A Perfect Hodgepodge and New Photo Ops

Hello and happy HUMP-Day!

Not only is it Hump day, it's also time for Joyce's weekly Hodgepodge.

Have you all seen the new look of her blog?

I think it's really quite lovely and so is her new Hodgepodge button.

Pretty, huh?

Before we get into the questions, I'd like to share a new photo op that I have.

I know I don't need to tell you how much I love getting out in the country with my camera...

it really is a form of worship for me.

Problem is, the area around where I live is growing like crazy and little by little,

the country is getting harder and harder to find!

Do you remember my road less traveled? 

To understand what I mean, click on the link to see the way it used to look...before 'it' happened.

Well, here it is now...  

...and although it is not that widely traveled as of yet due to the newness,

it used to be lined with wildflowers and in the spring and summer a haven for birds and butterflies.

I will keep checking it to see if there are any leftovers when spring comes in earnest.

The road you see off to the right leads to the new Walmart distribution center (grumble),

which leads to another yet-to-be-developed industrial park (grumble, grumble).

At least the donkeys are still there at the end of the road.

~

Last week some of you may have heard Vee's rendition of "Where Have All the Bloggers Gone?"...

...well I have been singing my version, "Where Has All the Country Gone?", for years now.

And right now all you youngsters out there are saying,

"What song are they talking about, anyway?" :)

So I say all of that to say this......

There is an old house down the road from me that's been empty for as long as I can remember...

...I pass it numerous times during the week.

There are two ponds behind it and it's just a gorgeous setting.

For a long time I have been hoping to find someone there to ask permission to take photos.

A few months ago I Google mapped it and got the address and owners of the property,

got the phone number through voter registration (yes I did), called but could only leave a message.

Nothing.

Over the weekend I called again and this time my call was returned....YESSSS!!

Permission granted.....YESSSS and YESSSS!!

I'm looking forward to watching spring come to life as well as what the other seasons bring.

 

Although the property is on the corner of a very busy intersection,

once you get back behind the house, you're in a different world.

So consider this a warning...there will be tons many more pics to come!

~

So now...ON with the Hodgepodge...

1. What is one area of your life where you're a perfectionist? Is that a good thing?

I do not consider myself a perfectionist about many things at all. If there is a way to cut a corner here or there (in a good way, of course) I will find it. There is one area that I think I just might be...I wrote about this very thing on a blogger's comment just the other day. Years ago when I was an older teen and young adult, I drew portraits of some of my family and a friend here and there. It seems I was never really finished with one because every time I thought I was, I would make a slight change here or there because I felt something wasn't quite right. Of course that wasn't possible after I finally sprayed the fixative on it. Perfection or at least striving for it can be good thing if kept in perspective.

2. What's something you find perfectly ridiculous?

Where do I begin? The world is so full of ridiculousness today...upheaval of every kind, anger and strife every where you look. It seems many people are offended about something. You are not "with it" if you are not up in arms about something. I must not be "with it." And that's fine with me.

3. What's a skill you've developed by way of that old fashioned saying, 'practice makes perfect?

Like I said, I hesitate to use the word perfection in the same sentence with my name. But I do make a pretty good black raspberry pie. If you don't believe me, ask my hubby or son, Adam. This is a favorite dessert for them and they both get a pie for their birthdays instead of a cake. There is a running joke every time I make them one and because I am my own worst critic, they always say, "This is the BEST pie you've ever made!"... LOL.

4. What's your idea of a perfect breakfast?

Egg casserole of some sort, a blueberry muffin, fresh fruit and coffee... OR the blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon at Cracker Barrel...and coffee, of course :)

5. What's a trip, holiday, vacation, or day outing you've taken that you'd rate a perfect 10? Tell us why.

Give me a weekend (a week or a month or longer) at Adam's mountain paradise in the Tennessee countryside. That is why we plan to be retiring there in the not-so-distant future.

6. What quote or saying perfectly sums up your life right now? If you can't do perfect, how about one that comes close?

I'm not perfect, just forgiven...right now and always.

7. How would you spend $300 today?
At this very moment in time, I would give it to my church to help with it's current financial need.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
The forecast is calling for snow this Sunday. I mean...really??...come on now!

Glory in the Cornfield

I was out doing my Friday morning thing when I saw it...

you know, that thing I do, taking the back roads to the store on Friday mornings.

Last year in the early fall, I came across this field of morning glories.

It was quite literally "GLORY"-ous!

So this past spring as I was making one these routine trips,

I noticed to my disappointment that they had planted corn in the field.

This is a side by side of the same field.

  Now I do love a good cornfield, don't get me wrong...

...but I love me some morning glories even better.

So several weeks had gone by and I hadn't been down this particular road in a while.
 For some reason I had gotten an inclination to go back and check out the cornfield
since I had seen morning glories still blooming in other areas.
So I did and this what I saw.



The morning glories were still alive and well, using the corn as one gigantic trellis...

...acres and acres of bluish-purple trumpets were trailing up the wasted corn stalks...




...just about as far as my eye could see.



I tried to get them all into one panoramic photo but was not very successful.

Oh, it was a such a sight...and my photos just cannot do them justice.

As I stood there snapping photo after photo and taking it all in,
I couldn't help but compare what I was seeing to what God does for us.

That lovely old Gaither song "Something Beautiful" popped into my head.

Our lives can sometimes become like these dead, brittle and dried up corn stalks, can't they?

This beautifully stunning contrast spoke such peace to my heart,

and I was reminded once again that God's love covers a multitude of sins.

So, now you see why I look forward to these Friday morning detours?

It seems like there is always something new to discover...

...and something I already know to be reminded of :)

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, 

are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. 

For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.   

2 Corinthians 3:18

~

Sharing at:

Mosaic Monday

Spiritual Sundays

Wednesday's Hodgepodge

So here it is, a week since my last post.

Nothing much exciting is going on around here to speak of.

The leaves are finally beginning to turn a bit and after being in the 80's again this week,

we will be cooling way down for the upcoming weekend and next week....yay!!

Early last Friday morning as I headed out to do my shopping, the sunrise was so beautiful.
I pulled off on the side of the road for a bit to take it all in and capture it on my phone.

A little further down the road, I came up on this scene in a nearby field.

The sun had just made it up over the horizon and created a golden glow on this old tractor
and this trail of hay bales.

The contrast between the glow and the darkened, somewhat cloudy sky was sight to see.
My photos really do not do it justice.

You probably know by now that scenes like this make my heart beat a little faster :)

So I'm joining Joyce's Hodgepodge again this week...

 

...where she asks the questions and we answer them on our blog.

Here are this week's questions:

1. What would you say is your strongest sense?

Well, I know it's not seeing...I need lots of help there. I think I do hear well though...sometimes too much maybe :) Although this isn't one of the regulars, I think my strongest sense would be the ability to "know" or have a strong feeling when something or someone doesn't seem quite right. I would also call this intuition. I feel like, in most instances, I am able to discern...or have a "gut instinct" about certain matters or people. I believe this is just one of the ways the Holy Spirit helps me along the way.

2. Do you believe in the idea of a 'sixth sense'? Why or why not?

I am quite leery about putting stock in this type of thing, although my father had the ability to blow the fire out of burns...really and truly. You can read my account of it here, on my other blog. I have never known how to explain it to anyone but I have been a recipient of his "gift" and I feel that is what it was...I know it came from God. I have no explanation as to why or how some folks say they can communicate with the dead or can predict the future. I only know what God's word says about the matter..."Don’t dabble in the occult or traffic with mediums; you’ll pollute your souls. I am God, your God."    Leviticus 19:31 (The Message)

3. When do you most feel like a slave to time? Explain.

Probably, because I'm not the most organized person in the world, I can get a little flustered around the holidays and/or whenever I am preparing for guests. This is due to not planning my time as wisely as I should. I will say though, that I am always on time and even sometimes early to work, church, appointments, meetings or anything else. The occasions are rare when you'll find me running around like a chicken with it's head cut off, but it does happen from time to time :)

4. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? How would you rate the experience? If you could own a restaurant what kind would it be?

Nope, never have...and I think if someone offered that opportunity, I'd have to turn them down. I prefer to just eat in them, not own one :)

5. Ever traced your family tree? Share something interesting you learned there.

I personally have not done this, although I have some relatives that dabble in it a bit. Because of one cousin's efforts, she found my blog and we made a connection. Some of you may remember reading that story several months ago on my blog. It was really quite remarkable!

6. What did your childhood bedroom look like?

Living in a small house with that many kids (7 at the time) was quite a challenge when it came time to find room for everyone to sleep. I spent the first four years of my life sleeping in a baby crib in my parent's bedroom! I can remember to this day the very moment when all that changed. My mom was getting me settled in bed for the night and as she bent down to tuck me in, I said something like "Ahhh...my nice comfortable bed!" Just a few seconds after saying that, the springs let go and the mattress literally fell to the floor with me on it! No more baby bed for me! I was quickly moved upstairs with all of the other kids...two older brothers in one room (and the same bed) and all five of us girls in the other room... sharing TWO beds ...and our last name was not even Walton! As far as the room goes, it was quite small with an angled ceiling in that "story and a half" little house. My dad built it himself and never got around to finishing the upstairs rooms, until several years later. They were actually quite crude, with unpainted drywall and no trim around the windows. Later, when I was a teen and the only ones left at home was me and one sister, I wallpapered my room in a funky black and white checkerboard pattern (of all things) and trimmed it out in white and had red accents. The main thing I remember about my room, no matter how many it inhabited, was that it was always comfortable, cozy and filled with fond childhood memories.

7. Anyone who knows me knows I love____?

The Lord Jesus, my family and friends, my dogs and roosters.........................and pizza. And chocolate...can't forget the chocolate.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Wake me up when the election is over, okay? :)

Heat Wave

"If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?" 

~Steven Wright

A steamy, sultry morning around these parts.

Autumn, I hope to see you soon!

Sharing at ...
The Run-A-Round Ranch's

 

Along a Country Road

I would venture to guess that most of us have certain routines that we follow.

And routines can be a good thing, for the most part.

 Friday mornings I routinely set aside to do my weekly grocery shopping.

I like to leave the house right after sunrise.

  When you get up with the chickens (even on your days off) this is not a hard thing to do.

I could get onto the highway but I prefer to take the more scenic route,

along this country road which is only a few miles from where I do my shopping.

These photos are from last Friday morning.

  

The road is mostly unpaved and off the beaten path, not to be confused with my road less traveled.

 I have taken lots of photos on this gravel road and have shared many of them here as well.

One of my simple pleasures of summertime is gazing upon a field growing high with corn.

It's not quite as high as an elephant's eye yet but it's getting there. 

And if you look really hard, you can see the corner of a fence in the distance :)

I didn't realize corn stalks have these really cool feet.

One of my first stops along the way was to get a few shots of this Canadian goose family.

I had seen them the week before but they were on the far side of the pond.

I was delighted that they were close enough to snap a few decent shots, although not the best.
Not that you can see it, but I was actually shooting between the wires of an electric fence.

Really... I swear.

You may recognize this hay barn from other posts...or you may not.
I find myself stopping once again to get more images of it.

I experimented a bit with different effects and angles.



The Queen Anne's Lace is in all of it's glory, everywhere you look.

Surely the Lord will allow it in heaven...

...but of course, no one will be allergic :)

Believe it not, there is a fence buried under the thick growth.

I promise :)

Gee, it's almost Friday again...
...time for my routine to start all over again :)

Join me over at the Run-A-Round Ranch for Theresa's
Good Fences