Wednesday, September 30, 2015

The A B C's of the Zoo

Soda pop vending machine at the Nashville Zoo, TN.
Photo taken by Laura Moody.

My mother and I were perusing through her teaching materials as I prepared for my next tutoring session with my student. I was pleasantly surprised when a well-preserved mimeograph machine page titled "The A B C's of the Zoo" appeared, complete with my name at the top written in my own elementary penmanship.

I do not know who originally wrote the piece but it is "catchy" and melodic as one might presume a 1970's poem to be. :)

I attached web site links to the names of some of the animals. Some feature non-profit organizations that are working to preserve the creatures while encouraging awareness of their existence. Enjoy!

A is for the Alligator with a mouth so big.
B is for the Beaver, who likes to build and dig.
C is for the Camel with a hump upon his back.
D is for the Duck who always goes quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.
E is for the Elephant, the biggest one is he.
F is for the Fox, he's just as smart as he can be.
G is for the Giraffe, with a neck that's oh, so long.
H is for Hippopotamus, so big and fat and strong.
I is for the Ibex, he's a cousin to the goat.
J is for the Jaguar with spots upon his coat.
K is for the Kangaroo, he's from the land Down Under.
L is for the Lion, the king whose roar is just like thunder.
M is for the Monkey, he's the cutest little thing.
N is for the Nightingale who always likes to sing.
O is for the Ostrich, he hides his head in the sand.
P is for the Pelican, his bill holds more than his belly can.
Q is for the Quail who has a little bitty tail.
R is for the Rabbit he's swifter than a gale.
S is for the Skunk, to tease him is to bungle.
T is for the Tiger he's the terror of the jungle.
U is for the Unau, an animal from Brazil. [NOTE: There must have been a typo (common with carbon copy creations) by the author as the original word for "U" on this line was "urno" but I found no such record for an animal with this name. I altered the list to include the animal Unau which fits the description. :)]
V is for the Vulture always waiting for the kill.
W is for Wolf, a mean and heartless cur.
X is for the Xerus with a tail of fluffy fur.
Just two more letters and this story will be told.
Y is for the Yellowtail, a fish that's painted gold.
Just one more letter then class will be dismissed.
Z is for the Zebra, the last one on the list.

Additionally, here is an excerpt from The Holy Bible, NIV version, Genesis 1, verses 20 - 25.

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Have a wonderful day!

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Friday, September 25, 2015

Creative Mornings!

Shadow self-portrait by Laura Moody, Nashville, TN.
 
An event that I regularly look forward to attending is the
CreativeMornings session in Nashville, TN
CreativeMornings chapter members meet in their respective
cities around the globe each month to network,
enjoy a cup of coffee (or tasty treat)
and to consider and discuss a pre-set theme.

Today's presentation was given by photographer and
business man Lee Steffen.
He spoke on Empathy at Studio 615.
He reminded us that each person's journey is unique and
yet at the same time will encompass some of the same
attributes as other people's paths. 
Each walk will include trials and errors but
nonetheless do not fear.
Keep pushing forward, experiencing each moment
and remember to be kind. :)

Here is a Lee Steffen quote from the a.m. event posted on
"Most importantly be kind. Art is a gift to make people's life brighter.
Be a light, whatever you do. "

I also want to add - keep learning and communicating!
Read books. Meet people. Travel!

Life here on earth is finite and we are here partly in order to enjoy it,
with all its incredible landscapes, cultures and creatures.
As life is a gift of the Lord Jesus, the other part of life is seeking Jesus and
having a relationship with Him. 
Then, as we thank Him for his precious gift and learn to be at peace in all circumstances, 
we will discover and soon know the definition of living
as our Sovereign God meant it to be!

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Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Quote by Helen Keller

Cinnamon stick and dried rose bud cross that I
purchased during a visit to Mykonos, Greece.
Photo by Laura Moody.

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.
They must be felt within the heart."
- Helen Keller
 
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Thursday, September 3, 2015

Gentle Giant Moves Us

When I saw this truck, I thought of the song
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands.

Our Lord Jesus moves His followers where he needs them and 
usually there are multiple purposes for the event! It goes something like this:

#1 - So the person relocating may learn to trust Jesus more.

#2 - So that the person may continue to live as Jesus intended,
free and with joy, holding tightly to the Lord's hand
as their every step is guided.

#3 - So that the Lord may use that person to share the love of Jesus Christ
with others who need to experience it which
will prompt their relationship
 to grow with our Lord and Savior too.
Jesus is Sovereign and so is His overarching plan for the world
and the people that exist in it.
How exciting to be a part of the Lord's Will,
 knowing we have a purpose!

As I considered how to write this post, knowing I wanted to use the photo above of the Gentle Giant Moving Company truck that I snapped en route, but not sure exactly what words to incorporate with it, I researched the Gentle Giant Moving Company on the Internet.

The company was founded by Northeastern University rowers a little more than 30 years ago. That made me smile and acknowledge my Lord and Savior because I have my own connection to the wonderful sport of rowing.


Jesus allowed me to organize my Virginia high school's first rowing team that continues to exist today. It began as a club in 1984 and continues to give children the opportunity every year to learn how to stay fit and work together as a team.

Thank you my Lord for the life you have allowed me to lead and for the relationships you have allowed me to experience each decade! May your Light in me shine brightly as you continue to use me to encourage, inspire, teach and love others in Your Precious Name.

 (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest")

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