Think Before it's Too Late

Feathers on the Wind

I read a story once that compared gossip to feathers. Once feathers are caught up on the wind and tossed to and fro, they cannot be captured nor can we stop them from traveling. Once words have been said they are gone; not that they do not exist, but they are not within our control. We cannot stop them, nor can we remove the imprint they have made upon those who have heard them. Have you ever sent an email only to wish you had worded it differently? Once you have pressed "send" you are forever attached to those words. Choose carefully. Let your words be instruments of peace, love and instruction; not discord, pain, and destruction.

Particularly hurt over a verbal attack awhile back, I penned:

Piercing, stabbing, the blows kept coming
Could he hear her heart loudly drumming?
Faster, more furious, the words were pelting
Her careful poise was surely melting

How could she stop her emotions from showing
When her tears were overflowing?
His face contorted now in rage
She just wanted to turn the page

To see ahead to the stories end
And know if life would be right again.
by Judy Sheldon-Walker

Clever Comebacks or Emotional Growth?

Long ago I used to think I was clever when I could come up with the fast comeback to put someone in their place. In fact I thought I really had it "together" when I told my then boyfriend to "check himself or be by himself". Cute and clever put downs were part of my repertoire. It was after I dusted myself off after a particularly painful break up and reflected upon how I behaved that I realized that hurting someone is not conducive to emotional growth or maintaining a healthy relationship. After all a relationship of one can be lonely, but sometimes a relationship of two can be even lonelier.

The Rule of Three

This was posted in my church bulletin and if the author's name was there, I'd be more than happy to share that too. The words are too wise to keep to myself.

THE RULE OF THREE

Three things to govern:
Temper, Tongue, Conduct
Three things to cultivate:
Courage, Affection, Gentleness
Three things to commend:
Thrift, Industry, Promptness
Three things to despise:
Cruelty, Arrogance, Ingratitude
Three things to wish for:
Dignity, Intellectual Power, Gracefulness
Three things to give:
Alms to the needy, Comfort to the sad,
Appreciation to the worthy.

I would love to know who wrote these wise words so if you know, please advise.

Thanks and God bless!

Wordless Wednesday - Red Roses

One Pair of Hands

"Those hands are so strong
When life goes wrong...
Put your faith
Into one pair of hands."

I promised I would try to post something I am thankful for every Thursday.

I am grateful for God's hands and this video and song say it best. God bless and take care. We are in His hands.

Brownie's Brother, Prince

Earlier in my blog, you may have seen a few pictures of my fur buddy, Brownie. He was a Christmas gift from my baby boy, Chris three years ago. He is a cross between a chihuahua and a Jack Russell. If you didn't know better, you might think this was him, but it's not. This is TT's (Te`Love's) dog. My baby was (we believe) stolen from my back yard on a very cold day in February. I had tied him up outside only long enough to take care of his personal needs, and glanced out on the back step to see the cable laying there and him gone. I miss him daily, and Prince tries to console me.

When I went to visit my grand daughter this morning, Prince ran to the door to greet me. Humans could take lessons from dogs in making guests feel welcome. He showered me with kisses and attention. They (dogs) have this awesome way of giving unconditional love. While researching one of my articles about pets for Triond I found some wonderful statistics to back up what I already felt in my heart "Statistically, someone who has had a heart attack has a 500% better survival rate when they return to a home with a pet." (As if I needed an excuse to love my fur buddy more. ) My fur buddy is pictured there also. So if you see him when you're out and about let him know I miss him and still love him.

You wouldn't know how enthusiastic Prince was moments earlier though to watch him in this video. We tied him up for a few minutes outside to take care of his business. Once he completed the business at hand he decided it was too hot outside to run and play so he calmly laid down and watched me. I should have handed him a camera too. I wonder what he would have filmed?
After shooting this short vignette, I scooped him up and took him back in where it was cooler. He richly thanked me.

The Master Artist

I was in awe of these beauties when I spotted them sitting near my daughter's home. Next time I visited I brought my camera. I wonder if the other buds have opened yet?

Flower Hunting

My grand daughter and I spent the day together two week ends ago. She spied this flower (second picture down) outside my bank and held it facing up so I could quickly snap it. She has quite an eye for beauty and loves to assist Grandma in her ventures. Thanks, TT, short for Te`Love.

I Chopped these Trees Down!

The next two pictures in this little album is of a tree which sprouted on it's own at the back corner of my driveway. My neighbor has another tree similar, and it probably dropped a seedling. Because I purchased my home in 1994 I have had the good fortune to watch my yard undergo many transformations.

A little over ten years ago, at my husband's urgings, I had this tree and another chopped down. One sat at one back corner and the other sat at the other back corner of my drive. The one not pictured is a mulberry tree and the other (shown here) is a mystery to me. We cut both down just as far as possible then poured chemicals on the stumps to kill them. After all drive ways are for cars, right?

They Are Now Towering Majesties

God, who is the master artist, must have had other plans. Both trees now tower well over me, with my "mystery" tree (pictured in the last two pictures) being taller than my home. The blossoms are enchantingly beautiful and the leaves shaped like huge hearts; green hearts, at that. I believe it symbolizes growth, love, and beauty all in one.

If anyone knows the name of this tree, please let me know. The flowers have yellow and black stripes inside. Can you see the one on the far left? They
shower my yard with blossoms, like a flower girl at a wedding.

How could I have ever thought of cutting down this tree? Look at these huge leaves. These wonderful trees grace my yard and provide our home with relief from the hot summer days. In the coldest windiest winter days I also know that my home is no where near as cold as it would have been without them. The mulberry trees draw birds from far and near and place their welcome songs in the air. I just love waking to the sound.


Mystery Solved
A coworker heard me talking about my tree and told me she was pretty sure it was a catalpa tree, so I looked it up on the internet. The smallest picture at the top came up in my search for catalpa trees and sure enough the blossoms match my tree. Thanks to my coworker, Tish and the photographer who submitted their picture I know what type of tree this is. The beauty and clarity of their photography shines through making the identification easy. Thanks!