Thursday some of my daffodils were showing off their bright yellow bonnets and waving in the breeze. Friday, a heavy, merciless rain drenched them and beat them to the ground. That event was followed by cold temperatures again, after two weeks of spring-like weather.
But this scenario is not new — for me or my daffodils. In fact, almost every year, within a very few days of their blooming, the weather becomes mean and cold again and beats up on those innocent little flowers. But also every year, once the rain is passed, the brave little plants turn their heads back toward the sun and start straightening themselves out. Today, Saturday, almost all of them are standing tall and strong once again.
I wrote about that annual event a few years ago, and then shared the article on YouTube in a video. So today, since I’m celebrating the resurrection of my little daffodils again this year, I decided to give that little devotional video a second airing here on my website. I hope it’s a blessing to you.
Goody! I decided I could take time to do Cee’s “Share Your World” challenge this week. If you’d like to participate, just follow the link to her site for the details.
Question # 1: Do you prefer eating food with nuts or without nuts?
Generally, I prefer eating food with nuts, but unfortunately, I’m dealing with two chipped teeth that are waiting to be fixed (I have a dentist appointment for one next month), so lately I’ve been avoiding nuts unless they are in baked goodies so that they are soft.
Question # 2: If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film, or science fiction?
Well, personally, I think everyone’s life would have to be a combination of all of the first four. I don’t know any adult who hasn’t had his share of drama, comedy, action, and romance. But if my life were not a combination, and I could actually CHOOSE one genre or over the others, I’d definitely like for it to be a romantic comedy. Some of my favorite romantic comedies are Desk Set, Every Girl Should Be Married, Bringing Up Baby, Pillow Talk, Bachelor Mother, and Christmas in Connecticut.
Question # 3: Who talks real sense to you?
A good friend of mine who is totally different from me in almost every aspect of our lives. I’m continuously amazed that we even became best of friends. I generally look at all sides of a situation when I have to make a decision, but he does so even more than I do. In fact, it causes him to take a very, very long time to decide things personally. But when he’s giving me advice, he comes at the situations from such a totally objective point of view that it’s very helpful. And he’s blatantly honest. And he is very good at separating emotion from facts, which is something I don’t do easily. I also use him to edit every book I write before it goes to a publisher. If there’s anything he thinks is less than excellent, he won’t fail to tell me so in detail.
Question # 4: Do you have a favorite board game?
No, but I love word games. I especially enjoy a game called Bananagrams. It’s played with little tiles of letters that you use to create words. It’s similar to Scrabble, but actually gives the players a lot more opportunities to be creative with their choices. It’s rather addictive — at least for someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes creating with words – as I do.
Bonus Question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I’m grateful that I got to begin my newest blogging class. And I’m grateful that I was able to spend a lot of time with my family over Thanksgiving.
This next week I am looking forward to putting up my Christmas decorations. I wanted to start getting them up the first week of November, but there are just so many other responsibilities in my life that I couldn’t seem to get that part of it in gear any earlier.
I have taken considerable liberty this week in responding to the prompt at “A Dash of Sunny.” It calls us to look at light and darkness and to write about them in any way we feel led. I have written an entire novel that focuses on the battle between light and darkness, looking in depth at the root sources of both.
As with all my inspirational novels, the theme of Racing Toward The Light is based in the Christian faith, and this particular book allows the reader to delve into the earthly lives of the characters of the story, but also into the spirit realm, where those forces of light and darkness dwell in all their fullness, and from which they influence and control earthly beings.
Since Racing Toward The Light fits this prompt so perfectly — and since it also fits the season of Halloween, when the world focuses on those forces from the dark side of the spirit realm — and since the E-Book version of the novel goes on sale at the Amazon Kindle store today — I thought I’d give you a peek at the official book trailer, in which I personally read an excerpt from the first few pages.
Maybe I can whet your appetite enough that you’ll hop over to Amazon and purchase a copy. And even if you don’t, it’s fun to share this much of it with you. The printed version came out about 5 years ago, but I’m excited about the digital version because so many people from around the world can download and read it now without dealing with exorbitant shipping costs.
So if you’re ready for a fresh, enlightening Halloween experience, come walk through this journey with Noah, as he struggles to find a way to overcome his own fear and weakness in order to commit himself to fighting a new battle with forces from beyond this world. Experience the power of God as angels and demons engage on the spiritual plane while believers discover the truth about their position of authority and their victory in the name of Jesus Christ and His blood.
Togetherness was certainly the theme of this classic movie scene from “Shall We Dance.” (1937). The song is by Gus Kahn and Harry M. Woods. It’s sung on this video by husband and wife duo Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme. Skaters are Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, who made many wonderful movies ‘side by side.’
To participate in the challenge fun, visit the Daily Post.
If you live in the northern hemisphere, chances are the heat, humidity, & summer doldrums are getting you down. But this little video will cool you off and make you happy all at the same time.
Cee’s Share Your World challenge is a great way to get to know fellow bloggers and let them get to know you. If you’ve never participated, try it. You’ll like it. Besides, it gives you a chance to talk about yourself all you want and not feel guilty for doing so.
Question # 1: If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking, or yard work?
Definitely with yard work! I hate to do yard work, and my yard needs it desperately.
Bah Humbug!!!
Question # 2: What makes you laugh the most?
Myself. No —- just kidding. I’d have to say Old Andy Griffith shows that featured Don Knotts. I can just be thinking about some of those scenes, and I’ll start laughing right out loud — even though I can quote some whole scenes line for line, I still find them hilarious. (See video at end of this post for a sample.)
Question # 3: What was your favorite food when you were a child?
Okay, I know you all EXPECT me to say chocolate. But I’m not going to do that. The truth is that I just like food — lots of food — and almost all kinds of food. About the only things I can’t stand to eat are turnips, hominy, and head cheese. I honestly don’t remember if I had a favorite as a child, but if I did, it was probably potatoes, because, to this day, I love potatoes in any shape or form. I can eat them hot or cold or even lukewarm — boiled, fried, baked, mashed, or hashed.
Question # 4 List at least 5 favorite flowers or plants.
Okay some of my favorites — in order of preference — are as follows:
Daisies
Blue Spruce Trees
Maple Trees
Oak Trees
Mums
Bonus Question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the coming week?
I’m grateful for all the chocolate Easter candy that was on sale for half price or less last week.
Next week, I’m looking forward to having some time off from teaching so many classes at one time. Everybody needs a little rest now and then, and maybe, with my “spare time,” I can finish the novel I’m posting one chapter at a time on here.
This week’s WP Photo Challenge is a little confusing. The title focuses on the “half-light” periods of the day when we are between day and night, but then the actual challenge calls us to post a picture that is inspired by a particular poem, verse, song lyric, or story — and that picture does not have to be about half-light. But if we do not have a poem, verse, song lyric, or story that inspires a certain picture, then we can post photos of the world around us in “half-light.”
So …………
One of my favorite songs of all time is “I’ll Be Seeing You,” with lyrics by Irving Kahal. One of the best remembered lines is at the end of the song and says, “I’ll be looking at the moon, but I’ll be seeing you.” I’ve had that experience in my own lifetime — looking at the moon but focusing on the man I loved instead of that glowing orb in the sky. In honor of those lovely words, I decided I’d share a collection of my own pictures of the moon. I took two of my moon pics and played around with them in a couple of photo programs, just to see how much fun I could have. I had LOTS of fun. I hope you find them “fun” to look at as well. And below my pictures, you’ll find a video of the song to enjoy.
12 Days of Christmas Blessings: Day 8 (Sorry I missed connecting on Day 7.) Hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane from 60 years ago (1956) on this happy new year’s day, 2016.
The Happy Wordcrafter 