Moments of WOW!!

This year August has been a rather hurry, scurry time from beginning to the now ending. I suppose part of that, as my brother so eloquently put it, is because it takes twice as long to do everything as it used to take. even five years ago!

But it has been a productive month. I finished my canning, at least until mid-September when I make & can applesauce.

This was just the beginning but I completed the task, one which is very satisfying. My pantry is bursting at the seams! (It's a small pantry.😊) 

The weather has fluctuated a lot, between extreme heat & wind.

 

😓😓😓😓😓😓😓😓

Our hottest day, at 110 degrees, our air conditioner in the house stopped working. 

Yikes!! The circuit breaker was the culprit & it took about three days & processes of elimination to fix it. & right in the middle of canning season!! & as the saying goes, ripe vegetables & fruits wait for no man (or woman!), or words to that effect. We did get some relief with a borrowed window unit & it did help. Cat bodies were stretched out everywhere in front of fans, making a sort of cat maze to navigate through.

 Speaking of cats, Maisie is at her "Moyer the Destroyer" age now. So the vacuum cleaner is always at hand to clean up plant dirt, broken this & that, dried roses that she has crushed to death, dumped trash, shredded toilet paper, trenched out litter from the litter box & anything hanging is her own personal trapeze as she swings through the air with the greatest of ease.

My husband says lovingly, & he sincerely means it, "Maisie is the perfect kitty. She can do no wrong." But then, he doesn't clean up the debris from all of  her less than perfect antics! BUT...

she is a very adorable & affectionate girlie, & we are crazy about her! "Moyer the Detroyer" & all!

It has been a very dry month. The grass sounded like crumbling hard shell tacos as I walked on it! Everything green outside was turning brown & crispy & the tops of the trees the leaves even started dying. I didn't mow for five weeks. But then, here in the Black Hills, reprieve (through much praying!) came. Wonderful, wonderful rain! Lots of crackling thunder accompanied it, good, drenching, monsooning rain! The fragrance of rain is a delight to the olfactory sense, but when it mingles with a parched & dry land, it is heady, almost celestial. You feel as if you could drink it, so refreshing, so therapeutic. It has turned our land to effervescent green again, such a blessing. I can walk barefooted again on the grass, a simple comfort. A spell of cooler weather accompanied the rain so the windows came open, & invited it to come in & stay awhile. & it has! Though I'm not lulled into thinking that Summer is through with us yet, (& that's ok with me. I'm not quite ready to say goodbye.) it has been a nice little respite.

Even with the sweltering at times days, I still love August & the gifts it brings, like...

Happy Sunflowers...
 

breathless, perfectly still days & skies...

neck-prickling summer storms...

Soaking your feet in glacial cold creek water, on a sizzling hot day...

Picnicking outside because the evenings are cooler now...

It's watermelon season. YEA!!

Beautiful August roses...

Sitting outside under a shade tree, with a glass of frosty iced tea, 
listening to the Cicadas sing, just being...

Oh those mystical, magical, opalescent  August moons...

& so much, much more. Don't you just feel stuffed to the proverbial gills with all of the blessings of August? This is the definite month of "Wow", spoken with an exuberance of expression, or the quiet whisper of reverence & awe. You know.

& the reason is, I think,  because we know that we are on the weather cusp of change & because of that, we are looking more squarely through eyes of gratitude at monumental abundance in it's simplest & purest form. Our heart's deep breathing gratitude brings with it peace, rest & sweet, sweet contentment. When we "set up our tents" there, every stress, every mean or wicked thought, every "weapon formed against us" every fear & negative thought will boomerang back to its source &  truly we become invincible. Not only is it a nice place to visit, but we DO want to live there, & we can. Through these gratitudes of  worshipful WOW moments. & they ARE worshipful. Because Jesus created them all. He Himself is the biggest "WOW" of all!

So, as August is about to become a part of our past, take these last few precious hours, to take account & express your 'wow moments' to Jesus, who picked them out Himself for you. More 'wow' surprises are coming your way! Get ready.... 

Raintree Perk of the Day:

"...that I should preach...the glorious riches of Christ!"

Ephesians 3:8

WOW!!