“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up…” Luke 18:1

I stood in the middle of the one room log cabin and gazed with delight around me. I love history at any time, today even more so as I thrilled to the thought that my grandmother was born in this very place over a hundred years ago. Her grandfather was one of the first white men to come into the area way back in the 1850’s. He was one of five brothers who eventually settled around what eventually became the county seat. They prospered and spread out over 2 townships!

As I and other relatives attending the family reunion toured county and township roads looking at the places our ancestors homesteaded so long ago, I wondered. Did these hardy pioneers think of the future generations that might come and live on the farms they were building in what was then wilderness? Or were the intense challenges of the day enough to fill their thoughts?

“One of the wonderful things about gardening is that there is no one way about it.”

H. Peter Loewer

Being of an artistic temperament, much of life as I see it is about finding your own special style. Some of us like traditional decorating and styles. Many, my own children included, like a modern or what I call “Pier One” or “Crate and Barrel” look. Some people get really excited about antiques – antiques technically being at least 100 years old or more. Others of us really like all things Vintage from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.

The interesting thing about style is that you have one whether you realize it or not. I remember when we moved to Denver back in the 80’s. Some new friends came to visit when we got unpacked, and their comment as they toured our new house was, “This is so “you”, Joanie”. They insisted that once they got to know me, they would easily be able to pick out a room or house I had decorated. I got to thinking about that, and I decided that everyone’s style is indeed, unique.

July 3, 2009

The other day we woke up to a thunderstorm. I love an early morning storm! The sun was rising behind the clouds, so when it got light, the light was greenish – spooky most times because a green sky usually heralds hail, but not necessarily in the early morning. One thunderstorm after another rolled through until we had 2 inches of rain!

I once was in a plane that skirted an early evening thunderstorm, and was that ever an experience to see a thunderstorm from that altitude instead of on the ground. Clouds are spectacular at any time, but this was something else. The clouds actually towered even higher than we were flying. The setting sun lit the whole sky, and those angry clouds took on a color I have never seen. Lightning played in their depths, and it made me wish I could hear thunder from that high up.

This is an amazing world God has made.