You Listen With Your Ears

"You listen with your ears!"  That's what Baby Gray told me yesterday as we sat on the porch and he put his hand behind his ear to listen for the sound of the chimes clinking on my porch.

This morning as I wake up, I hear the Mockingbird's song, the sound of light rain touching the grass and a gentle breeze blowing the leaves.  I was planning on riding my horse this morning however, I think I'll stay in bed with my hand behind my ear!

Isaiah 30:21
"Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

Encourage one another.  Continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you.

Finally After 10 Months Almost to the Day...

I see deer from the porch.  And just in the nick of time.  I was reading.  I looked up just to see them fixing to cross from the pasture in front of my house to the road.  In fact the photos are after they have crossed the fence.  Look for three!

 These are not the greatest photos, as the deer were pretty far from the porch, even when I zoomed in.  Boo!

 The three scamper across the neighbor's pasture.

So close and yet so far away.
But they were there.  In full sight of the porch.  I've been waiting and watching with hopeful anticipation to see deer from the porch.  Today...bullseye!

Psalm 18:33

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.

Proverbs 5:19

A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you, xoxo.

Cactus Blooming Time

Sometimes every cactus on the place is blooming.  I don't know if they are not because we have had so little or rain or just because.  However, only some of them are blooming.  While all the cactus look the same, there are a few variations in color of the blooms, from yellow to pink to orange.
Here are just a few!

I'd love to plop them off just below the flower and take them home an put them in water.  However, at close view those spiny little splinters are even touching the flower.  They'll be staying right where they are.

Honey bees are everywhere.  If you look straight down into the center of these flowers they are moving.  The bees are deep, getting all the nectar they can.

Maybe with the recent rains we will have more flowers, a sea of yellow.  If so, I'll get more photos.  If not, I'll enjoy these.  Few or many, they are beautiful!
Acts 14:17

Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you, xox.

Puppy Love

Have you ever loved a dog?  It's pretty crazy love.  Has a dog ever loved you?  That's pretty crazy love too.

On a recent Sunday Ikey was sick.  The kind of sick he was moving VERY slow, creeping around, wouldn't jump up in my lap, wouldn't even walk down the stairs.  Even though it was a Sunday I called the vet. He was in a lot of pain.  On examination he determined it to be his back.  He gave him some medication and in a couple of days he was 'good as new'.  I don't really think that was it, his back.  However, it has not reoccurred and for that I am extremely grateful.

 A recent road trip took us by a fantastic field of bluebonnets.  Fortunately for me I had my camera.  Ikey did not think he was so fortunate.

 It doesn't take much for me to acknowledge and thank God daily for this little guy.  Talk about unconditional love...it goes both ways.  He wakes me with a snuggle every morning.  He greets me with a smile and a wiggle of his body every time I come home.  He would love to go load up and every where with me any day of the week.  He interjects without saying excuse me every time I have company or get on the phone.  "Hello mom...mom...I'm here mom...can't you see me mom...mom (bark...bark)!"

Puppy love, it was great when I was a girl and it is great years later in my life.

I know that God loves me even more than this.  His love too is unconditional.  His love is ever lasting.  His love is the same every day.  And for that too I thank God every day.
Romans 12:10Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you, xoox.

On another recent Sunday we watched "Eight Below".  It is the story of a man who has to leave his sled dogs behind in the freezing weather and his return to see what happened.  I cried all the way through.  Check it out if you love dogs.

52 Wing Beats Per Second

Have you ever been so close to a hummingbird that it's fluttering blew your hair?  Have you ever been so close to a hummingbird you thought it was going to put your eye out with it's pointed beak?
That's what happened today.

I was sitting in my rocker and stood up to go inside.  I was standing next to the flowering hanging basket when two of them flew up.  Literally I thought "I better close my eyes, she's going to get too close.  She's going to poke me in the eye."  She zipped off before I could wink.  Next thing I know, I hear one fly up behind me.  She was so close and her wings were fluttering so fast I could feel my hair move.  They are so curious and they are so fast they don't have to be afraid of much it seems.

Unbelievable, that's all I can say.  Beautiful.  The only other word I can come up with.

Have I told you how much I love living in the country?  Blessed!

Jeremiah 17:7

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you, xoxo.

Chicken Feeder Recycle

I have two matching doors on the front of my house.  Of course you know from my photos that mine is an older house where they built one door going into the bedroom and one into the living room.

Even though there are flowers on the porch and steps the doors needed some decor.  On my trip to Roundtop this year I wanted to find something, like wreaths, or something to create, to put on each door.

Door decor of any kind was pretty hard to come by and in fact the first day I didn't really find anything that would work. Second day I found this.

It's a chicken feeder...she had two.  They were rustic and cute and country so after a little bit of bartering they were mine to take home.  In the display she had live petunias in one of those little plastic containers.  It looked really cute with live flowers but since the bottom of the feeder has a screen on it only, and it would be hanging on the door, they were not going to be practical.  Plus keeping it watered and pretty might be a real trick.
However, I bought the galvanized feeders and figured I'd come up with my own recycled idea.

After a trip to Hobby Lobby, and a little time in my art room ("atelier"), here is my result.  I like it. While I have two doors, I want to put a storm door with a screen up on the living room side, actually this side, so I can see out from inside the living room.  If that doesn't happen, I'll make the other one to match.  Otherwise, I'll come up with another idea or just hang the other one some place else.

Deuteronomy 2:7

The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands.

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you, xoxo.

Happily Ever After

This happy girl is a bit on the sad side today, just reflecting back about my life.  Thirty one years ago today I married the love of my life.  Today would be my 31st wedding anniversary.
Six years ago last month, ended my marriage of 25 years.  Six years ago a life long dream ended.  You know the one...living happily ever after with the one you love and the one who loves you and growing old with someone who adores you.  It's the dream I saw my parents live.  It's a dream I pray for for my daughter.  Maybe that was just my dream.  But it was real.  It just didn't go that way for me.

I think, however, there is still a chance for me to live happily ever after.  It will just be different than the original dream.   It'll include the love toward and from my daughter, my grandchild/children, and my son in law.  It'll include the love toward and from my sister and her family.  It will include the love of my dog and riding my horses till my hearts content.  It'll include relationships with friends, travels, adventures, treasure hunting, hopefully good health, and love of life and country.  It'll include a lot of leaning on and faith in God.  He remains the answer and the safe place to be.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.

While my parents are responsible for my dream, they are also responsible for my faith.  So I'll chose instead this day to be thankful.  My faith, after all, is what carried me through this six years ago. And I thank my parents and God for that.

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths
Blessings and love to you, xoxo.
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