Saturday Meanderings

Today was a lovely autumn Saturday...a perfect day for some "meanderings" here and there.

We took a little ride in the country and came across this flock of wild turkeys doing the "turkey trot" across the field. Actually, they had just crossed the road in front of us, and we had to stop quickly for one of the stragglers. I would like to have had more time to get a better picture (maybe even have time to put the window down!), but there was a car right behind us who almost rear-ended us when we stopped, so hubby didn't want to hold up traffic any longer.  I see at least 11 or 12 turkeys there! I think they are getting out of town before Thanksgiving arrives!  LOL.

We ended up on this road where this old "Florida Cracker House" is... (You can click on that link for more information about Florida Cracker Architecture)

2026-looks like nature is about to take over this old house.

If you've been with me here in blogger for a while, you may have seen this old house before. See this link:  First post about this old house in 2017.  There was some interesting discussion about what people remembered about these old houses on this post:

First picture I took of this house in 2017

The next time we drove by was in 2020, and there was some yellow tape around the property and it looked like maybe they were going to either do some work or maybe sell it?  But apparently not.

Link to former post about this house in 2020

2020

I am concerned that the next time I drive by that house it may be gone or totally swallowed up by nature. I sure wish someone would rescue it and restore it before that happens. But it may be that all the family has either died or moved away and no one seems to care about it anymore. It makes me wonder about the old folks who lived there and raised their families in that house...and now perhaps they are also forgotten. 

This kind of leads me to these next thoughts...I actually hadn't planned to go there, but now it seems I am supposed to...

On Thursday morning I was awakened out of a sound sleep with some strange sensations in my left upper chest and neck area.  I've experienced this before, and it always goes away in a few minutes...not sure if it is a kind of heart issue or a heartburn issue or anxiety, but it was enough to wake me up and make me a bit concerned. I woke up my hubby and he got me a baby aspirin, and I just sat there a while and tried to decide if I should go to the ER or just wait and see how things go.  Actually after a little while it subsided and I was able to get up and move around and go about my normal morning routines.  Only one thing concerned me that I had never experienced before with these episodes, when it was time to read our morning devotions, I normally read out loud from a devotional guide with scripture verses.  Even though I was talking normally, when it came time to read, I was having difficulty forming the words as I read them. My mouth muscles and my brain didn't seem to be quite in sync with each other and it was quite an effort to read.  That kind of scared me, but as the morning wore on I was feeling much better, even though I was kind of tired and headachy most of the day. I decided to call our doctor's office and see if I could get in on Friday, and they just happened to have had a cancellation on Friday afternoon, so thankfully I was able to take it.   When I got to the Doctor on Friday, they did an EKG and checked all my vitals and did the exam for stroke, etc.  Although my EKG showed the same slower response in the right ventricle that had been seen a year or so ago, the doctor still did not see that as anything to be too concerned about. I passed all the other "tests" and he really didn't seem too overly concerned with what he was seeing, but to be on the safe side, he has ordered a CT Scan for me, which hopefully will be scheduled next week. He is trying to rule out a TIA or any other possible malfunction.

These verses below seem to speak to this issue of how I feel about these things...

Psalm 73:26 

26 My flesh and my heart fail;

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

I feel much like that old house that is outwardly failing and perishing, but I think about the lives that lived in that house over the years and how full of life and love they must have been during those years...and their spirit continues on into eternity even though the building they once called home is perishing.

  

Our human outward bodies are perishing, but the soul of our internal being is eternal, and when we keep our eyes and thoughts on Jesus, He will give us the strength we need to keep moving forward here until the day He calls us home to our eternal home in heaven. Then this outer shell will become dust and crumble in the earth, but our internal soul will live forever.   I am thankful for this hope of eternity through faith in Christ. No matter what the world may throw at us, we have an imperishable home in heaven that cannot be destroyed.  Praise God!

So Friday afternoon I didn't want to cook supper after an afternoon spent at the doctor's office, so we called Benton, who is still batching it this week until sweet Rose comes home from her father's in Minnesota on Monday, and we decided to go to Hog Wild Country Cafe' for supper.

I took this picture of Benton to send to Rose to show her his new "girlfriend", so she'll hurry up and come home! LOL.  Thankfully she's a good sport, and she sent us pictures of the pies she was baking for her father.  We are happy for her to have this opportunity to spend some time with her family there.

Today was another beautiful morning, and after our ride earlier, when we got home I wanted to stay outside and enjoy the fresh cool air for awhile.  Here's my fall t-shirt:

"Life is Good~Go Outside"

I set up the scarecrow and we bought a pumpkin at the "Walmart Pumpkin Patch" the other day.(LOL) , and I put out my "Happy Halloween" Black Cat flag that I got for my birthday...

I also finally put out this beautiful outdoor decor, which was a birthday gift from a very dear blogging friend...

I couldn't decide where to put it, and tried it on this shepherd's hook in the yard, but it was so windy today that I was concerned it would blow a bit too much there...

So I decided to hang it on this planter trellis frame in the garden, and Blackie approved of this decision:

Speaking of Blackie...this morning someone (not me) forgot to close our bedroom door and also our closet door while Blackie was inside the house for his breakfast.  After he finished eating he disappeared for a while and I didn't notice where he had gone. I went into our bedroom and was calling him, but no response. I looked in our closet, and there he was, asleep (before I woke him up) in the little baby cradle that our son built for me a few years ago to hold my sweet Baby Elva doll...but it is a little too big to put beside my bed in this house, and so it was relegated to the closet and my hubby likes to store some of his comfy pants and t-shirts there...and Blackie discovered it and decided it was a great hiding place for him to take a nap, snuggled up in "Daddy's clothes".  

I took this picture to show that there is still another baby doll and some other stuffed animals in there as well...but poor Blackie looks like he's going to cry and say ,"Please don't make me move".  And so I didn't. I let him curl back up and sleep awhile longer, and pretty soon he came out of his own accord and said he was ready to go outside. LOL.

Doesn't he look pitiful? He's holding on to Daddy's pants and pleading with me not to make him go. Who could refuse such a face as that???

This afternoon has been windy and cool and actually a little bit of a rainy day, and it just seemed like a good day for chili. So I made a pot of chili and called Benton over to share it with us while he and hubby watched some football.

The pot of chili while it was simmering on the stove. Smelled so good!

I meant to take a picture of our bowls of chili, topped with cheese and fritos and sour cream, but I forgot, so here's my clean empty bowl, so you get the idea. LOL.

I also made a pan of brownies, and so we had that for dessert...

Here's Benton enjoying his brownie, while the puppies, Sugar and Spice, are snuggled up next to him on the couch. I know they miss their Mom.

Well, friends, I guess this is all for today. I do feel much better, and I feel confident that everything is going to be fine, but prayers are always appreciated.  It's just one of those things as we get older, things happen and we need to be prepared for whatever comes next. But when we know Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we do not need to fear what the future may hold.

Strength and honor are her clothing;

She shall rejoice in time to come.

Proverbs 31:25

Here is the video of our service and choir song for tomorrow morning.  This really goes along with what I've been trying to say...I hope you will take the time to at least listen to the song. It is so beautiful.

Romans 15:13 

"13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Amen and Good Night!

Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

 Good Evening Everyone! I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying special blessings of the week. We've been enjoying this week's cool morning temperatures in the mid 50's, and gorgeous sunny and cooler days.  It has actually felt like fall here in north central Florida! Hooray!!

The cup of tea says it well, "Thankful and Blessed".

I am combining two days because I am late on Thursday, and I don't know what tomorrow may bring...so I might as well "kill two birds with one stone".  Oh, maybe not a good way to start this post...but then look...there was this "murder of crows" out on Still Waters Pond this afternoon, and I guess that got me off to a more "sinister" beginning.  LOL.  Sorry about that.

Per Google: A "murder of crows" is the traditional collective noun for a flock of crows, rooted in old folklore and superstitions that associated the scavenging birds with death and battlefields."  It looks like these crows are definitely scavenging for something to eat on top of the dried up muck along the shore of Still Waters Pond.  The water in the background is still quite covered with algae, and I can only pray that we get some rain this weekend to help dissipate the algae and help the pond get back to being a "fresh water pond" again.  

The crows weren't the only ones out there foraging for food along the shore of the "pea soup pond".  Here's our resident Red Shouldered Hawk looking for something to eat...

Isn't that goldenrod plant lovely? Standing there all by itself, looking so proud and golden!

And here's that very handsome Hawk up in the tree! Isn't he gorgeous?

Some of you who are Facebook friends may have already seen some of these pictures the other day, but don't go away. I do have some new ones to show you as well.  I just didn't want the non-Facebook friends to miss out on anything important! 

Yes, sadly, everywhere there is water on the pond, it has been covered in an algae bloom. I looked it up to see if it is toxic, and I don't think this particular algae is toxic. It's just an ordinary algae.  Hopefully it will go away when the rains come.

The Muscovy Ducks don't seem to mind swimming and fishing in it...

My little buddy Blackie and I have been enjoying these beautiful cooler days by spending some time walking around the pond and yard, and sitting in the Secret Memorial Garden watching the birds.

This is my little "Open Window" in the garden...

Actually, this is what that is...and my zinnias are enjoying it so much.

The swing needs some work and I'm afraid to sit on it until it is fixed:

But Blackie and I enjoy sitting on the garden bench together.

This is our shady little sanctuary where we can watch the birds and feel the breeze and just pray and give thanks to the Lord for another day of life and love...

I am thrilled that the holly tree is loaded with holly berries. They are ripening up and getting ready for the migration of the birds heading further south for the winter...usually the Robins and Cedar Waxwings come flying through here in November.

Blackie likes to sharpen his claws and claim this planter box as HIS territory!

Then he lays down in the grass and gives me "the look". LOL.

And then when I am heading back inside the house he loves to run and roll in the white sand in our driveway, hoping I will come tickle his tummy...(which I do with my shoe/foot)

And then he tries to run into the house with me, covered in all that white sand...and well...nope! Not this time, buddy! Go roll in the grass and knock off that sand first! LOL.  He is still such a scamp!

And we love him. He's been one of God's special little blessings to us.

Another blessing this week...we were able to go and cast our ballots for the mid term elections...

We are very thankful to have the freedom and right to vote, and I pray that we never lose that privilege. I'm only sorry I wasn't wearing a RED sweater instead of a blue one. Only because I don't have a red sweater...

Please pray for our country...and please go vote to keep our freedoms intact.

After voting we stopped by our local grocery store, and they had some nice fresh apples on sale. (Fresh from somewhere up north, Michigan, I think, since we don't grow apples here in Florida, boo hoo).

Hubby said he would LOVE an apple pie! 

And it sounded good to me as well...so here you go:

And yes! It was as good as it looked, maybe even better!

Now here's a fall dinner...actually, our son Benton has been eating a lot of meals with us this week because his sweet wifey Rose is in Minnesota visiting her father and family up there, and so he's been over here for supper most evenings.   On this particular night we had Kielbasa and Cabbage and Mashed Potatoes and corn. Now if that isn't a fall dinner, I don't know what is! The only bad part was after that Benton and I had to go to choir practice with a full tummy of some very gassy cabbage! LOL.  

Then last night we had meatloaf, scalloped potatoes and zucchini and onions. This plate was actually tonight's leftovers, so it doesn't look as pretty as it did last night. But it was still really good! 

Well, folks, I just went out and took this picture of the sunset before it totally slipped down behind the trees.  I can see a tiny bit of clear water there on the pond, giving a little bit of a reflection!! Oh, that makes me smile so big!!

Ephesians 1:3

3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ..."

Amen.

One more thing to be thankful for...last year's mums continue to bloom! It's the little things that make me smile and say, Thank You, Lord, for Your blessings on me! Amen.

Good Night and Sweet Dreams.