Winter Wanders In and Out - Early December 2020

Winter

Whether hiking in the hills,

skiing the slopes,

exercising equines,

running a ranch,

Or just plain wondering with winter;

It's all good...Be still...

Cherish times spent outdoors.

this is the season one can step slowly into a soft silent scene.

(Montana was the cover retreat... you can run and hide but...)

God will give us grace to keep pace so during this December, take time to give THANKS and stay HOPEFUL

Watercolors by bailey

 

 

Autumn 2020

Autumn came forth with all seasons, we had a long drawn-out summer, beautiful autumn colors and instantly a nor'easter snowstorm hit bringing forth; a spring day and then full-on winter with 6-8 inches of snow and below zero temps, all before the first of November.  

 

Enjoy the mysteries of life.  God gives gifts even when we don't expect them.  Thanks and glory to Him.  God made us all. 

Grace in BLACK AND WHITE GREETING CARDS for sale on Easy

I am thankful to all of you who read my blog and support my God-given gifts.  With sincere appreciation have a beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving.

Dog Days of Summer.

Teton

August 2020

         Saint Roche, the patron saint of dogs is celebrated this month so I am posting my best dog portraits.  It really is a great time to be outdoors with your pets so take in the fresh outside air.  a reminder for all my dog friends; grasses are browning and getting brittle so watch for cheat grass sticklers under their throats.

Red

Charlie

Guthrie

Argyle, TB

Doc

Caleb

If you would like a pet portrait painted of your pet, please text me a picture at 4062202136 or email me at lbpier@gmail.com

JOYFUL JULY

JOYFUL JULY

CELEBRATE  Independence Day  with love and light.  

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  Romans 12:12

JUNE 2020

LILACS ON JUNE FIRST

Wild Iris and Lilacs in June

wildflowers too

     The 100 days of summer (in Montana), have begun.  Long, working summer days and starry nights make it seem like perpetual camping.  What a great life!  The cows and horses have shed or slicked off their coats and the green grass is so bright next to the beautiful big blue sky, (can't even notice the weeds yet).  Growing is what we do, hope you are too.

western horse greeting cards

MAY MOMENTS 2020 (Garden gift cards)

OUR COUNTRY REOPENS

"America was not built on fear, It was built on courage,

on imagination, and an unbeatable determination

to do the job at hand."  H. Truman

May Flower Gifts 2020

new daisies

5x7 Garden gift cards $4 

4x6 Garden gift cards $3

Memorial Day Table setting
Love and Gratitude

Home on the Range

Stay Home Page

 

This post is dedicated to our times amongst the virus, Covid 19.  Back in 1918, with the Spanish flu, we are called to respect and care for one another in our homes.  I am a homebody, so I feel I want to help others feel peaceful and productive at home.  Some phrases come to mind:  "Be still and know that I am God". "Love one another as I have loved you."

But first (because I am a retired teacher) here is a little reading to contemplate:
    {People were panic stricken terrified of catching the disease they were hidden indoors avoiding their friends and neighbors, schools, churches and theaters were closed.   Cloth masks were passed out but they did no good.  There was a shortage of caskets; bodies piled up ...in

 ...over 20 million people lost their lives to the outbreak 700,000 Americans died in fact more Americans died of the flu in those few months then were killed in the first world war the second world war the Korean war in the Vietnam war combined.

This starts out sounding like today...}

Here's a little historyfrom 1918:
     'The first known case of 1918 flu was reported in March at an army fort in Kansas.  By April it had spread to most cities in the US .  ...
That first outbreak took many lives but it was not really different from other flu epidemic‘s most of those who died were very young, very old, or already sick or weak from some other reason.  A month later however the flu came back it was the same flu in the sense that if you had it in the spring you couldn’t catch it in the fall but somehow over the summer it had changed into a killer.
 What was so terrifying about the second wave was that healthy adults in their 20s and 30s were the most common victims.  The flu started its second trip around the world in late September 1918 killing many fit young soldiers along with millions of otherwise healthy  civilians.
 And the second wave of the flu almost certainly influence the course of World War I in fact if the flu hadn’t made so many soldiers too sick to fight it’s possible that the German army might’ve been able to prolong its last attacks on the Allies.' 

 taken from MUSE Killer Flu by Julie Fenster 

A bit of science:
Flu viruses aren’t much to look at; smaller and simpler than bacteria, viruses are tiny enough to pass through the holes in cloth face masks which is why the masks did not do any good.  Once a virus gets into a cell it hijacks it forcing it to make more viruses.  The new viruses multiply and grow in the cell till it bursts releasing more viruses to invade more healthy cells .  This is what makes us sick.
   Scientist soon discovered that the flu virus has another characteristic which makes fighting it , like boxing a swarm of bees.  The flu virus changes easily and often.  It can change a little as in the case of the second wave of the 1918 epidemic when the flu took on new strength or it can change a lot becoming a completely new variety or strain.  The ability to change is what makes the flu so dangerous.  If the flu stayed the same every year, it would be possible to develop a vaccine that would protect people from it for life like a measles shot protects them for life.   But the flu can change at anytime causing global epidemics.

Now back to being hopeful:  It says in Luke, "Do not be afraid, just believe" 

Here's a creative list of activities to help you feel productive and hopeful.
First SMILE
then listen to your favorite music ...dance a little
try MICHAEL W. SMITH or JOEY AND Rory 

* 1. write a letter or send a card to someone special📫
*2.  a great time for spring cleaning or organizing
*3. set a pretty table,use all your good stuff with a theme or color scheme
*4. upscale a closet with organized boxes or baskets 
*5. listen to your favorite music, SMILE, dance
*6. FAMILY time:  pillow fights and box car races work well, set up a puzzle table
*7. organize the pantry or clean out a freezer
*8.  & 9. be CREATIVE and healthy🍲😋scratch cooking, painting, woodworking, crafting
 knit, sew, or crochet something for your neighbor
*10. & 11. ENERGY time:  take a walk, run, look at amazing sunrises, sunsets, or nature scenes 🏞🌤play games with your pet🐕, do some floor or couch exercises
*12. vacuume, dust, and shine your silver
* 13. set up a room in the basement for guests to visit another time (paint always makes it fresh)
*14.  REFLECT; make lists, write in a journal, or read a real book again📚📕
*15.  Now, for those of you who are shoppers, fuel and feed stores are still open as those are necessities for Animal people, the feed stores have lots of gifts for people and pets, so start your Christmas 🎄shopping early and stow it away in all your. new clean spaces.
*16. It says in Romans; ...overcome evil by doing good...  My family and I have seen so many people doing this it is totally encouraging and hopeful.  Thank God💜💚

Create a Great day:)