Monday Monday

 Can it really be Monday again already?  Seems like we just had a Monday the other day...LOL. Well, here it is, and it's almost bedtime already, but I just thought I'd check in with you all.  It's been a busy day...we both  had follow up doctor appointments this morning to get the results of our lab work from last week. Our doctor sees us both at the same time, unless we request otherwise, but it works for us and that way we can come and go together and don't have to wait for each other in the waiting room.  Anyway, all is well, Praise God, and we are very thankful to have excellent reports for two "old folks" like us!  I'm happy to say I survived last week's round of antibiotics and everything seems to be clear now, so that's good too.

Then we had our Bible Studies this afternoon. Hubby teaches the men's Bible Study that meets at the church, and I attend the Ladies' Bible Study at our Parsonage, which is not being used as a real parsonage right now since our Pastor and wife have their own home, so the ladies use it for Bible studies and other women's meetings, etc.   It makes for a nice homey atmosphere without anyone having to clean their own house. LOL.  

This is the current Bible Study we are doing. It is pretty interesting, and keeps us on our toes in looking up scriptures throughout the Bible that have anything to do with prayer. You'd be amazed how many there are already, and we are just getting started. 

I am enjoying the study so far and am learning things about prayer I never thought about before. Now to put those things into practice in my own prayer life...that's the key!

So I expect you are anxious to hear if anything has developed in the Cat/Duck saga. Well, no, not really. The people never came to get the ducks.  And they keep laying these eggs under the porch. Thankfully they aren't fertilized, but I really don't know what to do with them. It's been so hot outside that I am afraid they are going to spoil. I know people eat these things, but I honestly don't want to deal with them or touch them. I know I'll have to clean them out of there eventually, however. Maybe I can get one of the boys to do it for me. That's a good idea...I think Scott is coming home tomorrow afternoon...yeah! That's what I'll do! Hooray!  However, if anyone wants to come get them they are more than welcome to do so. A farmer I am not.

However, since I have successfully managed to feed the cats on the front porch, the ducks have about given up on coming on the back porch in search of food. They still make at least one fly up per day to check and see if any food is there, and since there isn't, they fly away. However, I have to be very careful about how I get the kitties to follow me around to the front porch when it is feeding time.  They like to sleep on the cool back porch in the mornings and most of the day, so I have to go get them when it's time to eat. They haven't quite figured it out yet to go to the front porch and wait for me to come feed them.  The ducks are very observant, and I try to go out there when they are not around at all, but they still know when it's meal time, and they are not far away.  So far I've managed to keep them from following me around the house. I hope I can keep it up. Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow, and it might be harder to feed the kitties on the uncovered front porch...so we shall see how that goes.  

Blackie Sue is still a "lady in waiting"...and this is where she was this evening just before dark:

I was amazed as I watched her jump up onto that porch railing and balance herself there so nimbly. You would never know she was so heavy with "child". Cats are certainly amazing creatures.

I am sorry to say that I do have some very sad news to report this evening.  

When the Sand Hill Crane family was passing through our yard this evening we could only see one colt!  I looked and looked, thinking one might still be down by the water, or maybe laying down in the grass as they sometimes do.  But there was NO sign of the other Colt anywhere to be seen.

Sadly, that means that something has happened to the other one...whether it was hit by a car (as I've seen them crossing the street already everyday), or if some predator got a hold of it...we don't know. It makes me very sad, but this happened last year too, and I don't know if one is just weaker than the other and can't keep up, or what happened.   And of course, I don't know which one this is that is left, but I'm thinking it is "Trumpet".  The one I called Spring looked like she wanted to lay down more often in the grass...so maybe she was weaker.

I can't help but think this one looks a bit sad.  I'm sure he's missing his sister.  But life goes on, and he still has much to learn, so he must pay close attention to what his parents are teaching him.

Seems like this proverb applies to the animal kingdom as much as it does to people!

Proverbs 22:6  KJV

 "Train up a child in the way he should go: 

and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

So changing to something more pleasant, what did I do this past weekend? Well, of course we went to church on Sunday and then came home and rested.  On Saturday morning we went to a yard sale sponsored by our church Quilting Group. They do this annually to raise funds to buy material for the hundreds of lap quilts they make each year for the Ronald McDonald House and other places that need them.  I bought some books and  this beautiful Royal Albert Old Country Roses dessert plate for 25 cents.

Here's the stack of books I bought for 25 cents each. When I am done with them I will donate them either back to the church to sell again next time, or to the public library.

When we left the yard sales we went to the Farmer's Market where our son Benton was selling more of his planters.  This was also at a church, and the church was having a "spring fling", with lots of other booths of things being sold.  I bought this beautiful cross for our door from a lady that I've met there before whose name is "Pamela", so we've become friends since we have something in common. She also said she would love to have a kitten when Blackie Sue has hers...so I am definitely going to stay in touch with her!

I also bought this bead 'sun catcher', just because I thought it was so pretty.

Here's some better close ups of the beads. I have it hanging in my window here in front of me at my computer desk in my little "Room With A View", so I can see it everytime I am in here.

You know, sometimes you just need something that makes you smile right before your eyes.

Well, folks, I think I hear raindrops falling on the porch roof. I pray the storms won't be too bad. It's been extremly windy today.  I know there are tornado warnings up north of us in south Georgia, where one of our blogging friends lives...."Sparky" from My Thoughts Exactly, (although she hasn't been blogging too much lately, but many of you know her as she comments on many of our posts).   So please lift up a prayer on her behalf if you would, and all those who may be in the path of the stormy weather that is going on around our country.

I will close this with these words of wisdom from James 3:17-18

James 3:17-18 NKJV

"17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 

18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

Let us be those who "make peace". Amen.