Wednesday Treasures: Just Popping In

 It's Wednesday night...and the moon is bright!

This is the scene from our front porch tonight..."Silent Night, Holy Night..."

All is calm...all is bright...Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child, Holy Infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace..."

A little bit earlier there was a beautiful sunset over our own Still Waters (still dry) Pond.  Do you see the duck in the tree?

I'm thinking this may be one of the Muscovy Ducks that I really don't appreciate so much, but he does make for a beautiful picture in the tree at sunset, so I have agree that even a duck I don't like has a purpose in life...

God says in Psalm 46:10-11 NKJV

10 Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

And with my enforced "quarantine" this week, I am learning to appreciate the stillness and the presence of God.  We took a little ride to try to catch more of the sunset before it totally disappeared...and to get out of the house for a little bit.  Hubby is going stir crazy I think...but he also thought I needed a change of scenery for a little while too. So we rode over to another lake nearby to catch the rest of the sunset...(a lake that is NOT dry!!)

I hope we didn't disturb these fishermen too much.

It really was a beautiful night.

And just so you know, we do still have some beautiful scenes on our own Still Waters Pond in the daytime...even if there isn't any water...This Great Blue Heron flew up into a tree to check out things. Actually there were two of them. I was thinking maybe they were looking for a place to build their nest because they do nest in the trees, but the other one flew away and this one still hangs around during the day to "fish"...for what, I'm not sure...maybe frogs...

We also had two of these interesting Wood Storks fly in for a few minutes. I didn't get a picture of the other one. They have been here in the past years as well, but they saw that there was no water and they took off pretty quickly. 

Mister Red Shouldered Hawk manages to keep finding food here however.  I see him flying about all around and over the pond throughout the day.  There is life out there, just not like what we are used to.

He saw something down there on the dry pond bed and gobbled it up and flew away:

And actually, you can barely tell it, but it was raining a little bit yesterday afternoon! It totally surprised us! but it didn't last for long.  The forecast does show rain coming this weekend, so I am praying it will be something worth waiting for!

Today was a good day for soup. It turned a little cooler, and I've been wanting soup. This was a quick one, however. I opened up a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup and added a can of mixed vegetables and some onion flakes, garlic powder, and pepper, and Ritz Crackers, and it was really good for a  quick lunch.  I actually also made beef stew in the crock pot for supper with some fresh home made biscuits. I forgot to take any pictures of that, however. It was really good, and there's some leftover for tomorrow. Hooray!

We were watching What's My Line while we ate our lunch, and I was surprised to see Gloria Swanson as their special "mystery guest".  This was from early 1950's.  I was thrilled to see her, because I actually met her in person on my 10th birthday. (which would have been a few years after this particular program).  I wrote about that memorable event HERE, several years ago.

While I'm resting, I am doing little bits here and there of decorating things that I have available to work with. Tomorrow Benton is coming over to bring in the boxes of decorations from the shed along with our tree so I can get to the rest of it a little at a time.

Lily Grace and my "Margie Doll" (see link for more information on her) wanted to be dressed in some Christmas dresses, so here they are.  Margie Doll is my doll that I've had since my 7th birthday, a gift from my Aunt Margie, so that's why I named her Margie Doll.  Lily Grace you all should know by know...but if you don't, you can read all about her in her own blog, The Adventures of Lily Grace. That link will take you to a post written several years ago when Lily first learned about an Advent Calendar.  We haven't written any new adventures in a while, but maybe we need to think about that.  Lily still has adventures...but Mommie is just too tired and busy to write more than one blog at a time. LOL.

Here's the rest of Lily's friends.  We'll be getting things ready for Christmas more and more as the boxes are opened and things are rediscovered!

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts and prayers regarding my illness. I am getting better day by day, and I'm trying not to do too much, but you know how it is...there's just so much to do during this Advent season!  But God has me here in a time of waiting and resting...and I want to use this time wisely to prepare my heart for the Advent of our Lord...yes, the Advent of the Christ child that we celebrate at Christmas, but also the 2nd Advent of our Lord, Who will "come with a strong hand...and His arm shall rule for Him; Behold His reward is with Him, and His work before Him..."  (see these verses below.) Yes, Christ is coming again...and we need to "Be still and know that (He) is God..." and prepare our hearts for this very good news, for those who believe.  There is so much for which to prepare our hearts...I hope we are all ready...

Isaiah 40:8-11 NKJV

"8 The grass withers, the flower fades,

But the word of our God stands forever.”

9 O Zion,

You who bring good tidings,

Get up into the high mountain;

O Jerusalem,

You who bring good tidings,

Lift up your voice with strength,

Lift it up, be not afraid;

Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

10 Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand,

And His arm shall rule for Him;

Behold, His reward is with Him,

And His work before Him.

11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd;

He will gather the lambs with His arm,

And carry them in His bosom,

And gently lead those who are with young."

Amen

I hope you enjoyed my "Wednesday Treasures" for tonight.  Have a blessed and peaceful rest of your week.