We watched football and ate snacks later. Can you tell what color skittles no one likes in our family?
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thanksgiving 2010
This year, Thanksgiving was very low stress for me. We went to eat at Mr. H's Mom's house and she did most of the cooking. In fact, if we had brought absolutely nothing, there would have still been too much food. Our 2 oldest girls each made a pie to take: the eldest made apple and Em made pecan, even though she doesn't LIKE pecan pie, she didn't want her older sister to get all the pie-making glory.
It was a beautiful warm day. The camellia bushes were loaded with buds, but only 2 had opened.
We sat out on the back porch after lunch.
This little guy came over to see what we were doing.
We watched football and ate snacks later. Can you tell what color skittles no one likes in our family?
We watched football and ate snacks later. Can you tell what color skittles no one likes in our family?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
New Toy
I got a new toy!!
Actually, I should say "we" got a new toy, because it's a joint, early Christmas present for Mr. H and I.
It's a Canon Rebel T1i.
And I've been experimenting...
Actually, I should say "we" got a new toy, because it's a joint, early Christmas present for Mr. H and I.
It's a Canon Rebel T1i.
And I've been experimenting...
Mrs. Jones
Grisabella
I know, I know... I have lots of pictures of cats, but they are always available models.
Mr. H is always a good model, too.
I love this view from my backyard. I probably have quite a few pictures very similar to this.
For some reason, I find this very appealing.
My mom gave me this for my birthday a few years ago. It's hanging on my front porch.
I was experimenting with motion settings here.
These 2 sit on top of my monitor at work.
I like the effect of the sun through the tree.
I know, more cats: real and wooden.
One of my favorite spots on the planet.
Up close and personal with moss on the tree.
Yes, another cat picture.
Yes, I like taking pictures of trees, too.
Well, that's a small (very small!) sample of our experiments so far. Stay tuned....
Sunday, November 21, 2010
End of Day . . . Homeward Bound
Behind me, the full moon has risen. There is a high, thin layer of clouds that has captured her reflected light and transformed itself into a pale, bright veil around her.
Ahead of me, the sky still bears the afterglow of sunset: crimson fading up through gold and lavender into deep indigo. Trees on the distant horizon are like black lace stretched at the bottom of the sky.
Closer to the dark road, light glows from the windows of otherwise invisible homes.
Soon ...
very soon ...
there will be light shining from my own windows.
Ahead of me, the sky still bears the afterglow of sunset: crimson fading up through gold and lavender into deep indigo. Trees on the distant horizon are like black lace stretched at the bottom of the sky.
Closer to the dark road, light glows from the windows of otherwise invisible homes.
Soon ...
very soon ...
there will be light shining from my own windows.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Warm Memory
This morning I was taking a pan of muffins out of the oven. I set them on top of the stove and started to close the oven door. I changed my mind and just left it open for a bit, letting the oven pour its heat out into the kitchen. I backed up to the open door and let the heat rise up my back. I would be hard pressed to find anything else that feels that good!
It reminded me of winters when I was growing up. We had a floor furnace in our house. Don't feel bad if you have no idea what that is. I just explained it to El. In the hallway of the bedroom end of the house, there was a metal grate in the floor. Below that grate was a big heater. And the grate got hot when the furnace was going. I remember winter nights (and mornings) standing above the furnace (careful not to stand ON the furnace) in a long night gown. The warm air would billow up the gown, ballooning it out, surrounding me with warmth. On cold nights, it gave me a head start on warming up the bed.
When our eldest was young, we lived in a mobile home with floor vents. I taught her the joy of standing over the vent in a long gown, too.
I can understand why floor furnaces were replaced with other heat sources. The little boy who lived across the street from me all those years ago had a grid-pattern scar on this chest and stomach from a fall onto the hot metal. I never thought about how dangerous my position above the furnace was until I saw what could happen if one got careless.
It reminded me of winters when I was growing up. We had a floor furnace in our house. Don't feel bad if you have no idea what that is. I just explained it to El. In the hallway of the bedroom end of the house, there was a metal grate in the floor. Below that grate was a big heater. And the grate got hot when the furnace was going. I remember winter nights (and mornings) standing above the furnace (careful not to stand ON the furnace) in a long night gown. The warm air would billow up the gown, ballooning it out, surrounding me with warmth. On cold nights, it gave me a head start on warming up the bed.
When our eldest was young, we lived in a mobile home with floor vents. I taught her the joy of standing over the vent in a long gown, too.
I can understand why floor furnaces were replaced with other heat sources. The little boy who lived across the street from me all those years ago had a grid-pattern scar on this chest and stomach from a fall onto the hot metal. I never thought about how dangerous my position above the furnace was until I saw what could happen if one got careless.
Friday, October 29, 2010
His Presence
This morning, I read Psalm 26, where I found this in verse 8: I love your sanctuary, Lord, the place where Your glorious presence dwells.
It reminds me that "the sanctuary" or the temple is no longer a fixed point of architecture. Today that sanctuary is where ever the believer is. WE are the sanctuary. WE are where the Spirit of the Lord dwells.
A few weeks ago, a team from our church went to Peru. On that Wednesday night, the team in Peru and the church in Agricola had a Skype conversation. We were able to see and hear each other and ask questions and get a feel for what they were doing. I remember Mark saying that the place felt cold, not from the temperature, but from the spiritual darkness. The message of Christ had never been there.
Last weekend was Praise in the Park in Lucedale. Mr. H and I took our beach chairs and found a place on the hill. As I looked out on the crowd, I recalled what Mark had said and realized that this was just the opposite. These thousands had come with one purpose and that was to Praise the Lord. The presence of His Spirit was tangible. It made you look around, expecting to catch a glimpse of His back.
That's what happens when people who love the Lord come together. Our churches should feel the same way. There should be that expectation of' something wonderful is going to happen!' It's up to us as the sanctuary to lead the way.
It reminds me that "the sanctuary" or the temple is no longer a fixed point of architecture. Today that sanctuary is where ever the believer is. WE are the sanctuary. WE are where the Spirit of the Lord dwells.
A few weeks ago, a team from our church went to Peru. On that Wednesday night, the team in Peru and the church in Agricola had a Skype conversation. We were able to see and hear each other and ask questions and get a feel for what they were doing. I remember Mark saying that the place felt cold, not from the temperature, but from the spiritual darkness. The message of Christ had never been there.
Last weekend was Praise in the Park in Lucedale. Mr. H and I took our beach chairs and found a place on the hill. As I looked out on the crowd, I recalled what Mark had said and realized that this was just the opposite. These thousands had come with one purpose and that was to Praise the Lord. The presence of His Spirit was tangible. It made you look around, expecting to catch a glimpse of His back.
That's what happens when people who love the Lord come together. Our churches should feel the same way. There should be that expectation of' something wonderful is going to happen!' It's up to us as the sanctuary to lead the way.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Pre-Dawn Coffee
This morning before light, I took my coffee out on the front porch. I haven't done that in a while. It was not too cool for just a long sleeve T-shirt. I sat on the swing and looked out over the yard. The moon was exceptionally bright in the back yard, casting a very distinct shadow of the house into the front yard. It was pretty low in the sky because the shadows were pretty long.
There are not a great number of trees within our neighborhood. At one time it was a 100 acre pasture. This morning the yards of our neighbors all had a thin layer of fog hovering just above the ground. I wonder if I had been on one of their porches, if I would have seen the same in my yard.
It's always amazed me how noisy it is outside in the dark before the sun comes up. I counted at least 7 individual rooster voices. There may have been more, but loud sounds tend to echo around here and these guys are loud. They provide a non-stop soundtrack for the pre-dawn hour. And somewhere in the vicinity is a large pack of dogs. I've always wondered if all that barking in the dark was actual communication (like that scene in 101 Dalmations when the dogs are putting out the alert for the missing puppies) or just the irrisistable urge to make noise.
Amid all that screeching and barking, there was a much mellower sound: an owl. I have no idea where this bird was located, but its "Hoo-hoo-hoo Hooooo" was a nice change from the frantic emanations of the canine and fowl variety.
The sun will be up soon. Already, I can see a lacy pattern beginning to form through the leaves of the pecan tree outside our front door. The sun is brightening the sky behind it. The dogs and roosters and that owl will be drowned out by the light.
There are not a great number of trees within our neighborhood. At one time it was a 100 acre pasture. This morning the yards of our neighbors all had a thin layer of fog hovering just above the ground. I wonder if I had been on one of their porches, if I would have seen the same in my yard.
It's always amazed me how noisy it is outside in the dark before the sun comes up. I counted at least 7 individual rooster voices. There may have been more, but loud sounds tend to echo around here and these guys are loud. They provide a non-stop soundtrack for the pre-dawn hour. And somewhere in the vicinity is a large pack of dogs. I've always wondered if all that barking in the dark was actual communication (like that scene in 101 Dalmations when the dogs are putting out the alert for the missing puppies) or just the irrisistable urge to make noise.
Amid all that screeching and barking, there was a much mellower sound: an owl. I have no idea where this bird was located, but its "Hoo-hoo-hoo Hooooo" was a nice change from the frantic emanations of the canine and fowl variety.
The sun will be up soon. Already, I can see a lacy pattern beginning to form through the leaves of the pecan tree outside our front door. The sun is brightening the sky behind it. The dogs and roosters and that owl will be drowned out by the light.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Treasure Chest
We were looking for furnishings for the eldest to take back to school for her new house. I missed out on a great buy at a yard sale, but it did make me think about coffee tables. At one time in our early married life we used a foot locker made by Mr. H's dad many, many years ago.
Yes, we still have it, and yes, our eldest wants to use it.
So we found it out in the storage shed and brought it in.
And it was full of treasure!
The other 2 objects are evidence of how the world has changed in the past 30 years. When we registered for classes, we looked through the catalog, picked our classes and signed up accordingly. I'm not sure that there is such a publication any longer.
And the real prize is the Radio Shack pong game! You could play tennis, hockey, or squash. The angle, ball speed and bat size each had 2 options. The 2 sliders moved the paddles up and down. That was it: no sideways, no diagonal. But ground-breaking for its time.
Definitely a treasure box.
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