The Life of Mrs. Miles

JUDY BLUE HANDLE

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Not too much new yesterday - I spent the morning 'sweeping' the tops off the newly-trimmed hedges around the property. It's satisfying to see them turn into long green rectangles along the perimeter of the lawns. I'm learning a lot! I got a lot accomplished around home, backing up my photos and files being how it is a new month. If I haven't reminded you lately - BACK UP, BACK UP, BACK UP!

Last night was the third in the series of our second Picasa Photography night-class at the school. I'm still learning a lot there too, and everyone who's taking the course is very enthusiastic too! Don't hesitate if you have a Picasa question for me!

AFTER THE RAIN

It has been laid on my heart lately to write a few words (and borrow a few good words) about gossip. Its such an insidious thing... like a noxious weed. We love to think we don't do it - but it sneaks in in the subltlest of ways. It may start with simply sharing about someone and before you realize a bit of 'gossip' has slipped off of your tongue. Its alright to be concerned for people, to share information with others, but its not alright to share private information, or things which defame someone else. Gossip is destructive and not constructive - eg: it does nothing to better the one you speak of. Gossip is based on "I heard's" not "I know the facts" Its born of speculation.

Unless you are willing to do something to help this person, let it lie. If you don't you've given the enemy the power by simply reviving negative thoughts. You will be the one who earns unrest for having opened the subject at all! The best rule of all is to wonder if you would like to have someone talk about you like you are speaking of them. Why not give each person a clean slate - and politely decline to hear slander of others. Let the speaker clearly know you would prefer not to talk about it - it takes more courage to do this than it does to take part! Let sleeping dogs lie - enjoy the now, and the future, the way you hope others do for you!

There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us,
That it hardly becomes any of us,
To talk about the rest of us.

- Unknown Author

Quotation from Alice in Wonderland:

'If everyone minded their own business,' the Duchess said in a hoarse growl, 'the world would go round a good deal faster than it does.'

"A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends."

PROVERBS 16:28

A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

PROVERBS 20:19

Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

PROVERBS 26:20

ANYONE KNOW WHAT BIRD THIS IS?

There's a challenge going out on CBC Radio these days you might enjoy knowing about - you might even want to take part in:

Mark Kelley and Shelagh Rogers have been captaining the search for The Seven Wonders of Canada. As the pitching period draws to a close, Mark and Shelagh take a moment to take stock of the emotional range and complexity of some of the pitches.

You can find out more by clicking HERE

REDWING BLACKBIRD

I heard the most ridiculous thing on BBC radio late into the night last night (no, its not gossip - LOL!) There is a Judge who is suing a dry cleaners for 67 million dollars (truly!) for losing a pair of his trousers. Rather than me trying to get the story right you can click HERE to learn more.

Couple of good hints I gleaned from magazines for you:

Dab a bit of lemon, orange or vanilla extract on a tiny piece of cotton and place it in your fridge to keep it smelling fresh and clean!

If you're giving a birthday party, have a good photo handy, place it in a LARGE matt (give about 3 - 4 inches around the photo) and a frame which fits around. During the party, pass the matted photo around to guests to sign with a sentiment and then pop it into the frame at the end and present it to the birthday person!

I asked yesterday, after publishing Bonnie's list of things she enjoys about communing with nature around our beautiful place and I had a response from Jan Mary who says:

I loved your observations on nature - sometimes we are so busy we don't take time to stop and listen to nature, or even to hear God in silence. Search your hearts and be silent - Psalm 4 v4I love to walk by the sea near our holiday cottage on north coast of Northern Ireland (near the Giants Causeway) - crashing waves, seagulls, the noise of crunching over shells and sand, the smells and sounds of the sea.

Thanks for sharing Jan Mary!

I'm also curious to see all your gardens - how are they coming along? Changing things this year? Taken with a new plant? Why not share your garden here? Send me your photos at lalalime@hotmail.com and I will put together a slideshow to feature in the next week, if I get enough! For starters, why not slip over to VALINDA'S BLOG to see what's happening in her yard? (PS: great free scrapping downloads to be found there too!)

WONDER WHAT BIRD LIVES HERE?

Today in History:

1626 - Indians sell Manhattan Island for $24 in cloth & buttons

1776 - Rhode Island declares independence from England

1851 - 1st major SF fire

1878 - Phonograph shown for 1st time at Grand Opera House

1942 - Battle of Coral Sea begun (1st sea battle fought solely in air)

1961 - Malcolm Ross & Victor Prather set altitude record for manned balloon flight - 34 -668 m - over Gulf of Mexico

BARB'S HANDY TIP #253

Scrap/Blog Sorta thing...

Perhaps your not totally into digital scrapbooking yet, but you would like to make some purely digital scrapbooks to share with your friends on the internet... and you want something SIMPLE and cool... this is for you then... don't forget to send me a link to your albums - I would LOVE to see!

SCRAPBLOG