Hello Everyone!

Can you believe we are well into June?

So much is happening in The IN SEASON Lifestyle that it is hard to know where to start with blog updates!

I think I will start with the big announcement that we will be hosting a monthly newsletter!  June will be our first official month for hosting The IN SEASON Lifestyle Newsletter; so consider this moment a part of history! 

Here is your own personal June First Edition Newsletter:

We have certainly been busy this past month of May; just living life upside-down and inside-out.  

With the inception of this blog we have started many new traditions!  

LOOKING AT THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE

THE PAST – THE BUSY AND SEASONAL MONTH OF MAY

May was one awesome moment after another.  

We added our first Newsletter and our first Contest.  

We were also busy creating a new section to bring you some of the The IN SEASON Lifestyle related products.  Keep checking the PRODUCTS section of the blog for the updates that are coming.  You are going to love each one!

With the publication of this Newsletter every month we will be giving you a summarized glimpse of THE PAST, THE PRESENT and THE FUTURE of this blog and The IN SEASON Lifestyle happenings and news!  

CELEBRATING MOTHER’S DAY

We began the month of May by having a week-long series of  Mother’s Day articles under the SEASON’S section of the blog.  I hope you enjoyed every one and that maybe these articles were helpful to you in your own Mother’s Day Planning.  If you missed them; you may read them here: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/seasons-menu-mothers-day-luncheon/

As promised; here is a pic of my family celebration showing my own beautiful Mom with our lovely daughter and her daughter (my adorable granddaughter.)

I loved the fact that we had four generations of women from the family at our house on that day.  I should have made my husband take a pic with me in it just for that reason; but alas and as usual; I was behind the camera.  

Here are their lovely smiling faces:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOTHER’S DAY PHOTO CONTEST

This May The IN SEASON Lifestyle launched our first Mother’s Day Photo Contest and all the entries are now in!

There was a slight problem though:

We had a tie!

Two photos hit the top of the charts for our judges!  Now it is going to be up to our readers to break the tie.

Here are the entries:

ENTRY NUMBER ONE:

In case you can’t make them out, or haven’t memorized the words to The Velveteen Rabbit (like some of us) here are the words framed in the photo:

“‘It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” – The Velveteen Rabbit

These two entries are by one single photographer and they go together as a pair for one entry.  The photographer is bringing the same message with both photos.

Both photographs relate to the aspect of how Motherhood makes our lives become “real.”  That is why this photographer’s children used a framed copy of the quote from The Velveteen Rabbit to bring this fact home.

The exact words submitted from the artist taking the photos were:

“A dozen fading roses beside a picture penned and framed by my oldest from The Velveteen Rabbit.  A perfect Mother’s Day story!  Our children do so much to make us “Real”.  We moms’ pour ourselves into our children as they love us into velveteen.”

ENTRY NUMBER TWO

LOVING MOM

There were no words to post to this Entry Number Two; but that is totally appropriate; because I think this photo speaks volumes.  When a photo tells a story without words; you know it is special!  This photo shows the love that the boys have for their Mother; and it also shows the love the Mom has for her boys.  Just beautiful!

SO IT IS UP TO YOU; THE READER’S OF THIS BLOG TO BREAK THIS TIE!!!!!!!!!!

Please pick your favorite and send your vote in to wordcastlepublications@gmail.com.  Simply say either ENTRY NUMBER ONE or ENTRY NUMBER TWO.  

We will tally up the final votes in about seven days and make the winning announcement.  

The winner will receive a free “first draft” copy of THE SEASONS OF LANDGRAF CASTLE (Volume One)  (my family cookbook that I hope to have in publication and offer for sale on the blog soon.)

A great big THANK YOU to all of the other beautiful Mother’s
Day Photo Contest entries we received.  They were all amazing!

P.S.  I can’t let this Mother’s Day Photo contest go by without sharing a photo wrapped in kind words from our daughter Erin; who just happens to be one of the most talented photographers I know.  

Of course she didn’t qualify for the contest; but she gave me the gift of a lovely Mother’s Day photo (also a great lunch date.)  It brought tears to my eyes and I just have to share the story with my readers here:

Here is the photo:

Here are the words from her note:

“I’ve managed to build my dish collection around the plates you gave me years ago. When I finished my breakfast this morning it occurred to me that it’s kind of the same with everything you’ve given me: love, guidance, plates…they’ve all been a really solid foundation. Thanks for all you do and Happy Mothers Day!”

What more could any Mom ask for?  I feel truly blessed!  She blogs too; and since all bloggers love to share their joy with the world; I know she wouldn’t mind me sharing my joy with you.

MEMORIAL DAY

We celebrated the lives of all veterans who died during their service to our country on Memorial Day.  Here is a pic of my husband walking down a Memorial Day decorated highway.    

One way to honor people is through poetic words that pay a deserving tribute to the truth of the amazing stories behind the noble service that was given.  I wrote a poem to share in the PEN ART section of the blog.  If you missed it; here is the link:  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/soldiers/  

I would like to dedicate my poem called, Pilgrims, Soldiers and Memorials After Pentecost, which we published in May to these brave men who served in the wars of our country.  My own Father is included in this loving dedication.  He served in the Navy during the Korean War, and I spent a lot of time thinking of him on this holiday.  It was also his birthday.  He always enjoyed Memorial Day and it was fitting that his birthday fell on the same day this year.  He is truly missed.  My Mother gave me a great gift not too long ago of the little pocket-sized navy blue bible that he carried while in the service.  It was issued by the Navy during the time of the Korean war.  I will always cherish that gift.

My husband and I were fortunate enough to be traveling during the Memorial Day weekend.  We saw lots of parades and road-side tributes; and we traveled down many sections of memorial highways flanked with flags and crosses that contained honored names.  I hope to be posting a few of those photos here from time to time when appropriate.  

One place we visited had a flag behind a sword stuck into a stone.  I had to venture closer to see what the plaque said at this monument.  

I was surprised to read the words written:

“On this site in 1897 nothing happened here.”  

How I wish that could be the saying we post on all monuments in the future!

it would mean that all the people of planet earth were living in peace and harmony.  I pray that we let all of our wars of the past teach us this goal; if they teach us nothing else!

I offer a big sincere “Thank You” to all veterans for your faithful and dedicated service and your willingness to lay down your life to defend the rights of your brothers and sisters.  We will forever be in debt to your love and devotion to liberty and freedom.

THE DAY OF PENTECOST  

What celebration could top Memorial Day honors?  

I think it is very safe to say the The Day of Pentecost was one of the most significant days in the history of mankind!  I’ve had many things to say in the SEASONS section of the blog on Pentecost.  If you missed the article; just click this link to read:  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/pentecost/

I hope you celebrated this day with all of your heart.  Our God has certainly kept His promises to us; and our Savior, Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to come closer to God and worship Him with all of our hearts.  We have Torah and we have God’s Holy Spirit.  Together they have shown us the way to find the love of God in our hearts.  These two elements working in our lives are the secret keys to living by God’s commandments every day.

My husband and  I were in the midst of traveling on this great day.  We paused in our travels and worshiped The Great God of Heaven and Earth and gave Him thanks.  

I don’t think it was much of a coincidence that we found ourselves so close to the home of the great Billy Graham on this day.   We saw so much evidence of God at work all around the land as we visited the little mountain cities of the Black Mountains and noticed that they still honor God.  

We dodged a tornado that went through Charlotte N.C. on this visit.  Later in the hotel we had a chance to worship and pray with a couple (both of them in their late 80’s) who had been right in the center of the storm and God brought them safely on toward the destination of their granddaughter’s wedding day.   We were originally scheduled to be in that same spot at that same time and for some really odd coincidences, we changed our minds and went in another direction.  I know it was simply God looking after us on our journey.  I also give God the credit for leading this beautiful couple to safety in spite of the storm.  No matter where life leads you; God is there!

 How wonderful it was to be on the road with God’s people on this special day.  God’s people are certainly still out there all across our great land! You won’t hear it in the news; but they are there.  

The greatest freedom ever won happened AFTER Memorial Day; it was called Pentecost!

 

 

 

 

THE PRESENT – THE AWESOME BEGINNINGS OF SUMMER IN JUNE

Today I can tell you we are coming to some new and wonderful times in The IN SEASON Lifestyle.  

Stay with us and see what exciting things are in store this month.  I hope you will send your contact information to Wordcastlepublications@gmail.com so that you can be added to our monthly mailing list.  Your contact information will never be sold or used for gain.  Please feel free to send us your comments and suggestions.  Just click our CONTACT tab and/or use this link to contact us:  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/find-us/

Look forward to many summer greetings as our current season begins to change and the days become longer and brighter.   We will ponder some summer music in the PEN ART section of the blog; and we will be looking at home decor that will take us to the seashore; even if we are just on a stay-cation in our living rooms! Keep watching for it in THE HOUSE DOCTOR section of the blog.

THE FUTURE – THE AWESOME MONTH OF JUNE

The future holds a lot for us to explore over the next month in The IN SEASON Lifestyle.

Some of the most exciting news is that we have our first guest blog post and it will be offered under THE HOUSE DOCTOR section of the blog.  This section is always about making a house a home.  Our guest author has found an interesting take on how some of God’s creation have built their homes and exactly what that means in Hebrew.  Do you know this author personally?  Be reading to find out.  Look for it soon!

We also have some very interesting things coming in June about the season of summer.  We will be adding some recipes gathered from Low-country South Carolina  for MONDAY NIGHT MENUS, and we will have some great new destinations for off-the-beaten-path travel in  OH THE PLACES WE SHOULD GO.

We will be increasing our PRODUCTS search for things that are The IN SEASON Lifestyle related products.  You may find a few summer things you fall in love with.  Seasonal decor will be one of our focus points.

It would not be June without a terrific FATHER’S DAY celebration to top off the middle of the month.  Keep looking in the SEASONS section for those up-coming articles.

We will also offer a Father’s Day poetry contest.  The prize will be $50 offered by Wordcastle Publications to the best poem describing a father.  Please look for the details in upcoming blog posts!  You don’t want to miss the chance to win; and the winner will be published in this blog under the PEN ART section of The IN SEASON Lifestyle.

The COME AS A CHILD Bible Study missed a week in May, and I’m sorry I did not post that article ahead of time before embarking on our 25th Anniversary trip.  I did the healthy thing and took my annual off-the-grid break.  I will be making up for lost time in that column by posting five articles in June instead of four!  Keep watching the blog on Thursdays for COME AS A CHILD and the trip through Exodus.

There are also some very interesting columns coming for AN APPLE A DAY – 365 DAYS TOWARD A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE.  I’ll keep you guessing as to the content; i can’t share it all yet!  

I’ve also felt prompted to add a new section of the blog called GROW OLD WITH ME.  It will be an unusual twist on old age; as it will highlight the benefits of being older and wiser instead of playing down the joys that we experience with ageing.  I’m pleased to tell you that the world has this theory all backwards.  This new blog section will set the record straight.

We have so much to look forward to!

See you on the next post and/or our JULY newsletter!

Many Blessings to Everyone!

Sheila Gail  Landgraf