New Life

Come in!

      A large round thermometer hangs nailed to the tree outside my library window. The temperature this early morning hour shows almost 60 degrees and it looks like snow is falling, but instead, the white star magnolia flowers are falling from the tree in a warm breeze. There's an east wind causing all the flowers to land on one side of the tree. The white is in stark contrast to the freshly-mowed green lawn. I'm sure you noticed how exceptionally bright the green grass is in the spring, no matter where you live or if it is just crabgrass.

      Yesterday, I mentioned to my husband the leaf buds on the red horse chestnut tree were swelling with life. This morning I see the first leaf popped open. There's no stopping them now. Next comes the big red flowers.

      It is such a pleasure to watch the progress of life returning to our personal paradise here after a cold winter. Have you ever watched a leaf open? It's like watching a baby being born—it takes time. 

      I wonder what I miss on days I think I'm too busy to relax and gaze out my library window?

      Time for another cup of jasmine tea.

      Let's talk next week after I return from Boise.

Your friend, Juanita

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A Redhead Comes to Visit

Good morning, nature lovers!

He decorated our holly tree, but I never caught him at work. Isn't the design intriguing? So precise, too! This pattern appears strange work for a woodpecker since they drill holes, so who is guilty of making rows of squares?

I barely contained my excitement this week when I finally saw him near the path to the old barn. Wow! He can peck fast and move quickly around the tree, making it difficult to take a satisfactory picture. He wasn't in the mood for posing. He preferred dining on holly sap.

Patience paid off. After a zillion clicks, I managed to capture a few clear shots of this amazing bird for you to enjoy.

Yesterday, I was in the library when our bird flew into the large picture window. Wham! Scared me and him too, I imagined. I opened the window to get a better look and there he lay on the ground, not moving. I feared that he broke his little neck. This usually happens when birds try to come in without asking me to open the window first. I quickly called my husband and we both stared down at him and exclaimed together, “ Ohhh”! 

We were so sad! My new discovery looked dead.

We decided to go outside for a closer look. The bird's eyes were open and I noticed he blinked, so Craig gently picked him up. He didn't struggle, probably nursing a headache. What a colorful red-breasted sapsucker! Craig held him and I stroked him.

We enjoyed talking to him for a few minutes, then the bird appeared ready to fly away, pooping as he went.

“ But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. . . .”    Isaiah 40:31

Let's soar together!

Happy birthday, Susan!

Your friend and bird watcher, Juanita

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On the Wings of a Dove

As I destroyed the nasty spring weeds in my garden today, I heard you crying. So mournful, so sad! You hid among the branches in the cedar tree. Why were you crying? Had you lost your mate or were you remembering your fate so long ago?

You had been sent on a mission to find dry land, but it became a difficult assignment. You returned from your first flight discouraged, finding no place to land. Later you returned with an olive branch in your mouth. How surprised you must have been to find plant life after more than 190 days adrift in an ark on the high seas.

Occasionally, I see you walking under the bushes with your mate. You run fast, then fly away. Next time, please stay longer. I promise not to hurt you, I only want to share a candid picture of you with my friends.

In ages past, you were used as a sacrifice of worship and purification by the poor of Israel, but you were also honored as a symbol of the Holy Spirit of God. In the first century, the early Christians designed a drawing of you as a secret code. Today, you represent Christianity and peace.

King David wished he had wings like a dove, so he could fly away and rest in the quiet of the wilderness.  Psalm 55:6.    Like David, I could use a break. Yard work is tiring for this old lady. The minutes have turned into hours and it certainly is time for a much-needed rest!

I always look forward to the music of your sad, but peaceful song. I hope to hear your cooing again tomorrow.

Sincerely, Juanita

Happy Birthday, Vicki !

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Easter Greetings

Are you visiting in the afternoon? In the library, I will be serving the infamous Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies with your choice of tea or coffee.

From the window, we can see the royal pageant rose bushes with their little copper-colored leaves beginning to uncurl. The new leaves give me faith in its promise of many fragrant flowers of a blend of rich apricot and golden yellow to open in the summer. Here in the valley, it's amazing how quickly the naked, thorny canes develop tiny new leaves, seemingly overnight.  Before we know it, there will be flowers to pick and bouquets to arrange!  I won't mention the inch of hail we had this week.

This magic of spring gives me another thought. As winter is cold and dreary, we know warm weather will follow. Jesus gave a prophecy regarding world wars, earthquakes and famines. He called it the beginning of sorrows (winter), but he promised He would return from heaven with power and glory (spring), bringing everlasting peace (summer).

As we celebrate the Easter season, remember He promised to rise again. He did! He promised to return for us believers. And He will! Expect Him!

Your friend, Juanita

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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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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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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

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

Age Is Just a Number

Welcome my library this morning!

Did you notice yellow blooming forsythia as you drove down the driveway? One of the first promises of spring!

I suppose you saw our metal Christmas trees still displayed in the front yard. I have a good excuse this time. My young grandsons from Idaho are coming in March and I told them I would turn the lights on for them since they couldn't come for Christmas.

I met a precious lady last Sunday. “I'm 105 years old,” she stated early in our conversation. What a joy to talk with Vereah! She doesn't see or hear as well as she used to, but she's so proud of her age.

I was proud when I turned thirteen, and then sixteen. A sign over my desk at work read, “Age is just a number and mine's unlisted.” I didn't freely tell anyone my age until I turned seventy. Now it's fun to reveal my secret.

Grandson Brayden says he is excited to advance into the double digits next month.

Are you comfortable with your age?

A few of us act peculiar about telling our age. I know someone who kept her real age from her younger husband. How about the ancient people in the Old Testament? Their age became no secret. God told Moses, then Moses told everyone when he wrote the book of Genesis. Can you imagine living 969 years as Methuselah did? I suppose he finished a lot of projects in his day. He probably said, “I remember when . . .” hundreds of times.

I asked my LORD for at least another twenty years so I can write more stories and maybe even publish a book. 

Happy Birthday sister!  Happy Birthday CJ!

Enjoy your week and your years!

Thanks for your visit!

Juanita

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The Story of Our Lives

Good morning! I'm sharing serious thoughts from the library today.

King David of Israel possessed many talents and God-given abilities. He played the harp, sang worship songs and danced for joy. God helped him win all his battles for Israel. He became a prolific writer and a prophet. The psalmist was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write many revelations of Israel's Messiah. One example is Psalm 16:10. “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption”. This is a psalm that contains prophecy concerning the resurrection of Christ.

David recorded the thoughts of his heart and experiences of his life for us to read three thousand years later. I'm sure he would be amazed how many millions of people now enjoy reading his songs available in several hundred languages. I'm honored when one hundred friends read what I write in English.

As a novice author, I write about a certain subject and then put the paragraph aside for a later time, hoping more ideas will come to me. I wonder how many times King David had the same writer's block.

In David's psalms, he sometimes described his desperation, but also included praise to his Lord. I imagine he started several psalms at one time, but eventually finished them when he experienced victory over a certain sin, trial or circumstance.

Chapters in our lives are not finished immediately, but a process of steps, like paragraphs, with a few chapters now and then. We all will continue writing our story until we finish the book of our lives and the Lord calls us to eternity. Let's seriously consider how we will end our final chapter.

“But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "God is great!" Words of David in Psalms 70:4

Juanita

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Valentines from the Paslay Collection

Valentine

ME-N-U

Sweet Kisses

February 14

I've raised a crop of honest hopes.

Please tell me that you care.

for if you'd be my Valentine

'weed' make a happy pair.

S. S. Loveland

“All's Clear”

and set to go if you're my

Valentine.

Hi there, Prince Charming.

I'll be your Cinderella!

St. Valentine Greeting

Love brings treasures, shy and sweet,

Loving hearts in harmony meet.

Take my heart & sail with me,

On life's happy, rolling sea.

1926

A summons for my Valentine:

“Police” be mine.

1945

Love to my Valentine.

I don't know any better way

Than by this little card of mine

To say what's on my heart to-day.

“I want you for my Valentine.”

1926

To My Valentine.

Cupid will tell you plain and true,

No other maid I love but you.

"For God LOVED the world so much,
that he gave his one and only son,
so that everyone who believes in Him
will not perish, but have eternal life"    John 3:16

Special Love to All My Friends,

Juanita

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A Week of Wows!

Dear Friends!

WOW! Wow! Last night we watched the best movie ever! Police chase, hankie scene, inspiration! You must watch “Courageous”. You must! You can rent it on Netflix or you can borrow my copy. I rate it AAA+. In fact, I'll probably watch it again this week.

Wow! Spring is just around the corner and the weeds prove it. So sad, I spread Casoron too late again, but I have now at least stopped the summer weeds. Believe that?

Wow! My labor paid off. My new daffodils leaves are showing! Last fall I bought a sack of fifty bulbs. Planting all of them became too tedious, so I gave some to my cousin Roberta. I'll send y'all a picture when they bloom. I always admire the daffodils along I-5, now I'll have my own small field.

Wow! Mentioning the word labor made me remember another event. I have two great sons and three great grandsons. I wished they lived across the street.

Wow, I'm tired! I just walked around the yard and spread two sacks of moss killer on the deep, lime green lawn. Age fifty is long gone! I need an energy drink today instead of hot tea.

Have a Wow week!

Wow! “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Psalms 118:29 

Love and Wow memories to you and your family!

Juanita

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