This Too, Shall Pass Away

When sorrows come into your life
And threaten to destroy
The very things you treasure most,
Your happiness and joy;
And when that crushing power
Threatens everything worth while,
And clouds of darkness gather
And you find it hard to smile;
Then lift your head and let the world
Hear every word you say.
With faith undaunted say to them:
"This too, shall pass away."

When you are over-burdened
With life's toil and earthly care;
When life becomes so dreary
It seems more than you can bear;
When weariness overcomes you
And you yearn for peaceful rest,
And trials of the day leave you
Discouraged and depressed;
There is no song within your heart;
You feel you cannot pray;
Then turn your thoughts to gladness for
"This too, shall pass away."

When fortune smiles upon you,
And your cup of joy is full;
When everything you want is yours,
And life seems wonderful;
When days and weeks go flitting by
With happiness replete;
And you desire nothing more
To make your life complete;
Beware lest all these treasures
Of this earth lead you astray,
And hear again these truthful words:
"This too, shall pass away."

And so remember well these words,
Whatever your lot may be,
For life is ever changing...
With such rapidity.
Our gladness turns to sadness
When the sunshine disappears,
And sorrows change to happiness
When God has calmed our fears.
Compared with all eternity,
This life is but one day.
We cling to life, and yet we know
"This too, shall pass away."
           ~H.L. Frisby

Fifteen Questions

1. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone? 
2. Do you still have your tonsils and adenoids?
3. Do you like scary movies or comedy movies more?
4. What is your shoe size?
5. What is your least favorite food?
6. Do you wash your hair or body first when you shower?
7. How far do you live now from the place you were born?
8. Do you color your hair?
9. Have you ever had a surgery?
10. Favorite soda pop?
11. Grab the book nearest you, turn to page 26, and find line 4.
12. What was the name of your first pet?
13. What are your best physical features?
14. Do you have confidence in yourself?
15. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

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My answers:

1. My cell phone wallpaper is a cup of coffee.
2. No tonsils or adenoids.  Had 'em out when I was in first grade.
3. Like comedies, not scary movies at all.
4. Size 7 shoe.
5. Don't care for cottage cheese.
6. Wash my hair first in the shower.
7. I live 13 miles from where I was born.
8. Nope, don't color my hair.
9. 9 surgeries.
10. Diet Coke.
11. "I wish that you would," a voice said.
12. Brownie, the little dog that followed me home from the mailbox....and stayed.
13. I'd say my feet and my eyes.
14. Sure.  Why wouldn't I?
15. Probably Our Creator created a rooster and a hen, and then came the egg.  If He would've created the egg first, Adam and Eve might've stepped on it and then there'd be no chicken.

Now it's your turn....

Power of Personal Perseverance

I'm trying very hard not to dance on the page, swoosh pom-poms, scream and holler like a wild woman.  Our attics are clean, the boxes of stuff are outta here, and now the auction house can worry about selling it.  I don't know how we did it, but we did. A monumental load has been lifted off our psychological backs.  

Mother Nature is blessing us with beautiful weather, sunshine, comfortable temperatures, perfect for the spring planting.  Mechanical monsters crawl the fields, dropping long spans of seeds into the black soil.  What a privilege to live in the Midwest, where we grow food for the world.

Hubby finished planting carrots, onions, red radish and white radish, lettuce, peas, green beans, tomatoes, zucchini and butternut squash, and cucumbers.  Cannot wait to slap a thick juicy slice of red tomato on a grilled burger with a slice of raw onion, and lotsa ketchup. The kind of burger where you need to wear a bib for all the goodie drips.  Heaven has got to be right around the corner from there.

We had a backyard spat yesterday but didn't call the cops.  Never underestimate the wren when it comes to fighting off a sparrow.  Holy Moses, such a racket, but my spunky wren won out and exercised her squatter's rights.  I'm tickled silly knowing Mr. and Mrs. Wren will be spending the summer with us and giving us grandchildren with feathers.  

"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination.  The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying, "Here comes number seventy-one!" ~Richard M. Devos

Girls Night Out

A trio of 15-year-old girlfriends decided to meet for dinner.  They discussed where to eat and finally agreed on McDonald's next to the Sea Side Restaurant, because they only had $6.50 between them and Billy Smith, the cute boy in science class, lived on that street.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 25-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner.  Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because it had free snacks, there was no cover charge, the beer was cheap, the band was good,  and there were lots of cute guys.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 35-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner.  Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because the combos were good, it was near the gym, and if they went late enough, there wouldn't be many whiny little kids.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 45-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner.  Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because the martinis were big and the waiters wore tight pants and had nice buns.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 55-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner.  Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because the prices were reasonable, it had windows that opened (in case of hot flashes), the wine list was good, and fish was good for their cholesterol.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 65-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner.  Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because they had an Early Bird Special and the lighting was good.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 75 year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner.  Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because the food wasn't too spicy and it was handicapped accessible.

10 years later, the same girlfriends, now 85-year-olds, discussed where to meet for dinner.  Finally they agreed to meet at the Sea Side Restaurant because they'd never been there before.

What is in Catnip that Kitties Love So Much?

Special thanks to Wintergreen for yesterday's comment question about catnip....and why kitties like it so much.

• Catnip is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family and is a cousin to basil and oregano.
• Nepeta Cataria originally came from Europe and Asia, and now grows like a weed over much of the U.S.
• Its Latin-origin cataria means 'of a cat.'
• It is the chemical, nepetalactone, found in the oil of catnip leaves, stems, and seeds that attracts domesticated cats, and larger cats like lions, leopards, pumas, and panthers. 
• About one cat in two inherits a sensitivity to the herb, and it starts when your kitty is anywhere between 3 and 6 months old.  Some cats have no reaction whatsoever to catnip.
• After a couple of sniffs of the oil, a cat will rub it, roll over it, kick at it, and go nuts over it for a few minutes, but will soon lose interest and walk away.  It may be two hours before the cat comes back to it and has the same reaction.
• Some cats are mellowed and calmed by the smell of catnip.
• Catnip is non-addictive and safe for cats.  Eating it won't cause a reaction.  They have to breathe in the chemical released into the air to react.  

What can Catnip do for us humans?

 Catnip is a tension tamer, a natural sedative and digestive aid, contains vitamins, A, B, and C, calcium iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium.  Catnip tea can be found in most health food stores. 

2nd Blogiversary

Two years ago today, I took my writing on the road and started the Nature Weaver Sanctuary.  I knew it would be a challenge, but I had no idea it would be this much fun.

Fairy Bells

So, how do I celebrate....have pondered this over and over....without a spark of genius.  Nature Weaver deserves something for her birthday, but what?  Then out of nowhere, came the idea of the sweet and fragrant flower...the Lily of the Valley.

Legend tells that the fairies use the flowers as steps to help them get to the reeds they use to weave their cradles.  When the fairies sing, the flowers ring.

Like everything else, there's a dark side to this delicate beauty.  If eaten, all parts of the Lily of the Valley plant are poisonous to humans, cats, and dogs.

The national hot line for the National Poison Control Center is     1-800-222-1222.  Any time you have a question about poisoning, or poison prevention, just call this number.  It does not need to be an emergency, and the line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Why did Our Creator design this precious flower and then make it poisonous?  Maybe it's a way to teach us that, "The beauty of the world has two edges....one of laughter and one of anguish."

Evening Tranquility

Leon Trotsky said, "Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that can happen to a man."  I'm finding this to be true, as 66 dares me to come closer.

These two, sitting in their lawn chairs, fishing, have found their fountain of youth.  The sun was in the west when I took this picture, but the sun isn't setting for them.  

When we're on a race track, we drive fast.  When we're in a neighborhood with little kids, we drive  slow.  Either place, we change gears to accommodate our environment.  That's what aging is like.

How well I remember how fast my boyfriend's '57 Chevy went on our nightly cruises around a 3-county area.  Give him a straight road, and he put the pedal to the metal, as the old saying went.  He spun me around making donuts, the car back of us ate our rubber, and glass pack mufflers let everyone know we were back in town.

Fifty years later, we're the ones pointing fingers at these 'crazy' young kids driving too fast, making noise, and squealing tires.  We most definitely have crossed the Generational Great Divide.  Now, our car ambles.  We try to catch a glimpse of everything there is to see, and sometimes we back up to take a closer look.

A bunch of things scare me about the years ahead, but hubby tells me to live the moment and not waste time worrying about what may never happen.  That's profound advice coming from the cool dude with slicked back hair who drove me around in circles.

Life is a blink in the eye of eternity.  It's by no means an easy blink, and it takes strength of character to make it to the checkered flag.  Every day I try to cast my line out there as I try to catch the magical moments.  I like to think of life as a scavenger hunt.  Our Creator gave us clues, but we have to hunt in order to find the hidden treasures.  Once in awhile I stumble upon a real keeper, like this sweet couple quietly minding their own business on a quiet spring evening....showing me how nice old age can be!

"The complete life,

the perfect pattern,

includes old age as well as

youth and maturity.

The beauty of the morning

and the radiance of noon are good, but 

it would be a very silly person

who drew the curtains and

turned on the light in order to 

shut out the tranquility of the evening.

Old age has its pleasures,

which, though different,

are not less than the pleasures of youth."

~W. Somerset Maugham  

Mothering Day

Happy Mothering Day to women and men across the globe who love and respect our children.

Yesterday afternoon I had a once-in-a-lifetime mothering experience.  We drove a few miles to a garden center, parked our car, and went inside to make our purchase.  As we were leaving the parking lot, I noticed this gorgeous peony bush.  Peonies blossoming in mid-May?

With camera in hand, I got out of the car and walked toward the gorgeous crimson blossoms when I heard this awful screeching.  What on earth?  You know how sometimes it takes the brain a little while to process what's going on?  Well, that's the way it was.

To my right, on the ground, were two very angry Killdeer birds, their feathers ruffled, ready to attack me if I made another step forward.  By then my brain figured out that I must be way too close to their nest.  Sure enough....a nest with four eggs just a couple steps ahead.

Despite the racket, I managed to snap a couple of pictures.  Remember now that we were at a place where they have to water plants so that's why the garden hose was laying there.  I couldn't believe the Killdeer would set up their own nursery in such a public place.

Four eggs on left
Upset mama on right 

If you look closely, you can see the four brown mottled eggs a little ways above the hose on the left. Both the mama and daddy Killdeer had their tails and feathers ruffled and screamed "kill-dee, kill-dee" to get me the heck out of there.  Boy, talk about nature's inborn intelligence....look how the eggs blend in and look exactly like the stones in the upper part of the picture.

Mama sitting on eggs

Once the parents settled down and were convinced that I wasn't a threat to the family, the mama killdeer sat down on top of the eggs and looked up at me, proud as a peacock.

Daddy goes for walk

And, daddy Killdeer went for a stroll......but I have a feeling he won't venture off too far.

Guess that's what they call good mothering.

What is a Limerick?

May 12th is National Limerick Day.....so grab a piece of paper, a pencil, and let's write a silly 88558-syllable rhyming poem.  Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme and have 8 syllables.  Lines 3 and 4 rhyme and have 5 syllables.

There was a young author from Maine

Whose prose was exceedingly plain.

So he learned how to dance

But tripped on his pants,

And now he must walk with a cane.

~Anonymous

Writing limericks is easy, yet it makes a person think.  Its simple structure lays the foundation, and from there it's just a matter of being silly.  Limericks encourage kids to have fun writing.

There once was a man from ____________(8)
___________________________________(8)
___________________________________(5)
___________________________________(5)
___________________________________(8)

There once was a man from the Bronx

Who collected seashells and conchs

He goes to the shore

Instead of the store

And when he drives by his car honks.

~Nature Weaver

There, that's mine.  Now it's your turn.....  

Waiting for the Wrens

My ears are on high alert for the sweet tweets announcing the arrival of the wrens.  Hubby tidied up three houses in three trees, and now we wait for our little darlings to choose a house and raise their families in our back yard.  My father-in-law crafted the little houses out of wood scraps in his woodworking shop, so the houses are as special to us as the feathery ones they embrace.

My delight is relaxing out back on the screened-in porch and watching the wrens poke twigs through the tiny front entrance.  I'm pretty sure the wren might give biblical Job a good run for his money when it comes to patience.

There's a refreshing breeze where we are, and the sun shines brightly.  I see my neighbor lady has a hanging basket of yellow posies beneath her front window.  She's 94, feisty and determined to live by herself.  She told us just the other afternoon, as she cautiously walked by the house, that the last thing she needs is somebody telling her what to do and when to do it.  Can't say that I blame her, and something tells me if I get to be 94, I'm gonna be an interesting challenge for my family.

It's graduation season, and tonight we're off to a party for a non-traditional student.  A lot of pride goes into achieving a degree, and so we want to be among those who honor his accomplishment.  I've offered to provide the salad.  His mother lived with us and took care of me and my brother when we were little.

I remember that my childhood night prayers included this graduate, because I wanted Goddie to make him well.  He had a brain tumor when he was a young boy and survived what was a mighty risky surgery back then.  His motivation to get well was so he could attend my wedding.  I'm happy to say that he danced with the bride, and only the two of us and our parents knew just how special that one dance was.

We all walk a lonely path, even though we're among friends.  Only I know what my life has been like, and only you know what yours has been like.  Neither of us can penetrate the other one's mind or heart.  It's a big responsibility to, day after day, make choices and decisions based on what's in our heart and head.  I'm often dumbfounded by how well the populations of the world co-exist.  Just think of 6 billion threads weaving themselves together.  It's hard enough to braid three bunches of hair into a nice braid, yet alone all those single threads into a carpet of humanity.

Oh, it's a beautiful day to stop and say a lonely prayer, thanking Our Creator for those who make us smile, those who give us hugs, those who live inside our hearts.  My life has been enriched by downpours of friends.  Each one has left their autograph on my soul.

Thank you, Great Spirit, for my daily life.

The gifts and the challenges,

The sweet and the silly. 

Please know how much I appreciate the memories of all that I have had,

 and pray that I may give myself back to the world 

in whatever way You think that should be.
Please help me to be a nice person to every one.