July has come to Kansas and with it, the hot winds that blow across the plains. Its arid breath dries the ground faster than I can wet it with the garden hose, and flowers droop their tired heads in heated exhaustion.
I look around our yard at all the possibilities: potential flower beds, an arbor with a swing, trees to shade the lawn. And more rocks.
Rock hunting was not just "adverb+verb" in our house; it was an adventure. Back in the 1960's there weren't elaborate greenhouses and landscaping shops where one could purchase rocks for the garden. Even if there had been, we would never have been able to afford them. Lucky us. It set the stage for a family outing that remains with me still.
On a warm summer evening or a Saturday afternoon, we would load up in the old Ford pick-up, with most of us riding in the back (a common practice of country folk in the 1960's) and drive across the countryside looking for rocks. We'd drive the dirt roads surrounding our farm, turning into pastures and leaving the truck to 'hoof it' up grassy slopes, scanning the tall Buffalo grass for unique rocks to line Mother's garden.
We would pull on brown, cotton work gloves, look for just the right rock and haul our special finds to the back of the truck. There was always delight in the discovery and pleasure in sharing Mother's joy of these new additions to her flower beds.
After several stops we would jump back in the pick-up. The windows would be rolled down in front and some of us would sit on the tailgate in the back, my dad driving so slowly that we could touch the ground with our feet as we moved over terraces at the edge of our fields. I still remember the feel of the soft, fine dirt underneath my bare feet and the smell of wind and earth.
It was a time in rural America when people trusted one another and thought nothing of letting neighbors onto their land. There was mutual, unspoken respect and trust, and a give and take between us; an open-door policy that invited and fostered close relationships and friendships across the fence row. It was a simpler time when sharing a summer afternoon with your family consisted of looking for rocks and being as happy with your find as if it were a gift. And as I grow older I see that it was. For in those times of sharing we grew closer in family.......and richer in love.
That indeed was a gift....and it was enough.
There was nothing spectacular about the sky on this day as I panned the horizon looking for a shot. And then I looked straight up...and everything changed. Perhaps we could all do better if we took more time in life to look above to the beauty that awaits us.
Join the group as we explore Sky Watch around the world each week.
My Dearest Daughter,
You are always, ALWAYS in my heart....and only a moment away. I love you so very much, from the very beginning...now...and forever.
July has come to Kansas and with it, the hot winds that blow across the plains. Its arid breath dries the ground faster than I can wet it with the garden hose, and flowers droop their tired heads in heated exhaustion.
I couldn't decide which of these I liked the most. I love the horizontal photograph because it showcases so much of the clouds and the interesting lighting and coloring that was taking place.
This summer I've been sorting through some of my old photographs, and remembering sweet moments from days gone by.
With the many storms we've experienced this year across Kansas, I've learned to find the beauty in the prelude of their wrath.
captured by the intense beauty of its presentation.
Today my husband and I celebrate our 7th anniversary. We met at the turn of the new millennium, thus beginning an adventure that would change both of our lives forever.
for a reason. And so it is with us.
This was taken the morning of my niece's wedding. It was a lovely October day; an "October's Bright Blue Weather Day" (Helen Hunt Jackson). The sky was truly this color: a cobalt blue that was almost surreal. It served as a flawless backdrop for this beautiful cathedral....and was the perfect prelude to a day filled with joy and love.
I think that the sky is God's most amazing masterpiece. I love its many facets and colors, its ever changing, breath-taking wonderment and the peace I feel at its natural beauty.
