Happy Friday Foto Friends

Happy Friday Everyone!  Even though I am retired and no longer have to go out to work every day, I am still always happy to see Friday roll around. Friday just seems to have a special spark to it that makes me feel happy and free!    

And I am always happy to see our fine feathered Mrs. Ruby Throated Hummingbird stop by for a visit and a drink... 

Isn't she amazing?  Of course, since this is the female, she doesn't have the beautiful ruby throat that her mate has, but she is beautiful in her own special way...

What a blessing and joy to see her up so close (thanks to my zoom lens on my camera!)

Yes, drink away my little friend. You may have babies to feed somewhere out there...

Hey, our friend Debby over at Days of my life-Window to My World is participating in an August Happiness Challenge. She got the idea from another of her blogging friends, and I like the idea, so thought I would try to do the same thing.  There's no linky to link up to (that I know of).  Just post one thing each day that you are happy about.  You aren't limited to just one thing, but making an effort to find one special thing each day is a good start! Of course, I am already a week late in getting started, but I think I've probably shared something just about every day that I was happy about anyway.  This time I will just make more of an effort to say it out loud! Maybe you would like to join in for the rest of the month with me? Why not? What have we got to lose? Maybe a lot more to gain...smiley faces and a spirit of joy and happiness will lift our spirits and carry us through those difficult days when we have a hard time finding something to be happy about. So here we go!

Proverbs 17:22 New King James Version

"A merry heart does good, like medicine,

But a broken spirit dries the bones."

Today I am happy that my hubby's post-op appointment with the Eye Surgeon was perfect! The doctor was very pleased with what he saw, and said to keep doing what he's doing each day (eye drops 4xday), and come back next week for another checkup.  We made it up there and back with no issues, for which I am very thankful since I had to do the driving again. I really don't mind doing the driving, but I just can't relax and enjoy the view along the way when I do!  Oh well...it's pretty much the same as it was the last time, so no big deal! LOL. 

I am happy also that our "kids" called and asked if we would like for them to bring over the makings for home-made pizzas tonight. Of course we said YES!!!  I will try to remember to take pictures later, but that may have to be in tomorrow's post. I love that our kids live close by and that they actually seem to enjoy hanging out with us "old folks".   We are so thankful and blessed.  

Oh, here's some more of our "fine feathered friends".  I am not certain if this is the female Mrs. Bluebird, or if it is one of the young bluebirds finally out of the nest.  It's hard to tell. Usually the babies have more speckles on them, but the Daddy bluebird was bringing some food to her up there on the limb, and it made me think it might be a baby...

It just seems to act more like a juvenile bird than an adult.  Here's the Daddy below with the one in question...

This is a closer view of her...still not sure...

Whichever one it is, I enjoyed watching it!

There can never be too many birds to watch in my estimation!

Last evening after I finished writing my last post we had a humdinger of a thunderstorm, with LOTS of thunder and lightning and hard rain. The rain gauge that I have on my phone said we have received 1.71" of rain in the last 24 hours.  More is expected later today. I sure hope they are right. Even though Still Waters Pond is still very dry, all this rain has to start making a difference soon. You all know what a happy day that will be when I see water on top of the pond once again!  

And as in all things, I give thanks to God for what He has done, and what He will do.  

Isaiah 25:1 NKJV

 "O Lord, You are my God.

I will exalt You,

I will praise Your name,

For You have done wonderful things;

Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth."

Well, folks, I will wrap this up because it's getting time to feed the kitty, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting...and then the kids will be coming over and bringing the grandpups, so Blackie will have to be back outside before they arrive!  That's definitely one thing we have to make sure we do! Those two grandpups are quite jealous of our kitty.  I don't think they like to be supplanted by the likes of him! LOL.  So I will say good night and I hope you will look for something special to be happy about...and be sure to let us know!   "Happy Trails to you, until we meet again!"  (Roy Rogers and Dale Evans...remember when?)

Thursday Thankfulness

 I am SO thankful that we made it up and back safely the one hour trip for hubby's cataract surgery this morning, and everything went just fine! We will have to make that trip again tomorrow morning for his post-op exam, but at least he will be allowed to eat breakfast and have his coffee before going! His appointment this morning wasn't until 9:30, and then of course he couldn't eat or drink anything until the surgery was over, so yes, he was quite happy to get back home before noon and eat some lunch!  And I feel like a "smartypants", because I put a pot roast with potatoes and carrots, etc., in the crock pot before we left this morning, so supper is already cooked too! 

It sure smells good! It's been a while since we had a pot roast! They put the chuck roasts on sale this week so I felt like I could splurge a little.  Ha! Can you remember back when a pot roast was considered a bargain meal?  And ground beef was one of the cheapest meats you could cook in so many different ways? I think we lived on ground beef casseroles of one kind or another back when we were first married. (and beyond).  But nowadays it is the most expensive meat that I buy! Pork and chicken tend to run a bit cheaper, so we eat more of that than we do beef anymore. Therefore, this pot roast dinner is a bit of a luxury...a celebration meal! 

Thank YOU all for your thoughts and prayers on our behalf today! That really means a lot.  Also, I wanted to thank you all for so many fun comments on my "New Town" dream idea on the Tuesday 4 meme this past Tuesday. It seemed like just about everyone wanted to come live in my new town! Wouldn't that be fun?  We could all have so much fun together...but then, what would we have to write about? And who would read our blogs?  We'd already know everything everyone else was doing! LOL. I guess we'd better leave things the way they are, but it sure seems like it would be a fun idea!!

Last evening's sunset/skies were so amazing. We had a nice bit of rain, and then the sky turned perfectly golden for a while...

although these pictures don't do it justice. Everything looked like it was bathed in gold!

And then it changed and became such vivid oranges and purples and gold ...

It looked like the trees were on fire!

And even though Still Waters Pond is still very still and dry...we can still enjoy the sunsets out there and give God the Glory for the wonderful things He has done!

Every little bit of rain is greatly appreciated...and so are these beautiful sunsets!

Jeremiah 32:17 KJV

17 "Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee."

Reminds me of this happy chorus we used to sing in church sometimes:

When we find life is getting difficult and challenging, it's good to be reminded that "Nothing is too difficult for Thee (God)".  

Yes, I am thankful today (and every day) for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and all that He has done for us, and that NOTHING is too difficult for Him! I am thankful for our family and the blessing they are, and for our friends here in Blogland and in the world around us, friends old and new. I am thankful to live in the United States of America, where we are truly blessed with amazing freedom, a magnificently beautiful country, and the right to live where we want to live, work at the kind of occupation we love, and enjoy the fruit of our labors, and the freedom to worship God openly and happily without fear.  May we NEVER take these freedoms for granted, and may we truly pay attention to the strange things that are happening in our country these days with people thinking that something like socialism or Communism (actually the same thing in a different uniform) can really be good for our nation.  I don't like to get political here because it oftentimes brings out the "anonymous" dissenters who like to degrade our country and our beliefs, but we need to be paying attention to what is taking place in certain parts of the country, or we may find ourselves losing those freedoms we hold so dear and we will end up like Cuba or Venezuela or God forbid, like the former USSR or Nazi Germany.  We need to pay attention, and remember that once our freedoms that we  hold so dear are lost, we may never get them back again.  May we continue to place our Trust in God, and never let go of the freedoms so many have died for. Amen.    

Tuesday 4: Your New Town

This is a dream-time meme for today...thinking about a town of my dreams. So why not dream along with me?

Your New Town

Welcome to Tuesday 4 begun by Toni Taddeo and kept up in her memory. We are so glad to have you joining in! You can make your post as elaborate or as simple as you wish. The object really is to share with others.

This week let us talk about a new town/city/village that you are going to create. It is brand new.

1. You are establishing a new community. Where will it be located? What will the surroundings be like? Describe the environment and the weather which you get to create.

Although I am thankful to currently be living in north central Florida, where we do not have extreme weather too often (except for the high heat in summer), my new town will be in a part of the country where we get more of the four seasons, but with a mild winter...just enough to enjoy perhaps a little snow for the holidays, but no extreme or extended freezing/blizzard type weather. Spring will be beautiful, with all manner of blooming trees and flowers, and summer will be warm enough to enjoy swimming and boating and gardening, but no extreme high heat or humidity. Autumn will be gloriously colorful, with crisp, cold air, apple orchards and pumpkin patches, hiking trails and places to explore. This idyllic town will be in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, probably somewhere in north Georgia or south western North Carolina or southeastern Tennessee.

2. You are in charge of naming this new town. What will you call it and is it a town, village , city? Is it country, suburb or city? I am still debating in my mind what to name my new little town, and yes, it is a town, with a village like atmosphere. It would be considered more rural than city or suburb, but the closest larger city would be within 15 or 20 miles.  I will give the name of this town at the end of my post, because I am still thinking about it as I write.

3. What features will your new town have? Library? parks? restaurants? Rural or metropolitan area?

Oh, my new town will definitely have a public library, well stocked with wonderful books, and yes, there will be parks in every direction, with a central park on the town square, complete with a gazebo for summer and fall community actitivities like concerts and festivals. There will be parks for children to enjoy, and also most likely there will be some kind of a public beach or waterfront with a place for family picnics and swimming and/or canoeing/kayaking in season. There will also be hiking trails around the community. 

As far as restaurants go, there will be delightful little cafe's on the town square, a bakery and a tea room, a pizza parlor, and other small home town and locally owned diners and restaurants to enjoy a variety of kinds of food. However, there will not be any franchised type of restaurants...and no "fast food" places, except for what is created and owned by the local people. There will be a locally owned grocery store that is well stocked with fresh vegetables and fruits and really good meats, and a really good deli/bakery.   This town will be developed with a town square with the City Hall or County courthouse in the center of the square, and businesses will be located all around the square and within walking distance.  There will be interesting gift shops with items created by local artisans and craftsmen. Our new little town will encourage entrepreneurship, and each store will be uniquely designed and owned and operated by the local people. Oh, there will also be an old fashioned Drug and Five and Dime Store with a Soda Fountain, where you can sit at the counter and get an ice-cream soda or sundae, or your favorite soda fountain drink with hamburger and fries or a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, while you wait for your prescription to be filled,  

Our town is very friendly and welcoming, and you will find an atmosphere of people who are happy to live and work and thrive in this community.  There are wonderful churches and civic groups who are actively involved in the daily workings of this little town, making it a peaceful and happy place to live. Of course there is a local Police Department and Fire Department, and these home-town "heroes" help keep the community safe and secure. There is also a small community hospital for the more routine medical needs and emergencies, but the larger county hospital will be in the next city about 15 miles away.

Oh, I almost forgot...Our town will have an old historic Train Depot and there will be train rides available through the countryside and mountains and also to the Apple Orchards in the fall, and also a special Christmas train ride in December.  Also, the town will always be decorated for Christmas throughout the holiday season and there will be caroling on the square and other fun and meaningful Christmas activities throughout the month of December. There will also be a live Nativity Scene nightly on the square, with live animals and people.  The true meaning of Christmas will be celebrated along with a Christmas Parade with Santa.  

4. Your new town has a high school and it is your job to name it. What name do you give it? 

Well, I guess the high school will be named after the town name, and the school mascot will be something indicative of the local wildlife.  Since our town is in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, I'm thinking the mascot will probably be the Bears.  I am still debating on the name of the town, but it's going to be something like Mountain Laurel, named for the beautiful mountain laurels that bloom in the spring all around the area.  

Internet Photo of Mountain Laurels blooming

Mountain Laurel flowers information.

Okay, that's my town! Now let's go see what others are dreaming up today, shall we?  Click here to join the fun.

Monday Monday! "O Sing Unto the Lord a New Song!"

 Happy Monday Morning Friends! I hope this day finds you rested up from your weekend and ready to begin a new week!  Looking ahead this week, hubby is having is 2nd cataract surgery on Thursday. So that will be the "highlight" of this week! The place where we go for the surgery is about an hour's drive away, and then we have to go back again for "post-op" early Friday morning, and of course I will be driving, so no time for pictures or anything fun. LOL. Praying all goes well with his surgery.  Thankfully my eye doctor said I could still wait another year unless I start having more symptoms...and did I mention that in a previous appointment he thought I could have the beginnings of glaucoma, but at this more recent appointment he said, "No glaucoma!" I just have some weird looking nerves in the back of my eye that sometimes indicates glaucoma, but he said my pressures are good and there is no evidence of it, so praise God!!!!

Well, while I was sitting here at my computer trying to write and sip my morning cup of tea, this happened:

Good Morning, Blackie! So nice of you to come and visit while I am trying to "work". 

From the desktop to my lap...

Hi Mom! Just thought I'd come say hello to you and all your friends...and get some early morning lovin'.

So after a few minutes of him squirming around on my lap trying to find just the right spot, and me trying to pet him but he'd try to "bite" me  (they say they are love bites, but don't you believe it...! LOL), he finally decided to jump down and go visit Daddy for a while. So now maybe I can get this thing written! LOL!

Life with "King Blackie" is never dull!

So yesterday was the day that hubby and I sang our duet at church. Some of you expressed interest in hearing it, and so Benton and Rose both recorded it on their phones. So here you go...this is the one Benton recorded. I like it because at the end of the song we asked the congregation to join us on the last chorus, and you can actually hear Benton singing along.  The one that Rose recorded is a little longer and I'm having trouble uploading it, but I can also hear her sweet voice singing at the end. I told them that next time we sing we are going to do a family quartet!!  They have never done anything like that before, so they said, "We'll see...". LOL.  Anyway, without further adieu, here is the song, "What a Day That Will Be."  Remember, we are old and a bit rusty, but we are singing for the glory of the Lord...

After church we came home and Scott had arrived in time to grill some hamburgers for our lunch before the rain started. And yes, it did rain most of the afternoon, which was really nice. We are supposed to get rain most of today too and all this week, so here's hoping and praying that Still Waters Pond will finally reach a saturation point and begin to look like a pond again!

I know these birds will be happy to see that day!  Mr. Cardinal and Mr. Bluebird were having a "conversation" the other day, probably over territorial rights, but perhaps they were both just happy to have their place on God's green earth to sing their praises to their Creator!  And the other photos were just taken right now this morning as the sun is breaking through the clouds!  Let's "sing unto the Lord a new song" together with them!

Psalm 96  KJV

 "1 O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

4 For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, 

and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

13 Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth."

Amen!

I hope you have a lovely and joy-filled day!!

August is Here! Happy Days!

 Happy August 1st!  Hooray for a new day, and a new month!  Of course, you know what that means! Yes, it is time for the August Calendar Roll Call!! So without further adieu, here we go:

Even though this appears to be a fall scene, it is one that I love, and this calendar is in my bathroom where I can see it every day (several times a day and night too! LOL).  That's pretty much my little dream cabin spot, with that beautiful lake and mountains in the background, and a row boat right there waiting to take me to places to explore all around the lake. Yes, I could easily climb right into this picture and be quite happy and content!

Wow! There seems to be a theme going on here for August!  Here's another beautiful cabin and lake and rowboat scene, with a mountain backdrop. It is also gorgeous, but I think I still prefer the more peaceful and private scene above.

This calendar has quotes from Billy Graham and also from the Bible..."Christ belongs to ALL people; He belongs to the whole world!".  Yes, He does...and it is up to us to share Him with everyone everywhere!

"Blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." Luke 11:28.  Yes, a good reminder for each of us to not only read the Bible, but to actually believe and put it into practice in our daily lives.

I love this John Sloane Country Seasons calendar...and this picture for August is a true gem...

I wonder how many of us have ever done a lemonade stand before? I'm trying to remember if I ever did, but I know my kids did years ago...

Here's our three little musketeers now...I snuck up behind them and got this response:
Matthew on the far left, sticking his tongue out at me...Benton in the middle, and Scott wearing his swimming goggles...

Hey! Lemonade only 10 cents! What a deal that was!!

I don't know how much lemonade they sold that day, but I think they sure had fun. I'm so glad I could find these pictures, thanks to having my early photo albums of when our kids were little more organized. I must admit to having a bit of a tear in my eyes as I look at these sweet pictures of when all three of our boys were so little and sweet and innocent and healthy. Sadly, today I don't even develop pictures, and it would take forever to find a picture, unless I've posted it here in my blog or on Facebook. That really is a crime.

Scott, Benton, and Matthew, circa 1981, Willoughby Hills, Ohio.

Precious Memories.

Well, moving right along...Look at this very colorful teapot set from my TEAPOTS calendar:

Here's the description:

And there's always a quote from some famous tea lover, whom I don't know, but it's still interesting...

The Thomas Kinkade calendar always has something beautiful to see...and this picture is from along The Big Sur, which I assume is in California?   And I love the Bible verse: "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens." Psalm 8:1  Amen!

And this verse is at the bottom of the calendar:

"Ah Lord God! Behold, Thou has made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretche out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee." Jeremiah 32:17

Oh, and here's a good thought to end the calendar roll-call...This Susan Branch calendar always has fun and good thoughts...

Yes!  "Oh for a book and a shady nook, either indoor or out."  Summertime is a great time for reading, but here in Florida, it best be a cozy nook indoors during August. It's still too hot to consider sitting outside for very long! If not for the heat, it's the mosquitoes!

And speaking of bugs:

I discovered this "Dog-Days Cicada" shedding it's exo-skeleton under our shed. 

Here's how the exo-skeleton looked after he disengaged himself from it:

And here's how he looked until he turned himself over and started pumping out his wings...

Here he is in the process of his wings filling out.

I assume he flew up into the trees after this as he wasn't anywhere to be seen this morning.

Not my picture, but this is how he should've looked later:

Internet photo.

I've never seen one of these creatures that close and alive before.  I know they sure can make a lot of noise!!  It is typical that they should appear now, in the hot "dog-days" of summer!!

And speaking of creatures...

Some furry black creature has invaded and taken over my chair!

Almost looks like a bat! But yes, it is none other than King Blackie, sleeping so peacefully in my chair. And yes, I have to cover my chair with this coverlet because I'm trying to preserve it from cat hair and possible fleas (although he is being well-treated for fleas these days and I think we have that pretty well under control).  

If I want to sit in MY chair, I have to roll him up in that coverlet and encourage him to "roll down" on the floor...otherwise, he will stick his sharp little claws into my behind and let me know who's boss around here! LOL. Now, I must say that quite often he jumps right back up into my lap once I've seated myself, but that lasts for a while until he decides he doesn't like me moving my arms about to use the tv remote or my phone, and then he grabs my arms and lets me know that if I'm going to sit in HIS chair, I have to be still! LOL.  What a little tyrant he can be!!!!

To follow up on my rooster story, no, these eggs didn't come from that location, but they did come from some chickens that are being raised by a woman in our church, and she brings dozens of eggs to church quite frequently to GIVE away...first come first served. Aren't they beautiful??? So colorful!

And below, this is a comparison...guess which egg is the fresh "real chicken egg" (as I call the eggs from the chicken lady) ?  And which egg(s) came from the grocery store?

Just look at that huge egg yolk! It came from the fresh "real chicken eggs", and the other two smaller yolks came from large eggs from Walmart. What a difference!  I wish I could have "real chicken eggs" all the time, but no, I am not willing to raise my own chickens in order to do that.  I will just keep looking for more reasonable alternatives!

I will close this out with this photo of this morning's sunrise, righ after a nice little early morning rain shower!

And here's a view of Still Waters Pond, still very dry, but we are supposed to get rain all this next week. I hope they are right this time. Still Waters Pond is very very thirsty!!!!

Isaiah 55:1-5

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David. Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader and commander for the people. Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the Lord your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.”

Here is a video of a church singing this beloved old hymn, "Ho Everyone That is Thirsty". This is not our church, but I like their presentation...

1 Ho! ev'ryone that is thirsty in spirit,

Ho! ev'ryone who is weary and sad,

come to the fountain, there’s fullness in Jesus,

all that you’re longing for; come and be glad.

Refrain:

"I will pour water on him who is thirsty,

I will pour floods upon the dry ground;

open your heart for the gift I am bringing,

while ye are seeking me, I will be found."

2 Child of the world, are you tired of your bondage?

Weary of earth-joys, so false, so untrue?

Thirsting for God, and His fullness of blessing?

List to the promise— a message for you.

 [Refrain]

3 Child of the kingdom, be filled with the Spirit;

nothing but fullness thy longing can meet.

’Tis the enduement for life and for service;

thine is the promise, so certain, so sweet.

 

[Refrain]

Amen.

Go and be filled...and be blessed.  Happy August!!!