The Life of Mrs. Miles

ASSORTED TAPES ELEMENT #13

delightful dogs and puppies

(credit: pics from stock xchng)

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If you RIGHT CLICK on the download link, and choose the option "Open in New Window" you won't be taken away from my blog entry, rather you will be able to download the element and still read today's entry.

O God, I thank thee

for all the creatures thou hast made, so perfect in their kind -

great animals like the camel and the monkey,

friendly ones like the dog and the cat,

working ones like the horse and the ox,

timid ones like the squirrel and the rabbit,

majestic ones like the lion and the tiger,

for birds for their songs.

O Lord give us such love for thy creation

that love may cast out our fear,

and all thy creatures see in man

their priest and friend,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

- Bishop George Appleton

I hope you enjoy these canine themed tapes - I've had so many wonderful suggestions for tape themes pouring in -and dogs and cats are the most popular request so far. Catsrul, Sheryl & Heather specifically - you requested these tapes. Still collecting suggestions, folks!

I want to thank you so much. When I recieve comments for our blog I usually try to track you down thru Blogger to visit your blog - but some of you don't have blogs and I have no way to say hello or thank you. Some of you tell me you find our blog a safe, happy, encouraging, warm place to be and that means so much to me. I know some of you work jobs and can't get here daily. I know some of you are busy with young families. I can't know all your situations, but I do know I can pray for you all. Some of you are so faithful with your comments and that is amazing to me, some of you do a blanket thanks when you can - I've had to do this too, at times. No matter, it all does mean a lot to me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. My blog truly is your blog!

Bonnie and I went for a bike ride early yesterday morning. When was the last time you were out on a bike? Its funny, but when we are kids, a bike is a magical form of transportation which allows us to travel speedily from place to place... the obvious form of transportation before we graduate to vehicles as adults. Who doesn't have fond memories of learning to ride, or teaching a youngster to ride, sans training wheels?

Unfortunately, for most of us, as we get to be adults, when we forgo our bicycles for cars and they wind up in the garage, collecting cobwebs, or only coming out occaisionally. Miles and I go through phases with our bikes - usually they come out about a dozen times through the warmer months of the year, and we've taken them on holidays some years as well.

If you haven't done it yet this year - crack out your bike! My rides so far have been a small reconnecting of the magic I had riding as a kid. Once I got over the strange feel of it - it was hugely empowering and freeing! How exhilirating it is to zing down a big hill with the wind whistling through my hair (ends only... don't forget to wear a helmet at all times!)

Bonnie and I rode along some rural roads and stopped to smell all the flowers and pull out some weeds. Babies Breath grows wild here and I picked some to bring home as well. The big stop we made along the way was at a home where Bonnie's friend Brenda lives as I HAD to take some time to appreciate the incredible trees in her yard. Brenda, thank you for allowing me to come into your yard to photograph and admire these majestic beauties. What a thing to have these colossal giants grace your property!

To get a sense of how HUGE these trees are, just look at the basket at the base of the tree, to the right. This basket is at least a foot and a half tall and probably two and a half feet wide!

Can you imagine the critters this tree could house? To me, it would be like a giant condo unit for creatures and birds. Oh, if this tree could talk, surely the tales it could tell. Imagine the picnics its sheltered and the storms it has weathered!

Brenda told us that these trees were planted by her father back in 1957... hey, thats not so long ago (haha, I was born in 1958)... so I can only fantisize about the incredible growth these trees go through every single year. This tree, hundreds of feet high, is as only as old as me?

These trees are so tall that my neck got kinked from looking up to the tops, where they seemed to be tickling the bottom of the clouds! I wouldn't be surprized they are tall enough to tickle rain out of the bottoms of the clouds for drinks!

Won't you take a moment to admire a tree today?

Use everything as if it belongs to God.

It does.

You are God's steward.

"The earth is the Lord's and all it contains,

the world,

and those who dwell in it."

Psalm 24:1

THIS SQUIRREL (on trunk) HAS LUXURY ACCOMODATIONS!

Today in History:

1665 - English rename New Amsterdam NY after Dutch pull out

1776 - Va 1st to adopt Bill of Rights

1838 - Hopkins Observatory - dedicated in Williamstown - Mass

1917 - Secret Service extend protection of pres to his family

1936 - 1st 50KW radio station - Pittsburgh Pa

1946 - Philippines National Day

1957 - Paul Anderson of US back-lifts a record 2850 kg

1967 - USSR launches Venera 4 for parachute landing on Venus

1979 - Bryan Allen flew man-powered Gossamer Albatross over English Channel

1982 - 750 -000 anti-nuclear demonstrators in Central Park NYC

1986 - P W Botha declares South African national emergency

BARB'S HANDY TIP #280

Find a Phrase

I always ASSUME... I assume, because I just know, that you all know about this terrific resource for finding phrases and sayings and qoutes etc... If you're a digital scrapbooker, or scrapbooker at all, chances are you do know this site... but this site would be great for almost anyone! I'm talking about the Two Peas site - and in particular, the search feature of their 'soup' - the resources for their quotes etc... Just plug in your key word an it will spit out a wealth of good 'stuff'' .... While you're here you should check out the rest of the site - its chock full of wonderful goodies (its highly addictive...)

TWO PEAS