Month: April 2013

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    Visiting Amish Friends

    Part 1 of 2

    Saturday Evening, April 13

     

     

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    It was a beautiful, spring evening for a forty-five-minute drive.

     

     

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    As we neared Georgetown we saw some incredibly beautiful farmland.

     

     

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    Also, as we neared the farm, we saw many Amish buggies.

     

     

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    Entering their driveway.

     

     

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    They have a beautifully manicured farm.

     

     

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    After a delicious chicken barbecue supper, Lizzie (daughter-in-law of Jake and Rachel) showed us her puff quilt. Our daughter Deb is on the right.

    After Deb read this, she emailed me asking if I realized that Lizzie is making this quilt for her and Roy. I did not know that.

     

     

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    Rachel is working on a quilt in one end of the kitchen.

     

     

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    After the remains of supper were put away and dishes done, we went outside. Many of us sat next to the fire because it was a cool evening.

     

     

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    My view of the meadow and area around me as I sat near the fire.

     

     

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    I have another set of pictures for tomorrow night.

     

     

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    Oh, that we might know the Lord!
    Let us press on to know him.
    He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.

    Hosea 6:3 (New Living Translation)

     

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    Springtime Has Finally Arrived

     

     

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    The bare branches in our towns are beginning to come alive again.

     

     

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    Our woods still looks a bit bare but if you walk around and look for signs of life - life is there.

     

     

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    I'm not sure how this crocus got here - as most of the crocus are in our front yard. Maybe I planted it and forgot, or maybe a bird or animal carried a tiny bulb to the woods.

     

     

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    And there are delightful signs of spring when I look up.

     

     

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    I always like the reminder to "look up" on days when I need to be infilled with hope.

     

     

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    I love springtime.

     

     

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    These daffodil buds remind me of the beauty that is sure to come in a day or two.

     

     

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    Some of the yellow beauty is already here.

     

     

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    These are a wonderful memory of my dad.  He loved daffodils.

     

     

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    Hyacinths not only look beautiful - they have a delightful scent.

     

     

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    Springtime means it is time for me to buy and learn about a new perennial.

    Last year I somehow acquired a SmartGuide magazine about perennials and bulbs, so decided to work my way through the magazine - buying one plant a year.

    Last year I purchased the first perennial in the book (they are in alphabetical order) which was Achillea. The common name is Yarrow. I will have pictures in a few weeks when they bloom.

     

     

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    The next plant in the book is Alchemilla or Lady's Mantel.

    They are a low plant that is good for edging or a border. These small plants are known for their ability to hold glistening drops of rain or dew. (Notice the droplet in the center of the picture.)

     

     

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    I gathered a few daffodils for our kitchen table to bring some of the beauty inside.

     

     

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    I am the gate.

    All who come in through me will be saved.

    Through me they will come and go and find pasture.

    [Jesus]

    John 10:9 (Contemporary English Version)

     

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    A Pasture of Sheep

    At Jeff & Chris' Place

     

     

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    When looking at these sheep, I had a few questions for Google and learned the following facts about sheep.

     

     

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    As of January 1, 2012, there were 5.35 million sheep in the United States.

    Sheep are produced in all 50 states. However, the highest sheep-producing states are located west of the Mississippi River, where most of the larger sheep ranches reside. The eastern part of the country supports a greater number of smaller, pasture-based operations.

     

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    There are more than one billion sheep in the world.

    China has the largest sheep population in the world - 130 million.

    Australia is second with 115 million.

    There are 34.2 million sheep in New Zealand, or approximately seven sheep for every human.

     

     

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    Sheep make a bleating sound.

    A baby lamb can identify its mother by her bleat.

     

     

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    In the 15th century, Spain's thriving wool trade financed the expeditions of its conquistadors, including the voyage Christopher Columbus made to the New World. Indeed, Columbus came from a family of wool traders.

     

     

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    President Woodrow Wilson grazed sheep on the White House South Lawn. The wool obtained from the sheep was sold to raise money for the Red Cross during World War I. The flock included "Old Ike," a tobacco-chewing ram.

     

     

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    One pound of wool can make ten miles of spun yarn.

    There are 150 yards (450 feet) of wool yarn in a baseball.

     

     

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    Female sheep are called ewes, baby sheep are called lambs, and male sheep are called rams. A group of sheep is called a flock.

     

     

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    According to animal behaviorists, a group of five sheep is usually necessary for sheep to display their normal flocking behavior.

    A sheep will become highly agitated if it is separated from the rest of the flock.

     

     

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    The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
    He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
    He leads me beside the still waters.
    He restores my soul;
    He leads me in the paths of righteousness
    For His name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3 NKJV

     

     

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    The way to become wise is to honor the Lord.

    Psalm 111:10 (Good News Translation)

     

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    A Skunk

    In Our Bird Feeding Area

     

     

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    I know it is springtime when there is a skunk in our bird feeding area about the time I go to bed.

     

     

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    It was not impressed when I opened the small garage door to get a picture, and because I was looking at it from the backside, I did not linger.

     

     

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    The next night it was facing me, so I was a bit braver with the picture-taking.

     

     

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    Here it was scrunched up and bouncing on its legs like it wanted to scare me away.

    It made me smile, because that is exactly what Keebler (Roy and Deb's pet skunk) does when we play with him in the house.

     

     

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    Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words.

    Learn how to apply them.

    Ephesians 6:15-18 (The Message)

     

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    A Delightful Sight

    For My Eyes

     

     

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    There is little to match the beauty of driving home at sunset.

     

     

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    Delightful!

     

     

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    Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things, but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.

    Proverbs 13:17 (The Message)

     

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