Think straight.
Awaken to the holiness of life.
1 Corinthians 15:34 (The Message)
Think straight.
Awaken to the holiness of life.
1 Corinthians 15:34 (The Message)
Flowers, Birds, and Such
One day – about a week and a half before Mother’s Day – Josiah came here to ask me to mail this flower to his mother (our daughter Diane) for Mother’s Day.
I love it! I think he made the right move when he went to welding school last year. It weighs ten pounds.
I have enjoyed seeing the wood thrush on a regular basis.
I don’t remember that happening other years.
Northern Mocking Bird
I enjoyed watching this finch sitting on the very top of the dogwood tree.
Another house wren is building a nest in one of our birdhouses.
One benefit of this house is there is a back door. Some of you may remember when a woodpecker made this hole last fall when looking for bugs.
Our robins are sitting on pretty blue eggs.
Goldfinch
The downy woodpeckers like the suet I put in this hanging log.
I always love seeing male cardinals.
Poor bird flew into our window.
After several minutes it began to revive and soon flew away.
Cerwin’s mother wanted an Iron Cross Begonia. I could not find one in our local greenhouses, so ordered this one from a greenhouse in New York. It arrived in great shape – via the post office.
She was pleased with her Mother’s Day gift.
European Starling
Mamma squirrel
Pretty flowers
Our landscape continues to be quite green due to many rainy days.
Updated
After answering someones question, I realized some photos were missing that I planned to include in this post. They are after the chickens.
More Cleaning and Washing of Stuff
At Jeff & Chris’ Farm
In Preparation for Auction in Mid-June
Saturday, May 12
Before beginning my job of washing bottles, jars, and dishes, I did a short walk around and took a few photos of things that are for sale on June 15 & 16.
Bud and Mary Jane’s only child “June” (nickname for Junior) was killed in Vietnam. These items were some of his belongings that were returned to his parents after he died. The three cans in the center are filled with food.
Chris showing Cerwin a guitar.
I like that this old, plain bonnet is on the table of jewelry.
Jenna washed some of the large items on the lawn. We were grateful for the beautiful day.
Gloria showing grandpa her taped fingers. She hurt one of them and taped it to the other for protection.
Gloria taking trash to the burn pile.
Because the Saubles had a small chicken house, Jeff brought their young chickens here to get started. I love the part of the fence that is an old, wire bedspring.
Gloria was pleased to find three eggs.
Diana making one of many trips to the trash pile
An old ironing board that was in the barn.
Nathan holding a double-tree for mules or horses.
Okay, it’s time to get to work and wash dirty bottles. To help clean the inside when the opening is too small for a bottle brush, I use Baking Soda, Borax, and small stones – a tip from a visitor last week. The small stones help to remove the dirt when I shake the bottle. Sometimes it works well, and other times it doesn’t – depending on the kind of dirt or stain on the bottle.
These look a bit cleaner
Old salt and pepper shakers.
Just outside the kitchen a pair of house wrens were making lots of noise. I took this photo through the window screen – creating a soft focus. Notice the tail of the second wren just behind the bird house.
Lunch was chicken barbecue from a local fundraiser. It was just prior to prayer that Jeff gave me the calla lilies for Mother’s Day. If you look closely, you can see them at the other end of the table.
After lunch Jenna was throwing partially empty, plastic drink containers in the air toward the four sitting on the tailgate.
Can you find four juice bottles flying through the air?
More things drying in the warm sun.
I went to the shop and garage area to take a break and see what the men were arranging on the wagon. These were used for cutting tobacco.
Diana taking more trash to the burn pile.
Jeff in the shop
Smita (neighbor and friend) helped clean some of the larger items in the yard.
Nathan cleaning an item with a wire brush.
Josiah came just after lunch and helped during the afternoon.
The guys were glad for his extra strength when pushing the loaded wagon into the barn.
There are only five weeks left until the auction, and Jeff and Chris are beginning to feel like they may get ready. Chris said that at this point what doesn’t get cleaned or washed, that is the way it will sell.
God has shown you his grace in many different ways.
So be good servants and use whatever gift he has given you in a way that will best serve each other.
1 Peter 4:10 (Easy-to-Read Version)
The Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121:8 (New International Version)
Mother’s Day
Jeff
Calla Lilies
Diane
Two slices of cherry/pear pie, two slices of pumpkin pie, and two bags of bird seed.
Since Diane lives in Maine, she asked her daughter (our granddaughter) Abby, who lives nearby, to deliver these items.
Jere
Dahlia, a pretty card, and a package wrapped in artwork by Jesse in pre-kindergarten.
Not sure why Jere thought this was an appropriate sign from their children. ![]()
Deb
Dinner tonight at John J. Jeffries, Lancaster
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More details about these pictures in a few days.
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I am so blessed!
Honor your father and mother.
Matthew 19:19 (New Living Translation)
Lunch at Jere & Kristen’s

When we got there after church, both Tree Swallows were outside their bird house, but I didn’t have my camera, so I went home (1 mile) for it. However, I didn’t see both of them after that. I think this one is the male.
It was fun watching Ian watching himself on video from when he played Joshua at his school’s Bible Museum a few days earlier.
While Kristen was finishing lunch inside, Jere grilled ham on their deck.
Jake thought it smelled good too.
Kristen dishing up the potatoes.
After lunch, the boys wanted to show us their garden. Ian pointed out his cabbage.
Jesse made sure that we knew this was his bean stalk.
They had just organized their bikes, tractors and such the day before and were proud to show us the neat garage.
Jesse ready to leave on his bike.
Jared
Ian
All three of them went between these two cars without causing a scratch.
After leaving the garage, they went around the back of the house, then north on the field lane, then west on the field lane (in front of their house.)
The last part of the ride was up their lane.
The Amish had church in our area today, so there were more buggies on the road than usual.
It was a nice day for a buggy ride.
You are my hope, O Almighty Lord.
You have been my confidence ever since I was young.
Psalm 71:5 (GOD’S WORD Translation)
Green
There is a lot of green going on around our place right now – after a rainy week.
I think the ferns in our memory garden doubled this year.
They are so lush and beautiful.
Even the weeds are growing – keeping the road crew busy.
We are looking forward to a nice weekend.