Surprises in our own Back Yard

Things have been busy on our hill, lately. Lots of medical appointments but the restless leg nights are responding to some medication, for a thankful change!!! Sometimes, in the middle of the busy dailyness of living, nature's wonder raises its hand. I am blessed to have noticed and stopped to witness God's hand moving--right here in our own back yard.

One event inspired worshipful quiet.
          The other evoked a first reaction of fear.
                 With both, WONDER followed immediately.
                          The wonder of each was so great, I must share.


       Saturday, June 1 had been one of the good days. When unexpected energy graced me, I made a trip to the grocery store and among other things even got the laundry done. The weather news had not been good, especially for our neighbors to the north in Oklahoma. Devestating, destructive, killer tornados had ravaged life and property for days. As I worked that Saturday, I prayed for Oklahoma. Just before sunset, I went out to bring in my laundry from my "clothes line" on the back porch.

 

Hey, this is a great solution and it works for us !!!

 

 

As I puttered around in the kitchen getting a late and light supper ready, listing to reports of possible bad weather in our area, I noticed clouds building in the west and north. Of course, I HAD to go out for an up-close and personal look.

WOW and OH MY !!!

 

         Absolutely took my breath away. Fortunately, I did not dilly-dally and jerked my handy-dandy phone from the pocket of my capri pants. Aimed and snapped. Probably the most beautiful photograph I have ever taken. The quiet and worshipful thing is that I stood in the presence of the Creator of EVERYTHING, witnessing His art work. The blessing for me is that I pressed "camera."
        Just for comparision. At about the same time the next evening, I got this shot... from about the same location, pointing in the same direction as the picture above. The sun DOES set in that place and most nights our sunset is a plain, uneventful (but still beautiful) scene.





 

Then came Event # Two.

Fast forward to this morning at our breakfast table.

Bees. How nice, they've come for the sugar water in our hummingbird feeders.

More bees.

MANY, MANY BEES. Lay-down-the-paper and LOOK !!!!!!!! BEES.....

 

 

I give you my word of honor. Those are BEES.

 

      They kept coming and increased with alarming speed. They were small and I assume "just honey bees," but they came with such speed and in such numbers we began to panick. I went online and found a bee keeper who does "swarm removal" in our county. He was very kind and did not laugh out loud at me. No, we did not have a "swarm." He explained that a swarm is the size of a vollyball. He said let the bees do their work, keep the dogs and cats indoors and the doors shut, and stay calm.

CALM????????   ME ??????

 

 

This is just one feeder. All four feeders had at least this many; there were more bees

coveing flower pots under the feeders where sweet water had dripped; even more

bees covered two square feet on the patio table slurping up sugar water I had

spilled last night.

 

Oh.  That's what he said. We don't have a swarm. We just have A LOT OF BEES !!!!  But, okay. Yes, Sir. Deep breath.

 

     Of course, Dear Heart can NOT just sit INDOORS. It is a physical impossibility for him. Fortunately, the hummingbird feeders on the front porch had not collected the horde of bees as on the back porch, so he got on his scooter that is parked two feet from the feeders and off he went, out and about for his country gentleman morning rounds. Son stopped by shortly and brought in the feeders from the front porch.

     In a couple of hours, the back porch feeders were empty. !!!! Most of the bees were gone.

 

     Hummmm. My daddy used to say, "If you stop by for coffee, it's okay to stay for an hour. If you stop by at lunch, you got to stay and visit at least two hours."  Our bees had lunch today and left. We put back some feeders to test whether they will return in the heat of the afternoon or wait until the cool of tomorrow morning. ????

 

     At any rate, the scene was breath-taking. Watching bees "swarm" is fascinating and puts a mere human in its human-place.

 

My prayer is that you notice each little wonder in your path.

 

Love and blessings.

 

Liz

 

 

 

 

Flash Posting from the queen of Perfection

Most likely, even  my regular readers don't know that I've never made a single post just 'off the cuff." I write and think on a post for hours in my Word program.  I edit, format, and copy. then i go to Blogspot and paste into a post.

Today, I'm waiting to see my doctor WITH my new iPad and decided to step into the brave new adventure of posting "on the go."

Unless you know me well, you can't imagine the terror clutching my heart.....and fingers. Editing and formatting is the way I write AND the way I live my life... All very carefully planned out, organized, rearranged, considered, EDITED and FORMATTED with a plan.

There are actually several hundred things floating in my old brain that I would love to chat about with you. But, I'll leave them for another time. I made a promise to myself to write more on my blog. "Flash" writing has never been my favorite form of setting words onto paper, but it is a great way to learn to trust the writer hiding in my soul.

I have finally faced the truth that since my severe medical ordeal last winter, my life IS not the same. Things: -health - emotions - endurance - thinking will never be as good or as strong as before.

HOWEVER, things are okay and life goes on. With Adjustments. And with the willingness to learn new ways. Of course, learning to live with the demon Restless Leg-Syndrome is a whole different ball game and i've never been good at sports.. But, again, life is livable and there is hope. 

So. Least you think I live  a  totally negative existence, HOPE is a very good thing. So are friends, prayer, lunch visits, desserts, watching billowing clouds through the window in my doctor's office, getting frequent phone calls from my best prayer partner { my daughter-IN -LAW. :-). }, and red petunias.

How sweet it is.

And that's enough said.

Blessings,

Liz

A Good Friday Good Thing

I’ve never particularly liked “Good Friday” and have often wondered how a horrible, terrible, and appalling event got a “good” name.

 Last Wednesday, for about the millionth time, I remembered.

 It had been yet another difficult week and driving home from a four month follow up appointment with the surgeon who put a new knee in my left leg LAST November, I sighed… A LOT.

 Today he had said, “Everything looks great. It is coming along on schedule.”

I said, “But, it still HURTS.”

With a huge grin, my human physician said, “Ah, you’re fine. It takes at least a year for a new implant to settle in. You’re doing great. Come back in a year. Unless you have problems.”

 *sigh*

 The knee replacement followed by the unexpected pneumonia and staph infection in my lungs and long weeks of IV antibiotics drained me. They told me recovery would be slow. Well…. It has been S. L. O. W.

Still, I keep on keeping on and work hard to snap back to my old, happy care-giver self. Lately, I had lagged a lot.

 And, to put black icing on my springtime cake, there were no blue bonnets this year to bring smiles to us Texas hill country folks. So, after my visit to the doctor and trudging through the grocery store, I drove home in a down-trodden attitude. As I rounded the curve to head up the last hill to our gate, the music on my car radio sank into my consciousness……

They struck Him and they cursed Him and mocked His holy name
All alone He suffered everything.

(Wait. I know that one. Listen. . . . .)

 He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone, for you and me.

 

They spat upon the Savior so pure and free from sin;
They said, "Crucify Him; He’s to blame.”

 

I raised my tired old hand in praises.

 

He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone, for you and me.

For ME. Liz. Me, the child who God—the author and finisher and creator of EVERYTHING—had created  and made and brought into being. This old, tired, hurting, limping seventy-six year old granny. Jesus did NOT have to endure anything. He CHOSE to. Yes, perhaps for you, too, but I know it was for ME he died.

Oh the smiles that filled my soul.

I forgot some of the pain, some of the exhaustion, a lot of the worry.
Somehow, I will do another day.
Somehow, I CAN keep on.
He gave me a job to do.
I must trust that He will help me do it.

He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone, for you and me.

 

Thank you, Ray Overholt, for penning these fabulous words so many years ago. Thank you, KHCB radio for playing redeeming music just when I needed it most. Thank You, Holy Father, for loving me enough to die for me so that I will live forever with You. Thank you, human physician, for giving me a nice, new knee so I can continue to take care of my loved ones.

 Just imagaine: ME !!! He did it for me.

 I hope you, dear reader, know the joy of this truth and that you rejoice with me on Easter morning when the grave is EMPTY.

Easter Blessings,

            Liz

 P.S. There has been a long, dry spell between my postings, but because I still have a few other Good Friday blessings to share, I’m trying to be faithful, for a change, in posting. I do hope you’ll return.

Just for the record, check out this Scripture:

Matthew 26:50-56

⁵⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.

⁵¹ And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. ⁵³ Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

⁵⁵ At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. ⁵⁶ But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.”

****** Oh. But wait. That is not all of chapter 26…. Does this sound familiar????

 Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 

 

More on 76 and Counting……

     I don’t “do” resolutions. At all. But a HUGE list grows longer and more desperate by the minute as I wander around in this unknown, winding, sometimes treacherous, and always exciting journey through this the most unusual quarter of my life.

Last fall, as we prepared for Grandson’s wedding and for my pop-in-and-out routine knee replacement surgery, things got slightly out of control. Storage wise. I did not worry much because the plan was for me to be home and healthy and able to take care of storage and other important stuff well before Christmas.

Believe me, I learned (the hard way) that the old saying is oh-so-very-true:

 

‘SO MUCH TO CLEAN OUT………….. SO LITTLE TIME’

1. Hard Manual Household Labor SCREAMS

This house MUST be cleaned OUT:

Our office.
My office Closet
Books / Book Cases
My desk
Dear Heart's Desk
Our Filing Cabinets
     Stuff !!!!!!
Our Bathroom Closet—linens, extras, meds, first aid, and

STUFF

The inside hall store room—seasonal holidays, wrapping, out of season clothes, and

STUFF

The outside storage room. You don’t even want to know.

An added problem is that, one by one, the young men who helped me with back-breaking and knee-suffering jobs like these through the years have: grown up and/or moved away: or, gone into other more lucrative and stable employment.

*sigh*

Must find new helpers because the REALITY of this quarter of my life is that it is impossible for me to do these things by myself ANY LONGER.

Must be done.
Gotta do it.
And I mean, savagely. With reckless abandon. Wildly.
Throw away. Give away. Rearrange. Throw away more. Organize. Add more to the give-away stack.

It WILL GET DONE

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Now. Quiet Time. For Morning Prayer

 

“In the morning give us your mercy in full measure; so that we may have joy and delight all our days.”

                                                                                         (Psalm 90:14, BBE) 

Isn't it sweet to serve a God who loves us and invited us to receive his joy and delight... in ALL our days?

 

May God's sweetest blessings fill each of your mornings.

     Liz

Who Are They Calling ELDERLY???

Don’t you just NOT LIKE IT AT ALL when you read …..

 “Use this medicine (or treatment or whatever) with caution in the ELDERLY…..”

Huh?????

 Who chose to identify ME as ELDERLY ???

I ask you: when does one fall into the description / category….

The ELDERLY. ?????????

How do you know if you are ELDERLY?

 

Is there a magic time? Is there an invisible mark on the wall?

Okay, so . . .

                    What about AGED?

Good wine, good bourbon, and really good cheeses are FABULOUS when AGED.

I believe the description is: aged to perfection.

Ahhhhhh I can somehow maybe deal with AGED.

           What about being MATURE?

Honey, let me tell you: I’ve earned every single strand of my WHITE HAIR. It yells volumes. As do EACH of my wrinkles. MATURE is actually a great compliment. Believe me, I've learned a LOT in all these years and can tell anybody how to do anything (if they would just ASK ME !!) !!!

 But - - ELDERLY ????  

• I don’t mind being a senior citizen.
• I don’t mind being mature.
• I don’t mind being a wise older lady.
• Aged and Mature – well…. okay.

BUT……let me just say while I can still speak for myself….  my whole system breaks down and BALKS at

ELDERLY

Yes, I am WELL aware that one week from today my birthday cake will glow (loudly) with SEVENTY-SIX candles and will most likely set off the smoke alarm.

But, I will NOT accept

ELDERLY

      So, is it my attitude? My dress? My voice?

My ….. What is it that makes ME elderly  ????????????

I admit it……

          I am tired.

          I move slowly.

          I have a LOT of aches and pains.

          LOTS and LOTS of health challenges.

          I sometimes search for words.

          I slip easily into memory lane trips.

HOWEVER,  I remind you: I’ve earned a little rest and a lot of respect.

And I want it NOW.

                So, please: Don’t call me

ELDERLY

 Now that I've spoken my piece, please go forth to enjoy your day. I hope your February day is as nice as it is in Texas..... cool, sunny, and breezy.

Hugs, Blessings, and