Water's Edge

Our morning began with beautiful sunny rays drifting in the kitchen window.  We enjoyed sunny skies most of the day, but then experienced a short sprinkle in the late afternoon.  Now, the skies are trying to be sunny a few more minutes before the sun sets on our day.  All in all, it was a pretty day, one can gladly accommodate a sprinkle a day. 

My heart aches for the people along the Mississippi River who are having so much trouble with flooding.  I will be thankful today for what God has given me to handle - and always will be aware that additional difficulties could be just around the curve.  I love rivers and streams and lakes and oceans but all this tragedy in the news reminds me of the power that water holds only inches beyond its beauty.  We live on a hill so it would be difficult to be flooded here, but two small tornadoes have zipped through our neighborhood since we moved here.  Both times we were away from home and fortunately only suffered minimal damage but that's close enough for me.  While living in Mississippi in my younger days, we experienced three bad hurricanes.  They are slow and frightening - different than tornadoes and flooding, but all such events are times that test our strength and serve as opportunities to thank God for His protection.   

After church this morning we ate with our Gang of 6 at a pizza joint.  Pretty good food, but the fun of being together was even better.  One of the men had a birthday this past week so we gave him a wallet - it's hard to buy for a guy when I don't know what he has or really wants.  When he opened the gift he smiled and then showed us his nearly delapidated wallet - sounds like I made a good choice for him this year! 

While sitting on the front porch this afternoon, I noticed some gray birds having a ball flitting around in the mahonia bushes then I realized they were making a meal on the blue seeds.

On the table beside me I noticed my oxalis (shamrock plant) was blooming profusely.  It certainly does enjoy being outside on the porch in the fresh air.  Well, I do too for that matter.  I'm also thankful for the animal crackers I had for my snack while watching the birds enjoy their snack.   

It started sprinkling while I sat on the front porch this afternoon and it was peaceful watching the rain drops hit the flowers and shrubs.  Tomorrow is Monday and the beginning of my favorite five days of the week. 

A grandson is nearing another birthday - wow, don't the years go by fast!!  I quit work a year ago this month - wow, and yes, the year did go by fast!!