Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

It's raining! It's pouring! The Old Man is snoring! LOL.  Yes, we are currently having a humdinger of a thunderstorm and LOTS of good old pond soaking rain! Hooray!  So that is my #1 thing to say I am thankful for today!

2. We are SO thankful the "kids" made it home safely and we had them come over for supper last night. It was SO wonderful to have them and the puppies back home again after almost a month of being away visiting Rose's family in Minnesota.  I didn't take any pictures of them last night, but they still look the same.  LOL.  They did bring us a few little gifties from their journey:

Zucchini fresh from her father's garden...still has the Minnesota dirt on it! LOL.  I am thinking I'll be making some Zucchini bread very soon with that big one!!

These are either hot pads or dish cloths, or washcloths...whatever you wish, made by Rose's sister Sherrie, using the fabric from a terrycloth bathrobe!  

(They are all reversible to the hot pink side).  Really soft and neat! I love things like this, don't you? Especially when someone has taken the time to make them and recycle something that otherwise might have been discarded or given away.  Thank you, Sherrie!! I love them!

And then Benton and Rose brought us this magnificent bear/deer figure...it is so intricately created using a laser cutter. They know we love bears and deer, and this is perfect for us!

I'm still figuring out a perfect place to put it.

Oh, and last, but not least, Rose brought me this bottle of :

It smells so good! She said it is especially good for making a garlic bread...maybe even put some in a homemade loaf of bread?  I may have to try that!

Don't you just love it when people are so thoughtful to bring you something from their trip? I never expected anything, and that's what makes it even sweeter!! But most of all, we are thankful they are back home safely. It's amazing how much better WE feel just knowing they are back home safe and sound and only a mile away from us instead of a three day drive!

3.  In a recent post HERE, I told you that we had received a text from our Grandson Noah, with a wonderful picture of him and his new car.  (Here it is again in case you missed it. It's always nice to see his smiling face again).  He said in his text that he would be calling us soon, and yes, he was true to his word!

He did in fact call us the next day as promised, and we had such a wonderful long conversation with him! That was such a blessing to us!  And yes, this is a "new" car (not brand new, but new enough!). He purchased it after having a run in with a deer on the highway which pretty well totaled his old car, but thankfully he himself was not hurt. (The deer was not so fortunate...but if you've ever driven country roads at night in deer country, you know how easily this can happen!) Where Noah lives in Maine, he is fortunate it was a deer and not a moose! Now that can really do some severe damage!  Anyway, we are very thankful that Noah was fine and that he was able to purchase this pretty new red car.  He has had a good job for the past year since he went back up there last summer, and he is very thankful that he's been able to save some money and also makes enough to afford the payments and the insurance...which, since he will not be 25 until October is considerable.   Also he has received a kind of promotion in his job that has been very beneficial for him as well.  So he is really doing well and sounds SO good.  And he LOOKS so good too! Yes, he has put on a little weight since we saw him last, which he needed to do actually. For those of you who do not know him, he is 6'4" tall and has plenty of room to fill up.  Also, hubby and I had a little 'bet" going on before he called.  From the picture we weren't too sure if he had cut his formerly long and curly hair or if he just had it pulled back really tight.  I voted for the haircut, hubby wasn't so sure.  Of course, being a grandma who asks all kinds of questions, I asked him if he'd cut it, and he said yes he did as it had gotten too hot and too much to take care of.

Here is a picture of Noah with our two sons Scott and Benton, a little over a year ago when he was last here with us.  You can see what he means about his hair being too hot and too much to take care of. It is very naturally curly and when it is that long, well, you can imagine...  

We had a very interesting and positive conversation about current world events and his thoughts on all of that, which we were very pleasantly surprised to hear that he shares much the same views that we have about all of what's going on, both politically and from a spiritual sense. That was refreshing and comforting to us to hear.  You never know what the younger generation is going to think or profess in these turbulent times.  God has been hearing and answering our prayers in this regard as well, and we are very very thankful.  

Psalm 40:1-3 NKJV

1 "I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord."

Oh, now here's some fun photos from last evening while the "kids" were still here. Rose and I took a little walk over to the lot next door because we had noticed something running across the pond and around the back of the island (the pond has some very dry marsh areas making it possible for something to "run" across the pond in places).  We wanted to see if it was coming out over there where we could see it... And sure enough, if you have really sharp eyes and look pretty much in the middle of this photo below, you will see a raccoon running along the edge of the pond. From there he went into the woods and we couldn't see him anymore.

But what we DID see was something really funny...there are still some big piles of dirt on that lot waiting to be spread out for the pad/foundation for the new home that will be arriving soon.  The Sand Hill Crane family seem to be having some fun playing on top of the mounds of dirt. Maybe they are thinking about making this their new home???

After a little while they decided to head back toward the pond...

And from there they actually went around and ended up in our yard.

I told them that I was still a bit upset with them for destroying my pot of Purslane/Portulaca the other day.  (If you missed it, you can read all about it HERE)

But I had to forgive them because even after them pulling all of the plant out of the pot, I stuck it all back in the pot, and the next day it was blooming again. I did put it on the front porch where it will get plenty of sun (per Sandra of MadSnapper, who is a kind of expert on Purslane. )  And so far it seems to be doing just fine.  

See?  So, yes, this is another thing for which I am thankful!  I don't have a green thumb, so it is very comforting to me to know that I can do this much. I know, it really is all glory to God! He is the Master Gardener!

To close this out I must show you the beautiful sunrise we had this morning:

If you look really close in this one, which is a close up of the one above, you will see the Sand Hill Crane family flying over above the tree tops. They flew right over top of me while I was standing out there on the porch taking pictures, and I almost missed them! 

It was truly a glorious morning!

And I especially wanted to include the American Flag, which we wave proudly from our home every day.  

America, the Beautiful

"O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,

Whose stern, impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness,

And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!"

Amen.

I guess this sums it all up.  We are very thankful for our family, our country, and for all that God has done for us and is doing today. We must all continue to pray for our country in these turbulent times, however. There is so much at stake.  I am not going to get into political issues, but prayer is the most important thing we can do. Amen.

 

Wordless Wednesday~Sort Of...

 I've never really done a "wordless Wednesday" post before. Is there a group I'm supposed to link up to? I don't know how to be "wordless", as most of you can tell by now.  But here are a series of photos that I've taken on our walks recently and/or around our neck of the woods.  I'll try to be as wordless as possible...

2 Peter 3:9 New International Version

"9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, 

as some understand slowness. 

Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, 

but everyone to come to repentance."

(deer vertebra found in the woods; it's been there a long time)

Before

After

(another view from cell phone photo)

Psalm 62:5-8  New King James Version

"5 My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be moved.

7 In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah"

That's all folks!  Have a lovely rest of your week.

Note: Our "kids" made it home safely from their almost month long trip to Minnesota! They will be coming over for supper tonight, so I need to get to work! Can't wait to see them!  Catch ya later alligator!

Tuesday 4 ~ Great Architecture

 

Great Architecture

Tuesday 4

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. She would be delighted you are here to join in and so am I.


The photo to the right is the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey. It is the largest cathedral outside Europe . Not only is it beautiful inside and out but has a magnificent pipe organ It's cornerstone was laid in 1899.

As buildings go she is a masterpiece of great workmanship.

1. What are some beautiful buildings in your neck of the woods?

We live in a small town that has an older historical area with several lovely old homes and churches, but the main part of the town currently is out on the highway and the majority of the new homes in use today are either older ranch style homes or manufactured homes.   
Click HERE for a previous post on historical buildings in our town.

This is one of the historic old homes found in the historic section of our little town. I don't know any information about this house, but I do love the style of it with its two storied porches. I am not even sure if this home is still occupied.  It doesn't appear to be in use on a regular basis.

2. What buildings of renown have you experienced or would like to experience? The Louvre? Maybe Versailles? Things closer to home perhaps?

Many years ago our family visited the Biltmore Estate while on vacation. Our sons were very young at the time and really weren't old enough to appreciate the value and beauty of what they were seeing. I would love to go back again someday and see it again without having to worry about keeping my three young sons under control and away from touching things that shouldn't be touched. LOL.

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC   

Internet Photo

We also visited Jekyll Island, Ga., many years ago, and toured the "national historic landmark district" known as an exclusive winter retreat for the wealthy back in the late 1800's/early 1900's.  HERE is a LINK to more information and pictures of those homes.  Again, when we visited there our sons were quite young, and I would love to go again some day and visit it without having little kids tagging along. LOL.  Jekyll Island isn't very far from where we live now, so maybe we will get to go there again someday.


3. What do you think of the current trends in modern buildings?

I am not fond of modern architecture at all. So often it lacks style and beauty and designs of interest. I believe you can still design modern buildings that are both functional and beautiful if you just use a little more creativity.

4. If you could choose any style home you would like, what would it be? Victorian, Farm House, Craftsmen, Ranch, Georgian, Tudor, Cape Cod?

Although I love old Victorian style homes, they are no longer practical for me. I do not want a house with stairs or so many rooms.  I prefer a more open concept, where I can see what's going on from the kitchen into the living areas, and the dining area also to be connected and open.  At this stage in my life, a more rustic style of home, like a log cabin style home (but it doesn't have to be log...just that style) would suit me just fine.  Although I do love the Farm House style and also a cottage style.  I will have to find some photos to share.

Here's a few pictures from my Pinterest site that are examples of what I am talking about:

Cabin style:

Cottage style:

Farmhouse style: (but must have a first floor master suite).

Cabin style...a place where friends and family and maybe even "new friends" love to gather...

Location, location, location! 

And no matter what style of house, it must have porches, preferably with a view of water and/or mountains!

No matter where or what the home, it's only a home if God and Love both reside there!

Okay, folks, that's it for today's Tuesday 4. I hope you enjoyed this. Now let's go see what others are sharing, okay?  Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

Monday Monday...All kinds of stuff

Yes, It's Monday...and if I wait much longer to post this, it will be Tuesday!  But it's been a busy day and a busy weekend, so I am just now sitting down to play catch up in blogworld.  

This was the view a couple of nights ago on Still Waters Pond...sunset with some stormy clouds in the background.  We've had some late thunderstorms...and last night we actually just had the thunder and lightning all around giving us quite a light show, but no real rain to speak of.

But more than that, yesterday evening we had the Saharan Dust roll in and turn the sky to gold...

This was the view last evening around 8:00 p.m. out over Still Waters Pond

And this is how it looked out in front of our house...the sky gave everything a golden glow, mixed with those storm clouds that later produced a lot of lightning in the distance.

This is what brought that golden glow to our atmosphere:

Before all that golden "glow" moved in, the Sand Hill Crane family was here in the yard looking for some bird seeds and other treats in the grass.  However, it was quite windy and they seemed to be easily spooked.  

They kind of wandered back and forth rather nervously, like something was "in the air" that they weren't familiar with.

That's the young colt "Abe Lincoln", flapping his wings and jumping around.  I think the wind spinner was spinning quite rapidly and it makes a noise when it does, which seemed to make them all a bit jumpy.

After walking around basically in circles for a while they finally decided to head back out into Still Waters Pond for the evening.

In my last post HERE, I had shown you pictures of the Purslane plant that was growing wild along the road where we walk.  I had debated upon going back and digging it up and bringing it home with me, and so I did.  I put it in a pot of dirt and watered it really good and watched it for a couple of days before taking any pictures, to give it a chance to "catch its breath" and revive after being moved.  And so this morning I took a look at it, and as the sun was coming around that way it started to open up its flowers and it looked so healthy and happy!  I thought, well, I guess I did okay in transplanting it here after all, and had good thoughts about digging up some other wild Purslane plants around the yard and moving them to this location and making a little special garden just for them. My! I must be feeling better to have such crazy ideas again!!   Yes, Praise God, I am feeling better, and as a matter of fact, we did go to both Sunday School and Church yesterday and made it all the way through...(and then came home and took a nice long nap).  

Anyway, such was my thinking this morning about this plant, and I even went to the Dollar General this afternoon and picked up a bag of some potting soil to help create this little garden.

Well, my great plans came to a screeching halt when we returned home from the store and discovered this:

While we were gone the Sand Hill Cranes had come along and decided that digging in this pot would make a good supper for them! They literally pulled out every piece of this plant and broke it off and laid them on the ground beside the pot just like this above, leaving the pot totally empty except for the dirt, and you could see they had dug around in there looking for grubs or something!!!  I know it was the cranes because I saw them walking around to our back yard just as we were leaving to go to the store.  And now they are innocently out on the pond settling in for the night like nothing had happened!  Huh! After I've been so nice to them! One of the hazards of living so close to nature!

Well, I gathered up all the pieces and stuck them back in the pot and added some of the new potting soil and put the pot up on the porch and out of their reach! I don't know if the plant will revive and survive or not. Time will tell. I guess this is going to be a new saga to report back to you as time goes by. LOL.

That's not all of the activity on the back porch...earlier today this young juvenile male Cardinal stopped by to have a snack. He is chewing on a seed taken from the bird feeder nearby.  He seemed to enjoy just standing there chomping on his seed for a good long while.  Unfortunately, my good camera batteries were being recharged, so I had to take these photos with the cell phone through the glass doors, and so the quality isn't that good, but you get the idea.

Isn't he sweet?  

Thankfully "Blackie" the kitty was sound asleep and never saw this bird so nearby.

Me thinks the bird is tempting fate a bit by staying there so long.

Just now as I was writing this, Blackie went diving off the edge of the porch down onto the ground in hopes of catching a bird at the birdfeeder!  Thankfully he was too slow and the bird escaped!  Yes, Blackie is still hanging around and living the good life on our comfy porch chairs.  He's got it made. The neighbor lady feeds him twice a day (if he's not still sleeping from being up all night prowling around), and she even put a flea collar on him. Then he lazes around here all day without a care in the world.  Some cats just don't know how good they've got it! LOL.😻

Well, speaking of a cool cat...I just received this picture via text from our grandson Noah tonight!  Many of you know that sadly we don't hear from our only grandson very often. He lives way up in Maine, so we can't see him very often either. It's a long story, but anyway, anytime we hear from him is a cause to celebrate.  I did send him a text about a week ago, with pictures of our 4th of July fireworks and family photos from Father's Day, etc.  I've just been biding my time and praying that he would soon respond, and today this came. In his message he said he's been very busy, but lots of good things have been happening, and he will call us tomorrow and tell us all about it! I have a feeling that pretty new red car is one of the "good things" that has happened.  He looks great, might have put on a little weight since he was here a year ago, and maybe even might have cut his hair?  Not sure, but either way, who cares about that? I am SO happy to hear from him and can't wait to hear what he's got to tell us tomorrow.  We pray for him every single day, that God will lead him and protect him and help him to find the path that is right for him.  That's what is most important. 

Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” 

declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

plans to give you hope and a future.

Well, with that I will close for tonight. I hope you are having a good Monday and start to your week. We give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever! (Psalm 107:1)