Friday Foto Friends

I see these pretty yellow flowers as I drive here and there every day.

Funny how weeds can appear so pretty from afar in the car!! ;-)

Now, my friend, who is a professional photographer, took a road trip a couple of weeks ago to capture some of the beautiful wildflowers in Hill County, Texas. She gave me permission to share and, of course, her mark is on each photo.

Our state flower, the bluebonnet

I hope we get to see some of these beautiful flowers soon.

Last Sunday, as a thunderstorm began to roll in, I had to get pictures of the clouds as they were so pretty and unusual. Unfortunately, the clouds brought some fierce storms and we had rain and hail. Thank goodness the hail didn't last too long, but our friends to the northeast had massive amounts and so large it busted windshields and totaled two of my friends vehicles. My friend, Victoria, said all of her plants were ruined and I know how that hurt her because her back yard is a garden and she works so hard in it. The church I used to attend for BSF was hit very hard and the damage there is major. I think we will be hearing the sound of new roofs being put on before too long. I'm waiting until the spring storm season is over to check on that.

At first glance, this last one almost looks like a mountain.

I saw this funny on Facebook and it is so true!

I love the unconditional adoration chamber!

She can never be close enough!

That's my Annie!

Wednesday Medley Celebrating Joe

Wednesday Medley with Terri is full of information about National Joe Day which I feel sure Terri celebrates every day! Hop over here for the questions and link up your answers with Your Friend from Florida.

NATIONAL JOE DAY

Enjoy a cup of “joe” with all of your friends named Joe, Jo, Joette, Joey, Joseph, Josephine, Johanna, Joann, Jodie or any variant of the name Joe every year on March 27th, National Joe Day.
According to the Social Security Administration, the name Joseph was ranked No. 6 from 1893 to 1899 behind John, William, James, George, and Charles. In 1910, it moved to No. 5. From 1911 to 2005 it was ranked No. 12 or lower.
There are many famous people named Joe. Just a few are:
Joe Montana Coach, American football player.
Joe Pesci Comedian, Musician Actor.
Joe Biden Politician, Lawyer.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Theatrical producer, Entrepreneur Film Producer.
Joe Namath Actor, American football player.
Joseph Stalin Politician, Soldier.
Joey Ramone Songwriter, Musician Singer-songwriter.
Shoeless Joe Jackson, Baseball player.
Joe Green, American football player
Joe Jonas, Musician
Joe DiMaggio, Baseball player, actor
Joe Cocker, Musician
Joe Frazier, Boxer
Joe Mauer, Baseball player
Joe Walsh, Musician
HOW TO OBSERVE
During our research, we found this day has a few different versions as to how it is celebrated.
1. Honor all people with the name “Joe.”
2. For the day, change your name to a name of your choice.
3. Everyone change their name to “Joe” for the day. Women and girls may use “Josephine” or “Jodie.”
Use #NationalJoeDay to post on social media.

I have a cousin named Joetta who goes by Jo, but today I think I'll be Josephine. Jo from Little Women was a strong woman with a great imagination and a heart of compassion! (Well gee, so does my cousin Jo!)

My cousin Jo is a rock star and granny JoJo to 4 little ones!

1. Who is your favorite "Joe/Jo" and what can you tell us about him or her?  

Does a cup of Joe count? (I see now this was not an original thought!)

One of my favorite Bible heroes is Joseph, who persevered under the most unjust treatment, but God was always with him. 

Closer to home, DH has a cousin named Joe and his fame is bull riding. Several years ago we saw him inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame. He recently shared with us that he always wore his cowboy hat to school as a kid and one teacher insisted he remove it. He told her he was going to be a cowboy someday to which she responded he never would and to remove the hat! Guess he showed her!

2.  Who were you named for and do you or did you know that person?

Connie Jeanette from both my parents, Conley and Betty Jean. I never use their names for passwords, so I don't mind sharing. People need to be careful about the quizzes on Facebook and sharing too much information.

3.  Do you have a middle name and do you like it/use it? 

I really wanted to be called by my middle name and in 4th grade, I told my new teacher that my name was Jeanette and then, of course, when she called on me, I did not answer.  

4.  Have you ever named your car?  No.  

Tell us about it, please! But I have a friend who ALWAYS names her cars. One memorable time I was riding with her and she was stopped for speeding. After answering most of the officer's questions, she was explaining to him that she had gotten carried away while talking to me and Daisy just took over. The officer wanted to know who was Daisy and he didn’t find it humorous at all that she meant the car. He did give her a ticket.

5.  Tell us the name of a fictional character you have never forgotten and why you remember it so well.

Maybe Scarlett O’Hara. Gone with the Wind was the first adult novel I read as a young girl. I know she was extremely selfish, but I always thought in spite of herself, she worked hard to keep their home and feed the family and loved her parents. Unfortunately, she didn’t care who she hurt to get things her way. Too late she learned hard lessons and now when we procrastinate, we utter that famous line, “I won’t think about that now, I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

6.  Share something random with us about your week.

As I first began to write this, we were preparing to go to the hospital for the heart procedure DH would have Tuesday afternoon. My morning was spent making sure he didn't drink any liquids or go looking for something to eat. Friday night we will be keeping our grandson Jack whom we haven’t seen for over a month! That is the longest period of time we’ve gone without seeing the kids. Kate is going on a field trip with the 4th grade to see the state capital in Austin. Austin is a lovely town, but I don’t like the way it is headed politically. Keep Austin Weird is their slogan. Very thankful we do have a conservative pro-life governor. 

Thank you, Steve. Annie loves staying at Fort Paws!!

P.S. And now, at the end of the day, the procedure is over, DH's heart is back in rhythm, and all of us are back home at rest. Annie went to visit the pet sitter just in case we were going to be at the hospital overnight.

So, I had to ask Google the question: When is National Connie Day? Google's response:

"It doesn't look like that's a national day, sorry about that :/"

Somebody better do something!!!

More to follow, I know, because a little bird told me!

Saturday 9 and Mighty Clouds of Joy

Saturday 9: Mighty Clouds of Joy (1974)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. 

I remember this song and now I think I need to add it to my Pandora list!

1) This song celebrates serenity. Are you feeling peaceful this morning? 

Yes! I am a peaceful person 95% of the time, I would guesstimate! 

2) The lyrics include allusions to sun and clouds. How does the world look where you are? 

My world is peaceful. 

Is it sunny or cloudy?

As I write this, it is a gorgeous day, perfect blue sky, with fluffy white clouds. The temps are to reach 70 and everything is greening up outside from the recent rains.

3) This week's featured artist, BJ Thomas, is in the Grammy Hall of Fame for another hit record that uses weather as a metaphor, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head." Make up a Hall of Fame that you believe you should be inducted into. (For example, Crazy Sam has inducted herself into The Meme Mistress Hall of Fame for her service to Saturday 9.)

In light of what our daughter-in-law shared with me the other day, I will say Nonnie has inducted herself into The Baking Cookies for Neighbors Hall of Fame. Amy said that their neighbors are moving and she told Kate that when new neighbors arrive, she will have to bake some cookies to take to them. Kate replied to her, "Mom, if you're gonna give cookies to the neighbors, then you will need to get Nonnie to bake them!"

4) When Crazy Sam hears this song, she always sings along ... loud. Is there a song you simply cannot resist singing along with?

Too many songs that make me sing along and out loud … especially when in the car!! Just about any song from the 50's and 60's, or a good old gospel song to belt out or a praise song! One of the songs from a group called the Mighty Clouds of Joy is one of those gospel praise songs! Everybody Ought to Praise Him!!!

5) BJ Thomas has performed this song at The Grand Ole Opry. The Opry has been broadcast on the radio every week since 1925, nearly 95 years ago! Of course, back in the 1920s, radio was the only broadcast media. Today we have other choices. Is listening to the radio part of your daily routine? 

When I'm in the car, I sometimes tune in to listen to someone like David Jeremiah or Charles Swindoll. If they aren't on, I plug in my phone and listen to my favorites on Pandora, depending on my mood.

6) Though their dress code is lenient, country music fans who attend the Opry for a live show are warned: "Just remember, there's one rule we take very seriously here at the Grand Ole Opry -- you must wear something." Easter Sunday is a day many of us dress up. What will you be wearing today? 

Saturday I will be wearing jeans and a top. On Resurrection Sunday, I will be wearing my Gracekids t-shirt with jeans as I will be serving in preschool. 

7) Easter is recognized as the start of the spring season. What are you looking forward to this spring?

I am looking forward to my brother and sil coming to visit for my birthday! I am also looking forward to visiting the nursery to buy some plants for the patio.

8) Lilies are popular at Easter. Do you have a favorite flower?

I love roses, peonies, bougainvillea, and at Christmas, poinsettias. Seeing the roses bloom in the spring is something I miss.

And watching the peonies pop up out of the ground. Last fall everything in front of the house was dug up due to a water leak. We had new landscaping put in, which I am pleased with, but I noticed yesterday one of the four peonies we had before is making its way up behind a new shrub. Anxious to see how it does. The flowers that come up after such trauma are a kind of picture of how life works for us after difficulties from which we think we can't recover.

Hoping to see some blooms again!

Really, flowers are something I enjoy no matter if it's the wildflowers, bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, I think they're beautiful!

9) Which would rather find in your Easter basket: yellow marshmallow chicks (aka Peeps) or a plastic egg filled with pennies? 

No contest … a plastic egg filled with pennies … anything but those Peeps!

Learning Lessons

Going just a little bit further with things related to Purim, I acted on a couple of them today with peace, kindness and patience. It was very interesting the way things dovetailed together because the pastor/rabbi suggested that we find a way this week to offer kindness, turn somebody’s frown to a smile, give coins, send a gift, or offer the olive branch to someone with whom a relationship has been broken. And then this morning, in life group, the whole lesson was pointing to restoration and our pastor suggested the same thing and maybe having a little more patience when tested with an irritation. 

Now really, this is the way I try to live my life always, but it just so happens that a long time friend was recently offended by something I said. It shocked me greatly as we have always had great communication with each other and laughed over many things we shared. I can’t tell you how much my heart has been hurt over her refusal to accept my apology and my asking for forgiveness or even speak with me. My apologies and asking forgiveness had to be left in voicemail. 

Sooooooo, today I decided to extend the olive branch by sending her a gift and a note which will be delivered on Tuesday and I will be anxious to see how it is received and whether she will contact me. It is my hope that she will and we will resume our long time friendship. (And, in pondering some of the conversations we’ve had over the years, I can recall several times she had been insensitive, but I never addressed it in any way because I didn’t want to show my hurt. But I now find it sad that this would cause me to bring up things like that from the past.)

The other thing was today as I was to pick up my online grocery order at Wal-Mart, it was not ready at the time it was supposed to be. In fact, it was 2 1/2 hours late and it was greatly annoying to have to be tied down waiting for an email letting me know my order was ready for pick-up.  They have always been on time previously and I have been so pleased with the service.  Until today! 

I hate to admit how upset I was, but finally, when it was ready and I sat outside waiting, I felt bad for the employees who were bringing out orders and loading them in cars. As we waited, my heart softened because I knew it wasn’t their fault it had taken so long. The young man who loaded my car explained what was going on and why the delay and said they had been dealing with angry customers all day. So I helped him load the groceries and reached out my fist full of quarters and he gave me a fist bump. Oh? He was surprised my fist held a tip for him as I apologized for not having ones, but did have lots of quarters. We smiled at each other and I hope he was encouraged that not everyone was gonna gripe at him today!

Done! Kindness. Patience. Peace. Restoration. Praying the olive branch works.

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 

Romans 12:18

Celebrating Purim

Photo Credit

The Book of Esther is one of my favorite books in the Bible (although I can't really think of any part of the Bible that I don't love). Some are just easier to read and understand than others.  I've known about Purim for many years and didn't give it too much thought until we were in Israel about twenty years ago during the celebration of Purim. The partying they do with Purim lasts all night long and there is lots of noise and craziness. After all, the Book of Esther says they are always to remember Purim with celebration and rejoicing! Yes, they kept me awake all night and although DH was able to sleep through the festivities, I toyed with the idea of moving my mattress into the bathroom or the hall - their partying plus DH snoring made sleep impossible.

Anyway!!! Saturday morning's service was a celebration of Purim and I absolutely loved it! The pastor explained all things Purim … traditions, food, and read the tale which is told in the Book of Esther. It is known as the Megillah, which ends with Haman's hanging and the Jewish people being saved. All the children of the congregation are given noisemakers called graggers which they are to use every time Haman's name is mentioned! All of us were instructed to loudly BOO when his name is mentioned, sigh with a sweet ahhhh at the mention of Esther, and cheer loudly for Mordecai! What fun and the pastor made it quite the lively event. He was tricky sometimes as we anticipated what he was going to say! 

Here is a good link on how they celebrate and what is involved in the traditions.

There is so much interesting about the story, but a few things stood out to me. 

• Knowing that even though God is never mentioned in the book, we rest assured that He was working during that crisis and that He is ALWAYS working in our lives, even when He seems to be silent.
• In Mordecai's famous charge to Esther, he said "if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Mordecai was absolutely certain that his people would be delivered, whether it be through Esther's intercession or some other source. God had made promises to Abraham and through His prophets that His people would never cease to be. 

"It is the LORD who provides the sun to light the day

and the moon and stars to light the night,

and who stirs the sea into roaring waves.

His name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies,

and this is what he says:

'I am as likely to reject my people Israel

as I am to abolish the laws of nature!'"

Jeremiah 31:35-36

And a very interesting tidbit for sure is this one that has to do with strange parallels between Purim and ten of the Nazi war criminals who were hung at Nuremberg. In the story of Esther, when Haman was hung on the gallows, his ten sons were also executed! Julius Streicher, the Nazi editor of the anti-Semitic Der Stürmer newspaper, proclaimed before he was hung, “Purim Fest 1946.” You can read about it here. 

Saturday 9: Young and Beautiful

Welcome to Saturday 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme! Get the questions here and Join the fun!

Saturday 9: Young and Beautiful (2013)
 

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.


1) Lana Del Rey wrote this song for the soundtrack of The Great Gatsby. She wanted it to reflect the feelings of Daisy Buchanan. Have you read The Great Gatsby? 

Many, many, many years ago.

2) In the 1970s, Robert Redford portrayed Jay Gatsby. In the 2013 version, Leonardo di Caprio played the part. In real life, both "Gatsbys" have helped raised funds for the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). Are you careful about recycling and conserving water/electricity? 

Very much so. We recycle on a daily basis, water bottles, boxes, paper, etc. and since we can see the levels of the lake which supplies water in our area, I am very conscious of conserving water. It’s scary the years we have a drought. 

3) Lana Del Rey admits that she dropped out of college because she simply could not get the required math credits. When confronted with basic addition, subtraction, multiplication or division, do you do it in your head? Reach for pencil and paper? Sometimes. Or do you take advantage of the calculator that's on your desktop or phone? Usually the phone for the big numbers. Haha.

4) She enjoys Kurt Cobain, Eminem, Elvis and Sinatra. Which of those four gentlemen did you listen to most recently?

I guess Sinatra since he was the guest on a John Denver special I watched this week on PBS. 
5) Speaking of Sinatras, she has described her high maintenance look -- big hair, long nails, elaborate eye makeup, full lips -- as "Gangster Nancy Sinatra." How long does it take you, on an average day, to prepare to face the world? 

30 minutes if I washed my hair, shower, make-up, blow dry and getting dressed. 

6) She's a big soccer fan, and her favorite team is Liverpool FC. Here in the US, college basketball fans are currently obsessed with March Madness. What's the last sporting event that you watched? Watching our favorite girl play softball. 

7) Her younger sister, Caroline, studied photography and is responsible for some of Lana's publicity pictures. Have you ever gotten a job because of a relative? No. 

8) In 2013, when this song came out, Pope Francis became the first pope from a Latin American country. Latin America generally includes Mexico, most of Central and South America, and in the Caribbean, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. What's the farthest south that you've ever traveled? 

Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, many moons ago!

Me with Texas Rangers hat and long hair!

9) Random question -- What button would you prefer your life to have: rewind, fast forward or a pause? 

Since I wouldn’t want to relive the past few years, (although it would be fun to visit the highlights), and don’t need to know the future, pause might be okay. I’m content right here. 

It might be fun to re-visit a few of these days!