At Long Last...

the Finches have discovered the feeder! 

YAY!!!

I used the Laundry Day Skies texture from Nancy Claeys. She designs some awesome free textures. Visit her website to find out how to get them in your inbox. 

It was perfect as this photo had no background. I didn't plan it that way but was just playing around with manual mode and voilà, there it was, a perfectly white background.

original photo

Now to just remember the settings when I actually want that to happen :)

Have you discovered something by accident that turned out to be a great thing?

I'm linked to Rurality Blog Hop @ 

The View From Right Here

Tuesday {Texture}

'Susan' texture by Nancy Claeys @ A Rural Journal
~further edits with PicMonkey

When I saw this forgotten barn on the hill, looking lonely and desolate, my mind pictured how it once might have been; surrounded by trees full and bursting forth with the fruit of the season. 

Alas, all things come to an end. The trees are bare and no longer producing. But they did. Once upon a time.

I'm linked to:

Morning Melodies

One of the best things about living in the country is mornings. Long before human busyness sounds penetrate over the hills, nature can be heard singing and pecking and crunching.

While I was photographing the Chipping Sparrows that found my Finch feeder (notice the Finches haven't found it yet) I heard a rather distinctive rustling sound. I turned my camera on Mr Squirrel and caught him foraging for pecans. Once he realized I was watching him, he scampered up into the Pecan Tree to munch on his breakfast.

Personally, I think the birds and crickets and frogs and all other noisy creatures are thanking their Creator for another day of provisions! 

After all...

This is My Father's World

~Maltbie D Babcock, 1901

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.

This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.

This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;

He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:

Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,

And earth and Heav’n be one.

This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.

I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.”

This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,

The Beloved One, His Only Son,

Came—a pledge of deathless love.

This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?

The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.

This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,

For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.

No place but is holy ground.

This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.

In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.

This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam

Whate’er my lot, it matters not,

My heart is still at home.

Wishing each of you a blessed day in the Lord!

Review ~ Courting Cate by Leslie Gould

When Amish farmer Pete Treger moves to Paradise Township, Pennsylvania, seeking a better life, he meets sisters Cate and Betsy Miller. Both are beautiful, but older sister Cate is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Betsy, on the other hand, is sweet and flirty--and seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!

However, the sisters' wealthy father has made one hard and fast rule: elder sister must marry first, before the younger can even start courting. Unfortunately for poor Betsy, and for the men who want to court her, her older sister, Cate, doesn't have any suitors--until Pete comes to town, that is. 

Though he finds both sisters attractive, something about Cate's feisty demeanor appeals to him. Soon the other bachelors in the district convince Pete to court Cate. She hardly seems receptive to his overtures, though. Instead, she's immediately suspicious of his interest.

My Review

Don't you just love this cover? I'm a highly visual person, so when I first saw it I was intrigued. The author paints some lovely word pictures of the countryside but the story didn't pan out exactly like I expected. About a third of the way through I was thinking that Cate was a real biddy. I wasn't liking her or the story at all. Courting Cate is sort of an Amish retelling of The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. I continued to read until the half way point, maybe a little more, but finally had to stop. The story was slow and depressing to me. I just couldn't get into it with so much negativity and deceit going on. 

If you enjoy Amish Fiction or Shakespeare (grin) then you might enjoy this book. Lots of people have, according to the reviews, I'm just not one of them :)

Bethany House provided a copy for review purposes. Only my honest opinion is required, which I have given. No other compensation has been received.

It's not often I don't enjoy a book and I know that we all have different opinions after we read one, so I asked my MIL to read it. A summary with her thoughts are below. 

Reviewed by Sharonne Payne

Set in Lancaster County, Pa., Courting Cate is an Amish novel with a different twist.

Cate Miller feels that she is not pretty like her little sister, unlovable and known in her district as a fiery tempered shrew. She has been subject to bullying, mocked, and feels used. All she wants is to remain single and enjoy her books.

Then her father gives an edict that changes everything. She must marry first so her sister can marry. What will she do?

When Pete Tregor comes by their cabinet shop looking for work and shows interest in Cate, her father thinks he is the answer to Cate’s dilemma.

Should she settle for a marriage of convenience, or refuse to wed and break her sister’s heart? Can she leave the past hurts behind and learn to trust Pete or is he after her father‘s money? Will she put her life is God’s hands and learn to trust Him again?

If you want to know the answers to these questions then I suggest you read this book. I found it very interesting and enjoyable. 

Coming in October from Zondervan!

Melanie Dickerson takes classic fairytales and rewrites them, turning them into realistic, indepth medieval romances. 

To learn more about Melanie and her unique writing, visit her website www.melaniedickerson.com.

Pre-order your copy from Amazon.

What book are you looking forward to reading?