Anchored

On top of Grandfather Mountain is a long metal swinging bridge. The winds coming across the ridge create extreme stress on the bridge. In order to keep the bridge stable, there are several heavy cables anchoring the bridge to the solid granite rock below. As a result, there is little chance of damage to the bridge. As we come to the last day of 2019, it is important to remember to stay anchored in 2020! What are your anchors?

New year has arrived

Every year has challenges

Stay anchored in truth

Remember what’s important…

Family // Faith in God // and Friends

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

 

Reminders of Spring

The warm days over Christmas have given the flower bulbs a jump start. I saw these daffodils pushing through the ground in my flower beds. It was a pleasant reminder that winter will not last long and spring is on the way.

While we celebrated with family and friends

Daffodils remind us the seasons never end

New growth has started generating new flowers

Pushing through the ground with warm sun and showers

Many cold winter days still to come

Plants will shiver as they wait for more sun

So… if January days give you the blues

Remember that spring will be here on queue

iPhone Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Doves in Winter

It is always interesting to me when people feel the need to put little jackets on their dogs or blankets over the backs of horses. I may be totally uninformed, but I think,  “Why would you do that?  What about all the other creatures in nature that spend all winter in the freezing cold. They all adapt to the temperature changes with thick hides and hair or fluffed up feathers and a high metabolism rate that keeps them comfortable. The dove above sits on my deck rail, right in the snow, and seems to be quite comfortable as he watches me eat my breakfast. You can see all those fluffed up feathers insulates him very well!

Mourning dove eyes me

eating my breakfast cereal

Not phased by cold snow

 

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Letters From Valley Forge

During the cold winter encampment at Valley Forge, Washington rallied the troops. A big Christmas surprise was about to take place. While the  British partied in Trenton, Washington loaded his men in boats and crossed the icy Delaware River in the dead of night for a surprise attack. The victory that took place would continue to be remembered in American History. I can imagine the letters sent home told exciting stories as the New Year came rolling in.

Christmas Victory

Brought troops hope for the New Year

Winter snow still falls

***

Stamp Art: Dwight L. Roth

Frank Tassone asked us to write a Haikai poem related to New Years.  As I thought about those freezing cold soldiers camped at Valley Forge, I wondered what they must be thinking as Washington laid out his plan to attack the British in Trenton, NJ. This is my Haibun about that time.

Join us at: https://frankjtassone.com/2019/12/28/haikai-challenge-119-12-28-19-new-year-shinnen-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/

 

 

Our 50th

Yesterday was our fiftieth wedding anniversary. Our whole family came home to celebrate with us. It was a wonderful day together. I received this tile from my wife for our twenty-fifth anniversary. This year I wrapped it up and gave it back to her. A reminder of the fifty years we have spent together.  Like our relationship, it has been cracked, but not broken. Now it is cemented together and stronger than ever

Happy Anniversary, my love…
Fifty years have flown by;
Through the years one thing remains; our vow of commitment to stay together for better and for worse.
We enjoyed many great years together with our family and our church. Our faith brought us through the Valley of the Shadow of death and out the other side.
We love our wonderful children and grandchildren. We pray that each one will use the values and principals we have taught them to find their own way.
I love you as much today as I did when we said our vows fifty years ago. Our love has grown and changed over the years, but I believe the love that brought us together was God ordained and he has seen us through.
Happy Anniversary my dear…
I love you with all my heart. I look forward to our next 50 years together.
December 27, 1969 – 2019

Photo: Dwight Roth

 

One Stitch at a Time

This quilt was made by my wife’s grandmother. She put a lot of love for her craft into each quilt. Back then the quilts were stretched across a quilting rack and stitched by hand. She and her friends would get together and spend time quilting and enjoying each other’s company.  You can see the beauty of the stitches in the floral design. These days quilts are still being made, but many are done on a long arm sewing machine.

One stich at a time

Friends creating a fine quilt

Love in each stitch

Needles pierce through cotton cloth

Winter snow remains outside

 

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

 

Songs, Frozen in Time

The songs of Christmas have endured for many years. Some are hundreds of years old and others more recent. Some have tried to change them or add to them, but the originals seem to be frozen in time; enjoyed over and over again.

Christmas chimes remain

Frozen like well loved carols

Waiting for a voice

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

A Birdhouse for my Grandson

This year we got our nine year old grandson his first tool box with real tools for Christmas. To help get him started, I cut out a birdhouse out of some scrap cedar lumber that I had in my garage.  I predrilled the holes and put in the screws. When I was finished I took it all apart and put the pieces and the screws in a zip-lock bag for him to put together. It will be a good project for him to complete.

Bag full of pieces

Grandson’s first Christmas project

Winter house for birds

***

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Cookies for Christmas

Today was a dreary, dark, and rainy day in North Carolina. With Christmas only two days away, I thought it would be a great day to bake cookies. I mixed up a double batch of my favorite oatmeal, walnut, and chocolate chip cookies. They turned out great! I bagged some of them to pass out to neighbors and friends. My family will enjoy the rest. It made five dozen in all.

Homemade cookies // fresh out of the oven

Filled with nuts and chocolate chips

Baked to perfection for any palate

A joy to make // a joy to share

Watching smiles and hearing yums

Christmas is just around the corner

My cookies are baked and ready

Merry Christmas!

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Happiness and Joy

Christmas is a time when many think it is what we get that brings happiness and joy. What often happens is that after all the gifts are exchanged and the holiday decorations are back in the box, the mood changes from happiness to depression and loneliness. What is the difference between happiness and joy in our life. I posted this poem earlier, but I felt that it might be appropriate for this Holiday season.

Happiness and Joy
Happiness is a little bird
Perched on the rail
Right within my grasp
Only to fly away
The moment
I reach out to take hold of it.

Joy is the blood
Pumping through my veins
A constant rhythm of rejuvenation
Not something to be possessed
Rather something to be
Joy is what keeps my soul alive

Photo: Dwight L. Roth