Hello January
Welcome to the New Year friends and to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.
Toni liked to talk about each new month and it's meanings.
January was named for Janus the two faced god who looked behind and ahead. Its the warmest month in the southern hemisphere and the coldest in the north.
Garnet is it's gem stone. Garnets come in all colors but the rarest is the Tzavorite.
January 7 is Eastern Orthodox Christmas because some eastern churches use the original Julian calendar which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.
January become the first month of the year in 450BC for the Roman world .
Let's talk about two faced January.
1. Looking back, what do you hope continues or does not change in your life?
I do hope we continue to have good health and strength as the days go by. The older we get, the harder it is to keep up with things, and so I pray for renewed strength, wisdom and health for the New Year and beyond.
2. What good came to you from the previous year?
I am so thankful for so many things...our home, family, strength, health, and God's continued provision for all our needs. What more could we ask for?
3. Are there things you hope to accomplish in the new year?
4. January's flowers are the carnation and the snow drop. Do you sometimes buy flowers for your home? What kinds of flowers to you like best?
Actually, yesterday afternoon I sat out on the porch for a while and sipped a cup of tea before it turned too cold to sit out there...
And Blackie suddenly appeared out of nowhere and saw me sitting in his chair, and turned around and went right back down off the porch! He didn't even stop to say hello! LOL. There are two other chairs on the porch that he could've sat in, but I guess he likes mine best!
So I hurried up and ran over to the next door new house property and went around to where I could see them on the little marshy strip of land behind the island:
I guess this is where they will probably build their next this year, once "Abe" leaves the nest for good!
I sat down this afternoon with a cup of tea and a "York Peppermint Patty", a very rare treat for me as I normally do NOT eat chocolate, but it just sounded so good I couldn't resist...and I picked up the new issue of Country Living Magazine that came in the mail today to look at it.
And I turned to this page and the little caption down at the bottom of the page caught my attention. I almost missed it because it was written in white and rather small...
But the words "Country Wisdom" caught my eye since "wisdom" is my "One Word" for 2025. I like what this says:
So to answer question #2, "What good came to you from the previous year?"...Well, maybe a few more "nicks and scratches...the architectural equivalent of hard-earned wrinkles and laugh lines..." I don't mind that at all...especially those laugh lines...and I do hope to earn a few more in the up coming years.
3. Are there things you hope to accomplish in the new year?
To be honest, I haven't really thought that much about it. Just keeping up with our daily lives, maintaining our home and property as best we are able, and spending more time with friends and family as we are able. Seeking what God wants for us..."Where He Leads Me I will follow..."...a favorite old hymn that sometimes finds me doing new things I never expected...but because I trust God to lead me, I know whatever it is it will be good.
4. January's flowers are the carnation and the snow drop. Do you sometimes buy flowers for your home? What kinds of flowers to you like best?
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| Carnations & Snow Drops I must admit I've never seen "snow drops" before! Those are very pretty! |
I rarely ever buy fresh cut flowers. I prefer those that are grown in the garden or in the woods or along the road...i.e.; "Wildflowers" from "God's Garden". If I do buy flowers, they are in pots to be planted in the garden...mums in the fall, and other plants for the butterfly garden in the spring/summer. Oh, I have a couple of pots of Poinsettias right now on the back porch that I bought for Christmas, and now I hope they don't freeze in our plunging temperatures this week. They are hiding under the table on the covered porch, so hopefully they will be okay.
There's something else hiding on the back porch to stay warm for the night...
"Blackie" the neighborhood cat!
Oops! He saw me! However, that didn't change a thing...he's too lazy to get up and come say hello!
A little later I watched the sun setting over Still Waters Pond, and then I saw the the Sand Hill Crane family fly in and go around and land on the other side of the island somewhere out of my sight.
I won't be able to watch them quite as closely since this spot is out of my view from my house, and once someone buys the house next door I won't be able to go over there anymore. Unless the neighbors are really friendly! I hope they will be, but still, they probably won't want me to come running around on their property everytime I want to watch the birds! LOL.
Happy January everyone!!
You don't usually eat chocolate? I don't know how to handle this information. What. Why? I am screaming inside. 😂
ReplyDeleteDoes Blackie have a home to go to when it gets cold? If not, maybe put a blanket out there for him to snuggle in. I hope he is an indoor cat who likes to roam a bit, but goes home later. It is very cold here too. We have some outdoor farm cats around, but they seem to find safe places to go when the weather is rough.
God is faithful. Where He leads I will follow. You are so right about that.
Blessings,
Sandi
I just put a towel in the chair for him, plus there is another spot with some old rugs that he can lay on, which is behind the grill so it blocks the wind. He seems to be fine. Another neighbor feeds him and he may actually have a warmer spot over by her house. He seems to manage very well, but thank you for your concern. I do wonder where all he goes because he's not here all the time. Oh, and sorry, but chocolate makes me sick to my tummy and as soon as I ate that today I could feel it causing tingles on my chin like I was going to break out. It's always like that. Dark chocolate isn't so bad, but I still don't ever eat it except on very special occasions. I'm drinking hot Ovaltine right now, does that count?
DeleteYour Blackie looks well fed but I sure hope he has a warm place to get in out of the cold. I love black cats and miss mine. I have orange cats now. This is a fun Tuesday 4. I enjoyed your answers. Looking forward to Saturday!!
ReplyDeleteI put a towel out in the chair for him and he also has some rugs out there that he can lay on that are behind the tables and grill so he is warm. I don't know where all he goes...he seems to manage fine and doesn't want to be hemmed in. I know God is looking out for him. Hoping to see you Saturday.
DeleteI like that country wisdom.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Sandi - concerned about you not usually eating chocolate! :)
I really liked your calendars today. "And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in Him." That is my hope and prayer.
ReplyDeleteI am a chocoholic, have been since I was a child. But... I haven't had ANY sugar or carbs at all for since Christmas Eve. Dennis was diagnosed diabetic and I'm trying to encourage him. He's trying diet before medication but his fasting blood sugar still isn't low enough. We're praying that by his doctor's appointment next month it will be good. The first two weeks were hardest, but the last couple of days not as bad.
If I were your neighbor I would let you run all over the property and in and out of the house any time at all! :-) I looked it up on Zillow and it's way out of our price range for a second, winter home. We can't leave Mom anyway, but it is really tempting. Dennis's brother was here last week and we had snow and freezing, sub-zero cold. He called when they landed in Miami. It was 72F and he was thrilled. We're jealous.
Flowers? I love flowers but since I don't have a garden anymore and it's winter anyway, if I want them I have to buy them. The rare times I do get them it's a Trader Joe's because they last and last.
Hugs to you my dear friend.
Blessings and love,
Betsy
Blackie is sure a cutie! As always, I love your Still Water Photos.
ReplyDeleteChocolate can give me migraines as do grapes and wine so I avoid it. Blackie would probably end up inside for me since temps here are in the teens now. He probably has a home though, but feral cats don't live long outside.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in!!
I am taking all bets that you are NOT sitting on your porch this morning with coffee.. nearly froze to death walking Beau this morning. I am thankful I am looking at sunshine and not ice and snow out my window. its rare to need the heat running here, but its been running for a few days now. one more day and back to normal, or so they say.
ReplyDeleteif I had your views I would be out every moment skeeters allowed me to.. I do hate FL skeeters/gnats/no see ums.
I think you will find many mentions of wisdom this year and I think we will all need some of your chosen words.
I can't think of anything good that came from the new year. it was a really hard year and this one will be in its footsteps and is continuing. in fact I am in planning mode for things to get worse. love your black cat. my son has 5 ferals, that are the luckiest ferals alive and 3 cats inside, 1 formerly feral, and 2 dogs, one of which is a Mastiff. his ferals live like royalty, including a home in the garage during hurricanes and cold weahter and their own condo in his back yard.
Good morning! Oh, you're so right about #1 (and #2, too). I was telling someone yesterday (that) when I was a little girl, I thought grown-ups who only talked about their health or the weather were sooooo boring. Not so much now, that I'm right there!
ReplyDeleteHow I used to loathe my wrinkles and scars -- a result of neglect. Now, however, that magazine excerpt gives me a new way of looking. I'm going to copy and print in my treasure box right now. From the frozen tundra, wishing y'all a blessed day!