Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is offence, pardon,

Where there is discord, unity,

Where there is doubt, faith,

Where there is error, truth,

Where there is despair, hope,

Where there is sadness, joy,

Where there is darkness, light.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

I think with the Fall coming upon us, it calls for an old fashioned Soup recipe..Hamburger Soup...

Makes 18 ladles & freezes well

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef

1 medium onion chopped fine

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

2 cups water

3 cans beef consomme soup

4 carrots, chopped fine

1 bay leaf3 stalks celery, chopped fine

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 cup pearl barley

parsley, salt & pepper to taste

Brown meat and drain off fat. Add onion and sauté about 3 minutes.
Combine all ingredients in large 5 quart pot or crockpot and simmer for a minimum 2 hours. If you are using a crock pot you can cook it all day.

This is a family favorite in this house. I rarely have any left the next day !! Enjoy !

I had an interesting visit by a family on 'Northern Flickers' around 7:00 a.m. Hubby and I were getting in the car and noticed up near the tree line of our yard there were 5 very interesting birds on the lawn, this is what they were.

Northern Flickers are the "anteaters" of the bird world. They feed on the ground, frequenting lawns and leaf litter. Northern Flickers do not have the super-hammering apparatus of most woodpeckers. This means they can't drill into hard wood and need rotten or soft trees for nest-holes; and they feed primarily on the ground (or downed, rotten logs).

Description: At 12 inches in length, this medium-sized woodpecker has a long, narrow black bill with a slightly curved culmen. Northern Flickers do, however, vary geographically. All races of Northern Flickers are brown with black barring on their upperparts and wings. They have a prominent white rump and a dark blackish-brown tail. The center of their chest sports a black crescent, and they have a whitish breast and belly with black markings.

Sunset Boulevard...nope just some sunset photos taken off the patio at the back of the house. All pictures were taken between 11:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. from the end of May up until July. They were all taken on different nights.This is why I can't sleep. Don't get me wrong, the sun does go down so it's dark enough to sleep. But, I just am a light sleeper so when a little bit of light is still present through the night its hard to close my eyes. I went out and bought one of those 'cheesy' movie star eye blinders to try and help me sleep. Did it work?...Nope. I felt like my face was smothered. Anyways, just wanted to share some of my favorite photos.Enjoy....

This last photo with Brad was taken last week around 9:30 p.m. after a storm blew through the city. When it was done, the whole sky lit up like it was on fire for as far as you could see.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1

Little bit of information on Canibus-Lupus.

Wolf, my native sign..........

The wolf was once a much maligned animal. In the western world, people feared and hated wolves, and this legacy is reflected in stories such as Little Red Riding Hood and The Boy Who Cried Wolf. In these popular children's tales the wolf is made out to be a marauder and a killer of livestock and people.
There is some basis for The Boy Who Cried Wolf, for wolves have killed cattle and sheep. But what of Little Red Riding Hood? There are no records of wolves killing humans in Canada or the United States. Yet, when wolves were spotted near rural communities, fear used to grip the populace. Over time this has become less prevalent. Today, many people know that scientists studying wolves have lived very close to dens where there were pups without being attacked. They have even taken pups from a den without being molested. The parents have usually run away, returning later only to take their young to a more private den or to a rendez-vous site (a place where the pack meets).Wolf pups are usually born in a den that, in coniferous forests and on tundra, is commonly dug in a type of soil that lends itself to digging, such as in an esker (caused by glacial meltwater) or similar area. In mixed forest areas the den may be located in an old pine stump or rock crevice. The pack usually remains at the whelping den for a month or more unless it is disturbed.

The pups remain at whelping dens for approximately two weeks. When they begin to move around outside, another member of the pack may sometimes babysit while the parents go hunting. Occasionally, the pups are left alone for a day or longer at a time. By mid-autumn they are travelling with the pack and participating in hunting and other pack activities.The howling of a wolf pack is one of the most awe-inspiring wilderness sounds. It is a form of communication among wolf packs.

Wolves often howl spontaneously at a rendezvous site. This howling may be a form of "song-fest," for the wolves apparently enjoy it. In one instance, a pack of arctic wolves separated from some pups by a fast-flowing river howled frequently for several hours. As they did so, the pups moved anxiously along the river bank. This howling seemed to be a form of calling or coaxing. Howling by a pack may also be a way of warning other packs to keep away from occupied territory and may serve to separate packs.

Wolves are not to be feared. If you come around a corner and see this, chances are he's crapped his pants at the sight of a human and ran before your brain can even register what you just saw. Then, he's gone...........

Well, just thought I would carry the baby theme over here from my other blog, lol!!! This weeks flower is of course, 'Babys Breath'. Such beautiful arrangements are made using babys breath. Babys Breath is a romantic description of the masses of delicate white flowers and who could argue with this when you compare the clouds of flowers to the frosty breath of an newborn on a winter’s day. And as some members of this plant family like lime soils, the Greeks used gypsos meaning ‘lime’ and philos, ‘loving’ to describe this plant family.Babys Breath blooms in white and a pale pink and gives us these blooms in early to mid-summer to delight our cut flower baskets. Plant babys breath 24 to 365 inches apart and do not add peat moss to the planting soil. It prefers an alkaline soil (a handful of lime scattered around the plant after planting is a good idea) and soils that are high in organic matter.Just a little info on what we have all seen, and some of us may even have it planted in our yards. Take care everyone.

"A Baby's Prayer"

Thank you my dear Heavenly Father up above for sending me to this family so full of love.For their teaching me of your gentleness and of your constant spiritual caress.
How thin that veil is between me and you as I look up at the sky so blue.I still can feel the sense of your comfort and peace and I pray that may it never, ever, cease.
I will try very hard to remember your teaching so that one day, when I feel your hand reaching Out to help me on my journey home,I know that I won't ever be alone.And may my friendships be chosen with care as I remember that you are waiting there; For me to return to your loving embrace as I so dearly want again to see your face.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Written by:Patty Bancroft Roberts June 14, 2001