In Memory of…

…my father who passed from this life into the next 15 years ago today. The song that I’m sharing is one I wrote, inspired by words he whispered in my ear as I was leaving home and saying my tearful goodbyes many, many years ago.
Though Dad was not prone to emotion and mostly kept all his feelings under wraps, I’ll always remember what he said to me that day. Not only was I troubled with my goodbyes that day, but he was, too. The moment only lasted seconds but live on in the sacred places of my heart…two who often were at odds, finding a commonality in their grief and learning that the deeper bond of a father and daughter might get stretched at times, but could never be broken.

If I was in doubt that…

what flew over me this morning was a red-tailed hawk, the sun shining through its tail feathers put any doubt I was having to rest. The hawk couldn’t have been much closer to our house and the tree where the little red squirrel I’ve named, ‘Trouble’ lives. ‘Trouble’ must have eluded trouble again.

April Gallery 2021

Though snow has been predicted for the first weekend of May, for the most part it feels like Spring has arrived. I caught this robin enjoying the sun as I arrived home from a morning walk…


Walks sometimes take me north to a conference center where the grounds are open to the public. That’s where I had the pleasure of being serenaded by this mocking bird. He was proficient in many languages!


Back at home, our garden has also been a busy place where blue jays and the chipmunks, roused from their winter slumber, can still find a peanut or two. This white-capped sparrow was feeling a little ‘hoppy’ this particular day when temps finally climbed into the high 60s.

April walks seemed awash in yellow.


…the perfect color to lend a sunny backdrop to new life in its various stages.


We added a shade garden last fall and the new sprouts and blooms are coming along with raindrop reflections, an added delight.


I invited myself to a friend’s garden, waiting for the tulips to be perfectly in bloom. I wasn’t disappointed.


and my neighbor’s Magnolia tree begged me to ask permission to take photos of it…which I did. How can I say no to a Magnolia tree?



The signs were evident everyday that the summer season would be here soon. These barges are seen frequently on the lake at this time of year. This particular day one was getting a raft perfectly placed for days to come of some summer fun.


Here a dinghy appears, the next day to be replaced by a sailboat. And boats were added to the moorings at the yacht club daily…


This was a ‘small-world’ moment seeing this sign on a truck all the way from our former ‘backyard’, as I walked along the lake road one morning. I chatted briefly with one of the workers, a young man who graduated from Glens Falls High.


Sewing projects kept me busy and included sewing some pillow shams, leaving very little leftovers, but enough to cover some buttons. The button cover kit was an oldie – probably from the 1960s or 70s. Too many pillows? Nah! I also took out a cheaply made wooden panel insert from my $5.00 garage-sale cupboard and made a curtain for it, and the little chair finally got a chair seat – woven from a few yards of homespun I had leftover from a quilt project.

Here’s the link I used to help me through the process…https://pin.it/4FsEXgp


I tried my hand at making some fabric moths for something different, but gave up on trying to make wire feet for my crows, instead opting for my hot-glue gun. The spools were two that I recently emptied and the sphagnum moss was a handy leftover from a previous project. I may give them some scarves to wear at some point, or a bell on a ribbon. They need SOMETHING to crow about!


Later this month, whilst at the lake to watch the moon rise, I came across what we have determined to be turkey feathers. After asking the landowners if I could have them, I brought one wing home, plucked the feathers and let them soak in our bathroom sink. I wore rubber gloves throughout the whole process, and bleached the sink when I was done. Have you ever dried turkey feathers with a hair dryer? Well, now I can say I have. And funny thing, they smelled like turkey! My idea is to make a display for them, and came up with something that may work. I have some tweaking to do, but I was generally happy with the overall idea.


My creation is holding a flower now, but one like this fabric ‘wall pocket’ may be holding turkey feathers in the future.


The night I found the turkey feathers was the night we were to witness a super moon in pink. Maybe orange is the new pink, but, in this photo the pink moon looks like an orange moon. I can see improvements in my photography skills, but the moments at the lake were far more satisfying. They always are… I love that spot.


On the home front, during the time we’ve waited to hear back from house painters with their estimates, we’ve been dealing with this red squirrel who likes to steal the stuffing from our settie for its nest. GRRRR!!! We caught it once (along with a gray squirrel) but ‘little red’ escaped. Since then we improved the trap’s capabilities, but haven’t yet been successful. Plans are to relocate it at the Ontario County Park – several miles away. We have had a few laughs about the whole situation but laughed most about what might have happened if the squirrel escaped the trap while in the car enroute to its new home…😬


Our 3.5 YO grand had a couple of firsts this month…he learned to ride a pedal bike and he had his first visit to a dentist. The highlight from his visit to the dentist was the fish tank in the office. I’ll apologize for the blurry photo on the bike. It was taken from the video we received of the momentous occasion. He laughed with excitement and glee after he realized his papa had let go of the bicycle. I wish you all could hear him! Life feels so normal when you hear a child laugh.


And Lou the puppy is doing well. Mama took this photo while ‘teething-Lou’ chewed on a carrot. These two are becoming fast friends!


I know I’ve mentioned this before, but May 1st is nearly upon us, which means that this will be my last Facebook post. If you’d like to stay in touch you can sign up to follow me. Here’s a screen shot of what you’ll need to do if you’d like to receive an email each time I post a blog. The other option is to bookmark my WordPress site. I think that may work as well.


Whatever you decide to do….


We are Forever Friends.

You are loved!

Denise


Worth The Wait

For a few brief minutes last night, my chosen spot was a piece of granite on the little bit of shoreline that provides us access to Canandaigua Lake. It’s no surprise that I was there – I’ve grown to love that spot, in all seasons. But last night I was there to wait for the moon to rise. Though the air was chilly, happily, the skies were clear, and the view, well, for me, it was worth the wait.

You are loved!

As we near April’s end,

before the wind turned chilly, less than an hour was long enough to spend some time on our front porch where we were entertained by the bird activity in a nearby tree….can you spot the Pileated Woodpecker?

The Mr. and I believe there is a pair of these woodpeckers nesting nearby, though I haven’t discovered where, but you can bet on it that I’ll keep looking.

Have you found it yet?

Maybe now?

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God’s Word says,

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

I needed that reminder. Maybe you did, too.

You are loved!

Garden Hopping

It was a day made of many outdoor activities including some bird watching. This little white-throated sparrow hopping around our garden stopped for a brief moment from its foraging amongst our fading daffodils and looked my way as if to ask me, “Who is watching who?”.

Indeed. Who is watching who?

“The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:8

You are loved!

MOCHI, Please!

Another recipe has been added to our Paleo repertoire, namely Mochi (moh-chee) bread.

From the little research I did, the bread originates from Asia. Japan has its version, as does Korea. And from what I can tell after looking at their recipes for mochi, this recipe is definitely a riff on the more traditional bread.

Texture wise, I would call the final result of these little breads similar to the crispy exterior of a pop-over, crossed with the creamier interior of a Yorkshire Pudding, which sadly, I have never made. But, growing up with a mother who embraced her UK roots, I have eaten my fair share of it as she always served it with a roast of beef. WOW! Memory has it that every bite was delicious! Could mochi bread rival a Yorkshire Pudding? Depending on what kind of fat or oil you line your cupcake tin with, it has possibilities.

Here’s your chance to find out, with the link I’ve included at the bottom of this blog. The only substitution I made was that I exchanged almond milk for the whole milk. It worked! And when you look at the Pinterest photo, you’ll notice that my mochi look ALOT different than what you’ll see there. I did not have black sesame seeds in house, so I used what I had. I only wish I had toasted them first. Next time.

One other difference, and I can’t help mentioning it, but in case you hadn’t noticed, my mochi have belly-buttons! I laughed out loud when I took them out of our oven. The appearance of belly-buttons on my mochi could have been caused by an error on my part, but I say, the ‘Belly-Button Mochi’ provides one more place to hide that extra gravy, cream sauce, or whatever suits your fancy!

And no worries regarding your talk-abouts around the dinner table! You’ve got an interesting topic if conversation lags.

Thanks for stopping by!

You are loved!



He Keeps Calling

Recently, when I heard that my friend Beth was awaiting the arrival of the 150 tulip bulbs she had planted last fall, I asked if she would permit me to photograph them when they bloom. Her answer was yes! Now, I’m just waiting for the call.

As I anticipate that future day, God supplied me an opportunity of His own in the beauty of my neighbor’s blooming magnolia tree. With every bloom, He keeps calling…

“You’re here to love,

And learn to love;

You’re here to trust,

And learn to trust;

Here I am,

Here I am,

You’re in My hands…

Let My kingdom come.”

DDC 2021

Thanks for stopping by!

You are loved!