Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

Psalm 16:7-8

7 "I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;

M heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the Lord always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."

Beautiful skies over Still Waters Pond tonight. Sadly, there is not enough water in the pond to reflect the lovely colors of the sunset. Our pond needs to be refreshed with God's heavenly rain, and then it will be able to reflect God's amazing beauty again. Praying for rain...but still enjoying the beauty He has given us to enjoy.

While I was enjoying the sunset Blackie and then Sunshine came down to join me...

Blackie decided to roll in the dirt...

They do make life interesting!

On the home front, I finally got around to putting out a few more fall decorations...

I incorporated hubby's new coffee mug into the display below..."Meet Me at the Pumpkin Patch"

But that was for a photo op only. I had to give it back to him in time for his morning coffee!  LOL.

Mr. and Mrs. Squirrel are ready for some autumn acorns and pumpkins too...

Lily Grace and her friends are all ready for autumn days...and yes, they are back to school already...

Here's last year's post when Lily and her friends went back to school. That was quite an adventure.

The other day Rose had the day off and the "kids" were busy working on their kitchen remodeling (still a work in progress), and so we invited them over for supper so they wouldn't have to stop and cook supper in the midst of their mess. I decided to make White Chicken Enchiladas. I forgot to take a picture of them, but they were so good. We also had refried beans, a tossed salad, and a Cheesy Mexican rice mixture from a box. I cooked it in my rice cooker, and it was really good!

Internet photo

White Chicken Enchilada Recipe:

Ingredients

For the enchiladas:

8 medium flour tortillas

2–3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Seasonings of choice (e.g., adobo, cumin, garlic powder)

For the creamy white sauce:

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles (do not drain)

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, for topping

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Make the filling: 

In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and your choice of seasonings. Mix thoroughly.

Assemble the enchiladas: Spoon the chicken and cheese mixture evenly into the tortillas. Roll them up tightly and place them seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.

Prepare the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux, stirring constantly.

Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken and bubble.

Finish the sauce: Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the sour cream and canned green chiles. Make sure the sauce is off the heat before adding the sour cream to prevent it from curdling.

Bake: Pour the creamy white sauce evenly over the rolled enchiladas. Top with the remaining shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. For extra browning, place the dish under a broiler for the last few minutes.

Let the enchiladas cool slightly before serving.

This was so good! I don't know why I don't think to make it more often! LOL.  Probably because it really isn't on my diet now, but once in a while won't hurt.

This morning hubby and I both had appointments for haircuts at our Walmart Smart Style salon. We've liked a particular stylist there and have been going back to her for several months now. We were surprised to discover when we arrived there this morning that she was no longer working there, (as of yesterday). Whatever happened happened after we had scheduled our appointments with her. So another lady who has worked there a long time took care of our hair cuts and did a good job. We later discovered where "our stylist"  has gone, to a different shop not far away from there.  She was literally standing inside the Walmart store passing out her cards to people to let them know where she was going this morning. So now we have a decision to make...do we follow her over there, or stick  with the lady at the Walmart? Our haircuts were okay, although mine is a bit shorter than I really wanted it. I don't know. I guess I will wait until I need another haircut and decide what to do then.  It seems like getting a consistent hairstylist that really does a good job is so hard to find anymore. Meanwhile, our DIL, who also went to this same stylist, has made an appointment with her at the new place for next week. I guess we'll wait and see what she thinks after her appointment before we make a decision about whether or not to follow her or stay where we are.  I'm getting too old for these changes all the time. LOL. 

On another note, I just learned that one of our church members' mother has passed away. She was 105 years old! Can you imagine that? She has been living with her son and his wife for quite a few years, and really hasn't been in bad health,  all things considered.  I guess Jesus finally got her "mansion" ready in heaven and said "it's time to come on home".  Wow! I think I would probably be saying to Jesus, "It's about time!"  Not trying to be disrespectful here, but honestly, I don't think I want to live in this old body for 105 years. It's starting to feel kind of worn out now, and by the way, this body of mine will be 75 years old later this month! Three Quarters of a Century! I can hardly believe that! But to live a whole Century and then another five years! Wow! Frankly, I'm hoping the Lord will return before then and take us all on home! 

This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through...

Lyrics

This world is not my home
I'm just a-passing through
My treasures are laid up
Somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me
From heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home
In this world anymore

Oh Lord, you know
I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home
Then Lord, what will I do?
The angels beckon me
From heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home
In this world anymore

I have a loving mother
Just up in Gloryland
And I don't expect to stop
Until I shake her hand
She's waiting now for me
In heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home
In this world anymore

Oh Lord, you know
I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home
Then Lord, what will I do?
The angels beckon me
From heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home
In this world anymore

Just over in Gloryland
We'll live eternally
The saints on every hand
Are shouting victory
Their songs of sweetest praise
Drift back from heaven's shore
And I can't feel at home
In this world anymore

Oh Lord, you know
I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home
Then Lord, what will I do?
The angels beckon me
From heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home In this world any more

And with that I think I will close for tonight. It's getting past my bedtime and this old gal is getting tired. I am very thankful tonight for my health and for the almost 75 years that God has given me...and I will be thankful for however many more He wants to bless me with, whether it be 80, 90, or even a 105...God knows what is best...and I will trust Him no matter what.

Have a blessed night my friends!