Summer memories

Do you recognize this place? Look at our cover photo above. Yes, it is the same place. Our river is hardly flowing here. We've been having quite a drought year. The falls are simply not "falling" as they should.

Our youngest daughter -who was married just over a year ago- came to visit with our son-in-law. She arrived around noon and the weather was hot! One of the first things she wanted to do was head to the river. Tim and I have been so busy that we have sadly neglected it.
 We've been missing  the cooler, wet summers that we usually have. The weather has been dry here, our lawn is yellow and crunchy when we walk on it. The clay soil is dry and solid like rock, the air, stifling and heavy. So the river sounded like the place to be on a hot July day.

 I've been having flashbacks from living in the desert in Arizona and so I thought I'd write about them.... Tim loved it in all it's uncommon and unique glory. He used to go out with his friends and hike the rocks and mesa's among the giant Suguaro Cacti. The Sonora Desert is an amazing place.  I never made it out there with him. I was busy, taking care of our kids, and hiding from the heat in the air conditioned apartment....I regret that. Not finding a way to get us all out more.

Tim feels bad about all the desert  that has been consumed and paved over to make room for the ever growing city.  They cut the orange groves down and made room for tract housing and shopping malls. He talks about driving through them when they were in full bloom and the wonderful scent was unlike anything he'd ever smelled before. They would watch the Road Runners scurrying around as they worked out there at the edge of it all, building those homes. He was in love with the desert. If it weren't for the city and the heat we might have stayed. I'd like to take him back someday. Just him and I.  To go and see the places that we neglected to see while we were there.

Reminds me of a line in a song. ~ "....don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you got 'til it's gone. They paved Paradise 'n put up a parking lot." ~   Oh well, I'm not really what you could call a true conservationist. I believe I would simply fall under the category of take care of what God has given us and be a good steward, it's just on loan anyway. I think conservation efforts can mean different things depending on who you talk to. In its worst extreme, I also think of these lines to a song.  "As we're sung to sleep by philosophies that save the trees and kill the children"....   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A8nsql1zi0 It is wrong to care so much for something that doesn't have an eternal soul and neglect to care for a helpless, innocent human life.

My parents had lived in the northern part of Arizona during the time we were there and we probably would have liked that better, temperature wise. But no, we lived 'smack dab' (redneck term) in the middle of Phoenix. It was extremely hot with  asphalt, traffic and city everywhere and the usual crime that seems to infect large populations of crowded people. We hear it has doubled in size since we lived there.

There was one thing that we both agreed upon.... We did not want to raise our children in that tangled mess of industrialized civilization. We wanted them to breath fresh, cool mountain air. To know the freedom that only nature can give. To explore, to watch, to see and  hear the sounds of God's creation. To grow up without fear of riding their bikes down the road,  climb trees and splash through the waters of a cold running stream. And you know what? They did those things. It wasn't easy, but we managed to make that happen for them. (Thanks Tim, for always being the hardworking man you are, who never gives up when you set a goal in your sights.)

Now, here is a something I did not know when we lived there. Hummingbirds! Arizona has a wonderful variety of hummingbirds.  They claim to host 18 different kinds!! In the eastern part of the country we only have one kind that actually live and breeds here, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  Although, there is also the Rufous Hummingbird that they are finding  is wintering here. Now, that would be fun to see and I'll be watching for sure.
One of my regrets is that while I lived in Arizona, I didn't feed them and try to attract them. I didn't make this place my home, I should have and I missed out on some things because I focused on what I didn't like instead of finding something I did. Home is where you decide to make it. Abraham Lincoln said "Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be." I have since realized just what it was, I should have been enjoying. I have remembered this lesson. Each place where I have lived since, I have intentionally tried to make it my home and enjoy it's specialty. The world is so full of unique places that often we only get to experience once in a lifetime. 


   ~Be content with such things as you have ... or perhaps you could say, to be content with where you are at. ~



I have been sidetracked once again. I'll show you a few pics of our day at the river....

This is the riverbed. It was pretty dry, but we headed downstream in hopes that our swimming hole would be better.

We weren't disappointed. The water was perfectly cool and so refreshing.

This inlet in the picture below comes into the river from the side and it  just beckons to me. 'Come and explore' it seems to say. I have all kinds of lovely imaginations about this place. In fact it feels rather like something I would find in one Tolkiens books.....My daughter tells me she thinks people live up there not too far and that would have just ruined my expectations, so no exploring took place on this day. 

It is a lovely place though. We believe the water must come from underground as it's temperature is much cooler than the river itself. It's so dark and shady, the trees form a canopy above, blocking out much of the sunlight. With just a few bright sunbeams reaching down through. Lichens and ferns are growing along the banks with plenty of other mystery plants that make me want to know their names. The air feels humid yet cool and fresh . 

Now doesn't that just sound like the perfect place to let your imagination run wild? A place to let the world just pass you by and leave all your troubles behind for just a bit. 

As I sit typing this out, I listen to the growing sound of pattering rain on our tin roof. I sigh... knowing that the moisture is so badly needed. Once again, I thank God for this place we live in. Our Appalachia, that He has so graciously loaned to us, for a time.

“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;

                                                  And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
                                                  Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
                                                  And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
                                                  Who among all these does not know
                                                  That the hand of the Lord has done this,
                                                  In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
                                                  And the breath of all mankind?" Job 12:7-10

A picture....or a thousand words?

A picture is worth a thousand words. That's what they say anyway, but I'm not so sure.... If you looked at this picture what would it say to you? Probably not much. But when I look at it, I can find so many words to describe it. I think pictures can tell a story, but I still think the best stories are the ones told in words.

This photograph for example tells some of the things happening in my life right now. It was taken on my birthday. I was born July 1st, 1967. I'm not sure what all was happening in the world at that time (1967). I think the Vietnam war was still raging in all of it's sad fury. The iron curtain was still solid and impenetrable. The 60's and all the tumultuous times of that decade were still in full swing....

On this morning, Tim, knowing that I really prefer a lighter breakfast to his hearty style -usually consisting of eggs, bacon and hash browns- made me the nicest birthday breakfast of some wonderfully sweet and moist corn muffins, served warm with lots of melting butter! He poked around in my kitchen drawers long enough and eventually found some, previously used birthday candles, to pop in the center of each one. He served them with hot steaming coffee and waited until I had gotten plenty of reading time in my comfy bed. Which is the perfect way for a book worm like me to start the day.

Just as we were finishing our muffins and coffee our son called on his way home from work to wish me a Happy Birthday. He's our soldier boy. Air Force. He works at nights and I honestly don't know just what it is he does. (Intel.....he can't talk about it.)  Oh, but he has the nicest family and we talked about them and  all that was going on in their lives. Of course, the conversation usually turns to politics....he is just like his grandfather. (my father) Tim and I are pretty "unpolitical". If I want to know something in detail I ask our son or my dad. If I want a general and  pretty neutral answer, I ask Tim. Neither of us are very extreme in our feelings.....usually.... there are times and certain issues, however.

In this picture you can also see, my new clock....Birds and Bird songs! I love it. I set it on my table and there it will stay. I've always wanted to learn a few and match them correctly with the right bird so, this is the beginning of that.
Also, of course my stack of field guides which are almost always on the table. Our feeding station is in the back yard and we watch the birds from the kitchen table. Plans for new improvements to that are in the works. On the top of the stack is my nature journal. I write, sketch and paint in it. It is truly amazing the lessons that I find the birds, flowers and nature in general can teach us. The Bible has quite a few of these examples, but I always seem to find more.

Now, I'll bet you'd have never gotten that story from this picture. Whenever I  see this picture I'll think of all of this. Your story would probably have been much different then the one I just told. Which is why I'm not so sure that a picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe....but would it be the story it was intended to tell??

It seems to me the power of words over an image is indisputable...but I'm sure I'd get a lot of fierce arguments about that. Beautiful photography, paintings, and the sun rising over the hills early in the morning, leave me speechless at times.  An exceptional image can  simply be..... beyond words
 In that same way, many a talented writer has written words that have caused even the blind to "see" the beauty in these things.


I just think words are powerful. They can strip a person down to nothing or build them up and help them accomplish the most seemingly impossible task. They can be completely deceptive or so full of truth that even the most seared and hardened conscience will quiver at their sound. They can impart knowledge to both the fool and the wise man. 
A soothing story has the power to calm children and adults alike. They can  make you laugh, or make you cry. The wrong words have started more than one war and the right words have ended a few as well. Words have brought both love to lovers and hate to haters. Carefully chosen words can inspire change that ripples in ever spanning circles.

Yet, I wonder, if in this internet age, we might be drifting away from the gift of reading. Do people really read anymore? I hope so, I hope they read books that make them think. With words that inspire and help them grow. Books that give them knowledge, bring comfort to their souls and ultimately lead them to a closer relationship with our Creator. Really, what's more important than that?

Ray Bradbury, who recently passed away, wrote a book called Fahrenheit 451. It is a fiction story of a time when books have been outlawed and any that are found are confiscated and burned. It's been too many years since I read it, to really tell you much about it, but at the end I remember that people had begun to converge together that had memorized certain books or parts of books. If memory serves me correctly it ends with someone memorizing and quoting from Ecclesiates.

Books and words and the power they hold for good or evil is probably beyond our understanding. Let's not forget such books as Mein Kampf and the terrible evil it inspired....

Read, read and read some more, but choose wisely what you read,  it will affect the way you think. 


Personally, I'd recommend the most popular book of all time. Men have given their lives to print, smuggle, or obtain just a few pages of this book. I'm sure you have one on a shelf somewhere....The Bible. I'd recommend the book of Genesis, it's full of history and can be taken literally.There is a large and growing community of Creation Scientists who are finding this to be proven more and more.  Or maybe the gospel of John , if you're the poetic type and want to know what Jesus really taught. If you're a philosopher kind of person and are interested in what the great King Solomon thought, Ecclesiastes is great. I think there is a book in the Bible for most types of personalities. So, pick it up and find out why it has endured for more than two millennium.

I guess I just don't think that images and entertainment should replace the goodness of reading. So, turn your internet, television, facebook or any other media, that is distracting you, off and curl up with a cold glass of tea and a Good Read for a while. You say you aren't a reader? I'll bet you could be. Find something that interests you, libraries are full of books to loan for free. You can teach yourself so many things, by reading, From field guides on every aspect of nature,  how to books on a great many subjects, fiction or biographies of people whom you admire.

Think you don't have time? Get in the habit of bringing your book with you. It only takes a few minutes here and a few minutes there. The next thing you know you're looking for a new book to read. I keep copies of my field guides for birds and wildflowers (herbs) in our truck also. That way I can ID and read about the things I do so love, while I'm out and about. If you make it an intentional habit I think you'll soon find....... So many books, so little time. 


Oh, and happy Fourth of July!! I'm sure there's a book about the origins of this holiday somewhere..... 




  

True Riches

I just love this picture. It was taken on Father's Day when Aurora Lilly (our granddaughter) and her mama came over to visit. Tim was worn out, as usual, (poor guy) and just taking it easy. I like to call her my little "Gerber Baby" I think she looks just like the perfect little baby that's on Gerber baby food products.

She has blue eyes and red hair. Just like her gramma!! Well, to be fair, her other gramma also has red hair and her daddies beard is red. So genetically, the odds were good, that it would turn out red. She's just so beautiful. And I'm not prejudice a bit am I?!

Having grandchildren is just wonderful and I have loved every minute of it. I don't know how I ever got along with out them. Never for a moment have I felt that it somehow meant that I was old! However, my birthday is coming up and that would be an aging factor. Tim and I both would have loved it if we had had more children. That didn't work out but, these granchildren are just a Gift. One that we both have loved everything about. Proverbs 17:6

This is me with our oldest, Estella Cheri. She and her brother got to come hang out with us for a couple of weeks this spring. What good times we did have! But let me tell you, I had to learn all over again how to keep up with two very active kids. Can't you just see the mischievousness twinkle in her eyes here? Personality, that's what it is. Life would be so boring if we didn't have little ones to keep us young. The way they think is still so innocent and moldable.  Sigh....just wish that somehow we could find a way to keep that and not let life hurt them and change them.

I know it's not possible and life does change us. No one's life is perfect. We all bear our own burdens and have our secret pain. I guess it's what you do with it that can, either make you a better person or make you a "not so better" person.

With my birthday nearing....I'll be 45....I've been reflecting on my life and what has been good and what I wish I could change. Of course, we can't change what has already been done, but you can change what 'will be' to a very great degree. I made my choice years ago, after the birth of my youngest. I decided I definitely did not like the way my life was going. I was living a completely self centered life that revolved around the things that I wanted. Nothing would get in the way of my desires. If I wanted something I went after it and didn't care who got hurt in the process.

I was 23.  (yep, I had all three of my kids before that age.) It's sort of a magic age for me. That was when my life changed... It wasn't over night, in fact it was a pretty long and hard process to change and repair all the damage I had done. I couldn't even see all of it for a long time. Even being able to see how my actions affected others, took some time. Time for me to grow and learn. But, I had decided that I wanted something better for my kids. I didn't want them to grow up in this -'sometimes messed up World'- without a Divine Guidance in our lives. Yes, that's when I decided to live my life the way Jesus taught us to. As I said, life was not somehow magically made into the Garden of Eden again. No, but at least we had a better direction to walk in. He left some really good instructions to follow.

This is Tim throwing rocks in the creek with our grandson Everitt Sean. He is just something else! We just plain have fun with him.
A few weeks ago he was at our house and his folks were out with their friends. It was getting late and I said  to him and his sister "we better get ready to go 'nite nite'." He looked at me with a big happy smile and very politely said "no tanks" (no thanks) and went about playing with his toys as if that had settled it. What a funny little guy! (yeah, I let them stay up later, who could resist that?!)

Our family gives us so much joy!


~ One’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. ~ Jesus  Luke 12:15

Smelling the Honeysuckle

Did you ever find one of these when you were young?

I found this nest and the egg separately the other day and it brought back all these memories of feeling young, summer and pure joy at having found such a treasure.

I wonder if it was just me or if there are other people who have found their peace in the things of nature?

When I was a girl, I found pure joy in these things, a nest and a bird's egg. Sunny flowers would make me smile, the summer sun and a water hose were the perfect combination. Who could ask for more?
Somewhere along the line, life got in the way of these simple things. I forgot to smell the flowers, to watch the birds, to feel the rain on my face.
After all, it was just life and it was hard and wasn't going the way I had planned.

I would cry out to God to change things and make it better. 
I would wonder why He didn't hear me. I would dwell even more on all my problems and seek Him harder. Thinking that I was doing something wrong for God to not hear me. I tried many ways to please Him. It all seemed to no avail.
Then one day, someone mentioned the following verses from the New Testament to me and felt they should be taken literally as an anecdote for depression and anxiety.
Let me share them with you.








~ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin,  yet I say to you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ~ 


These words were spoken by Jesus when he walked on this Earth. 

I remember reading a book written about life in Appalachia. I don't recall the name of the book or the author, but I do remember that they mentioned smelling the honeysuckle in the air. At the time I thought, "that's funny, I've never smelled it before. I wonder why?" I even went and intentionally smelled honeysuckle....but no, I just didn't remember ever smelling it before.

So, I began to implement "the Jesus cure for depression" into my life. First, Tim made a greenhouse and I began to grow flowers from seed. My daughter and I made flower beds that we planted all of these in. I bought field guides about birds, butterflies, wildflowers and herbs. I made and put up bird feeders in my yard and I started feeding the hummingbirds. I began to go for walks just for the purpose of searching out new plants and identifying them. I started making new friends through the internet that had the same interests. Slowly I discovered I was noticing things I never had before. Nature.... that had always been there, began to take on new appearances...or so it seemed to me.  The grass was simply greener wherever I looked, trees were so fascinating to me, I  was noticing flowers and herbs that I'd just never seen before. When I would look at these, I would thank God in my heart for creating them. I would think of Him "looking at all that He had made and saying It Was Good." Genesis 1

Then one day, it happened, I smelled the honeysuckle.... it was in the very air around me and what  a heavenly scent it was! It was surely there all along....At that moment I realized that I was getting better. I was healing from the hurts and disappointments that had destroyed my joy. The "Jesus Cure" was working. 

Have you smelled the honeysuckle today?