Beautiful North

My family spent the last few days visiting friends, at their lovely place a few hours north of here. I've never experienced so much in three day's time, and it was all fascinating. To put it simply, a lot happened.

These are of the cabin we stayed in. It's a rustic, vintage-y place, built in the 40's and filled with odd and ends and books and beds. And so very cozy.

The bed that my sister and I shared the first night. It's built into the wall in the loft, the wall is all windows looking into the forest. I love it!

The lake is spectacular . . . clear, mostly cold, and deep. Wednesday night, I managed to swim across it!

And the fishing's alright, too, much to my brother's contentment.

We went to the nearby state park for some adventures . . .

Lack of a swimsuit didn't stop our little pal from playing in the river!

It was the perfect day - warm, sunny. Perfect for us tourists! *snicker* We ran all over the trails, gawked at the tallest trees, climbed the fire tower (100 feet is higher than it sounds!), and snacked on candy bars.

My friend took me to the county fair that evening. It was small, unlike the two fairs I usually go to, and I loved the environment.

The horse talent show was really fun to watch. I'd never seen a drill team prior to that night, believe it or not! And this pony was very cute - very perky and happy to show off.

I want a horse of my own. Badly.

The midway was definitely a highlight for me - the few rides we went on were splendid, and the evening light paired with the neon light was wonderful.

Quick question: Am I the only one who is heavily reminded of Charlotte's Web when at a county fair?

As for food . . . well, I'm just gonna say that mint malts, lemonade, and cheese curds are as good as it gets.

That night, my friend and I spent the night in the library above one of the workshops.

We started in on "Much Ado About Nothing". Much laughter ensued, and not only because we were bushed!



Isn't it lovely? Don't you want to become a hermit and live there?

It was an altogether amazing trip. I wish everyone could experience one like it! I also wish I had my camera present when the seventy bagels we made came out of the oven. ;)

But the most amazing thing that happened while we were there? We met a new friend - and he met the world. My mom puts it way better than I could . . . this baby's birth is proof that prayer works, and that God loves life.

I can't wait to get back there. Good friends, beautiful places, and so much to see and do.
Thanks for reading, much love,
M

Powerlines, trees, and stoplights.

It was a golden evening.

After heavy rains and thunderstorms all day, the sky cleared and we had light.

Rich, golden light.

It was a glorious sunset. I stood in the driveway, camera in hand and mind moving fast, watching the sky change light and color in a mind-blowing, beautiful pattern.

The powerlines, trees, and stoplights that plague even slightly urban places were between me and the sky, but I looked on.
And inevitably, I started wishing to be at a place without any of those powerlines, trees, or stoplights.

I wanted a place where there weren't herds of cars driving by, without some of the drivers casting curious stares my way.

Imagine a field with no trees, a hilltop higher than any streetlight, or a lake with no shores. Wide, open spaces.

But I considered the traffic a little more, and I came to a conclusion:
I don't mind lookers-on after all.
Or powerlines, or trees, or stoplights.

The clouds were incredible. I don't know how many shades of grey and gold are possible, but I am sure that most of them were up in those clouds.

I was still thinking, in the back of my mind, about that abandoned hilltop and deserted, powerline-less, tree-less, stoplight-less field . . .

. . . but sunsets like this one aren't hindered.

And I'm going to

watch them

photograph them

and utterly enjoy them . . .

. . . no matter where I happen to be.

~

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
~Jeremiah 29:11
~

Summer's Soundtrack

Okay, today is the third consecutive gorgeous day of the Spring. It's so warm, sunny, and green out there. I have transitioned from resigned furry boots to tentative flip flops to joyous bare feet. Friends, Summer's back!

And of course there's music to compliment this utterly delightful change. Here's a *very small* sampling of my favorite summer tracks. . . .

Chopin is my hero. Currently, this is my favorite prelude of his.



Why, yes, I selected the video that features a b&w photo of a very solemn composer. :) Rimsky-Korsakov is so good for reading with. I love the adventure his music is infused with.



Okay. If Chopin is my hero, Debussy is my inspiration. Clair de Lune is special to me. I love playing it, listening to it....everything. I love its flawless key changes and fluid chords. I should stop gushing.
~
So those are my classical tracks. Other favorites that are perfect for golden summer evenings . . .


Ahh...I was introduced to this duo last summer and have enjoyed them since. I love listening to this piece on bright afternoons. And any other time of day. :)


I saved the best for last! This is the song that puts my summer ideals to music. I. love. George. Winston.
~~~~
There are so many other songs that I love for this time of year. What do you listen to in the summer?

The Glory

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
~Psalm 8:3-4

As I learn more about the worlds God created, including this one I live on and especially the entire universe it's in, these verses ring increasingly true.

The universe is so huge, so mysterious, and so complex. It's amazing that humans have managed to learn so much about it has they have, but what's so much more awesome is that it's even here. Some people believe in the big bang theory, but while that offers an explanation for the beginning of our earth, it doesn't even begin to say where the universe came from.

So where did it come from?

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen is not made out of things that are visible.
~Hebrews 11:3

God created the huge, majestic amazing universe. After He made something so incredible, He made humans that were supposed to be perfect. But they sinned, and... He still loves them. What is man that you are mindful of him?

So now I think, Here in the midst of that universe, in the presence of the Being who created it and so much more, what am I to do? I mean, read Ecclesiastes and you basically find the words Life Does Not Mean Anything. And it doesn't, without God. To be awake spiritually is to be alive.

As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
~2 Corinthians 4:18

So life in the soul and body has all the potential it needs for uselessness and death. But God can reverse that! He can let you live, here on earth and afterward in eternity. And can you imagine how wonderful eternal life with God will be? Look at what He has created. He Himself is more beautiful. What will He have us do for Him once there is an eternity or perfection before us?

I can't wait to find out.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus. Come quickly.

Faith

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ~Romans 5:1-2

Faith that only Jesus can save me has been on my heart lately. There is so much to understand about Him, and so much that I never will until heaven. But He loves me, He died for me, and I know that He is my savior. And that is all that matters. I have to have faith that He can forgive my sin, even though it may be a little hard for me to believe sometimes. But all I have to do is ask. Ask for the forgiveness that only, only God can give.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ~Philippians 4:6

~~~~

Hannah wrote a great post on faith that rather inspired to me get my thoughts into the blogosphere....you really should go read it!

Beautiful Summer

This summer, I....

...majorly loved the sky after some magnificent storms.
...had some delightful times with my wonderful friends.


...wrote. Not as much as I had hoped to, but I wrote, and that's all that matters, right? And I really like some of it. *grin*


...enjoyed some homemade ice cream. Thank you Dad!


... had a wonderful stint with fireworks.

...went camping! My summer is never complete without at least a weekend of roughing it.



Although these photos describe my summer very well, here is the one that really sums it all up:

My favorite part of this summer was the evenings. Reading, writing, and drawing in the glow of the setting sun. I love that time of day, even more so in the summer.

And now, school and autumn begin. Leisure will become rare, grass will fade, the sun will set at six. A new season to love and live.

Goodbye, summer.

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
— Dr. Seuss

25 more blessings

1. I went my first and last Major League Baseball game of the summer last night! My home team won and I had an AMAZING time.
2. Thanks to Robin Blogs, I now know how to get back to the original Blogger templates! Including the delightful Minima. :)
3. My friend's little brother came up with the best term for my braces; they are now "the sparkles on my teeth". How sweet is that? :)
4. It's fun to layer bracelets.


5. The last couple of days have been some of the best I can remember.
6. Les Miserables is such a good book! You will no doubt hear more about this later, too.....
7. I just had a blueberry muffin.
8. It's a golden September day.
9. My God controls the future, and He has the best plan for me in it.
10. All the dreams I get at night are very vivid and memorable.
11. The radio just played a really cool song.
12. Bunnies. Are. Darling.


13. It feels good to learn.
14. I have many (10-15) pillows on my bed.
15. My left thumbnail is painted hot pink.
16. The radio is playing another great song! It's Beethoven's Fur Elise on the piano accompanied by an orchestra. Mmm.
17. The sky was beautiful last night.


18. My CD player is emblazoned with Hello Kitty!
19. I have sight and hearing.
20. One cannot remain bored for very long in this varied world.
21. I have very attractive highlighters that go click-click. :)

22. I have pets.
23. Just because one's parent is laid off from work does not mean one's life turns miserable.
24. My birthday is one week away.
25. The window in my bedroom is a big one.

Phillippians 4:19

Philippians 4:19- And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in the glory of the Jesus Christ.

At first glance, I thought of this verse as referring to needs like food, clothing, and the basic physical ones. But there is more meaning than that.

Notice the word 'every'.God cares for and is willing to provide the non-physical emotional needs, too. He can be the perfect friend that is always, always accessible and loving. He cares for every aspect of my life.

And He's the Creator of this exquisite world, too! Not my image, but I just had to share it.

Antique farm

I recently went to an old historic farm. It was very beautiful and full of photo ops for crazy photographers like me! :)

Looking out from the parlor.

The hallway.
Tools in the cellar.

One of the old workhorses. I think his name is Jack?


Looking up the cellar stairs. I loved those stairs!

Vegetables in the cellar.

The re-en actors (?) were doing laundry that day. They let my little sister and I help, which was really fun. I like gathering experiences like that to maybe one day use in my writings.


That orange swirl is a barn cat. They were very cute and funny.

A storage room in the barn.

There were a couple darling lambs running around the barns.

Aren't the sky and hayfield perfect together?

Sadly, my camera began to give up the ghost (Or battery juice) while I was there and I had to be very careful with how often I had it on. But it was good for me, too- instead of taking 500 mediocre snapshots like I normally would have, I knew that each time I pressed the shutter button I was getting a worthwhile picture.

Thanks for looking and reading!

~Margaret Rowena