Saturday ~ Holiday Revue

Happy Saturday of the long Independence Day Holiday weekend!  I wonder how many of you are still celebrating the 4th of July holiday with family and friends...or are you just relaxing and recovering from a busy day yesterday?  That's kind of what we are doing...unwinding and catching up on our "naps", since we didn't get any yesterday! LOL.

I'm still enjoying smelling those beautiful roses and admiring the zinnias...and look at those luscious little tomatoes my sweet dil Rose brought us yesterday from their very own garden!

There is nothing better than home grown tomatoes, no matter what size they are!  These were so sweet and good, I've kept them on the countertop where I can just grab one and eat it whenever I want!

I did have some yesterday with my salad, along with our bbq chicken, potato salad, deviled eggs, baked beans and rolls...it was all very delicious.  My thanks to our son Scott for grilling the chicken for us again. He's the expert!

As I had mentioned in my previous post HERE, I wasn't  sure what I was going to make for dessert the night before...but I finally decided upon one of our old family favorites, actually, it is my sister Doris' recipe, and she has often made it to bring to family dinners, but since they couldn't come to this one, I made it instead...this is an "Oatmeal Cake". (or what's left of it! LOL)

Here's the recipe in case you are interested. However, please change that 11 x 13" pan to a 9 x 13" pan. Not sure where that other came from and I'm not even sure a pan that size exists! LOL.

It is a very moist and delicious cake, and can be eaten alone or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you so desire. (or a cup of tea or coffee!)   Just don't bring it to a gathering where my sister Doris will be, or we might have two cakes! LOL.

As promised, Benton and Rose brought a watermelon, so here he is cutting it up...it was so nice and red and ripe and juicy, but no seeds for a seed spitting contest this time! LOL.

Here we are enjoying our watermelon...while hubby was taking our picture...

And here he is...can you tell he seems to be feeling better?  He mostly is, but still seems to stay very tired. Hopefully some tests this next week will help us zero in on what is going on.

He definitely appreciates everyone's prayers, and so do I. Thank you!

I wasn't going to share both of these pictures, but I couldn't decide which one to use so I just went ahead and included both.  I hope you don't mind.

Now, this is a funny picture of Blackie. Why? Well, because we had gone to a lot of trouble to hang up that sheet over the bottom half of our glass doors so  that when the grandpuppies come over they wouldn't be able to see the kitties out on the back porch. They get so excited and just keep barking at the cats, and it becomes a real "issue".  Just before the family got here, we looked out and saw Blackie there staring back at us with those big green eyes as if to say, "Ha Ha, I fooled you! You can't keep me from looking in! I like to see the doggies too! LOL".   Well, we knew that would not work, so we had to do some more work on our curtain before the doggies got here.

It worked just fine, but sadly Sugar (below) and Spice (not pictured), were terribly disappointed to not be able to see the kitties and do their usual greeting of bark, bark, bark, squeal, squeal, jump, jump, etc. (if you have doggies, you know what I mean!)  So Sugar and Spice mostly just laid around acting very bored to be at Grandma and Grandpa's house, like a kid who says "I'm bored, I have nothing to play with", while surrounded by a room full of toys:    

Isn't she just pitiful? LOL.   We love our grandpuppies. They are so sweet.  But we also love peace and quiet while trying to visit with the family, so some sacrifices had to be made.  I'm sure they'll forgive us.

Oh, back to the 4th of July, I noticed that a lot of you were doing a "Saturday 9-Lady Liberty" theme for your posts yesterday or today.  I don't usually participate in that particular weekly format, but I wanted to add a special picture of "Lady Liberty" and "Uncle Sam" in honor of the occasion! This picture was taken yesterday (not taken by me, but it was on Facebook) during the annual Independence Day Parade in our historical downtown, and these are some very dear people to us.  "Lady Liberty" and her husband "Uncle Sam" are members of our church, and the lady, Kim, is especially special. She has been battling cancer for the past two years, and I want to tell you she is such a strong person and a real fighter! God has definitely been with her, and she is such a testimony to all of us of faith and perseverence in the face of a strong foe. I continue to pray for her every day, that God will help her to win this battle, and that one day soon she will definitely be "Lady Liberty", FREE from all cancer! 

This was our flag yesterday morning at sunrise. It was a bit foggy, but I couldn't help but think of and sing our Star Spangled Banner as I put out the flag.

O say can you see, by the dawn's early light, 

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, 

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, 

O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? 

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, 

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; 

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave 

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? 

I know the reason we have fireworks on the 4th of July is to remember the "rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air..." and we  usually go see some fireworks in our little town. But to be honest, last night we were both just so worn out that we didn't feel like leaving the house. We could hear the "bombs bursting in air" from here, and if we had gotten up to look out the windows, I know we could've seen the "rocket's red glare" all around us, as many people in the area love to do their own fireworks show. But us old folks just decided to stay home and relax and get to bed early.  I've seen lots of pictures online from everywhere, so that satisfied me.  And we said our prayers of thanksgiving for our freedom, and for the privilege of living in this great country, where even with all of her flaws, this is still the greatest country in the world, and we are extremely grateful to God to be able to call this place our home. We pray that God will continue to "shed His grace on thee".

Here's another favorite anthem, not our "national anthem", but one that we sing with fervor and as a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.  

"America the Beautiful"

"O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,

Whose stern, impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness,

And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!"

Amen.

I hope you and yours have had a safe and happy holiday. Let us remember to pray for those families in Texas who have been devastated by the horrific flash floods that swept away homes and precious children. My heart is breaking for the families of those dear little girls at that camp. May God give them comfort as only He can. Makes you want to hold your own loved ones a little closer and whisper words of thanksgiving to God for their safety, doesn't it?   Yes, may God be very near and dear to those families right now. Amen.

Thursday Thankfulness, a Book Review and More!

 It's Thursday, the day before Independence Day...and a good time to stop and smell the "roses" along the way and count our blessings...

Blackie seems to really appreciate sniffing the posies...

But Sunshine doesn't want any part of it...

He turned his head and headed the other way...

This was as close as I could get him to them:

even though he doesn't seem to mind sitting right in the middle of the flower bed and watching the birds. Thankfully he doesn't bother them...they fly away before he can get close.

Anyway, I've been enjoying our zinnias and roses blooming once again!

I stop and smell the roses everytime I walk by them!  These are exceptionally fragrant, and I just can't resist them!

Oh, someone mentioned the other day (I think it was Sandra from "MadSnapper") that she really liked this green vase...

Thank you, Sandra! It is a very special vase. It belonged to my mother, and she always used it for roses...so that is what I prefer to put in this vase whenever I have any to enjoy!  It's a real keepsake!

Now, talking about "old things" that are special...that would also include "old souls...with frayed edges and colorful stories".   I saw this meme on our friend Myra's "Respice, Prospice" blog post the other day.  I asked her permission to share it and she said by all means  to go ahead... Thank you, Myra!!

It made me think about my friend Belle, whom I told you about HERE a few days ago.

Oh yes! That would describe Belle quite well!  She's an amazing 87 year old lady with perhaps some "frayed edges" and some very "colorful stories",  I say most lovingly, however.  I've only just met Belle, but she somehow managed to worm her way into my mind and heart really quickly.  

So, I told you I would tell you more about her books after I'd had a chance to read them.   Yes, she wrote these two, and quite a few more, which can be found on www.lulu.com, in the fiction section under the name of Belle Tilley. There are actually some in ebooks if you are interested in checking them out.

Now, I haven't finished reading the "Collection of Short Stories" yet, but I did read the first one.  Here is the dedication that Belle wrote in the beginning of that book...

I found this dedication to be very touching.  It makes me stop and think about those who have encouraged me along life's way, and helped me to reach higher, dig deeper, and work harder to achieve those goals that others could see would be good for me that perhaps I couldn't see for myself.  Sometimes it is just a word of thanks or affirmation from a friend or a loved one...or maybe even a perfect stranger who appreciates something I've written or said or done when I had no thought of receiving any accolades or rewards. That little "pat on the back", or "atta girl", that makes you want to keep trying and not give up.  We just never know how much our words to others might really mean to them.   

Here is the index, or table of contents, for the Collection of Short Stories.  I bet you can guess which one I chose to read first...

If you guessed "A Cabin in The Woods", you would be correct.  Those of you who have followed me for a while should know that I have a thing about wanting a cabin in the woods.  I enjoyed that little story, and was impressed with it enough that I decided I wanted to go ahead and read the other full length book first and then come back to the other short stories later.

Surprisingly, these paragraphs below are actually from the  first page of the other book, "Murder Is Where You Find It".  Again, it starts out with a scene from a cabin in the woods, so that got my attention right away as well.

Belle does a good job of getting your attention early on in the book so that you want to keep reading to see where it will lead from there.  My original thought was that I knew this book was going to be about "murder", and from that first page I was concerned that the "murder" was somehow going to be connected to the young lady Ashley and her lovely little cabin. Well, I won't give the story away but I will say that her life does take some unexpected twists and turns as the story unfolds and the crime is committed.  

Belle introduces several interesting characters throughout the story, and each one of them have you wondering if this is the one, or is it that one...or what's going to happen to them...or...well, you get the idea...she manages to keep you guessing throughout the story as to what is really going to happen next, and who is going to do what.  I must say that once I got into the book, I didn't want to put it down. I appreciated also that Belle did not fall into the trap of using foul language or having graphic love scenes (although there is some romance involved...we just don't need to know ALL the details), but she did use some grisly descriptive language to describe the murder scene. However, that's what murder is...a very grisly scene, and so that would be expected in a murder novel. 

Belle did a great job of keeping you guessing about each of the main characters, and I will say that even though I had a little inkling of who I thought might be involved in some way early on in the book, I kind of dismissed that idea as the story progressed and it appeared that the crime was solved.  However,  Belle, in my opinion, expertly threw in some twists and turns and surprises that created an ending that I never saw coming! 

So all in all, I would give it a thumbs up! I wouldn't mind reading some of her other books.  And I would also say to never underestimate  those "Old souls with frayed edges and colorful stories" who may come knocking on your door some day. This one sure surprised me!!

Now for some other surprises today...

Yes, these are very young armadillos!  Click here for more information about the Florida Armadillo

While the three young armadillos were running all around the yard, here's Sunshine and Blackie, sitting back and watching the show! They didn't seem to be unduly alarmed at all.

I was not happy to see this one in the zinnia flower bed.  Good Grief!  First it was Sunshine, and now an armadillo?  I do hope these plants survive the summer!

If you are not from the south or southwest, you may have never seen a live armadillo.  They are quite unusual looking creatures, that's for certain!

They are normally nocturnal, but these three youngsters acted like kids being let out of school early and running around the playground, exploring every nook and cranny of the yard.

I don't know where the parents are...maybe they are taking their nap and letting the kids run free!

Regardless, they were fun to watch for a while, but I really don't want them making holes and tunnels in our yard. However, we live in the "wild", so to speak, and I don't think we are going to be able to totally deter the wildlife from passing through. I hope you enjoyed the show!

While all of that was going on, we also had another visitor to the garden:

Can you see it?

This is a female Ruby Throated Hummingbird!  She is enjoying our Bottle Brush tree blooms that have just blossomed recently!

I love to see them enjoying the natural nectar of the flowers as opposed to just drinking from the feeder that we have set up with sugar water in it for them.

This is the REAL stuff that they love, and I am so happy God provided it for them!

What a treat!!!

We have been enjoying some lovely rainstorms this afternoon, which has replenished the earth once again with the nourishment it needs...and our Still Waters Pond is also rejoicing and refreshed!

1 Chronicles 16:31-34 describes it best:

"31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!

33 Let the trees of the forest sing,

let them sing for joy before the Lord,

for he comes to judge the earth.

34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever."

As we prepare for our Independence Day celebration tomorrow, I want to pause and give thanks to the Lord, "for He is good...and His love endures forever."  I give thanks to God for our freedoms that we hold so dear...for our country with all of its beauty and amazing natural resources...for the blessings of our home, family, community, churches, and the abundance of everything that we so freely enjoy. We are blessed as a people and a nation. May we never take that blessing for granted.

I hope that you and yours will have a wonderful day of celebration tomorrow. We will have our "kids" here for a cookout...with son Scott at the grill cooking chicken. Rose and Benton will be bringing the potato salad and watermelon and deviled eggs. I'll be baking the beans and making a salad and some kind of cake or pie...I haven't decided yet, but it's getting late so I guess I'd better get with the program! 

Whatever you do tomorrow, please take time to "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His love endures forever!"  Amen.

Happy July and Thankful TUESDAY!

Swinging in to say Happy July! 

I wanted to start out with a thankful TUESDAY post today, instead of waiting for Thursday to express my thanks! As most of you know, we had been anticipating an important appointment with a specialist for my hubby today for several weeks. I had requested prayer both here and on Facebook and beyond, as we were quite concerned about the outcome. 

 To give a little history, a couple of months ago my hubby had a weak spell at church which seemed like it could've been a TIA or perhaps his heart or something...The doctor ordered several tests, including a CT Scan of the brain, which also led to having an MRI of the brain. The results showed a small growth in the "meninges" of the brain, also known as a "meningioma". This is in the lining on the outside of the brain, not actually in the brain, but it could grow and have an impact on the brain. They are usually benign, but not always. So you can imagine how concerned we have been about this prospect and the not knowing for sure what the prognosis would be. 

 Thankfully today the neurosurgeon was able to relieve our concerns. He took one look at the MRI pictures and said that this growth was very small and possibly very old and not really anything he would be concerned about. He sees no reason to do surgery or even a biopsy at this point, however he does want to see him back in 6 months to monitor it and make sure that it isn't growing, but he really doesn't expect that it will be a problem. However, regarding the symptoms that my husband has been experiencing...a lot of weakness and fatigue and some balance issues, the doctor said we should go back to our PCP doctor and have him pursue a different direction of tests to figure out where that is coming from...but as far as he's concerned, it's definitely NOT from the brain! So that was a huge relief!!! And we consider that a big answer to prayer. I think my hubby feels better already just knowing that there isn't anything seriously wrong in his brain!  And we have an appointment already set for next week with our PCP to discuss this and where to go from here...but with a much lighter heart and mind!

So thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers on our behalf! We are truly grateful for you and for this answer to prayer!

I must say, my heart and mind feels much freer and happier with that news...much like this young girl swinging under what appears to be an apple tree, although July is a bit early for apples...Maybe they are peaches or plums.  Either way, no matter, I LOVE the picture...and there's my kittie Blackie right there beside me, enjoying a beautiful summer day! I can well imagine myself right there...what a joyous feeling to be swinging without a 'care in the world'.  I know, we still have concerns, and there is still much to figure out, but I know God is in control and we do not need to fear the outcome.

Oh, there's Sunshine, pretending he's a zinnia in the zinnia garden! LOL.

At least he's not pretending to be a hummingbird as in this picture:

Who ME?

Not me...I'd never...

Well, maybe I'd better just lay down here and stay out of trouble...

Good Idea! LOL.

Okay, back to the July Calendar roll call...Here's the Teapot Calendar for July:

That is so pretty and elegant!

Maybe I've been going about it all wrong...LOL.  I just drink it to enjoy it.

This little child's teapot and cup and saucer remind me of that one above in the calendar, but on a smaller scale...(this actually belonged to my paternal grandmother!)

And this is another large teapot that I have that is very much like the one in the calendar...sadly this one has a hairline crack in the bottom so I can't use it, but it's too pretty to throw away...

Here's the Thomas Kinkade calendar for July...isn't it interesting? So much detail! Wow!

It says it's from San Francisco Lombard Street II.  I've never been to San Francisco, so maybe some of you who have been there could tell me if this is a real place! Certainly is amazing!

And last, but not least, the Susan Branch calendar for July has a delicious looking fruit salad, which sounds really refreshing and delightful!

And yes, let us know forget the 4th of July coming up this Friday...a day to celebrate our freedoms and give thanks to the Lord that we live in the "land of the free, and the home of the brave".  

May God truly continue to Bless America! I believe He is, even more than we can imagine, even with all of the bad stuff that goes on...God is still on the throne...our one true King of kings and LORD of lords.  

Psalm 33:12-22 NKJV

"12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

13 The Lord looks from heaven;

He sees all the sons of men.

14 From the place of His dwelling He looks

On all the inhabitants of the earth;

15 He fashions their hearts individually;

He considers all their works.

16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army;

A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for safety;

Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

19 To deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You."

Yes, I can totally agree and shout out those last few verses today...especially verse 21...by faith we can say "for our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name..."  We have confidence in God that He will indeed give us reason to continue to rejoice in Him. Amen.