Hodgepodging the Dog Days of Summer

 Neighbor's barn on Highway O

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Thank you again, Joyce.

 Looking NE from the front porch

Soybean field

August 12, morning

1. Do your actions match your words? Elaborate.

Well I can't tell you how often I think of that very question throughout my day. As God's image bearers to the world, His spirit within us, followers of Jesus are to be His instruments of healing and justice, protecting the innocent and caring for the poor, bringing hope to a world in despair. But how does that work out practically? For one, I think it means that we don't try to oppose hate with more hate or oppose violence with more violence, but to oppose it with the only thing that ever makes a real and lasting difference - God's love. Displaying, reflecting the love of God into the world. How different would my life be if I were to be obedient, day by day, to the commission to reflect God's image to the world. 

'Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.' - Philippians 2:5-8

 Mr. C. could not understand why I'd want

to have a photo of the full moon sitting on top of the transformer. 

2. Sick as a dog, go to the dogs, dog days of summer, dog tired, it's a dog's life, every dog has it's day, can't teach an old dog new tricks...now doggone it which saying could most recently be applied to your life?

I guess my answer to that would be dog days of summer. I hate to think about it, but there are surely signs of fall in the air as August moves on. Even the air smells different. The staghorn sumac, the cattails, the apples on the trees along 5th Avenue, all point to summer winding down. I'm hanging onto it as long as possible, though, and we've still got a lot to pack into August and September.

Front porch in the evening.

Yeah, it kinda looks like an airport runway when all the lights are on.

3. Your favorite book featuring a dog in the storyline? What makes it a favorite?

Photo from Amazon.  After reading no fewer than 25 dog books before picking up my three-month old German Shepherd (R.I.P.) puppy in the spring of 2001, nevertheless, when it came to teaching that dog to come when I called him, it was an exercise in futility. He came when he felt like it. And when there was a choice between coming to me or chasing any moving animal, you know how I fared in that scenario. NOTHING worked. I followed all the training instructions in every book I found, still I was lucky if he came when called. Then I read this book, 'Smarter Than You Think' by Paul Loeb. It was like a miracle. It totally worked and worked fast. I'll let you read for yourself, but let me say that it was not a matter of force, but learning this neat little trick. And it gave me a dog who always came when I called him. I can't say enough about this book. And Paul Loeb's dog is in the storyline.

Morning. Looking south from the front porch, August.

4. What's something you hope to one day have the confidence to do?

I can't think of anything. I should probably say, 'Drive in the Big City,' but I have absolutely no desire to even have the confidence to do that.

Monday, looking SE from the front porch.

5. August 16th is National Tell a Joke Day. So tell us a joke.

Okay, my all-time favorite joke, and let me preface it by saying that this is deer hunting country up here, so...

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says, "Calm down. I can help. But first, you're sure he's dead." There is a silence; then a gun shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says, "Yup, now what?"

My other favorite joke is: (These are my two favorites, so you're getting them both.)

The newly-married couple is sitting at the kitchen table, the wife, with no cooking experience behind her, waiting to see how her husband will react to the meal she had made. Unfortunately, the food was so bad that the guy simply couldn't choke it down, so he gave it to the dog. Later, the wife saw the dog licking its butt. 'What is she doing??' the wife asked.

'She's trying to get the taste out of her mouth,' the husband said, under his breath.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 Three year old grand.

Do you see future CEO here??

***

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Have a great Wednesday, everyone! 

See? We still fit in here!

(these photos did not translate well from my phone)

It's A GRAND Hodgepodge, BABY!!

Shorewood Resort in Chetek
The owner carved that amazing 'Angel of the North' (western Wisconsin)
Warm, wonderful summer goings on in the front yard

 View from the front porch
on August 6


Join Nana Joyce
and the Gang
for

She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and join in!

And before we get started, a huge Congratulations to Joyce and her husband on becoming grandparents and to their daughter and her husband on becoming parents to a darling little boy. Check out Joyce's post. I am sure there are photos of the wee one, and he's really a cutie!

1. Do you try to set rules for yourself about how you use your time? Explain.

Yes, I have to set rules or I end up sitting too long at the computer. The toll that sitting takes on one's back and hips is why I went to blogging only one day a week. I'll admit that I used to be better about making and following rules.

Pontooning on Prairie Lake

Mr. C. guzzling sparkling water

Lucy conked out

My firstborn and I. Look at those noses - they're hand picked!

Joe with his best catch of the day.

EE learning the fine points of the carved walking stick eagle.

2. Monday was National Lighthouse Day. Have you ever visited a lighthouse? If not, do you have any desire to see one up close? Of the 10 Most Beautiful that made this list which would you most like to see in person-

I've seen a few lighthouses in my time, and they were on Lake Superior. They're beautiful. I like them on the lake, on my dishes, and on postage stamps.

Lindau Lighthouse (Germany), Fanad Lighthouse (Ireland), Portland Head Light (Maine), Yaquina Bay Light (Oregon) The St. Augustine Light (Florida), Peggys Point Lighthouse (Canada), Start Point Lighthouse (England), Tower of Hercules (Spain), Bass Harbor Head Station (Maine), and White Shoal Light (Michigan)

When you've been away, what's your 'lighthouse' telling you you're on the right road home?

New Scandinavia Lutheran Church. It's less than two miles from our home, but it always is a comforting sight when I've been on a long road trip, like the fifteen miles to buy groceries in Rice Lake.

 (nearly) Full Moon Walk, Campfire

Piano Serenade, Game table

French Toast Breakfast

3. What have you unintentionally stopped doing? Is this something you need to pick back up and begin again, or is it something you need to let go of for now (or even permanently)?

I stopped gardening, but that was intentional, although I hope to be back into gardening in a small way next spring. I can't think of anything that I've stopped unintentionally. Oh wait. I know. I unintentionally stop watching many movies if I lie down on the couch in the evening. I watched one of the newest Vera episodes in three installments.

 Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

4. We've had a full week of August. Share a GRAND moment from your month so far.

The photos in this post sum it up. It was a grand birthday/family reunion weekend with lots of GRANDS. I always love it and it always takes me a couple days to recover.

 Games in the front yard

5. Tell us one song you love with the word 'baby' in the title.

Unfortunately, the first thing that popped into my head was 'Baby Love' by Diana Ross and the Supremes. And now that will most likely be stuck in my head until another earworm takes its place. 'I've Got You, Babe' by Sonny & Cher just made its way onto my radar screen.

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

Mr. C. and I went to the movies to see Dunkirk. It was a great disappointment to both of us. After watching it, I wondered who had been their target audience when they decided to make the film. They put lots of loud, redundant air fight action in for the teens, the theme of Dunkirk in for us oldies, and I'm wondering what kind of paycheck Kenneth Branagh got for his very few lines, for looking serious, concerned, and wistful. Mark Rylance had a few more lines, but to be honest, 'The White Feather' episode of Foyle's War or even 'Mrs. Miniver' was better! Or better yet, a documentary. And at the end, where the kid read Churchill's speech from the newspaper, I expected his voice to fade out and be replaced with Churchill's. After all, we know that voice - at least some of us, and I was ready to hear it. I would give Dunkirk TWO STARS (out of 5). One star because of Mark Rylance, and one star because the popcorn was pretty good.

 ***

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PLUS :

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Tommy & Smokey,

keeping a close eye on Jazzie from the safety of the screen room