Kitchen

Inside ~ Outside ~ Upside-Down

Inside:

Outside:

Now don't go whinin' about the crummy focus or anything. We're talking two none-too-clean window panes and a screen betwixt me and these feathered friends, plus the cheap, built-in zoom, so they're just not all that bad. Besides, these photos make me really happy, and it's all about making me happy, don't ya know.

Okay, I'm really sorry that this upcoming zoom happens to magnify the irdbay ooppay. Sorry, sorry, sorry. [<---That's me, the birds, and the camera.] Try to ignore it, or put your hand over part of the screen, or just quickly scroll to the next photo. Whatever works for you is fine with me. Just don't get all bent out of shape over some doo.

Upside-Down:

I don't know. I don't. Want me to make something up? My best guess is that I like saying inside, outside, upside-down, so I had to make it work. Was that Seuss or just something knocking around in my own elementary brain? Maybe we could see if that cream of tomato soup is going to come dripping out of the tippy cup, because it's a cinch the SugarPlum wasn't going to sip it out, once she tasted it. Wanna talk about the crookedy part in my hair? Me theither. So we're just done now.

And January is finished.

I have to go choose a February CowNot of the month.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:5-9

Sunlight

After the Midnight

After the Shadows

by James Rowe

After the midnight, morning will greet us

After the sadness, joy will appear

After the tempest, sunlight will meet us

After the jeering, praise we shall hear.

After the battle, peace will be given

After the weeping, song there will be

After the journey there will be Heaven

Burdens will fall and we shall be free.

Shadows and sunshine all thro’ the story

Teardrops and pleasure, day after day

But when we reach the kingdom of glory

Trials of earth will vanish away.

After the shadows

there will be sunshine

After the frown, the soul-cheering smile

Cling to the Savior, love Him forever

All will be well in a little while.

Weeping may endure for a night,

but joy cometh in the morning.

Psalm 30:5

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

Psalm 126:5

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8, 9

Our Ducks

We have ducks.

Uncle Kemtrail gave them to us.

We have a lot of ducks.

They like me.

They like me a lot.

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. Proverbs 30:5-6

That BobDog

Cousin Annie got a beautiful, new room-size rug.

Bob loves it.

That BobDog!

One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4

Poaching Is Illegal

...anyway, isn't it? And it should be.

Thought I had it all figured out, didn't I?
"Pride goeth before destruction." (Prov 16:18)

Maybe not 1,000, but this picture is worth at least 4 or 5 unpleasant words:

Thus ends my foray into the world of microwave egg poaching.

Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. Proverbs 23:9

The CowNotNot

or

When We Found the Hen That

Disappeared for Two Days

Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
Jude 1:2

SugarPlum Chatter

"What you doing, Nana?"

"I'm putting on my make-up."

"You will be beautiful, Nana?"

"Well.......it helps."

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. Psalm 5:11

ExcellentNot Photography

One recent morning I carried my camera to the CowNot pasture at feeding time. I like taking photos of the CowNots, and I should have a gallery showing. I'm a really good photographer. Oh hush, I am too.

I planned this photo of headless CowNots.

It's a good photo:

I wanted this one too.

We need to see the broadsides and fannies of CowNots:

We need to look at the tops of CowNots' heads and at CowNot legs. I knew we did, so I took this great photo of a CowNot head and CowNot legs. I posed these CowNots just so. I did a great job, because I'm such a good photographer:

I thought I should take a really good picture of a CowNot be-hind:

It's important to study CowNot horns. This is a really good photo of CowNot horns. I planned it this way. Nuh-uh. Don't you say that. This CowNot wasn't just trying to poke its face in the camera lens:

Well, hello there!

For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name. ~Amos 4:13

Name That HenNot Results

I derived pleasure from every single suggested name and enjoyed watching the two most popular ones jockeying for the lead in the Name That HenNot poll. Okay, I need a life. No, I have a life, as evidenced by the number of days it's taken me to post the results. *snort*

You may not know we have (at least) two HenNots without names. [A third bird is looking awfully gender-suspicious, but it hasn't crowed and we found her/him sitting on a clutch of eggs.] So two unnamed HenNots provide the opportunity to use both of the most popular names. Without futher ado, I present to you:

Thanks to all you clever people who participated.

And congrats to the winners!

ºÜº

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:6, 7

Vacuum Bag

I kept the bag my tablecloth came in, thinking I might store SugarPlum toys in it. Maybe I shouldn't allow the SugarPlum to get anywhere near that bag. Someone accidentally knocked it onto the floor, and it immediately sucked the cat out from under the table. Scary.

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Numbers 6:24-26

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. ~ Psalm 23

How to Kill a Poignant Moment

reflections during a two-hour drive

"Don't you wish all of our children lived within 30 minutes of us? I guess this is the outcome of us moving around the country so much: our kids are comfortable with moving, living anywhere. It would be so nice if they all lived nearby and were dropping in all the time, coming for dinner, going places with us. Can you imagine what that would be like? Obviously, though, this is the way it was supposed to be, because God wove all those moves into the fabric of our lives."

"You sound like a cotton commercial."

"Why did you say that?"

"That's what their slogan is: 'Cotton is the fabric of our lives.'"

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ~ Philippians 4:11

Sweeet

"Stop it. You have to be nice to me." I don't even remember what my request had been or the faux-snarly response I'd received, which prompted my pronouncement as we drove down our gravel road.

"No, this has to stop. You get a week-and-a-half for your birthday, and the rest of us get 24 hours."


"That's as it should be. Now be nice to me."


We pulled into the driveway and unloaded our acquisitions from a shopping trip to Old Time Pottery in Kansas City. Now if you haven't been to Old Time Pottery, you need to get in your car or on a bus, or take off your shoes and board an airplane, and go there. You won't be sorry.


You especially won't be sorry if you bought really cheap dishes at Wal*Mart -- you paid something like $20 or $25 / service for four (16 pieces) -- and when you needed some more dinner plates for Thanksgiving one year, the only place in the whole country you could find them wanted $13.99 per plate, so you had to do without. When you get to Old Time Pottery, there will be several stacks of your dinner plates, selling for $1.49 each. One dollar and forty-nine cents. You'll be really excited.

And you'll even find a tablecloth in the colors of your kitchen.

Hush. Stop saying that. It is too a tablecloth. That's cloth, and it's on my table. TABLECLOTH. (You have to be nice to me.)

When you go to the city, you'll think about going to Red Lobster for lunch, but you'll have checked their menu online and discovered that would cost $100. One hundred dollars. So you'll no longer want to do that. Now Hy-Vee isn't Cousin Annie's favorite place to eat, but that's because Cousin Annie always has access to a Hy-Vee, and she just doesn't know how good she has it. You'll want to eat at the food court in Hy-Vee, and you know what's in the back of that store, so Hy-Vee is where you'll dine, and you'll eats lots of Chinese food. Then you'll go to the back of the store and be squirrellyhappy about what's back there.

If you know me really, really well, you know what will be pictured here tomorrow: S.W.E.E.T

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. ~II Corinthians 9:8

Name That HenNot

*SEE POLL*

top right frame

This is not a hen. I ordered and paid the premium price [what, a handful of pennies, so we're not going to get bent all out of shape about this] for pullets. This guy was a cockerel. But he gets to stay. He's staying because he's so handsome, and because he invites himself into the yard.


How do I know he's a HenNot? He crows. See. He's crowing:

Since he's staying, he needs a name. Help me name him. If you've been lurking here, it's time to crawl out of the coop and make your presence known. Now take a good look at him, so you can give him a right proper name.


That was his left side. You need to see his right side too, if you're going to create a fitting moniker. Look him over and think about all those feathers. Think about his beak and his green legs. Think about his chicken toes.

Do you need a closer look? Take a closer look if that'll help. He has nostrils and a chicken beard.

Gaze deeply into his eye. Know him. Know him really well.

(Okay, that one was just a test of McSpazzy's gag reflex. How you doin' over there, Loo? You holdin' up okay? Need a bowl? Have anyone nearby to hold your forehead?)

Now let your imagination roam through the feathers and straw and scratch grains and insects and chicken ooppay, and leave suggestions in the comments box. You don't need a blogger ID to comment, because I turned off that feature long ago. And if you leave a suggestion, then wake in the middle of the night with a perfecter name, rush to your computer and post that one too. I'm counting on you.

Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24