Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘flowers’

Sunflower Power

As the sunflower
faces toward the sun
so my face must turn to Thee
You are my Source of FUN!

You alone are my source of power
and I long to “bee” with Thee
You accept me with “shower head”
And love whatever You see

You created each thing on earth
I love the sweetness of your Being
Turn my eyes to Your Face, O Lord
Set my feet on The Path You’re seeing

You alone are my source of power
So I pray to You today
Let me “bee” as the sunflower
and look to You EVERY day!

Amen

Have a wonderful weekend!
What will you do this beautiful day?


We’re having friends for dinner
before they move away next week.
Bitter sweet times…
Look to the Son for comfort ;o)

Friends always show their love.
What are brothers for if not to share troubles?
~ Proverbs 17:17

What do I call “Troubles” today??
It’s when a dear friend moves away.
Oh, how my heart aches already…
But, true friends stay in touch, come what may!!
How do you stay in touch
with those Sunflower people
in your life
when they move away?

Love to you,
JanBeek

September in Montana

Yesterday I peeked out
from the downstairs back door
surprised to see the signs
of our changing seasons

Signs of autumn
Sparkled from the plant
That’s hanging over the
Newly installed dry well

Orange leaves among the green
Remind me that summer
Is drawing to a close
It’s been too short

Inside, the sunflowers
from friends, the Conklins,
and Sue Newell’s ladybug card
brighten the table

The warmth of sunshine
And the grasses in the field
Beckoned me outside
To see beyond the yard

These “weeds” have their own kind of beauty
Browns and greens mixed with gold
Certainly spell the coming of fall
Alas, stores already sell Halloween

Our view of the Madison Range
beyond the field is spectacular
The clouds are ever changing
Giving our Big Sky character

We can sit inside here
and look out in amazement every day
At God’s marvelous creation
Never tiring of our Montana wonderland

Thank You, God of All Creation
For the beauty of this earth
Help us to be good caretakers
And never take these gifts for granted.

Amen

Thank you for visiting today
Have a Fabulous Friday!
Don’t forget to go out
and marvel at your September beauty, too!

Love,
JanBeek

An Inviting Space

There was a space
Where weeds were growing
A promising spot
Where neglect was showing.

So the Nursing Home Auxiliary
Started a No-Show-Fundraiser
And hundreds of givers
Gave to hire the labor

Weeds were removed
And a concrete pad was poured
A pergola was built
The residents and staff were floored!

The pergola looked bare
So barn quilts were added
Flowers in the flower bed
Some benches (no, not padded)

The Lion’s Club bought the benches
For a sprinkler system the MV Woman’s Club paid
A resident’s daughters donated the flowers
Amazing improvements were made

This inviting space brought joy
To the residents and staff alike
More flowers and colors were added
It matched all the fundraising hype

This Friday there will be an Open House
A Thank You for all the kind folks
Who gave to make this possible
Come have a look and share Rootbeer Floats

clear drinking glass
That’s as close as I could come to
a rootbeer float!
sundae in shallow photo

Well, they won’t be THAT fancy!!

Ecclesiates 3:11

“He has made everything beautiful in His time.”

We are making everything beautiful in our time, too!

Come and visit our beautiful, inviting, peaceful space.
We’d love to sit a spell and chat with you!

2:00 to 4:00 PM
Friday, June 30
Madison Valley Manor
211 N Main St.
Ennis, MT 59729
madisonvalleymanor.com


Hugs,
JanBeek

Are You So-Called Normal?

“You will find enough of the abnormal
in the so-called normal to meet your needs,”
Mrs Wilhelmina Harbert said to me.

A Country Living quote shared by Sue Newell
prompted me to remember that advice from my college counselor.
I was majoring in music therapy.
It was my junior year.
I was having sleepless nights.

Music Therapy jobs were few and far between.
Most were in State Hospitals where severely disturbed patients were.
The thorns in my dear music therapy patients at the Stockton State Hospital
where I was interning kept me from seeing their beauty.
I only saw their distress.
And I cared too much.
I couldn’t leave the thorns behind
when I left. I carried them with me.

Mrs. Harbert wisely suggested I switch my major to regular education.
“You love people. You care about them.
Our public school classrooms need people like you.”
So, in my senior year, I began the work of obtaining
my regular elementary education teaching credential.

Smartest move I could have made!

Sure enough- there’s a lot of crazy in each of us! Sometimes it’s our most lovable part!

I used my music 🎶 as therapy every day in the classroom
with countless so-called normal kids.
It helped calm the abnormal in them.
I helped them appreciate their uniqueness.
(I’ll write more about how music therapy worked
in another blog later that week.)

Music helped my students
appreciate the fun
in those outside the norm
parts of us.

I hope you appreciate the parts of you
that are outside the norm, too.
They make you special.
Do you know what some of them are?

Tell me!

It’s fun to know I have a lot of the abnormal
in my so-called “Normal” self!

See ya tomorrow.
Thanks for visiting
JanBeek

Porcelain Dancers

Porcelain dancers –
Gift from Mom:
“You’re
forever
these!”

She gifted me
On my fortieth.

The Septolet is a poem consisting of seven lines containing fourteen words with a break anywhere in between the two parts. Both parts deal with the same thought and create a picture.

My porcelain girls are a 1979 gift from my mom for my 40th birthday. Created by German artist, Lorenz Hutschenreut, they are called “Ring Around the Rosie” – This 3 Girls May Day dance figurine is priceless to me!

Mom knitted my sweater,
fixed my hair,
arranged for the photographer,
captured our love
forever in this photo.

But, the real capture of love for me
was more than just in my childhood…
She continued to gift me
with her strength,
her optimism, and
her encouragement
for the rest of her life.

When I take out my dancing girls
and decorate the vase with flowers,
I am taken back to my fortieth,
back to my childhood,
back to time with Mom.

What a treasure!

Here Mom is with my sis, Sally, and me – – –
and my daughter, DeDe.
I like to think that
we three are the “Dancing Girls.”

Ah, such sweet memories!

Do you have a special item of some sort
that brings you back to your childhood?

Something that’s priceless to you
because of the memories packed into it?

Tell me about it.
Maybe try your hand at a septolet!

Hugs,
JanBeek

Make Way!

The scriptures and the devotionals that popped up this week
all point the way to our preparation for spring.
Get ready!
Be prepared!
Make way for the new!!
It will come, won’t it?
Eventually?

I am more than ready for our ice (used to be snow) piles
to melt and allow the bulbs to wake up and begin to sprout!

Isaiah 43:16,18-19-

This is what the Lord says,
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing…”

But, I do remember those former things!!

These were the last of them from last spring.

I am ready to hang my spring wreath
and I am ready to “Spring Up!”
my clocks tonight in preparation for
Daylight Savings Time.

I am ready to keep that time schedule
all year round to give us more hours of daylight
in our waking hours. How about you?

Get ready for a sunny Sunday!
I am ready for more sunshine.
How about you?

I love it when my friend, Lisa,
sends me photos of her sunrises
above the lake near her home in North Carolina.

I’m ready for a ride on “Lucille”
(our redheaded ATV who is a “Ball”)
into the springtime wildflowers
on our mountain trails around here.

Right now, looks like that’s a couple months away.

This year we won’t have our TazE
(our beloved Boston Terrier
traveled over the Rainbow Bridge
last December. We miss her!)

to keep us company on our rides.
She was sure a great trail companion!

We saw some mighty PURDY sites together on those rides!
Sometimes we’d take the trail all the way over to Pony, Montana,
the cute little town northwest of us where there is a
cute little tavern. We’d meet our other ATV friends there.

So, get ready, my friends.
Make way for the realization of
those dreams once more
when we can take that ride again!

But, will springtime ever come to Montana?

Have faith!
It will!!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 
ESV 

For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born,
and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill,
and a time to heal (that’s my time right now);
a time to break down,
and a time to build up;
a time to weep,
and
a time to laugh (that’s ALWAYS now!);
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance (let’s do!!);
a time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace (let’s do that, too),
and a time to refrain from embracing; …

May your storms diminish
and your sunshine increase;
May your troubles decrease
and your joys abound.


May your eyes clearly see
the beauty all around you.


God bless you, my friends.
Make way for those blessings!
They are coming!
Rest assured!!

Love and Lotsa Hugs,
JanBeek

P.S. My eyes are healing after the cataract surgery last week. Thank you for your prayers. The farsighted vision is bright and clear – beautiful colors. Single lens replacement instead of the multiple variety was my only option. It has to do with the age of these tired 83 year old eyes and the shape they were in. But I’m not complaining. Another follow-up appointment is scheduled in 3 weeks. I’ll keep you posted. Thinking positively!

A Bud of Hope for the New Year

At the base of each drying leaf Is a bud full of life and potential Waiting patiently for summer’s heat Or winter’s cold to pass Knowing Spring will …

A Bud of Hope for the New Year

I hope you can open the link to read the blog I am posting. It is such a beautiful poem by Dwight at Roth Poetry. .

Reblog #1 – Most Beautiful Things

Beautiful Things
Are sometimes visible things;
Most = Invisible!

This Persian’s pretty;
Her purr’s the absolute best –
And the love she gives.

These roses are grand,
But their fragrance is the best;
And their “giver” too!

This bird is gorgeous,
But its song is the greatest –
And its Creator!

This scene’s amazing;
But the peaceful feelings here
Are magnificent.

Adorable child –
She’s so beautiful to see,
Her trusting heart’s best!

The cake’s impressive,
But memories are more grand.
Beautiful moments!

(By the way that’s us: Bob & Jan… 57 3/4 years ago)

The moments, feelings,
The sweet smiles and the laughter –
That’s where beauty lives.

Life’s luxuriant
When people and places reign.
Beautiful visions!

Thank you for being
A beautiful part of my life
In my WordPress World.
You add JOY by your presence.

See you later!

Fall into Autumn

Fall
Summer’s gone
Experiencing cooler weather
Enjoying the changing colors
Autumn

(Elfchen are poems with 11 words
The pattern is 1+2+3+4+1)
I enjoy reading Richard’s at Big Sky Buckeye

Changes
Green – Orange
Temperatures affect them
They decorate the branches
Leaves

Gifts
From friends
Adorn my table
A beautifully painted gourd
Sunflowers

Quotes
Inspire me
Pass them along
Let them inspire others
Enjoy

Colors
God’s creations
Painted for us
Joys of the Season
Autumn

Hues
Of pink
Blend with green
Change their hues daily
Fall

Workers
Man’s creations
Ease our load
Make our farming easier
Tractors

Problems
Trouble us
Turn to God
He will comfort you
Peace

Peace my friends!
Have a love-filled week!

I will fall into autumn…
But no more falls, broken fingers or skulls…
Bee safe, my friends!

See ya tomorrow (maybe)- hah!
JanBeek

Walking in Sierre

Today Denise (our son-in-law’s mom) took Bob & me on a walk in Sierre. Thirty years ago, when we first started coming here (when our first grandson was born), we would have jogged up the trails into the vineyards. Today we were content to take a leisurely walk on a relatively flatter terrain.

We walked up to the hospital where Mike was born. His grandpa was the chief executive officer there. André had been a chef in its kitchen before he came to California and married our daughter.

The grounds around the hospital are beautiful. Lots of trees and flowers and park benches where we could sit and take a break.

The leaves on the acacia trees are starting to show signs that autumn is coming. The grapevines are laden with fruit ready to be harvested.

Look at the base of this grapevine. It’s over 100 years old! All gnarled and twisted behind the protective wire fence.

I thought of Derrick & Jackie Knight and their beautiful garden when I saw these gorgeous rose bushes.

Beyond this water trough, with its constantly flowing fresh drinks for the cattle that used to come through this town, you can see the concrete sides of the round church. We went to mass there this morning with Denise. This morning I posted the sounds of the bells for you. Did you catch that blog?

I pray you had a beautiful Sunday, too, my friends. Tonight we’re going up to De’s chalet in Vissoie. We’ll be there all next week. Wait til you see it!

Oh, and tomorrow is DeAna’s birthday! Our DollyWolly will be 55. Can you believe it?

Our arthritic hands show our age – even if our active spirits deny it! Stay young in spirit, my friends. Thank God every day for the gift of another opportunity to live and play, breathe, and enjoy life. Live in the now! And stay vibrant!!

See ya tomorrow (God willing). Love, JanBeek

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