Within Nature - Chickens - Horses - Gardens - Quilting: In Wisconsin Winter has arrived

Within Nature - Chickens - Horses - Gardens - Quilting: In Wisconsin Winter has arrived

NEW BLOG IS CALLED NATURE WITHIN CHERISH THE MOMENT

Natures Miricle In Renewal - Holding God's Presence

Winter Wonderland A Miracle From God's Hand

Natures paintbrush transformed the chicken pen into a magical new
form.  The tree was decorated with its own special Christmas charm.  Our
daily trek to the barn now was edged with a fairyland of crabapple trees,
coated with a sparkle of white layers of snow.

From the drearies of a late fall setting, browns, grays and smoky blacks, ....we watched slowly as the stormy day released the next page in our season.  The land brightened, we brightened, into smiles, joy and laughter.

Warm winter coats were put on. Quickly.....  out into that fairyland adventure of snow angles, and a new Frosty The Snowman .  Grand kids came over to play with Grandma
and Grampa.  Oh how delightful!

Summertime homes for the birds lay empty while reminding
us seasons ahead will not be far behind this quiet and restful
Wisconsin winter.

Brett's first snow angle of the season

With great determination
Cooper, only being two, added a branch for an arm, to the snowman that he helped make with his brother Brett.

The beginning of winter also begins with getting out that John Deere tractor
and snow blower to open the driveway to our everyday world of travel.
Last week chains were put on along with the snow blower just in time
for the first snowfall.

Winter season also brings us transformation from within.

Inside it is also taking on a new light.
Christmas trees are up and decorated.

Busy hands pull out the many boxes that hold symbols of our Christmas beliefs. Things packed away for a year waiting for their own season.  Of course there is glittery fun things that we got like snowmen, elves, reindeer,... a make belief fun image.  Part of tradition....... Gifts made by grand kids, gifts from family and friends forming a collection of joy from past Christmases.

But in our Christian beliefs the most important one to us is

THE NATIVITY

Our symbol of our Great God's entrance 

into the human world envirment as a

human Himself.

Giving us the most beautiful gift of all

His redemption of walking the earth,

dying, taking our sins upon himself, and setting us

free through forgiveness, and love.  How rich and Blessed we are!! 

This nativity is ceramic peace made by my daughter-in-law Carol Sabel.
It is a music box, she painted. It is wound up by the little shepherd boy and he goes
in a circle as it plays.  This I will always treasure as one of my favorite decorations.

  

And that is the secret of keeping our Christmas in each day through out the year, giving that redemptive love to each other.

"Enlightened vibrations seeping up

into our present moment

taking hold to blossom

our real self

The light of God

reflects intellect,

glorifies our day."

wrote by Kate

Peace to you all, Love to you all,

let me know what your Christmas is like, I 

would love to hear from each and every one of you.

Kate

Inbetween Time November To December

In between time can be boring, can be anxious, or restful?  Can freeze us in one spot, give us a chance to solve life's challenges.  A pause in time and energy.  November brings me days like this.  Not much going on, gray sky,  procrastination on things and projects I should be doing.  I need sunshine to make my soul awake and push forward, into doing something.  On gray days, a good novel finds my hands eager to forget time and  settle into a nice warm easy chair experiencing someone else life. Mine gets stalled it seems.

Trees are bare, nest boxes are empty.
We are blessed with woods and many trees we planted 25 years ago that give us a form of art of their own.  Gazing out the window on a gray day pulls my eyes toward empty branches all twisted and worn from the many summer wind storms.






We discovered something unusual this October after the beauty of summer foliage had fallen to the ground stripping the hiding place of the Bald-faced Hornet

Picture of the wasps working on the hive ,
web sight:  fletcher-alphebet/wasps/index_e
(dolichove spula maculata spechies) 

                                                 
Way up in the tips of the Silver Maple swung a gorgeous hive.  Taking the Canon 75-300 zoom lens,  putting it on my camera I pulled the most amazing picture out of the intricate designed hive.  How can such a little Bald-Faced Hornet create this art peace?  Only God can create Nature Within as unique as this!

Picture here shows how high up in the Silver Maple the hive was
attached so intricately that it held tight in a 50 mile wind storm.
It swayed back and forth violently but held tight.  Simply stunning
to think of the instinct of the hornet was to create not just one,
but the year before another one that was starting to come apart.
They make a new hive every year.

Quilting takes a step to the top of my to do list in days like the above.  I am still working on old projects but also have done up a few new ideas, maybe for a pillow, or perhaps a hot pad for the table.

Pin wheel pattern

Christmas Angle pattern

   When I really go dormant in my thinking some of the readings I have been doing in novels are:
Grace Livingston Hill's Christian novels who started to write in the 1901 through to the 1930's.
She is pretty good at adventure in one's life experiences, mixed with a touch of romance.  I have
been getting some of her novels from Amazon's used book section.  She has wrote over 100 books.

Another author is Laraine Snellings novels which are an adventure in themselves, I just love her as an author and have all her books.  Also Beverly Lewis novels too.  I found 11 of her books at St Vincent de Paul second hand store at $1.00 a peace.  Those are on Amish but at a little lower pace.

do not know the author of this picture

A Devotional "Make Haste My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts is encouraging with Spiritual insights especially "when times of discouragement and loneliness weigh on you" I have the Come Away My Beloved by that author also and it likewise gives inspiration for the "In between Times" of November and December.

And of course Max Lucado who I dearly love and have all his books.  I just purchased two new ones Grace, and A Low Thunder.  He is always great for this time of year and very funny, uplifting, and hits the nail on the head in his stories but never preachy.

So my dear friends with an empty mind, and a little case of the November flue I sign off. Nice hot soak and an early bedtime for me tonight.  Let not your troubles be great, nor weary your mind.  God is present even if the clouds hide that fact from you.  Keep rowing the boat, as Mas Lucado says in his story of the fishermen fighting a storm while Jesus slept in the boat.  :)  Love to you all Christmas is coming!!!

Blessings to you

Kate

Fall's Spectacular Flair In Wisconsin

A Kaleidoscope Of Color

     We made a trip to the Kettle Moraine area just to enjoy the breath-taking show Wisconsin

country roads lead us to.  Here we were heading toward Long Lake a familiar haunt only the many 

years of living in Wisconsin can provides.  It was a Monday afternoon, so the traffic was far and few between, providing ample time to take lots of pictures, storing up memories to pull out on the winter days ahead.

Long Lake October, 2012

A lone boat  nestled within the ripples of the sky blue waters, made a peaceful setting, almost like a subtle goodbye to summer. There was a soft cool breeze, as I stood silently holding my camera, not wanting to go on to the next beautiful scene that awaited me.

A river of dried corn awaits the giant harvester's  visit.
Views such as this were discovered as we went
around the next bend in the road.  

At a high point beyond the corn the great Sheboygan marsh stretches out miles and miles away with an endless view taking in farms and forests. My mind trailed into this existing thrill, wishing I could go into the midst of this generosity of nature and stay for weeks exploring the fantastic gift from our great Creator.

  

We found a country road that clove a path through some of the wilderness .
proving the saying , " You can take the farmer out of the country
but you cannot thake the country out of the farmer. "  So very true it is
with all of us who live out in the country.

And with all great and wonderful happening there is a pause and a pull back to reality check.  Turning the wheel back towards our own country home.  Our wanderings that afternoon could not top our own daily living with NATURE WITHING, CHERISHING EACH MOMENT!

Our own driveway cloving its own lead to our everyday living.

A view from our front bay window shows a display ever as rich as anything we saw in our travels of the day.

We see our own wildlife sanctuary out back of our property, The huge corn field we let a local area farmer harvest each year as he grows his selected crop, sometimes soybeans, and sometimes corn.  Our horse pastures are in the for font holding our treasured horses, Hawk and Ginger,  who share their area with our free range chickens

and of course me as I putter around in my many gardens nestled into the space exceeding this here view. 

As the day closes it's shutters into sunsets of the past, I think of the Scripture 

"For the ways of man Are before the eyes of the Lord and He ponders all his Paths."  

I count my blessings, give Praise to My Creator, and try to love my fellow man close and in the far distance.

That includes each and everyone who happens to read my ramblings here 

WITHIN NATURE, CHERISH THE MOMENT

I cherish each and everyone of you!  Write and let me know about your country, and paths in life.  

Kate 

                                                              Picture from unknown source, if I find 

                                                               the author I will print it next blog

Wisconsin Fall, Transition in full swing

     I am so delighted to see Fall arrive here in Wisconsin.  As you can see in the picture above the Cottonwood trees are almost bare because of the drought.  The predictors are saying we won't have much color in the trees and so far it is coming true.  The Amur Maple are all yellow instead of the beautiful pinkish red.  Nature put itself into the survival mode with the torching high heat and no rain.  It is sad, but there is always next year.

Pattern from a DVD collection from McCalls Quilting The
best of American Quilters Inspire . Design . Create

Because of the extreme high temperatures this summer, I have spent much of the summer in the house, in air conditioning, reading, sewing on an Applique table runner and playing with my stash of colorful material peaces.  The table runner showing, is orange not blue like the pattern shows to the right of runner.  I switch things around when I sew to things I like, but use a backup pattern for original design and directions of putting it together.  I get a new DVD each month with four new ideas and techniques to learn on it..  So much fun!  I also order a new sewing type book each month from Amazon too, to keep this old brain going... :)

Still trying to find out what I want to do with the antique fans I have, waiting for a return to a permanent spot in a quilt.

I discovered a new author Grace Livingston Hill this summer, who wrote over 100 books that were published starting in 1902 through 1940 and beyond that.  Her writing is full of mystery, romance, lessons in life but oh so thrilling as I turned the pages one after another.  Finding over 22 books of hers in Amazon used book section, I bought them so I can keep them.    Haven't checked the local library for her books simply because when I find an author I like, owning the books is more fun because I will re-read them as the years go by.

Now that the cool windy days of Fall are here, walking and working outside is possible again.  I see the change gradually each day transpire more and more towards Winter.

Ornamental grasses are in full bloom and the wild white asters go nicely with this setting in my fairy garden.  Although grasses can be extra work keeping them in check, they are too pretty and useful to leave out.  Here they give the fairy on a pedestal a backdrop and separate it all from the next section of the gardens behind it.  I like to make garden rooms on our two and a half acre area I have the perennial gardens.  The fairy garden is a fun place to work in and also stroll through.

The Fairy garden is a good place for my collections of do-dads that I have
found in rummage sales or garden centers that just would look silly in the
formal gardens.  Here is a red two layer garden shelve meant for pots
but I place extra birdhouses and nick knacks on it instead to make me smile as
I turn a path, finding this setting , it is so silly.  :)

Here a fairy is doing a somersault on a blue bench.  The pale blue Asters
add to the comical scene.  I built the large fairy garden for the grand kids to
enjoy but I find myself working and playing myself there so often .  It gives me
permission to be a kid again myself.... :)

The Bless arch and gate going into the fairy garden is one of my favorite
entries of all the gardens.  It's message reminds me Laughter is the best
Medicine.

Just before you enter the Fairy garden, along side of the Bless arch is this old out house we bought for $5.00.  The farmers already had it on its side and were going to burn it.  My Dick came to its rescue with a trailer and brought it home, behind him the farmers were laughing their heads off at Dick.  Now they sell for over $100.00 if you can find them.

This picture was taken yesterday morning, a frost has hit the hostas and you can see trays of dead plants that never got into the ground.  Between health issues and the terrible heat and draught it made it difficult for me to groom flower beds and keep them watered.  Two and a half acres, out of our 27 acres total, is a lot to keep up.  I have cut way back but their are so many different sections to keep up in my pictures you will see weeds and neglect.  There is always next year.  Is that acceptance?  I found a beautiful prayer to help me through the rough spots in life so I do not fret and worry about things.  It is the Serenity Prayer and I do not know the author yet.

God, grant me the serenity 

to accept the things I cannot 

change, the courage to 

change the things I can,

And the Wisdom to know the difference.  

The prayer might not change the situation but it sure helps me to find peace among the bumps in the road.

Peace to you all,  and may God bless us all.

Kate

Author of photo unknown, from the internet
if I find out where it came from I will publish it.
May Jesus Christ give you all a hug and blessings.  

Nature Revived, Re-Greened, Drought In Wisconsin Ending

August 12, 2012

Two Yearling Deer Still Showing Their Spots

     Last week we were surprised to look up and see the two yearlings that were born last spring standing and looking into our windows.  So beautiful and white spots of being a fawn, still showing on their young bodies.  It must have been the same doe that took a stroll last year through my gardens with twins also.  She was near by as we glanced up the hill she came quickly down and brought them to her and they disappeared up the hill again.  Nature is so breath taking surrounding us with life blessing memories.  Nature can almost break your heart too, like this summer as I watched the gardens dry up and turn brown instead of their vibrant greens.  What did survive, was stunted and yet nature went on, the almost dead plants would put up a blossom while the leaves were curled and dying.  Propagating was their job and they did it to the end.  

Yellow daises without their petals because of the draught

Now the second week of August has brought us lots of rain.  A whole day of downpours brought up the water table level and Nature is again blessing us with buds bursting open and giving me the last hurrah before the season of Fall enters close behind.

July was like an eternal bad dream as day after day unwound in 100 degree heat and when it hit 80 degrees it was like heaven.  I witnessed the cracked earth wounded and wanting.  I often wondered where God was.

But as before in the drought of 1988 it finely ended and the memories have already faded into the thanksgiving pouring out like the rain that has ended this also here in Central Wisconsin.

                           Our granddaughter and 9 other students 

                   played in the city's Symphony band concert this summer .

The band plays once a month at a city park in the open air.  We come with our own seating arrangements and enjoy the lovely concert that lasts a couple hours.  The members of the band are all local artists from the surrounding area we live in.  Our grand daughter Katelyn was chosen along with 9 other students to play with them that night.  Katelyn is a very talented trumpet player.  Such joy to experience the whole night of music.

Katelyn, standing, getting her music in place before they started to play

Christie another granddaughter showing her hanky pillow she
made out of antique hankie

 Christie's next project will be a lap quilt pictured below that she chose out of an old craft magazine I had . She is in the process of cutting out the peaces to be appliqued on large blocks.  Christie will be learning applique sewing on my sewing machine this time.  Love working with my grand kids.  They have so much energy!

Dick's metal art in my gardens 

His Whisper by Faye F. McLain

Listen to His whisper riding on the wind.

Stirring and calling us from our hearts within.

Gentle is the touch of the Father's Hands,

Guiding and changing us so we'll understand

The directions set before us, with His goal to reach,

A willingness to be touched so others will teach,

We are the clay that's laid in the potter's hands.

Our lives He'll shape for His glory across the lands,

A vessel to be used for His purpose by His grace.

Knowing, when our time is done here, we'll see our Savior's face."

  

I love her writing but do not remember who sent me this poem or where it came from, but it certainly uses nature and our Great Creator to express this beautiful poem.  Thanks to Faye F. McLain!!

Good Shepherd Statue In My Gardens

May your days ahead bring nourishment of God given Light

and peace.....

till next time,

Kate

     

JULY 21, 2012

Hot, Dry, Summer here in Wisconsin

Lilies were doing fine until the drought hit our state for almost

a month now.  Temperatures of high 90's and up to 104 degrees.

Gee, it has been so long that I was able to write a blog and centuries of happenings since my last one.

Health issues one after the other was the main factor.

I love the quote of Max Lucado "don't let the bumps in the race keep you from the award ceremony at its end."  which I have applied day in and day out working through one thing after another.  But there is light in the tunnel.  Health is better, Life is better, and counting my blessings every and each day.

This is the second season of not being able to work steadily in my 2 1/2 acres of gardens.  This summer has found me in the house more than out.  Weeds have gotten higher than the flowers.  Time to cut back I can see that will be true for next year.    Got a lot of reading done, discovered a few new authors as I grasped at getting well.  

Luke is growing like the weeds both in character and behavior.  He went to a private trainer with Dick and I and we all learnt a lot about dealing with a beautiful male Airedale terrier.  We were use to our 10 year old Gilly an Airedale female terrier who was gentle, old, and girl all the way through.  Luke is full of young vibrant energy along with only being 1 1/2 years of age.  He is so intelligent, and use to be two steps ahead of us all the time.  We are at an even keel now, and oh I forgot how much fun the Airedale is.  Our Gilly passed away with a very lengthy illness.  Her immune system closed down and finely closed the door on her life with us.  So very sad, I still miss her.

Another tragedy was when we were notified my precious big brother died, heartbreaking for us but a blessing for him to free him of a long term illness he was suffering. He is missed by all his loved ones. 

Brother Steve and wife Karen

                                          Started to hand quilt on Katelyn's lap quilt she made all by herself.  With her summer filled with working and practicing band   (she played in the Symphonic Band in our local city 's concert. ).  So I told her I would do the long putsy stitching on all the seams to finish it off. 

Ordered some new quilt books:  Exploring embellishments more artful quilts with fast piece applique by Rose Hughes and Sew embellished artistic little quilts, personalized with easy techniques by Cheryl Lynch.  Both are real interesting and quite modern, away from my safe and sure traditional quilts I work on.  Time to take a chance and join the trend of wild and carefree quilting........

Dick put up a wall felt so I could design my own quilt.
I took apart  a fan quilt top I found in a rummage sale from the 50's.
It had a horrible purple background for the fans so now I am
playing around with the peaces trying to find out what I want
to do with it.

 I should make letters -- sew -- on it to remind me to stick to the project instead of procrastinating all the time.What I would really like to do is the Crazy quilt stitches on it once I get the design made. 

This picture was passed on to my on the net.  I do not have the author and if I can find it will include it next time.  

Until the next time sending you all my blessings that your summer is going well.

Kate