120/365

Ahhh... the small unexpected joys of sunny days!

I found this guy hanging out by the mailbox when I pulled up to the house this afternoon. He had a little buddy friend scampering around the tree with him, too. When I was growing up in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque, my sister and a friend and I would catch lizards in butterfly nets. We'd crochet leashes for them, and walk them around for a day or so before letting them loose. Lizard catch and release. And for a brief moment, yes, I was tempted to catch this guy today. But really, how could I disturb his sunbath beyond taking his photo?

Any herpetologists out there that might have an idea what kind of lizard this guy is?
(and really, I'm thinking he might actually be a gecko...?) 

Charleston-Savannah Album

I love to go to new places. And I love to take photos of those new sights. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia for a few days and pull out the camera again. I confess, I've been a bit of a lazy photographer lately, and only using the phone some days. It was great to look through the view finder and see the world with the eye of the lens for a few days again. 

See some of my favorite shots from the recent trip at the Charleston-Savannah web album here. 

119/365

when there is nothing to do but be still and wait.

118/365

000

SXUS74 KBRO 282126
RERHRL

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
425 PM CDT SUN APR 28 2013

...RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL SET AT HARLINGEN...

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 1.93 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT HARLINGEN TODAY. THIS
BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 1.13 SET IN 1957.

(from NOAA Public Information)

117/365

"Trees, blossoms, and birds;
and seas, skies, and winds-
whisper it,
sound it anew,
sing it,
echo it,
let it beat and resonate through every atom and particle on earth,
and let the air be filled with it.
Let it be told and retold again and again,
until hope rises to become conviction,
and conviction becomes the certainty of knowing
Let it be told until, like Paul, even when we face our death,
we will go triumphantly with our faith secure
and a peaceful and radiant expression on our face."

- from Streams in the Desert, April 27.

116/365

Some days you are tempted to choose a different aisle...

(from the archives- April 26, 2012)

115/365

A misty & cool day, a welcome forecast in the midst of record-setting drought conditions.
Isn't it funny how 60 in one place is "warming up" and in another it is "a cold front"?

114/365

does it violate some sort of ethics when you convince your sister to be the subject for the Classical (or Pavlovian) Conditioning experiment for your psychology lab?
even if you do pay her a dollar?

(a dollar?!?)

113/365

Confucius must have been an introvert, too.

112/365

9:34 pm, HEB
Why are there so many people here?
And why am I one of them?

111/365

my kids tell me that I take this same picture every time we stop.
I think that, probably, they are correct.
I like that girl.

110/365

facing north
(on the road somewhere between here and there)

109/365

Homemade French Silk pie-
a very delicious creation from the daughter-who-bakes-for-her-mom.

108/365

Dust Bowl Blues by Woodie Guthrie (1940)

I just blowed in, and I got them dust bowl blues,
I just blowed in, and I got them dust bowl blues,
I just blowed in, and I'll blow back out again.

I guess you've heard about ev'ry kind of blues,
I guess you've heard about ev'ry kind of blues,
But when the dust gets high, you can't even see the sky.

I've seen the dust so black that I couldn't see a thing,
I've seen the dust so black that I couldn't see a thing,
And the wind so cold, boy, it nearly cut your water off.

I seen the wind so high that it blowed my fences down,
I've seen the wind so high that it blowed my fences down,
Buried my tractor six feet underground.

Well, it turned my farm into a pile of sand,
Yes, it turned my farm into a pile of sand,
I had to hit that road with a bottle in my hand.

107/365

there's no place like home
(clickclick)
there's no place like home

106/365

"It's a Southern thing."
- heard over and over again!! It must be a Southern thing to say that.

(Camelias in bloom at the Joseph Manigault House, Charleston, South Carolina)

105/365

bee.
all.
there.

- Savannah Bee Company

Poppy and the grands

"If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first." 
- Lois Wyse

Just kidding- because I love my kids.
But wow- grandkids are frosting on the cake!
I was blessed by the opportunity to hang out with my two grands over the weekend. It was pure joy, and the time passed in warp speed.

The funniest part is that my almost 4 year old is almost a little carbon of his mama at the same age. Hanging out with him is like rewinding time, and I can marvel at the wonder of that very special personality all over again.

I'm so proud of Tom and Ashley. They are terrific parents who keep that delicate scale of mercy and justice in life with a toddler and a preschool boy in balance. There are few slow moments in their household, but there is a lot of joy, and for that, I rejoice with them.

So, indulge me in a little Poppy bragging for at least one bloggy post! Thanks guys, for making the trip to see Poppy! I love you all.

104/365

My heart is confident in you, O God;
no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
Wake up, lyre and harp.
I will wake the dawn with my song.
I will thank you Lord, among all the people;
I will sing your praises among the nations.
For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens,
May your glory shine over all the earth.
Psalm 108:1-5

(photo taken just before sunrise at Isle of Palms, SC)

103/365

 -ing:
ignoring the muscle aches and pains,
walking with sand between my toes,
listening to the sound of surf,
blowing bangs in my eyes,
smelling the salty sea air,
enjoying my weekend company,
anticipating the days ahead,
waiting for family to arrive,
thanking the Giver for every good gift.

102/365

Rule for the pick, rule for life-
you must have your feet firmly planted.

101/365

Phylum- Annelida
Class- Oligochaeta
Family- Lumbricidae
Genus- Lumbricus
Species- terrestris

Ahh yes, spring labs in homeschool biology class.

100/365

If you are ever inclined to pray for a missionary, do it at once, where ever you are.  Perhaps he may be in great peril at that moment.

Amy Carmichael, 1867-1951, India

99/365

We turned the corner from the parking lot and were unexpectedly surprised by their beauty.

98/365

Some days it is best to take the picture first thing in the morning.

97/365

Maybe I shouldn't enjoy building towers and coloring pages quite so much...

96/365

The best days are when every one wants to help and we work hard and it looks so good when we finish!

95/365

Some people like having their picture taken. 

Some people REALLY like having their picture taken!

94/365

It's probably some quirky personality issue, but I confess, I  never laugh and always cringe at a pie in the face...

93/365

Some days acedia is that close, and to finish the piles of laundry and make it to church on time seem like unusual grand accomplishments.

92/365

Thankful that the boy that drives also washes.

91/365

if only hot soapy water and a mop could clean up every mess...