If I hadn’t walked outside, I would have missed it: this beautiful sight of a rose covered with dew.
The morning is cool and gray, and this is a welcome splash of color, a bit of sunshine on the ground with pearly clouds swirling above.
But if I had not walked there to look, I would have missed it. I had to take the time.
Recently I read a quote that said, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” I followed that advice, and a couple of days ago, enjoyed the view from my son’s hammock in the backyard. I included my feet in the picture, because if I didn’t, well then, it didn’t happen. LOL. Oh, and incase you’re wondering, I took a picture, but then I did “unplug”. Ha.
I have been plagued with some old, familiar lies lately, which were following me all around this morning: “you’re left out again”, “who wants to talk to YOU”, “who wants to be YOUR friend”… and so on. The lies aren’t new and they are aren’t true. Yet they try to subvert my thinking. (It’s particularly difficult right now, because I am in a low place, facing a few challenges, and these thoughts do not help.)
But then, I saw the rose and thought about the many things I can be thankful for. Here are a few.
This was a picture I took of the sun shining through trees, on a hike through a place called the Scuppernong Nature Trail. Isn’t “scuppernong” such a cool and interesting word? It’s actually a kind of a grape or a vine. Who would have thought to name a grape that? Someone who was pretty creative. I didn’t know they were in the Midwest I thought they were more of a southern thing.
Recently I tried sushi for the first time in a restaurant. My daughter ordered. She knows how to order sushi.
It was soooo delicious. It was so good, it warrants another picture.
Yeah, I could eat that again. I don’t eat raw fish, though, so everything I ate was COOKED. I’m just weird like that. Haha.
Switching locations now and going to the back yard again, take a look at this mischief going on here:
Mr. Squirrel was holding on for quite some time, and actually eating. I caught him red-handed. As soon as I opened the door with a loud noise and stomped my feet, he jumped off and ran away. I haven’t seen him since. Don’t come back, Mr. Squirrel! I’m watching you.
But there is more mischief going on in my backyard, because I am at war with the rabbits. They are eating all my flowers. What, they think this is their lunch? That I planted this for THEM? How dare they. So I had to put this ugly wire fencing thing around the plants… which hardly did anything since they could still get through it, those crafty little things. So, now as unsightly as it will be, I will need more chicken fencing.
Do you see the small piece of chicken wire that got sort of garbled up and tangled back there? That is a small remnant I could find to put in the area temporarily but it doesn’t seem to be staying in place.
I sort of wish I were sitting by a lake right now.
I digress.
Also, please don’t post pictures of fall or show me any autumn leaves. NOT YET. Just, no. Don’t tell me you already saw some leaves changing. It’s not time yet! It’s not fall yet, people. It’s not until September 21, and I won’t ascribe to anything else. Got it? Good.
Moving on.
Can I tell you about these blueberries? A few years ago, in Alabama, I went blueberry picking for the first time. I haven’t been blueberry picking since then.
You know, some of the food in the stores just has no taste. Like tomatoes, for example. Store-bought tomatoes are bland; they taste like… nothing. Have you ever tried a tomato from a garden? It actually has flavor. There’s nothing like a home-grown tomato.
So, last week, I had to make a day trip to Michigan. On the way back, I couldn’t resist stopping at this farm that just happened to be on the way. I bought a five-pound box of freshly-picked-off-the-farm blueberries. Man, I should have bought the 10 pound box. They were gone in a hurry. They were sweet and flavorful. Just scrumptious.
And this hammock. I’m thankful for it. My sister gave each of my kids hammocks for Christmas last year. One of them is strung up in the back yard.
Oh my- and this. I have to tell you about this.
I received an email not too long ago asking I’d like to review this book. They had a certain number available they’d ship out for honest reviews. I jumped on the opportunity.
First of all (disclaimer)– I do like Beth Moore and her Bible studies. I’ve learned a great deal in the past. And, I hadn’t read this book yet. (It’s a re-release; first released about 10 years ago.) I have the book now in my hands and I can’t wait to finish it. So stay tuned for that review coming up later this month in August!
Okay, that’s it for now. Remember: take time, and be thankful. Summer doesn’t last forever.
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