Thursday, July 30, 2015

Good Morning from God!



My lovely friend Faith gave me this cross and I share the message with you. :) 
It says: Good Morning this is GOD. I will be Handling all your Problems TODAY.
What a wonderful Savior our Lord Jesus is. Amen!

<>< 

Monday, July 27, 2015

Children Learn What They Live - A Poem


This wonderful poem hung on our home wall since I was a child: 
It makes a lot of sense. :) 

We all affect each other on this Earth. 
I pray that adults will impact children in positive ways 
so that they in turn will teach and empower the generation that follows them 
and that this educational process will continue into the future.

p.s. Several versions of the poem have appeared over the years. 
I have provided the links above for your review.

Wishing you much peace and joy this day!
<>< Laura


Sunday, July 26, 2015

So You Want To Be A Mermaid? Why Not?!


My young family members love to swim and sure enough they have learned about mermaids in children's story books. When I saw these marvelous store displays in Occoquan, VA years ago (designed by Steven Lippert of Any Ideas) I could not help but snap a few photos to share. The mannequins were life size and I did a double take wondering if they were live models :). 

In response my family told me about Fin Fun Mermaid, a company that sells mermaid tails.
I was able to see the girls wearing and swimming with their recently purchased 
mermaid monofins at the beach as well as in their pool this year. 
Very exciting indeed!

p.s. Walt Disney World, some state parks and even aquariums hire ladies to dress as mermaids and perform in costume. Always fun for the little ones to see.

Happy Summer!
<>< Laura

http://latestlinesfromlaura.blogspot.com

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Never Stop Learning! :)


Alison.com is a web site that offers FREE online resources
to help individuals develop new workplace skills. 

There are multitudes of courses including those on digital photography,
foreign languages, pc software programs and even plumbing!

With many of the Alison.com courses there is the ability to earn a certificate
and at the very least add a new skill to your resume.
Learn something new today!

<><

Friday, July 24, 2015

Fill Your Gas Tank with the Good Stuff!


Not only is it important to fill your mind with positive thoughts and 
your body with healthy nutritious items, 
the same practice should be followed when caring for your automobile! 

Be sure to pump gasoline in your car that is considered Top Tier which helps reduce the build up of impurities left by gasoline while it is in the engine. 

The benefits of using Top Tier gasoline include reducing engine damage and increasing automobile performance.

Many retailers in the US and abroad sell it. In fact, you might already be using it. :) 
Some retailers on the Top Tier Gas List are:  BP, Exxon, Mobil and Shell.

Happy Traveling! (*Beep ~ Beep!*) <>< Laura

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Aloha - What A Wonderful World!

So many wonderful voices have been heard on song recordings of "What A Wonderful World."

I really like the renditions by Louis Armstrong and "Iz" a.k.a. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole who has a Hawaiian ukulele version (medley with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow).

Below is a video of Iz performing live of a different tune. I chose to share it here on my blog because it shows Iz telling the audience about Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, at the 1:55 mark on the You Tube video.



Have a blessed day! Love, Laura

<><

Monday, July 20, 2015

Mom's Biscuits and Nature Nate's Honey

Do you see the two honey bees in this photo?
They have enjoyed the pollen tremendously from this Rose of Sharon bush this summer!
Photo taken by Laura Moody in Nashville, TN. 

Home cooking is often so much better than dining out, primarily because it is less expensive but also because those tried and true recipes that have been perfected over time are always lovingly welcomed into awaiting relative's tummies! Case in point - Mom's biscuits!

While I must say that Cracker Barrel biscuits come in a close second 
(and fyi retail CB locations serve free biscuits with purchase of an appetizer or entree order), 
Mom's practice all these years with her trusty recipe printed in her red and white checked 

This morning we ate them as on previous occasions with Nature Nate's 100% Pure Raw & Unfiltered Honey. Today though is when I noticed that the label on the product had a Bible verse: Thy Word is sweeter than honey. Ps. 119:103. This pleased me greatly. 
So I hopped online to learn more about the company.

I like Nature Nate's Story very much! The honey is very good too. :)

<><

htttp://latestlinesfromlaura.blogspot.com


Saturday, July 18, 2015

Ode to Boo



    
He was always up for a photo session except for when he wasn't. :) 


Wishing you a pleasant rest this day! 
<><

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

I Love Snowflakes! :)


This is a photo of my latest pet Snowflake. 
This week I shared my story of how I now own her. 
Of course as cat lovers well know, who owns who? :)

The authors of the book Rescued Kitties: A Collection of Heart-Warming Cat Stories are publishing a sequel. I replied to Taylor and Klassen's Craigslist.org ad to have Snowflake's and my story considered for inclusion in their next collection. 

Below is what I sent them. Enjoy!

Christmas in July :) by Laura Moody

One of my absolutely favorite things is a snowflake. How wonderful it is that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ could make each one unique, never to repeat another. It is almost a shame they disappear so rapidly and that they are so miniscule! I am certainly glad we have microscopes to see their beauty. It is equally as wonderful that Jesus also makes each person unique, for His purposes alone. We all have a purpose in God's eyes and He has planned good works for us to complete well in advance of our birth. Our God is good like that! :)

(For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 - The Holy Bible NIV) 

For 18 years I had the privilege of owning and caring for two brother cats that I rescued from the county shelter. At 6 months old, they had already had one home and were given up for adoption because they had climbed the curtains. Obviously the previous owners were first time kitten parents! All I could do was shake my head and make arrangements to be the mom for Boo and Scooter. Each one wore a furry tuxedo, complete with white socks, mittens and shirt. :) Boo showcased the black suit and Scooter the gray one. I enjoyed many good times with them. For the majority of their lives they were indoor kitties. Later in their lives though I really wanted them to experience the outdoors. It was great fun to see Boo run at a steady gait the 100 yards behind my townhouse on the green grass. He reminded me of a puma! Scooter regularly enjoyed climbing the wooden fence similar to how a squirrel might shimmy up a tree. Often he would find his way to the top of my garden shed and sun himself while curled in a ball with a nice little smile on his face. Both cats enjoyed the garden very much and spent many days lying in oxalis clover and orange mint as well as reclining on the steel gray field rocks I used for landscaping.

Boo lived until December 2012 and Scooter lived another year, passing in Jan. 2014. While I was sad at no longer having them with me, I also enjoyed not having to scoop poop for a while. Then, it happened. I missed having a pet. In particular, I missed having a cat as a pet. So, on route one day in July 2014, I passed by the shelter in my car. I saw their sign that said pet fee waived for the coming week. Yahoo!

I took advantage of the opportunity and soon found myself at the shelter looking at all the animals and then ultimately focusing in on all the cats. I noticed a very cute Maine Coon kitten with blue eyes that unfortunately had a bit of an infection. It was so young and I really thought it would be nice to give such a little itty-bitty thing so new to the world a comfortable home. I kept looking around at the other choices and there in one of the bottom cages was an extraordinarily beautiful long haired, all- white cat with pink ears, pink nose and light blue bright eyes. They were just like marbles!

I read the description of the cat and found out that she was a 2 year old female named Snowflake!!! I was pleased and happy and a big smile appeared on my face. I asked the attendant why Snowflake was here and after hearing about her last family, which included 2 adults, 3 kids, 2 other cats and a dog, I rationalized that she would clearly be a lot less stressed and not continue with restroom issues if she was mine.

I did not go home with her that day we met. I was still on the fence about the little sick Maine Coon kitten. So I prayed and decided I would return to the shelter in 2 days. I asked Jesus to show me which feline I should have and if it was His will that I own a pet again. I was excited to see what would transpire later in the week!

On that Thursday I arrived prior to the opening hour to see two on-call vets enter while I was waiting in line. I asked if they were going to see the sick little Maine Coon kitten and they replied that they were. I waited with a mom and her children on the bright sunny day and we discussed which pet we were interested in. They were quite relieved when I said I wanted a cat, because they were after a husky dog which according to them was quite popular and they were hoping to be the ones to adopt the animal which they had seen on the shelter's web site.

At last we entered the building and quickly moved to our respective animal areas to see who was still available. I checked for the kitten first. Its cage was empty. Then I checked all the other cages for Snowflake. She was there! I asked to spend time with her in the visiting room. She seemed a little nervous but certainly playful, alert and curious. I thanked my Lord Jesus and went to the counter to secure her.

While I was at the counter, another new pet owner was working on finalizing her adoption too. The representative I had was not aware of the pet adoption fee being waived that week, so I was very appreciative of the customer nearby repeating what I had already stated. I also learned that Snowflake had a microchip embedded under her skin for tracking purposes. I never had a pet with that sort of technology so it was a bonus in case she ever got lost. (Note - That is exactly how I had ended up at the shelter 20 years ago and securing Boo and Scooter. The cat Pooh that my west coast housemate had given me had traveled cross-country with me from Los Angeles, California to Northern Virginia. He spent most of the time under the front seat of the car while on route and at a hotel I had to use my jack-knife to remove mattress material in order to retrieve him from his secret hiding place of the bed's box spring. That was pretty funny. Pooh even saw snow for the first time within four months of arriving on the east coast. Sadly my cool cat disappeared one evening when no one was home. I searched for the animal for months and even placed notes in neighbors' mailboxes asking if they had seen it. For your information please do not open other peoples' mailboxes and insert lost pet notices even if the mailboxes are next to the curb. I received a phone call from the local postmaster saying that it was against the law. I didn't know. I was very distraught. My Cali cat was gone. The great news though is that many times good things have a way of appearing after perhaps some not so good things have taken place. So in that case long ago, even though Pooh never came home,  I later had a chance to rescue two more kitties from the shelter - Boo and Scooter.)

So before I left the shelter with Snowflake, I knew to check the area where they gave away new pet owner supplies. I had already prayed and asked Jesus to have a large cat carrier be there so that when I put my house on the market, Snowflake could be kept safe when visitors came to view the property. Jesus provided that too. :) As it happened, the metal cage was white, with a red metal tray the length of its bottom. It reminded me of a sled.

(And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 - The Holy Bible NIV) 

Christmas in July surely happened as I took home my presents mid-day!

<>< 

Sunday, July 12, 2015

A Change Is Gonna Come - An Exhibition


This is my entry for the upcoming 

In October 2015, the gallery will display digitally projected handwritten words 
such as poems, letters, or stories (with perhaps some creative doodles included) 
that explore the need for social change from one or more vantage points.

Click here to view the PDF file that features all the submissions.

I discovered the opportunity at the Art Deadline web site. 
Entry was free to the public. :)
I hope you were able to join in! 

<>< Laura

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Tried and Truly Delicious! Sinless Raw Dark Chocolate Cashew Bar :)


It's official - I give the Sinless Raw chocolate bar an A+! 

I purchased the Cashew variety from Whole Foods grocery and while the price was steep, the taste was wonderful! A fellow consumer at the store alluded that because it is made with such fine ingredients, one is inclined only to eat a bit at a time and thus it lasts longer in your cubbard. After my positive taste test I am sure he is right!

Sinless Raw Food Inc.'s mission is to make nutritious enjoyable raw food products which have a very positive effect on the human body when consumed!

Like them on Facebook and check out their FAQ to learn more about the raw, vegan and organic ingredients in their chocolate. 

My favorite Sinless Raw Dark chocolate bar ingredient is LOVE.

Have a great day! <>< Laura

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Mail Art / Postal Art / Correspondence Art & Dürer's Praying Hands


So I entered a contest and learned about a worldwide artistic movement
that was invented in the 1950s called Mail Art. 

Basically an organizer calls for entries and invites participants to write and make art. The pieces are then sent through the postal service to a destination where the organizer then collects them and plans a gallery event to display the entries. There is always a theme so that artists have a guideline for their creativity.

The Nashville Arts Magazine featured the opportunity and I thought to myself, why not?! 

For those of you who did not grow up writing letters using traditional pen, pencil or crayons and then adding stickers, marker colors and ink stamps to embellish the page, my image might be a treat. :) 

Here is the web site link for the "Letter to Me" opportunity. 
It also features links to the history of Mail Art and other Mail Art sites:

p.s. The sticker of Dürer's Praying Hands did not show at the bottom of my Letter to Me entry. Inbetween the diagonal words "Free!" should have been an image that resembled this charm.



These charms are sold through various Internet and retail stores across the U.S. and Canada.
Bliss is a U.S. manufacturer that creates them.

Have a super day! <>< Laura

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