Three Word Wednesday

Decaying, adjective: decomposing, decomposed, rotting, rotten, putrescent, putrid, bad, off, perished; moldy, festering, fetid, rancid, rank; maggoty, wormy, declining, degenerating, dying, crumbling, disintegrating; derelict, run-down, tumbledown, ramshackle, shabby, decrepit; in decline, in ruins, on the way out.

Ember, noun: glowing coal, live coal; cinder; (embers) ashes, residue.

Fragrant, adjective: sweet-scented, sweet-smelling, scented, perfumed, aromatic, odoriferous, odiferous, perfumy; literary redolent. 

Fragrant was the love
The ember burning hot
Lost in years
Of neglect
It no longer could burn 
The ember lost its light
Barely a flicker
Of the fragrant love
It once was
Decaying by the day
Dreaming for 
The fragrant love
Lost in years
Of neglect
Just a flicker
Of decaying memories
Of the fragrant love
That once was
A Love story
Of fragrant beauty
Now lost in memories
Burning embers
Decaying 
Of the love
That once was

~Beth~

http://www.threewordwednesday.com/

February Blessings Week Two

February 

Counting it All Joy

February 5 Waking to the raindrops pelting the house. As the rain woke me it also lulled me back to sleep. Staying snuggled in the warmth of my bed later than normal. Then hot shower. So happy my tub is running once again. That I have hot running water and the comforts of home that we take for granted everyday. Then a lazy day of book reading and murder mystery movies wrapped up in my electric blanket on my couch. Watching the rain come down in buckets. Or is that raining cats and dogs? Thankful for the peaceful quiet as I listened to the rain all day. Now as I watch the overtime in the Super Bowl game, I'm grateful for my big screen TV. Absolutely thankful for my creature comforts of my home. So many to be thankful for. Congratulations to the Patriots for their win! Blessings

February 6 Waking up this morning before the bell tolls. A little morning pray and some bible study time before I head out. A day filled with lots of appointments and activities to fill my day. Thankful they all went well. Talking to my mom and telling her I love her. I'm so blessed to still have her and to be able to call her and tell her how much she is loved. Thank you mom for all you do! Conversations with those that I love. Family and friends that make each day brighter because of their presence in my life. The beautiful sky painted all day in many shades of rich color. From the stormy dark rain clouds to the breaking of the rich golden sun; the raindrops that glistened like diamonds, as the rainbow arches across the broken beauty of the sky in its many shades of blues and golden rays of beauty. Reminding me with every storm there is a promise and beauty of strength that comes. I am so thankful for the gifts hidden in the darkness of the storms of life. God's gifts are gems even in the ordinary routines of daily life. Thank you Lord for all your many gifts and blessings. ♡♡♡ Blessings

February 7 Happy birthday to my beautiful nieceLenita Campbell. May you have a very blessed day. Waking to wish those we love birthday blessings, before we get this day rolling. So thankful for my family. I have been blessed with a very large and extended family. Then of course the family we hand pick. Those amazing friendships that just enhance every aspect of your life. Grateful for each one. Today was another opportunity to see my chiropractor to help with my pain levels. Really hopeful to see how this all works out for me. Just another ordinary day filled with some snow, slushy rain and grey skies. Smiles brought about by every appointment held and every person who crossed my path today. Some bringing great laughter and knowledge of great wisdom with their contiguous smiles. And under the grey rainy skies their were even pink blooms breaking out their beauty. Waiting to share the silent strength of grace in the storm. Reminding me once again that out of every storm comes the hope of strength and beauty; that cannot be contained or held back. The beauty must bloom and shine as it breaks through the storm to victory. Thankful for the gifts that daily remind me how truly blessed I am to wake each day to fill it with my imprints of life. Blessings

February 8 Early morning rise for a day of beauty and smiles. I had earned in my first two appointments this morning more than enough to cover gas for the week. Love how the Lord watched over me today. That made my day as these were two unexpected clients. Today was a wonderful day in living history as many of the ladies shared amazing stories of their lives and the history they help create and see happen over their life time. So love hearing their stories, as they share with one another and myself. So rich and beautiful each one, the rich colorful lives they have lead and those they have touched along the way. Making history through living a full life. Truly the journey is about the impact and love you leave behind, not the gathering of things or the job. But the PEOPLE! Love how the Lord watches over us all. It was a full day of creating beauty and smiles, watching each one leave with huge joy of happiness and smiles on their faces. Home to do laundry. Love that the towels for salon and all my personal clothing is done for the week. All folded and put away. Love that I own my own washer and dryer and I don't have to go out and use public machines. Love sitting under my electric blanket getting all snugly warm. So glad I have this blanket, as it truly has been an unexpected blessing to me this very long cold Winter. Now as the day comes to a close I sit in the quiet of my home saying silent prayers of the heart. My heart is over flowing in His grace and love for me. Thankful for this day I was blessed with. Blessings

February 9 The day our family was blessed with Shawn Harris my number 2 grandson. And what a blessing he is too. Wishing I was in California to celebrate his special day with him. I love you Shawn! Grateful to be able to wish him Happy Birthday and many blessings. Lounged and sipped on my morning coffee before getting my day going. Watched many rain storms pass by today. Sitting and dreaming, thinking about life. Wondering about those that have come into my life and life in general. Praying for those I love, health, answers, direction and wisdom for all on my prayer list and myself. There is always someone or something to pray for or about. Then a beautiful break in the afternoon and in the storms going through the area. Great opportunity to go out for a bit. Took my necklace in to be repaired. Grateful for life time warranty on my jewelry. Then a little window shopping dreaming of all the beautiful bling. Even tried some on. Fun to just look and dream. Driving home just in time to enjoy the beauty of the evening sky. As I sit here once again tonight trying to be thankful for the quiet, hating the loneliness. As I listen to the down pour of rain thunder down upon the house; I realize even in this quiet difficult time of loneliness there is a promise of simple love only God can give. Thanking God for even the difficult times. Giving Him all the glory knowing He will work all things out for His good and glory in Him. Another day closes with hope of His promises in my heart. Thank you Lord. Blessings

February 10 With temperatures rising I feel hopeful that I will once again feel warmth outside of my blankets. It was a slow start to my day with many blessings awaiting me. But...first that morning coffee. I was so excited to share and pray with my beautiful friend Crystal N Koch this morning. I so loved hearing her voice and her love radiates through the phone lines. Lord thank you for this friendship that you brought together so many years ago and even through the hundreds of miles. You are a treasured gift Crystal. I love you. Then out the door to get my hair cut. Finally! Looks great! Then after a bite to eat I meet up with Rebecca Sherrett for some fun. Did a little live feed for tonight's pop up event that I'm hosting on line. What a great time. Thank you for allowing me to model your clothing line. Home for homemade tacos. My flower garden of life today was blooming every where I went. Now the evening is closing as this day quietly slips away as I sit and reflect upon all the gifts I've been blessed with. Missing others in my flower garden, as I pray for them and ask God to watch over each one. And if it's His will they call and say hello. I'm so thankful for each and all the flowers that bloom and come and go in my garden of life. The love, the pain, the loss, the joy, the laughter, and so much more; each piece that each one has brought into my life. Which has made me rich beyond measure. The joy to be apart of God's plan for those around me and myself. Thank you Lord for such rich treasures and gifts in my life. Blessings

February 11 Could've slept in.....but no. Up for early morning coffee and weather report. Crawled under electric blanket and enjoyed a peaceful morning and the sun breaking through the morning clouds. What a wonderful way to start my day. Wonderful conversations with several friends and family today. Enjoyed my visits with them through out the day. Though most live hundreds of miles away; the phone lines were the next best thing. Sadly none were in person, but so grateful for each call. Across the miles to catch up on lifes adventurers and happens. Very up lifting and encouraging with prayers laced in love in every spoken word. We even worked on solving the world problems. Crystal N Koch with so much encouragement wrapped up in love and prayers. Sally Mazza with insight of long friendship and laughter. Always has an ear to listen with humor. Thank you. Jim Gentry we solved all the world problems and fixed what needs fixing. Always makes me laugh and knows how truly important longtime friendship is..the family we pick. Mary McCormick Loomis with her bright and shiny smiles even through the phone lines with laughter to carry you all day long. Mom.....the perfect love. What does one say. So grateful I have her still. I love you mom. Rose always so fun to talk with. She is my living history book so full of life and great information from just living a long full life. And love all her doggy information. I call her my walking encyclopedia. Then I also received an unexpected message; God's unexpected grace. Each bringing a ray of sunshine and love that they could only give. So my day was filled with friendships and family filling my heart with lots of love. And to think I didn't even have to leave the comfort of my home for these amazing wonderful blessings. A short walk in the sunshine that broke forth and is bringing warmer temperatures. Enjoyed the giggling of the children playing outdoors. The simple pleasures found in a lazy Saturday. Resting in God's love for me. Blessings

Three Word Wednesday

Asymmetrical, adjective: lopsided, unsymmetrical, uneven, unbalanced, crooked, awry, askew, skew, misaligned; disproportionate, unequal, irregular.

Bare, adjective: naked, unclothed, undressed, uncovered, stripped, having nothing on, nude, in the nude, stark naked, without a stitch on, buck-naked, butt-naked, mother-naked, in one's birthday suit, in the raw, in the altogether, in the buff, empty, unfurnished, cleared; stark, austere, spartan, unadorned, unembellished, unornamented, plain, empty of, devoid of, bereft of; without, lacking, wanting, free from, barren, bleak, exposed, desolate, stark, arid, desert, lunar; treeless, deforested, bald, plain, essential, fundamental, basic, straightforward, simple, pure, stark, bald, cold, hard, brutal, harsh; verb: uncover, strip, lay bare, undress, unclothe, denude, expose.

Crave, verb: long for, yearn for, desire, want, wish for, hunger for, thirst for, sigh for, pine for, hanker after, covet, lust after, ache for, set one's heart on, dream of, be bent on, have a yen for, have a jones for, itch for, be dying for.

Her asymmetrical  body

Was bare

Her soul to see

A rare beauty 

Hidden in pain

She craved

To be loved

Longed to be

Adorned 

In her lovers arms

Lost in her pain

Bare for all to see

As her asymmetrical body

Laid across her bed

Hidden in pain

Baring her soul

Craving love

Only the

Lover of her

Soul could give

~ Beth~

http://www.threewordwednesday.com/

Crack Pot

An elderly Chinese man had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the man bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the man one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old man smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?" "That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them." "For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

So, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Author Unknown

February Blessings That Im So Thankful For Week One

Counting It All Joy

February 1 Early rise for the day of beauty and smiles. Five ladies out of nine. Not a full day, but a day full of smiles and blessings. Home early to laundry, which is now done for the week. Then I snuggled under blankets for warmth. Winds are blowing, maybe they are blowing to bring about some changes. I know I am working on some big ones. Mary McCormick Loomis came by to take me to Costco. Picked up a few items, thank you Mary. Just a normal day looking for some excitement. So I'm very excited to see what this month will bring. New pages to write on with new adventurers and memories to be made. Thanking God for His grace and mercy today and His eyes always being upon me watching over me like the sparrow. So grateful! Blessings

February 2 Beautiful early morning sunrise. Sometimes getting up early to watch the sunrise is the most beautiful gift. The breaking of a new dawn into a new full day. Never to pass our way again. Each day has so much to offer as we greet each one. Thankful I was able to go to my morning appointment to create beautiful smiles of beauty for Delia and Dorloras. While there I watched a flock of wild turkey's feeding in her backyard on the patio. A first for me! I was so excited I had to stop rolling Delia's hair and watch them and take a few photos. Reminding me that God feeds all the birds of the air and cares for them how much more He cares for me and all my needs. The drive home today along some old country back roads. So peaceful! Reminding me of a friend I miss so much. With tears rolling down the cheeks with a smile on my face thankful for the time I had with my friend. Loving the peaceful beauty and the memories that still bring smiles. Missed but never forgotten. Friendships bring such amazing gifts even though they may not be near or with us. They are felt with a memory a song, or scent, a picture so many ways. So happy to have had the memories to keep me company on my way home today. Funny how are friends can touch us even when their not physically present. Thank you all my dear precious friends who leave your fingers prints upon my heart giving me many memories to carry with me forever and always. ♡♡♡ Then that darn ground hog saw its shadow giving us another six weeks of Winter. Truly is funny when you think about it. God is the one that sets the sun upon the day and the season. Yet we laugh at this silly old wise tail of the ground hog. So the God that sets the sun to bring the light that breaks upon the day will ultimately decide the length of the Winter season, not some silly ground hog and his shadow. Each day I wonder were is my gift? What am I going to be thankful for today? Then as I sit and reflect I see how many gifts and things I truly have to be thankful for. Humor, friendships, memories, country roads, work of my hands, God's love, and so much more. As God sets the evening sky upon this day I pray He wakes me for the morning light. So grateful for this day I was gifted with. Blessings

February 3 A good day to sleep in under the warmth of all my snugly blankets. This morning Waking to a blanket of ice, creating a ice skating rink once again. So....my day consisted of bundling up under layers of clothing and blankets. I chipped away at the ice hoping to get out. But....no! So grateful I had done shopping earlier in the week. So I'm happy I didn't have appointments that had to be cancelled or rescheduled. Enjoyed a wonderful conversation with my friend Rose, in Sacramento. So finding my gifts in my day was a bit challenging. Hot coffee and prayers, electricity, my TV, my phone, to mention a few. Blessings

February 4 Filled with many surprise gifts and blessings throughout my entire day. They came from the first sip of morning coffee; then as I was looking out the living room window I saw a hawk on the fence. Wishing I had my camera to capture him. But was so cool to see him sitting there. Then as fast as I caught a glimpse of him he was gone. Then a chilly but beautiful walk up to the mailbox and back where I captured crystal ice beauty throughout the neighborhood. The ice and ice melt create such magical beauty. Each storm seems to bring great reminders that they don't last forever. Even in a storm there is great strength and beauty that comes from each one. So as this storm passes by just like in life, comes more strength and beauty. That was hidden in the darkness waiting to break through the ice and melt into the gift of beauty. Relaxing under the warmth of my blankets comes a mid afternoon invite to go out with two of my amazing friends Mary McCormick Loomis and Geo Sutter. What a wonderful way to cap off the day. As I sit and type out the gifts and blessings of this day I hear the evening rain storm raging outside. God's tear drops. That's what I thought they were when I was much younger. His tears of love for His children. He loves us all so much. Knowing He has placed each gift for me to enjoy! Thank you Lord! Blessings