Favorite Blog Post

 Seth, over at The Altered Page, is hosting his annual "Buried Treasure" collaboration 

 

I submitted One of my favorite blog posts as a celebration of my upcoming 36th wedding anniversary!

Originally Posted on Saturday, February 23, 2008

Leaving a gift of fragrance

Almost every morning of our 34 years of marriage, I have awakened to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Alongside the pot awaits a tiny china cup and saucer. Not a travel mug, never a hefty mug, nor, heaven- forbid, a plastic cup. Instead, patiently waiting for me to awaken, is a beautifully hand-painted, heirloom cup*. It’s just a cup, a simple gesture, a daily, unconditional token.

Most of the time, it's the simple joys that make my heart full.

“How delightful is your love! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!” Solomon 4:9-11

*Pictured above: Nannie's (My husband's great grandmama) china- in all it's glory-with it's chips and stains. We do not save it for special days, we use it to make every day special. We do not store it up in safe-keeping, for, we only have today.

Original painting © by Janie Mills -"Leaving a gift of Fragrance" acrylic on canvas      

Old is New, yet again

I just returned from visiting my parents in West  Texas. I had not traveled the "back roads" in many years.

I was struck by the change in the landscape through the years of my absence.  While I am well aware that Texas windmills have become few and far between, and that this old method of utilizing wind for power was left behind to rust - leaving snaggle-tooth skeletons, I didn't expect this .

I expected a few wind turbines, but there were miles and miles of fields - filled with rows and rows- as far as the eye could see.  I guess, sometimes returning to the old ways work after all!

Here's another old method - Texas Oil Wells - I just had to post these since people always ask me if we, Texans, have oil wells in our back yards.  Well, yes, some actually do!

Do you have photos of other old methods - made new?  Send them here to post.