Friday, May 29, 2009

Fingerprint Friday - Elusive Lizards



For God's Fingerprints this week, I was finally able to get some photos of the little lizards that zip around our sidewalk and front porch, and sometimes hang on the side of the house like the one above. I've tried many times to capture them with my camera, but they always dive for the bushes when they hear me coming. This past week, they held still long enough for me to get some photos of them. I guess they wanted to be celebrities here on my blog. :)





~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:

I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

Where do you see God's fingerprints? In nature? kids? animals? They are all around us!

Thank you to Pampering Beki for hosting this each week! Everyone is welcome to join. To see how to join, as well as find links to other Fingerprint Friday posts, visit Pampering Beki's blog.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Garden Jubilee ... and Joy



Yesterday we went to the Garden Jubilee, a big festival in downtown Hendersonville. My friend Joy Easterling was there with her hemp jewelry, sharing a booth with her aunts and uncle who sell plants and handmade metal sculptures. It was great to see her again and for my husband to meet her and see a lot of her beautiful work in person.

She'll be back home the week of June 1. Her shops are Joys Hemp Jewelry on etsy and artfire. You can read another blog post I wrote about her here.

Mike and me and Joy...

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Featured Etsy Artist - Evelyn Howard Designs


Evelyn Howard is an artist I met through the etsy forums. You can see her beautiful artwork by visiting her blog. Visit her etsy shop by clicking on any photo below.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Fingerprint Friday - Longing to know Him more



My favorite quiet place for prayer and reflection is in the woods surrounding our house.

My fingerprint for this week is a song I've been hearing on our Christian radio station that touches my heart very deeply. It's called "I Want To Know You."


At certain times in my life when I have been in great need of the Lord's guidance, I have been blessed to hear His voice...and sometimes He leads me with quiet nudges in my spirit. I know He is listening because of answered prayers, and He often shows me His face through other people ... through their wise words, unselfish love and gentle hugs. Even so, I always long to know Him more and more, and cherish my quiet times alone with Him.

"I Want To Know You" - Sonicflood

In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness You are there
In the secret, In the quiet hour I wait, only for You
'Cause I want to know You more

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more

I am reaching for the highest goal
That I might receive the prize
Pressing onward, Pushing every hindrance aside, out of my way
'Cause I want to know You more

I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:

I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

Where do you see God's fingerprints? In nature? kids? animals? They are all around us!

Thank you to Pampering Beki for hosting this each week! Everyone is welcome to join. To see how to join, as well as find links to other Fingerprint Friday posts, visit Pampering Beki's blog.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Ya gotta see all these cute critters and vote for your favorite!

Furbabies

"Dogs have souls, but you already knew that"


from Nation & World

RESEARCHER Marc Bekoff says there's a long list of observable emotional and ethical behavior of dogs. It will seem familiar to most people who have dogs:

• Dogs have a sense of fair play. They dislike cheaters. They experience joy in play. They delight in friends. Big dogs handicap themselves in games with little dogs.

• Dogs get jealous when a rival gets more or better treats or treatment. They are resentful, unnerved or saddened by unfair behavior. They are made anxious by suspense. They get afraid.

• They are embarrassed when they mess up or do something clumsy. They feel remorse or regret when they do something wrong. They seek justice. They remember the bad things done to them, but sometimes choose to forgive.

• Dogs have affection and compassion for their animal and human friends and family. They defend loved ones. They grieve their losses. They have hope.

*********************************************************************

DENVER — For centuries, humans have imagined they are the only animals with morals. But humans are not alone in the moral arena, a new breed of behavior experts says.

Natural historian Jake Page said some scientists are acknowledging what pet owners have told their canines all along: "Good dog."

Dogs are full of natural goodness and have rich emotional lives, said animal behaviorist Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

A dog's code of ethics is on display daily in parks, backyards and family rooms.

"We're not trying to elevate animals," Bekoff said. "We're not trying to reduce humans. We're not saying we're better or worse or the same. We're saying we're not alone in having a nuanced moral system."

Page, author of "Do Dogs Smile?," said biology no longer dismisses dogs and other animals as "furry automatons" driven by instinct and food.

"People like Bekoff have figured out how to measure these things," Page said. "It's a whole new ballgame for studying dog personalities and emotions."

Bekoff, co-author of "Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals," spent thousands of hours observing coyotes, wolves and dogs. He analyzed videotapes frame by frame. The work convinced him these animals possess empathy and compassion, the emotions upon which moral sense is built.

While much the same can be said of monkeys, wolves, elephants, dolphins, whales and other social animals, dogs are special cases; they share in human lives, he said.

"Dogs know they are dependent. They learn to read us," Bekoff said. "Dogs develop this great sense of trust. We're tightly linked, and there is something spiritual about that unity."

This intimacy and mutual influence prompted Harvard University to open a Canine Cognition Lab, where researchers attempt to gain insight into the psychology of humans and dogs.

"I'm convinced many animals can distinguish right from wrong," Bekoff said.

He said looking for the roots of morality in animals is a difficult scientific undertaking. It begins with looking for emotions central to morality, such as empathy: understanding of another's situation, feelings and motives.

In humans, emotions are centered in specific brain structures and are affected by chemicals called neurotransmitters. Mammals possess the same brain structures, affected by the same chemicals as humans.

"Dogs apparently laugh," Page said. The same brain structures show the same activity in laughing humans and in dogs that are enjoying themselves. A dog's laugh is a rhythmic pant.

Play is necessary for healthy brain development in animals and is seen in many mammalian, and some avian, species, Bekoff said.

Play hones cognitive skills and later helps in hunting and mating. And play would not be possible without cooperation and trust.

"Virtue is its own reward," Bekoff said. "Fairer is fitter."

To prevent any misunderstanding, a dog will signal to another dog that the imminent jostling, nipping and chasing are "just play" rather than aggression, he said.

The game is initiated with the "play bow." A dog, wolf or coyote will crouch on its forelimbs while keeping its rear upright.

Any hard-biting cheats find themselves excluded from games.

"Dogs are thinking animals," Bekoff said. "They seek the outcomes they want. They avoid the ones they don't. They solve problems. They have expectations. They have hopes."

Critics skeptical about some research trends in animal thinking, emotion and morality downplay the evidence as often anecdotal and anthropomorphic, that is attributing human motivation or characteristics to animals.

Bekoff countered that thousands of anecdotes equal data. And anthropomorphism, he said, is a misleading label for what is a shared evolutionary history.

Humans and dogs share most of their genes and a great deal of physiology and behavior. Bekoff sees that shared heritage extending into the spiritual realm.

"If we have souls, our animals have souls. If we have free choice, they have it," Bekoff said. "If we can't know this for sure, let's give them the benefit of a doubt."

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Happy Birthday, Lizzie!

We attended another big family gathering of my daughter-in-law's family yesterday for Lizzie's second birthday. Lizzie is my grandkids' cousin. She is really smart and can already talk in complete sentences! We had a great time.

Here she is a second after blowing out her candles, sampling the icing. :)



She's a very busy girl and it's hard to get her to hold still long enough for a photo. Here she is almost still.




My granddaughter Meg and cousins, enjoying cake and ice cream...



and my granddaughter Paige doing the same. Yum!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Fingerprint Friday - Easter is not just one day

Easter is still going on! In the Catholic Church we celebrate Easter as a season for eight weeks, Easter Sunday through Pentecost, which is on May 31st this year.

And Jesus's gift to us goes on forever, not just for one day...
I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.


Our church always has the most beautiful flowers on the altar for Easter and several weeks afterwards. The beauty of the flowers warms my heart....because of Easter AND because my husband and I got married in this church with similar beautiful flowers on April 28, 2001.

I especially love this beautiful angel fountain.





God is good, all the time!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:

I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

Where do you see God's fingerprints? In nature? kids? animals? They are all around us!

Thank you to Pampering Beki for hosting this each week! Everyone is welcome to join. To see how to join, as well as find links to other Fingerprint Friday posts, visit Pampering Beki's blog.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

More spring flowers

These gorgeous rhododendrums on the grounds where I work are at their peak this week.



Monday, May 11, 2009

Treasury on Etsy

Check out my Treasury West! All items are from shops of BBEST (Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team).

Friday, May 08, 2009

Fingerprint Friday - Springtime Surprise



My friend Katherine and I take a break every afternoon at work and go for a walk. We rounded a corner the other day and found a delightful pink carpet where the blossoms had fallen off the trees. God is good ~ all the time!



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:

I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

Where do you see God's fingerprints? In nature? kids? animals? They are all around us!

Thank you to Pampering Beki for hosting this each week! Everyone is welcome to join. To see how to join, as well as find links to other Fingerprint Friday posts, visit Pampering Beki's blog.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Yummy hair clips and matching jewelry

Joy, the hemp artist, has come up with the cutest new hair clips!

She has several designs. Here's my favorite, citrus hemp hair clips.



You can deck yourself out with a matching
citrus hemp bracelet...



...and your choice of a matching necklace with pendants made by yours truly. Here's a lime and citrus necklace...



...or you can hop on over to artfire for a
lemon and citrus necklace.

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Cat in a Box

If you love cats, you'll get a kick out of this video!

CAT IN A BOX - FUNNY!

Friday, May 01, 2009

Fingerprint Friday - Thankful for family



We visited my son Kipp and daughter-in-law Rebecca in Raleigh last weekend and had a wonderful time. It was fun to meet our "Grandcat" Seamus.







We went to a huge arts and crafts festival in Cary on Saturday. There were almost 200 vendors. I enjoyed seeing all the different jewelry booths.



My husband Mike and me.




Rebecca made a delicious dinner - salad and Thai Sesame Noodles - on Saturday night.





Seamus had a problem with his colon last year and had to have surgery. Kipp said his colon was turned into a semi-colon. :) He has to be on a special diet and waits by the dispenser which only spits out the food at certain times. Sometimes he meows at it and tries to get more food out of it, sticking his paw up in it. Kind of funny, kind of pitiful. Mike and I felt sorry for him and if no one was around would open the lid and give him a handful. Shh. Don't tell. (That's what grandparents are for, right?)



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:

I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

Where do you see God's fingerprints? In nature? kids? animals? They are all around us!

Thank you to Pampering Beki for hosting this each week! Everyone is welcome to join. To see how to join, as well as find links to other Fingerprint Friday posts, visit Pampering Beki's blog.