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!  

Wednesday Treasures All Around Us

It was a lovely morning, so we took a ride down to the Kenwood Recreational Park, a lovely park and boat ramp into the Rodman Resevoir and Lake Ocklawaha area. We try to go there several times throughout the year, to see it in different seasons and to just enjoy the beauty.  Today was no exception! Here are some pictures that I took...and I have coupled them with Psalm 1 for today's Scripture reading. I hope you will enjoy the beauty of both the pictures and the Word together...

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

A fitting ending to this passage...

Don't be like the ungodly...instead be like the man (or woman!) 

whose "delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night."

Sometimes it is good to get back to the basics, isn't it? In this world we are easily led astray by all the flashy things being offered on the internet or TV or in stores and places all around us.  But soon enough we discover that those things do not bring lasting peace or happiness. They might fill a void for a little while, but there is only one way to fill the empty places in our hearts and lives...

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29

  

"28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, 

and I will give you rest. 

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, 

for I am gentle and lowly in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls."

He also said in Matthew 6:19-21 the following:

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, 

where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 

where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Today was a good day to be reminded of these words, and to spend some time alone with the Lord, enjoying His beautiful creation all around us.  Now that fall is on the way and the temperatures are hopefully going to begin to cool down a little bit at a time, it is a good time to get back outside and take advantage of all the beauty that He has provided for us to enjoy.  I'm so thankful we were able to take this little walk today. It was a soothing balm for my soul.

How about you? What wonders or beauties have you noticed in God's creation around you lately? I hope you will share them on your blog if you can, or tell us about them here. Let's focus on what is lovely and wholesome, and try to stay away from the negative influences around us. That's what I want to do...who will join me?

Thank you for your kind comments on my previous posts. It's always so good to hear from you and also to read your posts to see what's going on in your lives! You are all a part of my special "Wednesday Treasures" (and beyond). Have a lovely week.

Tuesday 4 ~ Coffee? Tea?

 Coffee? Tea?

Welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.



The longest living cat on record, Creme puff, lived to be 38 years old and was given coffee at breakfast all his life. Breakfast for him was bacon, eggs, broccoli and coffee.
The previous ownder of the record was Grandpa Rex Allen who\ lived to be 34 years old on the same diet.
Coffee reduces chances of Alzheimers, Parkinsons.
Tea without adding milk can "tan" your bladder making for many problems Milk binds the tanic acid making it safe to drink.
Homemade food increases an animal's life span too. Let's talk about it, okay?


1. Coffee increases a bee's memory and does the same for you. Bees love caffeinated coffee flowers. What do you love about coffee or tea?
Oh dear...I don't drink coffee at all. Never could develop a taste for it. My mother loved her coffee every morning, but my Dad preferred tea, although I never saw him drink it regularly.  My hubby drinks coffee,  so I make a pot for him every morning, and I drink tea while he enjoys his coffee. What do I love about tea? Well, it helps to start my day off right...it helps me wake up and it also helps with things like regularity! (you asked, so I'm telling. LOL).  I love the variety of different kinds of teas, but I mostly stick with Lipton's black tea every day and save the others for special occasions.

2. If you opened a tea or coffee shop in your neighborhood what would it be named? How would you decorate it? Would pastry or cake be served?

I've always thought it would be fun to have a Tea Party place. It would be a special place for ladies (or men if they so desire) to gather with their friends or their daughters, mothers, sisters...and be treated to a really fun and happy tea party. It would be decorated with all kinds of tea pots and cups and saucers, and lovely table settings that make every person feel really special when they come there.  Ladies would be encouraged to wear fancy hats and gloves, and dress up for a fun party. I may have to name it something like "Pamela's Victorian Cottage and Tea Room".   As far as food, yes, pastries, tea cakes, and other special tea party foods...scones, dainty dishes of delightful food...but there would be healthy food too...not all sweets.

It would be fun to have an outdoor garden tea room...I found this on the internet and I really love it. Someday I'm going to do this!

Internet Photo

3. Beethoven required 60 beans per cup of coffee. How particular are you about your coffee or tea?
I'm not THAT particular, but I like my hot tea hot, and I don't like it too strong or too weak. It needs to be JUST RIGHT! LOL.

4.Italian clergy in1600s declared coffee the devil's brew and forbid it.
Pope Clement the VIII wanted to taste it, loved it and blessed it ... today, new research shows black coffee is drunk mainly by psychopaths...
Sweden banned coffee in 1746 as dangerous and Islam banned it for causing free thinking!
How do you take your coffee you free thinking, radical and what's your favorite brand of devil's brew?

Since I don't drink coffee I don't have a favorite brand. The price of coffee lately has been ridiculous. Hubby drinks either Maxwell House or Folgers, whichever one is on sale. He's not particular, but he sure wants it hot and fresh!  I am thankful that he's not real particular about brands, etc.,  and that he's not into the current coffee trend of having to go to places like Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, etc., to get a special coffee all the time. I honestly don't know how people afford it. Our little town just recently got a new Dunkin Donuts place, and it amazes me to see the line of cars around the building every day, waiting for their coffee or latte or whatever it is they are getting. I never knew coffee and donuts was so popular!  

Here's a link to one of my posts about tea parties.  There's a lot more in the side bar under the categories of Tea Time or Tea Party.

I found this in a little book by Emilie Barnes, entitled "Everything I know I Learned Over Tea".

In case you can't read that, it says; 

"A Loving Recipe for a Perfect Cup of Tea"

"1 willing friend who loves to sit and share

1 grateful heart to have a friend that cares

1 beautiful garden to show us God is near

Many wonderful memories of times shared throughout the years

Lots of smiles and laughter to brighten up our days

Many prayers that we prayed for each other along the way."

Author Unknown

And that, to me, is what tea time is all about. Or it could be coffee time. I guess it all depends on the heart and attitude of those enjoying the time together, no matter what the "brew".  

Thank you, Annie, for being our hostess. I've missed out on the past few weeks of Tuesday 4, so I thought this would be a good one to jump back in again.  If you wish to join in the fun, you can go HERE and join in!  Whatever you do, have a lovely day!!

My new TEA mug, hard at work already!

Happy September/Labor Day!Updated

UPDATE at 3:45 p.m.: Blackie is HOME!!

He didn't give us any explanation as to where he'd been all day, but he came home for supper and he's hungry! He looks fine...so I guess he just needed a day out on the "town" or something...who knows? But we are very happy he's home, and as you can see, Sunshine is happy too.  So thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for our wayward kitty!    

I love a happy ending, don't you?   

Happy September 1st, 2025! Happy Labor Day!  Hooray for the "ber" months to finally arrive! My favorite time of year!  And in keeping with celebrating the beginning of the "ber" months (SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER, DecemBER), let's start out with the calendar roll call!

I kind of love this one...do you see the rainbow across the lake? This is the kind of scene that I love...and even though our Still Waters Pond has never had quite this much water in it, this picture reminds me of our beautiful pond and the lovely sunsets we have enjoyed here.

Some of you have already seen these photos on Facebook last week, but this is how our Still Waters Pond looked a few mornings ago...pretty much encased in fog, and you can see how desperately dry the pond is right now...we definitely need those rainstorms to come our way instead of circumventing our area every day and giving us false hope!

Okay, let's get back on track...back to the September Calendars!  Oh, I DO love this John Sloane Country Seasons calendar...and this picture is picture perfect!  Entitled "Ladies in Waiting"...the young lady is waiting for some customers at her vegetable wagon, and the hens are waiting for ??? A Rooster??? LOL.   And I'm waiting for the apples to ripen...nothing like fresh apples in the fall. I am excited that next month we plan to go to the North Georgia Mountains for a few days with our kids, and the highlight is always to go get some fresh apples at the apple orchards!   So I guess I am a "lady in waiting" too!

I'm still waiting to do our fall decorating when hubby and I can get out to the shed and bring in all the containers of decor. (Or until a strong son comes and does it for us...we'll see which comes first!)  But meanwhile I changed out a few things here and there with items that I already have in the house, and we went to the Dollar General this morning and saw these two new fall mugs and decided they needed to come home with us. 

Guess which one is going to be hubby's, and which one is going to be mine?

Believe it or not, hubby picked the Pumpkin Patch one, but only after I said I would buy two of the same "grateful, thankful, blessed" mugs so we could each have the same thing...he said "No, I want the Pumpkin Patch mug and you can have the other one." I asked if he was sure, and he said yes, he was sure, so there you go! Did you guess that?

And speaking still about waiting...Here is Sunshine, up on top of the grill on the back porch and looking inside my window while I sit here and work. This was actually a little earlier this morning. Normally the grill is Blackie's favorite spot, but for some reason Blackie has not shown up yet this morning, which is VERY strange.   When I went out to feed them at 7:00 Sunshine was the only one here. I called and called for Blackie, but he never showed up to eat.  A little while later is when Sunshine decided to jump up on Blackie's favorite perch and he sat there for a long time, watching me through the window and also watching for Blackie to arrive.  It is now after 10:30 a.m., and still no sign of Blackie.  We drove around the neighborhood a while ago to make sure he wasn't laying on the road somewhere, and praying that he wasn't...and no sign of him.  I go out and call every so often and even rattled the treat container so he could hear it, but still no response.  This is unusual for Blackie, so I am praying that he's not hurt somewhere.  If he doesn't show up soon I will put a notice on our community "word of mouth" on Facebook to see if anyone has seen him. Of course, there are many black cats around and they all pretty much look alike, but Blackie has that clipped ear which should distinguish him.  So, if you don't mind, please say a little prayer for his safe return. Thank you. I will keep you posted.

Meanwhile, I'm  keeping busy.  Here's the Susan Branch calendar for September. I love the little poem by Louisa May Alcott:

I used to be like that child, always doodling on my pages. I once was very artistic, but not so much anymore. It's one of those talents that if you don't use it, you lose it. Maybe if I really tried it would come back...but I just don't seem to have the drive for it anymore.

Oh, and this is on that calendar too: "Be Your Own Best Friend".  Well, yes, we need to take care of ourselves and be kind to ourselves, but we need good friends too. I appreciate having YOU as dear friends! Thank you.

This is a little sign of fall...that huge sycamore tree that we pass by on our walk is starting to turn golden. They are one of the first trees to lose their leaves here, and the leaves are HUGE!  We had four of these huge trees at our last house, and raking up those leaves was a bit of a pain!  I enjoyed the shade in the summer, but wasn't crazy about them in the fall! 

Back to the calendars:  Here's the Thomas  Kinkade one for September:

I love that scene, don't you?

And this is one of my favorite verses, which was on this particular calendar as well:

I love the little Chinese looking teapot on the Teapot Calendar for September.  Very colorful!

Below is a little teapot that I have that I like to set out in the fall because of it's colors. Although it says it was made in Austria, to me it has the look of a Chinese design. What do you think?

This is the back side of the design:

Here's a fun little quote from Rudyard Kipling:

Yes, if I didn't have any tea for a week it would feel like the "bottom is out of the Universe" to me as well! LOL.

Yesterday our church had a 5th Sunday Potluck dinner after church. Hubby took this picture of me with my mouth full!  Hello!

I took his picture and at least I had the decency to make sure his mouth wasn't full! LOL.  I was just so happy that he actually wanted to stay for the dinner. It's been a while since he felt like doing things at church, especially after church, when he'd like to be home taking a nap! So this is a good sign that he is truly getting better.  We still don't know for sure what was wrong, but we are very thankful that whatever it was seems to be going away. Praise God! Thank you for your prayers over the past few months!  I believe they have been answered.  And I am feeling much better too, so that is also a big answer to prayer.

As a matter of fact, I felt well enough last night to make myself a chocolate soda! I probably shouldn't have, but I just wanted one. Besides, the ice-cream we used had no sugar added and only 1/2 the fat, and it still tasted good!  The club soda used to make the soda has no sugar or calories at all, so the only real sugar was in the tablespoon of Hershey's chocolate syrup, which couldn't have been too much, right?  Oh, and one squirt of whipped cream! It was good, and sometimes we just need to treat ourselves.

Well, it is now 2:16 p.m.  I've been working on this post throughout the day as I have had time. I just went back outside a little while ago and walked around calling Blackie. I did also put a post on our community "Word of Mouth" Facebook page to see if anyone has seen him. I called my neighbor who used to feed the kitties before she got sick to see if she has heard or seen him over there. By the way, she is feeling much better now and is at home, but is not able to take care of the cats due to very decreased mobility. Anyway, no, she hasn't heard any strange noises under her house (where the cats used to go).  I went over and walked around there and called him and looked under there, but no sight or sound of him.  So we will wait and see if he shows up for supper around 4:00, and if not, maybe we'll take a ride a little further out in our neighborhood.   Sunshine has stayed close to the house all day and seems rather clingy.  I've asked him if he knows where Blackie could be, but he's not like the dog Lassie and hasn't tried to get me to follow him anywhere.  So we will just have to wait and pray.  Y'all knew I'd get attached to these cats, didn't you?  Yeah...I am. I am praying for the best outcome, but preparing myself for the possibility that Blackie may not come home.  Time will tell. Cats can be strange and they like to wander sometimes. We'll see...

Blackie and Sunshine last week. They sure love each other.

On that note, I will close this, but I will update it later if there is any good news. Meanwhile, this was on the Susan Branch calendar, and I love it:

Amen!

Happy Labor Day. (picture taken on that foggy morning.)