It’s About Showing UP

  “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ~Theodore Roosevelt     Happy Tuesday!

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What’s At the End of Your Rainbow?

Rainbow Over Roanoke, Virginia January 2019   “Have a sincere desire to serve God and mankind, and stop doubting, stop thinking negatively. Simply start living by faith, pray earnestly and humbly, and get into the habit of looking expectantly for the best. ~Norman Vincent Peale   It’s hard to believe that just a few days ago we were celebrating St. […]

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Perspective

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” ~Winston Churchill   “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” ~Winston Churchill   “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.” ~Winston Churchill     A Very Happy Wednesday!!  

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The Lady’s Not for Turning

Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady National Portrait Gallery London, England “You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.” ~Margaret Thatcher   “Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s a day you’ve had everything to do and you’ve done it. ~Margaret Thatcher […]

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Rosebud’s Lesson

 Butterbean, Sweet Pea, and Truffle stoically watching their fallen friend.   I squatted uncomfortably in the pasture. My left shin gently pressing on Rosebud’s back with the remainder of weight shifted to my right leg. My left hand disappeared into the coarse wool on her chest, above her heart. As I carefully caressed Rosebud’s face, the feathery sensation of her […]

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Tuesday Tunes: Caledonia

Scotland 2012   Every day, I walk/run on the dreadmill–I mean treadmill and listen to all kinds of music; however, lately, I’ve been listening to Pandora’s 80’s station. And, the song, “In the Big Country” by the Scottish rock band, Big Country kept popping up.  I liked it, especially the bagpipes, so here it is along with some of my favorite quotes by Scottish novelist and poet, Robert Louis Stevenson. 🙂   “Make the most of the best and the least of the worst.”   “You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.”   “Wine is bottled poetry.”   “Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm.”   “The saints are the sinners who keep on trying.”     Wishing everyone a beautiful day!   *Many thanks to friend and talented photographer, Doug Frassa for his lovely photographs.

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Friday Farm Favorites: The Beauty Before Us

Volunteer sunflower in the garden Green Hill Farm   “When we come upon beautiful things….they act like small tears in the surface of the world that pull us through to some vaster space.”   ~Elaine Scarry   We have had a lot of rain this summer. I’m talkin’ forty days, forty nights kinda rain. It’s rained so much that I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see an ark in the garden.  I mean, we’ve got grass growing where it doesn’t usually grow—in the driveway, in the mulch of the flower beds, in the chickens’ aviary. Plus, the grass in the sheep pasture is more lush and green than it was in the spring.  The sheep are constantly wet; I even think their wool is starting to felt. It’s been a bit dreary, too. And, after a while, all that gray can really get to a girl. This time of year is usually my favorite. The heat and humidity have broken, and the sky is the most vibrant color of blue. The lilies and roses are still blooming, and the garden is a lovely place. But, not this year. Yesterday, I looked out the window, and the grayness covered the backyard and fields like a blanket.  My garden, which is usually fairly neat and weed-free, resembled something more along the lines of a jungle.  However; as I glanced across the overgrown expanse, something bright and cheerful caught my eye.  It […]

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