Trick or Treat?

This is not a discussion about the good and bad of celebrating Halloween.


As I child, I loved dressing up and going out  with my siblings and friends.  
And later, when fall festivals and alternative Halloween activities became available, we still took our children into the neighborhood for treats.  


Yesterday, I lugged home a big bag of candy from Walmart.  
We are ready for the dozens of children who will scream at us tonight, "Trick or treat!!"


Last night, I persuaded Larry, my long suffering husband, photo assistant and driver, to go with me scouting Halloween decorations. 
I recently decided to focus on a project of shooting quirky, decorated homes, and this is the perfect time of year to get started.  


So here is what we found in the hour before sunset.

Driving down Garland Avenue, I spotted some orange and black out of the corner of my eye.  
"Turn around, driver!"
We could hardly take in the explosion of Halloween goodness in this yard.  
Mr. Ramsey does this every October, though he told us a heart attack this year meant that he couldn't do as much.  
This is the more subdued version.  
He and his wife expect 2,000 - 3.000 visitors tonight.

He also does it up big at Christmas.  
We will be back.


Here are some other treasures we found.

Whether you greet little ones at your door, 
or hide in the back of your house with all of your lights off,
or go out for dinner, 
or watch the World Series,
have a sweet evening.

The Woman and the Grape

Jody is truly a Renaissance woman.


While I was preparing to write this post,  I was mulling over all her areas of interest and expertise:


gardener
cook
arranger of flowers
musician and vocalist
teacher
business woman
foundation board chair
Bible study leader
fitness and  wellness expert
source of inspiration and encouragement
hostess with the mostest
wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister
kind and generous friend


She can dive into her pantry and refrigerator and produce an impromptu meal for six or more faster than anyone I know.  And it will be delicious.


I have heard that she has driven a truck on a construction site.  I believe it.


And if this weren't enough, she is classy and beautiful.


On this day, she kicked off her Christian Louboutin pumps, grabbed her vintage apron, and dug her hands into a pile of wild grapes.  They had been gathered from Thunder Ranch and were waiting to be made into jam.

Jody makes it look so easy.  I've never canned a day in my life, and I was in awe, watching the process unfold.


Here is how she did it.  
Plus her secret ingredients:  zest for life and all things growing,  and the joy of capturing the delicious summer flavor of a wild grape to share with friends. 

6 cups prepared fruit, about 4 lb. fully ripe grapes

1 cup  water

1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin

1/2 tsp.  butter or margarine

7-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

make it

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

SLIP skins from grapes. Finely chop or grind skins; set aside. Mix grape pulp and water in saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 min. Press through sieve to remove seeds. Combine skins and pulp. Measure exactly 6 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot.

STIR in pectin. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)


You called in distress and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret places of thunder.  Psalm 81:7

The Cows and the Mamas

Smack dab in the middle of the bustling suburb of Plano, there is a family owned ranch.   
It is a delightful surprise for those who don't know it's there, and just happen upon it on their way to somewhere else.

On her travels to and from preschool, Piper looks for the cows and the mamas.

You would call them "llamas."

Now that cooler temps are here, we've taken some time on Friday afternoons to stop and visit.

And just to give you an idea how this close this bit of nature is to the hustle and bustle  . . .

At one point, I asked Piper to, "Stand here, please, so I can get you with the llamas."  Not what I had in mind.

PS.  My editor just informed me these are alpacas, not llamas. 
There goes the cute name.  


"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight." (Luke 12:6; cf. Matthew 10:29)

Goin' down to Houston

On Friday, I flew down to Houston for the weekend to visit my friends, Tom and Deb.  I love flying with Southwest Airlines (bags fly free - yay! )

But flying itself is not that much fun anymore.  Have you noticed?  Even though I continue to be enamored by the ease of zipping from one location to another, airports seem more like the bus terminals of my youth.  The crowds, standing room only waiting areas, travelers toting their drinks and sandwiches - you know what I am talking about.

But I digress.

On Sunday, we drove along the coast down to Freeport.  Two years earlier, Hurricane Ike devastated the coast line.  At this time last year, I was in Galveston Island, and the effects of the storm were still evident.

This Sunday, we drove to Freeport.  Roads that had been closed last year are now open, and signs of new life are evident everywhere.

The balmy breeze and gentle sunshine made it a perfect day to be out.
The mosquitoes thought so, too, though you would never have know it from looking at the two buddies above.


.... To give to them beauty instead of ashes, The oil of joy instead of mourning, A covering of praise for a spirit of weakness. Isaiah 61:3

All Boys are Princes

One of my favorite movies is "The Little Princess."  I am talking about the 1995 version, and not the one that starred Shirley Temple in 1939.


My paraphrase of a favorite line is, " All  girls are princesses."  So it seems obvious that all boys are princes.  At least that's the way it goes in our family.


In July, we celebrated Prince Elijah's first birthday in Knoxville, with Lindsay and Brent, and Brent's parents, Barry and Sharon. 


There were balloons....

and cake  (gluten free in this case, made lovingly by Mommy)

and the Prince.

Let's not forget the paparazzi.

We came bearing gifts, including this state of the art Radio Flyer wagon from Barry and Sharon.

It was a happy day.

"Don't you see that children are God's best gift?  The fruit of the womb His generous legacy? ...Oh, how blessed are you parents...."

Psalm 127, The Message

Sum Sum Summertime!

We are squeezing out the very last drop of Summer.


Our days have contained plenty of heat but little water.  She's been sick a lot this season and it's kept her landlocked.


Since we've had so many 100+ days in Texas , it's hard to imagine that soon it might be too cool to swim.


So this was her day!

  Yeah, there is still a kid in there, too.

Summer, please stay a little longer?  See you in September?

Who is she  kidding!  Often Summer lingers until October.  

She loves Texas.

Sometimes Life is like a Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, a friend of a blog writer became ill. 
So ill, in fact, that she died.

The writer was heartbroken, having lost her dear friend, whom she had known and loved for many years. 
The writer did not have enough words to describe the vast hole her friend's departure left in her life.
But her heartbreak could not compare to that of her friend's husband and children. 

The husband is a knight in shining armor, as gallant and kind as they come. 
He grieved for several years. 

Then one day, his doctor said, " I have a prescription for you.  I am giving you the name of someone I think you will like. 
Call her."

Hesitating at first, and praying a lot, he called her. 
They talked.

He learned that she was a loving wife and mother for many years who had lost her husband to the same dreadful disease. 
Her heart had been broken, and her life had been hard. 

She is elegant, graceful, wise and loving. 

They are a perfect match.

The wedding was yesterday. 
Two hearts, two families who have endured so much, are now one.

Friends came from near and far.  So much was felt and expressed at that glorious celebration. 
There was love and honor for the lost loved spouses, for the children and grandchildren. 
And for the life companion each one has now found in the other. 

And, of course, words of thanks for their mutual doctor, who brought them together.
Doctors' orders were followed here.

The blog writer, though missing her friend still, was very happy. 
And she is certain her friend would be, too.

"I waited and waited and waited for God. 
At last He looked; finally He listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
pulled me from the deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
to make sure I wouldn't slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
a praise song to our God. 
More and more people are seeing this;
they enter the mystery,
abandoning themselves to God."

Psalm 40:1-3 from The Message
selection from wedding program

A River of Water

An early evening stroll in the neighborhood made us realize again just how hot it was.  The heat radiated off the concrete and we kept to the shade at the sides of the road.  Rain had not made an appearance for several days and there were deep grooves in the ground between the curb and sidewalk.

Then suddenly, a stream of water was headed our way, running downhill from somewhere up the street.

Our parched street was transformed into a water park!

Running, splashing, laughing! 

We were all 4-years-old.

The source of the water is a mystery; perhaps it came from a draining swimming pool.  To us, it was a like a mountain stream and that's the way we want to think of it.

Jesus said, ".....Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst - not ever.  The  water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life."  John 4:14

Happy Independence Day!

On the weekend of July 4th, 1976, we pulled into our new home town of Dallas, TX.  We drove a UHaul truck from Miami, FL into a kind of summer heat I had never before experienced.  I was accustomed to the wilting humidity of south Florida but this was something different.  Imagine standing in front of a blow dryer set on high....

My kitchen comes close to that first Texas summer experience.

Within a few days, we had found an apartment and connected with Dallas Theological Seminary where Larry would soon be consumed by the demands of a rigorous program. 

But first things first!  This was 1976, the bicentennial  celebration of our country's birth.  We had fireworks to see!  And so we did, at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park.

Since then, we've been blessed with many more celebrations on the 4th of July. We will celebrate again today, with heartfelt thanks to those who have made eating watermelon and watching fireworks symbols of freedom.

Galatians 5:1  "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."

Let's see, this year it is....

thirty seven

37

THIRTY SEVEN years of marriage!

A long marriage is a blessing.
For some of us, it takes a long time to learn how to be married. 
I am one of those.

"Love is patient and kind..."
 
Here is the proof.

He pulled to the side of the road so I could take this photo, warning, "Stay out of the tall grass so you don't get chiggers!"

Now that is love that "cares more for others than for self."


Happy Anniversary, Honey!!

Scones with Fresh Raspberries

She popped a red raspberry into her mouth. 

Her eyes widened as she said,

"Yum!  Raspberries taste like.............candy!!"

Four year old Piper is in training as my kitchen helper.  I came across an easy recipe for Raspberry-Orange Scones.  It is fun and simple to make, and delicious. 

By the time we slid them into the oven,  flour was everywhere, and more raspberries were in the tummy than in the scones, but isn't that the way it is supposed to work?

Raspberry-Orange Scones

2 1/4 cups packaged biscuit mix

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon orange peel, finely shredded

1/2 cup fresh raspberries (I would throw in a few more)

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400 F.  In a large bowl, stir together biscuit mix, milk, egg and orange peel until a soft dough forms.  Gently fold in raspberries.  Place dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Gently knead about 10 times or until smooth.  Form dough into a 6-inch circle.  Cut into 6 wedges.  Arrange wedges on an ungreased baking sheet.  Sprinkle with sugar and bake 12 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Serves 6.

The scones are delicious right out of the oven.  But a favorite variation is to break a scone into a bowl with fresh raspberries, and pour a little heavy cream over all (as seen above.)

Everything Looks Different.....

through the lens of my camera. 

Though I've always loved photography, nothing prepared me for the grip it has had on me for the last three years.  The digital world has lured me into the pleasure of learning how to create an image, and now I see them everywhere. 

This gorgeous chandelier sparkles in the morning light streaming through the window in my friend's dining room.

The ordinary, in reality, is quite extraordinary.

"People are like stained glass windows; they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness set in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within."



— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Spring Shows Up

Spring finally made it through security and showed up yesterday.

She had a little trouble being restricted to 3oz of liquid in a zip lock bag.  You know, Spring is all about exuberance, extravagance and excess in color and fragrance.  Pack lightly?  Please.  She didn't forget her blow dryer, either, for what she calls "the tornado affect."

Welcome, Spring.  We're ready for you.

"Spring is nature's way of saying, Let's party!"

— Robin P. Williams

Winter tries to Spring

Winter packed its bags on Friday, all set for a Saturday departure. 

Spring was due to arrive the next day, and Winter didn't want to get in the way. 

But Spring must have gotten detained in security.

So, Winter decided to hang around a few more days and throw a farewell bash.

.