View From Harmony Hills

  Hudson, Ohio hosts Art on the Green every year in August.   Artists from all over the state display their work.   It is a juried show.   The art ranges from  acrylics, jewelry, oils, photography, pottery, watercolors and a variety of crafts.    There is food and drink available.   It is a festive atmosphere.  So much to see. The town itself is a lovely place to visit.  In the square there is a Gazebo.       President Lincoln stopped here on his way to Washington for his first inaugural.   A crowd of 6000 greeted him at the old Hudson Depot.     The art show is situated in the shady part of the town.               Dick and I have been coming here for several years.   He knows it is something I look forward to at the end of summer.  How quickly the day goes.   It is wonderful to see so much talent in one place.   I come home tired but inspired.                Hope you find some inspiration too!     God Bless    

 A sunflower is an inspiration.  It captivates attention.   Beginning as a tender shoot it grows tall.  The lovely head faces heavenward reaching for the light.  Bees and butterflies find rest among the unfurled petals.        With maturity this flower learns to bend and twist providing shelter for lower growing neighbors.     As summer's time starts the slow dance to autumn beauty becomes a faded memory.    Growing old this plant continues giving.   The dried head yields sustenance to the birds of the air. The sturdy stems age and begin to bough.  Remaining seeds fall downward.  They have come home for the winter.   When spring makes her return young sprouts will rise and life will abound.     "The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;"   John 11:25   Thanks for the visit - have a blessed week!

Monday's mail held something special...a package addressed to me. It was a long cylinder wrapped and taped very tight.   Once in the house I got busy tearing the outside paper off.   So exciting to get a gift in the mail.    Who doesn't love a present? It was from my dear friend Anne.   Inside there was not just one prize but three... two gorgeous lithographs...   plus this lovely adorable fellow below.   He is made with okra.   (and I thought okra was for eating only!)     Anne is an extremely talented artist.    She has a wonderful blog -  alittlefurinthe paint.blogspot.com/ .   Please pay her a visit you will certainly enjoy the time you spend there.   I  always do. It is an understatement that mail day on Monday brought me a bushel full of joy.   Thank you dearest Anne.  Hope Anne' s kitties and santa made you smile today.   Thanks for the visit.   God Bless!          

It was a gorgeous day for a cook out.   The temperature was in the 70's with sunshine and a gentle breeze. I invited my folks to join us after Church.    They brought fresh sweet corn.   Hubby grilled the steaks.  (He did a wonderful job.)  We had baked potatoes,  sliced tomatoes from the garden, creamy coleslaw, cantaloupe and  garlic bread.   To finish things off there was homemade coconut cream pie.   The beauty of the day enfolded us.   We laughed and spoke of past times and future plans.   Dick and I shared about watching the sunset the previous evening and catching site of cedar wax wings.  Mom and Dad talked about places they had traveled and where they would like to go.   Yellowstone National Park is one.   Dick had been there as a boy.   He  recalled camping and the fun he had with his family. The time passed far too quickly. It was a lovely Sunday afternoon.   A precious page for my memory.   I like to store those pages up in my mind.  They will sta

 In collecting some canning jars from the pantry I was reminded of the year my mother's faith was put to a test. We always had a large garden and Mom would be busy from spring to fall with putting food away for the year.   Our cellar had shelves that held jars of every fruit and vegetable one could want.    It was our very own store so to speak.  It fed us through many a winter. One spring there was a family in need.   Our pastor asked the women in the church if they had some canned goods that they could share. Mom naturally had plenty of food.  She wanted to give but her canning jars were precious.  They would be needed for next season's bounty.     Knowing that they would not be returned she gave all she could spare. With the coming summer and the garden doing well Mom didn't know how she would manage to store the season's harvest. One afternoon my Aunt Sadie surprised us with a visit.   She had been cleaning out her basement and stopped to see if M

It was parade day in the little village of Magnolia.     Every August this quaint place comes alive for Canal Days.  People line the street to wave at all the participants that pass by. Everyone seems to enjoy themselves.   There is candy tossed out to the children from the moving vehicles and wagons.    The victorian Elson house to the right provides a beautiful backdrop for the parade.   Its verandah is a sweet reminder of a bye gone era.  Folks talk and laugh.   Friends and neighbors join in the festivities.   Once the parade ends there are boothes set up in the park to sell food and raise funds for the community.   There are activites for the kids and entertainment for the whole family.            The high school band performs several songs and later there is a local talent show to finish off this lovely celebration.  One of the historical buildings that is situated close to the park  is "The Isaac Miller Inn".   Taggart's Ice C

Peach Pickin... and Porch Sittin... two pleasures of summer.    The process of picking peaches brings me a sense of satisfaction.   I enjoy getting out the ladder and climbing high to reach the sweet juicy fruit.  When the baskets are filled and overflowing I bring them indoors.  I will freeze some for winter, make a bit of jam and of course there must be a pie! Sitting on the porch in the early mornings gives me perspective before starting the day.  Hubby and I often have our coffee there before we go to work.   We watch the hummingbirds frolic and listen to the sounds of a day's beginning.   For just a bit time stands still. I may even have a moment to do a quick sketch of some flowers. Glad I could share some of my summer pleasure.   Hope you will tell me about yours! God Bless!       

I wonder if Captain Thomas ever thought that someone two hundred years later would take time to visit his gravesite. He rests in peace at Quaker Ridge Cemetery.   This graveyard is located on what is known as the Great Trail.      There are many old tombstones present that are not able to be read.   Time and weather has worn away names and dates.   Some have fallen and become broken.  It was so long ago.  Yet a record remains.  These men lived during a period when this country was just being birthed.  Ordinary souls following their dreams.  Did they realize the part they were playing in history?     I'd guess that they did not.  Perhaps in some small way we will all impact the tomorrows of the generations that will follow. Our lives may seem unimportant now.   Yet our decisions and actions could make a difference for  those who will live in the future.   I am so glad I could share Quaker Ridge Cemetery with you today.   Thanks for your visi

Some virtues are easier to accept than to practice.  Patience or forebearance comes to mind.   I certainly appreciate it when others are patient with me.  The tough part comes when I am asked to do the same.  The need for this virtue seems to arise when life's moments are less than perfect.  Whenever I am a few minutes late leaving for an appointment often there is a slow moving vehicle ahead.   In the country it can be a horse and buggy, tractor, or someone who has decided to enjoy the view.  It is then that practicing being patient becomes a bit difficult .      The truth is one really only learns to be patient when they are tested.   It is under stress that we find whether we have forebearance. A dear friend ( many moons ago) gave me a napkin holder that had this prayer written on the front  "Please God grant me patience but hurry!"    I think she knew me well.   Here are some flowers from the garden.   Waiting for rain has certainly tested t