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, April 22, 2022

Friday Foto Friends-Porch Sitting Time!

 Here it is Friday Foto Friends day, and I don't have any pictures worth sharing! What's up with that?  Probably because I've spent most of the week just trying to get by with doing the least possible I could do. LOL.  But, thank you everyone for the kind words regarding my headaches, new glasses, etc., etc.  I have started on the medicine that was prescribed for tension headaches. It is actually an antidepressant in a lower dose.  I guess it's supposed to make me feel really good about my headaches! LOL.  Last night was my 2nd night taking it, and actually I am sleeping better, but it's still too early in the morning to tell if I still have a headache or not.  I am working on not being "two tents" (if you read my last post you will understand that. If you didn't get to read it, click on the link so you'll be in the loop! LOL)

When I was at the doctor's office the other day they gave me this little pedometer and told me the goal is to work up to taking 10,000 steps per day! LOL.  So here's where I left off yesterday...which actually isn't correct because I took it off to take a nap and if you leave it sit too long it wipes out your numbers, and then I didn't wear it at all after supper, and we did take another walk...so...it should probably be up around 4500 or more instead of 1500.  I will try to do better today...but it may be a while before I reach 10,000 steps in a day! 


Speaking of walks...when we did take our walk yesterday I kept hearing this sweet little bird song, and so of course I was looking to see what kind of bird was singing above me in the treetops. I actually managed to get a picture of it, and then another when he flew to the ground right in front of me!


These pictures on the ground aren't too clear because he was moving along pretty fast:



And then I realized there were actually two of them!  I believe these are Pine Warblers., and I noticed that one of them had a long piece of pine needle in her mouth when she flew up from the ground, so maybe they are building a nest!  That would be fun to see, but this is out in the woodsy area where we go walking, so I doubt I would ever be able to find their nest. It could be anywhere!


After our evening walk I did a little "porch sitting"...well, more like yard sitting in the porch swing. LOL.  It was so pleasant out last evening, with a cool breeze coming across Still Waters Pond.

The only thing missing was you!  I sat there thinking how nice it would be if our blogging friends could be our porch sitting friends as well...

You know, someone to actually sit beside and swing on the swing, or sit up on the real porch and enjoy a little tea party or just sitting and chatting in person. I miss that. My hubby stuck his head out the door and wondered when I was coming back inside.  I asked him to come outside and sit with me! But he was busy watching a hockey game on tv...I've learned after over almost 53 years of marriage that porch sitting  or swinging just isn't something a man seems to enjoy as much as woman! Once in a while he will come out and sit with me, but only until the first mosquito shows up and then he's "outta there"! 
LOL. But I can't complain...he has many other wonderful qualities and we actually do our best chatting while taking a ride or a walk. I am very thankful to have him and at our age, I don't take that for granted.


But I sat there contemplating how times have changed in our society.  People used to visit one another on their porches and that's where the best conversations could be had. Just relaxing and sitting and chit-chatting about this or that...drinking a cool iced tea or lemonade and simply enjoying being friends and neighbors.

There are "rules" for porch sitting, you know! Of course these mostly apply to when you are porch sitting alone, except for the "conversing" part on the list. One might think you are a bit touched in the head if you are "conversing" with no one...LOL.

However, I will say that I often have the best "conversations" with God while sitting out in my porch swing.  It's kind of like the chorus to the familiar beloved old hymn< "In The Garden"...


1 I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.


Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.


2 He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
 [Refrain]


3 I'd stay in the garden with Him
Tho' the night around me be falling;
But He bids me go; thro' the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling. 
[Refrain]


Well, friends, I guess I came up with a few things to share.  I am thankful for you and that we do have this way of conversing with one another. It's almost as good as sitting in a swing together and visiting face to face.  It would be wonderful to actually be able to do that someday, but until we can, I thank the Lord for this time of "porch sitting" that we do have.

Have a blessed and beautiful day! And thank you again for your prayers and kind thoughts! Oh, btw, my new glasses seem to be doing fine. I am adjusting to them better each day.  And I am praying that my headaches will soon be a thing of the past. One day at a time!  God is Good, All the Time God is good!


34 comments:

  1. It is good that your medication is helping with sleeping. Now if it helps with headaches, all the better. I enjoyed reading about your porch sitting. I am not much of a porch sitter (deck sitter in my case) because of mosquitoes. I do have a Dyna-trap, but I don't like cleaning it so often don't bother setting it up. Enjoy your walking; I have no doubt that you'll make 10,000 steps!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Vee. I remember those mosquitoes in Maine...they are the state bird, aren't they? LOL. They were huge! I should tell you a funny story about us on a Moose looking hunt, where we got bogged down with a broken something on the car we were in, and my friend and I got a ride into town with a passersby so we could call for a wrecker and someone to go back and get our husbands. We left the husbands sitting in the car (in the heat of summer, at night), and we girls accidentally took the can of bug spray with us...and they had none! That was a funny story, but not so funny to the guys. They survived, but not without bug bites to remember the episode by. LOL.

      Delete
  2. I'm so lazy I'd attach the pedometer to the dog and let her rack up the miles for me. *giggle*
    We have Pine Warbler's too. I LOVE our wild birds! They're more entertaining and edifying to watch than TV. Y'all have such a comfy, lovely place.
    Blessings. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sparky! Yes, we enjoy watching our birds. They are very entertaining indeed! The pedometer is kind of silly because it is more like a toy than a real one...but I'm trying to keep using it for the fun of it. My phone does the same thing, but only if you keep it in your pocket all the time, which I don't. You have a beautiful place...some day I may just have to come sit on your porch with you!

      Delete
  3. What a nice way to start my day...In the Garden is one of my favorite hymns. (Interesting note, when I was working with the dementia residents and I'd play that song, no matter how far gone they were, most of them could still sing the chorus and all of them would get quiet and still to listen.) I am with you in thinking we all need more porch sittin' time. Rascal Flatts had a song a few years back called I Miss Mayberry that talked about us needing more simple moments on the porch. So many happy memories on my grandmother's front porch and on the swing under the Poplar tree in the backyard. In our neighborhood all the neighbors used to gather under a huge maple tree every evening in the warmer months to sit and visit while the kids ran a round playing together. I can still see it...dusk setting in, lightning bugs flitting about, cigarettes glowing (yeah a lot of them smoked back then), laughter and squeals from the kids playing tag, the chitter of the squirrels begging peanuts, the ball game wafting out from someone's open window, and finally just as it got dark, the packing up and going inside and the calls for kids to come home and get their baths. All of our "progress" doesn't feel much like progress at times.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I've never heard that song before! I love it! Sounds so happy. Yes, dementia patients usually can sing hymns that they learned as a young person. The gift of music seems to soothe them and they can recall that when all else is gone. My MIL loved her gospel music and would go to sleep listening to it. It's a love language from God....

      Delete
  4. I'll sit with you...and so would my husband...only he would talk and talk and talk, grin. I think I told you he would talk to a tree, LOLOL...and then he would tell you it's because when he had his stroke and then after for many months, he couldn't talk, grin. ANYWAYS, where was I? (grin)-- I pray that those headaches get better. I hope you have a beautiful day, friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never knew your hubby had a stroke...must've been before my time here with you. Wow...you guys have been through a lot. I'd love to sit and visit with him and you, and he can talk as much as he wants. Thank you for the prayers. Can't wait to see you soon!

      Delete
  5. Oh, how I'd love to come porch sit with you! At least, like your hubby, until the first mosquito showed his ugly head. My Tom spends a lot of time out back! Oh, he's been known to grumble about the cold, the humidity, ETC. here in Alabama -- but he'll sit for hours watching the birds and squirrels. I'm praying now for speedy relief from your headaches!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Myra. I think the meds are starting to work...at least I feel better about it and am becoming a "Happy Camper" again instead of being "two tents". LOL. And yes, we are thankful for bug spray. Have a blessed and wonderful day.

      Delete
  6. I enjoyed porch sitting with you. Face to face would be even better, but this has to suffice for now. That hymn you shared always brings a smile to my face. I love this song, but I have been told by my mother that as a child I would sing, instead of' the Son of God discloses', 'the Son of God is Moses'. Innocence of a child.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I love that "the Son of God is Moses"! so cute!! Kind of like singing "Bringing in the sheets" for sheaves...LOL. Happy smiles and sweet memories. Yes, face to face would be wonderful, but until then, I'm glad we can share these moments "on the porch" right here. Have a blessed and beautiful day!! I wonder what beauties you will see today?

      Delete
  7. I don’t have a porch but I do have a front patio and a back patio with a lanai. We have a waterfall and pond and it’s nice to sit out there. It gets harder though when the temps push higher and higher. Then we sit in the house.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, a waterfall and pond sounds SO lovely! I love to hear a waterfall! And a patio with a lanai sounds delightful too. But yes, here in Florida we have to spend most of our time indoors in the summertime, but right now we are having some lovely days and evenings, so I am trying to enjoy it while I can! Have a blessed and wonderful weekend.

      Delete
  8. Pam: I like the idea of porch sitting. It is getting warmer up here. I was going to clean off what I could of our porch after I ran a few errands today. But the sun went in and it started to rain. Maybe another day soon. If I came to sit on your porch, I would bring insect repellant. I have to use is anyway. Peace and blessings to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would love to have you come sit on my porch with me. It would so delightful to sit and visit...and yes, bring the bug spray! LOL. I need to get mine out since the mosquitoes are starting to come out in the evenings again. We had a a bit of reprieve from them in the winter, but that is long gone. I hope you are able to sit on your porch soon!! Blessings to you today my friend...and thank you again for the cards!

      Delete
  9. I would so love porch sitting with you, Pam. I think we would get along so well, and have so much to talk about.
    Thanks for sharing your photos and your thoughts here. Hoping that your headache will soon be a thing of the past.
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Martha. I would truly love to have you come sit on my porch with me...and we could watch "Racer" the squirrel and all his cousins raiding the bird feeder and putting on a show for us on the bird bath "Bobby the Squirrel" statue! Yes, I know we would have a delightful time together. Thank you for your kind words and prayers. I believe I am getting better day by day.

      Delete
  10. I hope the medicine helps your headache. I love that song! I can still hear my grandma singing with alto voice in church. It was played at her celebration service. I grew up in the city and we had no porch. But I did enjoy the backyards, especially at my grandparent's homes. Thanks for the memories!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, what a sweet memory of your Grandma singing "In the Garden" as an alto. That is what I am, and I always sing alto on this song too. I love to sing it in a duet. Oh, backyards are extra nice too, especially at the grandparents' homes. And if there are cousins around to play with...happy memories! "Those were the days, my friend...we thought they'd never end..."

      Delete
  11. I hope you are feeling better. I love the little green headed birds. My head is always on a swivel when I'm out with the dog early in the mornings as the birds are singing all around us and we're not even in a woods. I'd love to sit on the swing and talk with you and watch Still Water Pond. Hope you have a lovely evening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh that would be lovely! If ever you make it down to Florida again you must do that! Thank you for the kind words. I am starting to feel better. I am praying the medicine will do the trick and also that God will heal me of whatever is causing me to be "two tents" so I can be a "happy camper" again. LOL.

      Delete
  12. Yes, I know exactly what you mean about porch sitting and it’s one if the many things we miss. Our VA home had a front porch and we even had rockers and we enjoyed sitting there, even in some rainstorms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I love to sit out on our porch and listen to the rain on the tin roof! That is one of my favorite things to do, as long as there's no lightning!! (which here in Florida is a frequent thing with rain storms!) However, even if you don't have a porch where you are, finding a nice park to walk in and sit upon a bench for a spell is lovely too...

      Delete
  13. I would so sit in that swing with you or on that porch. It is not my man's favorite thing to do either, but that is ok. I love it for him. I have wonderful memories of porch sitting as a kid. My family gathered at my grandparents on summer evenings for that porch sitting and conversation. Of course, I was running around in the yard with my cousins, but I remember that fondly.
    Have a great evening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, those happy memories, running around in the evenings catching fireflies, playing hide and go seek, and just being a happy go lucky carefree child! Yes,
      "Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end..."

      Delete
  14. Yes, I miss those porch sitting days when neighbors would just pop by and visit for a while. An important thing that is missing today. Pam, I enjoyed your post and wish you a headache-free weekend!! xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Terri. "Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end..."

      Delete
  15. I can just imagine how nice it would be to live in the days of porch drop-ins with the neighbors! I can also imagine how lovely it would be sit for a spell with you and enjoy all those nature friends around your yard and property! Would be lovely:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, thank you, Jennifer. You are so very kind, and I would LOVE to have you here to visit with me!! You have to pretty much be here early in the morning and again in the evening to see the most activity, which is fine, because it gets too hot during the day to be outside for long. Have a lovely day today wherever you may be!

      Delete
  16. I hope your medicine will help a lot with the headaches.
    I love your nature pictures. That is another way to bring calmness and peace. The song in the garden is one of my favorite hymns.
    I love your beautiful state and truly the people we have talked to are so genuinely friendly and helpful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Cheryl. The jury is still out on the medicine...one day at a time...I am trying to adjust. Thank you for the kind words regarding the pictures/garden, etc. I saw that you were just here in Florida again. I'm so glad you were able to get away for your anniversary and enjoy some natural beauty again!! But I am sure you are just as happy to get back home again. Take care and have a wonderful week.

      Delete
  17. We have some hiking rules...no talking about problems or what's on the news. We just look around and talk about what we see around us...the beauty that surrounds! I thought of you yesterday. We hiked from the Pruitt trailhead and before we even parked we saw Colt's cousin! A little baby Sandhill! I parked and we got out and took pics. It was the highlight of our day! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so happy you got see Colt's cousin! I wonder if it was a "colt" or a "coltina". LOL. I still don't know about ours, and probably never will. They all tend to look the same. And yes, I like your idea about the "hiking rules". I try to follow that policy as well, and when hubby ventures into those "forbidden zones" of conversation I usually step up my pace or go off on one of my favorite woods trails. He prefers the road trail to the woods, but we are always within earshot of each other. Enjoy these lovely days while they last!!

      Delete

Thank you for visiting here today. I would love for you to sign my guestbook and let me know you stopped by. I always enjoy reading your comments and words of encouragement! May you be blessed as you go on your way. Please come back and visit again soon.