Raindrops Keep Falling on my Hodgepodge

Hello and Happy Wednesday!
 I'm glad to be hodgepodging again today after missing it last week.
~
Let me tell you, we have been getting tons of rain here in NC!
It has poured everyday for about ten days with even more in the forecast for the next several days.
We needed it terribly and have now gotten more than our share...
...of course come July, we'll be praying for more as always.
There have been periods of sunshine as well and my little container garden is thriving!
Yes, I've got babies coming on but I'll wait 'til next week to take photos.
And speaking of photos, you all know how I roll.
I like to get my lens up as close and personal with anything that will let me...

...like this cute little guy...or gal.

And in between downpours, I couldn't resist dodging the showers to capture some fresh droplets.



And there were plenty of them to go around.

Have you ever noticed how sometimes the backside of a flower is just as pretty as the front?

Okay...enough soggy flowers...it's time to get on with the Hodgepodge.
Joyce asks the always interesting questions and we answer them on our blogs.

1. The last place you visited/patronized where you felt like you were given 'the royal treatment'?

I don't think I have ever been anywhere that has treated me (us) quite like royalty...and the closest thing I can even compare it to would be when we went on a "Royal" Caribbean cruise several years ago. We have been in restaurants, hotels, etc. where we have gotten really good service...and of course others, not so much. But royalty...nah. And speaking of royalty, how about that wedding over the weekend? I thought it was just wonderful and loved the mixture of cultures, especially that awesome message on love delivered by Bishop Michael Curry. 

2. The last task you completed that was a 'royal pain'?

That would be the time a few months ago when my refrigerator decided to go "pee-pee" all over my kitchen floor. I was home by myself when I discovered it and frantically began to stuff towels under it so the water didn't ruin my wood floors. I then had to pull it out, unplug it, remove everything from the freezer and figure out how and where to find out exactly where the water was coming from. Turns out it was just frozen up due to overcrowding and after it thawed out, we were good to go. Of course, while it was empty I went ahead and wiped it down inside and out...a job I was not expecting to have to do at a most inopportune time. Of course later I was glad to have been forced into getting my freezer cleaned out!

3. How have your strengths helped you succeed?

I may be my father's daughter and I did inherit his strong personality but any real strength that I might possess comes only through Jesus. I have been through some "stuff" in my life and there will, no doubt, be more to come. The only way I have been able to succeed...or get through it in once piece...is relying on His strength, not mine because I am nothing without Him.



How have your faults hindered you?

How have they not? Pride, lack of faith, self-righteousness, just to name a few, are never good things. Thank God for mercy and grace...and thank God I'm still learning.

4. If you found a remote that could rewind, fast forward, stop and start time, what would you do with it?

Oh wow, what a loaded question. I would probably wear the batteries out in that thing in just one day. It would be during those moments when I'm thinking about my parents, or maybe back when my boys were little and carefree...I would hit rewind so I could go back and relive some of those precious moments in time. I would press the stop button when I could sense danger or something on the horizon that I didn't want to happen...and the start button to get me motivated into action OR when it seemed like my life was going nowhere. And then there's the one you didn't mention...the pause button...when everything in life is good and you want it to last forever. I would use that fast-forward button when last minute company's coming and my house could be ready in a flash....OR when I'm finally just ready to go home and be with the Lord.

5. Any special plans for the Memorial Day weekend? Rain is in the forecast here for pretty much all weekend but Friday is our son Aaron's birthday. Hopefully, we will be able to have a dry celebration somewhere over the long holiday weekend. Will you in some way honor or recognize the meaning of this day (remembering people who died in service to their country)? Our Sunday morning worship service will be honoring those who have served, are currently serving, along with a few teens who are preparing to serve. They will be wearing their uniforms and a special video will be shown as a memorial for all whose lives have been lost serving their country. Have you ever been to Arlington National Cemetery? Yes, I've seen it once during a very rushed trip through DC. Does your town do anything special to mark the day? Not that I'm aware of.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Playing with Light (or the lack thereof)

 pho·tog·ra·pher

fəˈtäɡrəfər/

noun

noun: photographer; plural noun: photographers

a person who takes photographs, especially as a job.

~

I don't consider myself to be a photographer,

but according to Merriam Webster, I do fit the first part of the definition...

...a person who takes photographs, as most of us bloggers do.

And yes, there are some of you who do officially fit the whole definition

 because you either take photos for a living and/or get paid for your work.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's the photographer in me (and again I use that term loosely)

that notices how the light plays on certain objects at certain times of the day.

No matter what I'm doing, it makes me want to run and get my camera.

The evening sun sets through the woods in the backyard and when it's in that golden stage...

 

...it sets the leaves aglow, creating the most beautiful effects.

And as the sun continues to sink lower in the sky, the rays seem to set the woods on fire.

I have been waiting for this pink knock-out rose to bloom so I could distinguish it from the others.

I had bought several small ones with no blooms and failed to mark them according to color.

It opened up during a rainy night and I snapped these on the dark, dreary morning after.

I was using a manual setting so I could adjust the light due to the lack of sunshine.

This is the same bloom a few hours later.

As I said, it had rained the night before,

 leaving everything covered with little water droplets.

Have I told you how much I love little water droplets?? :)

I thought so.

So it sounds as though the sunshine will be absent for the rest of the week around here.
I love little water drops but enough is enough.
And I have seen that a few of my northern friends are still getting some snow!
Come on, now!
~
But it is what it is...May...and I guess anything goes.
And so, my fellow photographers, enjoy your week and go out and find your light,
be it rain or shine...or even snow :)

And it rained...and it rained...

...and it rained some more.

And it's still coming down.

~  

It started out last Friday as a welcomed relief...

...and I thank the Lord for it, don't get me wrong.

It was a beautiful sight to see.

A beautiful thing to feel.

A beautiful thing to hear.


Buckets.
It's coming down in bucket loads.

It started out cool and fresh but now it feels like Florida in July.
Only with no palm trees.

You all know how much I love to snap those little water droplets.

And as you see, I've been doing a lot of snapping.

But enough is enough already.
How many ways can you photograph drops of water, anyway?

I'm done now.

After the Rain

Then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, 

and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. ~Leviticus 26:4

Welcome to another week, friends!

It was a beautiful weekend after a couple of lovely days of gentle rain.

I ran out between showers on Friday to capture some droplet photos.

There is just something about those raindrops...

...and here they are clinging to the Red Tip blossoms.

It's as though everything is covered in shimmering jewels.

THE RAIN
~William Henry Davies

I hear leaves drinking rain;

I hear rich leaves on top

Giving the poor beneath

Drop after drop;

'Tis a sweet noise to hear

These green leaves drinking near.

And when the Sun comes out,

After this Rain shall stop,

A wondrous Light will fill

Each dark, round drop;

I hope the Sun shines bright;

'Twill be a lovely sight.

May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! ~Psalm 72:6

AFTER THE RAIN

~author unknown

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
There will always be sunshine, after the rain ....
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall,
But God's always ready, to answer your call.

He knows every heartache, sees every tear, 

A word from His lips, can calm every fear....
Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish, dawn's' early light.

The Savior is waiting, somewhere above,
To give you His grace, and send you His love ..
Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
God always sends rainbows...after the rain.

I only wish I had a photo of a rainbow.

The purple flower will have to do for now.

Have a good week!

Sharing at:

Mosaic Monday
Roses of Inspiration
 

Begonias in the Rain

“Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; 

let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; 

let the earth cause them both to sprout; 

I the Lord have created it.  

Isaiah 45:8 

sharing at:

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/2013/08/pink-saturday-august-24.html
http://sundayview.blogspot.com/2013/08/inspired-sunday-blog-party-youre-invited.html
http://www.deidrariggs.com/2013/08/24/sunday-65/
http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/2013/08/amaze-me-monday-21.html
http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2013/08/make-it-pretty-monday-week-64.html
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2013/08/wow-us-wednesdays-133.html
http://romantichome.blogspot.com/2013/08/time-to-declutter-show-and-tell-friday.html

Jewels of the Field

I thought I was seeing things when I noticed something glimmering in the morning sun.
It was still pretty early and there was a heavy dew...
...but it hadn't rained.

These lovelies grow alongside the road in Fancy Gap, near our cabin.

I could hardly believe my eyes.
 I had seen these cute little blooms in the past...

... but they were never adorned with jewels like they were on this morning.

So...I got out my trusty All About North Carolina Wildflowers book...
...even though I was actually in Virginia.

As I flipped through my little book, I found them...right there...on page 183!
And guess what they were called? Are you ready for this?

How cool is that??

I learned a few facts about them too.
Not only are the leaves and stems covered with a silvery, powdery substance that repels water...
...thus the water droplets forming, but when a "mash" is made from them, it can be applied to the skin  and used as a remedy for poison ivy itch!

Who knew!?

Doesn't our Heavenly Father give us the best gifts?

I hope your week is filled with little jewels!

Sharing at:

http://sunnysimplelife.blogspot.com/2013/08/from-farm-blog-hop_16.html
http://sundayview.blogspot.com/2013/08/down-in-river-to-pray-inspired-sunday.html
http://www.deidrariggs.com/2013/08/17/sunday-64/
http://www.dwellings-theheartofyourhome.com/2013/08/amaze-me-monday-20.html
http://www.whatjoyismine.net/2013/08/mondays-musings-74-its-new-school-year.html
http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2013/08/make-it-pretty-monday-week-63.html
http://www.thebeautyinhisgrip.com/2013/08/sharing-his-beauty_19.html
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2013/08/178th-inspire-me-tuesday-winner-of.html
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2013/08/wow-us-wednesdays-132.html
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/2013/08/take-powder.html
http://rootedinthyme.blogspot.com/2013/08/carly-in-europe-and-simple-sweet.html
http://www.deeprootsathome.com/encourage-one-another-wednesday-link-up-100/
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/2013/08/home-sweet-home-133.html
http://romantichome.blogspot.com/2013/08/zucchini-boat-recipe-show-and-tell.html

Morning Has Broken

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Psalm 5:3

Morning Has Broken

words by Eleanor Farjeon

Morning has broken, like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for the springing fresh from the Word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven

Like the first dewfall, on the first grass

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden

Sprung in completeness where His feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning

Born of the one Light, Eden saw play

Praise with elation, praise every morning

God's recreation of the new day 

Morning. Even before the sun makes it's way above the horizon and shows it's face...

...that is my favorite time of the day. 

It's the only time of the day when everything is new.

A fresh start. A new beginning.

How many times have you gone to bed the night before with a heavy burden on your heart?

Maybe even cried yourself to sleep? There's just something about the morning...

Your world seems to be crashing in around you and the answers you need just don't come.

You pray for peace.

You awaken when it's still dark...just the way it was when you finally were able to fall asleep,

tears on your pillow and all.
But something is different.

Somehow, even though you know that the burden is still there...

...it doesn't seem quite as heavy.
Something has changed.
Your spirit seems brighter and your countenance is much more peaceful.

There seems to be hope now.

What happened while you were sleeping?
How did things change during the night?

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

I hope you have a blessed week.

http://mockingbirdhillcottage.com/2013/07/a-favorite-thing-45/

http://www.whatjoyismine.net/2013/07/mondays-musings-70-homemaking-ebooks.html