Labor Day Evening

 

So, how did you spend your Labor Day Holiday? 

Like every day, we start the day by putting out our American Flag. We are very proud to wave this flag in front of our home and take a moment to thank the Lord for our country and our freedom.

After breakfast we took our usual morning walk. It was actually a tad bit cooler this morning and not quite as humid, but it didn't take long to get hot and humid and have some thunderstorms throughout the afternoon. That, along with a very powerful thunderstorm last night around midnight that woke us up out of a sound sleep, has kept our pond nice and full!

Some new wildflowers are starting to open up at our walking place:

And I took a little detour through the woods and stumbled upon this beautiful green peat moss growing on the forest floor. Its brilliant green color just took my breath away!

Here is some more, growing on a tree stump. I think that is beautiful, don't you? God's way of decorating the forest and making it so lovely even in the midst of decay...

And this is the beginnings of a new long-needle pine tree, growing right out of the ground...probably from a pine cone that dropped from a tree and planted its seeds in the earth.

I know I've talked about God bringing new life out of the old before, but this is just another example of His creative plan at work.

So after we came home from our walk I decided it was time to start decorating for fall in earnest. The pictures I posted last week were actually last year's photos, since it had been just too hot to even think about going to the shed and bringing in the boxes of decorations.  But I finally broke down and did it, so here's a few pictures of what I did today.  I will add a few other things as we get closer to Halloween and then to Thanksgiving. I don't do a lot of Halloween decorations,  but like to get a real pumpkin for the front porch at least. It's just too hot right now and it would become a baked pumpkin "pie" if I sat one out there this early!

Welcome to "our neck of the woods"..."where life is good....fresh air, star gazing, quiet spaces".  This is our foyer table and guest book.  Our son made this sign at our last house, where we truly did live in the woods and had bears and deer in our yard. We don't have those critters here, but I still love the sign. Actually, I've been asking him to make me a new sign saying something about "Still Waters Pond", but he's been too busy making furniture and selling it to make anymore signs right now.

And actually, he made this table and the little bench underneath it too! I am blessed with such a talented son! (And very thankful).

Moving into the kitchen, this "Scarecrow Crossing" (another of his signs) sits on a table that he made for me last year when we moved here.

(this is a picture I took last year right after he built this table for me)

And this shows how we use it to extend our dining room table, because there isn't an extra leaf for our table. We needed it in time for Thanksgiving last year!

Anyway, back to this year, just another view looking at that part of the kitchen from the island:

That little wreath is very old and probably needs some love...

This little Scarecrow isn't too scary...not sure what he's supposed to scare away. We don't have any crows in the house...(but there are quite a few outside! LOL)

No crows in the house, but how about a quail and an owl?

And another little owl that holds a candle...

Moving along into the kitchen further:

"Bless Our Harvest"...you guessed it...another sign made by our son when he used to do 

"Ben's Wood Signs" exclusively.  Now he and his wife do the furniture to sell in local stores and rustic/coastal bathroom shelves that they sell on Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/shop/BRCoastalRusticDecor and https://www.etsy.com/shop/RusticForestStudio

I didn't mean to get sidetracked there, but the "kids" are on my mind as they are off on an adventure this week on vacation in Minnesota...I guess I must be missing them! Thankfully, they arrived safely and are having a wonderful time, even if it is getting quite cold up there this week!

So back to the tour of fall decorations:

I like to change this counter top with each season. It's a great place to display different teapots and teacups...always ready for a tea party!

Welcome!

My sister made this little crewel design sign for me many years ago...I love it!

Home Sweet Home!

I bought this lovely white teapot at a yard sale last year that was for a fundraiser to help restore an old schoolhouse.  I love the teapot, but alas, when I tried to use it I discovered some hairline cracks in the bottom and so I can't really use it for tea, but it is still too pretty to throw away! I think those two tea cups also have little tiny cracks in them, but I love their fall design and so they are also for display only.

No worries...I have plenty of other teapots and teacups without cracks in case you want to stay for tea.

While I was working on this post I had a disturbing phone call. Actually, I was calling one of my dear "old" school friends to see if she was planning to attend the funeral of one of our mutual school friends this week. Sadly, one of our classmates passed away from cancer. We came from a very small school and our class had only 50 students. Most of us had been together for the whole 12 years, so we were all good friends.  The fellow who passed away was actually my "elementary school sweetheart" in 3rd or 4th grade. We used to ride the bus together, and he used to buy me little costume jewelry rings from the dime store. We never actually dated in later years, but were always friends.  So several of our classmates plan to attend his funeral and then go to lunch afterwards.  But the part that was also disturbing was that my girlfriend with whom I was talking told me that she had just come home from the hospital, where her 16 year old grandson is in a coma after a skate board accident.  It does not look good for him. My heart is breaking for her and her family. She is not even allowed to go into see him. I told her we would be praying. I know that God can still work miracles,  even after the doctors have given up hope. So, if you would, would you please pray for my friend Rhonda's grandson? His name is Jimmy. 

Actually, you saw pictures of my friend Rhonda last week in two of my posts: 

"Autographs and Love Notes"  and last week's Tuesday 4: September post.  When I posted those last week I did not realize that I would be talking to her this week under such sad circumstances.  Those pictures were taken 60 years ago...we've been friends even longer than that. Hard to believe so much time has gone by and that we are still good friends and now my heart is breaking for her and her family.

I did not intend to end this post on a sad note. But you know, that is all a part of life, isn't it?

We each have our times of sorrow to go through in life. I'm so glad we have this group of friends here who can cheer each other up when we are sad, and can encourage one another with our posts about things we do in our homes and lives that bring joy to one another.

After I spoke with my friend Rhonda, I went out on the porch and watched this beautiful sunset:

I actually shed a few tears and prayed for her and her family as I stood there. And the Lord gave me such peace.  No matter what the outcome for young Jimmy, God will be taking care of him, and He will also take care of his family. God never leaves us nor forsakes us.  And just like the beautiful yellow wildflower and the green moss and new pine tree rising up out of the dirt in the woods, God will bring about "beauty for ashes", and the "oil of joy for mourning".

Isaiah 61:1-3 NKJV

61 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,

Because the Lord has anointed Me

To preach good tidings to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

3 To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Praise God and Amen!

Thank you for visiting with me here tonight, and thank you for your prayers on behalf of my friend and her family. We know that God will hear our prayers and that His perfect will shall be done.

Oh, one more thing. My 52 year old nephew has tested positive (in two different tests) for Covid 19. He is in good health and his only symptoms have been a loss of taste and smell and a stuffy nose, which he gets seasonally at this time of year anyway.  He has not been with any of our family recently, so there is no danger there. But if you could add David to your prayers, that would be very appreciated.

Good Night my friends. Hold your family close and let them know you love them.