1. Oktoberfest

Rainy weather or fair

fall is in the air.

Daily, leaves falling

as if trees undressing.

Never in a hurry, though,

for the process is rather slow

as one by one leaves float

sometimes laden with rain, soaked.

Quiet, except for the song

of plopping leaves on the lawn.

Something calming about this sound

as leaves pile up in a mound.

Other trees showcase their autumnal bounty

with red, yellow, or green apples pretty -

Cortland, Empire, Macintosh, Northern Spy,

Yellow Delicious, Granny Smith...my oh my!

When autumn rains cease,

Jack Frost shows his face

causing the leaves to fall faster

even as dusk arrives earlier.

Before Jack Frost comes to visit, though,

the garden is cleared of what still grows.

A cornucopia awaits

to one night fill your dinner plate.

Potatoes, winter squash, cabbage, carrots, and beets,

colorful nutrition grew under the summer heat

soaking in the goodness of summer.

Flavors to be savored this winter.

A bountiful harvest

of the garden’s finest

produce

for our use.

Oktoberfest, filled with activity,

though not from busy pollinating bees

for cooler temperatures

mean bees no longer tour.

Dates await one day soon

on sunny afternoons

when with rake in hand

dried leaves are banned.

The quiet activity of drifting leaves

is replaced with raking up these decaying leaves.

The end of another season

has come too soon again, we reason.

It’s Indian Summer

according to old timers

when temperatures daily rise

thanks to the bright sun in the sky.

All too soon trees are bare

showing off their underwear.

Skeleton limbs against the sky

outlined when the moon shines by and by.

Other skeletons seen late October

just before the advent of November.

Maybe a goblin or two

or a witch stirring ghoulish brew.

That means it’s already Halloween.

October 31st. Someone screams

“trick or treat,” “trick or treat.”

Oktoberfest, it’s a treat!

* * * * *

Despite physical or emotional anguish

everyday is meant as a celebration, a fest,

as God’s gift of creation

is bestowed on us humans.

Creation which gave us sunlight

to provide warmth and to give us light;

nighttime for needed respite

when stars twinkle as the moon rotates.

The refreshing rain that waters the earth

and brings forth the miracle of new birth

from seeds and plants which miraculously grow

for God intended that we reap what we sow.

The harvest of what we sow

carefully tended to grow.

A good return on our investment,

with a thank you prayer heaven sent.

Yes, we find, creation

is a celebration

of God’s many blessings

warranting thanksgiving.

You’ll find when you are thankful,

instead of being fearful,

that those doubts and worries will disappear

as a grateful heart will appear.

Note: Worry is fear. Doubting that God is able.

In the beginning

God created

the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

...he who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,

who gives breath to its people,

and life to those who walk on it...

Isaiah 42:5

Everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made.

Isaiah 43:7

A man reaps what he sows...

Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:7b,9

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,

and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

II Corinthians 9:6

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1

Give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God’s will for you

in Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:18

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AFTER

 

AFTER

After Jack Frost came

leaves fall down like rain.

The grass is now stained

with multicolored leaves lain.

When you look out the windowpane,

you'll hear raking calling your name.

After Jack Frost came

expect to feel some pain

for raking causes strain

and a blister you'll gain.

You might lean on the rake as a cane.

You'll take a break if you have half a brain.

After Jack Frost came

you'll need to deadhead canes

for flowers will look wane

and foliage looks drained

for Jack Frost is not vain.

He causes autumn bane.

After Jack Frost came

there might be some rain

on the worn weather vane

then running down the drain

where drains into the rain

barrel filling up with rain.

After Jack Frost came

shorter days now reign.

Trees, now leafless and plain

outlined against the gray sky stained.

Snow flurries mixed with rain

come after Jack Frost came.

After Jack Frost came

snow falls down like rain

outside the windowpane.

I'm under an afghan, lain.

Seed catalogs call my name.

Dreaming of spring I feign.

* * * * *

What comes after life?

There's everlasting life

for those who believe in Christ.

It's too late after you die

to believe then decide

for death is a final goodbye.

Bye to your loved ones

when your life is done,

then deciding is gone.

Bye to eternal life

free from damning strife

which pierces like a knife.

Please, make the right decision today

before death comes to call you away.

“I believe in Christ” is all you need say.

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Christ,”

and believe in your heart*

that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord

will be saved.

Romans 10:13

* NIV note: The heart is not merely emotions and affections, but also the intellect and will. (Copied)

Believing is a personal choice to believe and confess. There’s a simple ABC formula: Acknowledge, Believe, Confess. An act of the intellect, will, emotions and affections.

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

Life a Garden Party recent review

 Recent review of Life Is a Garden Party:

"Judy, Life Is a Garden Party: Gardening Observations with Spiritual Applications in Rhyme caught my attention with its delightful blend of nature, poetry, and spiritual reflection. I appreciate how you use the familiar beauty of a garden to invite readers to slow down and notice the wonders that often go overlooked in everyday life. The songs of birds, the work of pollinators, the fragrance of herbs, and the colors of blooming flowers all provide lovely reminders of the beauty and abundance surrounding us.

What I find especially appealing is your creative approach of pairing gardening observations with biblical lessons expressed in rhyme. This combination sounds both enjoyable and meaningful, offering readers an accessible way to connect the natural world with Scripture. I like the idea that a garden tour can become more than a pleasant experience; it can also encourage reflection on gratitude, health, patience, and the many blessings found in ordinary moments. Your whimsical and personal style promises to make these lessons inviting for readers of different ages.

Your reminder to stop, listen, and appreciate the music of the garden is particularly meaningful. Life can become so busy that we forget to pause and enjoy the simple gifts around us. I appreciate how your writing encourages readers to recognize God’s hand in creation and to consider how the lessons of nature can speak to their own spiritual journeys. The use of rhyme adds a memorable quality to these reflections, while the inclusion of Scripture gives readers something to contemplate beyond the beauty of the garden itself.

Overall, Judy, Life Is a Garden Party sounds like a warm and uplifting collection that celebrates both the wonders of nature and the richness of faith. I appreciate your effort to create a book that can be enjoyed as a family read while also serving as a source of inspiration and reflection over time. Your work invites readers to approach each day with greater awareness, cultivate gratitude, and find spiritual encouragement in the world around them. It is a lovely reminder that even a simple garden can offer opportunities to appreciate creation and give thanks for life’s many blessings."

The collection of Life Is a Garden Party is available at Palmetto Publishing in SC and Amazon.

 

Confused

I’m confused!

Will you be confused?

It’s not April.

It’s still fall.

In fact, the month of October

according to the calendar.

Yet here and there are

spring-time flowers.

Bright yellow among decaying brown leaves.

Not certain if these flowers confuse or please.

Seen here at my place,

they seem out-of-place.

Which flowers bloom in October?

I think you’ll be bewildered.

Their saw-tooth leaves are a giveaway.

Their bloom is bright yellow always.

Their blooms provide nectar for honeybees to sip

with their feeding tube tongue (proboscis)**, not their lips.

To see the first one in spring is a treat.

To see one in October: trick-or-treat!

Should you pick a bouquet

their beauty will fade away.

Did you guess dandelions?

I’m telling you, I’m not lying,

though it’s October my yard is in bloom

from these weed seeds that came in the month of June.

Are these dandelions confused?

Or perhaps they seek to amuse?

Some say dandelions are good news.*

They leave me rather bemused.

*I’ve heard it said to leave dandelions be as they are bees first food (as in refrain from pesticiding your yard). I recommend planting crocus’ as they are honeybees first food here at Rainbow’s End. Purchase and plant crocus bulbs in the fall.

** Butterflies also sip from their proboscis (feeding tube).

* * * * *

What confuses you?

What amuses you?

When life seems upside down

instead of wearing a frown,

think of something pleasing

then a smile you’ll be choosing.

When we choose to smile it lifts our countenance;

our spirits are happy despite our circumstance.

We feel better inside and out

when we wear a smile about.

So put on your happy face;

troubles will be erased.

You’ll even find a smile is contagious

as others will return a smile to us.

Pay attention to your countenance.

It does display your heart’s contents.

It also sets the mood

for others attitudes.

Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick?

This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.

Nehemiah 2:2 (KJV)

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance:

but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Proverbs 15:13 (KJV)

Thou hast made known to me the ways of life;

thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

Acts 2:28 (KJV)

The Lord bless thee and keep thee;

the Lord make His face shine upon thee,

and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee,

and give thee peace.

Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)

Dandelions contain many health benefits, especially Vitamin A, C, and K.

Their greens (before blossoms develop) can be eaten raw or cooked.

These blooms might be deep fried as fritters. You could collect these yellow blooms to make dandelion blossom jelly or even wine.

It will be worth your time to google the health benefits of dandelions – there are many – all mighty, like a lion, as its foliage is said to resemble lion’s teeth in which its name came from. The French phrase “dent de lion” means tooth of the lion.

Regarding the health benefits of dandelions: Popeye's famous spinach has competition. Also, dandelion’s deep roots aerate the soil as well as adding calcium.

Folk lure claims the yellow blossom is the sun, the white seed head is the moon, with the dispersed seeds as the stars. Factoids or trivia to share with your children/grandchildren. Take a tour of your yard come spring to discover these free delights.

Honeybees forage dandelion blossoms as one of their first foods each spring; Beware: pesticided yards will murder bees, as well as insects, in turn killing birds.

Autumn blooming dandelion.

Life Is a Garden Party

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TRANSFORMATION

TRANSFORMATION

Autumn brings a colorful transformation -

a metamorphosis in the making.

The season of autumn is replete

when leaves crunch under ones feet.

A time to live, a time to die -

autumn's flamboyant leaves sigh,

green leaves surrender to this picturesque season

preparing for their showy transformation.

Autumn's intermission

brings a celebration

when everything is dressed

vibrantly in their finest.

These leaves, once green, are now noted for their array

of dynamic multi-colors, day-after-day,

ever changing,

transforming.

A termination of what was, these leaves

now begin the process of what will be -

a return to earth where they lie

before their final goodbye.

These leaves will live on, though, as compost

where new life will one day again boast.

Their cycle of life now complete

as new life continues to greet.

Never ending this life-changing transformation

fulfilling its purpose - a transfiguration.

You'll find each season is a celebration

completing its own awesome transformation.

All too soon the trees are leafless and bare

transforming into a skeleton where

it casts its shadow when the moon rises

and again when the sun sets or rises.

Life goes on

with each season

as each rotation of the moon transforms night into day

bringing another sunrise to highlight autumn's display.

A continual transformation

miraculously occurring,

ever changing,

never ending.

* * * * *

As each fall trees leaves change into sought-after displays of picturesque beauty,

or as caterpillars will one day transform into colorful butterflies so pretty,

we, too, are constantly being transformed through our difficulties -

which in the end is meant to reflect our inherent inner beauty.

This inherent inner beauty only comes from the Lord

as left to ourselves, our lives are filled with strife and discord.

You see, we can't handle life's constant problems on our own.

We need to rely on the only One who can transform.

Besides, God already has the perfect solution in mind.

One that will give you perfect peace of both heart and mind.

So let's learn to look at our difficulties differently,

not as burdensome, but as vessels of beauty.

For the difficulties we encounter will one day transform us.

What joy to know our troubles will cause us to grow our faith and trust.

To be changed for the better:

kinder, gentler, humbler.

Lord, transform me through difficulties

to display an inner beauty

that will bring you honor and glory

for through you alone is victory.

And we, with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory,

are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increased glory,

which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

II Corinthians 3:18

But we have this treasure in jars of clay

to show that this all-surpassing power is from God

and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;

perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down, but not destroyed...

so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

II Corinthians 4:7-9

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51:12

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

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ABLAZE

 

ABLAZE

The hills are alive with a blaze of colors.

Among the green: red, orange, and golden yellow,

as if the painter’s palette had spilled

splashing the trees upon the hills.

The deep burgundy of the red maples,

the bright orange splashed upon sugar maples,

a magenta red drawing attention to the sumac,

autumn's golden yellow foliage never seems to lack.

When the sun shines, the hills are ablaze

under the autumn sun’s golden rays

calling attention to us today to gaze,

to take a moment to capture this blaze.

It will take your breath away

to see their beauty today.

Enjoy before this color leaves

when the rain falls on these leaves.

For when the rains come,

these leaves are soon gone.

Floating down they gather in a pile on the ground

where several afternoons of work will then be found.

Mottled leaves lie there,

crispy ones join in pairs.

The pile turns to brown

as these leaves pile on the ground.

Another year has come and gone,

another season is done.

A time of renewal awaits the trees.

A time of reflection for you and me.

A time to count our blessings

with a song of thanksgiving

from a glad, thankful heart.

Let's everyone now start.

* * * * *

Counting our blessings everyday

is a habit that will well pay.

One payment will be a happy heart

from the moment each new day starts.

You’ll discover more blessings to add,

even if the day turns from glad to sad.

Those with a heart full of thanksgiving

are thankful for their many blessings.

Counting our many blessings

causes us to look for blessings.

There’s always one more

around every corner.

Counting our many blessings

is much better than stressing.

You’ll find you’ll have more energy today

despite the ups and downs of the day.

Do you have a blessings jar?

If you don’t, it’s not hard.

An empty jar, slips of paper,

daily blessings written and dated.

One day you may take time to look back

and give thanks to God who never lacks

in giving many blessings individually

which, in turn, blesses others collectively.

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth.

Proverbs 10:22

You will eat the fruit of your labor;

blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Psalm 128:2

I will bless them...

I will send down showers in season;

there will be showers of blessing.

Ezekiel 34:26

A happy heart makes the face cheerful.

Proverbs 15:13

You are my God, and I will give you thanks.

Psalm 118:28

Life Is a Garden Party

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