Politics is Odd

...especially in the next town over.

I have no idea what this is about, but it does bring  interesting images to mind.

The link in the sidebar will take you to the Odd Shot Monday details.

Link your odd shot  here and visit other odd shotters.

 There is always something strange about.

(That is a bedsheet BTW in case you can't tell on the small screen.)

Sunday's Psalm--Sunday of the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time

Rest in God alone, my soul.

Only in God is my soul at rest;

from him comes my salvation.

 He only is my rock and my salvation,

my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.

Rest in God alone, my soul.

Only in God be at rest, my soul,

for from him comes my hope.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

my stronghold;

I shall not be disturbed.

Rest in God alone, my soul.

With God is my safety and my glory,

he is the rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.

Trust in him at all times, O my people!

Pour out your hearts before him.

Rest in God alone, my soul.

from Psalm 62

The photos show

Half Dome, Yosemite national Park, California

rock climbing in the Stolby National Park in Siberia

trail to Ben Eighe, Scottish Highlands

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Arches National Park, Utah

Others are now also illustrating psalms on Sundays. You can find their links at Athens Daily Photo.

ABC Wednesday F

This blog has never been about politics.

 Long back in the days before suffrage, in the times when the United States was a young and growing nation--expanding into the frontier, women didn't necessarily have much say in politics. But they could express their opinion in other ways, and in quilting they often did. During the 1844 Presidential campaign, expansion and war were big issues. With dispute over the border in the Southwest continuing, could the nation afford to add possible war with Britain over northern boundaries with Canada to the ongoing unrest with Mexico. Oregon fever swept the nation in the 1840s, and an 1818 treaty allowed for joint occupation of the Oregon territory for Britain and America. At a time whe it was realized that that was no longer going to work, candidate James Polk campaigned on a slogan of 54-40 or Fight. Polk, a relative unknown, insisted that the border would be set at the latitude lines of 54-40. Public sentiment on the issue won him a landslide victory over Henry Clay.

When reality set in after the election, Polk fairly readily agreed to the British suggestion that the border be set at the 49th parallel.

The quilt block known as 54-40 or Fight was a popular statement in support of James Polk and still a great graphic image. I made this one for a project a friend is doing as a fundraiser and memorial quilt for a regional Kiwanis project. What I love about the 54-40 or Fight block is the illusion of curves that you get from the elongated triangles combined with other elements of the block. Do you see the almost circles in the sketch below?

You will find
ABC Wednesday
participants gathered
at the dedicated site.

Monday's Odd Shots

So you are asking yourself "What is odd about that? It is a [for lack of a more precise knowledge of the exact type of piece of equipment it is, I will say 'blue tractor']. Rather ordinary in the grand scheme of things."

Sometimes the oddness of the shot is in the story behind it. This 'blue tractor' is currently sitting behind our church hall, and has been used over the last week or so in the work of extending the parking lot. I stopped the other day to say "hi" and "how's the parking lot coming?" to my old friend Ernie, who has been a major part of the committee for getting the parking lot beyond the talk stage and into the do something phase.

Ernie has featured in Odd Shots before. It was he and his wife and brother who walked into a restaurant 150 miles from home and found me taking a picture of a ketchup bottle.

Well, Ernie and Fr. Jaime and I were talking, and Ernie proudly pointed to the shiny 'blue tractor' and said "That is my retirement toy. When I decided to retire, that's what I bought."

Does anyone else think that is odd?

My hubby got golf clubs (which he has never used.)

Maybe a shiny new 'blue tractor' is not so odd after all.

(BTW, I am doing much better, though I am not going to run any races for a while.) I'm not doing much better at the linkies, though. Since it scheduled to start in less than an hour, I will not tamper with it because I could make it worse. And I don't know how to remove the link to this post in the middle of this post without causing further problems.

Sunday's Psalm--Sunday of the Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

The Lord is kind and merciful.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

and all my being, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits.

The Lord is kind and merciful.

He pardons all your iniquities,

heals all your ills.

He redeems your life from destruction,

crowns you with kindness and compassion.

The Lord is kind and merciful.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,

slow to anger and abounding in kindness.

Not according to our sins does he deal with us,

nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

The Lord is kind and merciful.

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he put our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

The Lord is kind and merciful

from Psalm 103

~

Photos:

wild tiger lily

re-emerging in July

golden mantle squirrel

Inside Passage sunrise

"Where's Mom?"

Visit Daily Athens to find others with Psalm illustrations.

Reflecting Back

 Since I have not been out and about with my camera lately, I have not had any reflection photos to share in recent Weekend Reflections. So while poking around in my files, I discovered some fun shots from the cruise ship when we went to Alaska a few years ago.

When your cruise is not somewhere particular, the ship itself offers some interesting shots.

When you are visiting glaciers, the icebergs and  the ship's photographers going out in a small boat for special photo projects offer some great reflections.

Weekend Reflections is hosted at Newtown Daily Photo.

140 points

in one play

ABC Wednesday--E

You may know that I have chosen quilt blocks for a theme for my ABC
Wednesday posts for Round 8. My plan to locate and plan the block, then make it in time for the Wednesday post is meeting with many unexpected roadblocks. The B block caught up at D, the C blocks were made before the computer design was drafted for the blog, and now it's E and it will be another week before I sit down a the sewing machine for any major work as the leg with which I operate the pedal is the one with bursitis. So here we go again with just the computer sketches.

A comment was made last week that others than an avid quilter would not consider that different fabrics would make a big difference. I will someday (after bursitis) remake that block with different colors to display the impact. The star I show here in sketch, though, would be a good one for comparison as to how differently it looks in different colors.

Here, side by side, is a star that has many names in many sources. But in some it, as well as others, is calle the Eastern Star or the Star of the East.

Se what a different background does to the colors? Which do you prefer?

Some other color choices:

When I am back at the machine, which color scheme shall I choose?

See what others are doing for the E in Round 8 of ABC Wednesday.

Odd Shots Laid Low

This Odd Shot is the view on the way to the Emergency Room if it is painful to sit. I am glad that the passenger seat leans back. Today I can sit but am pretty wobbly on my feet. I have arranged for others to take some of my evening's responsibilities, and hope to be back in reasonable form tomorrow.

Odd Shots is anything odd visually, strange juxtapositions, anything that makes you want to say "How odd." Post your odd shot, link here before Tuesday 3 p.m. Pacific Time, and do link to us in your post.

Thanks, Odd Shotters.

Sunday's Psalm--Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

 Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Blessed are they whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the LORD.

Blessed are they who observe his decrees,

who seek him with all their heart.

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

You have commanded that your precepts

be diligently kept.

Oh, that I might be firm

in the ways of keeping your statutes!

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Be good to your servant,

that I may live




and keep your words.

Open my eyes, that I may consider

the wonders of your law.

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,

that I may exactly observe them.

Give me discernment,



that I may observe your law

and keep it with all my heart.

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

from Psalm 119

Photos: Hadrian's Wall, UK--cattails--sunset, Prince Rupert, BC--diretional buoy

If you have enjoyed this post,

you might enjoy visiting others

who are posting psalm illustrations each week.

ρομπερτ  gathers their links at Daily Athens.

Making a list

Once again making a list as I have returned from the ER with three shots of stuff that make me goofy and I don't think  driving to the Library even if I am getting some relief from the pain would be a good idea. I will send Hubby, but he will need a list. So I set out to see which is the next book in the series I have been reading that would be easy for him to find.

Searching for the library's website brought me this result:

Showing results for grandview library. Search instead for gtsnfview library

Apparently I did type in gtsnfview library. It probably doesn't even make sense in Welsh.

Help

I am not a YouTube sort of gal, and don't even know how to post a video. But this is a delight. Check it out:

The Medieval Help Desk

ABC Wednesday--D

The quilt block I have chosen to represent the letter D in this round of ABC Wednesday is the Dogtooth     Violet.          The irregular shapes and many bias edges of the pieces make it a challenge to match all the points and get everything to square up, so my sample is a bit off. I think the tans  should be a bit more intense color and the outer pink lighter for a better impact.

If you were following my blocks back at the letter B, you may remember that I did not get the block sample made. the block was Block Island Puzzle, and I couldn't figure out what or where Block Island was. A commenter from the team--Cheryl--told me it was off the coast  of Rhode Island, and that sparked the memory of why it sounded so familiar. In 1635, my ancestor (not sure if a great great great great great great great grandfather or uncle) John Oldham was murdered on his boat off Block Island. He had had a rather checkered history, as he had been kicked out of Plymouth Colony on two occasions--one of them having to do with pulling a knife on Miles Standish. So, I guess you could say that Block Island Puzzle is a family block. So I had to make one:

ABC Wednesday Round Eight is here.

From the archives for the return of Odd Shots

I have to fess up. I really haven't been out and about with my camera much in the last few weeks. Though we have not had buckets and buckets of snow and ice like some parts of the country, it has been very cold and gray and mostly boring.

I have been poking about in my photo archives and came across this, which you may have seen some time ago.

It is the picture I took one spring break day when some boys came to the door and asked if they could go into our yard to get their ball.

At least...

I thought they said ball.

An Odd Shot is something visually unusual. Something taken from an unusual angle. Or something that just strikes your funny bone.

The details are here.

And here is the Linky, which will close about 3 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday. This is the first time I have used this Linky service, so be patient if I don't have it set up right. If the Linky doesn't work, leave your Odd Shot link in the comments.

Okay, so that is not what I goofed up. Why didn't I remember to set the time to schedule the post? The linky is set to start at 3:00 Sunday. We'll see if that happens if I get the post up too early. Darn! Did it again.

Sunday's Psalm--Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.

Light shines through the darkness for the upright;

he is gracious and merciful and just.

Well for the man who is gracious and lends,

who conducts his affairs with justice.

The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.

He shall never be moved;

the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.

An evil report he shall not fear;

his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD

The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.

His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.

Lavishly he gives to the poor;

His justice shall endure forever;

his horn shall be exalted in glory.

The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.

 

from Psalm 112

Photos:

full moon through the hop trellis from my yard

snowshoeing at Mt. Rainier

blue heron in the Yakima River

If you have enjoyed this post,

 you might enjoy visiting others

 who are posting psalm illustrations each week.

ρομπερτ  gathers their links at Daily Athens.

ABC Wednesday--C

 Okay, I admit it. I have not made the B blocks that I sketched last week.

This has been a strange week with lots of transportation issues. Last Wednesday I had to drive 40 miles to pick up my hubby who had blown a head gasket in our PT Cruiser. Saturday he had to come 40 miles to help me with a sudden power draining in my old Honda. We were reduced to coordinating our errands using the old pick-up that is usually reserved for trips to the dump.

Today we picked up the Honda--it was a simple issue with the battery. Hubby got a ride to pick up the Cruiser, and when he had been dropped of and our friend had left, the mechanics discovered that there was still an oil leak from the replaced gasket. The new part will be available tomorrow.

I don't have sketeches for my C blocks. These were made not long before I started in on the ABC--as part of some Bible related blocks that I am working on.

Thsi one is Crown of Thorns.

 And this is Cross and Crown.

Find other C posts in the eighth round of ABC Wednesday here.