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#AtoZChallenge: Music as prayer
Photo by Diane Weidenbenner I’ve become more aware of the transformative experiences in my life. Those things that edge me a little closer to the person I want to become. Close friendships contribute to my life. Spending time with family, although not as often as I’d like, strengthens my foundation. Reading the Word, going to church and hearing an inspiring message are encouraging. Swimming with my husband (at least that’s what I call it) allows me to reflect, pray, focus on my breathing and relax, especially when followed by the whirlpool. Music also has the ability to touch my heart and soul. Many times it can lead me to prayer…
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#AtoZChallenge: Life everlasting
Since it’s Good Friday, I’m reposting an appropriate reflection for the A to Z Challenge. Hope you enjoy! I recently talked about going on junkets with my friend, Sandy. One of our favorite sites to explore is an older graveyard. No, we’re not into the macabre and we don’t visit them at night. (We wouldn’t be able to see anything in the dark!) We like to read tombstones and wonder about the people behind (or as it were, underneath) them. The stories are different. We may find families that are buried together at different times. Some of the headstones are worn, overturned or broken but you can still decipher what…
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#AtoZChallenge: Kittens
Tikey at the point of adoption 😉 Photo © Diane Weidenbenner There is something irresistable about kittens. Those small bundles of fur and purr are God’s gift and blessing to us. Even people who don’t like cats usually admit that kittens are adorable. Kittens are small and cuddly. Their claws, while sharp, are usually tiny and therefore not painful and rarely penetrate skin or clothing. I love it when kittens yawn. Their faces scrunch up, they close their eyes and they show every single tooth in their head. And, their little pink tongues look like flower petals that have curled. They are used to getting everything they want or need…
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#AtoZChallenge: Il Paretaio B&B
Photo of Il Paretaio from TripAdvisor website. Many moons ago, my friend and I planned a trip to Italy. We mapped out Bed and Breakfast inns in Rome, Venice, Florence and Tuscany, in hope that we’d have a more authentic, local experience. We chose Tuscany because Karen Brown recommended Il Paretaio as a relaxing choice that also offered one of the top riding stables in Italy. We thought it would be neat to go horseback riding, as well as visit beautiful countryside. Preparation for our trip included us taking English riding lessons at a stable near Elizabeth, Colo. We learned how to saddle up the horses, ride them (posting with…
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#AtoZChallenge: Hummingbirds
© 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner Now that spring has sprung, I can’t wait for the inquisitive, charming ruby-throated hummingbirds to return. Last year was the first year that we had a feeder and faithfully tried to keep it stocked with precious sugar water. We had at least two hummingbirds visit fairly regularly and they stayed quite late in the season last year. In previous years, before we had a feeder, I’d go out front on our porch and was met by a friendly hummingbird, who would regularly visit at dusk. At first I thought it was a large dragonfly but I figured out that it was indeed a hummingbird and…
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#AtoZChallenge: Gardens and good friends
Photo © Diane Weidenbenner Spring has sprung and it has me thinking about gardens. Buds have appeared on our lilacs, irises are springing up and the roses have green, velvety leaves. I can’t wait to get a whiff of the lilac-perfumed air from our bedroom window. I also begin thinking of new plants to add to the landscape. Do they require a lot of care? Since we’ve had a drought these past few summers, how much water will they require? I have a lot of enthusiasm at the beginning of the season when it’s sunny and warm (and not humid.) As the summer progresses, and it gets muggy and…
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#AtoZChallenge: Fur
Oliver, aka “Ollie, has some of the softest belly fur I’ve ever seen or felt on a cat. He turned 12 this spring. © by Diane Weidenbenner If you own a cat, dog or other cuddly pet, you know there is just something sweet and blessed about fur. Recently our dog, Hershey, got banned from the bedroom while my husband, Joe, and I sleep. If we’re watching TV or reading, Hershey is allowed in the bedroom and even (gasp) on the bed. Something happens to him, however, when we fall asleep and he chews holes in our comforter, extracting the stuffing and carrying it around the house like it is…
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#AtoZChallenge: Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire. – William Butler Yeats
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. When I was younger I wrote poetry and received positive feedback. I worked on the yearbook committee in junior high and enjoyed my high school AP English class with Mr. Carter. I would have been on the school newspaper but Mr. Ridgway was the newspaper teacher and he scared me. Mr. Ridgway taught sophomore advanced English. He was known to scare his new students during his initial class of the year to gain their respect. He would find a student who did not establish continuous eye contact with him, embarrass that student by yelling at the person “if you’re not going to pay…
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#AtoZChallenge: Donkeh
I like animals – I always have. Domestic or wild, I have a deep respect for all living things (except for wasps and spiders but that’s for another time). © 2005 by Diane Weidenbenner When I first moved to Indiana, on my way to work, I would drive by this beautiful donkey. He was never busy doing too much but he always looked content. I think he belonged to the farm that was nestled next door to his field. He had soulful eyes and beautiful fur. One day I decided to make friends with this handsome animal so I pulled my car over, went across the road and began talking…
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#AtoZChallenge: Creation, creativity and Cataract Falls
Lower Falls during spring. Photo © Diane Weidenbenner When I spend time among nature’s beauty – thick greenery, wooded forest, trickling streams and rushing waterfalls, I’m reminded how incredible God’s creative designs are. Cataract Falls State Recreation Area, in Owens County, Ind., is one of my favorite places to enjoy the Architect’s best laid plans. I’ve visited the Falls, which are the largest in Indiana, with my mom, my friend Sandy, alone – and in most of the seasons. The trip has always been a peaceful, inspiring experience. The creativity of nature reminds me of the writing process. There are times when I struggle to put two words together and…
