park

Prompted By Beauty All Around

~ Teresa ~ 9 Comments

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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 viewmore 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
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More of the across the road view
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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.
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.
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.
Part of the walking path at the park. See, I told you there was one, lone, orangey red tree.
more beautiful tree
more beautiful tree
Gorgeous blue, fall sky
Gorgeous blue, fall sky
More water towers
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
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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

Today Was A Beautiful Monday

~ Teresa ~ 3 Comments

Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.  Psalm 150:6

Today was a beautiful Monday.  Even though the temperature was a little warmer than this time of year calls for, it was a low humidity day, so very pleasant.  When Rocky came home from work we went to the park for a walk.  Two laps is a mile.  I did not make two laps today.  It has been a while since I walked and I was breaking in new walking shoes, so opted to take it slow and easy.  I did one lap and a small stretch in the parking lot.  Rested.  Then, did a few laps in the picnic shelter. When not walking, I enjoyed sitting at one of the tables  looking out over the countryside.

Towards the end of the walk there is a fairly steep (at least to me) hill to climb.  I usually turn on this hill and walk a few steps backwards.  This affords quite a beautiful view of the surrounding hillsides.  In the middle of one little hilltop there is a charming barn with a silo standing at attention as if on guard. It was quite idyllic with white clouds floating in blue sky, balmy breeze and birds chirping.  I, of course, did not have a camera to capture the view, so you’ll just have to paint a picture in your mind with my words.

That is one of the things I love about words that are written.  It gives me a chance to use my imagination.  I can picture the barn and silo the way I want them to look.  I can make the barn any color I choose, or even weathered gray with a tin roof all rusty around the edges (my favorite, I think).  The silo can be stone, or galvanized metal; new or timeworn. The sky can be whatever shade of blue I need it to be and the clouds can take on shapes that spark further fantastical imaginings.  And the bird song.  Sweet melodies composed just for me.

Yes, today was a beautiful Monday.

Imagining in grace,

Teresa