Thursday, August 9, 2018

30 Days of Summer - Post # 22 - My Summer Friend

We met less than a year ago as mutual bloggers on Sandra's Happy Homemaker Monday series. We seemed to have a lot in common (we both lived in the same state, came from the same area, enjoyed visiting some of the same places, doing some of the same things, etc.) and her posts always made me smile. 😊 Sometimes I would even laugh...right out loud. πŸ˜† Sometimes I still do! 

We learned early on, though, that we did have areas that we differed in, the greatest one, thus far, being that I love fall πŸπŸ„πŸŽπŸ‚πŸŒ» (which she doesn't) and she loves summer 🌞⚽πŸ‰πŸŒΊπŸ˜Ž (which I don't). LOL! Not too big a deal either way, but it is the one difference that really brought us together.

Last October I was invited to join Crystal Stine's Write 31 Days writing challenge. For the subject of my 31 day challenge, I chose to write about the joys of autumn. For me, it was something that I loved and, to me, the possibilities were endless! Jean took up the challenge, as well, and decided to join in as a way of maybe learning to appreciate certain aspects of the autumn season a little more than she did. I think we both did a fine job with it!

Earlier in the year, this year, I was bemoaning the fact that summer (my least favorite season) was looming large before me and I was dreading it. Jean quipped off something about maybe I needed to do a 30 Days of Summer blog series to help me better appreciate summer in all it's glory. 😜 What started out as, I think, a joke, turned out to be a great idea and we went with it! 

Jean and I teamed up for a 30 Days of Summer blog series and have been hosting it together since June 21st of this year. The idea was to put out two or three posts per week over the course of the season, until a total of 30 summer-themed posts have been posted towards summer's end on September 21st. We hoped that some other bloggers would jump on board and join us...and a couple have here and there and, for them, we are thankful...but, for the most part we've been on our own and that's okay. We've had a ball and, besides, we had to start somewhere and this has been a fun first go-around! 

Now...I have to say this...

I still don't love summer and I don't feel that my posts have been what they should be (or could be if I really did love it or if I actually had the time and energy to devote to it like I'd like to), but, it's been a lot of fun and I've enjoyed searching out the little things that make summer unique to me and in my neck of the woods...er uh...prairie, I mean.

And that brings me around to the main point! The funnest (that's fun-nest...not fun-ni-est) thing about this whole blogging journey with Jean is...that we got to meet in person! πŸ’—

On Saturday, July 28th, Jean made the two-plus hour trip down to the park where I work and I gave her the grand tour. She went through the nature center, we viewed the bison, and we even walked a trail together. It was awesome! (You can read more about Jean's trip to Prairie State Park by clicking HERE and HERE.)


Jean and I @ Prairie State Park
It was a great day and this whole blog series thing has been fun, but, the bottom line is...seasons come and seasons go, but Jean of So Not Organized will forever be my "summer" friend! 🌞 Enjoy and appreciate her!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

30 Days of Summer - Post #21 - Summer Picture and a Summer Poem of My Own

30 Days of Summer - Post #20 - The Dog Days of Summer




Wednesday, August 8, 2018

30 Days of Summer - Post #21 - Summer Picture and a Summer Poem of My Own

Euleta's Summertime Creation
My friend, Euleta, created this cool summertime picture and gave me permission to use it on the blog. Isn't it pretty? I need to have her show me how to do things like this! Thanks, Euleta! πŸ’—

And, after I wrote yesterday's post about the dog days of summer, the words to a poem, or a song, or something from long ago, kept flitting around in the recesses of my mind. I finally figured out what it was. It was a poem that I had written back in August of 1991. My cousin added music to it later and turned it into a song. Since it fits the summer theme I thought I might as well go ahead and share it here! So...here it is!

AUGUST
by Rebecca Knox

Warm winds blow
under summer's hot sun,
The dog days of August
filled full of fun.

Insects chirp loudly
of summer's last days,
The hot sun of August
sets blue skies ablaze.

The wind in the meadow
blows warm on my face,
While wild flowers dance
in the breeze like fine-lace.

A warm August breeze
is like wind of fire,
Filling my heart
with summer's desire.

Not much to it, really, but there it is! 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

30 Days of Summer - Post #20 - The Dog Days of Summer

Did you know that "the dog days of summer" is a real thing? I didn't until recently.


Photo Credit
I remember hearing about "the dog days of summer" as a child. I can remember my grandparents warning me to stay out of the water (wading or playing in the creek) because we were in "the dog days" and it was "dangerous". I can remember thinking, "What are "dog days"?", "Why do they happen?", "What's their purpose?" and "What do dogs have to do with it???" πŸ˜•

According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, "the dog days of summer" begin July 3rd and end August 11th. These are the 40 days that, traditionally, coincide with the dawn rising of Sirius, the Dog Star.

According to The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids, Sirius is the brightest star in the sky (not counting the sun, of course). Under the right conditions, Sirius can be seen with the naked eye during the daytime. Sirius is one star in a group of stars that form the constellation Canis Major, meaning "Greater Dog", thus, the nickname, the "Dog Star."


Photo Credit
In Ancient Egypt, the Nile River overflowed it's banks each year, usually beginning in late June. It was a welcome event because, with the floodwaters came rich soil that was needed to grow crops.

No one in Egypt knew exactly when the flooding would begin each year, but they noticed that it occurred just after Sirius began to rise before the sun. This event was so important to the Egyptian's survival that they began their new year with the New Moon following the star's first appearance on the eastern horizon. 

Unlike the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans, were not pleased with Sirius's appearance. They believed that the "combined heat" of Sirius and the sun is what caused the sweltering heat of the summer season and, with it, came drought, disease, and discomforts of all kinds including fever and lethargy. 

While I know that there is no "combined heat" of Sirius and the sun, I do often feel lethargic and generally unwell during the hot months of summer. That's one of the main reasons that I really don't enjoy summer as much as some people do.

Was all of this just superstition? When my grandparents warned me to stay out of the water during "the dog days of summer" because it was "dangerous" were they just passing along some old wives' tale that they had heard or grown up with themselves?

In 2009 a Finish study confirmed that the rate of infections were, indeed, higher during "the dog days of summer." The authors wrote, "This study was conducted in order to challenge the myth that the rate of infections is higher during the dog days. To our surprise, the myth was found to be true."

Today, due to a slow wobble of the Earth's axis, the Dog Star now seems to rise later in the year than it did in ancient times. Its ascension no longer coincides with the start of the Nile flood (which doesn't happen anymore anyway, due to the river being controlled by the Aswan Dam), but Sirius does still make its appearance during the long, hot days of summer.

So...there you have it..."the dog days of summer" is a real thing! 

To help you find Sirius in the nighttime sky, I am including this:

Canis Major (The Great Dog) is named for the larger of Orion's two hunting dogs (the other, Canis Minor, has only two stars). 

Finding Sirus in the Nighttime Sky

To find Canis Major, imagine a straight line through Orion's belt. 
Move your eyes left (south) until you come to a very bright star - that's Sirius, the nose of the dog. Look farther south to find a triangle of stars that marks the dogs hindquarters. 

Sirius in Canis Major
Photo Credit
Until next time...
~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...


Happy Homemaker Monday - August 6, 2018



30 Days of Summer - Post #19 - Summer Quote



30 Days of Summer - Post #18 - Summer Sales




Monday, August 6, 2018

Happy Homemaker Monday - August 6, 2018

Good morning, Dear Friends! HAPPY MONDAY! πŸ’—

Well...another month has fairly flown by and here we are...into our first full week of August! Can you believe it? How was your week and weekend?

Our week was good here...full. I worked at home Monday and Wednesday, but was on the run the rest of the week and weekend. 

On Tuesday I took a friend to Lamar to pick up her new glasses and do a little grocery shopping. That evening we celebrated granddaughter, Mercy's, 3rd birthday. 


Miss Mercy Getting Ready To Blow Out Her Candles
On Thursday a co-worker and I worked the Missouri State Parks booth at the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield. It's always fun to the work the fair, but it makes for a super long day. On Friday and Saturday I worked my regular shift at the park.

After church on Sunday John and I attended the local Bible Bee's Proclaim Day at our daughter and son-in-law's home. The children did an excellent job of reciting their verses and, afterwards, received their certificates and awards. We could tell that they've put a lot of work into Bible memorization and were very proud of all of them!

After Proclaim Day, John and I went to Lamar and took advantage of Missouri's Sales Tax Holiday. As we've done every year, since first learning about the tax-free weekend many years ago, we loaded up on enough notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, highlighters, and other items to last us a year. Even though the children are all grown now, with families of their own, I still continue to keep a daily prayer and study note journal (daily since April of 1992) and John does a lot of note-taking when studying for, and preparing, his sermons, etc., so, in a year's time, we really do go through a lot of these items and tax-free weekend is a great time to stock up on such things.

Enough about last week! On to the week before us! Please join me in visiting Sandra and the other lovely ladies for Happy Homemaker Monday over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. It's a real blessing! πŸ’—

Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and
all of the wonderful ladies of 
Happy Homemaker Monday!
Right now I am...

...finishing up my breakfast while working on this post.

Am thinking...

...about nothing really...except this post. Unlike most mornings, it's such a relaxing morning that the only thing I'm thinking about is what I'm typing at the moment. It's wonderful! 😊

On the breakfast plate...

THM Sweat Pant Oatmeal with blueberries, two clementines, and a cup of Twining's Irish Breakfast tea

The weather...

The heat is back, but only for another day, then cooler temperatures promise to prevail. (And, by cooler, I mean mid- to upper-80's instead of the upper-90's like we've been having.)  We desperately need rain. The grass is mostly brown now and it makes a crunchy sound when you walk on it. Everything is extremely dry.

On my reading pile...

I finished reading Jesus - The Open Door by Kenneth E. Hagin last night and plan to do the review today. I will test and mail a little later in the week. In addition to daily scripture reading, I am still reading Discover Nature at Sundown by Elizabeth P. Lawlor, as I have time. 

On the menu this week...


Monday - spinach and feta turkey burgers and oven fries
Tuesday - on the road
Wednesday - on the road
Thursday - chicken stuffed peppers and cheesy zucchini
Friday - broiled salmon on a bed of sauteed zucchini and baked potatoes with cottage cheese and chives
Saturday - turkey Italian sausage with oven roasted peppers and potatoes
Sunday - leftovers

On my 'to do' list...

- Monday - Plan the week ahead, do my weekly "home blessing", laundry, wash and clean out car
- Tuesday - Vote, wish our eldest son a happy birthday, work the Children's Health Fair in Adrian
- Wednesday - Out of town
- Thursday - Put up garden produce
- Friday - Work
- Saturday - Work
- Sunday - Church, work in the afternoon, view the Perseid meteor shower (provided it's not cloudy)


In the craft basket...

...nothing at this time.

Looking forward to this week...

...seeing our daughter and son-in-law's new home for the very first time! 🏑

Something interesting I watched...


...nothing that I can think of.

From the camera...

Bronze Sunflower Growing in the Backyard
Scripture passage...


Well, Ladies, that's it for this week! I pray that each and every one of you have a blessed and beautiful week ahead! And I'll see you next week! 

Until Next Time...
~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...



30 Days of Summer - Post #19 - Summer Quote




Be sure to visit our 30 Days of Summer blog series. To find out more check out this post on Jean's site and this one on mine. Jean and I hope you'll join us in our summertime adventure! 🌞

Thursday, August 2, 2018

30 Days of Summer - Post #19 - Summer Quote

Being from Missouri, I can tell you that Samuel Langhorne Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain), his books, and his sayings are pretty popular around here. 


Here is one of Mark Twain's "summer" sayings...


What do you think that Mark Twain meant by that? 

Until next time...
~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

30 Days of Summer - Post #18 - Summer Sales

30 Days of Summer - Post #17 - Summer Poems

Happy Homemaker Monday - July 30, 2018


Wednesday, August 1, 2018

30 Days of Summer - Post #18 - Summer Sales

Officially we're only half-way through summer, but, with "the first day of school" being just around the corner, autumn seems to be looming larger-than-life, at least as far as retailers are concerned. 

Over the weekend my husband and I were in Walmart. Two of the things that were on our shopping list were a hibachi grill and an ice-cream maker. No dice! They were out of both.  Both had been placed on summer clearance and were gone! 😲 


"Summer sales", "end-of-summer sales" or "summer clearance sales" are happening in stores everywhere...even at smallest ones...like the Lamar Greenhouse & Florist in Lamar, Missouri.
Lamar Greenhouse & Florist
103 E. 9th Street - Lamar, Missouri
My husband sent me there yesterday to pick up beet and turnip seed for a fall garden. When I pulled in the parking lot I saw the "summer sales" sign. Ohmygoodness! I went in and asked the lady in charge if I might photograph it. She said I could! I was so excited! 😊

Lamar Greenhouse & Florist
103 E. 9th Street - Lamar, Missouri
Lamar Greenhouse & Florist is such a beautiful place and, like most other shops and stores right now, they are marking down their summer stuff and clearing it out to make room for fall and winter items. If you're in the area, be sure and check them out! They've got some lovely items for home and garden! πŸ’—

Lamar Greenhouse & Florist
103 E. 9th Street - Lamar, Missouri
Speaking of summer sales...now is the time to stock up on school supplies! And, if you live in Missouri, the 'Back to School Sales Tax Holiday' is coming up THIS weekend! 😁


Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 3rd and ending at midnight on the Sunday following (the 5th), certain back-to-school items (clothing, school supplies, personal computers...even diapers (cloth and disposable) may be purchased tax-free! (For complete information click here.) This is a great time to, not only catch a lot of these items on sale, but to save a substantial amount on state and local taxes! 

Wherever you go and whatever you're doing, keep your eyes open for summer bargains, because there out there! Unless...of course...you miss them...like my husband and I did with the hibachi and ice-cream maker over the weekend. 😞 BUT...that's where Amazon Prime comes into play! πŸ˜‰ The hibachi arrived today and the ice-cream maker should be here tomorrow, which means summer fun is still in store at the Knox's! 😊

Until next time...
~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

30 Days of Summer - Post #17 - Summer Poems