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!

Friday, March 27, 2020

Friday Fotos and What's Happening?

I am beginning to feel so out of touch with the rest of the world. This "social distancing" certainly is important, but when people like me stay cooped up too long we begin to get "antsy".  Just to do something.  Of course, I've been physically unable to do much of anything anyway since my surgery almost five weeks ago (really? That long already? Yikes, even I didn't realize it had been that long!)  No wonder I am getting "antsy".

So we've done a few little things.  Nothing too exciting.  I'll just post the pictures and tell you that way.

Talking about "social distancing".  The excitement of the "mating game" between the Canadian Geese and their battles over territories (previously talked about HERE) seems to have come to an end. Lately we have just seen this lone male goose coming up on our shore in the mornings by himself. He often just stands there, watching and listening very intently, but doesn't seem afraid of us at all.




Then he just saunters up to the bird feeder and helps himself to the seeds scattered on the ground.
 You can't see him, but there is a squirrel in that tree above him, watching and switching his tail back and forth, obviously not happy that the goose is getting his morning snack!
Apparently the female goose is sitting on the nest somewhere now, and the male is out taking care of himself for awhile.  I don't know where the nest is, but I hope it is not far and that we will get to see the goslings when they appear.

Speaking of "social distancing":
This sparrow seems to be turning his back on Bobby the Squirrel and pretending he isn't there.

 Some good things have been happening while we are staying here behaving ourselves.  Our "kids" decided we needed a dishwasher.  I don't know why. Maybe because every time they come over and eat with us (which hasn't been often in the past few weeks 😔), they end up doing the dishes. Which they really didn't mind doing, but they decided that when things get back to "normal" around here we will probably be doing our usual routine of family and friends dinners, and we need a dishwasher.  So they actually found this used dishwasher in excellent condition and bought it for us.  Actually, I am quite pleased and thankful, even though I had gotten used to washing our dishes after every meal since it is usually just the two of us and our son Scott, who washes the supper dishes most of the time, and I was pretty content to stay that way. But hey, when your kids want to do something for you, you don't say no!!  You say, "Thank you very much!"

Another thing we just had done is water-sealing the back deck.  If you recall reading HERE a few weeks ago, we had the front deck sealed and a new storm door put on. Well, the same guys who did the front deck came back and did the back deck (and also installed the DW for us while they were here).  So nice to have competent "handy-men" available to take care of special jobs for us reasonably.  Don't worry. We stayed our distance while they worked.

Speaking of the storm door, if you recall from this previous post, my large wreath that I had for the door no longer would fit between the door and the storm door.  And since I haven't been able to get out and do any shopping for a while, I haven't been able to find anything to fit.  Until today. Hubby insisted that I needed to get out of the house for a while.  And so we went to the Dollar Store, with hand sanitizer in hand, keeping our distance from others, and I found this lovely spring wreath that would fit perfectly between the doors:
 How do you like the reflections in the glass? 
Hello!

Here's a better picture without the reflections:

Made me happy!!

We also took a ride around to see what our kids have been up to at their house as we hadn't seen them in a while.

My daughter in law (below right) is on vacation this week, and her sister from Minnesota came down to get out of the cold and spend some time together.  As you can see above, they have been busy building garden beds!

 The two farm gals.


Their navel orange tree has lots of baby oranges growing!  

 And the wisteria is blooming!! I miss my wisteria bushes from my old house, but..oh well...You can't have everything!

I guess that about sums up what we've been doing. We miss being with our friends and family and church family. It is good to stay in touch via phone calls and Facebook, but I think we will all be happy when this Covid 19 crisis is over and we can all get back to normal again.  I think we will value our families, friends and churches even more than before.

Here are some positive words from God's Word to ponder and give us comfort during these difficult times:

Psalm 34: 1-8
"1.  I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continuously be in my mouth.
2.  My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3.  Oh magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt His name together.
4.  I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
5.  They looked to Him and were radiant, 
and their faces were not ashamed.
6.  This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7.  The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
and delivers them.
8.  Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"


I pray that you and your family and friends are doing well and staying healthy.
We probably all know someone who has tested positive for this virus, and we have been praying for them regularly. We also pray for our President and the task force  and all who have been working on this problem day and night since its beginning. We are very thankful for their diligence to keep working on our behalf.  Also praying for the many doctors, nurses and other first responders, as well as those who are keeping the grocery stores open, etc.  We may feel inconvenienced in not being able to go out to eat or shop when we want to or find everything on our list when we do shop, but we are still so blessed and privileged and cared for. I give thanks to God for taking care of us in so many ways. Let us all strive to be supportive of those who are working so hard on our behalf. We may not always agree with everything and every one, but ultimately it is God Who is taking care of us and we will put our trust in Him. He will deliver us.

Have a blessed and healthy day my friends.

23 comments:

  1. Sounds to me like you will have a chance at seeing those little goslings when they arrive.I love how your deck looks. Oh, and the wreath is lovely as well. Stay safe and enjoy the nature outside your door.

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    1. Thank you, Ruth, I am so thankful to be here and look forward to seeing those goslings. I do hope the parents will bring them by for us to enjoy. I mean, after all, we had to put up with their mating dances, so I think we should get to enjoy the results! LOL. Yes, we will be enjoying our deck and watching the geese and birds all summer long. At least, I hope the geese will stay around. Thank you for liking my wreath...Dollar General. Do you have those where you live? They have some cute decorations ---cheap! Thank you for visiting, and yes, please stay safe too!!

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  2. I wish you could see my face (big smile). P.S. Pamela, dear, its ok to send the geese home now, we do miss them (rolling laughter and more big smiles). Rose is a girl after my own heart; love her outdoorness, smiles (and so brave to work in the heat, grin).

    Keeping you in prayer...I am so happy to read your friend is home now. Praising the Lord, Pamela. smiles

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    1. I did see a flock of geese fly over the house last evening who were not our usual group of geese...so maybe those were YOUR geese, heading back up north. However, they may have to detour around NYC to avoid the plague. Hopefully they will arrive in your neck of the woods in record time. Do you usually see them in your area? Yes, Rose is very sweet and a wonderful DIL. She and her sister are having a great time playing farmer this week. And I hope those garden plots will yield some good vegies for us all to enjoy this summer! We are so blessed to have our kids nearby. God is so good. Meanwhile, stay safe and behave as much as possible! LOL

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  3. I love how your deck is looking and it was so great that your kids bought the dishwasher for you. I'm sure you will make good use of it. I'm glad your DIL had a visitor but I would feel more comfortable if social distancing was practised. My cousin visited me and we decided not to shake, hugs, kiss cheeks etc. I think she goes out far too much though. I just texted her and she was on her way out! She isn't that comfortable staying or being alone. Thankfully I do not have that affliction. I love people but I can also spend time on my own in quiet time. I need to think a lot, lol. And I take long to take to get the daily things done.

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    1. In response to the "social distancing"...they are practicing as much as possible within one household. DIL's sister had her gardening gloves on to keep from touching...lol. But they are being careful however I don't think people within families are, in all practicality, able to stay totally away from one another. I did not hug any of them or get close enough to "sneeze or spit". They had this vacation planned for many weeks and weren't sure if she would be able to fly down from MN or not, but the airline made sure passengers were seated far apart and they were tested for fevers before leaving the plane. Thankfully where she came from they are not experiencing many cases of the virus, and so far we are pretty clear in our area as well. We just keep praying and washing hands a lot. I am thankful they are able to have their time together as it truly means a lot to them, and they are both very healthy. Hopefully those garden beds will produce some good vegies for us to enjoy this summer!!

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    1. Thank you, Sandi...Dollar General. Where most of my "decorations" seem to come from, since they are close and easy and cheap! LOL. Have a blessed and beautiful day today.

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  5. I love your wreath too and have the same problem with not much space between my door and storm door. I usually hang one of the cute signs they sell everywhere! Love seeing your birds and the Canada geese! Take care of yourself and get well soon! Hugs from across the way, Diane

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    1. The wreath was inexpensive and thin enough to fit (from Dollar General). I like your sign idea too...I may do that in the in between seasons. Yes, we have enjoyed the geese so much. I do hope we will get to see the goslings when they make their appearance. That will make for some great photos in the future!! Take care, and enjoy those walks when you can.

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  6. I like your new wreath! Perfect! Sure hope those baby goslings will be close enough for us to see them! Your kids are so sweet!! I would be lost without our dishwasher! I'm glad hubby got you out of the house for a while!!

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    1. Thank you, Terri! I hope so too. Yes, our kids are precious. We are so blessed to have them close by. I am now having to get used to having a DW again. I had to use a different cup for my tea this morning as my usual every day tea mug was in the dw waiting to be washed! LOL. Of course, I have a whole cupboard full of mugs that never get used, so maybe that's a good thing to change out once in a while and enjoy something different! Have a blessed day my friend. Enjoy your time with Helen for her birthday!

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  7. Your spring wreath is so festive I think I might get one. Up to now I only hang a Christmas wreath, and that would be a happy thing to do for the neighborhood. The color of your door is attractive. Nice of your kids to treat you to the dishwasher, how thoughtful.

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    1. Thank you, Terra. Yes, I love to change the wreath with the season. I enjoy seeing it myself, so whether or not the neighborhood likes it, it makes me happy! I think the neighbors appreciate seeing some color and spring beauty too. This house had sat empty for a long time before we bought it last summer. We've had people stop as they were passing by to tell us they appreciate what we've done to it as it was becoming an eyesore. So that makes us happy too. Yes, our kids are very sweet. We are blessed to have them close by. Of course, that is one of the big reasons we moved here! God is good!! Have a blessed weekend my friend!

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  8. Seeing the male goose out and about solo reminds me of our turkeys. We've only seen the male recently, and are hoping the female is guarding a clutch of eggs. Maybe we'll soon see some turkey chicks visiting our yard! Love your new wreath, Pamela, and of course, all your photos of nature, family and your house. And hooray for that dishwasher! Especially now, you need one to make sure all your dishes/utensils are sterilized.
    Be well and be safe!

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    1. Thank you, Martha. We saw both the male and female last evening. She came right up on the shore and went straight to the bird feeder to clean up the seeds under the feeder, while the male watched and stood guard. Then they both flew back across the water and apparently went back to wherever the nest is on the other side. I guess she needed a food break for a while! I do hope you will also get to see some turkey chicks in the near future! What fun to watch!! Yes, I used the DW for the first time yesterday, and it worked perfectly! So now I am ready for the crowds when they can come again!! God is good!

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  9. The new door wreath is perfect on your blue door. Very cheery for spring!

    Hello to Rose and her sister from Minnesota! I like their new gardens! We had 4 separate garden beds (mostly for flowers) in our last house in Colorado, 3 of them raised so I could sit on the edge to plant and weed. I loved it.

    I'm glad you're improving and able to get out a little. While this isolation and social distancing has been inconvenient, it came at a "good" time for one recovering from surgery!

    Have a good weekend!

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    1. I am happy to have that little springy wreath on the door. It makes me smile when I see it. I do hope Rose's gardens will grow and flourish. It will be nice to see (and maybe also enjoy) the bounty from their garden!

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  10. PS Congrats on the new dishwasher!!! What wonderful kids you have!!!!

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    1. We are blessed...and I ran the first full load yesterday, and it worked perfectly! So very thankful for such thoughtful kids!! We are blessed.

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  11. The wreath is just perfect for a little touch of happiness. I hardly ever use my dishwasher either. When it is just the two of us, we usually just wash up, but I did use it when the kids were home. I wouldn't have been able to keep up with it. I use it when they come over too.
    It is so pleasant to watch the birds and geese. A great way to pass the time.
    Stay well.

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    1. Thank you, Sandy. The little springy wreath makes me smile! I used the new DW yesterday and it works great, so we are very thankful to have it. Probably still won't use it much unless we have company...it takes too long to fill it up and then my favorite mug is sitting there dirty and I have to use another one! LOL. But we will adjust and it is good to be able to get things thoroughly clean during these days! Yes, we enjoy the geese and birds so much. They truly are great entertainment. They are not bothered at all by this "social distancing" crisis we currently have. They just go on about their business as usual. God takes care of them...and actually He IS taking care of us as well. We are blessed to be His children.

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  12. Pam: I love your wreath. I know you will enjoy your dishwasher. The closest I have been to being outside is when Hubby opened the back door when the sun was shining and dragged a chair close to the opening so I could sit in the sunshine. I may have to cancel two doctor appointments this coming week. They have extended the social distancing guidelines until April 30. Peace and blessings.

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