Category: Special Event

Posted on in Faith, Prayer, Special Event, Trust, Yield

A Fire, Too busy and Gratitude

Everyday after lunch, we close the front door and take a rest. This one day I looked out the window of the front door only to see flames and smoke. A neighbor’s house was burning. I took my coat and ran to the area.

24-12-13 Devastation© Molly Lin Dutina
Ever stood in a meadow
And looked into a dark woods
With the trunks so close the light barely gets through?

Our front door window looks out onto our neighborhood,
Houses similar, vinyl siding colors differ
We are glad our main windows look into 
an older more interesting neighborhood 
Like most American houses
Our roofing is framed on wooden trusses.

There was a fire yesterday
As I closed the front door and looked out the front door window
I saw flames and smoke
Big nasty flames of red and orange, devouring that roof
as thick smoke billowed into the sky
A still point of unbelief

Thank God no people were at home 
Now the view out our front door is the
Dark black framing charred wood -  
What remains of our neighbor’s roof

As I stood in a neighbor’s 
driveway and watched the burning house
Waiting for one neighbor to return home
Firemen and firewomen calmly doing their work, 
occasionally asking me if I had a key to this house or knew how to get in
Horror finally erupted for me as some of the roof timbers fell
Siding on houses both south and north melting

It had been an unreal scene until then
The dog inside did not survive the smoke inhalation
The fire workers were able to save some of the woman’s possessions, 
especially the things her husband had made for her before he died. 
Cause of the fire is still to be determined. 

We are more grateful than usual having witnessed this destruction
Now the view out our front window is blackened trusses
Like original close grown trees
Occasional sun shows through
No longer a shelter



I have been too busy for my own good. The crochet group party and decorations are finished.

Actually there were 3 battery candles in all four arrangements

Then we volunteered to collect the gifts our church donated to Interparish Ministry for families to choose from for Christmas. I emptied the Rav4 of every single thing to make room for the gifts. We took my car and Bob’s Volkswagen Taos to church. We packed both of them to the rafters. Unbelievable the generosity of the church members. Amazed at how much the cars could hold. And there were more gifts to be cataloged and delivered the next day! That was work that filled us with joy. The next day all were delivered to the distribution site safely in the pouring rain. No matter, knowing the joy they will bring.

There has not been time so far this season to make gingerbread with the grandgirls. We decided to do it on a date after our family celebration this weekend. Ouch! That hurts but is understandable with both young ladies working now. Traditions can bring disappointment as well as joy. Oh yeah, change is inevitable! I almost forgot.

So as the final gifts roll in and we wrap a few in paper, (most will be given in cloth bags I sewed throughout the year), I will be baking cookies to go with our favorite ice cream for dessert after gift sharing. Need to purchase the items for the sandwich making. That became a tradition when the Grandkids were all little and not interested in food when gifts are so much more exciting!

Neighbors on both side will have to have siding replaced. One also has 2 broken windows from the heat of the flames. Uncertain what the neighbor who suffered such destruction will do next. The rumor is she was going to move in with her grandson in 2025. That is occurring now. There has not been a fire in this neighborhood before, so the Homeowners Board will have to determine if there are rules about re-building? They are deciding how to make a monetary collection for her to show our sympathy.

Please remember her in your prayers this season. I am certain the Lord will take care of her in her loss. Yes, she lost all of the gifts she had already purchased. But thank God she has her life and her health. No injuries for the fire personnel either.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Just do it, Praise, Prayer, Special Event, Trust, Worship, Yield

Did You Celebrate Pentecost?

Last Sunday was the traditional time in the liturgical calendar to celebrate Pentecost. Forty-nine or fifty days after Easter this celebration commemorates “the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1–31). From Wikipedia the worldly font of wisdom!

In Christian tradition, this event represents fulfillment of the promise that Christ will baptize his followers with the Holy Spirit. Out of the four New Testament gospels, the distinction between baptism by water and the baptism by Christ with “Holy Spirit and fire” is only found in Matthew and Luke. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecost

At Saint Timothy’s we celebrated and asked the Holy Spirit to fill us once more. I believe the promises of Jesus are real and for everyone. So in case you missed it, I pray that you will look to the Father of all good things and ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide, direct and order your life for the glory of God.

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:15-21 NIV

This promise by Jesus comes from Father God and is for all who accept Jesus and love Him. Lord may the fullness of Your promise fill all who come to You. We look for You to manifest Yourself in our midst. And as You bring this to pass we will be careful to give You all of the glory. Amen.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Memories, Nature, Special Event, Traveling

Vacation List of Beauties

When our son was very young he coined a statement, “Beauty! It’s a beauty!” I decided it was too difficult to take photos of every lovely spring wildflower we saw. In case you have not taken a walk recently perhaps this might bring you cheer! You can put the name of the flower in your browser if you want to see a photo click on images there. What follows is my partial list from the Smoky Mountain Flower Hunt 2024.

Day 1

Fairy wand

Wild ginger

Showy orchis

Canada violet

Jack and the pulpit wilted

Solomon seal

False Solomon seal

Wild strawberry

Common blue violet

Crested dwarf iris

Foam flower

Flowering dogwood

Trout Lily

Yellow Violet

Blood root, no flower

Bluettes!! These might be my favorite. 1/3 inch each flower. Tiny, tiny.

Dog hobble

Day 2

Yellow Trillium

Purple phlox

Jack in the Pulpit, finally!!

Thanks to Merlin which identified the songs of:

Swanson’s warbler

Hooded warbler

Worm eating warbler

Day 3

Pink Lady’s Slipper

Didn’t need Merlin to hear the wood thrush and pileated at once!

Doesn’t get much sweeter than that.

Thank you Father for allowing us to travel to the spring flowers one more year! All praise to You for Your glorious creation. You do not have to share it with us, yet You do! All praise and glory to the Most High God. Amen.

Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Faith, Just do it, Nature, Special Event, Traveling

Flower Hunting

One of our favorite adventures is wild flower hunting in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We use to try to go every other year. We have gotten away from that practice. We decided to return this spring and test ourselves to see if we are still able to hike the trails where we have found our favorite flowers, especially Lady’s Slippers.

Lady’s Slippers are wild orchids and are quite rare. We learned not to tell others where we find the flowers. They need a specialized environment to grow. Some folks try to pick them. They do not thrive. Some folks try to dig them up and take them home. You cannot duplicate their environment. They even require a certain kind of fungus to grow.

In order to survive and reproduce, pink lady’s slipper interacts with a fungus in the soil from the Rhizoctonia genus. Generally, orchid seeds do not have food supplies inside them like most other kinds of seeds. Pink lady’s slipper seeds require threads of the fungus to break open the seed and attach them to it. The fungus will pass on food and nutrients to the pink lady’s slipper seed. When the lady’s slipper plant is older and producing most of its own nutrients, the fungus will extract nutrients from the orchid roots. This mutually beneficial relationship between the orchid and the fungus is known as “symbiosis” and is typical of almost all orchid species.

Pink lady’s slipper takes many years to go from seed to mature plants.  Seed-bearing harvest of wild lady’s slipper root is not considered sustainable. Pink lady’s slippers can live to be twenty years old or more. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/cypripedium_acaule.shtml

We hiked our first test, The Townsend trail called Middle Prong of Little River. We did not find the Jack-in-the-pulpit. One of my favorites. With global warming it is difficult to know when we should travel there. The “Jacks” along this trail had already bloomed and wilted. The waterfalls, however, were running gloriously. The rushing water always reminds me of the ‘streams of living water’ promised in the New Testament.

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as[a] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39

Along the trail we did see Showy Orchis. It too is part of the orchid family. The ones below are fairly bleached out indicating they are older blooms.

If you notice the fly on the leaf you can estimate the size of the flowers!

Here we are, not pros at selfies, but delighted to have made it up our first trail!

Waterfall between us!

We checked into our motel and rested towards our BIG hike. It was amazing how things looked so different. A couple of years of absence, a few wind storms and bunches of fallen trees – we at times had difficulty recognizing the next trail.

Unheard of for me to hike 5.11 miles. My shoulder definitely felt it that evening.

My phone told me about my activity level. It was very high activity level for me. There was some difficulty from pain on the way back to the car. Phone did not record flights climbed, but the altitude did change throughout the morning.

One phenomenon I never tire of is the swallowtails and other butterflies sipping minerals from horse apples.

photo by Molly Lin
photo by r m dutina – notice all the wing movement he caught!
photo by r m dutina THIS is why we hiked so hard!
and these hidden on the hillside, but not from us! photo by r m dutina

Yep, old folks hiking and spotting and then, not exactly scampering, but getting up the hillside for a better shot! The horses are not allowed on this part of the trail, but old people are!

photo by r m dutina
photo by r m dutina – While up there he saw her, too!

We hope and pray this was not our last time on this trail, but if we cannot make it the next time we visit, at least for this one day we were totally satisfied! the hike back to the car is all down hill and takes a toll on your knees, not to mention your back. We made it! Only had to rest a few times and rest is okay. One friend gave me a sticker that says “It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop!“I just imagine if these are the lady’s slippers we know about, how many more are hidden on this part of the earth! The Lord certainly delights us with beauty.

But ask the animals, and they will instruct you;
ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you;
let the fish of the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 The life of every living thing is in his hand,
as well as the breath of all humanity. Job 12:7-10 CSB

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature, Special Event, Thanks

Eclipse Mania

We experienced some darkening of the sun during the 2017 total eclipse. This year the area around us went totally nuts!

Were you caught up in the total solar eclipse mania? We live just on the edge of totality. (Sounds like a title for another posting doesn’t it!)

Sonic offered blackout slushy drinks. Busken’s Bakery had eclipse cookies. Hotels and motels were fully booked months in advance with rates 3-4 times the usual price. All the Air B & B’s and similar places were sold out in the areas of totality. Four minutes of wonder and splendor in the sky and not only America went nuts, but people came to the path of totality from all over the world.

The Ohio Governor was constantly warning about using safety glasses to view the eclipse. It was stated in every news cast. The library carried free paper viewing glasses. The grocery store and the drug stores sold them. The warnings were so strong that it made me wonder how many new patients Cincinnati Eye Institute would be seeing on that day or the next?

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:1-4 NRSV

It would have been wonderful if God had used the occasion to speak to the earth, much like the coordinated music for fireworks displays! Oh Father, forgive us for not remembering that You created and planned all of this.

The radio story tellers were reminding us days in advance how many ancient people tracked each eclipse, kept records and could eventually predict an eclipse. They reminded us of how folks had fear beliefs such as “the King of our country will die this year because of the eclipse.” Such unusual events in the heavens caused fear and trembling. Sadly, in our day and age, the eclipse caused more amusement than wonder at the mighty creativity of God. We have been warned and warned not to look at the sun without eye protection or risk burning holes in the retinas of our eyes.

I have to wonder that not being in amazement of God’s creation risks burning holes in our heart and mind? He is a wonder working God! I mean, come on! You must admit that you would never be able to pull off a total solar eclipse!

More recently, Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of iconic evangelist Billy Graham, has seen speculation among some that the combined paths over the United States of this year’s eclipse and the previous two solar eclipses appear to mimic the shapes of the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet — in other words, the beginning and the end.

“Maybe people are reading too much into it,” she told USAToday recently. “But when you look at the world, you don’t need an eclipse to know that things are getting really dangerous. Maybe it’s telling us it’s time to get right with God and the people in our lives, so that we have no regrets.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2024/04/02/solar-eclipse-2024-warning-bible-eclipse-prophesy-islam-judaism-end-times/73148046007/

I give thanks to God for this event, Creator of the heavens and the earth, King of my heart, Lord of the Universe. All glory to You, Lord Christ. Amen.

Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Beagle, Faith, Humor, Memories, Special Event

Bluebells And Other Joys

The bluebells seemed to have died. Then this spring they jumped up in splendid life! The first flower formed and I was delighted. A couple days later the flower had been eaten. Another flower formed and I hoped the first tasted nasty and no one would return to eat this one. Well, either it tasted good or another garden visitor took a taste because that flower is gone now, too!

Remember my disappointment that the bulbs I planted came up as crocuses? Well, I was SO WRONG! Seems I planted the chionodoxa bulbs on top of crocus bulbs, (so hard to remember where everything is underground in November). After the crocus, the Chionodoxa bloomed and they are lovely!

In autumn the trees delight me with multicolored leaves. This spring seems especially nice as the treetops are “laced” with blooms of various colors.

The sad news is the beagle, Lucky, seems to get more lame. The vet wants to do x-rays and blood work which last week cost $90. She says the last medication made her liver values worse. We are uncertain exactly how old she is, 7 or more years? We do not want her to be in pain, but we also do not treat our animals as if they were human in terms of medical care.

We took her to the woods with us for a romp. After a little bit, I was afraid we might need to carry her back to the car. She could not jump over small fallen branches and trees as in the past. She was obviously suffering. Oh my heart misses her already. She is my companion and has her quirks as she is a rescue, but what to do for her? Yellow lace, red lace, so much joy!

Walking in the woods I found little yellow bud covers / cases and wondered what they were from? Then a few more steps and I found this broken branch.

There was not a naturalist in the State Park office, but the women working there took a photo and sent it to one. Later that day I got an email stating this is a male Eastern Cottonwood! I was amazed. I used to wait for a ride to high school under a cottonwood tree and never once saw this! We have walked under cottonwoods in New Mexico, too.

Perhaps you wish for more information? Put this in your search bar: https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/broad-leaf-trees/eastern-cottonwood-populus-deltoides

For everything there is a season, and a time for every]purpose under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ASV
Posted on in Aging, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Listen, Memories, Prayer, Special Event, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Worship

Resurrection Celebrations

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Posted on in Faith, Music, Special Event, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

Andrew Peterson’s Masterpiece

Just in time for the pandemic, this release drew Christians around the world together in praise of our Mighty God online. There is a saying if you sing, you pray twice. What a praise declaration to our God!

Knowing how many thousands of groups around the world posted this song just makes me smile. Some fussed because Christ Tomlin recorded the song and received great acclaim. Andrew, who wrote the song, was not perturbed and knew that if Jesus is proclaimed the target was hit spot on!

I love when the guy in the beret reaches over and kisses his wife after the line “From all peoples and tribes.” And those dimples when Andrew smiles! Bet God smiles, too!

Posted on in Aging, Challenge, Faith, Family, Humor, Memories, Special Event

Eating Holiday?

It was a grand sunny day, though the wind remained cold. We had a morning with nothing planned for us! I had heard of a relatively new bakery called Clarity House, Bakery and Tea Room. Mention bakery to Bob and we are off on a field trip!

The bakery was cozy and welcoming. The soft ginger cookie enticed me! He ordered the blueberry scone. When we go out in the morning I often have to find a restroom as I declare, “Morning coffee, coming through!” This day was no exception. As I followed the instructions from the waitress I happened on a room with 5 women having a Bible study. I asked what they were studying. There was a pause and one answered “Jesus!” One Bible was opened the Isaiah and another to Timothy. I went along to use the facilities. When I emerged I noticed an area devoted to leaving prayer requests on tags. Bunches had been filled out. Very nice!

As we got back in the car we pondered what to do next. Montgomery is very close to Kenwood where our local Trader Joe’s is located. We had been there the week before and the dark chocolate bars I wanted for the physical therapists were on back order. The clerk assured me he would have them in 2 or 3 days. I told him I usually only visited once a month or less. Bob suggested we return there to see if the chocolate was in. In fact, it was in and I purchased it for our cupboard and the PT team.

Kenwood is just down the road from Silverton. We have tried multiple times to buy from Silverton Donuts. We arrived there to find a sign on the door that they would not be open for a couple days. Drats! We started to wonder if we would have to get up before sunrise to try their tasty treats!

Well since we were in the area we stopped at Esther Price candies. The older folks around here have been searching for “Hummingbird Eggs.” This candy is like tiny drops of cream candy. No one seems to make them anymore. Esther Price did not either. All the rest of their candy was stocked for the coming Easter celebration. We bought ourselves a solid dark chocolate rabbit. Then Bob spotted the individual candies. They reminded us so much of See’s Candy in California. They do not make vanilla walnut fudge (drats, my favorite), but the chocolates sounded divine! Bob decided on a mixed 8 ounce box. The cashier said we had the best person packing the box. When we asked why she told us, “She always puts in some extra pieces!” Sure enough she added 2 “turtles” chocolate over caramel and pecans. Oh goodness. We each ate half a turtle in the car.

Since the kids are grown and the oldest grandkids no longer seem interested in candy and certainly not Resurrection Sunday, we decided to just celebrate among ourselves, like before the kids came along. On the way home I pondered how much fun it would be to display our candy on the china layer plates that our daughter had replaced for us. When we moved I packed the display dish my mother loved and this move one of her plates broke. I chose to keep the Esther Price chocolates in the cupboard for just the two of us.

Another item missing from the Easter candy displays this year is pastel candy corn. I thought perhaps it might take the place of hummingbird eggs? Bob decided we should stop at Supreme Nut and Candy company to see if they carried it. Just a few more miles down the road right at the freeway exit. Why not? Nope. They did not have any this year. My usual evening snack that is crunchy and low carb means 2 caramel rice cakes. I have found they are extra tasty with a little bit of candy corn! So we bought regular candy corn to refill the jar!

You may remember the trip to the Amish country where we spotted the feeder pig barn.?

Fitting to keep this photo next to the candy!

At times I challenge Bob that we eat our way through a vacation. This time it was a tasty road trip. Most everything made it home without any bites missing.