Writing Thoughts

The Greatest Gift was Given, but I Have a Couple Ideas

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / Leave a comment

Need an Inspirational Gift?

When I was growing up, Santa did not overshadow the birth of Jesus. I believed in Santa, but he was not the focus of our Christmas. Church and the Christmas pageant were. Our nativity set was always the first decoration to go up and the last to be taken down. As everyone says, it was a simpler time.

With this in mind, I have three books to suggest as possible gifts. I reread my favorite Christmas books every year and I am always looking for new ones. This year I found And Then They Prayed by Barry Loudermilk. It is a historical account of men who depended on God to help them. George Washington and General George Patton are two of the men. As I read, I met new historical people and marveled at their courage and strong faith. There is no doubt that their belief that God was the answer saved lives and our country.

Max Lucado is a well known author who has written many books for adults and children. For children, I suggest You are Special and for adults The Christmas Candle. I read The Christmas Candle every year. An angel visits the chandler (candle maker) every twenty five years and touches a candle. The candle is given to someone who is told to pray and their prayer will be answered. Of course the candle isn’t the reason the prayers are answered, it’s the person’s belief. The ending of the book is very special.

Both And Then They Prayed and The Christmas Candle shared the message of believing our prayers are answered. God’s timing isn’t our timing and patience is frequently needed. These books are enjoyable to read and strengthened my faith and maybe you’ll agree. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Goats at the Park

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / Leave a comment

Hired Goats!

It was a surprise to learn that the city of Columbus had hired goats for weed control. Antrim Lake is surrounded by a 1.2 mile walking path and has many people using it. The distance between the path and the water has shrubs, trees, and weeds. However, the goats have been gobbling up the weeds.

There are twenty goats enjoying poison ivy and other invasive plants. An electric fence protects them from people and dogs while a plastic fence a yard away protects people from the electric fence. The goats’ owners move the goats and fences every day or two and it appears to be a lot of work.

I’ve learned a few things about goats since seeing them. I didn’t realize mohair sweaters were made from the hair of angora goats. I had mistakenly credited sheep. Sorry, goats. Goat milk is supposedly easier to digest than cows milk. I’ll take their word for that. I do know the milk makes great soap and is a popular item at craft shows. I’ve bought it and like it. Feta cheese is popular, but the traditional Greek feta is primarily sheep milk with only 30% goat milk. Another thing I learned.

Goats apparently make good pets and doing yoga with goats continues to interest people. I don’t understand why, but many enjoy it. People in the Columbus area can find goat yoga in Groveport. If you go, I’d like hearing about it.

Hope you are all enjoying the cool temperatures. I’ve enjoyed walking around Antrim Lake and visiting the goats!

The Critters are Coming!

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / Leave a comment

My garden is filled with friendly creatures.

A few months ago I opened the window blind to see an injured deer looking in my window. He rejected the apple I offered and left. I think he told other critters that this was a friendly yard and they should visit.

Since then I’ve had a squirrel sitting on the window sill enjoying one of my tulip bulbs. He was calmly eating it as I watched. I’m sure he saw me as I was seated close to the window. I sipped my coffee as he ate. When he was finished he jumped down and left. I like to think he appreciated the breakfast I had provided.

Another visitor is a female cardinal. I’ve enjoyed watching her collect nest making material over the last couple weeks. This week she decided to look through the flowers growing in my window flower box. I watched her carefully trying a few things before discarding them. I related to her shopping technique. Look and discard, look and discard and finally find something worthy of trying on. At some point she must have realized she had an audience because she sat and looked at me. Turning her head as she looked in the window and stayed a minute or two. I know she had more important things to do than look at me.

My last visitor was a skunk. It was early morning when my husband saw him looking in the long, narrow window by the front door. He looked for a couple minutes and then left. I think he realized he wouldn’t find any grubs inside the house. I later discovered he’d dug in my flower beds. The life of a gardener!

I love my garden and am glad the critters visit, but I don’t want them to think they are welcome inside. Particularly not Mr. Skunk! If you have had any critter visits I’d love to hear about them. It is the season.

Smile it’s Spring!

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / 1 Comment

When the sunshine and warm temperatures arrive, people are seen smiling!

I heard a speaker ask what makes you smile. She was talking about ways to fight depression. Suggestions were to look at photos that bring back happy memories. The problem with photos is it sometimes brings tears when you see a face that is no longer here. Nature photos can bring a smile or just a warm feeling along with a feeling of gratitude for the beauty God has created.

When people tell me how beautiful the garden is, I thank them, but I am not the creator. I am just the fortunate gardener who delights in the plants. When my spring flowers sprout, I smile and eagerly begin pulling weeds. I don’t know why the weeds always survive a tough winter, but some plants don’t. At least they give me a reason to work the soil.

I recently read there are nine types of smiles. A few are: the closed lip, genuine smile, smug smile, and twisted smile. I can’t picture the twisted smile, but I can the genuine smile. Since babies can smile as soon as they are born, that has to be a genuine smile. Smiles have been proven to relieve stress, and burn calories. Laughing burns more calories and relieves more stress. I need to find funny things to laugh at!

Smiles also create connections between people. A reassuring smile offers support to struggling traveler or a frustrated parent. It conveys understanding of the situation. That’s a gift.

A song sung by Nat King Cole, Smile, urges one to smile even though your heart is breaking. The lyrics are great. I particularly like, light up your face with gladness. The entire song encourages one to smile through the situation and believe it will improve. Hope and have faith that things will get better. That is a message I know many need to hear and believe. Referencing nature, the sun chases the darkness away when it brings the morning. The gray clouds dissipate when the sun arrives. Believing gives one the ability to smile. Soo Smile!!

Hoping each one of you has a day full of smiles!

Winter’s Gifts

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / 1 Comment

Winter offers us a chance to slow down and I don’t mean just on the roads.

I know many of you are tired of winter. I hear it every week. Most people want snow around Christmas, but then they are done with it. December is not usually a snowy month in Ohio. Our snow falls mainly in January and February, and I like it. It’s beauty is almost magical.

Today the sun is shining on the snow and it is sparkling. Yesterday, I shoveled and was happy to be outside. Of course there was only about three to four inches, so it wasn’t back breaking. Winter air smells fresh and clean. The snow brightens the night and the winter sky is so clear the stars fill the sky with great beauty. There is no star on a stage that can compete!

I admit I don’t like the shorter days, but more daylight is returning. The darkness keeps me inside more, but that helps me to slow down. I read more, and focus on inside projects. This winter I started painting watercolors again after several years of ignoring my paints. Why now? I told one of my granddaughters I was proud of her for using her musical gift that God had given her. Then I had to look at myself and ask if I was using the gifts God had given me. The truth is, no.

I have been able to draw since I was a child. I learned how to use watercolors as an adult and joined the local art league. I even had a few painting in two local art galleries. Life got busy and my gift was put away. The sixteenth birthday of my musical granddaughter was a reason to paint. I don’t have the words to convey how wonderful it felt to draw and paint again. Drawing was the easy part! I had to work to get the painting right. In fact, I wasn’t happy with it until the fourth time! My sweet granddaughter cried when she opened it. Of course that made me cry!

The point of this story is to encourage you to ask yourself if you are using the gifts God gave you. Winter is a time for reflection and appreciation of the season. We have another month before spring officially arrives. Look for the good things winter provides. Maybe you will rediscover a gift you put on a shelf because life got too busy.

Good Morning Deer !

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / Leave a comment

Surprise! Surprise!

Every evening I pull the blinds down and every morning I raise them. When I raised one a few weeks ago, Harriet was looking in the window at me. She looked so sweet I had to name her. Of course I asked her what she was doing, looking in my window, but she declined to answer.

It was strange how long she stayed and stared at me. I suspected it wasn’t because she was enjoying my chatter. I moved and got a better look at her body. She had a large area where her fur had been ripped off, but she was not bleeding. I decided the polite thing to do was offer her breakfast, so I exited from the garage and threw an apple out into the yard. She wasn’t impressed. I returned to the house and watched as she moved slowly towards the apple. She sniffed it, and then went to the neighbors yard. I was shocked. This was a good Honey Crisp apple she was rejecting!

Harriet was in no hurry to leave our yards and nibbled at a few bushes next door. I made my coffee and kept watch at the window. She returned! I was so excited. Now she would eat the quality apple I had provided. Nope! Another sniff and she walked on by. I watched her jump our fence and then the fence in another yard. Every day for the next two weeks I watched for her. If I didn’t see her, I knew I’d see signs of her visit. She had left three piles of poo on her first visit so I assumed she would again. No poo, so I don’t think Harriet returned.

I admit I complain when the stupid deer eat my lilies, roses and tulips, but I was delighted to find a deer looking in the window at me. They are beautiful, gentle animals. What a wonderful surprise and it brightened my day!

Keeping Thanksgiving!

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / Leave a comment

I don’t rush right to Christmas because Thanksgiving deserves to have its month.

November is a restful month for me. Halloween excitement is past and autumn colors are fading. I don’t like the early darkness, but it does add to the quiet time. I always host Thanksgiving dinner and love it! This November I’m directing a fun holiday show that I wrote for my church. It’s called Joyous Fall. The title is fitting because that’s how I feel about fall.

There are skits about scarecrows, turkeys and women who love to decorate. The decorating women represent me except I don’t go crazy like they do. I admit I have a schedule for decorating. The first of October the Halloween decorations go up and come down on November 1. Pumpkins stay, but scarecrows and turkeys go up. I then relax until Thanksgiving is over. I enjoy the cool weather and blue skies as I clean the garden and protect my roses for the winter. I am still picking roses which is very unusual, so that task awaits. Being outside always brings me closer to God. The beauty surrounds me and I quietly sing his praises. (I don’t have the gift of singing)

I think it’s important to remember the first Thanksgiving and how the Indians and Pilgrims feasted together for days. The Pilgrims would not have survived without the help they received from the Indians. They are a good example of two diverse groups working together. That is definitely something to remember and strive to accomplish today.

Christmas awaits and our show ends with the nativity because fall lasts until December 21. Today I am giving thanks for the people who have worked hard to memorize lines and become the characters I pictured as I wrote the script. To see what I imagined come to life is a wonderful gift. I hope you can relax and enjoy this quiet month and think about your blessings instead of your to do list. That’s my plan!

Scarecrow Season

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / Leave a comment

This scarecrow isn’t scary, unlike those used by farmers in the past.

Scarecrows have been used for around 3,000 years. The Egyptians used them to protect their wheat from quail and put tunics on reeds close to the Nile to look like men. In Greece, wooden statues of their Gods were placed in fields and Romans copied this idea with Roman Gods. It’s interesting that Japanese farmers also dressed structures with coats and hats to protect their rice fields. This proves that a good idea is hard to keep quiet.

Children were used in the fields of Europe to scare the birds. They would run, scream and throw rocks to deter the hungry predators. Romans brought the idea of scarecrows to Europe and children were replaced with men made of straw and gourd heads. The use of scarecrows continued until pesticides became popular after WWII. Today they are mostly decorative, but some still use them. It’s fun to read how smart the birds were in getting used to tin pans and blowing cloth that was attached to the scarecrows. Apparently, it didn’t take long before the birds were eating again. Kind of like my deer deterrents. They get used to the smell of the spray and come back for a nibble!

Ohio loves the scarecrows so much they have a Scarecrow Festival in Washington Court House and a Trail of Scarecrows throughout Fairfield County. There are 300 scarecrows scattered through 14 communities in the county. It would take time to find all of them, but driving in that beautiful area would be fun for an hour or two. Of course a stop for lunch would be necessary!

I have a couple scarecrows, and I love their silly faces. They make me smile! So, if you need to smile, buy a scarecrow!

People I know I See in Books

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Reading novels has broadened my understanding of people’s personalities and difficulties.

I read for enjoyment, but I always learn something from the author. I admit I do discard quite a few books before I find the right one. The main character has to be someone I either find interesting or someone I can relate to. There have been several books I stopped reading because the main character was unrelatable or unlikable.

I recently finished a book about a 30 year old woman who had severe social anxiety. I know someone like that and after reading the book, I had a new understanding of how social functions affect her. People in the story kept forcing her to attend functions in hopes her social anxiety would vanish. You know, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. I could picture my friend staying in a corner and being forced to join in when she was perfectly happy just watching. Of course a quick departure occurs after being brought into the group.

In my past, I avoided parties where I knew people would be drinking too much. My father was an alcoholic, and I can not stand being around intoxicated people. I became very good at finding excuses for not attending a party or I just left early.

I understood my friend much better after reading Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan and myself too. The library is one of my happy places. Just seeing so many books makes me smile in eager anticipation of what I’m going to find. Books bring me understanding, knowledge and enjoyment.

A Roadside Cross

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This cross stands outside someone’s backyard along a busy road.

I frequently see small crosses along the road in memory of people who have lost their lives in an accident at that location. This cross was erected for a different purpose I think. I pass it often and wonder what effect it might have on those who see it.

I hope it reminds people that God is always available to hear from them. He brings comfort and if one is willing to be patient and listen, he brings guidance. The hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus comes to mind. People ask, how do I pray? My answer is to just talk to him. We can tell God anything and he will keep it private. He is understanding and if one gets in the habit of praying, a feeling of support and understanding is felt. I now look for the cross when I’m on that street. It reminds me that God is with me, always.

I enjoy reading people’s stories of miraculous healings. Miracles did not just occur in Biblical times. They occur today. We may see them through a medical discovery or as a a direct result of prayer. People have recovered from accidents and disease when they were told there was no hope. God never stopped listening and helping because someone never stopped praying.

President Trump being saved from an assassin’s bullet was indeed a miracle. He turned his head just in time. Why? God saved him. There is a scripture (Romans 8:31) If God is for us, who can be against us? I think that is true for each one of us. At Christmas we see the word Believe everywhere. I encourage people to believe now. Our world is in turmoil and I have found comfort in believing and trusting God. Give God a try! He loves you!