hunting for frog, a tale of misguided youth

 

This is Patches.  She is a young feline.  She is hunting.

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Yes, frog legs are considered a delicacy in some circles.

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But, Patches’ family is quite shocked over her recent uncontrollable taste for Frog.  It is something no decent cat should do.

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It is spoken of in hushed tones.  Her mother tried her best to get her to change her ways.  “Think of your family!  Think of your future prospects!  Just look at what has happened to your pretty fur, disgraceful!”

 Alas, Patches listened respectfully but decided to go her own way, back to the stream.  There are frogs to catch down there.

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The desire is strong and apparently we’ll just have to wait and see.  Will she continue to hunt for amphibians?  Only time will tell.

The frog you see in the photos lived to tell of his near demise.   I have heard rumor that the frog community is quietly plotting revenge.

Guess who is 2?

 

Trying to hold up two fingers:

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He’s usually with some kind of train . .

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Today is Caleb’s birthday

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He’s enriched my life abundantly . . .

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Today we’re remembering all the good times.

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And looking forward to many more.

 

“Oh, dear Lord, save our boy’s soul when he’s old enough to understand.

Grow him up to be a man

after your own heart.

May He love you with

his whole heart,

and find all his delight

in You.”

Amen

Just for fun:  go here to see last year’s birthday.

 

lots of photos

My brother and his wife have been here since Tuesday night. 

On Thursday, our friends Matt and Laura visited us.

On Friday we got our puppy.

Things have been busy, but it’s been a happy kind of busy–reconnecting with family and friends and adopting a new puppy.

I’ve taken a lot of pictures, hope you enjoy them!

Nathan and his family:

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Here are some pictures of our visit with Matt and Laura.  Matt lived in the area during a couple of summers (I think 2003/2004).  We had him over to our house almost every week for dinner and he became like family to us.  Matt and Rich love to run together and Matt  is a wonderful, godly young man who is studying to be a Pastor.  Last fall he married Laura and they live in Michigan.  This was our first visit since last summer.  We had so much fun and they stayed until almost 1 in the morning!!!!

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Jake and E have their own bow and arrow sets now, the real thing!  Matt is holding Rich’s bow.

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I grabbed the camera quick to take this one.  Caleb was feeling frisky after dinner:

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We did our 4th of July sparklers on the 5th because of rain:

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New Puppy:

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Melissa and I went shopping the other day and I bought these NEW DISHES:

This china was all made by Homer Laughlin Co., the maker of my favorite FIESTA dishes.  I bought these at an antique store for half price:

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And here is the latest FIESTA color, EVERGREEN:

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Last, but not least,  I also collect china with violets on it and found this set at an antique store.  They were half off—only 7.50!

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Thank you for looking at my pictures.  I hope you all have a nice weekend! 

 

To fill the hour – that is happiness.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

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Happy 4th of July! 

My brother Nathan and his wife are here with their baby daughter.

We are grilling chicken spiedies later and we’re also having orange jello salad,

a big cake, baked beans, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, potato salad, chips, soda.

My sister Amanda and her family are coming, too.

Thanking God today for our country!

 

 

 

EDIT*****

Okay, dinner’s long over, everyone is STUFFED, Amanda and Jason went home with their girls.

Now I have some time (while the others watch “CARS”) to add the rest of Makayla’s photos:

 

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“Take time to be holy, take time with your Lord;

Abide in Him always, and feed on his Word.

Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak.

Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.”

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“Take time to be holy, the world rushes on.

Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.

By looking to Jesus, like Him you will be;

Your friends who are watching His likeness will see.”

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“Take time to be holy, let Him be your guide,

And run not before Him, whatever betide;

In joy or in sorrow, still follow your Lord,

And, looking to Jesus, still trust in his word.”

*Written by William D. Longstaff (1822-1894)

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“”That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection.” Philippians 3:10

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“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”  Jude 21

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Throughout the day I think of Christ and how much I love Him and need him, how much my soul longs for Him.  There are times when I would love to be deserted on a island with nothing but my Bible.

There are so many distractions in my life.

However, we always make time for the things we love.

For instance, I love to read, so I read.

I love photography, so I take pictures.

I love my family, so I spend time with them.

I love Christ, so . . . . . . . . .oh, that I might love Him more.

“For to me, to live is CHRIST”  Philippians 1:21

 

 

On a hot day. . . . .(and, no bake cookie recipe)

we ate popcycles. . . . .

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we went for a walk by the stream

and found this little guy:

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We climbed rocks

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and looked for more creatures. . . . . .

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We found pretty wild flowers. . ..

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and made no-bake cookies.

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David (dripping wet from swimming and still in his life-jacket) wants that one:

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NO BAKE COOKIES

3 T. cocoa
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
3 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. nut meats

Boil all of the following:  cocoa, sugar, shortening and milk for 2 minutes.  Then add peanut butter, vanilla, oatmeal, and nut meats.  Drop on wax paper and let harden.

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Also, on a hot day sometimes it’s a good idea to hang out in the kitchen sink:

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toes

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May I indulge in a show and tell?    On my kitchen windowsill you see: a blue glass vase that reminds me of my mom because she collects blue glass.  A fiesta teapot clock is behind the vase.  I found it at a tag sale for 10 CENTS!  See that piece of wood?  It’s something I picked up on a walk, the knot fell out leaving a perfect circle.  I stand at the sink and look at the perfect circle and think about God.  The piece of wood is in a thingy that you use for canning to keep the rim clean while you add the hot liquids (I don’t know the name of it).  I love my old canning jar that I filled w/old white buttons.  Last but not least is my little nutmeg grater, a vase of wildflowers that Jacob picked for me, and a small pitcher that has loose change in it.  They are all things that I like to look at. 

What do you have on your kitchen-sink windowsill?

It’s another hot morning but I’ve heard that a thunderstorm is coming.  I may get to run around outside in the rain today! 

By the way, that picture above of the stream reminds me of Psalm 23.  Maybe one of you can quote it in your comment. 

family news

puppies

We’re in the process of adopting one of these chocolate lab puppies!

Are they cute, or what!?!?!?!?!

Thanks for all your kind comments from the past posts.  I have more pictures to share from my trip back home at some point.  And, by the way, Grandma loved the portraits of the kids with her quilts!

Have a wonderful day and enjoy your loved ones!   It’s going to be HOT here today (90’s and humid–and don’t forget, to New Englanders this is HOT) . . .and we don’t have air conditioning in this house.  Thankfully we have the pond and stream and woods. . . . . . . .

“O satisfy us early with Thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”  Ps 90