant, and if you saw my gardens at the moment you would not need an explanation as to why; the plant is growing EVERYWHERE! I started out with one plant over twenty years ago. Blue cardinal flower produces large amounts of seed, microscopic, they make up for their size by plenitude, hundreds upon hundreds of seeds in each pod. Each blossom develops a seed pod. You can imagine the millions of progeny that have been distributed in my garden beds over the years. I have also helped them out and broken pods over each and every flower bed on my property.
Yesterday I spotted a hummingbird sipping nectar from a blue cardinal flower growing in the front garden. I was ecstatic, I thought the small winged creatures had already left for warmer climates. Blue cardinal flower is an excellent hummingbird plant.
Excuse the quality of the goldfinch photograph. The moment was captured through my window screen. Goldfinches are feasting on the seedpods of my echinacea plants. They quickly flutter away anytime I try to approach them with camera in tow. Echinacea is the workhorse of my garden.
Beautiful, and full of goodness also, Echinacea is a tried and true herbal remedy. The maturing seedpods draw Goldfinches. Attracting Goldfinches is always a desire of those who watch birds.
Cockscomb (Celosia cristata), what a beautiful plant, is a perfect choice for an Autumn ornamental. I purchased this plant from a farm market this week. It is a perfect disguise for plants that are beginning to wane and fade away.
Happy Gardening!
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Product – Chocolate Cheerios
Oh the JOY! Chocolate Cheerios are delish! I found them in the grocery stores a few weeks ago. The grandkids and I have devoured them ever since. 🙂
Light chocolate, dark chocolate…both are scrumptious. We don’t eat these Cheerios in milk, we eat them out of hand, dry and portable in small bowls.
Even better they are low in calories. Hooray!
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Prompt – Magical Memories
Daily Post – Hand Me Downs – September 10, 2014
Clothes and toys, recipes and jokes, advice and prejudice: we all have to handle all sorts of hand-me-downs every day. Tell us about some of the meaningful hand-me-downs in your life.
I live amidst many memories and I cherish their presence.
Pinocchio, a book that sat on my father’s bookshelf when he was a child brings me joy. I like to look inside and read his name written in my grandmother’s hand, Jimmie Davis, Christmas 1943. In 1943 World War II was being fought across the water. Although far removed from the fighting, my father and his family lived in a state of preparedness for an air attack from the enemy. My grandfather worked in the Shipyard in Newport News, Virginia. If there had been an attack on our shores the Newport News Shipbuilding would have been a prime target for attack. Someday I will give this book to my oldest grandson.
I love these fashion sketches my mother drew the year I was born. I like to imagine her, large with child (me), passing the time away creating beautiful outfits. Her drawings have such a lovely style. The same fashion and decorating sense has carried over into everything she does today; anything she wears or decorates is lovely!
I cherish the Bibles of my grandparents. So often I will hold them in my hands, open the pages, and read some of the verses they found precious enough to underline or comment upon in the margins.
A dry sink built by my grandfather now holds toys for his great-great-grandchildren.
A cabinet built by my grandfather holds treasures too…
…a purse handed down from my great-grandmother…
…flowers pressed from eighth grade graduation, and a devotional book, once belonging to my grandmother.
I hear the ticking of my grandmother’s clock every day. Its chime often connects me to thoughts of her.
My great-grandmother used this iron to get the wrinkles out of her clothes and household linens. She would set it on the stove or beside the fire until it was hot. I am so grateful to have this in my home as a keepsake of her.
And last but not least, a throwback to a post I made about all my stacks of books. The love of books, and the books themselves, were given to me from my grandmother. She loved to read and when I think of her I see a sweet lady, curled into a corner of the couch, feet drawn up under her, smiling happily as she read her stories.
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Quotes – Talents
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Phacts – Tuesday Trivia/Little Known Phacts in the life of Vincent Van Gogh
Did you know that Vincent Van Gogh was a Christian Evangelist before he became an artist? Van Gogh had such empathy for the poor villagers he gave away his clothing.
“I knew him some forty-five years ago in the Borinage where he was an evangelist (not a pastor, as he had no theological degree). Faced with the destitution he encountered on his visits, his pity had induced him to give away nearly all his clothes; his money had found its way into the hands of the poor, and one might say that he had kept nothing for himself. His religious sentiments were very ardent, and he wanted to obey the words of Jesus Christ to the letter.” M. Bonte
This excerpt was taken from the article titled the Van Gogh’s Letters
Another controversial fact revealed in recent years is the theory that the suicide of Van Gogh was a fabrication to protect the person/persons who accidentally shot him.
The Death of Vincent Van Gogh is an excellent article on this subject.
The television show “Sixty Minutes” presented a very compelling episode on this same subject.
Although time has drawn the curtain on the true facts ever being known, Van Gogh’s paintings will forever be center stage as some of the world’s very best works of art.
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Plants – Water Lettuce/Pistia
I have a pond filled with a late summer carpet of Water Lettuce. Water Lettuce, or Pistia, is an aquatic plant that can be grown in aquariums or in outdoor ponds through the summer. Water Lettuce was first discovered in Africa. The rosette-like leaves float on the surface of the water with the roots growing from the center of the plant.
Water Lettuce outcompetes algae for nutrients and thus helps control excessive algae bloom.
The mother plant is connected to her offspring by a stolon. The plants reproduce so quickly I have had to weed out half a dozen or more several times this summer. My plant came from the productive water lettuce plants in my sister’s pond.
As I was surveying the water lettuce yesterday, wondering if it was time to weed out a half dozen again, I noticed a small frog. Grown from a tadpole we captured in a local lake this year, he quietly watched me, deciding if he needed to jump for safety. He stayed quite still as I took a few photographs, but when I brought the camera a bit too close, he jumped beneath the cover of the water lettuce leaves.
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Perspective & Place – Red Bank Battlefield State Park
I’m sure many of us have seen this poem, but it is one we should read periodically to remind ourselves to take a break and enjoy our lives.
Dust If You Must
Author UnknownDust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better,
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come ’round again.Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not always kind.
And when you go and go you must,
You, yourself, will make more dust.
Yesterday I did as the poem advises and took a day to relax and enjoy a riverside stroll at National Park, New Jersey. Here are a few of the sights at the Red Bank Battlefield.
Monuments, cannons and trenches are all a part of the park.
The City of Philadelphia is visible across the Delaware River.
A long staircase leads the way down to the river walk.
It’s interesting to watch the boats and barges pass by on the Delaware.
Small islands provide picnic areas for boaters.
I love this photograph of a beautiful yellow butterfly “puddling.” (drinking salts from the sand) It was a happy moment to see the beautiful creature. We have had few butterflies this year due to last winter’s constant snow.
As always I couldn’t stop myself from taking a picture of some gnarly, sun-bleached wood. Beautiful!
Scavenger that I am, I found some “river beans” or floating seeds along the shoreline. Of course I pocketed them and brought them home to try and grow.
I also couldn’t stop myself from having a hot dog and Coke from a stand set up in the park. Yum…sorry, the photo isn’t the best, catches me mid-chew. 🙂 A lovely day…I could have been cleaning or weeding or cooking, but I chose to have a little fun instead. Enjoy your Sabbath Day.
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Phun – Creation Box
My grandsons love making unique projects using items that I have recycled into the “creation box.” The amazing robot my older grandson put together is made out of a tomato sauce can, a juice bottle, toilet paper rolls, yogurt drink bottles, miscellaneous art supplies and quite a bit of Duck (duct) tape. What Phun!
Here’s a glimpse into our creation box. Wouldn’t your children or grandchildren love a creation box of their own? Happy creating. 🙂
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Prompt & Praise – Sisters singing “It is Well”
“Do movies, songs, or other forms of artistic expression easily make you cry? Tell us about a recent tear-jerking experience!”
Yes, singing, especially old hymns in acapella, can move me to tears. My own singing often is interrupted by a flow of emotion as I sing the words that lift up my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Bible is FILLED with verses that describe singing as a way to praise the Lord.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! ~ Psalm 95:1
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Painting – Monthly Challenges at WetCanvas
Photograph courtesy of Yorky
The WetCanvas Watercolor Studio has a terrific challenge posted for September.
September 2014 Watercolor Challenge – Sailing on Windermere
I love this reference photograph and I am determined to take part in this challenge. One of the aspects I especially like about the Watercolor Studio Challenges is there is not a specific day you must post. You can even post after the month is over. I enjoy looking at the interpretations of those who have finished their watercolors in the early days of the month.
As I looked over the paintings already posted, I was entranced by the work of Jan Pastor. I followed the link at the bottom of her post to her Website and also looked up her Youtube Channel: Jan Pastor Youtube Channel
Check out some of Jan’s terrific tutorials if you are a painter. I can’t wait to find some extra time to watch these amazing videos. I know you will be impressed by her work too.
Photograph courtesy of Dewi
The WetCanvas Plant Parade Challenge for September is White Flowers. Hooray! I paint in watercolors and white is a challenge for watercolorists, but it will also be a joy to try and capture the essence of their purity on the paper. There are many good reference photographs included. I’ve included my favorite above. You can find the challenge here:
September 2014 Plant Parade Project
Anyone can take part in these challenges. To post your finished painting or artwork you must be part of the Wetcanvas forum. Wetcanvas is free, to join click on this link.
Register for free at Wetcanvas.
I can assure you after years of being a member I have never received Spam or a solicitation from this terrific site.
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Prompt – The Daily Prompt/Books, Books & More Books
Books on the floor in stacks
Digging Up Your Digs – 500 years from now, an archaeologist accidentally stumbles on the ruins of your home, long buried underground. What will she learn about early-21st-century humans by going through (what remains of) your stuff?
The Daily Prompt – Books, Book & More Books
They are everywhere…stacked in every spare space in my extra room. Do you think the archeologist would realize that the person who lived in this house LOVED books? Tee-hee! 🙂
Books on shelves
More shelves…
Books in my grandmother’s china hutch
Books in the closets. I LOVE BOOKS! 🙂
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Perspective – Visual Reminders
When my son was in grade school I often packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for his lunch. Before I placed the sandwich in the baggie, I always drew a heart with the end of the knife. He has told me many times in these later years ( He is 35 now) that opening his sandwich and seeing that heart was so important to him.
It was a small thing to do, but it created big memories. My daughter-in-law often includes a candy kiss in the her boys’ lunches. How SWEET! 🙂
Just a little reminder to spread the love during these first days and weeks of the school year.
