Connections

Do you sometimes find yourself struggling to make connections?  The other day I found myself able to receive calls but the person calling could not hear me.   This happened several times.  Finally after much frustration I texted my hubby. (It was him calling).  The text got through and he suggested restarting my phone.  Yeah - it worked.  This situation however, got me thinking how much we depend on our devices to connect us with others.

Gone are the days of land-lines and answering machines and being outdoors without being connected to something in our pocket.

I am not saying this is necessarily a bad thing but it raises the question of how do we spend our time?

Has the need to have a computer in our hand constantly or at least in easy reach costing us what are true valuable connections?  The ones that are irreplaceable such as having a face to face conversation with someone we love without a device that takes our attention away from that person.  Or taking time to visit across the way with a neighbor or engage in a heart to heart with a friend?

Could it be in this need to stay connected that we have forgotten how to listen to others - hear the crickets in the night or the sound of the wind in the trees?  

Is it even possible that we have become so addicted to the idea that we need these devices in order to survive?

Yes I know our world has changed but from time to time maybe one needs to disconnect in order to truly connect. 

Speaking of connections, I think these two still know how to do it well.  Thanks for letting me share my heart with you.

Have a lovely rest of the week.

Hugs

Debbie

"Let your conversation be always full of grace. seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  Col. 4:6 (NIV) 

Contentment

 I find great contentment in the arrival of the autumn season.  It generally brings  

mornings that are cool and crisp - afternoons warm and sunny...  

clear blue skies...

small yellow moths that visit the meadows...

 

wild asters that grow along the fence rows and dot the countryside...

and a pleasant place to sit awhile soaking up God's beautiful gift called autumn!

Have a blessed week friends.

Hugs

Debbie

"But godliness with contentment is great gain."  1 Timothy 6:6 (NIV)

Whispers

 September whispers farewell this week.  The month seemed to fly by on the wings of a bird.

The hummers said goodbye the second week.  I left the feeders up for travelers farther north who might need a bit of sustenance on their way south.  

   We finally received some much needed rain last week.  Three wonderful inches.  My mums were very happy!

The sunsets have been breathtaking.  Hubby and I have enjoyed them so.  It is lovely to watch the sun go down and hear the crickets song as a day comes to a close.

I am certainly going to be a bit sad to see September go.

How about you?

Have a blessed coming week.   Hope to see you in October.

Hugs

Debbie

"He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed."  Psalm 107:29

Finishing up!

 Summer is finishing up.  Tomorrow it is official - we say farewell.  As I look back on these past few months it has not been a normal season for us.  We had a tremendous amount of rain in May and June but by mid July it was so dry nothing was growing.  As of this post we have not received more than a 10th of an inch for over eight weeks.  The forecast says we may see some some showers in the next couple of days.

Well enough about the weather...the last I checked it is something only the Good Lord controls! 

In the meantime I am trying to finish up a few books that are on my list to be read.

"The Sunrise Cove Inn" by Katie Winters is the first in a series of 19 novels.  May read the second down the road. The first one ended with some things unresolved.  

Began "Our Beautiful Goodbyes" by Julianne MacLean but decided to put it aside for the time being.  I may go back to it later but for now found it to be rather difficult to engage with the characters.  In my younger days if I started a book - always finished it.  Not so now.  Age has taught me life is too short to be that dogmatic when it comes to reading something for pleasure.  "Blue Jeans and Coffee beans" by Joanne Demaio seems to be entertaining  ...will let you know if this one is a pleaser.   Lauren K. Denton is an author that writes a good story.  Just finished "The Hideaway" and wanted to read "A Place to Land".   "Women of the Dunes" takes place in Scotland.  Sarah Maine captured my attention in "The House Between Tides".  It kept me turning the page therefore am hopeful this one will also.  Well that is my stack of reading material for the next few weeks.

Am in the process of completing a few art projects and working on the "small painting" challenge.

Please share friends, what you are in the midst of finishing up as the summer season comes to a close.  Would love to know!

Hugs

Debbie

"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  James 1:4 (NIV)

  

Looking Back

Sometime it is fun to take a stroll down memory lane and look back.

This photo of the blue bird was taken several years ago.  They are such a lovely bird and it was so exciting that I was able to capture this one on film.

I snapped the rainbow one early morning just before taking off for work.  What a great way to start one's day!

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It would be a shame to never experience God's beautiful promise to us! (Genesis 9:13-16)

Bluebells and tulips blooming together in the spring always make my heart flutter.   How about you?

 Hubby and I no longer ride but this certainly brings back special memories of those wonderful days we traveled to our favorite places.

Here are two of my sweeties - Shelby and Schindler...they are gone now but not forgotten.  Perhaps they are waiting for me!

Thanks for joining me on looking back.  May need to do this again soon.

Hugs

Debbie

" I thank my God every time I remember you."  Phil. 1:3 (NIV)

Setting Earlier

 The sun is setting earlier these days.   A month ago we saw dusk arrive at 9:00 and then a few weeks ago it was 8:30 and now it is 8:00.  

 Our summer has been exceptionally hot and dry.  Rainfall has been scarce.

We are now seeing many trees and fields in distress.

 The leaves are already changing color due to the drought.  

Been spending quite a bit of time "looking up".   Praying for some showers to come soon.

From visiting some of you...know that this dry spell has been your experience as well.  Hope you get rain too!

God Bless and have a good first week of September.

Hugs

Debbie

"Again he (Elijah) prayed and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."  James 5:19 (NIV)

  

Welcome to...

 the Gardens at Hippley Village.  

Hubby surprised me last Saturday with a visit to this lovely botanical garden situated in the small town of Columbiana, Ohio.  It was established in 1997 when three acres were purchased and designed into a beautiful sanctuary for folks to just wander through and enjoy.

The gnomes greet one and summon you to look inside the small structures sprinkled around the grounds...

waterfalls are all along the path...

a Koi pond is filled with color...

Snow White and the seven dwarfs...

characters from the Wizard of Oz  make this a delightful place for children to roam...

as well a doll house filled with vintage baby dolls sitting in strollers and on rocking horses.

a train garden is close by nestled near the end of the trail.

Soft music from the 70's plays through speakers as you move around enjoying all the wonderful details that were created.

I have many more photos but will finish with this last part - 3 D brick people that pay tribute to the couple who started this project the Hippley's.

Hope you had a nice time visiting Hippley Village.  Thank you for stopping by.

Hugs

Debbie

"Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed."  Gen. 2:8 (NIV)