Catching the Rain

This succulent is great at catching rain. Wouldn't that be an exotic swimming pool (or, at least a watering-hole) for the insect world?!

August Evening

Autumn evenings have such special lighting on the prairie. As the sun sinks and its rays slant, the whole world glows with more intense colors.  

Gold-tasseled corn fields spread like soft carpets under sunset hued skies.

Each flower stands out with brilliance while the grape vines glow, heavily laden with juicy clusters.

This is just one of the reasons we love autumn.

July Colors

July included a visit to Maren and Jason's greenhouse.

Walking through the gate, the colors are striking. People often feel as if they have entered a different world. Maren gets asked if realizes how very lucky she is to spend each day in this beautiful place. But anyone who has worked at a greenhouse - or even tending their own flowerbeds - can also appreciate the immense amount of effort required to create and maintain such a beautiful, peaceful spot.

Through the open sides of warm greenhouses, I enjoyed views of flowerbeds flowing across the lawn.

And back on the tables were so many colors, shapes, textures and scents to delight the senses. 

Then for the brave, Jason grows a mean pepper! Though my tastebuds would fry under such heat, I can still enjoy the beauty of these lively bunches.

Dorothy also got in on this outing, and I had my first opportunity to drive her van the hour through lakes and trees to reach Maren's new community. (It took well over an hour to get home since I got lost around the lakes, but...)

The main excuse for this outing was to fulfill a wish of Grandpa's. Though his 100 year old eyes are very dim, he still wanted to visit his eldest grand-daughter's new life. He could just see the masses of bright colors and listen to our descriptions and explanations.

Visiting over some ice-cream treats amid these wonders of God's creative work was an added bonus!

Grandpa's Roses

Mom and her brothers and sister all grow roses.  Not just any old-fashioned easy-care roses either. But the kind that requires mounding with dirt and leaves every autumn to even have a chance of making it through our harsh winters.

That love of roses came from Grandpa, who always grew them bigger and better than any of his children.

Though Grandma is no longer here to gather them and Grandpa lives in a nursing home, his roses are still blessing us. My aunts pick them to decorate Sundays at the lake - just as Grandma did.

And though Grandpa's eyesight doesn't allow him to see more than a spot of color anymore, his neighbors at the nursing home were awed by the huge bouquet that made its way in to their dining room for all to enjoy.

On the Fourth of July as I showed Grandpa some of his colorful and fragrant blossoms on the picnic tables, I asked where he got his love of roses. He got a far-away look as he tried to recall the color of the old-fashioned rose bush his mother had outside their farm-house door.  

"Yellow... I think."

Garden Juice

When I type today's post title into a search engine, it comes up with some restaurants I had never heard of. But we don't need a restaurant to get good, healthy foods and juices out here on the prairie. In the summer, that is. 

Dad's vegetable gardens are such a blessing!

For one thing, we have lots of kale in four varieties. That, along with our celery, our parsley, and apples from the store (too early for our own yet) makes some powerful and healthful juice!

Then there's the cherries.

One of our tart cherry trees is rotting, so half of it cracked and tipped over one night. Thankfully, the cherries were just ready to be picked!

Out comes Dad's little tractor and forklift to haul the tree to a shady spot near the house.

Out came the buckets...

... and bowls...

... and pans...

... and the steam-juicer.

The result: Potently tart cherry juice concentrate. Add a little water (and sugar for some people) and enjoy the anti-inflammatory benefits of our homegrown juice! Even in the winter.

The Heavens Declare

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Moonrise over storm clouds and reedy lake. Photo credit: Dad

"Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

Sun trail on lake

"There is no speech or language, 

where their voice is not heard.

Sunset under storm clouds

"Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world."

Sunset view at home

Psalm 19:1-4

Stamps

My sisters and I spent hours putting together and rearranging our postage stamp collections when young. They are still quite amazing to look at.

Many of the stamps that came to Dad's telephone office were collected and saved for us. A friend overseas added great international variety to our collections. And we poured over the catalogs as new stamps were released and splurged on a few each time.

Though we no longer collect used stamps (at least... rarely!), we still get joy out of buying "fun" stamps to use on our mail. And who wants to buy a pre-paid label when you can just use lots and lots of stamps!

A Verse for the Year: 2015

In 2013 (here and here) and 2014 (here), I picked a verse or two to focus on through the year.

Then in 2015 I ended up with a whole chapter! Psalm 40 spoke truth to me in different ways throughout the year as I memorised and mulled it over. I will include the whole chapter below with just a few of the ways it spoke to me. And may God use His word to meet you where you are... this year.

I waited patiently for the LORD; 
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire; 
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.

Some days these verses were a prayer of praise - as for the psalmist. Other days they turned into a prayer of agony from the bottom of the slimy pit - knowing God would once again turn, hear, and lift me out to set my feet on a rock. Then I would be praising Him once again.

He put a new song in my mouth, 
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
   and put their trust in the LORD.

These verses were key to my starting this blog - along with some below.

Blessed is the man
   who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
   to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, O LORD my God,
   are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
   no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
   they would be too many to declare.

Even in the times when I couldn't see God's wonders in my life currently, I could look back and remember them throughout history - from the Creation on. And in a way, my counting of God's little, daily gifts (see previous post) helps me renew that awe.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
   but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings 
   you did not require.
Then I said, "Here I am, I have come - 
   it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, O my God;
   your law is within my heart."

I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
   I do not seal my lips,
   as you know, O LORD.
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
   I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
   from the great assembly.

May this blog live this out in some small way.

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
   may your love and your truth always protect me.
For troubles without number surround me;
   my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
   and my heart fails within me.

The psalmist gives us more prayers in which to join him.

Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
   O LORD, come quickly to help me.
May all who seek to take my life 
   be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
   be turned back in disgrace.
May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
   be appalled at their own shame.

Now look at the shift in focus with the "But..."

But may all who seek you 
   rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
   "The LORD be exalted!"

And one more shift in the last verses makes this psalm so human and accessible.

Yet I am poor and needy;
   may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
   O my God, do not delay.

New International Version 2002

June Colors

A little step back in time 

Reunions

Though Elsa and I missed a spur-of-the-moment family reunion last month, part of it came to us.

A few of the 20 cousins on my dad's side of the family came to see Aunt Dorothy! We all enjoyed catching up at this rare gathering of cousins from around the country and around the world.

July Colors on a Sunday Afternoon Stroll

Our gardens are a riot of color and texture at this time of the year! This will be a long pictorial post, though it is only a sampling of what I enjoyed during my afternoon stroll on July 31st.

False Indigo

Pinky Winky Hydrangea

King Tut Papyrus

A furry, grey and white feline blossom rolling around for attention

In the shade of the grape arbor

Path of stepping stones surrounded by Yellow Moneywort (Creeping Jenny)

Purple Phlox

White Phlox

Echinaea (purple cone flower)

White Cleome

Peachy-Pink Day Lilly

White and Purple Echinacea

Yellow Day Lilly

Southern Belle Echinacea

Deep Purple Phlox

Lime Light Hydrangea

Mother Hen and Baby Chicks

White Cilantro Blossoms

Bachelor Buttons

More colors of Bachelor Buttons

Zinnias

Liatris

Simplicity Rose

Butterfly Swamp Weed