It's Springing!

Hubby was surprised as he walked the 4 acres with Roxie. He found a zillion little flowers this year, peaking up through the ground. They almost look "hesitant" but they're just shy little heralds. Which I could keep them all!

Snow today . . . Gone tomorrow?

We really got a load of snow yesterday . . . You can hardly see where my front steps should be.

The weatherman SAYS it'll hit 50 tomorrow. Will that mean Indiana will have its first mudslides? Should make for interesting AFTER shots.

God sure has a sense of humor. Seems to be saying "Look what I can do ... and tomorrow, I'll take it all away!" AMAZING! Wow, talk about some drifting . . . And to think I slept through this wind?
My beautiful old evergreens, heavy with snow . . . Poor ole girls!

Those are flowering shrubs under the three windows . . . They'll be fine!

Roxie didn't seem to mind. It wasn't really COLD.

Look how perfectly the snow fell on my car!

UGH - NO shovelling for me . . .

Yep - The insulation is working!

Always in our tail when taking photos!

And to think I can' t find my boots....

Why God Allows Pain

This is one of the best explanations of why God
allows pain and suffering that I have seen. . .

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut a nd his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said, 'I don't believe that God exists.'


'Why do you say that?' asked the customer.
'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.'
Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?
If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.' The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber, 'You know what? Barbers do not exist.' 'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!' 'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'
'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'

BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS!

I just don't understand . . .

While I understand the of issues in this campaign, what I can't understand is how ANYONE,

has been able to raise $150,000,000.00 for his campaign during September alone.

People are loosing their houses, gas tanks haven't had their belly full for months and months due to high gas prices, people have lost jobs, the country is in economic crisis ...

AND YET ...

DESPITE THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY ...

Barack Obama raises $150,000,000.00 in a month - an excessive and historic amount.

HOW COULD DONATIONS HAVE LEGITIMATELY BEEN MADE WITH THE COUNTRY IN THIS CRISIS?

People have no money, spending is tight, businesses are closing, bills are unpaid, people are angry, and YET,

Barack Obama managed in one month to raise that whopping amount of $150,000,000.00!

McCain pledged to accept public funding in a general election, provided the Democratic nominee does the same. Barack agreed, but hasn't kept his word. Should McCain have said yes, then no?

Obama told "Joe the Plumber" that it was best to "spread the wealth around."

I guess he's staying true to THAT word as he "spreads the wealth" to his own gain.

. . . . . . . . . .

Maybe people should have paid their mortgages first, and filled up their gas tanks and their cupboards instead of making contributions. Maybe not so many wallets would be so tight.

. . . . . . . . . . .

I guess "political expediency" forgives a multitude of sins ... in his mind. Just think of how many people could be helped with this huge sum.

Autumn Leaves . . .

This is the view I see when
I stand in the front yard of my
house on the outskirts
of LaPorte County, Northern Indiana ....
Some gold .....




. . . and the BIG Burning Bush that is taller than my garage
roof is beginning a slow burn . . .






Here's one
of the two
big pines we
have in the front,
the ones I call
"sisters".

And here, a jogger
was nice enough to hustle by so
you have a good perspective
of the tree's size.


Its nice to live where there are
visible changes in the season.
It gets you "in the mood" to do things . . .
for all the "necessary changes"
. . . like making wonderful apple scented melting tarts, and cinnamon bun tarts . . .
The necessary closet changes
as seasonal clothing is put away,
and warm clothes are aired out and
put in place for days when
layering is necessary, but a coat isn't needed.


And its good to sleep with the window
open just a crack, getting in cold air,
so snuggling is fun!

++++++

Ecclesiastes 3: 1

For everything there is a season, and time for every purpose under heaven . . .

Lonely Chairs at Beachwalk . . .

For some reason,

as I cruise through Beachwalk,

I notice that front porch chairs

are a recurring theme on all

of them . . .

And the chairs are all empty.

Didn't find one home

with people sitting

on their porches.

Maybe sitting on porches

is a lost art.

Maybe people prefer not actually looking

at each other as they talk . . .

sometimes incessantly,

at least on their cells.

Or probably, people have forgotten how to relax

and enjoy having nothing to do.

It seems I never have time to relax.

I don't know what to do with myself

when there's "nothing" to do.

There's always "something' that needs

to be done. ALWAYS! Work, work, work . . .

These chairs, if they could talk,

what would they say?

Maybe they'd say "I was hoping

for company. "

Sad, isn't it?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:30-33

A Drive Through "Beach Walk"

Running parallel to part of Lake Michigan's lake front is

the infamous Lake Shore Drive.

Al Capone actually owned a house here in early years ... way down the drive.

Rumors are that there was an underground tunnel that led

straight to the highway, which made escaping the law a cinch.

And the garden's grounds were pistol shaped!

But today . . .

If you take a right, you can drive through a gated community

into a summer Disney Land atmosphere . . .

Now mind you, not just anyone can live here.

It's for the rich and semi-famous.

(They're who are a legend on their own dime.)

The community is basically for
"Chicago people . . ."

So let's take a right, and see what's in there!

~~~~ ****~~~~

There are narrow little streets with sand sliding off the sloped banks,

and lots of beach grass.

Lawns are never mowed - after all - this is a Get Away spot.

Its ALL beach grass anyway, so its perfectly acceptable,

to let your lawn go au naturale!

Its all "eye candy" in here . . .

Made to look like Cape Cod?

Don't you think that's odd?

All with a cute white fence . . .

Must have cost a pence!

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Houses that are small . . .

There are houses that are tall . . .

Houses that are blue . . .

All are quaint and new.

Houses that are pink . . .

No one will raise a stink!

Even a shade of rose . . . that's how the story goes . . .

Yes, every house is a little different than the next.

All have slightly different architecture,

all lined up side by side,

and I'm sure they all live happily ever after.

+ + + + + +

There are about 100 houses in this little

community of rich folk.

Tomorrow, we'll look further!


Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1