LadyD Books: Summer Sunset: August Sky

At the beginning of this month, our granddaughter came to SoCal for a visit from up North. We were so fortunate to step outside and see these glorious skies lit-up in the West. The temperature here has been in the low 80s and really not too hot for this time of year. Already we have harvested the corn and green beans from our garden and now everyone is enjoying fresh watermelon off the vine.

Be sure and visit more sunsets at Skywatch Friday

The silhouettes of old fan palms are a familiar site in Southern California. I have always admired their tall standing, especially at the beach!

Did you know that the Mexican Fan Palm can reach heights to over 100 feet? For more information, visit www.sunpalmtrees.com

I think this is a spectacular summer sunset and I've been so fortunate to pretty much have it all to myself. Living in a rural area has its advantages because the house lots are zoned for 1 1/2 - 2 acre parcels.

Now, don't go thinking I'm all alone, like this lonely palm tree out in the avocado grove. You see, we have lovely neighbors all around and many of them are avocado growers, too. Do you like avocados? We harvest ours twice a year to market.

Maybe you can spot our overhead power lines in the lower left corner. Perhaps this is a disadvantage to living out in the country but I don't mind. It would cost a fortune to do under ground utilities... maybe someday my grandchildren will see the development but for now, I love their silhouettes also. Are the overhead lines where you are?

I have lived in Southern California since I was 3 and continue to enjoy our wonderful weather. As our summer days come to a close and kids head off to school (many districts began mid-august) while others start after Labor Day, I hope your summer has been filled with warm memories and glorious sunsets!
Oh, and maybe you can join me on Pinterest to see books, sunsets and more boards at LadyDpiano on Pinterest

The Friday 56

About The Book

Tom Brokaw of NBC Nightly News once said of the American icon Fred Rogers, "Mister Rogers was an ordained minister, but he never talked about God on his program. He didn't need to."
Eight years before his death, Fred Rogers met author, educator, and speaker Amy Hollingsworth. What started as a television interview turned into a wonderful friendship spanning dozens of letters detailing the driving force behind this gentle man of extraordinary influence. Educator? Philosopher? Psychologist? Minister? Here is an intimate portrait of the real Mister Rogers.
The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers focuses on Mr. Rogers' spiritual legacy, but it is much more than that. It shows us a man who, to paraphrase the words of St. Francis of Assisi, "preached the gospel at all times; when necessary he used words."

About the Author

Amy Hollingsworth is the author of The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers: Spiritual Insights from the World's Most Beloved Neighbor, based on her nine-year friendship with television's Fred Rogers. She has a master's degree in counseling psychology and a bachelor's degree in English and is an adjunct professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she lives with her husband Jeff and their children, Jonathan and Emily. She has written for various magazines, including ParentLife, and was a writer for eight years for The 700 Club television program.

"Once on his program, Fred went to visit portrait painter Dianne Dengel, who had previously painted a portrait of Fred's father. Dianne had painted the portrait when she was a teenager, and because she was too poor to buy paintbrushes, she had used what she could: her fingers and little rolled-up pieces of paper." -- Amy Hollingsworth