Renie Burghardt's World

Easter Blessings!

2010-04-02T04:19:00.003-05:00

The Miracles of Easter

The sleeping earth awakens,
The robins start to sing,
The flowers open wide their eyes
To tell us it is spring.
The bleakness of the winter
Is melted by the sun,
The tree that looked so stark and dead
Becomes a living one.
These miracles of Easter
Wrought with diving perfection,
Are the blessed reassurance
Of our Saviour's Resurrection.
Helen Steiner Rice ~

Happy Easter, everyone!

The Dawn of a New Season is Here!

2010-03-20T07:21:00.005-05:00

The dawn of a new season is finally here. Light and warmth is filling the earth.

Happy Spring, everyone!

Spring Blessings, from the woods.

Happy February!

2010-02-01T07:17:00.008-06:00

January has been a rough month around here. Cold and snowy and looong! Glad it's over! I posted these pictures on Facebook, and thought I would put them up here as well.

The picture above is of my snowy front yard. We had 7 inches of snow on 1-28-2010! The tracks were left by my little wire hair, Midgie. And although some of it has melted, there is still a lot of snow out there! Greg will be clearing my driveway today. He is such a blessing to me!

This is my little pond. My view when I sit at my laptop in the sun room. Thirsty birds and beasts around here use it a lot. This morning it's frozen, but the sunshine will melt the edges, a little later today.

I walked up to my gravel road, a 200 foot trek from the house, to take a picture of all the snow, and was surprised to see it had been plowed! That was great news to me. It meant I could get out sooner than I thought. I have lived here since 1987, and had never seen this road plowed! Of course, we usually don't get this much snow, either.

I hope you're all doing well in your neck of the woods. Happy February. Spring will be here soon! I hope!

Blessings from the woods!

A Little Late, But Better Late then Never!

2009-12-25T16:51:00.003-06:00

With a picture of Eileen (on the left) and me doing some last minute Christmas shopping at the mall recently, I came to wish you all a somewhat belated Merry Christmas. I hope it has been merry and bright and very blessed! And I hope the new year brings us all Peace, Love, Contentment and Good Health! Happy New Year, everyone, and God bless!

Blessings from the woods!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-11-23T05:21:00.001-06:00

The good Lord has blessed us with many beautiful sunrises this month, the one above is from yesterday ( Sunday) morning, taken from my open kitchen window. I thought it would be the perfect image to go with the short Thanksgiving greeting I have for all of you.

This Thanksgiving Day, let us be mindful that by opening the heart and mind to focus on gratitude, we unleash a treasure of unceasing good that's waiting to overflow into our lives, and by giving thanks, we're given even more to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Rejoice in all your blessings this Thanksgiving.

And guess who also has a birthday this week? Actually, on the 25th, the day before Thanksgiving. The little girl in the picture-me. This is the only picture I have of myself as a child. All the other pictures were lost because of the war. My dear Grandma somehow managed to save this one by sticking it in her prayer book, and keeping it in her pocket through thick or thin! The picture was taken in 1938, when I was 2 years old. Eeek, really? But how can I be just 37 then? Ha! Ha! That would actually be 73, wouldn't it? But hey, I'm thankful that I made it to 73. At this age, each new year is a gift I'm very thankful for !

My wonderful family is arriving early this afternoon, to spend my birthday and Thanksgiving with me, and for that I am especially thankful. We'll be taking lots of pictures while they're here.

Thank you so much for visiting. Thanksgiving blessings from the woods!

Hurry, Enter Nonna's Christmas Give Away!

2009-11-23T05:12:00.002-06:00

Patti at Nonna's News is having a fabulous Christmas give away. It's a beautiful Christmas cookbook "Christmas in the Country." Hurry over to Nonna's News, to find out more and enter the give away. Good Luck!

The Refugee Camp Princess-- Lives on at Story House!

2009-09-29T06:55:00.009-05:00

Guess who this is? Yes, it's me at age of 16, wearing my dancing clothes and shoes! Dancing was my life back in the good old, nifty fifties! Dancing helped me forget that just a couple of years before, I had been living in a refugee camp, as a DP girl of World War II.

I had forgotten about this picture, and the story that it accompanied. But both live on, on the web, where they fist appeared in 1998!

A few days ago I received an email from Richard Loller of Story House, which said---

-"Renie,We are featuring your story on our home page this week.Best wishes,Richard-- *******************************************************************************************THE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION, INC.Richard Loller, Publisher A Nonprofit Corporation Preserving the extraordinary works of “ordinary" people.preserve@storyhouse.org http://www.storyhouse.org/615 269-2433800 228-8517We are a 501c3 corporation. Donations are tax exempt."----

Wow, Really? I had no idea that Story House was still there. So I clicked back, and yes, there it was, along with the picture I had sent to go with the story, since I didn't have a picture of myself from the refugee camp.

It was 1998 when I had gotten my first computer, and I wanted to be a writer. And I found out about a contest Story House.org was having for writers, and wrote "A Refugee Camp Princess," just for that contest. It was my first ever attempt at such a contest, so imagine my surprise when my story won first prize in non-fiction, and I received a $100 dollar check for it! I was delighted that my story won, for it gave me the much needed boost to keep writing.

A little later, I rewrote the story and titled it "Discovering the Joy of Giving." And it went on to be published over a half a dozen times, including in Chicken Soup for the Sister's Soul 2, Chicken Soup for the Child's Soul, (yes, Chicken Soup reprinted it) Whispers from Heaven Magazine, Chocolate for Women anthology series, and just recently in Pure Inspiration Magazine. So the story has made the rounds, and did quite well, for which I am so grateful.

Before I make this much too long, I will put the link here to the old story, just in case any of you would care to take the time to read it. And if you do, I hope you enjoy it:

http://www.storyhouse.org/renie.html

In a follow up email, Richard also said:---

"Renie,

Yes, it's still there. That's the purpose of our web site. To Preserve such stories for future generations. I don't doubt it will be there when Chicken Soup and all the rest have long been out of print. For it's a great one.

Good luck.

Best wishes,

Richard"----

Well, and thank you, Richard for your kind words and for featuring my old story, and for knowing that it will live on, on the web!

And thank you all for visiting and reading, and putting up with my reminiscing.

Have a wonderful rest of the week.

Blessings from the Woods!

We Remember 9/11

2009-09-11T05:16:00.007-05:00

We will never forget! God Bless the United States of America!

Hello, Anyone Out There?

2009-08-17T05:11:00.008-05:00

Hello, anyone out there in blogland? It's been over a month since I last posted, so I thought I'd do a little update before you forget I'm here. You know the "out of sight, out of mind" theory. :-)

I have been enjoying summer by gallivanting here, there and everywhere. How has your summer been? It's hard to believe Fall is just around the corner.

The caravan of horse and buggies came down my gravel road again last week, so I thought I'd post a few pictures.
Here some of them come. There were 15 wagons, buggies and people on horseback altogether, and I'm just posting a few, of course. These folks are members of the Maynard, Arkansas saddle club, and go on these outings in the spring, summer and fall. In August is when they come down my road and I am glad they do. We need a little excitement around here, now and then.

And if the Good Lord be willing, we'll see them again next year.

Two Sundays ago, church friends Margaret and Jerry invited Eileen and me to a huge buffet fifty miles from home, as their guests. Our waitress was nice enough to take this picture, and I will just say, all the eating out I have been doing lately is plumping up my cheeks!

Well, I know I posted this on Facebook, but not here on my blog. This is the newest book I have a story in. Isn't it a beautiful little book? Actually, it's a collection on favorite childhood recipes and the stories that go along with the recipes. I am pleased to be included in this book.

Last, but not least, blogging buddy Brenda's sweet husband Bob made the nicest comment on my story in the latest Chicken Soup book on my last post, below. For a writer, whether it comes in an email, in a letter or as a comment in my blog, this is the kind of feedback that is worth it's weight in gold:

Uncle Bobby said...

Hi Renie. I am Bob Vornberg, Brenda's husband. Our granddaughter Maddie stayed with us overnight, and this morning as we played with her in the family room, I picked up the new "Chicken Soup" book and read your story on page 256 -- "Making the Best of the Worst of Times". As I looked down at our Maddie and pictured in my mind the scene you were painting, the example and lesson of your Grandfather made a very strong impression on me. I had a real sense of his spirit - not speaking to me in words - but as a role model, which he surely must have been for you.We have a young willow tree growing in our back yard, and whenever I look at it now, I will be reminded of your Grandfather - and it will remind me to try to be a role model to Maddie. I believe that God provides these "connections" for us if we are open to them. Please know that the spirit of your Grandfather is alive in our hearts. Thank you.

----

Thank you, Bob, for your touching comment. Yes, my Grandfather was a wonderful role model, as was my Grandma, and I have tried to keep both of their spirits alive in my stories.

Well, I made this post long enough to make up for all the posts I have missed in the past month. Now, it's time to go and gallivant some more.

Have a wonderful week, everyone.

Blessings from the woods!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T05:31:00.004-05:00

Wheeee! I love to jet ski!

Happy Wednesday!

4th Of July-- Celebrate Freedom!

2009-07-01T15:32:00.011-05:00

In September of 1951, I was 14 and on a ship that was taking my family and me, and hundreds of other refugee's of World War II, to America. On the tenth day of our journey I was out on the deck before dawn.

I remember gazing sleepily into the black distance, becoming slowly entranced by the trillions of lights out there on the dark horizon. It looked like a fairyland. It was my first look at America! Then, as dawn broke, someone in the crowd shouted, "There she is! There she is! The famous Statue of Liberty!"

Mesmerized, I gazed upon the vision of that grand lady with the torch rising magnificently out of the sea. From my vantage point on the ship, she seemed to hold her torch higher and higher on the New York skyline. I was overcome with emotion and could almost hear Lady Liberty saying the words I had learned in English class at the refugee camp school: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." And it seemed like she was speaking directly to me. That vision is indelibly etched in my memory.

And a few years later, when I became a proud citizen of my new country, I finally gained full membership in American society, and had the right to vote. And by pledging allegiance and loyalty to my new country, I became a proud American by choice!
---------

(This is a short excerpt from my story "Two American Ladies" which was published in Mature Living Magazine" in 2004.)

Yes, I will be out there, celebrating freedom this 4Th of July.

While spending some time at our little cabin...

On a beautiful river....

And cruising around in a jet ski even. Weather permitting of course.

I hope you'll be celebrating freedom as well, this 4th of July. God Bless the USA!

.

Thank you for coming by. Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings from the woods.

What Should I Blog About Today?

2009-06-25T06:22:00.000-05:00

Oh Me, Oh My, What Should I Blog About Today?

Should I blog about the crane at the pond?

Or the goldfinch at the spring, contemplating a cold drink?

Or maybe about some of the pretty blooms in my yard?

Like my lovely sunset orange rose, that I just planted this spring?

Or the beautiful, tropical hibiscus, that is putting on a show now?

Or better yet, should I blog about the new picture my daughter emailed me of Nichole, on the left, who is home from college for the summer, and Hannah, her twelve year old sister, who is happy to have her older sister home? Of course, their Nana loves to see pictures of them!

Or should I blog about the weather? Last winter, I vowed that I would never complain about summer heat, ever again. But guess what? I'm complaining! We've been in the upper 90s all week! It's just too darn HOT!!!!

Of course, the heat limits my outdoor activities to early mornings, or evenings, just before dark sets it, and that's a bummer for an outdoor person like myself. The rest of the time I'm dashing from the air conditioned house, to the air conditioned car, to air conditioned stores, air conditioned restaurants, air conditioned church, etc, etc. Thank goodness for air conditioning!

I hope your weather is cooler. Thank you for coming by. Have a great weekend!

Blessings from the woods!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T06:02:00.004-05:00

Fred, catching some zzz's.

Patiently waiting for a treat!

Can you guess what this critter is?

Sticking close behind Mama!

Glowing eyes outside my kitchen window!

And...

The newest Chicken Soup for the Soul has arrived, with my story in it! Yay!

I hope you're all doing well. Thank you for coming by.

Blessings from the woods!

Six Important Things That Make Me Happy.

2009-05-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

Reader Will tagged me for the Six Important Things That Make Me Happy meme. Since I haven't done a meme in some time, I thought I would do this one. So here it goes:

1. My Christian Faith makes me happy. I love the Lord. and am thankful to Him for my many blessings.

2. My family and friends make me happy. To have them in my life is my greatest blessing.

3. Nature makes me happy. As a destitute child in a refugee camp in Austria, where I lived for four years, I learned to love nature. I used to escape that drab camp, with it's rows and rows of old army barracks lined up like soldiers where desperate people just existed, and sit by a beautiful river, gazing up at the mountains in the distance, and dream about a better life in the future. That river and those beautiful mountains gave my heart hope and saved me from despair. Nature has been my joy and solace ever since.

4. Animals make me happy. I love all animals; my dogs and cats, and all the beautiful, or not so beautiful creatures that share these woods with me, like the opossum that comes every night for his hot dog treat!

5. Writing makes me happy. I am a writer who has suffered many hardships, saw much destruction and tragedy as a child of World War II in Hungary. At the same time, I experienced some genuine miracles during those times as well, saw people rise above and survive many hardships, and was also the recipient of much compassion and kindness. Those experiences shaped me into the person I am today, and inspired me to write about them many years later, finally taking away their haunting power over me.

6. Living in the United States of America makes me happy. This wonderful country, Home of the Free, Thanks to the Brave, has been my home for 58 years, and I'm so blessed to be here. We can never forget that Freedom is Not Free! Many have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy. We honor their memory this Memorial Day.

There are many more things I love, but we were to list only six. However, I will sneak in one more, I love my pink roses, in full bloom right now!

I will not tag anyone else for this meme, but if any of you would like to join in on the fun, let me know. I would love to come and read your answers.

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Blessings from the woods.

Two Oldies in Blue! A Little Update

2009-05-12T06:38:00.004-05:00

Hello Friends in Blogland! I thought I'd do a little update and say Hi. It's been a little while since I did. I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. I certainly did. I received cards and gifts and phone calls and was treated to a delicious Mother's Day dinner by my younger son, Greg. Of course, Eileen was included, because she is my best friend and she is also Greg's honorary aunt!

And here we are, two oldies in blue on Mother's Day! I didn't know Eileen was going to wear blue, and she didn't know I was, until we saw each other in church that morning. Imagine our surprise! LOL. Of course, she is more stylish than I, being into more accessorizing and all. She is a New York City gal, after all! (Well, actually, from Rockaway Beach, New York, but that's a part of NYC.) And I hope, Patty, her real life niece in Broad Channel gets a kick out of the picture! All in all, Mother's Day was a wonderful day, although I wish my daughter and older son and families could have been with us.

Otherwise, everything is green and beautiful, the garden is growing by leaps and bounds, and I'm enjoying wearing my jaunty straw gardening hat, one of my Mother's Day gifts from my daughter!

I haven't had much time for blogging lately, and that will be the case for a while longer. But I will try and visit with you all, and wish you a wonderful week ahead!

Thank you for visiting.

Blessings from the Woods!

Guess Who Is Having a Birthday Today?

2009-04-30T04:55:00.002-05:00

Guess who is having a birthday today? It's this sweet girl in the picture. Her name is Mckenzie, and she is my youngest granddaughter. Just two weeks ago, when she was here visiting me, she was a little girl of nine, and today she is a big girl of ten! My, how time trots on by, and before I'll know it, she'll be off to college, like her older cousin Nichole. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

We had a wonderful visit while she and her Mama and Dad (who is my older son) were here. And I am sharing a couple of pictures from our visit.

Here she is, showing me a ladybug she found crawling on that stick she is holding up. If you look very closely, you might even see that ladybug!

And here is Mckenzie with her favorite cat, Orio, sitting next to the porch doll she brought me from Branson. Isn't the doll cute? But not as cute as Mckenzie!

Of course, whenever she is here visiting, she loves to go riding on the 4-wheeler. Here she is with her Mama and Dad, in the field. They went on many longer rides, too, up the hilly country roads, where they saw horses and cows, and goats and were chased by dogs!

Of course, she helped with me with some chores, too, read some of my stories in the Chicken Soup books without even being asked to read them, and enjoyed seeing some deer, turkeys, and lots of birds. Her favorite birds were the woodpeckers.

Now, they are all back at home, and I know today they are celebrating big time.

Happy Birthday, Mckenzie. I love you, miss you, and will see you again soon. xoxoxoxo

And Uncle Greg said to tell you, "You're still "IT," Kiddo!"

--------

Thank you for visiting my little birthday tribute to Mckenzie. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Blessings from the woods!

Earth Day-Things I Want My Granddaughters to Know

2009-04-22T05:01:00.002-05:00

I live in a beautiful rural area, and when my three city girl granddaughters come for a visit, I want them to learn more and develop a sense of wonder about the natural world.

I tell my granddaughters about the wild creatures that inhabit my woods, fields and pond.

We look up the names of the birds that frequent the feeders in the summer, or winter. I show them the great blue heron that visits the pond in hopes of catching a frog or fish dinner. They think he is "cool" looking. And so he is!

Later, we watch a red-tailed hawk soar gracefully above the field and land on a limb of the dead oak, eyeing some lunch possibilities in my yard.

"Shoo!" I yell at the hawk, making my granddaughters giggle.

I show my granddaughters the beautiful raccoons and homely opossums that visit my yard at night. Sometimes we see an armadillo, too, digging for grubs in the field.

"He is strange looking," says Hannah.

I want my granddaughters to see the deer grazing in the field, or drinking at the pond. And early mornings, I want them to hear the wild turkeys gobbling. If we're lucky, we can catch a glimpse of them, too.

I tell my granddaughters about some of the scarier creatures that live around here. Like the huge blacksnake that sometimes finds his way into the chicken coop. I want them to know that although I may threaten the blacksnake with my broom, to discourage him from getting the eggs, I would never harm him. I tell them that the blacksnake, like all the other wild creatures, has a right to his existence, too.

In the woods, I teach them the names of the trees, so they know the difference between an oak and a hickory; an elm and a maple. We look up the names of wildflower’s as well, and when we see butterflies alighting on them, we look them up, too.

I want my granddaughters to go outside with me on a clear, starry-night, and learn the names of the constellations. If we are lucky enough to see a shooting star, they can make a secret wish on it. Summer nights, I open the windows so they can hear the chorus of a country night, while fireflies flash their perfect lights.

I want my granddaughters to hear the eerie howl of the coyotes, and be glad there is still enough wilderness left, where coyotes and other wild creatures can live their lives. I remind them often that the Creator of all this beauty, would be pleased if they worked toward preserving His beautiful creations, so their own grandchildren can someday enjoy it as well

Thank you for visiting. Happy Earth Day, everyone!

PS. I had a wonderful visit with my older son and family and I will post a few pictures soon. I know Mckenzie is looking forward to seeing them. I did want to add my own small tribute to Earth Day, first.

Blessings from the woods!

A Downer, an Upper, and a Little Blogging Break

2009-04-15T20:10:00.009-05:00

"Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail." (Or his little stump!) I love this quote!

, The other day I found this old picture of my sweet, good boy Rottie, Oscar/Ozzie, on an old CD. He was my faithful guardian, protector and loyal friend for almost ten years. When he went to doggie heaven in the summer of 2007, it broke my heart. He is buried at the edge of the woods here, and to this day, whenever I pass his resting place, I tell him how much I miss him, because, oh, I do! That is the "downer" part of this post.

Now, to the "upper" part. This afternoon, my older son, daughter in law, and sweet, nine year old granddaughter Mckenzie arrived, to spend a few days with me. Yay!!

So I am now on a little blogging break for a few days, and will see you all again soon.

Have a wonderful rest of the week, friends.

Blessings from the woods!

A Little Beebopping and an Award

2009-04-09T06:59:00.011-05:00

After a chilly start to the week, our Wednesday was sunny and in the mid-70s. So, after my Wednesday Chinese Buffet day, I came home and changed into my bee-bopping clothes, grabbed my cellphone and my sturdy walking stick, and off the dogs and I went to visit the little creek that lives in my woods.

Since these woods are quite hilly, I figured the workout of walking them would help get rid off any excess calories from my meal. Besides, I hadn't been there since last Fall; it was time to find out if Spring had sprung yet along the little creek where little wildflowers like to grow.

It is just a tiny, meandering creek, but I love it and was glad to see that there were a few wildflowers already growing along the bank.
There were some white beauties there.

And some lovely blue ones.

And sparkling yellows, too.

And there was a turtle enjoying the sunshine on his bed of rocks.

Of course, Sid enjoyed a dip in the creek, before we headed back to the house, refreshed by the visit to the little creek, and thankful that there is still much beauty to enjoy in these woods, after our destructive ice storm. I'll be visiting the little creek again, very soon!

And blogging friend Linda of This and That Diary gave me this beautiful award recently. Thank you so much Linda. It is perfect for the Easter Season. And I would love to pass it on to all my dear blogging friends.

Happy Easter! Happy Passover ! Happy Spring, everyone!

Blessings from the woods!

Our Visit to Tunica, Mississippi

2009-04-01T04:55:00.002-05:00

Hi Friends,

Our visit to Tunica, Mississippi was a lot of fun. Just picture two old country gals, used to a larger population of trees and wildlife then humans, suddenly transported to the glitz, glamour, and excitement of Casino life, teeming with people from all over the country. Huge rooms filled with wall to wall slot machines, (where cameras are not allowed!) and other gaming paraphernalia, scrumptious food, drinks, and cigarette smoke. Cough! Cough! (Our choice of drinks were coffee and diet Coke!) A strange wonderland for the likes of Eileen and myself. Greg, of course, had been there before, so he wasn't walking around in an amazed state of mind, like we were. LOL.

But before I show you a few of the pictures, most of which didn't turn out as well as I had hoped for, let me give you a bit more background about this place called Tunica.

Tunica, Mississippi is 35 miles across the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee, and just about 180 miles from where I live. Tunica is in northwest Mississippi near the Arkansas and Tennessee borders.

The county was established in 1836, but its history goes much further back than that. The early residents were Native Americans who cleared the heavily forested land and built Indian Mounds. In 1885, the county seat was moved to Tunica where it remains today.

Today, Tunica, Mississippi has ten world-class casinos, over 6,000 all-new hotel rooms and 40 great new restaurants.There is golfing, swimming in luxurious pools, Tunica Lake, and Riverfront Park, where one can indulge in Riverboat Rides, on the great Mississippi! And, Nancy, no, I did not win the jackpot! But then again, I didn't really try to win it. I played one short game on a penny slot machine and won $20, and that was the extent of my gambling.

This picture is of the Gold Strike Casino, where we had brunch. Here were are in the lobby of the Gold Strike, posing for Greg's cell phone camera. No deer or wild turkeys around here, just some high rollers and us. :-)

The ceiling of the Gold Strike was adorned by dozens of beautiful chandeliers, and I just had to take a picture of one of them.

This is the Hotel Entrance to the Hollywood Casino, where we spent most of our time. Eileen and I enjoyed all the movie memorabilia that lined all the elegant hallways, while Greg was off in the slot machine area pushing buttons. He did hit a couple of jackpots!

The landscaping around the Hollywood Casino was beautiful and I especially loved the blooming Magnolia's, although the picture could be better. And everything was Spring green already in Tunica.

Tunica was a nice place to get away to, and if we ever go there again, I might just try to hit the jackpot!

Thank you for visiting. Happy April!

Blessings from the woods, my most favorite place in the world to be!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-25T05:42:00.004-05:00

Strutting their stuff!

The girls seem impressed!

Happy Wednesday!

I'm looking forward to an exciting mini-vacation this weekend!

Blessings from the woods!

Spring Has Sprung! Woo Hoo!

2009-03-20T07:12:00.008-05:00

Spring has sprung again
And dear, my dreams are lofty
Come share them with me.
(By me, hehe.)

A few of the colors in my yard greeting Spring.

The resident turtle in my pond knows it's spring, too, as he enjoys sunning himself on his fallen limb perch.

Good riddance to winter! Happy Spring, everyone!

Or Happy Autumn to our friends in other parts of our planet.

Blessings from the woods!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-18T06:05:00.003-05:00

Yum! Yum! Toast for Breakfast! :-)

How About a Cat Story For a Change?

2009-03-12T05:11:00.001-05:00

The Wild Beast!

When I moved to a house in the woods I discovered that my woodland neighbors liked to visit at night. So I began to put a pan of scraps out every night to feed the steady stream of raccoons and opossums that nosed around on my deck in search of something to eat. I enjoyed watching them through my glass door, as they shared the food without much fussing.

One night I was shocked to hear a piercing scream ring out on the deck. I ran to see what the problem was. It turned out to be a huge cat, with orange stripes and chewed-up ears—and an obviously mean disposition.

"That’s no ordinary cat, Mom," said my grown son, who was visiting me at the time. As we watched the cat hiss and scream his way to the food, he added, "That’s a wild beast!"

After he ate his fill, the cat jumped up on the railing and glared at us with his big yellow eyes, as if daring us to come out. We didn’t take him up on his challenge.

The following night, the cat showed up early and ate his fill before the rest of the gang’s arrival. Obviously, he was a smart cat—to survive in the woods, he had to be smart—and tough. I drove to town and bought some cans of cat food.

Starting that night, I would put a separate dish of cat food out just for the cat I had named Beast. Sometimes, as he ate, I opened the glass door and talked to him. Beast always responded with a hiss and a snarl. He made it clear he didn’t want to be friends.

Autumn turned to winter and it got cold. Soon, there were even more hungry visitors on the deck. Beast began to show up earlier and earlier. Often, he’d be lurking in the yard while I was putting out his food.

"Hi, Beast, ready for your supper?" I would ask.

"Meow. Hiss!" Beast would snarl.

"Enjoy your supper and try to stay out of fights. I don’t like to see you hurt."

Beyond these conversations, I left well enough alone. After all, Beast was one tough feline and I was a woman well past my prime. I didn’t think I was a match for him.

Then came the night of the first Arctic blast of winter. The north wind blew through the woods, chilling the air. The animals are in for a tough night, I thought, as I put out their food.

"Here’s your supper, Beast," I called out with chattering teeth to the waiting animal. "You’d better eat fast, then find some shelter. This weather isn’t fit for man or beast."

"Meow," Beast responded, jumping up on the deck for the first time. Startled, I backed away and quickly went inside. I sat down by the glass door and watched Beast wolf down his food. When he finished he sat there and stared at me. He was shivering.

"Beast, go find some shelter or you'll freeze to death," I called out loudly from the warm kitchen.

"Meow," Beast responded, walking up to the glass door and peering in at me. The wind ruffled his orange fur and he shivered again. So I gingerly opened the door, expecting Beast to run off. But he surprised me again. He walked right into the kitchen, looked around, headed to the wood stove and curled up underneath it. When I headed for bed he was still there.

"Good night, Beast," I said softly, without touching him.

The following morning I awoke early. Immediately, I wondered where Beast was. But I didn’t have to wonder for long. As I moved to get out of bed, I felt something heavy on my feet. It was Beast! He was curled up on top of them, still asleep. I reached over and stroked him, ever so gently. Beast responded by purring. And when I walked into the kitchen to stoke the embers and throw a log into the wood stove, he was right at my heels, as if he didn’t want me out of his sight. I was bowled over!

Later that morning, I brought my old cat carrier in from the shed and tricked Beast into it. He screamed like a banshee most of the way to the animal clinic. Finally, I pulled to the side of the road to have a talk with him.

"If you and I are going to live together, you’ll have to stop your wandering ways, Beast. You will get a health check and vaccinations, and you will be neutered. Your days of fighting and roaming are over." I told him firmly but lovingly. I believe he understood me for he calmed down and seemed to accept his fate without another complaint.

A few days later, my son came back for another visit.

"I can’t believe that you managed to tame that wild beast," he kept saying, shaking his head.

"It wasn’t even difficult," I told him. "All that wild beast needed to turn him back into a kitty-cat was some love and kindness. "

These days, when I sit by the glass door and watch my woodland neighbors eat their supper, Beast sits in my lap and watches them with me. He seems quite content to be an ordinary house cat—instead of a wild beast. And he is the most devoted, loving companion anyone can ask for. Love and kindness accomplishes miracles!
----
Original Copyright © 2000 by Renie Burghardt
Published in Chicken Soup for the Per Lover’s Soul and on bags of Chicken Soup for the Soul Cat and Kitten Food
©) Diamond Pet Foods, Inc. 2009, makers of Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Foods.

Thank you for reading and visiting. I hope you enjoyed Beast's story. He went to kitty heaven three years ago, but he lives on in my heart and memory, and on bags of Chicken Soup for the Soul Cat and Kitten Food.

And hopefully, I will be able to upload pictures of flowers and shrubs blooming in my yard soon! I just need a memory card reader that will cooperate! :-(

Blessings from the woods!

Did March Come In Like a Lion or a Lamb?

2009-03-03T05:10:00.001-06:00

Saturday, on the last day of February, it snowed. And it snowed some more. These deer in the field at sunset didn't seem to mind the snow. The snow continued until well after midnight. By Sunday morning, we had six inches of beautiful snow, covering the recently scarred earth around here, where many broken limbs still lie.

There were many hungry finches and other birds out there enjoying the sunflower seeds I pitched out the window. I usually fill the feeders, but in ice and snow, I stay in, and do some pitching. The birds don't seem to mind.

By mid morning, the sun came out in full force, and the six inches of snow began to melt.

By late afternoon, it only covered the grassy areas, like the field, where the deer were congregating again.

On Monday morning, some pink March clouds, looking like lambs, grazed in the blue sky.

Did March come in like a lion, since it snowed until well past midnight, or a lamb, since the sun shone brightly by mid-morning on Sunday, which was officially the first day of March?

So, will it be an early spring, or will we have six more weeks of winter? Time alone will tell.

I took all the pictures from my kitchen window, and the one of the deer in the field looks like it, doesn't it? lol.

Thank you for visiting.

Blessings from the woods!

True Friendship and Other Things

2009-02-27T05:32:00.001-06:00

Recently, good neighbor and friend Connie sent me a more realistic and humorous take on "True Friendship" in the email. So I thought I'd post it, along with a a couple of pictures of some of my dear and true friends.

Just last week I got to see my old friend Frieda, for the first time in five years. That was such a treat! I so wish that Frieda lived closer again, so we could see her more often. That's me in the middle, of course, wearing, (according to my daughter) my Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, outfit. LOL. And Eileen on the right, is looking somewhat pensive or is that peeked? LOL. (Kind of a bad picture, actually, but it's the only one with Frieda in it too.)

And here are my oldest and dearest friends, Emma and Maria, who live in the Cleveland, Ohio area. They went out to lunch for Emma's birthday, and Maria emailed me the picture. We have been friends since we were around 14 or 15 years old. Emma called me the other day, after she heard about our ice storm, and asked me if maybe it was not time for me to seriously consider moving back to civilization. I think Emma thinks I'm getting old. How dare she!!! (True friends are like that-they worry about us.)

Anyway, before I get myself in trouble, here is:

True Friendship

You WON'T see cutesy little smiley faces on this card-
Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!

2. When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile, I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4.When you're scared, we will high tail it out of here.

5. When you are worried,
I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya big baby!!!!

6. When you are confused,I will use little words.

7. When you are sick,
Stay away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall, I'll pick you up and dust you off-- After I laugh my rear off!!

9. This is my oath...I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask;-- because you are my FRIEND!
----

I would also like to mention that lovely Carol, at The Writer's Porch interviewed North Carolina Author Gary Carden recently, and had a give away of one of his signed books, and two DVDs, to three lucky commenter's on the post. And guess what? I won First Place! Which meant that I had first dibs on the prizes and chose the signed copy of Gary's book "Mason Jars in the Flood." Woow Hoo! Thank you Carol. I can't wait to read the book.

Last but not least, I had another acceptance and contract in the mail this week. This one for the story "A Light in the Closet" which will be in the "Christmas Miracles" book, published by St. Martins Press and in bookstores in October of this year. Woo Hoo!

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Blessings from the woods.

Long Overdue Awards

2009-02-21T18:45:00.008-06:00

I'm posting some awards that are long overdue. I am so behind with everything, but I want you to know that I really do appreciate you all passing these on to me. Thank you so much.

Where Do I Begin?

2009-02-13T05:25:00.005-06:00

Where do I begin, posting about the ice storm our area experienced? As I'm writing now, the spring peepers are singing at the pond. It has been in the low 70s since Saturday, they think it's spring. Since the pond is 20 feet from the house, I fall asleep to their singing, and dream of spring. It can't come too soon for me!

The jonquils/daffodils are up as well, after having been under the thick ice and snow for several days. But the jonquils are hardy little troopers, and can withstand the elements better than I! Andrea had said in her post "My Mom is brave." But I am not all that brave.

The last time I posted ( before the torrents of freezing rain came down on the woods,) was on January 27th. We had an inch of snow, but were under a freezing rain advisory. Since we already had a couple of episodes of freezing rain earlier in January, that had kept me in for a few days, I didn't think this one would be a more serious one either. I was wrong! By noon that Tuesday the freezing rain had been pouring for several hours and Eileen called to tell me she lost power. Ice was already everywhere and on everything. She could not come here, or go anywhere else. I told her to call the law, since I heard a shelter was already set up for people with no heat. Then Jan called. She had already lost power as well, but she, like myself, had propane heat not dependent on electricity. I still had power at that point. But not for long. Before dark set in, my power went out as well. The freezing rain continued to pour down.

Did I prepare for the ice storm? Yes, but not expecting it to be as bad as it would get, I was not that well prepared. Besides the propane heat, I also have a small wood stove as back-up, and had lots of wood. I had candles, an oil lamp, and a flashlight, and a couple of little led lights. I also had a battery powered radio, but forgot to stock up on batteries. I had canned food, both bathtubs filled with water, and bottled water as well. But I had a worrisome night, as I kept listening to the pounding rain still coming down. And I hate the dark! I was glad to see daylight on Wednesday morning, but didn't like what I saw. Ice was everywhere and on everything, and the freezing rain was still coming down. Hundreds of birds were waiting at the feeders that I could not go out and fill with the black oil sunflower seeds I had stocked up on. So I pitched seeds out two different windows hoping the birds would find it. They did! The deer where nowhere to be seen.

(Icy Hickory tree by my bedroom.)

After the freezing rain stopped, snow began to fall. And Wednesday night, so did the tree limbs, sounding like bombs hitting the house all night! The cats ran under the bed, the dogs weren't sure what to make of all the noise. The boom, booms continued all night. The deck was full of tree limbs, missing the glass door by a few inches. The top piece of one of the trees that fell against the deck, speared the corner of the roof like an arrow and came through the attic, landing on the kitchen floor, scattering ice all over. In semi dark, with flashlight in hand I gathered several pillows, stood on a chair and with the broom handle pushed the pillows up the hole, to keep out the cold. Greg called and I was crying! Andrea called, and I was crying! Then remembering the huge hickory tree in the back, right behind my bedroom, I moved myself to the living room sofa for the night. I was afraid if that tree fell overnight, the roof would come down on my head, while I was sleeping. Strangely enough, as full of ice as that huge tree was, it only lost one limb, and it didn't fall on the house.
(Ice arch)

Thursday morning I woke up to discover the freezing rain had turned to 4 inches of beautiful, crunchy snow that made it possible to actually walk around outside. But the ice laden trees continued to drop their limbs. I heard on the news that several people were killed by the falling limbs. My car had a smashed rear window. I ventured outside anyway and even took some pictures. Everything looked beautiful! The entire time outside, I could hear the tree limbs snapping off in the woods, sounding like guns going off, as I cautiously held on to my sturdy stick, and stayed out of the way of falling limbs.

Andrea kept the mailman, UPS and Fed Ex busy with her care packages! Greg, who was trying to find a generator and could not find any within 200 miles of here, drove on 200 miles of icy roads to get here on Friday. By then, the road crews were out there clearing the gravel road of tree limbs and scraping the ice off so people could drive out of here. Greg arrived with all kinds of supplies, but no generator! He even ended up taking me to town around noon, after we found out the power had been restored there, and we ate at my favorite Chinese restaurant. It was such a wonderful treat!

Friday evening Eileen called. Since she lives only 3 miles from town, her power had already been restored and she was back home. But she was shaken from the experience. The generator at the shelter she had been first taken to, failed, and they had to transfer the people to the city garage which they quickly set up as another shelter. She said she was shivering from fright, holding her cane and her purse with her medicine, as they held on to her and led her in. I was glad she was back home and all right, but also envious that her power was back on three days later, while mine was still very much in limbo.

The area was declared a disaster area. FEMA came in with water and food; the National Guard arrived. Two cute, young Guardsmen came to visit.

"Is there anything we can get for you that you need?" they asked.

"Yes, you can get me some electricity," I told them.

They chuckled, gave me a hug, and said they wished they could help me. Two nice guys from the Fire Department had come to see about me as well, bringing me an extra flashlight and some batteries. They asked if I would not consider going to the shelter. I said no, I had heat, and I would never leave my animals alone.

Finally, some Linemen from other parts arrived to help our overwhelmed Electric Cooperative fix the lines. Greg had left, as he had to go to work, but was back the following Wednesday. He worked all morning clearing my long driveway of some limbs, so one could drive in and out without dodging them. The sun came out and was melting the ice and snow. I collected water in buckets and refilled both bathtubs. Everyone was given a large supply of bottled water and army food that heats up in the box. But I still had plenty of canned food left, and a few fresh things in the huge Coleman Cooler Greg bought.

Later that Wednesday afternoon a green SUV drove in. It turned out to be Andrea and Jimmy, who drove all the way from Ohio to bring me a generator! It was to be a surprise, and what a surprise it was! Jimmy and Greg set up the generator on the deck, after clearing it off from all the fallen limbs. What a neat device. Of course, it didn't power everything, but Wednesday evening, eight days after the power went off, I had some lights, a working TV and microwave, and I could charge my cell phone. Basics, really, but it was wonderful to see clearly again!

I can never, ever thank Greg, Andrea and Jimmy enough for all that they did to come and help me through the ice storm. I am very blessed! They left early Friday morning to drive home.

Later that morning, I met Eileen in town at our favorite restaurant. We lingered for an hour and a half, and caught up on each others details of how we fared during the ice storm. Back home, around 5 PM I went out on the deck and filled the generator with five gallons of gas. But I decided to wait a bit before starting it, and went back into the house. That's when I had the surprise of my life. The clock on my electric stove was blinking! I hit the light switch. The light came on. Water came gushing out of the faucets, the TV with the satellite worked. Everything worked. It was finally over.

But the cleanup around here will take months, and the forests will take years to recover from the ice storm of 2009. However, it could have been much worse, and there was much to be thankful for.

This past Tuesday, there was some good news in my email. I received a permission release agreement from Chicken Soup for the Soul. My story, "Making the Best of the Worst of Times" will be published in the book "Chicken Soup for the Soul, Tough Times, Tough People " in May of 2009. That story is about my beloved Apa's (Grandfather's) handling of tough times, while we lived in a refugee camp, and this news was a much needed boost, arriving at the end of my own tough times!

Thank you for reading my account of the ice storm. I left many details out, but even so, it is rather long, so I appreciate your patience in reading it. Have a wonderful weekend.

Blessings from the battered woods, where the spring peepers continue to sing, and life goes on!

I Can See Clearly Now, The Lights Are Back On!

2009-02-06T20:53:00.003-06:00

Icy/snowy sunrise in my field, January 30th, 2009. Beautiful but destructive!

Hi Friends,

Well, I am happy to finally be back in blogland! After 10 days of roughing it, our power finally came back on this afternoon at 5 PM!

I want to thank you all for your kind messages and prayers and will be back soon with a longer post highlighting all the fun (not!) of the past 10 days. Tonight, I am really exhausted to write more. I hope you understand. The enormous task of cleaning up around here has begun!

I also want to thank Andrea, son-in-law Jimmy, and Greg, for all their help. What a blessing they were, and always have been. So, dear blog friends, thank you again for your thoughts and prayers. See you all soon!

Blessings from the woods, where it was 70 degrees F today!

Still No Power/pictures added

2009-02-01T21:56:00.008-06:00

the weight of the ice on the power lines

all the trees have dropped many limbs.
it will take years for them to grow and restore.

this is a road with every power line down from the heavy ice

No power, no generators to be found.
(you can see more info here: http://kait8.com)
The ice is melting thank goodness, and the water is being caught
in buckets to use for washing up with etc. No candles,
or batteries or basics in stores. Fema is providing water and MRE's (?) or
packaged meals from soldiers, they will get hers tomorrow.
I've sent many packages with radios,
tv, batteries, lamps that even though were shipped overnight are
still not there. Probably due to road conditions. My mom is very brave
and strong, despite what she thinks. I've always read that one can get
used to anything in time, and with patience, I think it's true.

Ice Ice Everywhere

2009-01-29T16:17:00.006-06:00

The Ozarks were hit hard by the icestorm.

No power, trees down and terrible ICE everywhere!

Renie will "b"log on once her power is back. For right now,
she is living as Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Please pray for all the people without power, heat or running water.

She misses everyone and will post pictures when she gets
back online.

Please feel free to leave her good thoughts and well wishes!

Andrea

Learning to Cope with Nature's Fury!

2009-01-27T04:02:00.003-06:00

It seems all I blog about lately is the weather. But that seems to be the major news in my world, so here I am doing it again. Over the weekend, dire warnings began appearing on the Weather Channel and on my weather radio. A major ice storm was on the way to my neck of the woods, and a lot of ice and sleet is to turn the woods into a magical but treacherous wonderland! Major power outages and dangerous driving conditions are a possibility. But so far, it hasn't been too bad. Of course, this major ice storm is to be around until Wednesday afternoon, so we're not out of danger yet.

The worst winter I experienced in these beautiful Ozarks was in the winter of 1983. My first winter here. So I thought I'd post a little article I wrote about that winter, when I was a regular contributor to Suite 101. So here it goes:

Learning To Cope with Nature's Fury!

I moved to the Ozarks in the sweltering heat of August, 1983. I was a city person looking forward to a new life in this beautiful, ancient hill country. Staying cool was foremost on my mind then; winter was out of sight, out of mind. Besides, everyone had told me that winter in the Ozarks is very temperate.

I moved to these lushly wooded hills and hollows because one can still find real seclusion here. The fact that the area lacked smokestack industries, major population areas, and the laws or regulations that go along with industrialization were all deciding factors in my move here. This was a place where the air and water were still clean, and where most people still had an appreciation for their surroundings.

That first fall here was magically beautiful, and I explored the countryside in an enchanted state of mind. As I drove down winding country roads, I was bedazzled by the display of vivid color at every bend. Russets and gold’s of oaks and hickories dominated the forest, while the vibrant red, crimson, yellow and rosy tangerine of the shorter understory trees positively glowed. I saw many deer, wild turkey, opossum, fox and coyote, and felt privileged to be here, witnessing all this beauty. Meanwhile, my two ex city dogs felt they were in dog heaven now, while the ex city cats hid under the bed most of the time, terrified of this jungle I had transported them to.

Being an economy minded person, I planned to heat my little log
house with wood that first winter. But I had no idea how much wood I would need. The rank of split oak, stacked neatly in the woodshed, looked quite sufficient to me.

My water source was a bubbling spring, equipped with a shallow water pump, a neat device that enabled me to have pure spring water gushing from my faucets! There was a large garden plot, too, where I planned to grow many vegetables. And there were several outbuildings, soon to be the home to a various menagerie of domestic animals. Yes, I remember thinking as I rambled through the woods and fields, life was almost too good to be true.

When my then nineteen year old daughter Andrea, arrived from the city for a visit, on December 15th, we were still in the balmy fifties. Soon, we trekked to the dark green oasis of the cedar woods to find ourselves a Christmas tree, and picked out a ten footer. We spent the next day decorating it and baking cookies for the holiday, and I was pleased with the idea that I was providing my daughter with a memorable country experience. But Nature had something even more memorable in mind for the both of us!

December 16th started out innocently enough, with a steady downpour of much needed rain. But then, an icy wind began to blow from the northern pine woods, and the temperatures began to plummet. Soon, the rain turned into freezing rain. As we hurriedly built a fire in the wood stove to keep warm, we noticed there was a sheet of ice forming all over the yard and trees. Large red pines began bending as if they were made of rubber, from the weight of the ice, although the oaks held their ground and remained straight and stout. Electric lines snapped from the weight of the ice, too, and soon we would be in the dark, on top of everything. So much for the temperate winters everyone was telling me about, I thought, as I looked out the glass door with a worried expression.

However, Nature wasn’t done with us yet, and she began dumping several feet of snow on top of the ice. Then, the temperatures plummeted even further, reaching dangerous levels by the time darkness descended. As we went to bed, we didn’t know it yet, but our survival skills were about to be put to a severe test!

By the following morning, the pipes were frozen. And in the following few days, the wood pile got dangerously low. A call to wood cutters in the area brought a curt, "I can’t deliver wood in this ice." Then, even our food supply got pretty low, and Andrea and I had to spring into action.

Twice a day, we began trekking to the spring, at the bottom of the field, carrying plastic jugs, and wearing six pairs of socks and no shoes, to get our water. It was the only way we could navigate on the ice. We began collecting sticks, wood chunks, old roots, and just about anything else that would burn, to replenish our wood supply. Then, finally gathering all the courage we could muster, Andrea drove us the fifteen miles to town, to replenish our food supply. It took us five, slippery, scary, cold hours, but we made it. Since the strore was out of just about everything, canned soup, warmed on the woods stove, was on the menu for the holiday. But we were together, and that was what was important. We even sang Silent Night, in the glowing, candle lit cabin, while Dobie, the dog, tried to sing along with us.

Andrea left our icy world on December 26. She made it back to the city on a wing and my prayers, able to tell her friends about her two week stint as a pioneer woman. I struggled on by myself, although the dogs tried to help as much as they could; tried to help me find some fun in all this adversity, at any rate, and they even succeeded. I couldn't help but laugh at some of their antics in the ice and snow.

On the first of January, 1984, the sun came out. The lights came back on. Balmy temperatures warmed up the region again. Within a couple of days, the ice melted. The pipes thawed out. Wood cutters offered their services again. And, I, a newly seasoned country woman, drove to town and bought myself a little chain saw. I vowed to never again to be caught off guard by another temperate, Ozark winter. And I never have been. Nature's fury taught me well!
---------

I hope you enjoyed the tale about my first winter in the Ozarks. Four years later, I sold the log cabin way up in the woods, and bought a new place in a somewhat more inhabited area, where I still live. And this morning, we have snow and ice. Help!

Thank you for reading. I hope you're all well and safe and warm. Or nice and cool, if you're lucky enough to be in a more tropical climate.

Blessings from the icy and snowy woods!

Awards and Other Things

2009-01-22T06:28:00.004-06:00

No Snow in My Neighborhood, and Other Things.

2009-01-14T05:59:00.008-06:00

I took a couple of pictures yesterday. This is the gravel road I live on, and as you can see, we have no snow in my neighborhood. Thank goodness for that. And the temperatures this past week have been moderate. Of course, all that will change tonight, when the Alberta Clipper arrives in the woods. But today will be in the low 40s, and I will be heading to town, and to the Chinese Buffet. Might as well enjoy the day, before the deep freeze settles in for the next couple of days.

Yesterday was a frustrating day, to say the least. Blogger suddenly refused to recognize my password. I couldn't get to my Dashboard. It told me I had no account. Huh? All this transpired when friend Patti made her blog private, and sent me an invitation to be able to view it. But, Blogger would not honor that invitation and denied me access to her blog. Finally, it was all straightened out, but not before I had to reset my password. Now I have to make sure I will not forget it. Anyone else ever have this problem?

Here is my little pond, taken from the window in my little sun room. This is my view as I sit at my laptop. Yesterday, a Great Blue Heron landed on the far side, and Felix, who was outside, started walking towards it bravely. That bird was much bigger than Felix, but it took off when it saw the cat! I have tried taking a picture of the heron several times, but he flies off as soon as he sees me. He is a beauty!

And here is a picture of my little pond taken from the field. It is primarily a wild life pond, providing water for birds and beasts all year round. By tonight, when the temperatures drop to single digits, the pond will freeze, which means that cats will have to stay indoors for a few days. Can't have another episode of falling through the ice, and having to be rescued by me!

Thank you for reading. I hope you all stay safe and warm, whatever part of the country or world you're in, friends. And if you're one of the lucky ones, living in warmer parts, send some of that warm air my way!

Blessings from the woods!

Babbling About The Weather Again!

2009-01-06T05:22:00.005-06:00

I thought I'd start my first post of 2009 with a favorite picture and a bit of babbling about the weather. Here is my granddaughter Nichole, enjoying a TV show along with Fred, the cat! Aren't they cute? They were both very intently watching a movie that was on.

I hope the new year has been going well for all of you. It's been going well here for the most part. The weather has been flip-flopping from mild and spring-like, to ccccold, with episodes of freezing rain.

Friday, the second day of January was nice, and Greg treated Eileen and me to lunch in town, after some power shopping! Haha. (Well, I had a gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket!) We told our favorite waiter that he was our mutual boy friend! Ha!

Sunday morning, when I went to church it was still 60F, but an hour and a half later, it was down to 40F, accompanied by a brisk wind! People who went to church without a winter jacket, hurried to their cars. We hurried off to our favorite Sunday buffet!

Then yesterday, Monday, January 5th, I had to go pick up some antibiotics for my sweet Felix-the cat. Although Dr. Fox, the vet, was out of town, Judy, his assistant told me she would have some ready for me. The problem was, the vet's office is 7 miles east of town. I live ten miles south of town, and we were under a freezing rain advisory! So I called Eileen, who lives 3 miles east of town. LOL.

"I'm scared to drive 17 miles. What if the freezing rain starts while I'm on the road?" I said to Eileen on the phone.

"I'll go with you," she offered.

"But then we'll both be in danger," I told her.

"That's okay, at least we won't be alone," she said.

So, Eileen met me at the shopping center in town, and left her car there, and off I drove to the vet's office, praying all the while that the freezing rain would hold off until we were both safely back home.

We got back to town and nothing was happening.

So, of course, we stopped at McD's for a quick grilled chicken sandwich and some delicious hot coffee. And since the freezing rain was still holding off, we also ran to the store and picked up a few things, before finally speeding off to our respective homes. Whew! Thank you, Lord!

When I went to bed last night, the freezing rain was finally doing its thing, and this morning there is a thin coating of ice on the deck! Guess I'll be stuck in the house today reading blogs, cooking a nice pot of vegetable beef soup, and maybe even baking some low-carb cookies!

Thank you for reading my babbling. Hope your weather is better!

Blessings from the frozen woods!

Dawn: A Beautiful New Day in the Woods.

2008-12-29T19:35:00.005-06:00

We had a beautiful sunrise the other morning. I took this picture of it from my kitchen window. And soon, we will be having the dawn of a new year.

I am not making any new year's resolutions this year. But I do have a motto that I have and will continue to follow in the new year. It is summed up beautifully in this little poem:

A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.~Edgar Guest

A New Day, A New Year, and a MEMEME!

2008-12-29T19:22:00.002-06:00

The Dawn of a New Day! The Dawn of a New Year!

2008-12-29T07:54:00.002-06:00

I took this shot of a beautiful sunrise in the woods the other morning. The dawn of a beautiful new day, as the old year is winding down, and the dawn of a new year is upon us.

I am not making any new year's resolutions this year. But I do have a motto that I have always followed and will continue to follow in the new year:

A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.
~Edgar Guest

New Year's Eve will find me celebrating early with lunch at a Chinese Buffet. And much to my family and friends dismay, I do not plan on staying up until midnight, to watch the ball drop and to receive Happy New Year phone calls. That will have to come on New Year's Day, which will also find me dining out and wishing friends and acquaintances a happy new year. What can I say? I'm an early bird!

My family, friends, animals, and Nature have been a big blessing in the old year, and I pray that, that will continue into the new year. I don't ask for any more than that.

Thank you for reading. I wish you all a healthy, happy and prosperous new year, friends.

New Year's blessings from the woods!

Angel Deer-A Christmas Story.

2008-12-22T06:07:00.002-06:00

(This story is fiction!)

It was going to be and especially wonderful Christmas this year, Patty
Hudson though, eyeing her watch anxiously. Two o’clock in the afternoon.
They should be arriving any minute. Just then, the gravel on her driveway
began popping, followed by a "honk, honk," of her daughter’s car. Patty
hurried out to greet them.

"Hi, Mom," Anne said, getting out the car and giving her a hug, while the pint sized girl in the back seat struggled to free herself from her seat belt.

"Hi, Nana," a sweet voice shouted, jumping into her arms. "We’re finally
here."

"Yes, you are, and I couldn't be happier," Patty replied, covering her face with kisses. "Let’s go inside where it’s nice and warm."

"Do you have your Christmas tree up yet?" the little girl asked as they
walked through the door.

"Not yet, Nicole. I thought that tomorrow you and I’ll go to the cedar woods and cut down our own tree. Then we can spend the evening decorating it. What do you think of that idea?"

Nicole’s dark blue eyes grew wide with wonder as she snuggled in her
grandmother’s lap. "Oh that will be wonderful, Nana!"

"That does sound wonderful. Too bad I can’t be here to go to the woods with you two," Anne said in a disappointed tone.

"Well, why don’t you call your boss and tell him you decided to take the
entire week off. Then you won’t have to make the four hour drive back to the city until after Christmas," Patty suggested.

"I can’t, Mom. But you and Nicole can enjoy some time together, and Jeff and I’ll be here on Christmas Eve."

After Anne drove off the following morning, Patty and Nicole fed the
chickens and ducks and filled the wild bird feeders to the brim. Then Nicole watched the droves of finches, cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers feed, while Patty began preparing lunch.

"Are we going to get the Christmas tree right after lunch?"

"Yes, we are," Patty smiled at the tiny imp with the long brown pony tail.
"The sun is shining and it will be warmer outside by then. I would not want you to get too cold. "

It was one o’clock in the afternoon when they were finally walking up the
old lane that led to the cedar grove.

"This looks so different from the way it looked in the summer,"Nicole
remarked, walking just ahead of Patty, who was carrying her bow saw.

"Yes, it does. And all the biting insects are gone now, so you won’t be
going back to the city with your usual summer souvenirs. "

"That’s funny, Nana. Are we almost by the cedar grove?"

"Just a little ways up from here, sweetie. Are you getting tired?"

"Oh, no, I was just wondering. Oh, there they are. I see them." Nicole ran
ahead, eager to reach them. "They look so beautiful!"

This cedar grove, in the middle of an oak and hickory forest, has always
enchanted Patty. The cedars came in many different sizes, and their green, cylindrical shapes among the leafless hardwood forest in the winter, was a visual delight.

"How about this tree, Nana? Or this one?" Nicole asked, running from tree to tree.

"Now remember, it can’t be a real tall one. We have to get it back to the
house, and it’s a half a mile walk," Patty reminded Nicole. "Let’s
go that way. I see several smaller trees over there. "

They walked on among the cedars, turning left, then right, excited about all the beautiful trees the grove offered. Finally, Patty stopped in front of a six foot tree, and after looking it over, announced, "I think this one here
is perfect. Not too tall, not too small, with beautifully shaped branches.
It will look perfect in the bay window. What do you think, Nicole?"

"Oh, you are right, Nana. This tree is perfect. Will it be hard to cut
down?"

"No, the trunk is not very thick. Let me see now," Patty crouched down and examined the trunk of the cedar. "Good thing I’m wearing gloves. Cedar branches are prickly," she added.

Once the tree was down, Patty held on to the trunk and pulled it along as
they headed back towards the lane. Nicole, just ahead of her, kept on
chatting and walking, commenting on everything in sight. After some time, Patty stopped for a moment and glanced at her watch. It was almost three o’clock! Had they been in the woods that long? And they should have reached the lane already, she thought, an uneasy feeling creeping into the pit of her stomach.

"Are you getting tired, Nana?" Nicole asked, glancing back at her.

"No, I’m just shifting hands," she replied, walking on.

After a while, Patty glanced at her watch again. It was fifteen minutes past three. She knew in her heart that they should have reached the old lane by now."Let’s turn here, sweetie, and walk towards those oak trees," she said, trying not to sound anxious. She did not want to frighten the little girl.

But as they reached the oak woods, there was still no sign of the old lane,
and it would be getting dark in another hour!

"Nicole, let’s sit down and rest a minute on this fallen log," she finally
suggested.

"You look worried, Nana. Is anything wrong?" Nicole asked, sitting down next to her.

"Well, I am a bit worried. I think we might be lost. I believe we have been
walking in circles. That’s not hard to do in the woods. I should have been
more careful. I am so sorry I wasn’t."

The little girl moved closer to her and put her arm around Patty's shoulder. "It isn’t your fault, Nana."

"Oh, but it is my fault. It wouldn’t be so bad if I was out here by myself,
but..." She stopped herself. There was no sense in frightening the child
even more.

"I tell you what. Let’s you and I say a little prayer before we continue on
our way. I think that might help."

"Okay, Nana, and I know just the prayer we need to say," Nicole responded enthusiastically, her sweet voice enunciating the words of the prayer clearly and without a single mistake:

"Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom His love commits me here,
Ever this day, be at my side,
To light and guard,
To rule and guide. Amen."

"Amen. That was beautiful, Nicole," Patty said, pulling the little girl into her arms and holding her close. Tears welled in her eyes as thoughts of spending a chilly night in the woods, with a trusting four year old, plagued her.

"Nana, look! A deer!" Nicole, wriggling out of her arms, suddenly whispered, jolting Patty out of her dour thoughts. She turned towards Nicole’s pointing hand and saw it, too. It was a sleek doe, standing no more than ten feet from them.

"Nana, she says we should follow her," Nicole announced, standing up. "She will lead us to the lane."

The little girl is hallucinating, Patty thought, as she stood up, too. "But Nicole, the doe will probably run off, if we try to approach her," she said out loud.

"No, Nana. She is telling me that we should follow her," Nicole insisted.

Patty looked at the serious expression on her granddaughter’s face, and then glanced towards the doe, still standing there looking at them.

"Well, why not, we’re already lost," she said, taking Nicole’s hand with one hand, and holding on to the cedar tree with the other, as they began walking towards the animal.

The doe turned and walked through the woods slowly, glancing back often, as if to make sure they were still following her. And of course, they were...a small girl with faith in her heart, and an elderly woman with hope in hers. A few minutes later, they found themselves back on the familiar old lane! There, the doe stopped and gave them one last look, then she turned and gracefully bounded back into the woods.

"Come on, sweetheart, let’s hurry on home to the warm house. The sun is
going down and it’s getting chilly," Patty said, sighing with relief and
saying a silent "thank you, Lord."

"Thank you, angel deer!" Nicole cried out after the vanishing animal. Then taking her grandmothers hand, she said, "Okay, Nana, let’s hurry home. I am getting a little cold now." .....

Christmas turned out especially meaningful this year, Patty was thinking as she said good bye to her departing family settling into their car for the drive back to the city.

"I’ll miss you," she said to the little imp, giving her one last hug.

"I’ll miss you, too," Nicole responded. Then getting close to Patty's ear,
she whispered, "I think you should say the guardian angel prayer each time you go to the woods, Nana. It will keep you safe."

"Thank you for your wonderful advice, sweetheart," Patty Hudson whispered back, tears welling in her eyes. "I promise to follow it faithfully."

(c) copyright 2002, by Renie Burghardt

I hope you enjoyed the little story, friends, and I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to read it. Somehow, I can't seem to get the formatting right on
it. This will be my only post until next week, as I will be happily busy as well. Have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hannukah, evryone!

Blessings from the woods!

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful!

2008-12-16T05:38:00.006-06:00

After a warm, sixty degree Sunday, our weather turned frightful. Yesterday we had freezing rain and sleet all day, and peeking out the glass door this morning, I see it is raining. Since it is 19 F out there, that is freezing rain again!

It's only the second day of this frightful mess and I'm already getting cabin fever! But as you can see, Fred the cat is enjoying the warmth of the Christmas tree lights, while he dreams of his favorite past time-chasing squirrels outdoors!

What is really even worse about all that sleet that looks like snow out there, is that I can't spend any time outdoors. It's just too slippery. It was in December of 2005 when I went out to feed the birds while there was snow on the ground, and fell and broke my hip. I recovered well from that terrible ordeal, thank the Good Lord, and thanks to my wonderful sons and daughter, who took turns spending six weeks staying with me so I could recover at home, instead of in a nursing home.

So, I have been listening to my Christmas Cd's, especially the new German one, " Weinachten mit Hansi," (Christmas with Hansi) sent to me by my old and dear friend Maria, who lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Thank you, Maria! It is a beautiful CD!

Of course, this weather means we will have to miss our Chinese Buffet day on Wednesday, but Eileen and I are both hoping we will be able to attend our annual Christmas Bingo and Luncheon, at our church, on Thursday. It is always great fun, and we go home with some nice Christmas prizes. Keep your fingers crossed that our weather will warm up by Thursday, as the forecast is promising.

I hope the weather is better where you are, friends, while you're out and about, getting ready for Christmas.

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful week, everyone.

Blessings from the woods!

Chasing Away the Winter Doldrums!

2008-12-10T04:10:00.008-06:00

Well, besides still battling the last of this bug that has been plaguing me, I have been down with a major case of the winter doldrums. The Bah Humbugs! So I decided to post some of the pictures of Thanksgiving and birthday week, to remind me of the wonderful time my daughter and granddaughters, son Greg, and dear friend Eileen and I had together. Since I have several pictures here, I hope you won't be too bored with them.

My daughter took this picture of Eileen and me at the lovely restaurant where we all had lunch. And the waitresses even came and sang the Happy Birthday Song, to me! :-)

Here are my granddaughters Nichole and Hannah with Uncle Greg, in the woods. The girls think Uncle Greg is a cool and fun guy to hang out with!

City girls enjoy hiking around in Nana's woods!

And they also enjoy riding around on the 4-wheeler.

Since the weather was mild and beautiful the entire week they were here, we decided to go to the river, too. And as you can see, The Current River is beautiful even in November!

And here are the girls by our cabin on the river.

Alas, our visits are never long enough, and I always miss them when they leave for home. :(

I also had some good news in the mail this past week.

I received my copy of the Winter 2009 issue of "Pure Inspiration Magazine," with one of my stories in it. As a writer, I'm always happy to see my work in print.

I also received the new "Chicken Soup for the Soul, Loving Our Cats," book with my story in it.

And I have a story in "The Big Book of Christmas Joy: An Inspirational Treasury to Celebrate the Season," published by Howard Books.

I also have three awards I will acknowledge very soon, friends.

Thank you for visiting. I hope you are all doing well and ready for the holiday, unlike me.

Ah, and today is Chinese Buffet day. That should also help chase the winter doldrums. :-)

Blessings from the woods!

Blowing My Horn, and Other Sound Effects, Oi Veh!

2008-12-02T05:00:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday week. I certainly did with my daughter and the girls, above. When they left on Friday evening to fly back to Ohio, a bug decided to come and stay with me!

I woke up Saturday morning with a miserable cold, and went to see the doctor and got medicine. It turned out I had a nasty sinus infection. Since then I have been blowing my trumpet, (well, okay, nose,) sneezing and coughing and generally feeling out of sorts. Of course, I did not go to church Sunday, deciding to spare the congregation of my sound effects and germs, and have been pretty well in bed these last few days.

This morning, I feel much better, and will attempt to go to town and pick up some groceries, and stop for coffee with friends.

I hope everyone is well and getting ready for Christmas or Hanukkah, or whatever you are celebrating. My granddaughters put up my Christmas tree, as they do every year when they are here for Thanksgiving. So, except for a bit more shopping, I am ready for the holiday.

Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful week.

Blessings from the woods!

My Mother's Cat--A Story on my Birthday.

2008-11-25T05:30:00.002-06:00

When my nineteen-year-old mother died, a few weeks after giving birth to me, I inherited her cat, Paprika. He was a gentle giant, with deep orange stripes and yellow eyes that gazed at me tolerantly as I dragged him around wherever I went. Paprika was ten years old when I came into this world. He had been held and loved by my mother for all ten years of his life, while I had never known her. So I considered him my link to her. Each time I hugged him tightly to my chest, I was warmed by the knowledge that she had done so, too.

"Did you love her a lot?" I would often ask Paprika, as we snuggled on my bed.

"Meow!" He would answer, rubbing my chin with his pink nose.

"Do you miss her?"

"Meow!" His large, yellow eyes gazed at me with a sad expression.

"I miss her too, even though I didn’t know her. But Grandma says she is in heaven, and she is watching over us from there. Since we are both her orphans, I know it makes her happy that we have each other," I would always say, for it was a most comforting thought to me.

"Meow!" Paprika would respond, climbing on my chest and purring.

I held him close, tears welling in my eyes. "And it makes me so very happy that we have each other." Paprika’s orange paw reached up and touched my face gently. I was convinced he understood me, and I knew I understood him.

At that time we lived in the country of my birth, Hungary, and I was being raised by my maternal grandparents because World War II had taken my young father away, too. As I grew, the war intensified, and soon we were forced to become wanderers in search of safer surroundings.

In the spring of 1944, when I was eight, Paprika and I snuggled in the back of the wooden wagon as we traveled around our country. During the numerous air raids of those terrible times, when we had to scramble to find safety in a cellar, closet or ditch, he was always in my arms, for I refused to go without him. How could I, when one of the first stories I was ever told as a child was that of my dying mother begging her parents to take care of her cat as well as her baby?

After the Christmas of 1944, when we were almost killed in a bombing of the city we were in, Grandfather decided that we would be safer in a rural area. Soon, we settled in a small house that had a cemetery as its neighbor. Here Grandfather, with the help of some neighbors, built a bunker away from the house, and on an early spring day in 1945, we spent the entire night in the bunker. Paprika was with me, of course, because once again, I refused to go without him.

Warplanes buzzed, tanks rumbled, and bombs whistled and exploded over our heads all night while I held on to Paprika, and my grandmother held on to the both of us, praying the entire time. Paprika never panicked in that bunker. He just stayed in my arms, comforting me with his presence.

Finally everything grew still, and Grandfather decided it was safe to go back to the house. Cautiously, we crept out into the light of early dawn and headed towards the house. The brush crackled under our feet as we walked. I shivered, holding on to Paprika tightly. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes just ahead. Two men jumped out and pointed machine guns directly at us.

"Stoi!" one of the men shouted. We knew the word meant, "Stop!"

"Russians!" Grandfather whispered. "Stand very still, and keep quiet."

But Paprika had leapt out of my arms when the soldier shouted, so instead of listening to Grandfather, I darted between the soldiers and scooped her up again.

The tall, dark-haired young soldier approached me. I cringed, holding Paprika against my chest. The soldier reached out and petted him gently.

"I have a little girl about your age back in Russia, and she has a cat just like this one," he said, smiling at us. I looked up into a pair of kind brown eyes and my fear vanished. My grandparents sighed with relief! We found out that morning that the Soviet occupation of our country was in progress.

Many atrocities occurred in our country in the following months, but because the young soldier took a liking to my cat and me, we were spared. He visited often, bringing treats for Paprika and me. Then one day, a few months later, he had some sad news.

"I’ve been transferred to another area, malka (little one), so I won’t be able to come and visit anymore. But I have a gift for you," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a necklace. It was beautiful, and had a turquoise Russian Orthodox cross on it. He placed it around my neck.

"You wear this at all times, malka. God will protect you from harm. And you take good care of your kitty."

I hugged him tight, and then watched him leave, tears welling in my eyes.
In the trying weeks and months that followed, Paprika’s love made things easier for me to bear, for he rarely left my side. He was my comfort, my best friend.

By the fall of 1945, Grandfather, who had spoken up about the atrocities taking place in our country, had gone into hiding, to avoid being imprisoned as a dissident by the new communist government.

Grandmother and I prepared for a solemn Christmas that turned into my worst nightmare when I awoke on Christmas morning to find Paprika, curled up next to me, lifeless and cold. I picked up his lifeless body and holding it close to me, sobbed uncontrollably. He was nineteen years old, and I was nine.

"I will always love you, Paprika. I will never give my heart to another cat," I vowed through my tears. "Never, ever!"

"Paprika’s spirit is in heaven now, with your Mama, sweetheart," my grandmother said, trying to comfort me. But my heart was broken on that terrible Christmas Day in 1945.

Grandfather stayed hidden until the fall of 1947, when we were finally able to escape our communist country by hiding among some ethnic Germans, who were being deported into Austria. In Austria, we landed in a refugee camp where we lived for four years.

These were difficult times for me and I longed for Paprika often. I saw other people’s cats and knew it would be so comforting to feel a warm furry creature purring in my arms. But my loyalty to Paprika—mixed up in my mind with loyalty to my mother—never wavered. I had made a vow and I would keep it.

A ray of hope pierced this darkness when eventually we were accepted for immigration to the United States. In September 1951, we boarded an old Navy ship, on our way to America.

That year, we spent our first Christmas in the United States. The horrors of war, the four years of hardship in a refugee camp, were behind us now, and a life filled with fresh possibilities, lay ahead.

On that Christmas morning, I awoke to a tantalizing aroma wafting throughout the house. Grandmother was cooking her first American turkey. Grandfather, meanwhile, pointed to one of the presents under the Christmas tree that seemed alive, for it was hopping around to the tune of "Jingle Bells" playing on the radio. I rushed over, pulled off the orange bow, and took the lid off the box.

"Meow," cried the present, jumping straight into my lap and purring. It was a tiny, orange tabby kitten, and when I looked into its yellow eyes, the vow I had made in 1945 crumbled like dust and fell away. I was a new person in a new country. Holding the cat close, I let the sweetness of love fill my heart once again.

That Christmas Day, I do believe my mother smiled down at us from heaven approvingly, while Paprika’s spirit purred joyfully at her side.
-----

This story has been published in "Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul," ("Angel Cats," "A Dickens of a Cat." ) Copyright (c) 2004 by Renie Burghardt.

Unfortunately, the only picture we have of that era is the one above. All others were lost during the war.

I hope you enjoyed the story. My family is here to help me celebrate my birthday, and of course, Thanksgiving. I woke up to streamers and Happy Birthday signs and balloons decorating my bedroom. I feel like a kid of 72! :-)

Friends, I will be somewhat absent from the world of blogging this week, but will be back the weekend.

To all celebrating the holiday, Happy Thanksgiving. And to everyone, have a wonderful week!

I also want to thank my Russian cousin Elena, in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, for the lovely birthday gift and card. It arrived yesterday, and was such a surprise. Thank you Elena and Vlad!

And thank you so much for reading.

Blessings from the woods!

Hi Friends!

2008-11-21T06:26:00.005-06:00

It has been a busy week, with fluctuating temperatures. Mild one day, freezing cold the next day. This morning it's 20 degrees, and I wish I knew what that is in Celsius. Suffice to say that it's pretty cold! BRRRRR!

My daughter tells me that it's snowing in Ohio, and they don't even mind! Go figure. LOL. I told her that our weather forecast for all next week is sunny and mild, so I hope they won't be too disappointed that we won't have snow for their visit. :-)

Before I head out, I thought I'd post a couple of quick pictures from last night.

Sunset in the woods is serene and lovely. No beautiful vista's, just a coppery glow over the woods.

And a little later, when I looked out my kitchen window, this is what I saw. Some hungry visitors, hoping for a little handout. Of course, I didn't disappoint them.

So far deer season has been relatively quiet around here, for which I am thankful!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Blessings from the woods.

Nonna's Christmas CD Giveaway!

2008-11-20T18:27:00.003-06:00

My dear blogging friend Patti over at Nonna's News is having a great Christmas CD giveaway.

All you have to do to enter is:

(1) leave a comment on her post and(2) add the above graphic to your sidebar and(3) give her a little shout out on your blog!

She will draw, not 1, not 2, but 3 lucky winners on Dec.1st. Hurry and enter! And good luck everyone.

Falling Leaves and Other Friday Things

2008-11-14T04:46:00.006-06:00

Well, it has been a busy week, and time has sped by at rocket speed! Tuesday, my son Greg took me shopping in a bigger town at a Super Walmart. Going to a Super Walmart is a hide and seek kind of experience with Greg. I try and hide, while he tries to find me!

Usually, I like to browse the various departments, while Greg heads to where the guys things are. But he finds what he needs quickly and comes looking for me. Fifteen minutes later, he finds me hiding in cosmetics, checking out the wrinkle creams, and asks if I'm almost done?

"Not yet," I say, and he disappears for another fifteen minutes. We go through this for over an hour, when he finally tells me he'll be waiting in the car and I should ring his cell phone when I'm ready. LOL. I guess guys just don't enjoy shopping as much as gals do.

The weather has been mostly nice all week, except for a couple of good showers, which are bringing down the leaves.

Here is a picture of my front yard a week ago, with still a lot of color.

And here is my front yard now, with a carpet of leaves covering most of my driveway, except the top part near the gravel road. But there are still a lot of leaves left on the trees. Just think how much fun my family will be having at the end of the month, helping me mulch and rake!

Deer Season begins tomorrow, the 15th, and will end the 25th, right on my birthday. This guy better find a good hiding place soon!

Deer Season is not my favorite season of fall, and although my woods are posted as "off limits" to hunters, we stay out of there during the next ten days, just in case some hunter doesn't care about the rules of the game.

My daughter and family arrive the 23rd, and will be here until the 28th. I am so looking forward to having them with me.

A nice, mild day is in the forecast for today, and I will be heading to town in a couple of hours. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Blessings from the woods!

Weekend Wishes.

2008-11-08T06:25:00.008-06:00

Our weather has turned cooler, but there is still lots of sunshine, although the leaves are drifting down, as you can see out the window, where my little dove is sitting. Of course, she can do this only when the cats are outside, and she does enjoy window sitting. I have had her since 1987, and am always thankful she is still doing so well. Isn't she sweet?

I did also receive a very nice award from Gramma Ann, which for some reason refuses to open, so I will have to work on that early next week. But I did want to thank Ann for thinking of me.

I am getting ready for company later this month, and am really looking forward to it. My daughter and granddaughters will be here Thanksgiving week, not only to celebrate Thanksgiving, but my birthday as well. I can hardly wait until they get here!!

I hope all is well with everyone. Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings from the woods!

Beebopping In The Woods.

2008-11-04T20:46:00.018-06:00

Election Day was gorgeous around here, with lots of sunshine and warm temperatures, so when I came home from casting my vote, I decided it was a great day for some beebopping in the woods. With camera in one pocket, cell phone in the other, and a sturdy walking stick to help me navigate the woodsy terrain, off we went to enjoy the last of this years autumn's colors.

Of course, some of the animals towed along. Like Felix on the left, and Oreo, on the right. Oh, boy, the woods are fun, Mom!

Sidney came along as well, although at 12, she is a bit arthritic. But she seemed to enjoy beebopping, as much as I; two oldies reveling in nature!

This is the southern exposed side of the woods, where things are dryer, and the ecosystem is a bit different from the northern side, where the huge white oaks grow, and the ginseng thrives! I'll take pictures of that side sometime as well.

But there is much beauty in these woods, where the young hickory trees intermingle with numerous dogwoods.

Sun shining through the tree tops created a magical effect; a feeling of being in a cathedral. Thank you God, for all this beauty!

A crow's nest up high adds some interest as well.

Standing under a dogwood umbrella is magical experience. Color and light make for a gorgeous palette.

We were in the woods for almost two hours. Time flies when you're having fun, and fun we did have! I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

According to the forecast today is our last mild day, for a cold front bringing thunder showers is on the way by tomorrow, followed by somewhat cooler temperatures on Friday. But today I won't be beebopping in the woods. Today is Chinese Buffet day!

Thank you for reading. Have a happy week.

Blessings from the woods!

Halloween Cat? Nope! Bad Cat? Yup!

2008-10-31T06:00:00.007-05:00

Well, I thought I would show you Fred today. He is no Halloween cat.

But he is kind of cute, don't you think? Here he is shredding some ribbons to get his jollies.

And here he is being a bad cat!

Our weather has turned beautiful once again, with lots of sunshine and pleasant 70s, which is to continue well into next week. We don't get any trick or treaters around here. It is just too rural, and would require a lot of walking. Kids go to town to get their goodies. I miss seeing the little ghosts and goblins, but all I have to do to get some Halloween athmosphere is to go out on the deck! Lots of rustling and creeping noises from my woodland neighbors. And a whoooooooooo-whoooooo to you, Mr. Owl!

Have a Happy Halloween, and a great weekend, everyone.

Blessings from the woods.

Ruby Tuesday!

2008-10-28T06:01:00.011-05:00

It has been a GRRRRR morning! The HTML got messed up and I had to redo this post. Greg, of course, thinks it's amusing. But I'm going back to bed! GRRRR!

My last hibiscus flower of the season is lovely. I took the photo yesterday as a heavy frost was in the forecast for overnight. And it's chilly this morning! It's always a bit sad to see a beautiful thing come to an end. Oh, well, there is always next summer to look forward to!

We spent some time in beautiful Mammoth Spring last week. You see some reds showing up around the river there.

The hills around here are slowly getting colorful as well, but still have a way to go.

To see other participants visit http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Happy Ruby Tuesday!

An Awesome Surprise!

2008-10-26T04:36:00.001-05:00

http://sweetramblesspaciousreveries.blogspot.com/

Left this comment for me on Saturday: --

"Just wanted to let you know that we (AOL's Lemondrop) featured your blog in this week's "Life Spy" -- "Awesome Grandmas who Blog."

http://www.lemondrop.com/2008/10/24/awesome-grandmas-who-blog/

Keep on writing!

October 25, 2008 2:41 PM "
-------

Isn't that an awesome surprise? Thank you everyone over at AOL's Lemondrop for featuring my blog in their Awesome-Grandmas-who-Blog. I am very honored for being featured, and two other blogging friends are featured as well: Mary and Winifred. Congratulations friends! And I know of a whole bunch of other awesome grandma's who blog, right here on blogger!

We've had a wonderful time together this week. To prove it, here is a picture. Hope you enjoy it.

Mckenzie and Nana 4-wheeling in the field! Wheeee!

See you all soon!

Blessings from the woods!

Taking a Break.

2008-10-21T05:55:00.003-05:00

Hi Friends,

I took this photo of the north-east corner of my woods yesterday afternoon, and as you can see, the colors are moseying on in, but there is still a lot of green. It will be another week or two before nature has perfected her pallet in these woods.

I did not have time to do Ruby Tuesday this week. I am getting company Wednesday, so have been busy getting ready. My granddaughter McKenzie has a short school week, and her Dad is bringing her down for a visit. They will be here until Saturday. So I will be taking a break from blogging for a few days. I hope you all have a wonderful week. See you Monday or Tuesday.

Blessings from the woods!

My Prize Arrived, Hunters Moon, Weekend Wishes!

2008-10-18T05:35:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone has had a nice week. Our weather has been beautiful, with some light rain Wednesday night and Thursday. Then it cooled off a bit, but with still lots of sunshine and upper-60s temperatures, which make outdoor life very pleasant. And the lovely, sunny weather will continue well into next week. A nice drive to Deer Leap on the Current River to see how the colors are progressing, is in order for this weekend, although my woods still have a lot of green, so I'm guessing it will be the same there. But it's a beautiful drive nevertheless, so we will go for it.

Thursday, my mail carrier drove to the house to deliver a package.
"Looks like someone has sent you a present," he said.
And someone had indeed. These are my prizes from blogging friend Linda's recent giveaway, that I was lucky enough to win. Aren't they beautiful? I love the tote, from the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival, and the book looks like a most interesting read, and Linda even included a lovely Diary. Thank you so much, Linda, for the beautiful prizes, I really love them.

Did anyone else see the Hunters Moon, this week? I took this shot of it Wednesday night, before the clouds rolled in. Of course, I took the picture from my kitchen window, because I'm too chicken to go out and stand in the middle of the field, in the dark, so I was somewhat hampered by some trees, but I thought it turned out rather well. Greg says it's not bad, except for that "flashlight " glare with it. I don't know where that came from, or what caused it, but I still think it's a pretty darn good picture!

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend, friends, and enjoy these lovely clear, bright October days, that seem to be trotting by much too quickly.

Blessings from the woods!

Ruby Tuesday

2008-10-14T05:19:00.001-05:00

It's another Ruby Tuesday, and this weeks post has been fun for me! Just yesterday morning, as I was getting ready to go to town and meet Eileen for coffee and a snack and some shopping, I only had two pictures in mind for todays post. But as I walked into Mc'D's, there was Eileen, in all her red glory! LOL.

"Oh, you're wearing red this morning! Woo Hoo! Let me go and get my camera from the car," I said, jumping up and running out to get it.

"But I don't want my picture taken," Eileen protested.

"Don't you want to be famous on the Internet?"

"Oh, alright," she said, "But you will owe me for this!"

Just then, in walked our friend Pat. She was wearing red as well! This was my lucky morning.

"Oh, can I take your picture?" I asked her.

"She'll make you famous on the Internet," Eileen told her. And Pat, being a good sport, agreed, and I was all set for another Ruby Tuesday. Aren't my friends nice to put up with me?

Here are the pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

This is my 11 year old granddaughter Hannah, posing with all the ribbons she won at a recent horse show. Isn't she cute? And please note that one of those ribbons is blue!

Here is Eileen, in her red shirt, toasting the picture taker! (Or maybe contemplating throwing the cup of coffee at her!)

And this is Pat. Her red shirt isn't quite as a showy red as Eileen's, but it is still nice for a ruby picture, don't you agree?

And Cody, the dog, wanted to get into the action as well. Here he is showing off his red sweater, smiling for the camera. Woof!

If you'd like to participate in Ruby Tuesday, visit the teach to find out more.

Happy Ruby Tuesday!

Weekend Wishes!

2008-10-11T06:20:00.005-05:00

Our weather this week has been gorgeous, and me being such a gad about, have been out enjoying it. Our peak colors are still about two weeks away, but nature has been giving us spurts of delight as hillsides and roadsides gleam in the bright sunshine.

While I was watching these geese swim around at Mammoth Spring State Park, in Arkansas, a sense of peace and calm enveloped me. And peace and calm is a nice feeling to have, especially these days!

So, dear friends-
Don't worry,
Be happy,
And enjoy the weekend!

And if you're a praying kind of person, a little prayer for our country just now, wouldn't hurt either.

Blessings from the woods!

Ruby Tuesday!

2008-10-07T04:33:00.002-05:00

Autumn blessings become more and more evident as this beautiful season of color progresses, delighting the human spirit. So, I was out with my camera early Monday morning, capturing some of the red colors of Autumn for this weeks Ruby Tuesday post. I hope you enjoy them.

The early bird catches the worm? Well, maybe not, but something even better. This early bird caught the red glow behind the woods, while the morning was still dark.

Nature brightened a thicket at the edge of the woods, with some beautiful red vines!

The lowly scrub sumac becomes a beauty in the Fall!

And the gravel road I live on still has a lot of green, and a beautiful red adding a special touch of beauty to my travels on it. In another two weeks, there will be a riot of color to enjoy.

If you would like to participate in Ruby Tuesday visit the teach to find out more.

Happy Ruby Tuesday!

Blessings from the woods.

Reflections, Weekend Wishes

2008-10-04T06:56:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, when you take a picture, you are surprised at the result once you upload it to your computer. Well at least I was, when I snapped this one.

It happens every fall. The walking sticks that live in the oak trees come down. Suddenly they're everywhere-on the deck, on the house, on the car. See the one here on the antenna of one of the cars? I thought he looked interesting, clinging to the antenna like that. So I snapped his picture. And when I uploaded it, I noticed the reflections in the windows of the car of the house, the tree putting on color, the woods...kind of pretty, and pretty interesting, I thought.

It has been a beautiful week here, and the weekend promises to be just as beautiful with lots of sunshine and low 80s. I will be out and about enjoying it.

I hope your weekend is beautiful as well.

Blessings from the woods.

Ruby Tuesday!

2008-09-30T03:34:00.005-05:00

It's Ruby Tuesday again and I have taken several pictures this past few days sporting the beautiful color red. I hope you enjoy them.

This is one of my beautiful red Hibiscus blossoms, which I have spotlighted, and like the effect. Isn't it pretty?

There is a nice, home style restaurant in town that we frequent once a week. Outside the restaurant are six huge containers of impatiens. This one had the most red impatiens, so I took a picture of it. Impatiens are always lovely, and they bloom from spring until late fall, and they can't be beat in a shady spot in the garden, or in containers.

After I snapped the picture of the impatiens, Eileen and I went into the restaurant and were seated at our favorite table by a window. And lo and behold, what did I see right at the next table? Something bright red, just waiting for me to take a picture of! How lucky can one get?

See the two old geezers seated at this table? They are frequent visitors to the same restaurant as well. And they usually get their jollies by teasing and flirting with us. Of course, Eileen and I oblige them by flirting back. We get our amusements where we can! Tee Hee!

So the other day, when one of them was wearing a bright red T-shirt, I
grabbed my camera and hopped on over there, much to Eileen's dismay.

I told the geezers that if they let me take their picture, I would make them famous on the Internet. Ha ha ha. They agreed, although they are not into computers and have no idea what the Internet is. But that red shirt looks perfect for a Ruby Tuesday shot, don't you think? Ha! And my geezer friends were extremely nice to cooperate. Thanks, guys. :-)

If you would like to participate in Ruby Tuesday, just visit the teach to find out more.

Happy Ruby Tuesday!

PS. Just so no one thinks I am being disrespectful by calling our friends "geezers," it's all done in fun, and the "geezers" sometimes refer to us gals as "old biddies." So all is fair in friendly name calling. :-)

Awards, Woo Hoo's, Happy Weekend!

2008-09-26T06:37:00.006-05:00

I am late acknowledging a couple of nice awards I received recently, so I am doing that now.

The Awesome Site Award was given to me by my young, lovely, sweet friend, Pia .
Isn't it cool? Thank you, Pia, I really appreciate you thinking of me.

And lovely Dawn passed this beauty along to me. Thank you, Dawn for thinking of me.

I would love to pass both of these beautiful awards on to all my friends on my Blog Roll. You are all awesome blogger's and wonderful bloggie friends!

My Woo Hoo is that I received my contributing writer copy of, Christmas Through A Child's Eyes, published by Adams Media, September 2008. Isn't it beautiful? I am thrilled to be included in this book. And the great news is that Paul Harvey has endorsed the book! Everyone is excited about that. (I am in another Christmas book as well, but that one hasn't arrived yet.)

This week has been pleasant and summery around here, which has encouraged the green tomatoes still on my vines, to ripen. The woods have become very dry though, as we haven't had rain since Ike blew through here, and there are "forest fire danger" bulletins out, which is always scary! (As if all the news about the economy isn't scary enough!) Have to get out there and do a rain dance again, and ask the Good Lord to send some rain our way soon!

Have a Happy Weekend, everyone.

Blessings from the woods!

Ruby Tuesday

2008-09-23T04:25:00.003-05:00

I enjoy visiting my blogging friend Linda's Ruby Tuesday posts, and decided to join in this week. On Ruby Tuesday, participants post a picture/s that has/have something red in it. It can be just a bit of red, or a lot of red.

Visit the teach to find out more, if you would like to participate in Ruby Tuesday.

I took this shot of sunrise in my woods, early Sunday morning. The forecast said mostly cloudy, with some sunshine in the afternoon. You can see the dark clouds trying to cover the rising sun. The sun won! The clouds disappeared as it got light, and it was a perfect sunny, Autumn day, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Happy Ruby Tuesday!

Blessings from the woods!

Something New Around Here!

2008-09-20T15:02:00.003-05:00

Hi Friends,

There is something new around here. See it? Just look to the top of my sidebar, on the right. See my new widget? It says "Follow this Blog." Won't you please click on it, and sign on to Follow thisBlog? Pretty please? I will be tickled pink if you do. :-)

Thank you dear friends and visitors.

Blessings from the woods!

Ike Roars Through the Woods, and More.

2008-09-18T04:00:00.004-05:00

This past week has been labor intensive, (Yeah, I'm pooped!) because the remnants of Hurricane Ike roared through here Sunday morning with sheets of rain, followed by a wind that I thought would deposit me in Oz, if I dared to go out into it. (Official word is the wind was 70 miles per hour!)

So, I didn't go to church Sunday morning, listening to the wind sounding like a freight train, instead, and watching the trees dropping their limbs all over the yard, while in the house the lights flickered on and off a dozen times.

I never did lose power though, thank goodness, but many folks around here did, including Eileen, who lives 14 miles east of me. When her power came back on five hours later, she discovered that her Cable TV did not, which made her a bit cranky!

Anyway, later in the day I went out and surveyed things, and began cleaning up the debris left by Ike. My neighbor Connie's husband, Roger came by to check on me, and he went up and down our narrow gravel road with a chainsaw, clearing debris and tree limbs off, so people could drive on it. And I have been cleaning debris here every day, since Sunday, and have finally made a dent in it, thank goodness. I left a couple of big limbs for Greg to clean up and cut up with his chainsaw. Since this house sits in the middle of the woods surrounded by trees on all sides, I was thankful that none of them hit the house! And as you can see in the picture of my front, most of it looks fairly cleaned up now, but I cropped the picture to leave out the scraggly stuff still laying around. :-)

On Monday I took a break and went to town, and heard other people's account of Ike. Many still did not have the power back, some homes and cars had been damaged by trees, but overall it wasn't real bad. Eileen's Cable TV was finally working again, she told me happily, while we lunched at the Chinese Restaurant. Then it was back to cleaning up more of the debris. The scraggly stuff left will be mulched with the lawnmower.

The weather has been heavenly since, and this Sunday promises to be sunny and pleasant, and I look forward to going to church and lunching with church friends again.

Of course, the problems caused by Ike around here were minor compared to so many people who were devastated by it in Texas. My thoughts and prayers are with all of them. I can't even imagine how they're coping with all the devastation.

I also want to thank all my friends who have signed on as my followers! That is so very sweet of you, but how did you do that? As soon as I figure out how to become your follower, "I will follow you," just like song says.

:-) Any hints on how I can do that, would be appreciated, as well as hints on how to show my followers on my sidebar. I am so blogger challenged!

And I want to thank Patti and Grams for the beautiful awards they gave me. I posted them on my sidebar. Thank you again, friends.

And thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful weekend, and a great week ahead, everyone.

Blessings from the woods!

Pictures That Cheered This Nana Up!

2008-09-13T04:00:00.002-05:00

I've been in a bit of a funk the last couple of days-sad and even depressed. So when my daughter sent me some pictures this morning, they cheered me up considerably. As it happens, my 11 year old granddaughter Hannah, who is in these pictures, was in a bit of a funk as well. Her big sister Nichole had left for college last week. This is the first time Nichole is no longer living at home, and Hannah misses her. So her Mom took her to the Farm Park, Wednesday, to help cheer her up.

It was a beautiful day with big, fluffy clouds, and cheerful looking sunflowers welcoming them to the Farm Park.

There are beautiful flower gardens at this Farm Park, and here is Hannah

wearing her Jonas Brothers (hope I spelled that right!) T-shirt, that she got at the live, Jonas Brothers concert she attended a couple of weeks ago. She is mighty proud of that T-shirt!

The beautiful flower gardens have paths through them, so one can get up close and personal with the beautiful flowers.

They also have a vegetable garden there, and it was potato digging time. Here is Hannah helping the farm ladies to gather the freshly dug potatoes. What a fun job that was!

Of course, there were lots of animals at the Farm Park, such as Llama's.

And calves. Here she is petting a little bull calf that is chowing down. Of course, many other animals reside at the Farm Park as well.

And here is Hannah with the draft horses that pulled the wagon she rode in. Nana is saving some of the other pictures for another time. But as you can see, Hannah enjoyed the Farm Park. It cheered her up considerably, as it did this Nana, who enjoyed the pictures.

All Nana's, also known as Grandma's, enjoy pictures of their grandchildren! :-)

Have a wonderful weekend, and a great week ahead, everyone.

Blessings from the woods!

I do have a couple of awards to acknowledge, and I will do that sometime next week.

In Memory- A Silent Tribute.

2008-09-11T05:28:00.000-05:00

Paying a silent, prayerful tribute today in memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

We will never forget!

TA-DA!! The Winner Is...

2008-09-09T06:51:00.005-05:00

I finally got all the names into a box, yesterday, and had Eileen reach in, stir the contents and pull out a slip of paper with the name of the winner of the Chicken Soup for the Soul, book.

As she pulled out the slip of paper she looked at me and said, "This doesn't have a name on it."

"Of course, it does. I wrote names on all the slips," said I, reaching for the slip of paper.

"No, this just says Ancient One, but it doesn't have a name."

"Well, Ancient One is a name. It's the name Ann uses on her blog. Some people use different handles, instead of their real names," I explained.

Eileen is not into computers.

"How come you don't use a handle?" she asked.

"I don't know. I just never thought of using one. I wouldn't know what to use. Let's just forget about it."

"Well, you could call yourself, Hungarian Paprikash," Eileen continued.

"I could, but I won't," I said, grabbing the slip of paper from her hand, and ending the discussion. She may be my best bud, but she can be annoying at times. :-)

So, this was a long way of getting to the point: Congratulations Ancient One , you are the winner of the Chicken Soup book. I hope you enjoy it. Please email me your postal address, and it will be on the way to you.

I do wish I had more copies of this book, so everyone could receive one. You are all such wonderful blogging friends. Thank you for that.

Have a wonderful week!

Twenty Five Years in the Woods!

2008-09-04T02:53:00.004-05:00

August 16th was my 25th year in these woods. I can't believe it has been 25 years, but it has. Now that I am getting on in years, the thought that one day I may have to leave here, saddens me. But I try not to let it get me down. They have been good years for someone who loves nature; loves the serenity of these woods, loves her disposition to solitude. But I also have a strong social side, and love the times spent with family and friends. I'm out there often, having lunch with friends, yakking with many that I run into, when I'm in town. For I am a champion yakker, according to Eileen! :-)

But after three or four hours of lunching, shopping and yakking, I look forward to coming home again, where the serenity of the trees, field and pond fill me with peace, and where the wild things, who consider me as one of them, wait for me. (As do the not so wild things, like my dogs and cats.) And one of them I am; as much a part of nature as they are.

So, I thought I'd post a few of my recent pictures. Images that are always a part of my life; always loved and enjoyed.

When I sit on my deck, this is my view to the East- my small field, where the deer like to congregate. There are some in this picture, though way up in the field. Can you see them?

I love this picture of a grazing doe, while the setting sun casts a small, magical glow on part of the woods, behind her.

This is Bucky, my favorite young buck. He comes close, hoping I'll give him a little treat. I have known him since he was a tiny fawn.

The wild turkeys, way on top of the field, are heading to the woods, to spend the night roosting in the sheltering branches of a huge oak tree.

This is my small, wildlife pond, in the north corner of the field, close to the house. When I sit at my lap top in the little sun room, this is my view. I love the little pond. It is used by birds and beasts, and insects, of course. Dragonflies cruise back and forth, and lay their eggs in the water, and the fish do a splash dance for me, when I feed them.

Sometimes, a Great Blue Heron comes to try his luck at a frog dinner as well. I have even seen a thirsty coyote on the far side, taking a drink. And at night in the warm months, frogs serenade me to sleep.

So, if and when the time comes for me to leave these woods, I may leave them physically, but they will always remain in my memory and heart. And I'm thankful to God for the happy years I got to spend here, because He blessed me with a wonderful daughter and two great sons, who not only understood (!), they helped to make it possible!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and my little lament. Thank you for reading. Blessings from the woods!

My First Blogiversary and My First Giveaway!

2008-08-28T04:46:00.008-05:00

Today, August 28 is my first Blogiversary! And it's also my first giveaway. I copied and pasted my first post right here below, so you can have the pleasure of reading it, since only two people read it when it first appeared. LOL.
-----

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

I'm So Confused!

Today is Tuesday, August 28, and I'm trying to set up a blog. But I'm so confused. I seemed to have created three different blogs, but I only want one. Maybe the extreme heat in our area for weeks on end now, fried my brains.

I'm hoping that blogging will get my creative juices flowing better. I did have good news in the mail. A contract came from Bordon Books for a story to be published in, The Best Dad in the World. That was a nice surprise. And Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating Brothers and Sisters, contacted me about a "media blitz" they are now having for the book. That's neat. My story in the book is "You're Too Cute To Be A Boy." My sons and daughter will get a kick out of the story, once they read it. I think. I hope! And I received my copy of the September issue of Catholic Digest, a few days ago, with my story in it. I'm on page 74, in case anyone reading this subscribes to it.

Well that's enough good news for today. I am going outside to do a rain dance. Hoping it will help end this long, dry period we've been in. And a little prayer can't hurt either: Dear God, please bless these beautiful but dry woods with some rain, soon. Amen!"
---

My very first commenter's were my daughter, and my lovely young and talented writer friend, Michele, from Writing the Cyber Highway.com. Without her help and encouragement, I never would have begun. Michele is not only a good blogger friend, she is a real life friend as well, as she lives in my neck of the woods. Thank you, Michele!

So, to celebrate my first Blogiversary, I decided to have my first give away. Everyone who comments on this Blogiversary post between today and September 6, will be entered in a drawing for a special book, which I think is the perfect book to give away to someone in blog land, because bloggers are the kind of people who often make a difference in people's lives! (Oh, and I do have a story in this book, entitled, The Compassionate Enemy.)

My best friend Eileen will draw the name of the winner, and I will post the name here on September 9. At that time I will ask the winner to email me her postal address, so I can mail her/him the book.

I have met so many kind and supportive friends and wonderful bloggers in my first year of blogging, and I thank each and every one of you for that support. I do hope you hang around for another year. :-)

Have a wonderful day, everyone. Blessings from the woods!

Cruising Down the River!

2008-08-22T04:28:00.003-05:00

Our weather has been perfect for spending time at the cabin on the river, and doing some cruising in the jet ski. The captain doing the navigating is my younger son, Greg.

Here he is, above, sitting next to me, manning the steering wheel, while I am snapping pictures. I'll have to keep it a secret from him that I put his photo on my blog though. lol.

So I thought I'd show a few pictures of our lovely river, along with a few of some of the cabins we see along the way. There are many more, some elaborate and large, some smaller and some tiny, (but quaint,) like our cabin.

The Current River is a very beautiful river with blue green waters, and scenic views. This is where it really begins, at Big Spring, in Van Buren, Missouri. The ladies on the dock in this picture didn't know they were going to be on my blog, just as Greg didn't know!

As the Current River winds its way through our hilly, forested County, it sings its sometimes tumultuous, sometimes placid song. And in the water, on the banks, and in the sky above it, wildlife thrive. Can you see the nose of the jet ski, where I am sitting, snapping the pictures?

Another picture going north on the river. I have not been successful at snapping a picture of any of the Great Blue Herons, although they are always around, for the fishing is good on our river. But I will keep trying, and maybe have some next time. Many Bald Eagles spend winter along the Current, arriving in the fall, as do other beautiful visitors like the Osprey, or fish hawk. Of course, tourists from all over the country come to enjoy some float trips and fishing on our beautiful river. Float trips are done in huge inner tubes, that are carried along with the river's current. The last time I went on one of those was with my daughter and son-in-law, a few years ago. These days, I prefer cruising and floating in the jet ski. Not as scary!

And below, you see a few of the cabins we passed.

Heading back now after a totally relaxing hour spent cruising the river. Guess where I will be once again, very soon?

I hope you enjoyed the pictures of this area, featuring our favorite playground-the Current River.

Thank you for visiting. Have a great weekend, and week ahead, friends.

The Amen! of Nature!

2008-08-16T07:42:00.001-05:00

August's loveliest surprise!

Friday we had some lovely, light rain, and cool temperatures, and when I came home from an outing, I found the Magic Lilies blooming! Can you see the raindrops on them? Actually, I don't know the name of this flower. Everyone around here calls them magic lilies, because they appear as if by magic, and disappear the same way, leaving no trace behind. They have a long stem, but no foliage of any kind, and they have a heavenly fragrance. They are August's loveliest surprise! Anyone know their real name, or are they really magic lilies?

The meaning of Passion Flower is: Faith, religious fervor. And the color is a heavenly blue!

"The Amen! of Nature is always a flower." Oliver Wendel Holmes. Ah, yes it is!

Blue and white and lavender Amens! at Mammoth Spring State Park, in Arkansas, where I love to visit and take pictures.

"Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made and forgot to put a soul into."- Henry Ward Beecher.

After a wordy last post, I decided to show you a few of my flower pictures today. Thank you for visiting. Have a lovely Sunday, and a great week ahead, everyone.

Just Dabbling-And a Woo Hoo!

2008-08-12T05:16:00.008-05:00

I decided to post something a little different this morning. A bit of dabbling. A story I have been playing around with. Not that I haven't posted stories before, but they were always non-fiction based on personal experience, and this is a piece of fiction. I rarely write fiction. So this is a short-short (short-shorts are 500 words or less) Paranormal Fantasy. The setting is from my own personal experience, but that's where it ends. This story is a work of the imagination, and maybe not that great, but it was an interesting exercise for me. I hope you enjoy it.

Kati and the Dolphins

Anni is fourteen and Kati is fifteen when both of their families receive the news they had been waiting for. They are going to America!

For Hungarian refugees who had been living in a refugee camp for the past four years, this is wonderful news. It is their chance at a new life. What is even more wonderful is that Kati and Anni, who are best friends, will be going to America together.

On September 7, 1951, they board the ship, with hundreds of other refugees. Then they stream to their assigned quarters, women and children separated from men and older boys. Kati and Anni will be sleeping next to each other in upper bunks, with their mothers below them.

When the ship pulls out to sea, they gather on the deck. It is a poignant
moment for the adults, who are sad about not seeing their homeland again.

“But we’re on our way to America, the land of the free and the brave,” Kati says. She and Anni embrace this new adventure with hope in their hearts.

Kati and Anni soon begin to explore the ship. They eat together in the massive dining hall, and play together in the huge recreation room on the ship. Meanwhile, both girls parents’ spend most of their time in bed,
suffering from seasickness.

By the second day on the ship, Kati and Anni have made a new friend. He is a young American who works in the galley and brings them treats on his breaks, telling them about life in America. Anni knows that Dave’s interest in them is due to Kati’s beautiful looks. She has long, curly black hair framing her oval face, and the blossoming body of a young woman, while her own body is still in limbo, like her braided locks. But both girls enjoy Dave’s attention.

On the third day of their voyage as Kati and Anni are sitting in the recreation room leafing through a book, Dave rushes in and motions to them.

“Come on girls. I want to show you something,”

They jump up and follow him to the deck.

“Look! Dolphins!” Dave says, pointing to the great Atlantic below them.

“Oh, They are beautiful!” Kati cries breathlessly. They enchant Anni, too. They count six dolphins carrying on playfully in the great waves.

“Listen! They are talking to us,” Kati says, leaning so far down on the
railing that she frightens Anni, who pulls at her friends jacket and cautions,” Be careful or you’ll fall in the water.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind that in the least,” Kati laughs. “They are calling me.
It would be wonderful to join them and ride the waves on their backs.”

“It would not be wonderful for you. You’re not a dolphin. You wouldn’t
survive down there,” Dave says earnestly. Kati gives him a strange look,
and then walks away from them.

After that, the dolphins begin to obsess Kati. She looks for them and talks
about them day and night, and Anni, not knowing how to handle her friends new obsession, grows more and more worried. Even when there are no dolphins out there, Kati claims she can hear them calling her. Her obsession begins to frighten Anni.

On the sixth day of their journey, Kati suddenly becomes very sick. Her
mother, thinking she is seasick, makes her stay in her bunk all day. Of
course, Anni keeps her company.

“Do you feel sick to your stomach?” she asks with concern.

“Maybe a little,” Kati replies. “I’ll be alright by tomorrow.”

That night, as Anni lies in her sleeping bunk across from Kati, thinking she is asleep, she suddenly hears her moaning. Then Kati whispers, “I’m coming. I’m coming.”

“Kati, who are you talking to?” Anni asks. But instead of a reply, she hears her friends soft, lilting laughter. Kati is in her bunk, but her laughter is floating above them, moving across the entire area, before disappearing into the night.

Anni sits up and calls to her loudly. “Kati! Kati! Are you alright?”

By this time both Kati’s and Anni’s mother are awake, and get out of their bunks to see what the problem is.

“Kati is gone,” Anni wails, tears streaming down her cheeks. “She went to join the dolphins.”

“What do you mean she is gone? She is lying right there, in her bunk,” her mother says, while Kati’s mother climbs up and shakes her daughter.

“Oh my God! She is dead! Oh my God!” She screams, waking everyone up. The ship’s doctor is summoned. But it is too late. They take Kati away.
The doctor says she had pneumonia, the kind that strikes like a blitz. Her
mother, blaming herself for Kati’s death, becomes so depressed that she
doesn't utter another word during the rest of the journey. Anni is pretty
depressed herself.

Two days before they arrive in New York Harbor, Anni is up on the deck, watching the waves lapping at the ship. Suddenly, several dolphins appear and begin carrying on with their usual antics. Anni does not call down to them like before. She just stands there and watches them in silence.. Then she hears something. “Wee, this is wonderful!” It’s Kati’s voice!

“You hear it too, don’t you?” a voice behind her remarks, startling Anni. It’s Dave. They stand there in silence, listening to the lilting laughter below, until the dolphins disappear.

“Ill never forget you, Kati,” Anni whispers sadly.

Their arrival in New York Harbor is a somber one. Kati’s parents have to think about burying their daughter in this new land. Anni’s heart aches for them. She wants to tell them that Kati’s spirit is happy among the dolphins, but she knows she cannot. So she give them both a tearful hug, and then walks away in silence, carrying the truth with her into eternity.

The End. :-)

The Woo Hoo is I just heard from my editor at Silver Boomer Books, and "Freckles to Wrinkles" is now published and my copy (and check!) will be arriving soon. My story in the book is called "Guard Duty," and it's a horse story. I was also invited to a big to do about the book in Abilene, Texas, but unfortunately, I can not attend it right now.

http://frecklestowrinkles.com/

Thank you for reading my somewhat simple attempts at writing a short short story. I need lots of practice.

Have a wonderful week!

Happy 08-08-08!

2008-08-08T00:01:00.004-05:00

The Foundation of Peace Community Project is observing A Moment of Peace, on 08-08-08, at 08 AM. Please join in.

Peace and Blessings to everyone, where ever you are on Planet Earth, on this special date!

Happy 08-08-08!

Almost Wordless Wednesday--Togetherness!

2008-08-06T04:55:00.002-05:00

A Cat and Deer Tale- in Pictures!

2008-08-02T02:26:00.000-05:00

Here is a little cat and deer incident that I was lucky enough to capture on camera recently.

Felix the cat, was just lolling in the field, enjoying a breeze, minding his own business. A doe came out of the woods, and noticed Felix. See the doe really looking Felix's way? Her ears are like antenna's, pointing towards the cat.

The doe decides to move closer and check out this creature lying there, and you can see the cautious expression on her face. Felix isn't budging from his spot.

The doe moves even closer, really taking a good look now. Felix looks back, but isn't a bit intimidated.

"Nothing to worry about," the doe seems to be thinking, or maybe even saying in deer language, since you can see her mouth moving.

"I wasn't worried," Felix the cat seems to be saying, as he continues to enjoy his spot in the field.

The doe finally walked back into the woods, and Felix got hungry and came to eat his lunch.

The End! :-)

I hope you enjoyed my little cat and deer tale in pictures. Animals can be very entertaining.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Some Places We've Been, And Things We've Seen.

2008-07-27T14:33:00.017-05:00

My granddaughter Mckenzie and her dad left for home Saturday morning, after spending 6 days with me. We had a wonderful time visiting, eating, going places, and just being together. I thought I'd post a few of the many pictures I took. I hope you enjoy them.

As we were heading to Big Spring State Park in Van Buren, Missouri, I took this picture of the scenic view from the car window.

We decided to have lunch at the beautiful stone Lodge, in the park. Here is Mckenzie posing nicely at the entrance to the Lodge.

Big Spring State Park is a beautiful park. Unfortunately, after lunch, when we went to the spring itself, my camera gave me the message that my memory card was full! Ugh! But at least I have a few pictures, like this one of the Lodge itself.

The view from the window inside the Lodge, where we sat and enjoyed a delicious lunch, while we also enjoyed the view of the river below.

Our favorite place to hang out, besides at home, was our little cabin on the river. We spent most of our time there.

Our favorite vehicle to cruise the river on.

Heading down to the water for a swim. Let's go Nana!

Back in March, when we had the flood around here, the water came up right to the edge of deck, where Mckenzie is in the picture, but fortunately, never actually got to the cabin itself. The cabin does sit on a hill, about 50 feet from the river.

Swimming in the Current River is fun and especially nice when the temperatures are sizzling!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Thank you for reading. I am so behind on visiting, but will catch up with everyone this week. Have a wonderful week. Hope it's cooler where you are!

PS. I miss you, Mckenzie, but will see you in October! Maya misses you, too! xoxo

Having a Good Time Together!

2008-07-23T06:08:00.004-05:00

We have been having a wonderful time going places, and just being together. Although I don't like to post pictures of myself, here is one taken yesterday, wrinkles and all, with my favorite guest. We're off on another adventure together today. Have a happy rest of the week, everyone!

Twilight in the Woods, and an Award!

2008-07-19T07:30:00.004-05:00

Just a song a twilight,
when the lights are low,
And the flick'ring shadows softly come and go,
Tho' the heart be weary, sad the day and long,
Still to us at twilight comes Love's old song,
comes Love's old sweet song.
--From Love's Old Sweet Song, Lyrics by G. Clifton Bingham

Because I'm surrounded by thick woods on all sides, I never get beautiful sunsets around here, though sunrises can be spectacular in the winter, when the leaves are off the trees.

But I do get what I consider a magical phenomenon, at this time of the year. The setting sun's long arm reaches over to the eastern side of the property, and creates a lovely light show. Sometimes, in the tree tops, sometimes in the sky, as was the case the other evening, at twilight. I took this photo from my kitchen window, of the wispy clouds, illuminated by the setting sun, just before darkness fell. Isn't it lovely?

As I was watching the darkness descend, the chorus of the very old song, Love's Old Sweet Song, came to mind. I could only remember the first two lines, but Eileen remembered the rest of it, and sang it to me over the phone, while I wrote it down. :-) I thought the words went perfectly with the picture, and I've been humming the lovely melody all week.

I would also like to acknowledge an exceptionally nice award I received from Ann , or Ancient One, a few days ago.

Isn't it nice? Thank you so much, Ann. I am honored to receive it. I would like to pass this award on to all my blogging friends. You all have a Brilliante Weblog, in my book!

My older son Joe is arriving from Ohio tomorrow, bringing along my eight year old granddaughter, Mckenzie, and I'm looking forward to having them here for almost a week. The cats and dogs around here can't wait to see Mckenzie either, since she is more fun to have around then a barrel of monkeys!

Have a wonderful week, everyone, and God Bless!

A Purple Castle that Inspired this Writer.

2008-07-14T04:55:00.014-05:00

Finally, I have managed to upload some of the images of the Purple Castle that has inspired my imagination for years now. Unfortunately, the exterior of the house is neglected. So use your imagination and imagine this unusual house in a beautiful green setting, with colorful flowers all around it, instead of the dead grass and weeds that actually do surround it. And think of a man and wife, who had a dream of building a unique house, 14 years ago, and actually did it. All the work, from beginning to the present, was done by the two of them. They designed it, and built it together from the ground up, which is quite an accomplishment, if you think about it. Above, you see the backside of the house. When I shot this photo, I was afraid to step back anymore than I already had, because just a few feet behind me is a steep ravine/hill. This is the side that you see in the winter, when the trees on the huge hill the house sits on, are leafless. And as you're traveling on the highway below the hill, you get this glimpse of the Purple Castle, looking down on all travellers. (Well, okay, the purple house that sort of resembles a castle.) And that's Sandra standing to the side. I didn't realize she was in the picture until I uploaded it. Duh!

This is the front side of the house with its purple fence, as it faces a two-lane blacktop road. It is where Eileen and I were parked, when I ventured out to take pictures of the house, and Sandra came out and gave me permission to take as many shots as I wanted.

As you can see, the porch is stacked up with furniture and other stuff which isn't exactly flattering looking, but you can nevertheless see the unusual architecture of the house.

This is a giant, wall-sized painting, inside the house, of a magnificent buck, done by Sandra, who is an artist. Isn't it beautiful? She said the painting was a labor of love, even though it took some time to finish it. Click on the picture to enlarge it and see it in all its glory!

As a writer, I enjoy doing exercises that are called prompts. The Purple Castle became my prompt and inspired a story. A fantasy fiction type story. It is slowly evolving, and it's about an unhappy, lonely woman who has the reoccurring dreams of a beautiful, Purple Castle. She begins to love the dream so much, that she doesn't want to wake up again! Well, that is all I will give away about the plot of this story, but Eileen is already talking about making it into a movie, with the theme music in the background to be "Deep Purple." LOL. But I'm just hoping to get a short story out of it, even if just for my own satisfaction.

I have several more pictures of both the exterior and the interior, but I think the few that I have chosen to upload, were good choices. As always, click on the pictures to get a larger, full view of them.

Well, I have made this post long enough for now. I hope you enjoyed seeing this writers inspiration from a lovely Purple Castle!

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Success at Last!

2008-07-09T06:11:00.006-05:00

The other day, I was reading blogging friend Linda's This and That blog post, when I discovered a solution to my grrrrr problem! Linda wrote about being ticked off because she forgot to take her memory card out of the reader, so even though she had her camera along at the 4th of July cookout she attended, she couldn't take any pictures! So she was ticked off! And who can blame her?

But you know something? I was glad she forgot her memory card, because writing about it, I had the chance to find out about memory card readers. Sorry, Linda, but it's true. :-)

Memory card reader? I have never heard of it. Could this possibly be a solution to my uploading problems? I called our local Radio Shack and asked about it, and the guy said, "Yep, it will work with your camera. It works with any digital camera." So I went to town yesterday, and bought a memory card reader, and voila, I can get my pictures uploaded from my camera! Woo Hoo!

The last few days, I have been enjoying taking pictures of sun and shade, light and dark, and although they are not real good pictures, I thought I'd show them anyway.

This is Dottie, the doe with the lump on her face. I wrote about her before. She's had this growth on her side for almost six years now but seems to be doing well. The other afternoon, she was standing in the shady side of the field, watching me, while the sun shone brightly behind her. I thought the sun and shade effect makes an interesting shot.

Yesterday at dawn, this young doe was out in the front early. I saw her from the kitchen window and went out with my camera. Her glowing eyes make her look surreal, don't you think? But she posed for me nicely.

Here is my front yard in the early morning. This picture really has to be enlarged to see the sun and shade better.

And here the sun was playing peek-a-boo through the tree tops.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my sun and shade attempts. I'm just happy I can upload pictures again, and will post my purple castle pictures soon.

Have a great day, everyone!

Two American Ladies-A Story

2008-07-03T18:42:00.004-05:00

I was fourteen when I boarded the old Navy ship, The General M. B. Stewart, in the port of Bremen, Germany. I was with my grandparents, who raised me, and hundreds of other people, many of them Hungarians like us,who were fortunate enough to have been accepted to immigrate to America.World War II had torn apart our lives and displaced us, making us refugees.

Though our arms ached from all the required shots, our hopes and dreams soared as we began our journey to America. Our prayers had been answered. Once aboard ship, women and children were ushered to one huge area below deck, men and older boys to another. Then we were all assigned sleeping quarters. I got the upper bunk, Grandma the lower. Grandpa, of course, went with the men. After settling in with our meager belongings, Grandma and I joined Grandpa up on deck.

As the ship pulled out to sea, the people on shore waved and shouted"Auf Wiedersehn" (until we meet again), and many had tears in their eyes, for we knew we would never see our homeland again. I remember studying my grandparents’ faces; their teary eyes revealed the bittersweet feeling I shared. But we were on our way to America, the land of golden opportunities. We had heard so much about America from friends who had gone before us. And two years before our departure, I started studying English in the refugee camp school, but my command of it was still poor.

Our Atlantic crossing took ten days, most in raging, stormy seas. My grandmother was seasick much of that time, but I thrived and soon made some new friends. A young America named Dave, who worked in the enormous galley, brought me my first Coke, a new taste delight. Then he asked me where I was going in America.

"I go to India," I had told Dave, shyly. He smiled at me and said, "That’s probably Indiana. Not India. In-di-an-a," he emphasized the last part, adding, "You will like America."

"In America, everything will be okey-dokey," I giggled, using the new phrase I had picked up from Dave.

Most of the kids on the ship whiled away the hours playing games and watching Roy Rogers movies in the huge recreation room. There was also plenty of excitement. One day while a friend and I were sharing an easy chair, an enormous wave hit the ship, throwing the chair across the room, sending us and everyone else in its path scrambling for safety. In the enormous mess hall, where we had our meals, we often had to hold on to our trays with one hand as we ate, to keep them from sliding off the table. Topside, we’d often watch dolphins at play in the water, bobbing up and down in the great waves. Sometimes, we even saw other ships passing, like the luxury liner The Queen Elizabeth, heading towards Europe with its American passengers! When we chugged past the White Cliffs of Dover, we sang "There’ll Be Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover." Someone in the recreation room had taught us that song.

Then, one morning before dawn, my grandmother awakened me. "Hurry, getup, sweetheart. The lights of New York are visible in the distance!" she told me excitedly. I jumped down from my bunk and quickly dressed, and then we headed out to the deck, where hundreds of people had already gathered.Grandfather was there, waiting for us. I remember gazing sleepily into the black distance, becoming slowly entranced by the trillions of lights out there on the dark horizon. It looked like a fairyland. It was my first look at America! Then, as dawn broke, someone in the crowd shouted, "There she is! There she is! The famous Statue of Liberty!"

Mesmerized, I gazed upon the vision of that grand lady with the torch rising magnificently out of the sea. From my vantage point on the ship, she seemed to hold her torch higher and higher on the New York skyline. I was overcome with emotion and could almost hear Lady Liberty saying the words I had learned in English class at the refugee camp school: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." And it seemed like she was speaking directly to me. That vision is indelibly etched in my memory.

Later, as we pulled into the harbor, the "Star Spangled Banner" played over the loudspeakers, and we learned that it was the national anthem of our new country. Once again, tears filled our eyes, and many others aboard. We had arrived in America! After several hours of being processed, my grandparents and I were finally released to our sponsor, Mr. Levin, and his wife. We traveled with them by train to our new destination, Indiana.

During the long train ride, I answered Mrs. Levin’s questions in my broken English, painfully aware of my shabby condition. But I thought she was the most beautiful, kindest lady I had ever met. After helping us get settled into a small house they had ready for us, Mrs. Levin came by with some news for me.

"You’ll be going to school soon, so tomorrow you and I are going shopping," she announced with a bright smile. ‘And how old did you say you are?"

"I’m almost fifteen," I replied shyly.

"Well, I was thinking that a young lady of almost fifteen might like to get rid of her little-girl braids, so we’ll visit a beauty shop, too." Her smile was so kind and bright that I had the urge to hug her.

"Oh, thank you," I said. "I would like that very much."

So the following day was a day of transformation for me. I got a stylish new haircut and stylish American clothes and shoes. Then Mrs. Levin took me to see a movie, where I got another boost to my adolescent self-confidence when a couple of teen aged boys "made goo-goo eyes" at me in the lobby. That’s what Mrs. Levin said they were doing, while I blushed, but was secretly pleased about it all. She shared many other insights and in many other ways helped a shy young Hungarian girl become a confident young American woman.

So it was on that bright September day in 1951, I met two special American ladies who forever changed my life: one who welcomed me into the land of promise, and one who helped me make my way in this golden land. I will always remember Mrs. Levin’s kindness and Miss Liberty’s warm welcome.

First published in Mature Living Magazine, copyright (c) July 2004

Thank you for reading the long story of one proud American lady! Happy Independence Day, everyone! God bless America!

GRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

2008-06-30T05:18:00.002-05:00

Well, before I go into a bit of a rant here, I hope everyone had a pleasant weekend. I did, for the most part. The weather has been beautiful, the company pleasant, and all the animals that live here, have been well behaved. Even Oreo, who tends to enjoy terrorizing Gracie and Maya, occasionally, has been a perfectly sweet kitty. But, there is a GRRRR, in this story.

Friday, Eileen and I drove to the Purple Castle. Well, actually, it's only a purple house that sort of resembles a castle, and it's about 15 miles from where I live.

Have you ever been charmed by a house? I don't mean impressed by it's grandeur, but charmed by it's uniqueness? That is what I have been by this extraordinary purple house, with the purple picket fence, and purple mailbox!

So we drove to look at it again. I had my camera with me. In the past, I have never seen anyone by the house. So this time, as we sat in the car, in front of it, I contemplated if I should get out and try and take pictures of it.

"What if the people don't like strangers taking pictures?" said Eileen.

"Well, we'll find out soon enough," said I, getting out of the car, while Eileen stayed put. Just as I was aiming my camera at one side of it, for it's a large house, an older woman came out. I introduced myself and asked her if it was okay for me to snap a few pictures of the house. She not only agreed, but after chatting, she invited me inside, to take pictures of the interior. Eileen insisted on staying put again, when I walked back to the car and tried talking her into coming along.

"No, you go, if you want to, and if you don't come out of there within a short time, I am going to call the law. You don't even know these people. They may be strange or something. After all, they live in a purple house!"

Now, if my daughter reads this, she will more than likely think that Eileen was right, and her Mom, me, a bit too daring, as usual.

The woman, Sandra was perfectly gracious. She told me she and her husband designed the house themselves, and have been working on it together for 14 years! And it's still not nearly finished, which was quite obvious, with lumber and even furniture, still stacked up on the numerous porches of the house. And Sandra, who is now in her sixties, is an artist. Much of her art is also stacked up in the various unfinished rooms. Oh, but the few rooms that are finished, are something else! Beautiful, stone fireplaces, a huge mural of a white tailed buck, on one of the walls, which Sandra had painted, stained glass windows, beautiful detail work on the walls, etc.

If I continue with the praises of the uniqueness of this house, this post will turn into a book. The photo's would tell some of the story....would, if I could only upload them onto my pc! But no such luck!

I have tried uploading them since Friday evening, but no success. The message keeps telling me to connect the device, which is connected! GRRRR! I have put freshly charged batteries into the camera, I have taken the little card in and out several times, at my daughters suggestion, I have done everything possible to make it happen, but it's not happenning. GRRRR! So I can't show you the Purple Castle, just yet. Or maybe never. It's stuck in my stupid camera! I am pretty aggravated over this! Can you tell? LOL.

So, I will have to take my laptop and camera in to our PC Guru, Patrick, sometime soon, and see if he can figure it out. But this week will be pretty busy, being that the 4th of July weekend is coming up, and I am determined to enjoy it all, even with a GRRRR, that will be in the back of my mind all week.

Thank you for reading my rant. Hope you have a great week!

Tagged Again--Why I Love Writing from Home

2008-06-24T19:06:00.003-05:00

Okay, something a little different here from my usual posts. My busy bee little writing friend, Michele, over at Writing the Cyber Highway.com, has tagged me for a meme. I'm supposed to list some reasons why I love writing from home. So here it goes...

1. Although I always loved writing, and wrote stories for my 3 children when they were young, I began writing for money,in the late nineties, on a typewriter! Yep, remember typewriters? I was a late bloomer, when it comes to writing, anxious to write the stories in my head, some true, some fiction. So my career of writing from home began.

2. This new career of mine was on wobbly legs for a while, and I jokingly called myself an almost starving writer. But I hung in there, and made my first sale. And when that first piece was published, in Good Old Days, and I got a check in the mail for it, well, I could go outside and whoop and holler all I wanted, and the only neighbors I disturbed were the wild creatures that share my woods with me. And they're all still here, so I didn't scare them too much!

3. Writing from home has so many advantages. I can write when I feel like it, and not write, when I don't. I couldn't do that writing for some publication, while sitting in an office. No sirree Bob. (Are you smiling, Michele?)

4. Writing from Home in the nineties was a different ball game. I bought magazines like, The Writer, and Writer's Digest, and a huge book called The Writer's Market, which came out every fall, listing thousands of magazine and book markets that bought articles from writers. I also bought books of advice for writers. They were all a huge help. Besides, I have always loved to read!

5. Then I got a computer! My son Greg brought it, set it up on my desk, showed me how to turn it on and off, then he was gone. I was alone with this new gizmo I nicknamed Einstein. Einstein seemed to have a mind of his own! But he made life easier for a writer writing from home. And I wrote a piece about Einstein and had it accepted by Folks Online! The year was 1999. What a thrill that was. My first published article on the Internet, and I got paid for it! And that article is still up. Here is the link to it, if you'd care to read it, with a photo of me from that year that I also posted on here. It was called, Messages from the Old Homeland, and if you check it out, I hope you enjoy it.
http://www.folksonline.com/folks/ts/1999/hungary.htm

6. Computers are amazing. We all know that. But for a writer writing from home, they are truly a boon! I no longer have to buy the magazines put out for writers, I can read all the writing advice I care to read, right on the Internet. I can find writing markets galore on the Internet as well. I can submit my writing by email, instead of by postal mail. I am saving on paper, postage, and on gasoline, since I don't have to go anywhere, to send my manuscript. (Of course, that doesn't mean I am saving that much on gas, since I enjoy going to town and meeting my friends for breakfast, lunch, or just coffee, often, and town is 10 miles away.)

7. Writing from home affords me unusual sights that I would not see writing from an office. Like the unusual sight that I have been witnessing for the past couple of weeks. No doubt you have heard about the plight of the honeybees. How they are supposed to be is some sort of trouble. Well, outside my window, honeybees are causing a lot of trouble, this year.

I've been putting up hummingbird feeders for 25 years, and enjoy watching the little jewels buzz around. Well, this year the bees have taken over the hummingbird feeders. Swarms of honeybees! And I don't know what to do about them. The hummies are afraid of the bees, and who can blame them? Anyone know what to do about honeybees swarming on the hummingbird feeders? (Maybe there is an article there....hmmm.)

8. Of course, there are the usual advantages to writing from home: I can stay in my pj's all day. I can comb my hair or not. I can bring my lunch to my desk, or take a break and eat it out on the deck, I can work all day, or just a couple of hours. I can read all kinds of neat stuff on the neat blogs I enjoy visiting, and then go back and work on a story, or an article later. I am my own boss! What could be better?

9.Well, you get the picture. Writing from home is challenging, interesting, and even fun! I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thank you, Michele, for tagging me. I enjoyed it.

And thank you for reading. I hope it wasn't too boring. Have a wonderful day!

Happy Summer!

2008-06-21T10:24:00.009-05:00

Today is the first full day of summer, and I hope everyone is out there, enjoying some lovely weather. Our weather in the Ozarks has been heavenly the past week and a half-mild, sunny days in the low 80s, and cool, good for sleeping, nights. And I have been out and about, enjoying it.

I went to some yard/garage sales this morning, followed by a nice lunch, with friends. Our small town is already getting ready for the Fourth of July, as the tents are all set up in town, selling fireworks. I can't believe the Fourth if July is already almost here!

My favorite neighbors in the woods, the deer, have been around, as usual, and I took a couple of pictures of them. I have not been able to take pictures of the new fawns as of yet, although I have caught glimpses of them. It will be a little while before they will follow mama to the field, where this "odd" human lady lives that talks to them. :-) But they will come eventually.

Before we began mowing my field, it used to be a beautiful meadow, full of wildflowers and butterflies! But, I soon discovered that besides butterflies, many unwanted insects liked the tall grasses and flowers as well. So did the various and sundry snakes, like copperheads and the more benign, but equally unwanted black snakes. They all enjoyed my beautiful meadow. So now, we, or I should say my son, Greg, keeps it short and almost looking like a suburban lawn, and I can see any unwelcome visitors clearly!

My posts have been sparse lately, but there is just too much happenning in my world, that I want to partake in. Even my writing has been neglected. Thank goodness for reprints!

Thank you for reading, God bless, and have a wonderful week, everyone.

Fascinating Facts!!!

2008-06-18T01:02:00.001-05:00

I don't usually post things I receive in my emails, but last week someone sent me some fascinating facts that I thought you may all enjoy finding out about. The email titled these:

A Coincidence????

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and science shows that carrots greatly
enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four
chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also
profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Eggplant, Avocados and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers.

And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. Just like a baby!

There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

"The news isn't that fruits and vegetables are good for you, it's that they are so good for you, they can save your life." David Bjerklie, TIME
Magazine, Oct. 2003.

I hope you enjoyed finding out these fascinating facts about fruits and vegetables.

Have a great day!

His Inspiring Motto--A Story for Father's Day

2008-06-14T02:10:00.002-05:00

I was eleven when we fled our Soviet occupied country Hungary, in 1947, landing in a refugee camp in Austria. Our only worldly possessions were the clothes on our backs. We had lost everything because of World War II, but we were alive, and for that we were grateful to God.

The refugee camp housed hundreds of destitute refugees. Although dismal and cramped, the camp provided a roof over our heads, donated clothes to wear, and soup and bread to fill our hungry stomachs. So what did it matter that we didn’t have penny to our names?

But it mattered a great deal to Apa (Hungarian for Dad.) He hated living off the charity of others; hated not being able to provide for his family, as he always did in the past.

Just beyond our dismal camp home was a beautiful natural world of mountains, a crystal clear river, and farms with grazing animals. The river was the Drau River, and Apa and I discovered it on a summer day while taking one of our rambles through the countryside.

“You can enjoy the water, while I get busy with something else,” he said,.

So I splashed around in the shallow, clear water, while Apa walked up and down the bank. I noticed he was cutting some branches from the river willows growing all along the bank. Soon, he had a large armful of them, so we headed back to camp.

“What are you going to do with them?” I asked him curiously.

“I will make some baskets,” Apa replied.

“And what will you do with the baskets?” I continued, suddenly remembering that his hobby in the past used to be weaving.

“I will try and sell them to the Austrians.”

Soon, Apa found some old boards and bricks, and set up a worktable in front of our barrack. Then, after peeling the willow branches, he began weaving his first basket. A large crowd gathered to watch him. Some boys volunteered to get more willow branches for him.

“Thank you. And when I sell my baskets, I’ll pay you for your help.”

Within a short time, there were six beautiful baskets ready for market. Apa hung them on a long stick, flung them over his shoulder, and off he went to town, looking like a hobo peddler. He returned a few hours later minus the baskets. He had sold all of them!

Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out the book I had been longing for, while we had walked around in town.

“Oh, thank you, Apa,” I shrieked, giving him a hug. “I can’t believe you were able to buy me a new book.”

“You are welcome, Sweetheart. Never forget–where there is a will, there is always a way,” he said. Then he went off to pay the boys who had helped him.

Apa continued with his new venture all summer, and even gave free lessons in weaving to anyone interested. After he sold the next batch, he bought himself a fishing pole, too, and a large frying pan, and building a fire outside the barrack, soon cooked up a large batch of fish he caught in the river, and shared it with our neighbors. It was most unusual to have the aroma of that frying fish wafting through the camp, where barracks were lined up like soldiers, and helpless people lived their lives in them, hoping and praying for something better.

My dear Apa’s example was an inspiration to many at that refugee camp. His motto became my motto in life, and it has always served me well.

-----

"Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad."
-- Anne Geddes

This story is from the book, “The Best Dad in the World” published by Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Copyright © April 2008.

A longer version of this story was previously published in Chicken Soup for the Father and Daughter's Soul. Apa was my dear grandfather, who raised me.

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful weekend!

Surprises!

2008-06-10T04:26:00.003-05:00

The other day, as I was driving up my gravel road, heading home, I ran into a neat surprise. There in front of me were two covered wagons pulled by horses! They pulled to the side, when they saw me, so I could pass by. But instead of passing by, I stopped and opened my car window, and asked the men in the wagons if they could stop by my driveway, just ahead, while I ran in the house a grabbed my camera. They agreed. So I sped up to the house, ran in and ran out with camera in hand, followed by my two barking dogs. I told the dogs to stay! and being good girls, they obeyed nicely.
This is the second wagon. I messed up the order, when I downloaded the photos, and I didn't want to do it over, since it takes forever with my slow dial up Internet.

This is the photo that should have been first. The men told me there were about 20 other covered wagons that were up ahead. "We're the slowpokes of the group," one of the guys said.

They also told me they were members of the Maynard Saddle Club, and they go on these outings twice a year-driving up and down these hilly gravel roads. I was sorry I missed the rest of the caravan, but they told me they would be all back the first week of October. I'll be ready with my camera then!

The second surprise was finding out that my prickly pear cactus was blooming! This prickly pear cactus appeared in this spot a few years ago, on its own. It has been spreading and growing bigger and bigger. And now, it's blooming! Aren't the flowers beautiful? The pads of this plant are edible, and very nutritious, but you'd better pick them off while wearing gloves. They don't call it the prickly pear for nothing!

I hope you enjoyed my surprises. And if you're experiencing the sweltering heat, we are experiencing, I hope you're managing to stay cool. If you're living in the areas plagued by severe storms, I pray that you stay safe.

Thank you for reading. Have a great week.

Prom Pictures and a Small Woo Hoo!

2008-06-05T07:24:00.000-05:00

My daughter sent me some pictures of my oldest granddaughter, Nichole, going to her Senior Prom, recently. Pictured above is Nichole and her date, Danny. Aren't they cute?

And here is Nichole, with her best friend Ally. They have been best friends since kindergarten! They are lovely young women now, going off to college soon.

It seems like only yesterday that Nichole was a little girl, chasing my chickens around the yard, swimming with baby ducks in the kiddie pool, taking a walk in the woods with me, collecting pretty rock treasures, catching tiny frogs in cups at the river, and trying to sneak them home by hiding them in a suitcase, and crying when they were leaving to go home to the city, because she didn't want to leave her Nana! But, of course, she will always be my Honey-Bunny. And did I tell you that I am very proud of her?

Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset

Swiftly fly the years

One season following an other

Laden with happiness and tears

-From "Fiddler on the Roof"

.......

I also want to mention a small Woo Hoo. I have a short, writing related article in this week's Writer's Weekly, a popular newsletter for freelance writers. Angela Hoy, who publishes the newsletter, bought this from me recently, and if you'd like to take a peek at it, here is the link to it:

http://writersweekly.com/success_stories/004730_06042008.html

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day!

A Little of This, A Little of That.

2008-05-30T05:15:00.001-05:00

The weather around here has been beautiful this past week, with pleasant temperatures. And my dear friend, Eileen is finally free of her cast! She still has to wear a temporary brace around the wrist, but for the most part her hand is free, and she can now even put curlers in her hair at night! :-)

She is still somewhat afraid to drive, since she hasn't had her hands around a stirring wheel in over three months, but we'll be out there practicing this weekend.

The warmer temperatures and frequent showers have turned everything lush and green, and growing at a rapid speed. I mean the grass, of course. The lawnmower gives us quite a workout these days. Meanwhile, I took a few photos this week to share. I hope you enjoy them.

The cattails in the pond first appeared a couple of years ago. At first, I thought they added a nice touch to it, since my pond is mainly a wildlife pond. But these days, the cattails seem to be multiplying at a rapid rate, and I am worried they will take over the entire pond. So we will have to do some cattail weeding soon!

I call this shrub my purple globe. Actually, the flowers are kind of a raspberry color, and the honey bees are very fond of it. I planted this five years ago, because I liked the round shape of it, and the light, yellow -green color of the foliage, which turns a pretty gold in the fall. But I forgot the name of it. Anyone know what this shrub is called?

The white wild rose at the top of the field has made one of the smaller trees its trellis! It looks very pretty cascading down from the branches. We may have to do some pruning though, this fall.

Looking out the window the other evening, I saw this guy out in the back. And when I opened the window to talk to him, he stood up on his hind legs! Since it was already quite dark out there, his eyes are glowing, but he is cute, isn't he? I did give him a hot dog, as a snack!

And this guy was making his way through the field, the other day, at quite a rapid pace, and I went running out with the camera, to take his picture. He seemed very cooperative, and then went on his way, to wherever turtles go. Since he is quite large, I think he is quite old as well. These turtles can live to be a hundred years old. There is a turtle in the pond as well, but he is a ferocious looking snapping turtle, and spends most of his time in the water. His head sometimes pops up, when I'm feeding the fish, and he snaps up some of the cat kibbles I feed the catfish.

May is almost over, and I haven't seen a new fawn yet. But I have been watching for the mothers to come and show me their babies, when they're old enough. I know they will, and I can't wait to see them.

Well, I have made this post long enough. Thank you for reading, have a lovely weekend and a great week!

A New Award! And A Belated Birthday Wish!

2008-05-27T05:56:00.000-05:00

This neat award was passed on to me by dear Patty over at Old Lady Lincoln. (She is married to Abe Lincoln, you know!) Thank you my friend. I am honored! Now I am to pass this award on to 5 blogs that make me think and make my day.

Well that is the hard part, as I love all the blogs I visit. However, the rules say 5, so I am passing this award on to- tada, drum roll please :

Deborah at Corridors.

Bev at Mountain Mama

Grandy at Functional Schmunktional

Patti at Nonna's News and

Audrey at Marvellous

Hope you enjoy this award, friends.

I would also like to wish my dear friend Merle, whose birthday, last Friday, May 23rd, I somehow missed, a belated Happy Birthday!

Count your life by smiles, not tears,
Count your age by friends, not years.
Happy Birthday, dear Merle!

Your forgetful friend, Renie.

And thank you for passing this award on to me as well, dear Merle. Getting it twice is very nice! :-)

Memorial Day Weekend!

2008-05-21T18:54:00.000-05:00

My pink rosebush is loaded with beautiful flowers and buds, signifying the start of warmer weather. And Memorial Day Weekend signifies the start of the summer season, although summer is officially a few weeks away.

Anyone travelling this Memorial Day weekend? Or are higher gas prices keeping you closer to home? This area just rose to $3.69 a gallon! And that's low compared to some other areas of the country, especially larger cities.

We will travel all of 15 miles to the cabin on the river, for a little cookout. The river still looks too high from the recent floods, so I don't know how many boats will venture out on it. But folks will be out there grilling, picnicking, and enjoying the nice weather the forecast has promised for our are for Saturday and Sunday. Monday itself might be rainy.

As we are all enjoying the Memorial Day weekend with friends and family, we will keep in mind that Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
-Moina Michael

Have an enjoyable and safe Memorial Day weekend, everyone!

The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways--A Story

2008-05-16T17:59:00.000-05:00

I'm an avid hunter. Especially in the spring of the year when the air is fresh, the breezes gentle, and new "game" is plentiful. More often than not, I hunt in my woods and fields, armed with my trusty Wildflowers and Plants of North America book, a camera, and a dog and cat companion. And, yes, I'm a wildflower hunter.

The Mark Twain National forest covers 1.5 million acres in my area. Noted for its scenic qualities, the Forest contains much for the outdoor lover. If you hanker for clear, cool spring-fed streams to dip your toes into, you will find them here. If changing landscapes are your thing, you will find peaks, hills and knobs of varying heights throughout the forest. Exposed rock and open glades also add interest to the scenic settings.

Each spring, enchanting wildflowers, ferns, and prairie grasses appear, to the special delight of wildflower enthusiasts. Some of the wildflowers are rare, and even endangered-like the yellow lady's slipper plant, a member of the wild orchid family.

Two years ago, my friend and fellow wildflower enthusiast, Hazel, called to tell me she had heard where there were some yellow lady's slippers growing in the Mark Twain National Forest. "It's in the J Highway area of the forest," she said. "Want to go see if we can find them?"

"Do I ever!" I said. "How about tomorrow morning?"

It was a beautiful, mild, late April morning as Hazel and I drove up to J Highway to set out for the hunt for the yellow lady's slipper. Most of the land in that area is owned by the Forest Service, except for a few smatterings of privately owned farms, which, it turned out, was a lucky thing for two careless hunters!

We parked the car on the side of the road, and walked into the leafy sanctuary of tall oaks and hickories. A myriad of plants and wildflowers carpeted the floor, and we became so engrossed in trying to identify each one that we lost all sense of time and direction. But what was even worse, we failed to notice the ominous changes taking place above our heads--until we heard a noise that compelled us to look up.

"Oh, my gosh, it's thundering in the distance. There is a storm coming," I said to Hazel. "We'd better had back to the car."

"You aint a-kidding," Hazel said. "And we'd better hurry, too. From the looks of those dark clouds, it will be a doozie!" We turned quickly and began sprinting through the woods in the direction of our vehicle. Unfortunately, our vehicle was nowhere to be found. We had gotten ourselves lost!

After sprinting some more, while the sky grew even darker and the thunder closer, panic began to set it in. So we stopped for a minute to catch our breath.

"I can't believe we got lost. I've been in these woods many times and thought I knew the way," Hazel said.

"Sh-h! Listen! I hear something," I interrupted.

"Cock-a-doodle-do!" the something went.

"It's a rooster crowing! And it doesn't sound far away. We must be near a farm," Hazel said. "Come on, let's follow the noise." A few minutes later we came out in a clearing and saw the rustic farmhouse, just ahead. We landed on the farms front porch just as the first crack of lightening came down, almost at our heels! A woman opened the door to see who the strangers on her porch were.

"Hi," Hazel said. "We were wildflower hunting in the National Forest and got lost, and when we finally found our way out, well here we are at your place."

"Oh, you poor things," the woman said. "You were lucky to find your way out just before the storm hit. Come in and have a cup of coffee with me. And later, I'll drive you back and help you find your car."

"Well, it was more than luck that brought us to safety," I mused over coffee. "We heard your rooster crowing and followed the noise. We're sure glad you have a rooster."

"The woman looked at us with a strange expression. "Well, if that don't beat all," she said.

"Beg you pardon?" Hazel and I looked at her curiously.

"You see, ladies, that's a young rooster. This morning was the first time he crowed," she said. Then she smiled and added, "Well, they do say that the Lord works in mysterious ways. This just proves it."

He does indeed!

.........

First published in the book, Their Mysterious Ways, by Guideposts Books, copyright 2002.

I posted this story in remembrance of my old friend and hunting partner, Hazel, who passed away recently. She knew every wildflower that grew in our area, and taught me a great deal. I will always remember our many, happy hunting times together.

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful week!

Wordless Wednesday!

2008-05-14T02:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-10T09:03:00.000-05:00

God's Masterpiece Is Mother

God took the fragrance of a flower
The majesty of a tree
The gentleness of morning dew
The calm of the quiet sea
The beauty of the twilight hour
The soul of a starry night
The laughter of a rippling brook
The grace of a bird in flight
Then God fashioned from these things
A creation like no other,
And when the masterpiece was done
He called it simply-Mother.

--Herbert Farnham-American Poet

This is a picture of Anya, (which in Hungarian means Mom) my dear Grandma, the only mother I ever knew. Pictured here with my two boys, her great-grandsons, in 1963.( Since I can only take a picture of the original, it's not the best of pictures.)

She was there for me through thick or thin, and gave me gifts of the heart, when there was no money for store-bought gifts, during the war. Her faith was strong, and her love deeper than the deepest ocean!

She went to her heavenly reward in February of 1989, at the age of 89. I miss her to this day!

"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always discover forgiveness" --Honore De Balzac

Have a Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Wordless Wednesday!

2008-05-07T06:22:00.000-05:00