Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

 It's a beautiful day today...sun is shining and it's only about 85 degrees, which is better than the 90's of the previous week. Thankfully we've had some nice rain this week, which helps everything look greener and prettier.  Still Waters Pond is in its dry phase, which usually happens this time every year, but as soon as the summer rains start back up regularly, the pond will rejoice and be glad.  I caught this picture of our Sand Hill Crane Family "just passing through" the other evening...

I shared this picture with these verses on Facebook:

Hebrews 13:14-16

New Living Translation

"14 For this world is not our permanent home; 

we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God."

Yesterday I went over to the lot next door and took some pictures of the big pine trees that they have marked to be cut down in preparation for the new house.  Many of these trees have been there for probably fifty years or more...they are so huge! It made me kind of sad, so I wanted to "preserve their memory" at least in photos, as once they are gone, the beauty and shade and homes for the birds and wildlife that they provided will be lost forever.   So I hope you won't mind if I share a few pictures of trees.  The trees with the green ribbons on them are the ones that will be removed.

I Chronicles 16:31-33

"31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”

32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.

33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,

For He is coming to judge the earth."

This shows the top of that tree above. Its branches go out a long distance, even over to our property next door. I will miss this tree...

These three tall pines will be removed, but there will be a better view of Still Waters Pond and Goose Island once they are removed.

Looking out toward the street:

This area goes around the side of Still Waters Pond, and there is such a lovely breeze under these trees:

Look at those branches on this huge tree...

Right now the sun shines through the treetops, but when they are gone the sun will flood this spot with light. It might be a good thing in the long run, but I personally prefer the shade they provide.

This is another very large tree. I would like to count the "rings" on these tree trunks once they are cut open, to see just how old they are. I wonder if that will be possible...

Looking over across the little canal portion of Still Waters Pond that goes around Goose Island:

Another view of Goose Island. I call it that because that is where the Canada Geese built their nest.

Thank you for bearing with me while I probably am boring you with so many pictures of trees. I am mainly doing this for my own memory, as I want to remember how beautiful this is before it is changed forever.  I still pray for the people who will live here on this lot, and hope that they will truly appreciate the beauty that will hopefully still be preserved as much as possible.

Speaking of neighbors and houses and trees:

I have named this little house "Magnolia Cottage", because that is a huge magnolia tree in front of it. I should have taken a picture when it had more blossoms, but I didn't think of it then.  This is the little house across the street that was brought in and placed there a couple of years ago. I thought I wrote about it then, but I can't find any reference to it.  I remember writing that I was a bit disappointed because I thought they would put a new house on this empty lot, and instead this older manufactured home was brought in that needed a LOT of work to refurbish it. It has taken this man who brought it here a couple of years to get it ready to sell. He worked on it in his spare time, plus had lots of delays for inspections and had to put in a new septic system, etc., so it has been a long process.  Originally he told me that his daughter was going to live there, but since it has taken so long she has found another place, and so now I am of the assumption that he is going to sell it. It has been completely restored inside and out, and is a cute little cottage house.  So I am praying for these potential new neighbors as well.  

Now onto other things...Some of you have asked about my "new glasses" that I mentioned were giving me some difficulty.  Well, I went back to the eye doctor the other day, and he checked the prescription and said it was correct. He suggested (as I figured he would), that I wear them for another week and see how they do. Maybe my 'brain' just needs to get used to them he said... Well, time will tell.  The jury is still out. When I try to read my right eye continues to get very strained.  So we shall see what develops.

My other issue that I mentioned is still a "work in progress", LOL.  I am working on diet and also taking some "supplemental" help as suggested by the doctor. I am also looking at more natural ways of correcting the problem. I am thankful for friends who have given some excellent advice, and hopefully things will "work out" for the best very soon. 

I will close with these thoughts for today...and pray that you and yours have a lovely rest of your week. 

Amen.

Monday Monday and More Blessings

 Gosh, I am so far behind!  Where has this past week gone?  I looked on my "reading list" of my blogging friends, and I see so many wonderful posts waiting to be read...I hope to get caught up with you soon!  I feel like this "Great Purple Hairstreak" butterfly!    I couldn't tell if this butterfly was coming or going!  (you can click that link for more pictures of what it looks like in flight).

I thought it was two butterflies stuck together, but it turns out it was just one very unusual butterfly! 

Or like our young Sand Hill Crane Colt, either Abe or George, I don't know which...when he realized the rest of his family was going on without him he had to hurry up and catch up with them!  

Look how long those legs are now! He and his brother (sister?) have both gotten SO big!

Or, I feel like this Bluebird couple who can't decide whether or not they should build another nest in the birdhouse, or just give it up since it's getting so hot outside and the thoughts of sitting inside that hot house again are just not that appealing...

And their indecision could keep them from making progress in moving forward with their family...

Mrs. Bluebird seems to be turning her back on the whole situation and leaving it all up to Mr. Bluebird...

Well, why not take the plunge? Time's a wasting! LOL.

So anyway, I want to get caught up and thank you all for your wonderful comments on my previous posts.  You've all been so kind and thoughtful and I appreciate you all so much!   So I do hope to get caught up with you very soon. Your posts are very important to me and I don't want to lose touch by being too busy or just lazy.

First off, for those who offered kind thoughts and prayers regarding my CT Scan  last week...I did get results...and they were very good...no signs of any blockages or other "issues" that could be harmful to my health. For that news I am extremely thankful to God.  But my question to the Dr. was, "So what am I supposed to do?  I still have these issues that are unpleasant and uncomfortable, to say the least." She made some recommendations regarding my diet and other supplemental assistance to keep my system "running smoothly".  So I am working on that.  However, I already have a rather limited diet that I follow, and her best recommendation was to add things like sauerkraut...so maybe some of you will understand what I am up against without saying the words...Therefore, one step at a time.  And again, I am very thankful that this is something that is fixable.

Meanwhile, speaking of food...yesterday was Mother's Day! I truly hope and pray that each of you had a wonderful day, whether you actually "celebrate" or have a peaceful day of being kind to yourself...  I do understand that Mother's Day and Father's Day are both days that can be very difficult for many people for various reasons.  For us, both days can be hard for us since the passing of our sweet son Matthew in 2014.  We are thankful to have our other two sons Benton and Scott living nearby us and to be able to spend good times together, but there is always that empty place in our hearts and minds where Matthew should be.  I was thankful for this little blessing in the Memorial Garden blooming for Mother's Day:

Oh, and today there are actually two of these lovely Easter Lilies blooming...

John 10:9-10

"9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. 

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

It's the little things like this that bring a smile to our hearts.

Back to food and Mother's day...this is what we had yesterday...BBQ chicken, baked potato, salad, glazed carrots, rolls, and a little bit of leftover pasta salad from a church luncheon we went to on Saturday.

Our meal was a collaborative effort on the parts of our sweet kids and yes, I did some of the cooking too, but I don't mind when I have such sweet company...

Hubby enjoyed it too...

There I am with our two sons who are here on earth with us...

I did bake this strawberry cake...and Rose helped by making the frosting...

It was very good...

Good to the last bite!

Love these sweet kids...

Scott did our grilling...it was wonderful as usual...

Benton and Rose gave me this sweet little birdhouse decoration. It is really sweet.

All in all, it was a wonderful Mother's Day. I am very thankful and blessed.

I posted this picture from the past on Facebook yesterday.  This was taken on Mother's Day in 1980, with "my three sons", Matthew, Benton, and Scotty.  Those were happy days when our little boys were so sweet and innocent and healthy and happy.   Sometimes I think how much I wish I could go back and enjoy those rascally little boys all over again. I would certainly cherish every moment...but truly I wouldn't want to bring them back to that age and have to live life all over again. God knows best! But I am thankful for those precious memories.

Moving along...

Here's our choir hymn and message from Mother's Day yesterday if you would like to listen:

Sing along with our choir as we sing "Happy Our Home, When God is There"

Happy our home when God is there,

Binding our hearts in love,

Blessing each day with moments shared,

Drawing our thoughts above.

Happy our home when daily prayer

Bears every daily need;

When parents share God's Holy Word

And daily let Him lead.

Happy our home when children praise,

Lifting our Savior's name;

When parents speak and show His love,

Faithful each day the same.

Father of all, our God of Peace,

We look to You alone;

Come with Your precious gift of love

And make our house Your home.

Well, I guess I'd better close for tonight. Tomorrow is another day. I did get my new glasses this past Friday, but by yesterday I was experiencing a very strained right eye and found that I wasn't seeing very well from that eye. So I went back to the eye doctor today and they checked the glasses and said they were correct to the prescription. So they said for me to come back tomorrow to see the doctor again and have him check the eye to see if they got the prescription wrong. Which means I will end up having to wait again for my glasses to be fixed. So we shall "see" what develops.  That's one reason I haven't been doing as much reading and writing lately as my eyes have been bothering me a lot. Hopefully we will get this resolved soon!

Hope you are all having a wonderful day...evening...week...See ya later!!

Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

Hello! Happy Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends! 

I don't think Sgt. Joyce Kilmer had this tree in mind when he wrote the poem "Trees"

Trees

BY JOYCE KILMER

"I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree."

Joyce Kilmer, “Trees” from Poetry 2, no. 5 (August 1915): 153.

Thought I'd put something a little different than the usual to get your attention! LOL.  Even decaying trees can be beautiful in their own way...well, it might take a bit of imagination to see the beauty, but if you look hard enough, you will see it.

This is what happens when you stand up out in the woods too long.  The woodpeckers come and peck away at you and the insects eat up your insides and the squirrels and raccoons and birds make their nests in your hollow center. You begin to look like "The Walking Dead".  LOL. But even decaying trees serve a purpose!

Okay, here, this is a little bit better! This beautiful little Spiderwort wildflower was growing not too far away from that very sad looking decaying tree. Did you know that this little wildflower is not only "attractive, it is also edible. Try the flowers fresh on a salad or candied for a sweet treat. Stems and leaves can be eaten raw and leaves can also be cooked. The leaves are mucilaginous; the “juice” can be used to soothe insect bites in the same way one would use aloe."  So the next time you see one of these lovely little purple flowers in the woods or in your yard, don't destroy it! Just enjoy it!

It's been a busy week. Today (Thursday), is the first day I've been able to stay home and relax and try to get caught up on stuff here. I'm not complaining...it's all good...just been busy going here and there and everywhere it seems. I might as well start at the beginning and work my way through so you will understand...

Why don't I start with the Kentucky Derby on Saturday?  No, I didn't go. As a matter of fact, I didn't even get to watch it on TV as we couldn't find it in time to see the race.  I had not been paying attention to the fact that it was time for it until I saw someone post something on Facebook that they were having a Derby party at their community clubhouse. Well, if you've known me for very long, you will know that I love to use that occasion as an excuse to put on a pretty hat and pretend I am among the many hat wearers at the Kentucky Derby.  While hubby tried in vain to find the race on TV before it was over, I was busily donning my lovely tea party hat and sprucing myself up for the "party".

By the time he found it, the race was over, and we had to watch it on YouTube. No matter, I was having fun anyway. I have no clue who won the race or even who was running. To me, it was all about the hat. LOL.  I only get to wear a fancy hat on Derby Day or for some other fun or make believe occasion. This particular hat I had worn a year or so ago for a "High Tea with Mrs. Henry Flagler" tea party, put on by our local Historical Society. HERE is a link to that event.

Just wondering, do you ever wear fancy hats? If so, where and when?  We do have some ladies who wear hats to church, but since I sing in the choir it would not be appropriate for me to wear a hat. Besides, I am rather self-conscious about doing anything that might attract too much attention to myself in church.  Obviously, I don't seem to care about that at other times. LOL.  Just kidding. Well, those who really know me from childhood know the truth of that matter.  So let's move on to other things, shall we, rather than focusing too much attention on myself. LOL.

Speaking of Kentucky, I mentioned in a post about a month or so ago about a friend at our church who had undergone a 12 hour surgery (cancer) and had come through it very well, thank the Lord.  Well, this dear friend moved here with her hubby to our town a few years ago from Kentucky.  They fell in love with this sweet little Victorian Cottage in the historical section of our little town, and so they bought it and have been enjoying fixing it up.  On Monday I had the privilege to take my friend over to Gainesville for a medical procedure. She is doing very well following her surgery, but still has some hoops to jump through before she will be completely well. However, Praise God, they have declared that there is no more cancer, which is a huge miracle as she was originally diagnosed at stage 4. She is a walking miracle for certain!

I asked her if she would mind if I took some pictures of her beautiful home and share them here with you. She said she would be delighted.  

This is the front gate, which is covered with beautiful Confederate (or Star) Jasmine. 

The gate leads to the front porch...

which wraps around the house like this...

They have lovely gardens and yard all around their sweet cottage home...

And even a beautiful spoon wind spinner and a Pink Flamingo to add to the southern charm of this home!

Their home is within walking distance of our little church, and so it was only natural that God would lead them to come and join us for worship. They are a blessing to our church and community. Please continue to keep "Kim" in your thoughts and prayers as she continues in her recovery process. I know she would appreciate it.

On Tuesday hubby and I had our own doctor appointments to attend in St. Augustine, about an hour away from home. This was for a consultation to determine if and when we have our next colonoscopies.  Hubby will have one in a couple of weeks, but they said it was too soon for me to have another one, but they ordered a CT Scan instead because of some issues I've been having for a while. Well, that led to Wednesday, when I had to drink that yucky barium "berry smoothie milkshake" (LOL). I did manage to choke down two bottles of that stuff, but it was not without some difficulty. I quoted my verse  (and One Word) of the year all the while:  

Philippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

The CT scan was not too scary, but I found myself still holding on to that verse as I held myself perfectly still and held my breath when asked.  Not sure when I will get the results, but I am trusting God for good results.

Of course, our trip to St. Augustine on Tuesday was a good excuse for us to stop off at one of our favorite eating establishments on the way back home for lunch.  "Corky Bells", beside the St. John's River. in Palatka. Thankfully it was early enough that it wasn't too crowded or too hot yet, so we were able to get a table beside the river.  Here's our view:

This was my favorite view...

And his "favorite view". LOL.

It was breezy, sunny, and lovely all around us...

Oh, look out for alligators, but we didn't see any this time...

Easter lilies blooming in May!  I think mine here in my garden will be blooming in a few days as well...

Beautiful day to sit beside the river in the shade of this huge Cypress Tree.

There were many boaters out on the river enjoying a lovely day...

Back home again on our own Still Waters Pond, I shared this picture and verse on Facebook yesterday:

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

I think this is a good place to stop for today.  We know that God is in control in all things, the world situation, things that happen in our own homes and communities, and even in our own personal lives. We can trust in Him no matter what...and He has promised us His peace. Therefore, we should not let our hearts be troubled or be afraid. Just hold on to His peace. Amen.