C . . . is for Call

For more A2Z posts, click on the links below. 

Add your own link to join the fun.

B is for . . .

This thought has been my theme for the last few years. Our God knows what is best. Both the blessings and trials have their part in our growth and learning. We need to trust Him - his love, his care, his wisdom.

What truths has God been teaching you? 

For more A to Z posts, 

go to Patty Wysong's Blog

or join the blog hop with the Linky below.

A is for . . .

Join Patty Wysong ( and a bunch more of us) 

each week for a new set of A to Z posts.

The Mystery "H"

Today, I'm participating in Patty Wysong's  A-Z meme.

 This week is focusing on the letter H, 

but if I tell you what it stands for, it will ruin the surprise.

See if you can guess what H stands for in this story - 

In a Dither 

Mom gets in such a dither over things. She's gotten everyone dashing here and there before Emily gets here. 

"Heavens t'Betsy! We're out of toilet paper! We can't run out of toilet paper ...or coffee..." She scribbled a list on the back of an envelope. "I ought to pay the light bill before stopping at the post office and then go to the bank, too, and get some cash from the ATM machine. You never know when you might need some money."

I stealthily grabbed a slice of pizza and tried to sneak out the back door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Out with Alex"

"Oh no, you don't! I want you home when Emily gets here. I don't want to be worrying about you."

"Ah, Mom!"

"Don't you, 'ah mom' me, young man! I need you to mow the lawn and clean up the clutter around the place while Tracy and I go to town. There are bikes and balls and lawn chairs everywhere."

Tracy stuck her tongue out at me. 

"But Mom!" 

Dad growled from his office, "Zack, obey your mom! Emily will be here around two o'clock, and I need to get some work done before then. " 

Mom fluttered her hands. "Two o'clock! I've got to get going!" 

As I said, Mom was in a dither and had the whole family getting ready for Emily's arrival. Well, not the WHOLE family. Tracy never does anything - the spoiled brat! Most of the stuff in the backyard was hers - a hula hoop, a pink scooter, a skateboard (well, that was mine). I don't know why the big fuss. You'd think the queen of England was coming to visit. I yanked on the mower's pull-cord. The air was heavy and thick --not enough of a breeze to keep my hair out of my eyes. 

After I mowed the lawn, I took a soda and sank into the softness of the couch to listen to some tunes and text Alex.

RENTS CRZY TDY. CANT COME OVER

MINE 2. SORRY DUDE

Awhile later, Mom blew through the door. "What a mad house out there!" She dropped some bags on the table. "Can you get the rest from the car, Zack?"

LATR. GOT 2 GO

OK DUDE

I slid my legs from the back of the couch to the floor and scuffed out the door. The hot air body-slammed me in the chest. I juggled the remaining seven bags of groceries while wrestling with a gust of wind to close the back door. When I tumbled the bags onto the kitchen table, I heard "Bippity-Boppity-Boo" from the living room. Tracy had already claimed my spot on the couch to watch her movie.

Mom ranted from one of the bedrooms. "I should have gone to the laundromat, too! I don't want to run out of towels and clean sheets over the weekend." 

Dad emerged from his office. "It's starting to rain. Are the windows closed?" 

There was nothing left to do but wait for Emily. Mom microwaved some nuggets and fries. Everyone settled down here and there - watching a movie or doing computer stuff. I texted Alex again. 

WATS UP, DUDE?

BORED

ME 2 

The lights flickered and went out. Everything was silent - except for Tracy screaming at the top of her lungs. 

POWER OUT

ME 2

The lights came back on, the movie came back on, and Tracy stopped screaming. Mom yelled from her room. "Is everyone okay?" 

"Yes, Mom. Nothing happened in the five minutes that the lights went out." I think she gets in more of a panic over things than Tracy does. 

BORED. DYING 2 HANG OUT.

ME 2 

I rummaged through the frig - nothing but yogurt, salad stuff, and left-overs. Yuck! I thought mom just went shopping! I found some wheat squares in the cupboard and dumped a load into a bowl with some milk and sugar. I hunched over the kitchen table and scooped the cereal in my face. 

Dad sat next to me. "The weather channel says that Hurricane Emily isn't going to hit us after all." 

I sat up like I had been zapped with a tazer gun. "What! After working my tail-bone off and being bored to death, Emily's not coming?" I glanced toward the bedroom door and whispered, "Does Mom know?" 

Dad grinned. "No, I haven't told her, yet. Didn't you want to hang out with Alex?"

~ ~ ~ 

Did you guess it? 

You can find this story and others like it in my book for teens,

A Barrel of Pickles. 

Also, there's Special September Sale

 for my historical novel,A Home for Phoebe, 

and its companion study guide - 

both for $15 until the end of the month. 

Contact Me 

A is for Awareness

As you grow as a person, your stretch and expand as you become more AWARE of your horizons. Different people become important to you. Your priorities change. Hopefully, you eventually realize that God is the only thing that is important. He is ALL things.

Here is a poem I wrote for the Faithwriters' Challenge -

AWARENESS

“Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.”
Comfort
Beating heart
Enveloped in love

“To everything there is a season . . . a time to be born”
Brightness
Babbling noise
Enveloped in hope

”Tender and beloved in the sight of my mother.”
Safety
Loving home
Enveloped in care

“Doth not He see my ways and count all my steps?”
Explore
Neighborhood
Enveloped in friends

“Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me.”
Learning
Growing mind
Enveloped in rules

“Thou art acquainted with all my ways.”
Venture
Winding Roads
Enveloped in self

“The LORD is high above all nations.”
Travel
Other lands
Enveloped in man

“I have been young, and now am old.”
Tired
Aching bones
Enveloped in time

“If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there.”
Beyond
Endless stars
Enveloped in awe

“O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”
Holy
Eternal
Enveloped in God

“Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power,
and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty;
for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine.”

 ~ ~ ~

For more "A" blog posts, go to  Peej's site PATTERINGS

U is for . . . Under Construction

My son, Caleb, and his wife are building a home in Alaska. It's exciting to get pictures of the progress. I know it won't be big or fancy, but it is a symbol of their new marriage - "UNDER CONSTRUCTION."

 It looks like a lot of dirt . . . 

and boards . . . 

but in their eyes, they can see the finished house. 

Our road is UNDER CONSTRUCTION this summer. It is being widened (which has been greatly needed with the increased traffic over the last few years).

It's sad to see some huge oak trees being cut down, but they'll be put to good use, and it's necessary for them to be removed for the changes to be made on the road.

 

Changes . . . 

We don't like changes while they're happening. We grumble and complain and moan. Once everything is done, we enjoy the improvements. Isn't that like our lives, too? God is working on our hearts. We don't like the learning process, but we know that the final product will be great. 

"He's still working on me, 

To make me what I ought to be. 

It took just a week to make the moon and stars, 

The Sun and the Earth, and Jupiter and Mars. 

How loving and patient He must be! 

He's still working on me." 

(by Joel Hemphill)

 I'm glad that I'm still UNDER CONSTRUCTION. 

It's comforting to know that God is still working on me.

T is for Texas

I never thought of Texas as a place I'd want to visit

until my daughter moved there.

 I'll have to admit their beaches are nice.

 I found it has its own beauty.

Of course, it may be the people 

 . . . that live there . . .

that make it beautiful to me. 

For more A2Z posts, 

go to 

Ordinary Lives. 

Snuggly Sweaters

For my contribution to the A2Z meme today,
with the letter S, I chose SWEATERS.


What is more comfy on a cool morning  than a thick, soft sweater?

Each year, I have made a sweater for my nephew on his birthday. Since he lives half way across the country, it's hard to guess how fast he is growing. It pleased me when his father told me that he loves his sweaters and wears them often

As my nephew got older, I wondered if he would still want a hand-knitted sweater from his auntie. Perhaps he was too big or too cool for that. I was assured when he started putting in his orders This last one was "neon green and black with a zipper."       *smile*

 I've decided to continue the tradition with my grandchildren. Each year, (not always on their birthday) I make them a new sweater. Sometimes, the sweaters don't always fit the way I hoped they would, (I've yet to master a pull-over neckline.) but I'm still improving my technique.

 It's so much fun to adapt the sweaters to their interests. I like to find new designs and patterns.

As I knit, I pray for that child. I pray that they will grow strong and obedient, that they will love the Lord and serve Him their whole life long.

At the rate my grandkids are being born, I think I'll be knitting sweaters year round!

For more A2Z posts, 

go to  Ordinary Lives. 

R is for . . . Waking Up

 

 I know, that doesn't begin with R, but these things do - 

 As far as alarm clocks go, I don't like them. I prefer sleeping until the sun's RAYS stream through my bedroom window and dance on my pillow, ROUSING me from my dreams with the aroma of coffee coming from the kitchen.

If I must have an alarm clock, I prefer the wind-up, ticking clock that RINGS by clanging the bells on its top - or a RADIO station set to a classical station. 

 A ROOSTER's "cock-a-doodle-doo!" is a nice way to wake, too.

Some people can't stand ROOSTERS, but I like them. (most of the time) They symbolize the simple life of country living. Of course, there are times when a rooster escapes his coop and parades around the house, crowing his victory at 4 AM that he doesn't sound so likable anymore.

Being woken by a RAMBUNCTIOUS child isn't a bad way to wake up. There's nothing like a tickle time with a toddler to start the day.

   

 My favorite way to wake up is with a kiss and a back-rub from my RANDY. We will have been married thirty-five years this summer. We've been through a lot of interesting experiences together. We have a lot more gray hairs and a few more aches, but each year gets better and better.  He's so sweet. He gets the wood stove crackling and coffee perking by the time I get out of bed. That's definitely my favorite way of waking up. 

 What's your favorite way of waking up?

For more A2Z posts, go to Ordinary Days.

Q is for . . . Questionable Q Words.

I love the game of Scrabble. 

 The more I play it, the more vocabulary I learn. Some online games have a dictionary tool that lets you check if a set of letters make a word, but I have an unwritten rule that I try find the meaning of any word that I play. So I've learned the meaning of quite a few, especially those beginning with the letter Q.

Do you know the meaning of these words? 

 1. QUAY - (Hint: water) 

 2. QUERN - (Hint: grain)

 3. QIVIUT - (Hint: rare hair) 

 4. QUAHOG - (Hint: seashell)

 5. QUANT - (Hint: gondola) 

 (I'll post the answers in the comment box.)

P . . . is for Periwinkles

 Periwinkles 

 I live on the coast of Maine. We have beaches, but they aren't the white sandy kind that you see in the Caribbean. Our beaches are mostly rocks. In the few places where it is smooth, you might see little wiggly trails through the damp sand. These are periwinkle trails.

 

 Periwinkles are edible, like clams or scallops, but you either have to crush the shell or pick out the meat with a toothpick. It takes a bucketful full of them and a lot of work to make a meal.

 I'd rather just look at them. Periwinkles are round mollusks that range between 1/2 in. to an inch in diameter. Like most mollusks, they have a muscular foot which they pull into their shell when they are disturbed. They seal themselves in with hard fingernail-type door.
.

Each one has his own style. They sport stripes and spots of brown, yellow, or sometimes green or red. I haven't tested my theory, but I think it would very hard to find two that were exactly the same.

 The next time you come to Maine 

and it's low tide, 

let's go 'winkling.

O is for Obedience

I am participating in the A2Z meme

with Peej of Ordinary Lives.

This week we are finding things for the letter O.

(that's not too easy)

"O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E

Obedience is the very best way

To show that you believe."

A little boy was having a tantrum - a rebellious, foot-stomping, "I don't want to live here anymore" tantrum.

His father, wanting the boy to calm down, told him to sit down in the Time-Out chair.

"I don't want to sit down!"

"Sit down."

Knowing the consequences might be disastrous if he didn't comply, the boy reluctantly perched on the edge of the seat.

The father says, "Sit there for five minutes. I'll be back to have a talk with you."

The boy watched his father leave and yelled, "I may be sitting down on the outside, but I'm standing up on the inside!"

Was the boy really obeying?

As adults, we have learned to control the way we act, but do we feel like that little boy? We may say to ourselves, "I'm doing what is expected of me, but on the inside, I don't want to ever do this again!"

Am I obeying . . .

or am I standing up on the inside?

Lord, give me a submissive heart. Teach me to do what You have put before me each day. May I have an attitude of grateful servant. Lord, teach me to truly love you and obey You. Amen

N is for . . . Necks

. . . Giraffe Necks!

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love giraffes.

When I was about 10 years old, our family visited the Catskill Game Farm. It was the first, and only, time I saw a giraffe in "person." I actually touched one! Well . . . I touched his knee by reaching my arm through the fence. From that day on, I have loved giraffes.

Why my fascination with these long-necked creatures?

I don't know.

Maybe it's because they are what I secretly wish I was. I love their long elegant legs and necks, their graceful strides, and their cool and calm attitudes.



Here are some interesting giraffe facts:

1. Giraffes were thought to be mute, but they make sounds unable to be heard by humans.
2. Giraffes have prehensile tongues - meaning they can wrap it around branches like a hand.
3. Giraffes run up to 35 mph - also with both the front and hind together on each side - rather than alternating.
4. Giraffes give birth standing up - dropping their calves 6 ft. to the ground.
5. Giraffes only sleep about 2 hours each day.

I know I'm stretching out my NECK

to use this for the letter N in our A2Z meme,

but I couldn't think of anything else.

For more fun posts, go to Peej's Blog

M is for Maine

A few of my blogger friends and I have been having fun posting stuff with a letter of the alphabet each week. We're half way through the second round of Peej's Blog - A2Z.

I have lived in Maine since I was 12 years old. I feel blessed. It's a beautiful and interesting state. I thought I'd play a game with you.

How many of these things do you know about Maine?

1. Who were the first to settle in Maine?
2. What state was Maine part of in 1776?
3. What other state joined the union in 1820?
4. What is Maine's nickname?
5. How many other states border Maine?
6. How many islands does Maine have?
7. What is the name of its tallest mountain?
8. What is the eastern most spot of the contiguous states?
9. Which county is larger than Conn. and Rhode Is. together?
10. What fruit does Maine produce over 99% for the country?

(Click on "Comments" for the answers.)

L is for Lime Lips

When I home-schooled my children, we learned one verse from each chapter of Proverbs. We chose to learn the 22nd verse of chapter twelve.

"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,

but they that deal truly are His delight."

(Proverbs 12:22, KJV)

We talked about what "abomination" meant. The dictionary defines it as something that causes extreme disgust. I explained to my kids as a bit of bird poop floating in their cup. Of course, I got the reaction I wanted. EWWWWWWWWW! YUCK!

That's what God thinks of a lie.

We talked of how exaggeration is a form of lying, and also how only giving partial information is not "dealing truly." Sometimes silence is lying when we should speak up. (From there, we talked about how words (even if truthful) could hurt someone's feelings.)

A few days later, I bought the kids a treat - rainbow colored popsicles. They licked their way down from cherry to orange to lemon and finally lime. When they finished, they all laughed at their green tongues.


My young son says, "Even my lips are green." Suddenly, he gets serious. "Oh no! Lime lips are abomination to the Lord!"

Our family smiles with the memory and remembers to be truthful every time we see someone with a green tongue.

~ ~ ~

For more A2Z links, go to Peej's Blog

K is for Katahdin

Maine boasts of one big mountain (over 5,000 ft.) Mt. Katahdin.

It tops the end of the 2,184 mile long Appalachian Trail.

(CLICK HERE FOR MORE FACTS)

To many Mainers, climbing Katahdin is a rite of passage or an item on their bucket list. To some, climbing its trails is a yearly tradition.

I've only climbed as far as Chimney Pond. I was told, "It's only 3 miles." I thought, "I can do that." No one told me it was climbing a rock staircase, with each step a foot tall, for 3 miles! I didn't go all the way up the peak with the rest of the group.

I sat at the Pond's edge with a snack and binoculars. I could pick out my son's bright red shirt all the way up Cathedral Trail and across Knife's Edge. I saw A mother moose and her calf walk right by me and swim to a small island. A pair of squirrels, used to pinickers at that spot, were determined to get into my backpack.

The mountain and the woodland wilderness is beautiful, but it is also dangerous. The trails can get icy or foggy. If a hiker wanders off the trails, he can easily get lost. Every year, the rangers rescue stranded visitors.

The story of a lost boy, Don Fendler, has been made into a book and movie.

Lost on a Mountain in Maine

I doubt I'll ever climb Katahdin again, but I like to look at it. I prefer gazing up at mountains, rather than looking at the world from the top. Mountains remind me of how small and insignificant I really am. To me, they are a symbol of God's greatness and steadfastness.

My dream house is a log cabin on a lake

beneath a magnificent mountain.

For more A2Z blogs, go to

Peej's Blog