Sew Blue

Been sewin' up a little something or two in blue.

One yard of pretty fabric-some thread and a bit of ribbon; and there you have it!

Prairie Pinafores

How sweet.

The Not-so-Lazy Days of Summer

Doin' the Fair

Swimin'

Down by the Bay

Ben's Birthday (what a handsome family!)

Clam diggin'

with the cousins

Learnin' to swim

Pickin' posies on the Boulevard

Taking tea with my sister and great niece

One lump or two?

Yes, we've had a wonderful time...

but now, like little Sophia;

Grandma Debbie needs a nap.

Country Fair Inspiration

photo by Bellastitchery on etsy

Here's a little collage of fair-inspired items from etsy. These aren't my listing; just things I admire. Check out the handiwork of these creative folks...
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c641de596246d91891df50f/country-fair-blue-ribbon-winners?index=40

Yesterday as I stood watering my garden under the stand of old fir trees in the backyard I spotted a baby hummingbird flitting toward me. She was sooo tiny; perhaps two inches long. She ventured closer and closer to me, finally hovering under the spray of water from my hose. It was enchanting. When she tired of hovering in the air, she lit onto a nearby branch and began washing herself as I carefully positioned the spray so as not to blast her tiny frame off of the branch. For about five minutes she enjoyed the cool mist of my hose. Then as magically as she arrived, she was off.

This is why I garden. It's not just about lawns and flowers as much as I love them. It's about creating a place for hummingbirds and squirrels, ladybugs and crows, and yes, even noisy bluejays have their place in my backyard. But really, it's not my yard at all. It belongs to God, and He allows me to keep it for Him. So I do my best to make sure it's a nice place for his creatures. I've learned not to sacrifice the good for the perfect. Perfection requires carpet-like lawns and roses without aphids. Perfection banishes weeds and slugs and bugs of all kind. But good-well good allows a bit of imperfection; for the sake of the critters who call my backyard their home.

Last week I spent some time praying about God's will for my life. Asking Him to help me live out His plan in me; rather than pursuing my own ideas. And as I made plans to spend time in the garden, the thought came to me that God has a plan for my garden too. Just as He did for Adam's garden. So I prayed for direction in how to take care of the garden. I think that baby hummingbird's visit was my answer.

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Bless the Beasts and the Children

This video is about Christian, the lion. I saw the full story about Christian on the Animal Planet network a few nights ago. In the early 1970's Christian was adopted from Harrod's in London by two young men named John Rendall and Ace Berg . It was still legal in those days to keep exotic animals for pets, and it was not unusual to see hip Londoners strolling along the Kings Road with ocelots, manx, or any other animal that caught their fancy. At first, the two men kept the cub in their small flat. As he grew, Christian needed more and more space and exercise. The boys found a church cemetery and persuaded the vicar to allow them to exercise Christian within it's walled confines. Even so, it became apparent the the lion needed more space; and John and Ace realized that what Christian really needed was to be free. But it would be a very risky proposition to try and introduce this loving, gentle animal into the wild. Christian's parents were zoo lions; so he had no idea how to live in the wild. John and Ace learned of a man who lived in Africa, who's life work was to introduce domesticated lions back into the wild. So they loaded Christian into a crate and took him to Africa. Christian was assimilated into a pride of other lions who had been previously domesticated. There were many frightening moments for John, Ace, and especially for Christian, as the lion courageously battled for his place in the pride; and later battled wild lions who fiercely protected their territory. As Christian gained acceptance from the other lions, John and Ace knew they must leave their beloved friend. They left Africa and Christian. In one heartrending scene not shown in this clip; Christian chases their jeep as they leave the compound. Back in London, the men received regular updates about Christian; and the reports were encouraging. Christian had succeeded in establishing himself in his own pride, and had move further out into the wild. After one year, they could forbear no longer, and returned to Africa in search of their old friend. After many days they found Christian and his pride. They looked hesitantly up to the rocks where the now grown lion stood. Would he remember them; or had all recollection of the past been eradicated from the lion's memory? The scene of Christian's reunion with his human parents will move your to tears. I weep every time I watch this video. The Bible tells us that one day the lamb will walk with the lion. Christian's love for humans is a little prelude to what it will be like when the enmity between man and beast is finally removed.

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