While the Dew is Still on the Roses

 

morning of June 4

The three Knockout rose bushes recently added to our landscaping continue to out-do themselves with wonderful blooms. I have given myself the assignment of pruning the flowers as they wilt since Gary does all of the grass-cutting, edging, trimming the bushes, and cutting away those huge seed pods on the palms. 

Those of us who are church-going Baby Boomers are familiar with the first verse of the hymn, "In The Garden." I thought of that when rolling my bicycle onto the driveway this morning in preparation for our usual ride. I snapped three pictures of our bushes.

I come to the garden alone,

while the dew is still on the roses;

And the voice I hear, 

falling on my ear,

The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me,

and he talks with me,

And he tells me I am his own,

And the joy we share

as we tarry there,

None other has even known.

(from page 428 of my copy of Baptist Hymnal 1975)

What a beautiful reminder to begin our days with prayer!

Joyce has given us the questions for this week's Hodgepodge. Here are my responses. If you want to participate in her meme, click here.

1. What do birthdays look like in your house? How are they celebrated? Any special traditions? What about birthdays growing up?

curly ribbon

For many years I collected all of the curly ribbon that came with our gifts, stuffing it all into a cardboard box. The ribbon is so festive; just pulling it out to lay on the table with the birthday gifts created an instant party atmosphere. 

As the accumulation of ribbons grew, I would drape it from the chandelier above the table. And later on, because there was so much of the stuff, I would pull out certain colors to go along with a color scheme to make it look more masculine or feminine or to compliment whatever theme I had going on.

When I married Gary and sold my house, I gave the box of curly ribbon to one of my children. I sold, donated, and otherwise disposed of a lot of things at that time in my life, knowing that storage with the combination of our two households would be a real issue.

cards for my last birthday

Our celebrations now are usually just the two of us. Gary has said, "I didn't plan to get this old!" And my BFF in Colorado (who is just 2 months younger than me) said, "How did we get to be this old?!"

So with that said, we don't have big parties and gifts. Lunch out at a favorite place, maybe a day trip to some scenic or historic location -- that's enough for us. As cards arrive they are displayed on the dining table, and Gary's birthday always requires chocolate in some form. 

As for how we got to the twilight years of our life (Gary laughed when I phrased it that way the other day), some say it's not by being stupid. Of course, there is some truth in that but we all know deep within ourselves that every day of our lives is a gift from God.

2. Someone is sending you a dozen roses...what color are you hoping for? Are you someone who gets accused of seeing the world through rose colored glasses? Is your accuser correct? Elaborate. 

I enjoy any color of roses given to me, but yellow ones are my favorite because they are so very cheerful. Pink runs a close second.

Do I see the world through rose colored glasses? The older I get, definitely not. But I do my best to exercise faith in people and circumstances. 

3. June 4th is National Cheese Day...will you celebrate? What's something (besides a burger) you make in the summer that calls for cheese? 

Not restricted to the summer months, I like to make cheese quesadillas when we want a light meal with little fuss. I used to make them with an electric appliance, but (again, due to storage space) I got rid of that and now make them in my cast iron skillet.

4. 'tis the season...any weddings on your June calendar? What's the first word that comes to mind when I say marriage?

our cake in 2022

There are no weddings on our calendar right now for June (or any month, for that matter). 

The first word that comes to my mind with marriage is "commitment."  All who are married know that very soon after the promises are made, commitment is tested and usually in a way never imagined. It is my opinion (and my experience with both of my marriages) that the relationship promises need to include prayer for God's blessings to have any hope of surviving the challenges life throws at the couple. 

5. What are you most looking forward to this June? 

We have no big plans for this month, preferring to get out more in the fall months when the weather is more comfortable. Our local TV stations bombard us with their predictions for hurricanes, which can wear on a person who's heard it all before, year after year. (the season is officially June 1-Nov. 30) So with that said, I hope and pray for calm in the weather, relationships, health, finances, and everything else. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

purchase information

Our world, our culture, our politics -- nearly everything -- is so crazy. I am reading this book and finding it so helpful in setting my thoughts right, in helping me to cope with the issues that baffle me, and in giving me a deeper peace than I've felt in a long time (maybe ever!).

Before I close, I've got one more snapshot regarding birthdays: 

Happy Birthday!

My DIL who lives out west has a mule (!) who celebrated her third birthday a couple of weeks ago. She's a real Party Animal!

A merry heart is good medicine.

Proverbs 17:22

Until next time, grace and peace.