Monday August 10 2015  THE HUMMINGBIRD

No reason at all to title to today’s date “The Hummingbird”, except for the fact that as I write the date, I look up and out my window is a little hummingbird hovering right in front of me on the other side of my window pane.  I am on the main floor of my house in the sunroom which looks out to the back yard from the advantage point of a second floor height.  Our lower level is a full level walkout.  When I look outside all I see is the forest.  Well…since I have really seen what a true forest looks like, perhaps I should call my view—looking out at the woods.  It is a beautiful woods.  Most of the back and end of our house is windows which creates a feeling that we live in the trees.  The trees are very tall in places and we cannot   see the tops of the taller trees when we look out.  This side of the house faces west, and even so, our yard becomes dark very early.  There are large trees in the front also that lend us the loveliness of shade on hot summer days.  The sun is now setting but still hits the tops of the tallest trees. Leaf raking in the fall is an amazing task!

I just went around to some of the windows in the house and took some photos of what I see out my windows.  Some have glass glare but it still gives you the idea of where I live.  The little red house is a playhouse in our back yard.  I used it as a backdrop in my outdoor studio for senior portraits.  It was also the home of our pet pig named Sheeza.  Her last name was Pig.  The metal fencing that you see is an enclosed terrace that has outdoor stairs that take you down to that level.  When looking over the back railing it is still quite high off the ground as we are on a slight hill.  The enclosed area was originally a 38’ X 18’ diving pool, 12’ deep with diving board and slide, enclosed in the wrought iron fencing due to the regulations that pools must be fenced.  Once the kids outgrew the desire for the pool we had a company come in and install drainage out to the woods and had it filled in as a septic area would be drained.  We had to do it that way so it wouldn’t become a bog due to our heavy spring and summer rainfalls.  It is now a garden and a place for mosquitos.  We wish it were screened in.  We have dreams, so who knows…maybe in the future.  I find that I am never too old to dream and plan for the future.

It is already the time of the year when we start preparing for fall because winter is never far behind.  This year has been quite discombobulated for me with my long absence.  I left in the snow, came back in full summer, and these past weeks have been so packed with all that has been going on that it seems like the whole year is wrapping up before me.  We still have another trip planned that will take us away during a crucial time of putting our land to bed.  There is a lot to do when you have a yard bigger than  city blocks . Especially with THOUSANDS of leaves coming down.  But it is so beautiful.  I would be happy to live out the rest of my life looking out these windows.

This has been a quiet day.  After working out this morning I cooked the strata I concocted last evening, worked on wedding work, ate lunch, worked on wedding work, worked on about a thousand emails, I now am in the 4,900 count, down from over 5,000 and something.  Found some interesting emails, long overdue, that I answered.  Worked some more on the wedding, talked to our daughter, and ate again.  And now I am here.  When I prepare the food Dave almost always cleans up the kitchen for me.  That is a great help as far as my time goes.  Dave has several projects going right now and it seems his time is being eaten up with just the little things it takes to keep a house running.  He actually fixed a toilet’s innards today.  That was a good thing to do!  Tomorrow he hopes to get all the rocks of one planter washed and put back in the area they belong.  Rocks are heavy, but in this environment they must be cleaned due to all the road dirt and tree debris that collects on them.  I would just buy new ones but he is not wasteful, so thus, he cleans them instead.  He is a hard, diligent worker.  He always finishes what he starts.  That is a good trait to have.  I do so appreciate my husband and his qualities.  Like I said in my blog once before, I have never known a man of such integrity as my husband.  And that is not a biased statement.  Just how many people could truly say and know that to be true about the person they have lived with for 42 years? I would venture to say, not many.  I don’t think I would fall into that category.  I have too many shortcomings.  But I know I am still loved unconditionally by God just as he loves you the same way.

So, this day is coming to a close.  My poem is yet to be written.  Lord, I ask that you will bring something to mind that I need to write in order to touch another’s life.

SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A HUMMINGBIRD

By Kathleen Martens

August 10, 2015

Something as simple as a hummingbird

Can give pause to create a blog.

A simple little hummingbird

But an exquisite creation of God.

If man would just stop and listen

And open his eyes to see,

Perhaps the world would open before him

And set his captive heart free.

For all that is beauty around us,

Comes from the Creator for our pleasure,

But so many don’t take the time

To enjoy the gifts of God’s great treasure.

Open the eyes of your heart

That internally you will know

All the magnificence this world holds

Made by God who will willingly show.

He will fill you with peace that comes

From experiencing beauty within

When he takes your shattered life

And forgives you of all your sin.

All you must do is ask

And God will shower you with Grace,

His mercy is unending

When he takes you to that place.

So look around and see

All that God does each day.

Not only has he made heaven and earth,

He desires to show you the way.

The way to a place of joy

Where He will restore your soul.

Though this earth is His beautiful creation,

He wants heaven to be your goal.

I am going to end this blog by copying a short piece from “LIFE, LIVING INTENTIONALLY FOR EXCELLENCE” by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward.  Oops!  At least I had intentions of writing it here until I read the copyright statement:  “All rights reserved:  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying , recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of Obstacles Press, Inc.”

GULP!  I guess I have already transgressed this since I have put in little one liner points of wisdom in previous blogs from this book as well as other.    Maybe I will go to jail.  I certainly hope not!  Nothing like admitting it online! Maybe the name of their publishing company should have scared me away!  Oh man, I am so sorry that I can’t quote page 93.  I just hope I don’t get caught for what I have quoted.  What I was going to pass on to you is was so good!  Maybe it seems extra good because it is totally in line with my beliefs and I have actually spoken in public about this very topic.  You’ll just have to buy the book!  I wonder if that means I cannot quote from any book.  So many times in books I have read references to another author and the title of the book along with a statement or paragraph from the book.  Many times I have gone out and purchased the book for myself because I was so impressed with that little insert in the book I was reading.  Oops! I just revealed another one of my shortcomings!  I’ll just have to go out and solicit wisdom from real live human beings who don’t mind being quoted.  I did it all over the country so I’ll just continue to do so here in my home state and just keep all the wisdom I learn from books to myself and not share with anyone else.  Now if you call me on the phone I might read it to you!

I just read the copyright in other books and they all pretty much say the same.  Well, I hope that you feel free to share what I write with others (except today’s blog where I am admitting a crime).  I always thought if I gave identification to who wrote the book and the book it came from it was not illegal to share it with others.  I hope if other people ever read my books (still yet unpublished) and they find something interesting and worth sharing that they will share the words I wrote and pass on that which might help another.

I hope you have a great night.  I have a little praying to do.

Well, I just scrutinized my little Amish Calendar and I see no copyright jail threats so I will give credit where credit is due and give you my Amish Calendar Wisdom for August 10^th:

I sometimes think that friendliness…

Is like a cheerful song…

It makes the good days better,

And it helps when things go wrong.

God bless all of you!

p. s.  Even the Bible has a copyright. Hummmmmph!