Tuesday 4~Simple Questions

 Simple Questions

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. I hope you are enjoying these questions. Let me know if they can be improved and if you have any ideas for subjects!
Here are just 4 simple questions for you this week...

1. Do you have any superstitious beliefs?

That's easy to answer: NO!

2. How often do you check the weather? Where do you get your weather reports?

We check our weather app on my phone every morning. Actually, hubby and I play a little guessing game every morning. He doesn't look at the weather app,  and I ask him to guess what the current temperature is, and he has to get it within one degree to get a point. Then I ask him what the high will be for the day, and then what the conditions are/or will be all day, such as sunny, cloudy, partly cloudy, rainy, or FOGGY, like it was this morning:

 then the wind speeds, percentage of actual precipitation for the day, and the percentage of humidity.  Again, all answers have to be within 1 degree or 1 percent of the actual answer. There is no prize...just a good test of his mental acuity in the morning while drinking his coffee.  Some days he does pretty good and gets most all of them right...but when the weather is so changeable like it has been lately, it's been a bit more challenging.  I'm glad he's the one doing the guessing and I hold the answers on my phone! LOL.  For me, I guess the weather by whether or not my joints are extra stiff in the morning or not. LOL.  We do also check the weather on the TV when there's a question about any serious weather conditions (like hurricanes or tornadoes, or this winter...freeze warnings have been rather frequent for us, more so than usual for this part of the country.)

Current view outside our front door: Full Moon tonight:.(Monday night)  This was around 7:30 p.m.  I plan to try and remember to get up and look at the lunar eclipse of the moon early Tuesday morning, and if I can get some decent pictures, I will add them before I post this.

(I don't know what that aqua blob is on the picture. Maybe a UFO. LOL.)

3.What time of your life was the happiest and why do you think that was? How could life improve for you now?

That's really hard to answer, as I've been happy in every season of my life, even though there have been some very sad and difficult times as well, but even so I have a deep down joy in my heart because of Jesus living in me.   Without Him, I would not have been able to get through some of the very difficult times. 

This was probably one of the happiest times in my life...our sweet little family...our boys were still young and happy and healthy and innocent. Hubby was the Pastor of a beautiful church and we seemed to be "sitting on top of the world" for a while.  Life definitely got more difficult as the years went by, but this was a time of joy and many blessings.  (I was just 30 years old in this picture. At the time I thought I was really getting old! LOL)

To answer the rest of the question: "How could life improve for you now?"

I think for the most part things are going pretty well for people of our age, but if anything could improve, it would be to have our strength and health renewed and restored back to a time of a bit more strength, energy, and stamina.  But truly, we are very very thankful for everything we have at this stage in life. We look around us and realize that it could always be so much worse, so we are extremely thankful to God that He is taking very good care of us.

4. What things would you ordain to make everyday life happier, kinder, more prosperous, for everyone?

Here are some verses from the Bible that summarize what I believe makes life happier, kinder, and more prosperous.  If everyone could "drink of the water that (Jesus) shall give him", he would definitely have the kind of joy that never fails, no matter what the circumstances of life.

John 4:13-14~ 

13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 

14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. 

But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Isaiah 12:1-3

1 "And in that day you will say:

“O Lord, I will praise You;

Though You were angry with me,

Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.

2 Behold, God is my salvation,

I will trust and not be afraid;

‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;

He also has become my salvation.’ ”

3 Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation."
 

Psalm 89:1-2 NKJV

1 "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever;

With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.

2 For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;

Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”

My thoughts: there really isn't anything this world has to offer that will bring lasting happiness and prosperity.  Everything here is temporary.  Here is what Jesus said on this subject:

Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV

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.

All this "stuff" we have here to make us more comfortable and "happy" is just that, STUFF.  It's okay to make ourselves comfortable here, but don't ever think any of it is permanent. Ask someone who has had a tornado rip through their home, or a fire or a flood. They are extremely thankful when they can escape with their family intact and the clothes on their back (if they are so blessed to be able to do that).  All that STUFF is gone in a puff of wind or a torrent of water...but our souls are eternal.  That is the ONLY thing that lasts for eternity, so we best consider where we will be spending eternity while there is yet time.

2 Corinthians 6:2 NKJV

"2 For He (Jesus) says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,

And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

I will try to finish this in the morning, if I can get some pictures of the "blood moon".  

Okay, here I am, 6:15 a.m. Tuesday morning.  I did go out and watch the eclipse for the first half...and I apologize for the poor quality of my pictures. I am certain many of you may have better cameras for moon shots than I do, so I expect there will be some out there with really good photos. But here's what I have, so you will know that I did what I said I would do!

I had a lot more pictures, but they really were too fuzzy to be worth showing.  So how many of you went out to watch the eclipse?  I can't wait to see your pictures!

Blackie says, "Okay, it's time to post this and get on with our day! "

He finds the most precarious spots to just lay himself down and rest a spell from his wanderings...seems like he's always right on the edge of something!  (Sometimes I feel like that too, don't you?)

Okay, my friends...be blessed and enjoy this day.  

"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!"  

Psalm 118:24

March Just Marched Right In!

 Can you believe it is March already?  Actually, my hubby was saying that he thought February seemed awfully long...I reminded him that it's the shortest month of the year, but there again, I agreed, it did seem long. It must've been all the crazy weather everyone was having. I'm sure many of you up north are happy to see February gone, and we all pray that March will be a calmer and kinder month.  Some of you have already seen these sunset pictures from the last night of February...but for those who haven't, here's just a sampling...

I was surprised to see those Muscovy Ducks perched in that pine  tree on the island in the Still Very Dry Still Waters Pond...

I guess they like looking at the sunset as much as I do. I noticed they flew away as soon as the sun was completely down...

And sadly, yes,  Still Waters Pond is still very dry. The wonderful rain that we got the other night did not last as long as it was supposed to,  and we got just a bit less than one inch of rain.  Every bit helps, but sadly there was hardly a puddle out there the next day...

Still, the sunset was beautiful, and I enjoyed watching it change as it descended from the skies.

With all of the turmoil going on around the world...I am definitely keeping my eyes on the skies.

Jesus said in Luke 21:25-28

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Yes, there's a lot going on...planets lining up, the blood moon, the fall of the Iranian evil leader and his cohorts...but I am no prophet, and I know that no man knows the time or the hour of Christ's return...but Jesus went on to teach the disciples a parable in Luke 21:29-33

"29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.
31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.
32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."

It is a wise person who pays attention to what's happening around them and around the world, and makes sure of his own position and relationship with God...There's no time like the present to prepare our hearts and minds for Christ's return. I'd rather be early than too late.  Just some "food for thought" to start off this month.

Okay,  let's switch gears...on Saturday we had the joy of visiting with my cousin Becky and her husband, who were passing through on their way back home to Ohio:

We met them at one of our most favorite places to eat, "Corky Bells" on the St. John's River. It was a little too cloudy and chilly to eat outside, but we did take a little walk down on the pier after lunch to get a few pictures. Thankfully it had warmed up a little by then.

Becky and I grew up together and seemed more like sisters than cousins.  We were just nine months apart in age, and lived about 10 miles from each other, but we were together for all family holidays, birthdays, and especially in the summer time we spent a lot of time together playing with our Barbie dolls, building houses and making clothes for them, and playing endless Monopoly games and other board games. We often found some mischief to get into as well, but we mostly just had fun and enjoyed being little girls.

This was my 10th birthday, when I got my Barbie doll, and Becky got one not long after, so we shared many hours together creating a life for our dolls. It's always fun when we get together now and remember the good old days, as well as get caught up on our lives today. Thank you, Becky and Pat, for going out of your way to visit us again!!

There was a young boy fishing on the dock, and he caught this fish! I think he threw it back in, but not before pictures were taken by us and his family too!

 

Who remembers the first fish you ever caught?  I do! There were some sweet old folks who lived down on the lake in front of our house where I grew up, and they actually had some "pet bass" that they fed off of their dock.  I was about 11 or 12 years old, and Mr. Fred Jay let me use one of his cane poles to fish from the dock.  Lo, and behold, I caught one of their "pet bass"! I think he weighed about 2 or 3 pounds.  At this point I don't remember if I kept it and brought it home, or if we threw it back in. I think there may be a picture in some box somewhere of me with that fish. I really don't remember us eating it, so it probably got thrown back in, but I do remember the thrill of that catch!!  I've never really done any fishing since then. LOL.

Since today is the first day of March, how about the Calendar Roll Call?  

Here we go:   The Country Seasons calendar by John Sloane is up first:

Love that beautiful Amaish farm scene...looks so peaceful, doesn't it? 

Next is the Thomas Kinkade picture of "Foxglove Cottage"...beautiful!!

How often has Christ said to you and me..."My grace is sufficient for thee...for My strength is made perfect in weakness...?"  It's not always what we want to hear, is it?  No one likes to be weak...we want to stay strong...but sometimes we have to give in and let God's GRACE be our all sufficiency...His Strength will be made perfect when we just get out of the way and let Him do what He needs to do in our lives.  We have to take the humble road instead of the high road.  Not easy for those of us who like to be "in control".  But if I've learned anything in this life, it's to remember that God is in control,  and when I submit to that in my mind and my actions, things go a lot smoother.

This log cabin beside the water looks like a perfect retreat when you need to just 'get away' for a while and rest and relax...

And perhaps have some tea...although this is a child's tea set...very ornate and lovely!! Perhaps a bit too ornate for a little girl to play with? Well, maybe Mommy or Grandma needs to supervise just a little bit...

Here's my own little child's tea sets...

The Buster Brown tea set originally belonged to my Aunt Margie, and then she gave it to my mother, and my mother left it to me.

And this little white tea pot and cup and saucer belonged to my paternal grandmother...so these are all pretty special to me. I just need a little girl to come and have a tea party with me...

Oh my! Here's the Susan Branch calendar for March...with Irish Coffee as the featured beverage of choice.  Probably not something that I will be trying...but here's the recipe in case you are so inclined...I don't drink coffee or whiskey, so it doesn't sound too tempting to me...

But this is a funny little riddle:

And last but not least, who doesn't love a red barn?  Wow! That's gorgeous!  

And I love what Billy Graham said in this quote:

How appropriate for our current world situation and quest for "world peace".

"Christ alone can bring lasting peace...

peace with God, peace among men and nations, 

and peace within our hearts."

Amen.

That seems like a good place to bring this post to an end.  It's almost bedtime anyway and it's been a long day. We had a wonderful church service this morning, and then our sons Scott and Benton were both here for lunch. Rose had to work unfortunately.  I cooked a meat loaf and baked potatoes and we had a tossed salad.  Then Scott and I went to work on getting his taxes done.  I had already done ours this past week and we already got our refund deposited into our bank! That was quick!  Scott's had a few more complications to figure out, be we finally got it done and he'll get a tiny refund, but that's better than owing money! When you're single with no dependents and don't own a house or have any other big deductions, you are blessed if you can get a refund at all! I keep telling him every year if he wants to get a bigger refund, he needs to get married and have some kids! LOL.  He'll be 49 this month, so time's a wasting! Oh well, some things are better just left as they are. God knows best and Mama needs to mind her own business. LOL.

Okay, "let's say goodnight, Gracie!"  "Good night Gracie!".  Who remembers George Burns and Gracie Allen? I loved Gracie.      So "good night Gracie."  Good Night.  May you sleep in peace. Amen.

Friday Foto Friends~Time for Bluebirds and More...

Ahhhh! Spring is in the air!  (and so is the pollen, but that's another subject!)  It's been a while since we've seen the Bluebirds in our yard...but here's Mr. Bluebird, checking out the birdhouse to see if it's clean and ready for the spring nesting time! 

Normally we may get two different couples come and take advantage of the free rent houses that we've provided for them. They may not come at the same time, but sometimes alternate, and oftentimes they will nest more than once each year.  Last year wasn't such a great year for them. They came and checked out the birdhouses and acted like they were building a nest, but then nothing ever happened and no new baby birds ever appeared.  I do hope this year will be better. It's been such a disappointment already because of the lack of water in the pond and no winter ducks or geese visiting us as usual. I'm not even sure yet if the Sand Hill Cranes have built a nest because I can't see their usual nesting spot from here without walking around the pond on our neighbor's property.  So I am just waiting to see if any new baby Colts (baby Sand Hill Cranes are called Colts) ever appear.  

Eastern Bluebird (Male)

So, anyway, back to the Bluebirds...this male bluebird spent some time checking out the birdhouse. The famale was nearby, and she did go inside a couple of times, but I wasn't able to get a picture of her.

Anybody in there?

Hello? Anyone home?

Nope, no one here...looks pretty clean and tidy!

I need to go call the Missus!

Now, where did she go, anyway???

I hope she shows up soon. I don't want to let anyone else get this house before we do!!

Well, after I shared all the pictures above, which were from a few days ago, just as I was sitting here writing this I looked out my window in my "Room With A View", and guess what? The Bluebirds were back, and this time I was able to get some pictures of the female as well:

Eastern Bluebird (Female)

Claiming their territory...the female bluebird is "pole-sitting", while her mate claims the house...

This American Robin flew in to say hello and probably good bye, as he will be heading back up north pretty soon...

American Robin

And the Carolina Chickadee was checking out the Bottlebrush bush to look for seeds or something...

Carolina Chickadee

But Mrs.Bluebird was staking her claim on the other birdhouse...  "Hey, Honey! Come over here and look a this house! It's pretty nice too, and it also has a nice view of the pond, even if it IS dry as a bone!"

Female Eastern Bluebird

Her mate wasn't far away...he's probably saying, "Well hurry up and make up your mind before someone else gets it!"

I'm not sure if this is the same couple as before...it's so hard to tell.  I just hope they will decide to take up residence in one or the other house and start building their nest!!

Meanwhile, this Pine Warbler flew in to get some bird seeds from the bird feeder...I don't think he's any threat to the Bluebirds...he's probably just passing through on his way to somewhere else.

Pine Warbler

Well, that's all the bird activity for now. 

The skies are starting to darken a bit...there's rain in the forecast for this afternoon, starting around 3:00, and supposedly lasting all night long! 

I just checked the weather app on my phone, and it says we are going to get 2 inches of rain today/tonight! Wow!! We haven't had that kind of rain in almost a year! I sure hope they are right, because we sure do need it! I will let you know what happens!

Also, I want to thank everyone who left such kind and thoughtful comments on my last post HERE, on our son Matthew's "heavenly birthday".  Those birthdays and anniversaries of other significant days are always kind of difficult to get through, but having friends come alongside and share in our grief  truly helps. It also helps me to have this place where I can talk about our son freely and remember him for the wonderful person he was. I just wish you all could've known him personally. He was a very special young man...like I said before, he lived up to his name Matthew, "Gift of God".  

The Secret/Memorial Garden today

Carolina Jessamine is growing along the fences...so pretty.

Our "Still Very Still Waters Pond" today before the rains come. I hope it looks different tomorrow!

While I was outside looking at the clouds and the dry pond, I discovered that my favorite little "fairy flowers" are starting to bloom all over the yard! So I picked my first little "Fairy Bouquet" of the season today! Hooray! Spring is really coming!

Here's Another link to when I picked another Fairy Bouquet and listened to the "fairies sing" in "God's Garden".

And here's some more whimsical fun...I met a lady, whose name just happens to also be "Pamela", and she makes all kinds of cute and fun "stuffies" from chenille yarn.  So last year I asked her to make a yellow kitty for me. This was before our "yellow" (orange) kitty Sunshine crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. Well, she made it for me but then we never could get together so I could get it from her. She lives about 20 miles away. Meanwhile, sweet Sunshine passed away, and our Blackie kitty has become more and more a part of our family, so I asked Pamela if she could also make a black kitty for me to go with Sunshine. And so she did, and finally one day this week we were able to meet and I brought these two sweet kitties home with me:

Aren't they sweet? And maybe a bit funny too? Perhaps even a bit goofy...but I love them.

Well, I wondered what our real life Blackie would think of them, so I asked him while he was sitting comfortably in Daddy's lap early this morning:

He wasn't too sure what to think...

So of course he had to give him the "sniff test"...

I think he loved him, but his little paw was about to get snagged in the yarn, so I had to take him away before he got destroyed...

And then I brought out the "Sunshine Kitty", and immediately he wanted to touch him and snag him with his sharp claws, so I decided it was best to keep them apart, even though I think Blackie would love to play with him.  I may have to have "Pamela" make one just for Blackie that doesn't have so many glued on details that I'm afraid he could choke on.

Well, I think it's time to wrap this post up for today...Blackie would love to send you a message of his love from Daddy's Laptop:

Well, maybe he just wants to be crazy...

But anyway...I thank you all for being there! And I'm trying hard to get around to reading your posts...I just can't seem to stay caught up...you are all very excellent and prolific writers! And that's a good thing, but I just can't always keep up! LOL.

Have a blessed weekend.  We will be meeting my cousin Becky and her hubby Pat tomorrow (from Ohio!), who have been traveling and are passing through the area on their way back home. We are meeting them for lunch at my favorite place, Corky Bells!  So hopefully I will have some good pictures to share from that!

Joel 2: 23-25

23 "Be glad then, you children of Zion,

And rejoice in the Lord your God;

For He has given you the former rain faithfully,

And He will cause the rain to come down for you—

The former rain,

And the latter rain in the first month.

24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,

And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten..."

Praise God!