Snap It!

October 27, 2015October 29, 2015 ~ Teresa ~ 4 Comments

Dear One,

Please forgive my absence for the past few days. I’ve been thinking of you and how much you love capturing photos of the season. I had to chuckle when your friend G told you that you take three or four pictures of the same thing when she only takes one. I get that, as I too love the fleeting beauty of Autumn. I also thought it rather funny when you told her you were a “professional photographer”. Of course, we all know you are not, but still, I love your enthusiasm for snap, snap, snapping away. So, to make up for the post cards I didn’t send your way, I thought it would be appropriate to share some photos of the season with you. Enjoy!

Snapping in grace,

Teresa

All pictures in this post were taken at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg, Kentucky. They are the property of StoneLeaf & Co. Please do not use without permission.

This is days 23-27 of a 31 day series. Click image to go to the series home page.

Click image to see the response posts from my sister’s blog

Prompted By A Sunday Afternoon Drive

October 29, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 1 Comment

This is definitely my time of year. I can not soak up enough of the color that is in the air and on the trees. It has prompted me on a couple of occasions to wax poetic.

Still

“Winding Roads wrap around my soul like a scarf splashing orange and red Autumn.

Fiery hues consume me and lift me up to blue heaven.

I soak in the peace and am grateful for His art and how it hushes me.

Hope breathes still.”

TLH

I ask my husband every year to keep October as open as possible so we can bask in the glory of the season. He tries, but usually still books too heavily. Yet, we manage to squeeze in drives here and there.

This past Sunday, late afternoon, we made one last trek to gather up what was left of the color near Cave Run Lake. It was a gorgeous day and I snapped a few pictures as usual. I thought I would share them with you today.

My camera simply cannot capture the magnificence of God’s paintbrush, but it will give you an idea of the beauty that abounds in my neck of the woods!

100_3810.2 — **MY OCTOBER** “The wind sifts through the trees, harmonizing with the trill of a bird, not yet gone south. The nearby creek thunders through the woods with a mighty roar. *October leaves dance, swaying from green to gold, dipping into amber and orange, blazing fire red against a scrap of blue sky that hovers just above the stately mountains.* The sun warms the crisp air and I sigh contentedly from my perch on the porch rocker knowing that **at last My October has arrived.”** TLH

Wrapping color in grace,

Teresa

For the complete Prompted to Write Series that is part of the Write 31 Days of October. click the button to the left.

Prompted By A Lovely Fall Drive

October 20, 2014October 20, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 1 Comment

Today’s post is Part of a 31 Day writing series where I will choose moments from my life and let them be my writing prompt for the day. This one is inspired by a drive to look at the changing color of the leaves. Click the prompted button to see all the post in this series. (note: you can click on the pictures to see a larger image – just right click and tell it to open in a new tab so you don’t lose the page.)

If I don’t have an opportunity to wander about on a lovely fall day to see the leaves in all their glory I can become a little frazzled. I always try to keep the third weekend of October open, which is usually peak in our neck of the woods. I don’t always win the calendar war.

Yesterday, after a busy weekend and arriving home around 4 PM my husband graciously took me out for a little spin on our way to the church fireside gathering. Just minutes from our back door we had some of the most beautiful views I have seen anywhere.

We drove through a covered bridge that frames a lovely country church and wound around a delightful ribbon of country road that had some lovely fall color at every twist and turn (and I literally mean twist and turn).

It was a delightful drive that ended at a friends house where our small congregation gathered for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. Long after everyone else had gone home, my husband and I stayed around the fire with our friend catching up and watching the flames burn low. It was a peaceful way to end the evening.

(un)Winding in grace,

Teresa

Prompted By Beauty All Around

October 17, 2014October 17, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 9 Comments

Today’s post is Part of a 31 Day writing series where I will choose moments from my life and let them be my writing prompt for the day. Click on the button to the left for the complete series.

Today I had a free afternoon so I walked next door to my parents to spend some time with them. It was a gorgeous day so we decided to take a drive to the city park. My father also wanted to stop by the site where my brother is building a new house and the farm to pick something up, so we went that direction first and ended our drive at the park. I took several pictures while we were out and about, so thought I’d share them with you.

The view from the back of where my brother's new house will sit. — The view from the back of where my brother’s new house will sit. Notice the water towers in the distance.

more view

Across the road from where my brother's new house will sit — Across the road from where my brother’s new house will sit

100_3610 — More of the across the road view

100_3618 — View over the back of my Dad’s farm around the corner (in country road terms) from where my brother’s new house will be.

Another farm view, big, black smoker in the forefront.

There was one long orangey red tree at the park. — There was one lone orangey red tree at the park.

My mom standing under the orangey red tree.

Part of the walking path at the park. See, I told you there was one, lone, orangey red tree.

More water towers by the park (don’t think they are the one’s seen from my brothers new house site) For a small town we seem to have a lot of water towers.

Barn and silo in the distance that I sometimes sit and stare at when I'm at the park — Barn and silo in the distance that I sometimes sit and stare at when I’m at the park. I mentioned it once here

100_3648 — Leaving the park – Signs of the times – somehow the remains of the cut tobacco seem to be a fitting metaphor. Now that I think about it, the stop sign is a great metaphor as well. I’ll not bore you with my political soapbox speeches.

One last glorious shot - a close-up of the leaves on that gorgeous orangey red tree! — One last glorious shot – a close-up of the leaves on that gorgeous orangey red tree!

It was a beautiful outing, but later in the early evening I became a little stressed and frazzled, so spent some time talking to God. I felt that I needed to be sustained and restored. Sometimes, we let the busy and the interruptions handle us instead of turning them over to God. I often struggle to find the balance between what is needed of me and what I need. Maybe that happens to you as well?

Sitting down to look over the pictures taken earlier in the day helped restore the beauty and during my talk with God I was reminded of these verses from Psalm 51:

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Sustained by grace,

Teresa

Prompted By Fall Color Too

October 14, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 11 Comments

This is a continuation of yesterday’s Fall color photos. Today’s photos were taken in October of 2013 near Cave Run Lake which is near Morehead, KY. Enjoy!

The Lucy Maude Montgomery character, Anne, from Anne of Green Gables says it best:

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill–several thrills? I’m going to decorate my room with them.”