Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

 Before I get into this post, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the tragic plane and helicopter crash from last night and the loss of so many precious souls plunged into the icy waters of the Potomac River. What a horrific thing to happen, and such a tragedy for the families and loved ones of each of those dear souls. My heart goes out to them and they are definitely in my thoughts and prayers today.  I am thankful for those heroic first responders who risked their own lives to try to rescue anyone who might have survived, but who quickly discovered that it would be a recovery search instead of being able to rescue anyone. Our thanks to them for their quick action and commitment to saving lives. May God protect each and every one.  I pray for those who perished that they were ready to meet Jesus face to face, and that they are resting in His loving arms today. Amen.

First of all, I want to thank everyone for your kind comments on my last post about the nap blankets and other special photos, and also for those who mentioned from a previous post that you would be praying for hubby as he had his cataract surgery today.  His surgery went very well, as far as we know right now anyway. Time will tell if it worked. We go back tomorrow morning for a follow up appointment.  It's been a long day as we had to be there by 7:40 this morning, and the surgery center is an hour's drive away from us, so we were up before the crack of dawn to get there on time...and then to wait actually about 3.5 hours before he actually had the surgery! Then the long drive (me driving) back home to eat a bite of lunch before falling into bed and using our comfy "nap blankies" to take a much needed nap! LOL.  But thankfully everything went well, and tomorrow's appointment is at 8:25 a.m., so we don't have to leave quite as early as today!  Thank Goodness!  

I did take a few pictures on the way there this morning as the sun came up (while hubby was still able to drive before the surgery).  I've taken pictures at this location before on our way to his eye appointments, but never as early as this morning:

These photos were taken as we were crossing over the Black Creek, which is an inlet from the St. John's River. It was a little bit foggy as the sun was rising, and of course the car was moving quickly in traffic, so the pictures may be a little blurred, but they still have a kind of beauty all their own:

It was such a lovely moment...I'm glad I was able to capture it to share it with you!  Sunrise on the St. John's River and Black Creek is something to enjoy! It would be nice to take one of those sail boats out and see it up close.  Just don't go too far, as the St. John's River actually runs into the Atlantic Ocean!

This was the last photo as we passed the over the bridge. I thought this was kind of beautiful too! I hope you enjoyed the view!

Speaking of foggy mornings, this is how it looked on Still Waters Pond yesterday morning at sunrise:

It was actually a mixture of fog and smoke from the prescribed/controlled burns in the forest that they do periodically in the area...so I guess you could call it "Smog".  Thankfully it's not like this very often!! The air quality was not very pleasant for a while.

As I zoomed in on the pond, I noticed that our two Canada Geese were over there next to the island. They were very very still...probably not wanting to breathe that smoky air either!

Thankfully a little later when the sun came out the air cleared, and soon I noticed Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird had come for a visit to check out their birdhouses again, probably inspecting them to see if they are free of squatters! It won't be long before they will be setting up housekeeping again and preparing their nests for the next flock of baby birds!

First Mr. Bluebird inspected the house to make sure all was clear:

Then he called over Mrs. Bluebird so she could have a look inside and give her stamp of approval:

Then they flew back to the tree to contemplate things and discuss it further before making a final decision.  We actually have two birdhouses, and they flew back and forth between the two for a while, but I didn't get pictures of the other one on this day.  Time will tell which one they will decide upon.

Oftentimes it is a good idea to just "Be Still"...and consider Who God is, and seek His wisdom in what we should do:

Psalm 46:10 NKJV 

"10 Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!"

When we pray and seek God's direction in life we will know which way to go:

Isaiah 30:21

"Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

“This is the way, walk in it,”

Whenever you turn to the right hand

Or whenever you turn to the left."

There was another visitor to Still Waters Pond yesterday morning:

I noticed something sitting on the branch of a pine tree way over on "Goose Island".

I'm sure you probably can't see it above, so I will keep zooming in for you:

Oh! It's a Great Blue Heron sitting in the tree, just minding his own business!

Perhaps he was taking a nap! He has his "nap blankie" wrapped all around him like a feathery shawl:

He really is magnificent! Another of God's majestic creatures that love to visit Still Waters Pond:

After he woke up from his morning nap he decided to go do some fishing:

Looks like a beautiful day for fishing! 

Now this is something really sweet and special and I want to acknowledge what a fun and thoughtful thing someone did for me...yes, one of our favorite blogging friends.  If you know and read our friend Annie's blog, Cottage by the Sea, you will know that she is our hostess each week for the "Tuesday 4" meme.  Well, you may not know that Annie also an amazing artist, and she paints the beautiful headers that you will find on her posts.  They change from time to time, so you have to check them out frequently so see them.  Well, her original post for this week's Tuesday 4 had a painting of a lovely little church in the woods on the shore of a lovely lake or on an island.  I commented on it how much I loved it and would love to live in such a beautiful place in a little cabin near that little church, that she said she painted while she was listening to "The Church in the Wildwood".   So, sweet Annie said she would add a little cottage or cabin for me on the painting...and so in her comment to me HERE, in yesterday's post, she said 

"I painted in a little house on the shore of Lake Pamela on the header. I named the lake for you since you want to live there. It's tiny to fit with the perspective of the picture but, its a nice home with your own path to the beach. I am not sure if it's what you had in mind but, let me know."

So of course I had to go look at it and see what she did on her post HERE, and sure enough, there was a lovely little cabin next to the church on the shore!  Now, I have copied the picture for you here, because I know that whenever she changes her header again on her post that picture will go away, and I wanted to preserve it to enjoy looking at and also to share with you, because it is so special and beautiful, so Annie, thank you so much! This is your painting, and I hope you don't mind me sharing it here:

Can you see the sweet little cabin next to the "Church in the Wildwood" on the shore of "Lake Pamela"?  Gosh, Annie! You have blessed me so much with this. Thank you, thank you, Thank you! I am saving this picture to look at and enjoy again and again!

Our blogging friends are such a group of talented and thoughtful people.  You all never cease to amaze me with your talents and special gifts.  Thank you all for your dedication to your craft of writing and sharing the things that matter to you with us. May we always treasure those gifts and show our deepest appreciation. 

To commemorate this special painting, I've been sitting here enjoying a "cup of cozy" tea, pretending I am on the shore of "Lake Pamela" in that cozy little cabin.  I told Annie that since the cabin is beside the church, of course my hubby would be the pastor of that "Church in the Wildwood", and we would live there serving God and never want to go anywhere else ever again!  Such a pleasant thought!   Hopefully there are some other cabins back there in the woods where other people live so we would have a congregation to worship with!  (or maybe they come across the lake in their boats? Either way, it's a nice dream!)

Once again, I thank you all for being such dear friends.  You do make our days so pleasant with your stories and pictures and interesting things you share.  Now it's time to go figure out what we are having for supper. We had a late lunch, but still eventually the tummy will grumble again and beg to be fed, so I'm off to the kitchen to figure it out. I didn't have time this morning to plan ahead.  Sounds like a good night for grilled cheese sandwiches and maybe some tomato soup.  

Good night my friends, and hug your loved ones a little bit closer as you say a prayer for those many families who lost their loved ones today.  Amen.

Matthew 5:4 NIV

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Everyday Images #54 January/February

 Hello  Again!  I thought I'd better get this done before things get extra busy around here again!  Remember a couple of weeks ago I did this new photo link up here?  Well, apparently it's time for another one, and here's the link up for this week with the new prompts for the photos:

January/February Prompts - Everyday Images #54 from "A Fresh Cup of Coffee"

~~~~~

blanket

moon

square

logo

at home (monthly)

on my plate (quarterly)

So here I go!  This is kind of like going on a scavenger hunt, looking for the items to meet the criteria for the prompts.  You are welcome to join in the fun by going to that link above for "Everyday Images #54".  

1.  Blanket

You've seen this set up on our sofa since Christmas time.  The blankets each have a story.

This red and black buffalo plaid flannel blanket was made by my mother many many years ago for our youngest son Scott, when he was probably a young teenager and we lived up north where it was cold and "Grandma" thought he could use a nice warm blanket.  Not only is it made of flannel, but on the back side she attached a thick brown fleecy blanket, to make it like a 'bear rug'.  Actually, that was supposed to be the top, I think.  Anyway, Scott loved his blanket and all the love Grandma put into it. However, when we moved to Florida he didn't need it so much anymore, and so I claimed it to put on the couch in the winter time. Our couch is old, with a very dated upholstery (think mauve and blue flowers), so I now keep a beige slipcover over it and then use accent blankets and pillows to change the colors with the seasons.  The couch is too good still to get rid of, and it's too expensive to have it reupholstered, so this works for me!

The other blanket that you saw on the back of the couch is one that "Santa Claus" brought me for Christmas this year.  (Actually, it was Mrs. Santa Claus, because she does the shopping and knew I would love it!)

I make no apologies for the fact that we take a nap most every afternoon after lunch. It's not a long nap, but long enough to recharge our batteries and keep going for the rest of the day. Because it has been so cold here this winter, this blanket has become my nap blanket:

And I place it over this little flannel blanket, which is over the bedspread, so I don't have pull down the bedspread and remake the bed.  The bear/moose/elk blanket has a fleecy sherpa lining, and it is SO soft and warm and cozy, I sometimes find it difficult to wake up after my allotted 30 minute nap! LOL. And yes, that is my teddy bear...a gift from hubby the last time I was in the hospital.

(BTW, Hubby has his own special "nap blankies", but we'll have to hold that for another time. LOL).

2.  Moon

Here's the last shot of the full moon I took earlier this month, early in the morning when it was "descending" into the trees.

3.  Square

These are individual coasters, which are each squares, and put together make another square. I have been picking these up at our local Ace Hardware store (Yes! They have lovely gift items!) and I like to give them to people as a little gift of encouragement. They cost about the same as a card, but so much more permanent!  Oh, the one that says "She is clothed in Strength..." is mine to keep, since "Strength" was my "One Word" for 2024.  I haven't found one that says anything about wisdom yet, but I am watching for it!

4.  Logo

These are my husband's Tervis insulated glasses.  The UCF one is for his Alma Mater. He graduated from UCF before it was named UCF (University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL). It was originally called FTU, "Florida Technological University", and he was in the charter graduating class. (1970)  They later renamed it to UCF, and he had to get his diploma reprinted to show the new name!  

The other one is for the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, which he follows. We don't live too terribly far away from them, about 2 hours drive, but he's never yet been to a game. I hope we can go sometime.

5.  At home (monthly)

I just stepped out on the back porch to take a picture for this category, and was surprised to find "Blackie", our neighborhood kitty, making himself "at home",  sitting in a chair taking an afternoon nap in the sunshine.  Of  course I woke him up and he wanted to run away...

But he stopped and didn't go any further.  I went back inside the house and looked out the window, and saw why he froze...the Sand Hill Cranes had come into the yard and I didn't even know it! I took this picture through the window, so it's not very clear, but that's what's "at home" right now!

6.  On my plate (quarterly)

I know this probably means "what's on my plate", as far as FOOD goes! Or it could mean, "what do you have on your plate, like what kind of stuff are you having to deal with right now?"

Well, I didn't have anything interesting to show you "on my plate" in regards to food...I mean, we're having fish sticks for supper tonight because I'm in a hurry to get to choir practice and I'm writing this post when I should be cooking a good meal! LOL.

So I decided to take a picture of a pretty plate instead! "What's on my plate",...I've been getting the rest of the Christmas/winter dishes and cups put away, and am starting to think Valentine's and springtime in the decor.

This plate was a thrift store purchase a few years ago. I have two dinner plates and a couple of saucers and a vegetable bowl in this pattern.  Isn't it pretty? I love vintage dishes. It's fun to set the table with mix-matched vintage type plates and cups and saucers once in a while...just for the fun of it!

Okay, so that's the "Everyday Images #54 for this week. This was fun to do, and gives you something to blog about when you might be running out of things!  So feel free to join in and link up with the others! Oh, and don't forget to mention Kym's "A Fresh Cup of Coffee" in your post.

Some words of wisdom from God's Word for today:

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says:

"11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

Be blessed my friends!

Tuesday 4 ~ Dream...Dream...Dream

 Dream.. Dream.. Dream

Welcome to Toni's Tuesday 4 friends!
It's up early due to a busy weekend.

Dream, when you're feeling blue
Dream, that's the thing to do
Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air
You'll find your share of memories there

So dream, when the day is through
Dream, and they might come true
Things never are as bad as they seem
So dream, dream, dream

Dream, when the day is through
Dream, and they might come true
Things never are as bad as they seem
So dream, dream, dream........by Johnny Mercer

1. As evenings are long, temperatures drop and we have more time to dream and ponder, are you pondering or dreaming of anything right now?

Nothing special that I can think of.  Just living one day at a time, thanking the Lord for each day that He gives us, and trying to live in the way He would want me to live.

Now don't get excited...but you asked what are you pondering, etc....well, I'm not really dreaming of this but I do love to look at new houses being built, and there's a new neighborhood being developed not far from us, and we love to take a ride over there and keep up with the progress.  It was fun to actually get out of the car this time and go through this house to see the floor plan and also to look out the windows to see what the "view" would be. 

I am actually a frustrated home designer...ever since I was a little girl I've loved to draw floor plans of houses, and I've actually designed a couple of the houses we had built for us...of course, by designed, I mean I made rough draft drawings of how I wanted the floor plan to be and gave it to the builder and they drew the real plans to the proper scales, etc. and made it work.  Those were probably the two best houses we ever had! 

This is the floor plan for this model, except in reverse. (Mirror image) And this one actually has a little front porch all the way across the front .

The things I like about this house: 1.  The living/kitchen/primary suite are all across the back of the house so you can enjoy living where the "view" is.  2.  The two car garage. 3.  The little porch across the front. (see below photograph)

Things I don't like: 1.  When you come to the front door that little bit of space they call "Porch" on the floor plan above is really wasted space since there is a front porch in front of that. I would prefer to incorporate that space into the house and have a better foyer, because the current foyer is too long and narrow and there isn't even room for a foyer table or place to hang your jacket, etc.

2. I don't like that you have to walk past the family bedrooms and bath to get to the living area of the house.  If someone comes to the front door, and you also have someone taking a shower in the guest bath, you would have to make sure they know not to come popping out of the bathroom when there is someone at the front door.  I would have to put a pocket door or sliding barn door or something over that little hallway entry to the guest bathroom and bedrooms so they have privacy going to and from the bathroom. 3.  Neither bathroom has a window.  4.  I don't like that the walk in closet in the primary suite opens directly into the bathroom instead of the bedroom. It gets two crowded when you have two people trying to get dressed, take a shower, etc.  5.  The furnace closet should be in the garage, and not taking up valuable space inside the house.

This is how it will look, again, in reverse.

Here's some of the land behind it. It's very wooded, and I hope it will stay that way.

Anyway, I like to do mental exercises of what it would be like to live in such a house. Actually this one is a bit on the small side for us, except for the fact that it has a nice two car garage, so that helps to have the storage space for all the stuff you can't fit in the house! LOL ! Stuff that you don't want to get rid of, that is. However, even if we wanted to do this, which we don't, this house it too expensive for what it is, and unfortunately that is how it is these days. You don't get nearly as much for your money as you could have even a couple of years ago. So we just like to look and "ponder" the what ifs...we've talked about wanting to get into a house on the ground level rather than a manufactured home where you have to climb 6 steps to get inside. The older we get, the more we think about that. But still...it's got to be affordable, and this one isn't.  And I love our current home with its view of Still Waters Pond! LOL.

2. Day dreaming , singing, humming even, can lift your mood and change the entire state of your health. Do you daydream or sing during the day ? Now that you know it can improve health will you try it?  Yes, I sing songs in my head and sometimes out loud quite a bit. Since I sing in our church choir and go to choir practice each week, I often have several songs in my head that we are working on.  If you listen to this video, in the beginning you will see and hear our choir singing the song that we did on Sunday morning.  This was recorded on Tuesday night, and it stuck in my head all week. "I Will Sing of My Redeemer"...  We were missing a lot of our choir members at this practice, but we still managed to get it recorded...not perfect, but hopefully you will appreciate the message of the song.

3. Fess up friends! When you window gaze is it because you are nosy or because it's just so lovely outside? We will still love you no matter what the answer.

Well, when I window gaze here, it is because it is so lovely outside on the west side looking at Still Waters Pond, and also in the morning when we have beautiful sunrises out on the east side of the house.

Here's todays offerings:

Sunrise this morning!

Sunset this evening (Writing this on Monday night)

And just as the sun was setting, Mr. and Mrs. Sand Hill Crane flew in to the yard to say hello, and so we rewarded them with a little bit of bird seed:

Then they flew back behind the island in the pond to roost on their nest for the night. I wish I could see it from here, but not this year!  I will have to walk all the way around to the side of the pond beside the new house next door if I want to watch them.  As long as no one lives there I will be able to keep tabs on their progress, but once the house is sold I will have to stay put in my own yard, unless the neighbors are really friendly.

(This was my view of their new nest area from yesterday afternoon, before they flew in for the night:)

4.Daydreams can become reality if they stir us to action. Were there any times in your life when dreams came true?

Gosh, where do I begin?  Probably many times over the years as we said "Yes!" to follow Jesus into the ministry, and hubby went to seminary in order to be qualified for the ministry...That actually could be a whole book...the one I keep saying I want to write someday...the one I said I would entitle: "Giant Leaps of Faith and Other Crazy Moves".  I've written a few chapters here and there throughout this blog, mostly back in the earlier days of blogdom.   If you click on "Giant Leaps of Faith" in the list on the right side of the blog page, you will be taken to many of those stories. Here is one post in particular that kind of  sums up our life...it is one of our previous Tuesday 4 memes from a few years ago.  

"Wisdom" is my One Word for this year, and I think wisdom has taught me to keep my eyes on Jesus and put my trust in Him, and He will direct my path. Sometimes "daydreams" can be good, but they can also lead us astray if we aren't careful.  It is very important to stay focused on God and His direction for our lives...

Proverbs 3:5-8

"5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

8 It will be health to your flesh,

And strength to your bones."

And that's the Tuesday 4 for this week. Oh, I just remembered! Someone asked me about the recipe for the Custard Pie that I showed on my last post.  Here it is:

It came from this cookbook, which was a wedding gift almost 56 years ago!  My mother had one very similar (just an older version), and that is where she got so many of her good recipes for baking, and so I was happy to have this to help me figure things out when she wasn't always there to guide me anymore!

The pie was very good. I did not put coconut in this one, but did sprinkle it with nutmeg.  I used a Pillsbury roll out crust that you can buy in a box that has two rolls of crust in it.  I had already used one of them earlier for a pie at Christmas, and still had one left to use! They can be frozen and kept for a long time!

This week hubby is going to have cataract surgery on Thursday, so things might get interesting before this week is over...however, I may not be available to do as much reading and writing here for a few days.  Hopefully everything will be just fine.  

God bless you all, and God bless America!!