Faith, Folklore, and Friends

In early January, I told you  here  about my new bird feeder and how it promised to be squirrel proof. Have you been wondering how that is working out for us? You would think that the squirrels would be so full of tomatoes that they would leave the sunflower seeds alone.  Maybe they think of it as dessert.

There is not a spider hanging on the king's wall that does  not have its errand; there is not a nettle that  grows in the  corner of the churchyard that does not have its purpose;  there is not a single insect  fluttering in the breeze that does not accomplish some divine decree; and I will never have it  that God  created any man, especially any Christian man, to  be a blank and to be a nothing. He made you for an  end.  Find out what that end is. Find out your niche and fill it. If it is  ever so little, if it is only to be a  chopper of wood and a  drawer of water, do something in this great battle for God  and  truth. - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Behold,  I   stand   at   the   door ,  and   knock :  i f any  man hear my voice,  and  open  the   door ,  I  will  come  i n to him,  and  will sup with him,  and  he with  me. ~Revelation 3:20

Summertime was composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess .  DuBose Heyward, who wrote the novel Porgy , is credited with the lyrics along with Ira Gershwin.  It is  eighty years old, and still just as good as it was then,  especially when sung by Ella Fitzgerald . Summertime, An’ the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' An’ the cotton is high. Oh yo’ daddy's rich An’ yo’ mamma's good lookin' So hush little baby Don' yo’ cry. One of these mornin’s You're goin’ to rise up singin’ Then you'll spread yo’ wings An’ you'll take the sky. But till that mornin’ There's a-nothin’ can harm you With daddy an’ mammy standin’ by. Repeat first two verses Enjoy with your iced tea and flip flops.

I had this beautiful old cake plate, but it had a chip in the side, so I never used it. This pie plate was a gift from many years ago.  I haven't used it in years, but I didn't want to part with it. I found this retro glass vase at a yard sale somewhere in Tennessee.  It was 25 cents, and I knew I was bound to need it someday. Hub used this Gorilla Glue to stick them all together. Here they are, holding a plant on the front porch.  Hub used the spray white paint from Walmart that set us back 99 cents plus tax. How cool is that?  Last week, I found an old lamp base . . .

  But small is the gate and narrow the  road that leads  to life, and only a few  find it. ~Matthew 7:14

Revive us Again was one of the first hymns I learned, possibly because we only went to church during revival meetings and it was always sung. It is still one of my favorites. William MacKay was born in 1839 in Scotland. He trained and worked as a doctor, but left that profession to become a minister. In 1863, he penned Revive us Again . We praise Thee, O God! For the Son of Thy love, For Jesus Who died, And is now gone above. Refrain Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Hallelujah! Amen. Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Revive us again. We praise Thee, O God! For Thy Spirit of light, Who hath shown us our Savior, And scattered our night. Refrain All glory and praise To the Lamb that was slain, Who hath borne all our sins, And hath cleansed every stain. Refrain All glory and praise To the God of all grace, Who hast brought us, and sought us, And guided our ways. Refrain Revive us again; Fill each heart with Thy love; May each soul be rekindled With fire fr...

Saddle Up For St. Jude   at the Gardiner Farm near Tuscumbia, Alabama, July 18, 2015.

B ut H e answered and said, " It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that  proceedeth out of the mouth of G od." ~Matthew 4:4

It is the most wonderful week of the year. The 2015 W. C. Handy Festival officially began last night with Courtin' the Blues Parade, led by entertainer Christine Ohlman. Christine was riding in the Cadillac that Sam Phillips once drove Elvis, Johnny Cash, and others around in. The heat index of 100+ wasn't enough to stop the dancing. It is going to be a good week!

If you are in the mood to go loafin ' today, check out this little town:  Bell Buckle, Tennessee . It is full of antiques and ice cream, moon pies and fried apple pies. There is also a tea room there.  Perfect for loafin'. There is a moon pie festival and other events throughout the year. Here is how to get there:  (From I-24) Bell Buckle is a short drive from Interstate 24 – Exit 97 between Murfreesboro and Manchester (Hwy 64 & Hwy 82) (From I-40) Near Lebanon, take I-840 to I24, then on to Hwy. 231 to Shelbyville and then to Hwy. 82 (From I65) You will exit at Cornersville toward Lewisburg, then to Shelbyville on Hwy 231 and then to Hwy. 82.