Saturday, March 24, 2012

Snow and Bunnies

Good morning!  Yes, it is good and early!

The sun will rise in two hours, but at five o'clock this morning, it's almost bright as day because the porch light and the loom of the city is reflecting on the fresh snow. This view might be common for you in Montana and Idaho, but here on the valley floor, it's an unusual event. The scene this morning is so pretty ~ calm and peaceful. The snow is heavy with moisture and the tree branches are drooping under the weight.

Our long-awaited spring arrived yesterday, but old man winter is refusing to go home. I'm retired, so he's welcome to stay a few more days. But I told him to leave by Friday because all my grandsons and their folks are coming to visit for Spring break. When I was young, we called it Easter vacation.

Speaking of Easter, remember the yummy chocolate Easter bunnies? My husband loves them, even though they have nothing to do with the real spiritual meaning of Easter. I see the cocoa bunny now has competition. Russel Stover makes a solid milk chocolate fish—the Christian symbol. Surprisingly, the company was brave enough to place the name of Jesus on the fish in English, not Greek.

Of course, I bought one for Brayden, Brogan and Erik. Craig pouted, “Where's mine?” I'll use this opportunity to tell them about the traditional story of the fish figure.


It's hard to read in the library this morning with this lovely scene in front of me. It's snowing again! The God of the Universe is painting a beautiful picture for you and me to enjoy with a thankful heart! We can ignore the broken branches for a few days.

Happy Birthday, Taelor !
Happy Birthday, Margaret !

Thanks for the visit!
Juanita

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Saturday, March 17, 2012

Bombs or Peace

Dear Friends,

I'm glad you joined me in the library this morning!

Since we visited last week, the weather has been rainy, snowy and windy. The jay birds have eaten all the seeds in the hanging feeder and I'm impatient for a warmer season.

My library contains several books over one hundred fifty years old. A great family treasure! This week I settled into my cozy maroon chair in the library and read an original book by John Richard Hersey. He was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer and journalist. In 1946, one year almost to the day after we dropped the A-bomb on Japan, he wrote “Hiroshima”. The true story centers around six Japanese citizens and the effect of the bomb on their city and their bodies.

The book wasn't a delight to read and I won't read it again, but it reminded me the bomb is still a horrific present-day concern. The A-bomb contained uranium and plutonium. The nightly news reports Iran is enriching uranium for destructive purposes. What can we do? Pray for the world leaders and pray for peace.

“I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns.” Philippians 1:9-10 (NLT)

Happy Birthday, Jane!
Happy Birthday, Suzanne!
Happy Birthday, Sharon!
Happy Birthday, Lois Ann!


Have a great week and read a delightful book!

Love, Juanita

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Saturday, March 10, 2012

Memories

Dear friends,

All the birds are here today: the brilliant blue steller's jay, the colorful varied thrush, the little black-hooded Oregon junco and the scruffy western scrub-jay. They are not concerned about the hail coming down. They are focusing on the recently filled bird feeder hanging in front of my library window.


Today, I was reminiscing about the songs Skip Marks sang at our wedding. Last Sunday at church, Luwayne sang one of them, “The Love of God”. The original song was written in 1917. Some fifty years ago, Mrs. Foster wrote an additional verse for her daughter's wedding.

“What God hath joined, let no man sever,
These sacred vows are heaven made.
May they behold a vision ever
From His true light that cannot fade.
Their talents bring to serve the King
The power by God endowed,
With one accord, extol the Lord,
Their hearts in reverence bowed.”

I remember Uncle Gordon, six foot four, crying at my wedding. Maybe that song was the reason. As a little girl, we played a game called Odd or Even on my arm. “Ouch”! He took me to the soda shop where we sat on high stools and drank strawberry sodas together. I was his oldest niece and he loved to spoil me. He proudly played his 78-speed records as we played 'Name that Tune' way before the TV producers created that popular show.

Another wedding memory: my mother broke her high-heeled shoe at my wedding and Aunt Leona loaned mother her shoes to wear.

Did I bring back a few old memories of your own?

Spring is less than two weeks away. Hooray!

Happy Birthday, Barbara !

Juanita

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Our Assignment

"Sing a new song to the LORD!
Let the whole earth sing to the LORD!
Sing to the LORD: praise his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the LORD!
He is most worthy of praise!"
Psalm 96:1-4

What more can I say? I hope you have a week
full of blessings from the Lord.

Sincerely, Juanita