Sunday's Psalm--Octave of the Nativity

May God bless us in his mercy.


May God have pity on us and bless us;

may he let his face shine upon us.

So may your way be known upon earth;

among all nations, your salvation.

May God bless us in his mercy.


May the nations be glad and exult

because you rule the peoples in equity;

the nations on the earth you guide.

 

May God bless us in his mercy.

May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

May God bless us in his mercy.

from Psalm 67

Between the X-s

An ABC Wednesday X and a Headbanger theme wrapped into one.

Let's start with the X. The crossed poles on the snowshoe route form the letter X. Well, sort of anyway. That's the best you will get out of me this week. ABC Wednesday has reached the letter X and it is always problematical.

Now for the Headbangers--you will find the members of the group listed on the sidebar. We choose a theme each week and set our headers to reflect that theme. This week it was my turn to choose, and I chose "Between" since we are between holidays. When I suggested it I had no idea what I would use.

In case you didn't notice, the tracks of the snowshoes go between the X-s. There is a reason. If you don't go BETWEEN the X-ed poles, you will fall into the creek. And so, my hubby follows  the tracks to approach the X-s.

A lovely day on the mountain--BETWEEN some days of less pleasant weather.

Is he gorgeous or what?

Cascade Red Fox

 

 

As beautiful as he is, he has a sad story. He is wearing a collar with a GPS as he is participating in a research study. Information about the study is here. The researchers are investigating the behavior of this rare species of fox around humans.

This guy was seen along side the road, and as three cars stopped in a convenient pull-out, he posed for the camera (this is a zoom shot.) The other two cars were observing quietly. No one was offering food, and he was not (yet) begging.

Then, he crossed the road and approached one of the cars. They were not falling for the begging act, just watching this beautiful creature. But he was obviously expecting a handout because of past experience.

When I showed them the picture on the camera, rangers asked me if anyone was feeding him. Not in this group. Apparently the previous day someone fed one of the foxes a whole box of cookies.

Now, I love cookies as much as the rest of us, and chips, and all that stuff. In moderation. Think about a few cookies and a few chips for someone our size. And think about a whole box of cookies for our friend here.

Keep wildlife wild!

A Christmas Oddshot

A Christmas dichotomy

We discern that there were three kings because the Gospel of Matthew mentions three gifts.


But what if there were more.....?


Gold, frankincense, myrrh and....? 


Gaspar, Melchior, Balthasar and......."Tweety"? 

A Psalm for Christmas

Today is born our Savior, 

Christ the Lord.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;

let the sea and what fills it resound;

let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!

Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.

Today is born our Savior, 

Christ the Lord.

from Psalm 96

Don't forget to visit those participating in the Robert's Psalm Challenge. You can find them at Daily Athens. 

ABC W is for Winter

Veering from the revisiting theme I've been following for this round of ABC Wednesday, here is "Mr. Antenna Ball" in his Wintery Weather Wear. A bit of snow followed the freezing frost which provided  his apparel, but the forecast for the Weekend is sunshine.

A Headbanger's Christmas

Of course the theme this week is Christmas--theme announced by Headbanger Dave. I've just been around to see and there is a lovely collection of Christmas to be viewed among the headbangers. Visit them from the links in my sidebar.


Here in my header is a scene from this afternoon's Christmas Pageant rehearsal when all are gathered. Joseph looks a little bored, but once he and Mary get to the front of the church, there is not much for him to do.

I'm a bit late as I was out with my friend Christmas shopping and returned home in time for rehearsal. I have finished the little lamb capes and the little lambs made their masks during rehearsal time tonight. I must make one more star robe before the last dress rehearsal Friday and pick up a nice gold cord for Angel Gabriel's belt.

Odd Door or Odd Tree??? My Odd Shot for the Week.

My niece Lynne confirms that this tree is odd. Or that the front door of their cabin is odd. Although an person can enter or leave through it, if he is carrying anything at all he had better go around through the back.

 What oddity will you find just outside your door this week?

Be sure to visit other Odd Shot posters who link, and leave a comment. Merry Christmas.

Sunday's Psalm--Fourth Sunday of Advent

 

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.



The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;

through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. 

For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";

in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

 For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

"I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant:

 Forever will I confirm your posterity

and establish your throne for all generations."

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

"He shall say of me, 'You are my father,

my God, the Rock, my savior.'

 Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,

and my covenant with him stands firm."

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

from Psalm 89

Others also illustrate psalms on Sunday. You an find them linked at

Daily Athens. Thank you, Robert, for collecting the links.

Cookies

Highly recommended:
Grandma's Gingersnaps

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Highly recommended and extremely easy:
Earthquake Cookies

I have made them with chocolate, spice, and lemon cake mixes. The lemon cookies are melt in your mouth wonderful. You can pass on rolling them in powdered sugar and they are just as good and even easier. And I don't know why they are called Earthquake Cookies.

Wonderful:

Oatmeal Scotchies
Somehow the recipe doesn't mention the chopped nuts and raisins which add to this one.


Okay:
Washboard Cookies
Interesting. Mild sweet flavor. Extremely crisp--call that hard. Would be good for dunking.

Gotta go. May add another couple of links later.

Headbangers' theme: "Look what I saw!"

 Fishing Guy gave us the theme "Look what I saw!" for this week's header challenge. The big challenge is to decide what amazing thing that has been seen should be included. I can say of this picture--Look what I saw! and you see a head and a hill. You probably don't notice the two tiny dots on the hill--right there in the middle--just to the left of the tree to the left of the head.

You don't see them do you? All you see is the two dots. Here is an artistic hint to what I did see that day.

Yes, we saw two elephants on the hill above Lake Periyar in the Periyar Tiger Preserve National Park.

You do see interesting things in the National Parks and you don't have to go to India to do it. Just come around the bend in the trail and...

 Or come over the ridge and see...

 What, you might ask? A ridge and a mountain. You've seen that many times. But do you see that cloud of dust just about the middle of the picture? That is a large hunk of mountain that had just fallen off the side--as large as a building. That's what I saw that day. You don't see that every day.

And also on our travels we have seen some  amazing bits of architecture in the cities of Russia...

 ...and in villages.

You never know who or what you are going to see around a corner! Hmm, would I rather run into Mac or a bear.

Amazing sites at home or abroad.

But for the header itself, I am coming from the other direction. Looking out, grandson B is declaring "Look what I see! I see you!"

Check out the other headbangers who are listed in my sidebar. We will see what they see, and the results of the voting will be published later this week.

ABC Revisiting V

 V is for Valleys.

 When you hike in the mountains, you will see a lot of views of valleys.

These views from a Mt. Rainier hike a couple of years ago are pretty dramatic. Many valleys are. They certainly add interest to the landscape.

ABC Wednesday

Odd juxtaposition

I'm wondering if the pool company realizes how silly this looks. Yes they want to advertise that they are installing the pool here at my daughter's house in Arizona, but do they really want the sign out at this stage while the concrete clean-out settles in a plastic kiddy pool?

What did you find that was odd this week?

Instead of a Psalm, the Magnificat

My soul rejoices in my God.

 
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:

My soul rejoices in my God.

the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

My soul rejoices in my God.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

My soul rejoices in my God.

from Isaiah and Luke

Headbanger Challenge--Toys-r-Us

Toy--definition 3 from dictionary.com--something that serves for or as if for diversion, rather than for serious practical use.

 

The big toys at the playground certainly served for diversion for my grandson one January day a couple of years ago. For diversion, and expression of boundless energy.

 

The "toys" of my image editing software served as diversion for Grandma this morning as I stretched the toy and the boy to fit my desired header space.

 

Thus the header provided toys for both of us.

 

Header challenge from Gailsman--Toys r Us. 

ABC Revisiting U

While ABC Revisiting this round let's take a peek out the window at Ullapool.

Most of these pictures were taken out of the windows at our Guest House in Ullapool, Scotland on our trip last year. We were based in Ullapool when we hiked at Cul Mor and Stac Pollaidh.

I posted Ullapool last year about this time when we reached the letter U. That round I was posting an alphabet of our U.K. trip.

Unlike many villages in Scotland which grew up with no particular plan, Ullapool is laid out on a grid. This was partly because it was rebuilt after a fire destroyed much of the town.

Ullapool is a small port on Loch Broom, hosting fishing boats, small yachts, and a ferry to the Outer Hebrides.

Loch Broom

Ferry Dock

Ullapool at the end of the rainbow

You will find the ninth round of ABC Wednesday linked on its own page. Once again, thank you to Denise Nesbitt, who came up with the ABC Wednesday idea, now in its fifth year.

Odd Shot Christmas

I managed to gather a number of odd shots on our recent trip to the Southwest, and I don't know which is the oddest. I'll be all set for several odd weeks to come. We'll start with Santa.

This fake Santa is set up in a giant fake snowglobe at a mall in Arizona (hence the cactus and wagon wheel.) He is decidedly odd. But the odd part is that at some point, one is expected to pay $22 to crawl into the giant fake snowglobe and get one's picture taken with fake Santa. I don't know if the environmentally sound compact fluorescent lamp  bulbs hanging by loose cords on fake Santa's chair are part of the deal either.

Earlier in the week before we were there our two daughters had met for lunch at the mall and younger daughter climbed behind the fence around the giant fake snowglobe so older daughter could take her picture with her phone. A little girl came up and remonstrated with them, "I think you are supposed to pay!!!" Well, little girl, "Why aren't you in school in the middle of the day?"

Duh!

Maybe for $22 you get fake snow.

Share your Odd Shot with us by linking below. Visit other Odd Shotters and be sure to leave comments. We all love to hear what you think.

Sunday's Psalm--Second Sunday of Advent

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD--for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.

 Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Kindness and truth shall meet;

justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.
 

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

from Psalm 85

Visit other psalms this Sunday through Robert at Daily Athens. 

Sunrise at my Brother's House

Sunrises and sunsets on our recent trip may provide me with Skywatch posts for weeks to come.

Hello December!

Simple theme this week for the Headbangers---Hello December!

Simple, well, maybe, maybe not. My header image is a luminaria, used in some areas to light  a path during December's holiday celebrations. Originally from the Southwest, I think. And we just came from there, traveling this morning through snowy Meachem Pass in Eastern Oregon.

This luminaria was one of only a few which stayed lit the evening a couple of Decembers ago when we visited the Yakima Arboretum during their luminaria events. Maybe that is why these lights welcome December in the Southwest and not so much in our snowy Northwest.

Welcome, December!

Visit other Headbangers to see how they are welcoming December. You will find their links in my sidebar.

ABC Revisiting T

Revisiting Seattle's Troll.

He resides below the Aurora Bridge in the Fremont district.

Yes, that is a Volkswagen beetle in his left hand, and that is me standing up there.

Thoroughly investigated.

ABC Wednesday--in its 9th Round. Wow!

Four Legged Turkey?

Not that odd...



DD cooked two.


Be sure to visit odd shot posters who link below.

Sunday's Psalm--First Sunday of Advent

Lord, make us turn to you; 

let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.

 Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

 Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.

Lord, make us turn to you; 

 let us see your face and we shall be saved.

from Psalm 80

Visit Robert at Daily Athens to see more illustrated Psalms today. 

Turkey Trot Sunrise

Thanksgiving Morning in Mesa, Arizona

Skywatch Friday