18 May, 2015 00:01

From the ground up

18 May, 2015 00:00

Interesting parallax

17 May, 2015 23:58

Another angle.

17 May, 2015 23:57

Sundial bridge

17 May, 2015 23:29

Sundial bridge from behind dial.

17 May, 2015 23:27

Lana and Tim

17 May, 2015 00:59

My red roses!😊

17 May, 2015 00:58

Hummingbirds

Saturday May 16, 2015 DAY 70 ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

I love being wherever I am when I am visiting friends and relatives…HOWEVER…I love just being on the road again.  Today’s drive was short and sweet, about 3 hours or so.  The entire way was blissful, quiet solitude.  No radio, no CD’s, no listening to sermons.  I did talk on the phone a few times trying to catch up on friends.  Usually short and sweet because my car phone (no hands or visual needed) does not sound clear when I am moving on the highway.  Too much tire noise comes through the speaker.  I can hear the person I’m speaking to but they have difficulty hearing me.  So the drive was mostly just the Lord and myself.  I love the driving.  Just wish I was the only one on the road so I wouldn’t have to keep  my eye on the road.  Too much to see!

Left Paulette’s house after 12:00 noon and went by the gym where I have been working  out this past week.  The young man I talked to three days ago told me he had a gift for me.  He gave me a St. Christopher’s medallion that his Grandmother gave to him.  I was touched in my heart.  He wanted me to have it so I would have a safe trip.  I accepted his gift with great humbleness in accepting something so carefully and purposely given that hand sentimental value as well.  I told him Thank You.  I expressed how much I do believe Jesus is watching over me and protecting me and that his gift would remind me that there is someone else praying along with me for my safe travels.  I promised to send it back to him when I reached home.  That is the only way I would accept it.  This way he would know I was home safe and sound.  Thank you Todd for our kindness to me.  Tod also had another gift left there for me from the young lady I spoke with a couple of days ago.  What a lovely card and variety of travel goodies she packaged up for me.  How is it that people are so kind and thoughtful to someone they’ve only met once?  I feel that is just God blessing me through the kindness of others and filling me with even more joy.

Included in my goody bag were 6 CD’s of various things from Bethel Church.  Bethel Church is the one I will be taking the class at this next week.  Included also was 5 packets of Eletro Mix which I have not yet tried.  There were two bags of nuts, macadamia and a bag with a mix of walnuts, pecans, and almonds.  Corrisa, the giver of this gift is pretty insightful as to what it is I would love to  have.  I also received an Herbalife  “Formula 1 + PDM on the Go”.  Can’t wait to try it! Also in the bad were two packets of H30 along with three samples from YOUNG LIVING, ESSENTIAL OILS.  All total, this is one of the most needed and purposeful gifts I have received.  Thank  you Corrisa.  Let me know if you read this.

Back to departing from Paulette’s.  Paulette talked me into taking EVERYTHING out of my car and starting over with a clean slate.  I was reluctant and after we did, I sure was glad it was finished.  Still didn’t find the toothpaste I thought I packed.  When I say we took everything out , I mean EVERYTHING!  I ended up sending two boxes of books home with a few articles of clothing squished inside the boxes.  It seems like a lot of my things get squished!  I did feel better after it was all done even though I was traveling such a short distance only to unload everything once more.  I have two buried compartments in my car and now I won’t need anything from them for awhile.

I arrived at my cousin’s (First cousin once removed) home where she lives and her mother lives with her.  Her mother Joyce is my first cousin.  Our mothers are sisters.  They would still be sisters if they were alive that is.  I prefer to speak of them as in the present tense because in the presence in which they live, they are both alive, still sisters, just living in a different place, Heaven.

What a joyous greeting when we arrived.  Sitting on the table in the dining room is a beautiful bouquet with red roses stuck here and there in the bouquet.  Joy said she bought them just for me.  I think she know how much I love roses.  So exciting to see my cousin Daneece’s home for the first time.  It is beautiful, spacious, and purposeful.  I have a lovely room all to myself.  My bed is an airbed with a foam mattress-like covering over it.  Right about now I would like to be in it.  Up too late again and in the morning we are going to early service at Bethel Church here in Redding, California.  I am excited to register on Monday for the class that I am already registered for.  We register after 3:00 p.m. on Monday and the first session is Monday evening at 7:00 a.m.

The rest of the weekdays begin at 10:00 a.m. and closes about 9:00 p.m.  This will be my first class at Bethel.  I’ll write more about the class after I take it a few days.  I’m getting excited to learn what they are going to teach.

We had a delicious dinner tonight.  Salad, cherries, fresh bread and chicken.  Joyce was so kind by asking what kind of foods I liked to eat.  She had practically everything I put on the list.  I was just giving her ideas, I certainly didn’t expect for her to go out and buy it all.  Both ladies were tired tonight so I just searched the fridge, designed a dinner and had it ready in just a few minutes.  It is such a pleasure again to put my hands on real food and prep  it and prepare a delicious dinner.  So simple, yet so enjoyable for me to do.  More enjoyable on the trip because I am not doing it every single day.  Yet, when I am home I still have the same thrill when it comes to working with, touching, smelling, and visual sensations I receive when working with raw foods.  I love them all.  Joyce still thinks I eat weird!

I sure can write a lot when absolutely nothing has really happened today.  But inside me a lot happened.  I received such beautiful thoughtful gifts, I received a warm, warm welcome from both cousins, (mother and daughter), a refrigerator full of delicious foods I love (including a whole rotisserie chicken ready to eat), a beautiful bouquet of red roses, a front row seat to the the most beautiful hummingbird show, and a wonderful new friend named Nickie (not certain of the spelling” or even exactly what Nickie really is.  He feels like a cat, sort of looks like a dog, and is the strangest little critter I’ve seen that claims to be a dog (at least my cousins believe he is a dog).   Can’t remember the breed but he has a calling.  That calling is to be used on ships to catch rats.  I’ll find out more tomorrow when everyone wakes up.

Thanks for listening.  It was an interesting day for me.  Oh yes, cousin Daneece is 8 weeks post knee replacement and is still suffering much.  If you have good knees you need to get on them and give thanks to the Lord that you have healthy knees.  I hope I can pamper both Joyce and Daneece while I am here.  I love being here in their home.  It is an honor to stay with so many of our friends and family.

Too tired to proof read this evening as it is 10:44 p.m and I need to go to bed.  Enjoy all my TYPOS!

Good night

P.S.  I forgot to ask anyone for wisdom today so I’ll give some from my on experience.  “Don’t stay up this late to write a blog because you will be tired in the morning.”  Now it is 10:54 (But at least my teeth are already brushed)!

 

 

16 May, 2015 23:26

Paulette and yours truly.

16 May, 2015 23:25

David and Paulette.

16 May, 2015 23:24

Folsom outdoor mall.

16 May, 2015 23:22

I think I “got” 80 lemons!

Friday May 15 2015 DAY 69 I THINK I GOT A LEMON

Sometime days are just down days.  Not down in spirit but just a day to slow down, stay close to home, revel in the quiet, no hustle and no bustle.  Just a great “down” day.  That was today, for the most part.  And I loved it.  Paulette had several suggestions as to where we could go, things we could see, etc., but instead we chose to stay close to home until we thought of a movie we’d like to see.

I did go to the gym and when I came home I braved the post rain back yard and tackled picking lemons.  Yes, I said lemons.  If I had to guess I would say her Meyer lemon tree probably had 500 lemons on it.  And let me tell you, this lemon tree fought back.  It had great big, long, sharply pointed, strong, THORNS.  I mean they were like weapons and extremely sharp!  Ask me how I know! “Ouch”!  I wore long sleeves which helped but still had a few pricks elsewhere.  I picked lemons for a half hour or more.  After they were washed and dried and laid out I counted 80 lemons on the counter and in a bowl was about another dozen or so.

So, the photographer in me just knew there was a picture waiting to happen.  Paulette pulled down her beautiful baskets from the pantry and we loaded the lemons into them.  I arranged them in what I thought a was nice display and we not only took pictures, but, we did a talking video.  We had fun doing it.  I took some to the gym this morning, which I had picked yesterday, and gave them away to the people I spoke with yesterday.  Tomorrow I will take more.  I also plan to take them with me as I leave and hand them out to wherever I go to whomever wants them.  They are quite sweet lemons or could be mistaken for a very sour orange.  They look more like oranges, both outside skin and inside flesh.  This is a very forlorn tree.  It is sad because it is neglected and left to its own devices.  I heard the lemons calling out to me to please pick them so they could fulfill the destiny that God had intended for them.  That destiny was to be picked, eaten, and enjoyed, while giving rich nutrients to to those who ate them.  The picked lemons are happy lemons!  And I am quite happy for picking them, as well as helping them fulfill their destiny!  I called ahead and told Joyce I would be bringing lemons.  She said she had two lemon trees and didn’t need any lemons.  Oh well…Wish I could get them to my sister Velma.  She is the lemon lady!

So you see when I have a “down day”, and not much happening I have to “make” something happen.  So I did.  Quite exciting for a blog, right?  RIGHT??

Paulette and I went to see the movie “The Age of Adeline”.  It was quite a ways away but we both wanted to do something “exciting” so we drove out to see it.  I thought it done well, had an interesting but abrupt ending, but overall was an entertaining movie.  Paulette didn’t seem to like it as much as I did.  I don’t see many movies so maybe I don’t have enough to compare it to.  I especially like the actors (and don’t ask me who they were).

Paulette’s husband, Dave, joined us across town and we had dinner at a place called CHOPS.  Very nice upscale restaurant.  I put on my best behavior and tried to be quiet.  It worked for awhile.  I ordered my favorite food, BRUSSELS SPROUTS and a beet salad.  It was very good.  I thank you Paulette and Dave for the delicious meal.  I have enjoyed myself here in Folsom California.  I had a large suite to myself and I spread out like a 16 year old.  And that is about how my area appears at the moment, like a teenagers!  EGADS!   I am leaving tomorrow so will tidy it up in the morning as I pack.  It felt so good to just let it all hang out!  I would be embarrassed to take a picture of it.  I think I needed this respite!

While at dinner I asked Dave for his words of wisdom.  He responded quickly:  “As I age my priorities change.  There is nothing I’d rather do now that hang out with my grandsons”  I asked him if that was it and he said yes it was.

Paulette’s wisdom:  “Take the time to find joy in every day. Sometimes you have to find it yourself because it is not always going to bite ya.”  Very  well said!

And because I have a wonderfully peaceful, low-key day I will share a poem I wrote yesterday.  I have not had the opportunity to spend as much time in solitude with the Lord while on this trip.  I try when I can and have been quite faithful in writing my gift of poetry to God daily (missed a couple of days).  I had a quiet peaceful morning yesterday and spent in on the veranda deck and just enjoyed communing with my Lord.  Here is the simple poem that spoke how I felt.  After the poem are words I felt impressed upon my heart when I asked the Lord what words He had for me.

AND FOR LOVING ME ENOUGH

May 14, 2015

 

Here I am Lord

To offer my time and space,

To rest my heart in You,

In this peaceful time and place.

 

To be alone in myriad sounds,

To be refreshed from inside out.

My heart sings from within,

My soul longs to shout.

 

To proclaim Your love and mercy,

And Your tender loving care

That spills from my heart,

For inside me You’re always there.

 

Thank You for Your grace and mercy

And for the strength You supply,

And for Your freedom You provide,

And loving me enough to die.

**************

My Heart Sounds from the Lord:  IF YOU PURPOSE TO LISTEN

I am your rock forever and I give you true peace because you trust in Me.  Even in times of your absence in solitude My love will never leave you.  My promise of peace does not disappear because of your busy schedule or the hands on a clock.  When My children love Me I will bless them.  My face will shine upon you and you will become more and more like Me that others will see my countenance upon your face

Come and let us enjoy this interlude in your journey.  Pause and give time to reflect on all I am teaching you.  Write down your lessons that you retain them to look upon and continue to grow.  As you seek Me, my wisdom will come from within you.  Wisdom that comes from heaven is pure, it loves peace while considering others needs.  Look and see who I bring before you.  Step out in boldness, yet be submissive unto Me.  I will fill you with mercy and good fruit.  Judge not others and always speak truth in sincerity.  Be my disciple for I have called you to be my witness.  You are my beloved.  I love you with an intensity you do not yet understand.  Listen as I speak to your heart.  Through all the chatter and clatter of this word you will hear My voice if you purpose to listen.

****************

This has been a wonderful stay.  I feel refreshed and ready to look ahead to next week when I will be a student at a week long class at Bethel Church in Redding CA.

Good night.  7:55 p.m.

P.S.  We are going to watch a movie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 May, 2015 21:34

More lemons

15 May, 2015 21:32

Beautiful, even the lemons!

14 May, 2015 23:43

My favorite feet.

14 May, 2015 23:41

Part of my bathroom suite. It doesn’t quite look that neat now.

14 May, 2015 23:39

My bed before I messed it up.

14 May, 2015 23:31

My favorite feet!