Happy New Year, family & friends!Hoping this is a year of joy and blessings!
GIVING THANKS
GIRLIE WISDOM
1. A friend of mine confused her Valium with her birth control pills... She has 14 kids but she doesn't really care.
2. One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.
3. My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.
4. The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes .
5. The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.
6. The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends..
7. Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.....
8. Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.
9. Amazing! You hang something in your closet, for a while, and it shrinks 2 sizes!
10. Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' .....Now, I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name, and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat.. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!
11. I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day!
BEAR-ly THERE!
Never a dull moment here in the mountains!
We knew something was amiss when we heard the neighbors' dogs pitching a fit. You could hear their barking all over the neighborhood!
Bill snapped these photos from under the tree near our mailboxes.
You can't see them in these pics, but there are two cubs up higher in the tree. They were huddled on a branch on the back side of the tree trunk.
After all the excitement subsided, the bears were still in the tree. They'll probably wait until dark to make their 'escape'.
We knew something was amiss when we heard the neighbors' dogs pitching a fit. You could hear their barking all over the neighborhood!
Bill snapped these photos from under the tree near our mailboxes.
Hope they don't come to our house!
THE MASTER OF MY BOAT
I hope you enjoy this wonderful old poem by Joseph Addington Richards.
The Master of My Boat
I owned a little boat awhile ago
And sailed a Morning Sea without a fear,
And whither any breeze might fairly blow
I'd steer the little craft afar or near.
Mine was the boat,
And mine the air,
And mine the sea,
Not mine a care.
My boat became my place of nightly toil,
I sailed at sunset to the fishing ground;
At morn the boat was freighted with the spoil
That my all-conquering work and skill had found.
Mine was the boat,
And mine the net,
And mine the skill
And power to get.
One day there passed along the silent shore,
While I my net was casting in the sea,
A Man, who spoke as never man before;
I followed Him new life began in me.
Mine was the boat,
But His the voice,
And His the call,
Yet mine the choice.
Ah, 'twas a fearful night out on the lake,
And all my skill availed not at the helm,
Till Him asleep I waken, crying, "Take,
Take Thou command, lest waters overwhelm!"
His was the boat,
And His the sea,
And His the peace
O'er all and me.
Once from His boat He taught the curious throng,
Then bade me let down nets out in the sea;
I murmured, but obeyed, nor was it long
Before the catch amazed and humbled me.
His was the boat,
And His the skill,
And His the catch,
And His my will.
Young Woman in a Boat
--Pierre Auguste Renoir
The Master of My Boat
I owned a little boat awhile ago
And sailed a Morning Sea without a fear,
And whither any breeze might fairly blow
I'd steer the little craft afar or near.
Mine was the boat,
And mine the air,
And mine the sea,
Not mine a care.
My boat became my place of nightly toil,
I sailed at sunset to the fishing ground;
At morn the boat was freighted with the spoil
That my all-conquering work and skill had found.
Mine was the boat,
And mine the net,
And mine the skill
And power to get.
One day there passed along the silent shore,
While I my net was casting in the sea,
A Man, who spoke as never man before;
I followed Him new life began in me.
Mine was the boat,
But His the voice,
And His the call,
Yet mine the choice.
Ah, 'twas a fearful night out on the lake,
And all my skill availed not at the helm,
Till Him asleep I waken, crying, "Take,
Take Thou command, lest waters overwhelm!"
His was the boat,
And His the sea,
And His the peace
O'er all and me.
Once from His boat He taught the curious throng,
Then bade me let down nets out in the sea;
I murmured, but obeyed, nor was it long
Before the catch amazed and humbled me.
His was the boat,
And His the skill,
And His the catch,
And His my will.
ANOTHER DAY
ANOTHER DAY
~Grace E Easley
Lord thank You for another day,
Within this life of mine
Give me the strength to live it well,
Whatever I may find.
Bestow from Your abundance,
Whatever I may lack
To use the hours wisely,
For I cannot have them back.
Lord thank you for another day,
In which to make amends
For little slights or petty words,
Inflicted on my friends.
For sometimes losing patience,
With problems that I find,
For seeing faults in other lives,
But not the ones in mine.
Lord thank You for another chance,
In which to try to be
A little more deserving
Of the gifts You've given me.
Sunlight and Shadow
by Winslow Homer
SUMMER SUN
This summer sun has fried my brain,
so blogging for the moment
has reached a standstill!
*****
*****
However,
I'm hoping to come crashing back next month
just overflowing with creative genius...
(or not!). S: )
*****
*****
Anyway,
don't forsake me....
I'll be back.
In the meantime,
In the meantime,
I'll still be stopping by your blogs
for a visit,
now & then.
Stay cool,
but enjoy these
last weeks of summer!
*****
*****
And remember to...
SHELTER
A friend just sent me this amazing photo, and I just had to share it with you!
"He will cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you will find refuge."
--Psalm 91:4a
"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble."
--Psalm 46:1
"He will cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you will find refuge."
--Psalm 91:4a
"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble."
--Psalm 46:1
BEAUTY AROUND US
Azaleas blooming near the ivy bed.
It seems that as soon as the blooms of one type of flower begins to fade and fall, others burst forth to take their turn.
***
Picture below is of the hostas. The gazing ball was a mosaic project from a few years ago, and the statue has seen better days, but the poor little guy is about sixty years old. The previous owners of our Leesburg home had left him out by the pool. He came with us when we made the move from Florida.
***
I think the waterlilies down at our pond are trying to cover the entire top of the water!
For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies;
For the love which from our birth,
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.
For Thyself, best Gift Divine,
To the world so freely given,
For that great, great love of Thine,
Peace on earth and joy in heaven.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.
For the glory of the skies;
For the love which from our birth,
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.
For Thyself, best Gift Divine,
To the world so freely given,
For that great, great love of Thine,
Peace on earth and joy in heaven.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.
For the Beauty of the Earth
(1st & last verses)
--Folliott S. Pierpont, 1864
HAPPY 'FOURTH'
Independence Day is celebrated on July 4 because that is the day when the Continental Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. From July 8, 1776, until the next month, the document was read publicly and people celebrated whenever they heard it. The next year, in Philadelphia, bells rang and ships fired guns, candles and firecrackers were lighted. But the War of Independence dragged on until 1783, and in that year, Independence Day was made an official holiday. 1941 Congress declared 4th of July a federal holiday.
"The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity...I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God."
"[July 4th] ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty."
--John Adams in a letter written to Abigail on the day the Declaration was approved by Congress.
(John Adams, a lawyer, the first Vice President and the Second President of the United States, was one of the members of the Second Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence).
HAVE A SAFE and HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!
GIFTS
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
--James 1:17
You can't change YESTERDAY,
&
TOMORROW isn't here yet,
so
hope you
make the very best
make the very best
of your
'gift' of TODAY!
JUNE 13th
Famous People Born
on June 13th
Winfield Scott - U.S. General
Heinrich Hoffman - German Painter
William Butler Yeats - Irish Writer
Etienne Gilson - French Philosopher
Basil Rathbone - English Actor
John Forbes Nash, Jr. - Am. Mathmetician
Christo - Bulgarian Artist
William B. ('Bill') Beserock - American
Engineer, Woodworker, Philatelist,
Bible Teacher, Super great Husband,
Dad, Grandad, Friend, etc.
(the list goes on and on.....)
Happy, Happy Birthday, Bill!!!
GUIDANCE
A friend sent this to me, and I thought I'd pass it on...........
Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance.."
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and every day.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
And I Hope You Dance Through your Life with Him.
...guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are God my Savior,
and my hope is in You
all day long.
--Psalm 25:5
RECENT MOSAICS PROJECTS
I recently completed the last of these three name plates; made using wood pieces as pictured above. You may recall these from last year's 'Make Five' project. Bill had them in a box of stuff in his workshop, so I've been putting them to use!
1. Back side of name plate for Jami. It's difficult to see, but the little gate swings open to reveal a bunny rabbit. Jami has an adorable bunny named 'Chloe', which explains the theme here.
Stare at the plaque for a few seconds, and you'll see the platinum-colored rabbit.
Materials used: vitreous tile, stained glass, glass gems, brooch, & ball chain .
Materials used: micro-mosaic tiles, pink stained glass, agate slices and Scrabble letters.
Back side also includes decorative tile).
3. Jeff is a train enthusiast, & has a Harley, so these are featured in his name plate. His name is written in the smoke from the locomotive.
Materials are vitreous glass, stained glass and small black beads.
I currently have two works-in-progress, so hope to be able to post the completed pieces soon.
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!
***
***
I'll be taking a short bloggy break
I'll be taking a short bloggy break
until the end of next week.
Hope everyone has a safe and
Happy Memorial weekend!
ALMOND SUGAR-FREE COOKIES
I believe Walmart carries almond flour now. If not, it can be found in any health food store.
ALMOND SUGAR-FREE COOKIES
2 c. Almond Flour
1/2 c., or less Stevia (or Truvia)
1 stick softened Butter
1/2 t. salt (if using salted butter, omit salt)
1 t. Vanilla extract
1 t. Almond extract
1/2 c. sliced Almonds, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients.
Form dough into walnut-sized balls & place onto greased (or parchment-covered) cookie sheet.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Press down lightly
with fork tines, then continue baking for
another 15 minutes. Let cool.
Yields 30-38 cookies. Approx. only 1 carb per cookie;
30 carbs in entire batch.
Sometimes I leave them plain, as in top picture, & sometimes with sliced almonds added, as shown here:
Be sure to visit Foodie Friday for more delicious treats to make!----------->
OLD FARMERS' ADVICE
“Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.”
“Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.”
“Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.”
“A bumble bee is considerably faster than a Massey Ferguson tractor.”
“Words that soak into your ears are whispered…....not yelled.”
“Meanness don't just happen overnight.”
“Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.”
“Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.”
“It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.”
“You cannot unsay a cruel word.”
“Every path has a few puddles.”
“When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.”
“The best sermons are lived, not preached.”
“Most of the stuff people worry about, ain't never gonna happen anyway.”
“Don't judge folks by their relatives."
“Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.”
“Live a good and honorable life, then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.”
“Don 't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.”
“Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.”
“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.”
(Wish Obama & Congress would heed this one!!)
(Wish Obama & Congress would heed this one!!)
“Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got."
“The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.”
“Always drink upstream from the herd.”
“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.”
“Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.”
“If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.”
“Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.”
“Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.”
CAYLIE IS "6"!
**CAYLIE**
Blowing out her candle
(with brother, Chase looking on)
Caylie modeling her pretty new dress.
and new 'heels'
from
Grandma & Grandpa
Hi, sweet Miss Caylie!!
Lots of hugs & kisses to you!!
xoxoxo
Hope you have a wonderful
6th Birthday!!
*Caylie is my great niece, & in my opinion, she is definitely "GREAT!"
**pictures taken by Aunt Jami with her new smart phone.
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