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!

Is Christmas Just a Season?

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January 6, 2025 is the Epiphany and ends the Christmas season.

According to the nativity story the wise men arrived 12 days after Jesus’s birth. That Epiphany is the celebration of the wisemen’s arrival. Of course in the gospel of Matthew 2:1-11, “the wise men came into the house and saw the child with Mary.” That could mean Jesus was not a baby and the fact that King Herod ordered all children two and under be killed may support this belief. Does it matter? It doesn’t to me. His birth and his teachings are what matters.

During advent we lit the candles of hope, joy, peace and love. I’d like to carry that into the new year. I know I always feel a little sad when the holidays end and the gray skies don’t help. I know I’m not alone. The words of advent could be something to embrace as 2025 begins.

I talked with a woman recently who had no hope, couldn’t find joy, had no peace and questioned why anyone would love her. She hated her job, health issues were overwhelming, sleepless nights and feeling unworthy of love filled the conversation. Her hope was in medication and then maybe she could do something about her job and other issues in her life. I felt helpless. I realized all she wanted was a listening ear and all I could do was pray. I say pray is all I could do, but it really is everything! That’s the message of Christmas. Jesus brought us hope, joy, peace and love and taught us to pray and have faith. I want to carry that into the new year. Wishing all of you hope, joy, peace and love and the belief that prayer works.

Keeping Thanksgiving!

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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

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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!

Cake Walks still exist!

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Kids receive cupcakes instead of an entire cake as their cake walk prize.

Cake walks have changed since they originated on slave plantations. Participants no long prance in a square formation but walk around in a circle. These cupcakes will be given to the child who is standing on the right number when the music stops. A lot of fun and sugar will be consumed at the church’s annual Easter egg hunt today.

I found the history of the cake walk fascinating. It was originally called the prize walk and slave owners judged the dancing. Couples stood with the men in the inside of the square and apparently imitated their white master’s movements. The men’s movements consisted of haughtily tipped heads and high prancing legs while the women were judged on their grace. The prize was an elaborately decorated cake and from what I read, the slave owners didn’t see themselves in the men’s movements.

In the late 1800’s, minstrel shows featured the cakewalk. The dancers were always men and even the black participants wore black face. The cake walk became so popular that in 1897 a national competition was held at New York’s Madison Square Gardens. It’s not surprising that music was affected by the cake walk movements and it is believed to have influenced ragtime music. Scott Joplin mentioned the cake walk in his song The Ragtime Dance. When minstrel shows lost popularity to vaudeville, the cake walks moved to carnivals.

I remember cake walks as a fund raiser when I was in school. Everyone was excited about winning a cake even if you had a mother who baked. I never won one but it was always fun. The history of the cake walk makes me appreciate the custom even more.

Spring is Here!

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The crocus awakened early this year.

The crocus are always a welcome sight and were a pleasant surprise in February. The daffodils are blooming now, and as usual, they were snowed on. It didn’t hurt them a bit. According to Google, they can survive temperatures as low as 25 degrees.

In Latin, crocus means saffron. I wonder who thought of drying the stigma of the crocus to use in cooking. Iran produces the most saffron and it is very expensive. On Amazon, I found prices ranging from 1oz. costing $64.00 to $139.95. There’s a reason I don’t cook with saffron. Actually, I don’t have any idea what it tastes like. That’s okay, because I’d probably be allergic to it!

Other things happen in the spring besides flowers blooming. One is the dreaded time change. I wish Congress would vote to stop these time changes. Every fall and spring we go through this and it’s time to stop! I think I’m a voice in the wilderness but honestly, it wrecks havoc on people.

Did you know Martha Stewart has a spring cleaning check list? You might check it out. I got tired just reading it. I admit I have a spring cleaning gardening list. It’s a lot more fun. I’ve already started pulling weeds. I thought if I got an early start they’d realize how serious I am about keeping them out. They are determined to live in my flower beds. Stupid weeds.

Spring officially starts next week, but we have already experienced the warmer temperatures. I know there will still be cold days and I might look over Martha’s list on one of them. Today I garden! How lucky I am to have sun and 70 degrees in March. God is good!

A Day to Show Love

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February and December have a lot in common.

February is a cold month in Ohio so the red sweaters worn in December still work in February. Red and white candles can still be used along with a few branches of greenery. The most important thing both share is they are months where people talk about love.

We love the gifts we received, the special food prepared and in general the feeling of love. December tends to wear people out, but February is a month where we can concentrate on the meaning of love. Many people get married in February and the popular Bible verse about love is read. It is probably something that should be posted in the home and read regularly.

Paul talks about love in the book of Corinthians 13: 4-8. He begins with patient and kind and continues with what love isn’t. It isn’t envious, boastful, self-seeking and is not easily brought to anger. The next is a difficult one. Love doesn’t keep a record of wrong doings. I admit I struggle with patience and remembering the wrong doings. It’s hard not to say, ” I remember when you …..”

I love my family but I admit I sound like a nag when I remind family members to hang up their coats, put their dishes in the dishwasher and to throw their clothes down the clothes shoot. I’m sure that would be considered not patient. I probably fail slow to anger too. I choose to think of myself as being irritated and not angry though. I’ve always heard it’s easier to show kindness with people you don’t live with, for example, your friends and co-workers. I admit I see truth in that statement.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the first day of lent. I have decided to focus on Paul’s description of love. He says love never fails. Love protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. I plan to persevere! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Where have you found help?

/ Jeanne Lemmon Skinner / 1 Comment

Help found in unexpected places.

I was recently in a group when we were asked to think of someone who had helped you when you really needed it. For me, it was Mr. Stover.

When I was 19, I was in my second year of college and had to not only pay for my tuition, (which I was doing) but now had to pay rent and other living expenses. This was because my mom got married and moved out of town. I was happy to share an apartment with my sister, and I felt very grown up to be on my own. However, I needed money to pay for this new adult responsibility.

I was fortunate to work for a man, Mr. Stover, who allowed me to work whenever my schedule allowed. Every quarter my hours changed along with my schedule, and he accommodated me. During my breaks, he let me work full time. My co-workers were supportive of my crazy schedule and I felt part of the work family. They frequently talked about their faith and their churches. This was a new experience. I had grown up in the church, but I never heard anyone talk about their faith outside of church. It made me think about the strength of my faith.

My senior year, I had student teaching so I could only work on breaks. Thankfully, I had earned a scholarship to pay for school, but I needed money to live on. Whatever days I had off, I was allowed to work. I know I could have never made it without Mr. Stover. I believe God led me to that small company because he knew I’d find help there. I sat at a wheel and packed doll house accessories!

I would love to hear who God put in your life. I imagine here have been more than one person. Please share!