Song Dog Journal is one of my favorite blogs:
https://songdogjournal.com/2025/09/17/tilting-sunlight-shifting-shadows/
https://songdogjournal.com/2025/11/13/room-for-peace/
More posts with good reminders an lovely photos:
https://songdogjournal.com/2025/12/07/ranch-wife-musings-the-things-that-never-change/
https://songdogjournal.com/2026/01/15/let-it-snow/
God bless.
Ride the River (The Sackett series Book 5) by Louis L'Amour western, in the 1840s-50s. I had trouble putting it down. Again, the history fascinates me. I also enjoy the little touch of romance.
The Daybreakers (The Sackett series Book 6) by Louis L'Amour western, 1870-72. I'm drawn in and feel like I'm living there. L'Amour has a gift for words. This story also gained extra meaning now that I know a little of my Welsh history.
Sackett (The Sackett series Book 7) by Louis L'Amour western. 1874-75. Again, I love that L'Amour weaves in so many facts.
Lando (The Sackett series Book 8)by Louis L'Amour western 1873-1879. Brutal and fascinating and not quite what I expected.
Mojave Crossing (The Sackett series Book 9)by Louis L'Amour western 1875-1879. More history! What a journey. Whew. Interesting to see Los Angeles in the early years and love that the modern day locations are given for reference in the footnotes.
Mustang Man (The Sackett series Book 10)by Louis L'Amour western, in the 1875-79. Action packed.
The Lonely Men (The Sackett series Book 11)by Louis L'Amour western, 1875-79. Brutal page turner. Funnily enough, one of the television stations played "The Sackett," a mishmash of a couple books, enough to recognize the books but lots of changes. I'm ever fascinated by the bits of facts and history woven into the fiction.
Galloway (The Sackett series Book 12)by Louis L'Amour western. 1875-79. While it's true each book stands alone, together it's quite the saga.
Treasure Mountain (The Sackett series Book 13) by Louis L'Amour western 1875-1879. Still more little bits and pieces of history woven into the story.
Lonely on the Mountain (The Sackett series Book 14) by Louis L'Amour western 1875-1879. I confess I was a little sad at the end.
Ride the Dark Trail (The Sackett series Book 15) by Louis L'Amour western, in the 1875-79. I do like Aunt Em. L'Amour has a gift for description.
The Sackett Brand (The Sackett series Book 16) by Louis L'Amour western, 1875-79. This should have been listed earlier in the series. This and the next actually belong after Mojave Crossing. I finally found the correct order in the Sacketts Volume 2. This story takes place in eastern Arizona, in the Mogollon Rim country. In my early teens, I did some camping and hiking in the area. Globe is still there as well as a few other places mentioned in the story. And the Lost Dutchman's Mine is referred to though not names.
The Sky-Liners (The Sackett series Book 17) by Louis L'Amour western. 1875-79. An amazing look into our wild west history.
Easter weekend
He is risen!
He lives!
Air conditioning and fans
New book by a favorite author
God's grace
The richness of the Word of God ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our heart.
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
John 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
The most important words in history; words that changed everything:
Matthew 28:6 "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said."
The disciples are confused and mourning.
This wasn't how it was supposed to end.
They don't understand:
Sunday is coming.
In the moment, it is the most awful, horrible, wicked, evil, crushing, horrifying day in history. Betrayal after betrayal. Lies upon lies. Pride on full display, determined to squash into extinction the call to humility, service, sacrifice. Unwittingly serving the greatest purpose. Unknowingly setting into motion the ultimate example of "beauty for ashes."
The adversary believes he has won. He has thwarted God's plan. The promised Messiah is debased and brutally murdered. Whew. Success.
God holds aloft a very different definition of success.
Jesus willingly endured Gethsemane, the flogging, the mock trial, the cross, everything because of His love for us.
Something the adversary cannot understand.
The disciples didn't understand, regardless of the Master's gentle tutoring. Compassion begs to be embraced. How could they? No one had ever done what Jesus was doing. It was all new. Everything was new. Hearts and minds needed to be changed.
Jesus led the way and invited all to follow Him.
And yet, how many would willingly follow Him through such a grizzly death?
Would I?
He does not ask it of me. He asks me to follow Him. Every day, I declare my choice by the actions I take. Sometimes, I follow well. Sometimes, I don't. Jesus provided the perfect way to overcome the times I don't. Repentance: Turn back to God. No one is exempt. But no one can cheat. What you choose will be written on your heart and show in your daily steps. In this life, it is never too late to make a different choice.
The advantage we have over the disciples, in our faith walk, is they don't know Sunday is coming.
Air conditioning, fans, and ice
Midweek Gospel study at church
Palm Sunday
Church with family
Waffle breakfast with family
Visit with my sister
The Last Supper - The Apostles still don't understand what is to come. Jesus knows.
God's grace
Gentri "The Lord's Prayer"
https://youtu.be/m7e5BUjd4RE?si=Rt36yl7Mf8RMGyab
BYU Vocal Point "I Stand All Amazed"
https://youtu.be/9L_qPCVxTFY?si=vuwweViRfs23uZ1Z
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Song Dog Journal is one of my favorite blogs:
https://songdogjournal.com/2026/01/02/ranch-wife-musings-whats-in-your-cup/
https://songdogjournal.com/2026/01/30/ranch-wife-musings-no-one-warned-me/
Gorgeous "Storm Clearing" photos from Tales from a Mid-Lifer:
https://family5power.com/2026/02/18/storm-clearing/
God bless.
Easter is coming.
Celebrate with a story.
The Blessing Basket
The thirteenth novella in the series.
Welcome back to Holiday, USA, small town America, where nothing happens, except holidays... and a little romance, if the hero and heroine trust God.
Cici, Candy Crothers, lies to everyone, except her Holiday Diner boss, only because he informed her if she lied to him he'd fire her. She ran away from an ugly past and still worries it might catch up to her. Sharing her nightmares is nowhere on her list of things to do, ever.
Trace Brown left the Army honorably but not unscathed. Anger controls his life, holding him back from pretty much everything, including becoming a chef at Holiday Diner. The diner's head hostess intrigues him, but not enough to risk sharing his day-to-day battle with PTSD.
Nothing can drive God away. His hand is stretched out still. He is always there, waiting...
Air conditioning
Visit with my sister
Church
Seeing and hearing the neighborhood quail
Watering my palms before the bees come for the bottle brush blossoms
Celebrating a 50th Wedding Anniversary for friends
God's grace
The Piano Guys - Claire de Lune
https://youtu.be/o-mK22OESx4?si=3D2CmP42gLzT6mMJ
Tolkien Fact, from The Lord of the Rings: Mushrooms and toadstools always bring to mind the fact that Frodo Baggins loved mushrooms. Quotes from the movie:
"Frodo Baggins, the bravest of hobbits." ~ Samwise Gamgee.
"Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam." ~ Frodo Baggins
John 14:25-26 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Nancy Ruegg, over at From the Inside Out, shared great negative thought corrections:
https://nancyaruegg.com/2026/02/05/hey-self-listen-up/
For His Purpose shared "A Break on the Bench," a reminder I needed:
https://forhispurpose.blog/2026/02/06/a-break-on-the-bench/
God bless.
Sackett's Land (Sackett series Book 1) by Louis L'Amour western. While it's listed has a western, it takes place in 1600. An unexpected enjoyment to recognize the mention of the battle of Lepanto, as I've listened to the narration of that bit of history by Buck Sexton a few times. L'Amour did his homework. The book is written in first person, a point of view I'm not particularly fond of reading. However, L'Amour writes not in an effort to reveal the character's inner thoughts and feelings but instead in the mode of storytelling, an autobiography.
To the Far Blue Mountains (The series Book 2) by Louis L'Amour western. While it's listed has a western but takes place in 1600. This is a continuation of the previous characters. The first time I read the Sackett series I didn't know much about my family history. The story delved into Wales, the Welsh, Celts, and Ireland. I also knew nothing about St. John's, Newfoundland, until recently when I discovered the police series "Hudson and Rex." L'Amour's writing is sometimes poetic, painting stunning pictures.
The Warrior Path (The series Book 3) by Louis L'Amour western set in 1620s. I enjoy all the bits of actual history thrown into the story. The visit to Jamaica and private haven of Port Royal was fascinating. Page turner.
Jubal Sackett (The series Book 4) by Louis L'Amour western set in 1620s. Unlike Dan Brown who includes facts that aren't really facts but more fiction disguised as facts - yes, I looked them up - L'Amour uses facts and explains when they are simply theories based in facts, though some might dismiss the facts as fiction.
