Wintery Mix.

Yesterday evening I was sitting in our office at home, puttering away at something-or-other, winding down from the day. My husband was at his desk across the room from me. I sat listening to the click-clack of  his fingers on his keyboard. But then I realized something. That noise wasn't the sound of his typing. It was coming from outside. It was the sound of sleet, snow, freezing rain, or "wintery mix" as the local weather forecasters like to call it when they don't really know what it is other than a cold mess. I continued to listen to this same click-clack on the windows as I fell asleep.

And so, of course, by the time we woke up in the morning we found our world under a solid sheet of ice. It was kind of a pain getting it all scraped off my car, but I was grateful for my neighbor who stopped to help me with it. The roads were okay once I got out of my neighborhood, though I carefully drove much more slowly than usual. But here's the kicker: When I got into work, I checked my email to find one saying that offices were opening at 1pm today! Why they couldn't have sent that email before I left is beyond me. But I decided to make the best of my morning. So what do I do? Take advantage of the beautiful scenery outside which is an absolute delight for my camera. And for me. I stayed out until my fingers were so cold they were going numb.

Here is some of what I found:

You gotta be kidding me. Seriously?

Okay, I have a story about this photo.

Are you ready?

I pass by this tree when I'm walking to my car from my office. It is a beautiful, old tree. Usually I see an average of 6 squirrels and countless little birds climbing up and down and playing in the branches, at any given time. It is a popular tree among the local wildlife. I will often stop for a moment and watch the little animals scurrying around.

Yesterday, as I was walking past the tree, I looked up and saw a HUGE hawk perched on one of the low  branches. It was an absolutely beautiful creature, and so close! Since I have been participating in a 365 photos project I have been carrying my camera with me much more frequently. I felt super awesome as a whipped out my camera and started snapping away. He sat still for a while and let me indulge in photographing such a rare and beautiful sight, but then after a few minutes he flaunted his great wingspan and took flight, flying right over my head. It was breathtaking.

Once the hawk was gone I of course was anxious to look at the treasures on my camera. I hit the review button and what was displayed? Not the beautiful photos I had just taken, but a little error message reading "No Memory Card". NOOOoooooo!

Yes.... I had taken the memory card out to upload some photos, and had forgotten to put it back in. So now all I have to share with you is an empty tree.

Horticulture Rivalry.

I'm afraid that Xavier may be getting jealous. This is our cute little christmas tree! It is all of about one and a half feet tall, and adorned with white lights and an assortment of silver balls, with a paper star on top that I made last year out of wrapping paper and ribbon. 

We didn't name the Christmas tree. Xavier still has that going for him. And come January, the Christmas tree will be by the dumpster with all the other Christmas trees in our neighborhood. Maybe we should give X some lights to cheer him up a little.

Noteworthy Tree.

There are many things that are like special bonuses in my life. It is a special bonus to be able to work in an office that has a window. And not only do I have a window, but I have one with a lovely view.

If you look out the other direction, you can see a large tree. Nailed to this tree is a little plaque that always makes me laugh.

"Noteworthy Tree" It tells passers-by. But what gets me is that it doesn't tell you WHY it has been named noteworthy.
I have learned the answer to my question though. It is "Noteworthy" because this tree that stands outside my office window is the largest White Oak in Virginia. Children come to see it on field trips. I'm even told that George Washington used to tie his horse to this tree (which is actually a real possibility since he used to be on the vestry for the church that I work at).

Have you ever been told that you were noteworthy? Or special? I'm sure that some time or another we've all been told that there is something special about us, and hopefully deep down we know this to be true about ourselves. But do we always know why? I fear that many people go through life being told from time to time that they are special, but not knowing why. And when you don't know why, you begin to doubt it.
Do you know why you're special? I do. I am special because God has made me so. He died and arose from the dead, paying the debt that I owed because of my sin, and reconciling me to himself, because he loves me! His Spirit is in me, and He is growing me into an Oak of Righteousness for the display of His splendor. (Isaiah 61).

That is pretty noteworthy if you ask me. :-)