What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Wednesday "Treasures"

Happy Wednesday Morning everyone!  I hope this middle of the week day finds you enjoying some lovely treasures of life and living around you.  That's what I try to do on most Wednesdays...I share things I see or have or that are special in some way, or that caught my attention for some reason.  Yesterday was a rainy day all day, which is a blessing in itself!  We rejoiced in God's blessing of rain, and enjoyed a rather peaceful and pleasant day.  So that's pretty much what I am going to share with you...pictures from our "rather peaceful and pleasant day"!

We started out early for a ride and a walk, before the rains got started.  One thing on my list of places to see was this old house in our historic section of our little town...I had just heard through the "grapevine" that this grand old treasure had just gone up for sale. It's been sitting vacant for years, and we'd often drive by and try to imagine what it must have been like back in its hey-day.  I don't know too much about the history of it,  But here's a copy of what is written in the listing (which I have included below as a link if you are interested in more information):

"This turn of the 19th century home is waiting for you to restore it to its original glory. Known as the Wimberly - Eckhardt House in the early 1900s, it hosted many events by Judge Jared Wimberly and was proverbial for its hospitality. The original structure built in 1884 was an eight-room house finished in curly pine. That woodwork still adorns the windows and magnificent stairway today. The electric was updated in the 1980s."

My photo

(Internet Photo)

(Internet Photo)


My photo

(Internet Photo)

(Internet Photo)

Link to Zillow information on this house 

If you are an old house enthusiast and would like a "restoration project house", this would be a great bargain at just $149,900.   But keep in mind that it hasn't had much updating since the 1980's, so there's no telling just what all needs to be done. I do hope someone with "deep pockets" will buy it and restore it the way it ought to be done in keeping with its historical charm.   There are no pictures of the kitchen or bathrooms on the listing, so I'm thinking they are probably going to be major projects.  

Next on our little drive was a stop down at the Kenwood Recreation Park/boat ramp so we could take a little walk before the rains started.  Not too much different there to see, but here's a couple of pictures from along the way:

I noticed these pink flowers growing alongside the road, so asked hubby to stop so I could see what they were.
According to my research, this was called an "Early Wild Rose", but here is the botanical information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_blanda

Made me wish I could take some and plant them alongside our yard somewhere. So delicate and pretty!

Here's one picture I took at the boat ramp. The reflection of the trees on the water is so pretty, even on a cloudy day:

Going back out the road from the park is this little farm, and the cows were all up near the fence for feeding time, so it was a good opportunity to say "Good Mooooorning".  



I'd say they were largely unimpressed with my greeting.  They were obviously more interested in eating:

Hello!    The big whiteish bull in the background is most likely a American Brahman.  We see a lot of this type of cattle in Florida, because they do well in the warmer tropical climates.
It's always fun to see cows, isn't it?  And do you usually say "MOOOOO" when you see them? I do. LOL.

Our next stop was a real "Treasure"!   We saw this fellow alongside the road putting letters on this sign, and I said, "Hey! Stop! That's my son!"  LOL:
And so it was!! And so we stopped to say hello. I think I mentioned that our son Benton has started working part time at the "Trading Post at Deep Creek"


 
You might even recognize those little flower pots...


He also has a booth in the store, as well as he sells his large wooden garden planters here inside and outside at their weekend farm markets.

This store has lots of interesting vendors, and you might recognize the items in this picture below:
Yes, those framed photos above were taken in my yard. The bird feeders were some that I bought from this vendor when she was one our vendors at our Dixie Cottage store. I had taken those pictures to show her how the birds enjoyed the items I bought from her, and she has used those photos as a part of her booth to demonstrate how her bird feeder creations can be used:

Such fun!

Soon our little ride was over and it was starting to rain, and yes! It rained for most of the rest of the day, Praise God!  I decided it was a good day to make a pot full of "Brunswick Stew", using up the leftover BBQ pork from Sunday's lunch...

It was SO good.  I couldn't use my oven to make cornbread, so I tried to make "Hoecakes" in my iron skillet, but they didn't turn out too pretty.  But they still tasted good.  

My oven door gasket has come loose, and we need to replace it, and actually the part I ordered online arrived last night, so now we just have to figure out how to put it on. I may call my smart DIL Rose to figure it out. She's really good at that kind of thing.

Here's the info on "Brunswick Stew", in case you wonder what that is.  I used an old recipe from one of my school friends' Mama. They were originally from the Brunswick area of Georgia, and they made it the old fashioned way, sometimes using venison or pork. 

Brunswick stew

Brunswick stew is a hearty, traditional Southern comfort food, typically made with a mix of meats like chicken, pork, or even small game, along with vegetables such as corn, lima beans, and tomatoes, simmered in a savory, often BBQ-sauce-infused broth. While its origins are debated between Virginia and Georgia, modern versions often use leftover barbecue, and it's known for being a flavorful, one-pot meal that's great for feeding a crowd.

Key Ingredients
Meats:
Shredded chicken, pulled pork, or a combination; historically included squirrel or rabbit.

Vegetables:
Corn, lima beans, and tomatoes are staples; potatoes and okra are also common additions.

Base:
Chicken broth, diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, and seasonings like Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and sometimes barbecue sauce.

Flavor Enhancers:
Brown sugar, vinegar, and hot sauce are often used to balance the flavor.



It was so good!!  
Here's some good words of advice for today from God's Word:


Proverbs 4:11-12 NIV

11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.

So, if you go for a walk today...think about these verses!!  Have a blessed day everyone!!

Monday, May 11, 2026

Happy Monday After Mother's Day!

 Good Morning! I hope this Monday morning after Mother's Day finds you all feeling refreshed and ready for a new week! Regardless of whether or not you were overwhelmed with joy, or underwhelmed with not much of any kind of special activity over the weekend, today is the beginning of a new week! Each new day brings hope and new possibilties for blessings and also for being a blessing to someone else who may be struggling to find her joy.  So I thought I would start out this morning with some special little extra blessings, and hopefully some things that will bring smiles to your faces as well...

#1   Praise the Lord! We've been getting some much needed rain over the past several days, and the promise of more to come in the next few days! That is such a joy to my heart and to our land and pond! No, there still isn't any noticeable water in the pond, but it is like a big old sponge that is soaking up all the moisture it can, and one of these days it is going to overflow with pools of water once again!



And just look at how our garden is growing!!  Little squashes are developing!



And the tomatoes are getting bigger every day...


And some are even turning red!  Those of you who are experienced gardeners, should I pick it now, or let it get bigger and more red before I pick it?  And what are those lines on the leaves? Some kind of insect or worm?  The tomatoes appear to be healthy, but I don't know what these lines are on the leaves...I don't want to use any chemical pesticides...

Anyway, it gives me great joy to see these little gardens growing:

And my wildflower garden is sprouting up really well...probably too well as the seeds were all sown quite on top of each other...so time will tell what develops...plue I need to do some serious weeding around it and keep the grass out.

#2: And look what else sprouted up in my garden yesterday!  Son Scott showed up for Mother's Day afterall!
We had already agreed last Sunday that he didn't need to drive 2 hours back again this week since we weren't going to be having any big Mother's Day dinner because the other kids weren't going to be available and we were going to do something else with them during the week...which I already wrote about Here:Link to earlier post about my Mother's Day celebration at the Beach (in case you missed it).    But he decided he wanted to come on down anyway (he had more laundry to do! LOL) and so I went ahead and put some country style ribs in the crock pot and got some corn on the cob  at the farm market on Saturday, and we ended up having a really nice dinner together.  I was  thrilled, of course!  

We enjoyed a nice afternoon of just visiting and relaxing before he had to head back to Jacksonville...


Of course, he wasn't our only "guest"...Lily Grace wanted to get in the act and wore her "I'm Mom's Favorite" t-shirt.  This was a standing joke, when Scott and Benton each were gifted a similar t-shirt from their Aunt Peggy one year for Christmas, and so a friend of mine created this shirt for Lily Grace.  

A certain Kitty named "Blackie" was surprised to see Lily standing there on HIS chair, and I also think he was surprised to see her t-shirt, because I'm certain that he thinks that he's Mom's favorite!

You will note that he immediately took possession of Lily...

I almost literally had to pry her out of his grasp...we probably won't try that again...Lily was a little nervous...


And then I think Blackie was a little nervous (look at those eyes!) when I took a selfie of the two of us!
The camera really isn't his favorite thing, but you'd think he'd be getting used to it by now...

So that was the excitement for Mother's Day!   Oh, but wait, it wasn't over yet!!  We did get a really nice rain...and guess who else showed up for a visit?

#3: If you are a Facebook friend, you may already have seen these...but for the rest of you, I hope you'll enjoy this Mother's Day visit from the Bluebird family! We never got to see the babies when they left the nest, so it was nice of them to come back for a visit, even if it was in the rain!  They were such fun to watch:

Daddy bluebird is checking to make sure the coast is clear and that it's safe to let the youngsters come over here to "visit".
Mr. Cardinal kept flying in, trying to get to the bird feeder, but Daddy Bluebird kept chasing him away...

Here Daddy is having a chat with one of the "kids"... 

And this "child" is hanging on to the trellis, waiting for someone to bring some more food... The parents do still bring some food to the babies, but they are also learning to hunt for food for themselves...

Here this one is waiting on the roof, trying to keep from slipping off...

Baby on top says, "Hey, Mom, I'm up here!!"

Here are two very hungry youngsters on the roof, telling Daddy to hurry up with dinner..."We're getting wet and cold up here on this roof!"

I think this is one of the babies flying off...

And this one is hanging on to a small branch on the tree...very well camouflaged...

PLEASE come feed me! I'm getting really wet here!!!

And I'm out on a very small limb here! 

I think I've been forgotten!

Hey! It's cooler and safer here in the shade of this tree!!

Hmmm, maybe my brother had the best idea...it sure is slippery and wet and cold here...

I'm hanging on for dear life...

Daddy, are you up there? Are you bringing me any food????

Calm down, child! You know I won't forget you! Just be patient and wait and I will take care of you...

Son, don't turn your back on me when I'm talking to you...

I wish you Bluebirds would hurry up and go away so I can get back to my bird feeder! I'm hungry too!


Son,  I'm  still talking to you! Turn around and look at me!


And so it went, until they decided it was time to move on and they flew away to the tree tops where they spend the nights in safety and away from the predators.  

Here are some verses that came to mind as I was writing this...like the little bluebirds, we sometimes get frightened in the storms of life, or we worry that we will be forgotten by those that we love ...or even by God Himself...But God has promised us that He will always be there for us, through all the storms and times of anxiety or worries about the future...

  • [Isaiah 41:10]: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand".
  • [Isaiah 43:2]: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you...".
  • [Joshua 1:9]: "...Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go".
  • [Matthew 28:20]: "...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age".
  • [Deuteronomy 31:8]: "The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged".
  • [Hebrews 13:5]: "...for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'". 

  • And then there  precious words of Christ, reminding us not to worry about food or clothing or anything...

    Matthew 6:25-27, 31-34 NKJV

    Do Not Worry

    25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

    31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 
    32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 
    33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 
    34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.


    Yes, if we will "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things shall be added to you."  He will provide all that we need, and even more...blessings upon blessings.   That is what I believe and have found to be true in my own life. I pray it is something that you are learning as well. 

    I hope you enjoyed this little Monday after Mother's Day "celebration" with me!! Praying that your week ahead will be filled with little joys along the way. Watch for them! God wants to bless you with His love and care every day!!