I love antique stores, old books, old cars, and anything with rich history. I enjoy listening to others share their life experiences. I love long afternoon drives in the country.
Seeing old garden roses juxtaposed next to a dilapidated farm house creates strong feelings in me. Who planted them? How long ago? Who were they? Where did they come from?
ONE OF MY ANTIQUE GARDEN ROSES
Cows mooing in nearby pastures alert farmers it’s feeding time. The sounds of nature soothe my soul. Often, we ignore nature’s simple gifts of beauty, becoming trapped in our daily lives. My favorite part of the day are sunsets. Escaping to my vegetable and rose gardens are a daily pleasure.
KATYDIDS AND CICADAS
The sound of katydids and cicadas remind us we are in humid, hot, dog days of Indian summer. The wind blesses us with cool breezes and late summer showers. Hearing their sounds in late afternoons reminds us fall is near. Their sounds become piercingly loud. Where they lived was my playground.
Imagine, no internet, Walmarts, Sams Club, large screen televisions!
Oh my gosh, how would we survive? Not having my infamous grocery list, (if you have read my Sweet Tea & Jesus, you'll be familiar with it)
How on earth could I service? Stay with me)
SANDSPURS
Summertime. Country roads, creeks and shady live oak trees were the fixings of church Sunday dinners. When I was growing up, sandspurs were a constant nuisance. I couldn't escape them. Stepping on them brought me to a complete stop. Dried, thorny, and needle-like, they attached themselves to the bottoms of my feet. It was the worst pain. I would hop around until I found a safe spot to remove these painful curses. Sitting was worse. Oh goodness, throw in the jellyfish and their painful stings. I think I need counseling on this matter. I may have exaggerated a tiny bit, but there aren’t enough adjectives to describe sandspurs.
Moving on. I hope I hear from my readers about this subject. I grew up around the panhandle and middle part of Florida. Sandspurs grew on beaches too. The pain. Dear Lord, what purpose do they serve on this earth? I ask you? That’s up there with
why do we have thorns on roses. I say this because I have grown them all my life. No telling how many thorns I have picked from my hands.
I’m sure God has a reasonable explanation. Had I worn shoes? Why no, I
Mr. Sun begins its slow decline as summer ends, yielding to fall and old-man winter.
Sometimes warm days occur at Halloween known as Indian summer. Costumes become too hot. Rain storms occur. Too cold. We could never get the weather right. Bless our childrens' hearts. Piles of candy collected from their trick or treat night probably made it better.
I look forward to grabbing my new books this fall and heading out the door To attend book signings. It's an exciting time. If time permits, I enjoy attending other writers’ book signings. I find it enriching. Listening to other writers’ experiences and styles of putting words on paper is enriching. Should their event be held outside, maybe we'll hear the katydids and the cicadas. I certainly hope so.
Questions: How did you come up with your title? How old were you? What caused “this story” to become words? Good questions. Writing brings stimulating questions. That is a good thing.
I love colors of the seasons. It’s sounds and smells of rain, wind and sunshine, tapping on my face. It’s a glorious time to go for a walk, no umbrella. Our senses become alive, as we react to God’s ever-changing seasons.
I love old live oak trees, old streets with cracks in the road, and old neighborhoods. It saddens me seeing these same streets being repaved. Worse is seeing beautiful trees cut down in the name of progress? Not to me. It loses some of its charm and natural beauty. Questions. Perhaps their children attended local schools and played on those old patched, cracked streets, or swung from its old live oaks.
I enjoy looking at leafless trees during winter, revealing the shapes of its branches. Every broken limb or blemish is exposed, especially during a full moon. Christ said every sin we have commited will be judged by Him. We will be like the trees with nowhere to hide our sin or run away. Time moves on and the cycle of life starts over.
The next time you encounter a bad day, grab your dog and head out the door. Visit with neighbors. Listen to the katydids and cicadas. Fall will be coming soon, a new season. So it is with us. It’s a new day, a new beginning, a time to start over.
Paul said it best. ”Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:13). Do enjoy your day, especially the sunsets and neighborhood walks. They’re free. Be sure to take that sweet doggy with you.
Blessings you all, and thank you for reading my stories, until then….Hazel Lee
Love to hear from you,
TEBOW AND WINNIE THE POOH! (both rescues of course)
PROVERBS 12:10 - “ A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, but the
best deed of an evil person is their worst! Take care of my animals!
sayeth the Lord, God Almighty and we cried, “Yes, Lord.”
ISAIAH 11:6. - “and the lion will lay down with the lamb!”
UPDATE: We lost our sweet Winnie to a gastro issue. It seems Tebow is just now getting over it but the question is do we get another kitten. I can’t make that decision today and I won’t make an emotional decision without much consideration for Tebow. The loss of a loved one or a dear pet is a constant reminder nothing lasts forever. We must seize each and every moment as if it were our last.
Let us not forget.
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