Happy Sunday Morning

I keep this old postcard as a marker in my Bible. You can see it is getting rather worn with age, but it reminds me that Jesus tenderly cares for His sheep...and we are "the sheep of His pasture".

Psalm 100 KJV

100 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; 

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: 

be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; 

and his truth endureth to all generations.

And furthermore:

Psalm 122 KJV

 1 "I was glad when they said unto me, 

Let us go into the house of the Lord.

2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, 

to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.

5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good."

This is a good way to start our Sunday morning...being happy about going to "the House of the Lord", and also praying "for the peace of Jerusalem..."  In these turbulent times, Jerusalem (Israel) definitely needs our prayers, as does our own nation and other places in the world.  And may we never forget the part of verse 6 that says, "They shall prosper that love thee."   May our nation always remember that and not forget to pray for the peace of the people of Israel. Amen.

I am still continuing to remember things to be happy about during this month of August "happiness" challenge.  There are so many things, I may forget to count them all. But at least I will give it a try!

This morning I am happy that my wayward kitty Blackie came back home. Yesterday he got a bit scared when we had a fellow here power washing the outside of the house. He didn't want to stay indoors with all that noise going on outside, so we let him out so he could go wherever he wanted to go. Well, not too long after there developed a very loud thunderstorm with some extremely heavy downpours of rain in addition to the exceedingly loud thunderbooms and flashes of lightning.  Our power washer fellow had to stop working and will finish the job later. But Blackie apparently was so scared he took off for parts unkown, and when he didn't show up for his dinner around 3:30 in the afternoon, I began to get concerned, because he NEVER misses a meal! I called and called, and checked the places where I thought he might be hiding (he likes to go under the shed), but to no avail.  I continued calling for him long after dark, thinking he'd show up when it got dark and he could run back home under cover of darkness and not feel threatened by someone seeing him. That's what he'd done before when he got scared away because of some big dogs running loose in the neighborhood. But by the time we were ready for bed he still had not shown up. As you can imagine, I was rather worried. I know we are not supposed to worry...but alas! I am still human, and I do worry sometimes!  Hubby kept reassuring me that Blackie would be back in the morning in time for his breakfast, and so we said our prayers and prayed for our wandering kitty and went to sleep.  I did wake up a few times in the night and wondered if he was out there, but I decided not to worry and prayed again and went back to sleep.

Well, you can well imagine my relief and joy this morning at 5:30 a.m. when I went to the back door to let him in to feed him like we normally do (yes, he does normally stay out at night and that seems to work best for his routines and habits), and yes! There he was,  waiting at the back door to come in for breakfast just like nothing was any different than usual!

Of course I told him he gave me quite a fright and that I really didn't like that, but I was so happy to see him I couldn't stay too upset with him.  He just looked at me with those big yellow eyes like Mr. Innocent and he really didn't know what all the fuss was about. "After all", he seemed to be saying, "I AM a Cat! What did you expect???"   

So, I am relieved this morning that Blackie is back home again safe and sound and back to his old tricks. And yes, he is still an indoor/outdoor cat, which seems to work for him just fine. I just wish he'd tell me when he's not coming home for dinner! LOL.  I suppose he picked up a lizard or some other little creature to tide him over until breakfast.  After all, he IS a cat!!! He knows how to survive on his own...but I do think God watches over him as well.

Speaking of creatures...I discovered THIS creature(s) on our deck railing yesterday afternoon.

This strange looking critter is actually TWO different creatures "together"...(as in mating).  It is a "Southern Two-striped Walkingstick", also known as a "Anisomorpha buprestoides".

"This species, and another in the same genus (Anisomorpha ferruginea, whose range is more west and north, but may overlap with A. buprestoides) is particularly well known for its very potent chemical defense spray which it deploys from a pair of glands which open at the front of its thorax. The "Devil rider" name for this insect likely comes from this defense, as well as the fact that they are most frequently encountered in the late summer and fall when they are active adults at a time when almost all of them are found in mating pairs, with the smaller male riding on the back of the larger female." (Wikipedia)

Thankfully they did not spray it's "very potent chemical defense spray" on me when I took its picture! Shew! That was a close one! LOL.  I am happy about that!

Some other things I am happy about...fresh peaches on cereal!

(hubby's breakfast)

Or mixed with my peach yogurt....I did add some organic granola to this after I took the picture, It was SO good!!

And I promised a  picture from when the kids came over on Friday night to make home-made pizza! Here it is after it sat and cooled. I forgot to take a picture when it was fresh out of the oven or when we were making it. It was SO good!  This was all that was left of two pizzas.

And we are always happy when our two grandpuppies come to visit:

This is Spice

And this is Sugar.  They the sweetest things! (But don't let Blackie cross their path! Oh no! That would be disastrous!)

Something else I am happy about...My friend Katheryn Masterson has written another book (actually there are more than this) and I just received this one from Amazon. Again, Katheryn has written such a sweet story about one of our favorite little creatures, the Ladybug! I am collecting these little books to send to a special little friend for Christmas.  I don't have any little grand or great grandchildren in my life to read these books to, but the stories are so good I want to share them with those who do.  They are well worth the money because the stories are so engaging and entertaining as well as educational.  I'm so proud of my friend Katheryn for embarking on this adventure in her own life!

One more thing...Today would be my Daddy's 108th birthday! He's been celebrating in heaven since 2011, and there's hardly a day that I don't think about him or am reminded of him in some way every day. Here's a family portrait of my family. I'm the little redhead on the front right end,  holding onto (or he's holding onto me) my Daddy's hand.  This was on our farm in Pennsylvania, many moons ago.

And here's my Daddy when he was a little fella, probably close in age to what I was in the above picture (give or take a year). He's standing there with his big sister, my Aunt Marion. You can't tell it in the picture, but my daddy was also a redhead. That's where I got it from.

And here is a four generation picture...My Daddy, "Grandpa Choo-Choo", in his train room, showing off his trains to his Great Grandchild and my grandchild Noah. Our son Matthew is holdling Noah, and I am looking on. I wonder if Matthew and Grandpa are playing with trains in heaven?  

Anyway, I couldn't let the day go by without remembering what a special and wonderful man, Daddy, and Grandpa he was. I was truly blessed to have such a good father.  He helped me to understand just how good our Heavenly Father is, by setting such a good and godly example. I am very thankful for that blessing.

And so, now it is evening. Sunday morning came and went...we went to church, came home and had lunch and a nice visit with our son Scott. It has been a very happy day.

Good Night and God bless you all!

Happy Friday Foto Friends

Happy Friday Everyone!  Even though I am retired and no longer have to go out to work every day, I am still always happy to see Friday roll around. Friday just seems to have a special spark to it that makes me feel happy and free!    

And I am always happy to see our fine feathered Mrs. Ruby Throated Hummingbird stop by for a visit and a drink... 

Isn't she amazing?  Of course, since this is the female, she doesn't have the beautiful ruby throat that her mate has, but she is beautiful in her own special way...

What a blessing and joy to see her up so close (thanks to my zoom lens on my camera!)

Yes, drink away my little friend. You may have babies to feed somewhere out there...

Hey, our friend Debby over at Days of my life-Window to My World is participating in an August Happiness Challenge. She got the idea from another of her blogging friends, and I like the idea, so thought I would try to do the same thing.  There's no linky to link up to (that I know of).  Just post one thing each day that you are happy about.  You aren't limited to just one thing, but making an effort to find one special thing each day is a good start! Of course, I am already a week late in getting started, but I think I've probably shared something just about every day that I was happy about anyway.  This time I will just make more of an effort to say it out loud! Maybe you would like to join in for the rest of the month with me? Why not? What have we got to lose? Maybe a lot more to gain...smiley faces and a spirit of joy and happiness will lift our spirits and carry us through those difficult days when we have a hard time finding something to be happy about. So here we go!

Proverbs 17:22 New King James Version

"A merry heart does good, like medicine,

But a broken spirit dries the bones."

Today I am happy that my hubby's post-op appointment with the Eye Surgeon was perfect! The doctor was very pleased with what he saw, and said to keep doing what he's doing each day (eye drops 4xday), and come back next week for another checkup.  We made it up there and back with no issues, for which I am very thankful since I had to do the driving again. I really don't mind doing the driving, but I just can't relax and enjoy the view along the way when I do!  Oh well...it's pretty much the same as it was the last time, so no big deal! LOL. 

I am happy also that our "kids" called and asked if we would like for them to bring over the makings for home-made pizzas tonight. Of course we said YES!!!  I will try to remember to take pictures later, but that may have to be in tomorrow's post. I love that our kids live close by and that they actually seem to enjoy hanging out with us "old folks".   We are so thankful and blessed.  

Oh, here's some more of our "fine feathered friends".  I am not certain if this is the female Mrs. Bluebird, or if it is one of the young bluebirds finally out of the nest.  It's hard to tell. Usually the babies have more speckles on them, but the Daddy bluebird was bringing some food to her up there on the limb, and it made me think it might be a baby...

It just seems to act more like a juvenile bird than an adult.  Here's the Daddy below with the one in question...

This is a closer view of her...still not sure...

Whichever one it is, I enjoyed watching it!

There can never be too many birds to watch in my estimation!

Last evening after I finished writing my last post we had a humdinger of a thunderstorm, with LOTS of thunder and lightning and hard rain. The rain gauge that I have on my phone said we have received 1.71" of rain in the last 24 hours.  More is expected later today. I sure hope they are right. Even though Still Waters Pond is still very dry, all this rain has to start making a difference soon. You all know what a happy day that will be when I see water on top of the pond once again!  

And as in all things, I give thanks to God for what He has done, and what He will do.  

Isaiah 25:1 NKJV

 "O Lord, You are my God.

I will exalt You,

I will praise Your name,

For You have done wonderful things;

Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth."

Well, folks, I will wrap this up because it's getting time to feed the kitty, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting...and then the kids will be coming over and bringing the grandpups, so Blackie will have to be back outside before they arrive!  That's definitely one thing we have to make sure we do! Those two grandpups are quite jealous of our kitty.  I don't think they like to be supplanted by the likes of him! LOL.  So I will say good night and I hope you will look for something special to be happy about...and be sure to let us know!   "Happy Trails to you, until we meet again!"  (Roy Rogers and Dale Evans...remember when?)

Thursday Thankfulness

 I am SO thankful that we made it up and back safely the one hour trip for hubby's cataract surgery this morning, and everything went just fine! We will have to make that trip again tomorrow morning for his post-op exam, but at least he will be allowed to eat breakfast and have his coffee before going! His appointment this morning wasn't until 9:30, and then of course he couldn't eat or drink anything until the surgery was over, so yes, he was quite happy to get back home before noon and eat some lunch!  And I feel like a "smartypants", because I put a pot roast with potatoes and carrots, etc., in the crock pot before we left this morning, so supper is already cooked too! 

It sure smells good! It's been a while since we had a pot roast! They put the chuck roasts on sale this week so I felt like I could splurge a little.  Ha! Can you remember back when a pot roast was considered a bargain meal?  And ground beef was one of the cheapest meats you could cook in so many different ways? I think we lived on ground beef casseroles of one kind or another back when we were first married. (and beyond).  But nowadays it is the most expensive meat that I buy! Pork and chicken tend to run a bit cheaper, so we eat more of that than we do beef anymore. Therefore, this pot roast dinner is a bit of a luxury...a celebration meal! 

Thank YOU all for your thoughts and prayers on our behalf today! That really means a lot.  Also, I wanted to thank you all for so many fun comments on my "New Town" dream idea on the Tuesday 4 meme this past Tuesday. It seemed like just about everyone wanted to come live in my new town! Wouldn't that be fun?  We could all have so much fun together...but then, what would we have to write about? And who would read our blogs?  We'd already know everything everyone else was doing! LOL. I guess we'd better leave things the way they are, but it sure seems like it would be a fun idea!!

Last evening's sunset/skies were so amazing. We had a nice bit of rain, and then the sky turned perfectly golden for a while...

although these pictures don't do it justice. Everything looked like it was bathed in gold!

And then it changed and became such vivid oranges and purples and gold ...

It looked like the trees were on fire!

And even though Still Waters Pond is still very still and dry...we can still enjoy the sunsets out there and give God the Glory for the wonderful things He has done!

Every little bit of rain is greatly appreciated...and so are these beautiful sunsets!

Jeremiah 32:17 KJV

17 "Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee."

Reminds me of this happy chorus we used to sing in church sometimes:

When we find life is getting difficult and challenging, it's good to be reminded that "Nothing is too difficult for Thee (God)".  

Yes, I am thankful today (and every day) for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and all that He has done for us, and that NOTHING is too difficult for Him! I am thankful for our family and the blessing they are, and for our friends here in Blogland and in the world around us, friends old and new. I am thankful to live in the United States of America, where we are truly blessed with amazing freedom, a magnificently beautiful country, and the right to live where we want to live, work at the kind of occupation we love, and enjoy the fruit of our labors, and the freedom to worship God openly and happily without fear.  May we NEVER take these freedoms for granted, and may we truly pay attention to the strange things that are happening in our country these days with people thinking that something like socialism or Communism (actually the same thing in a different uniform) can really be good for our nation.  I don't like to get political here because it oftentimes brings out the "anonymous" dissenters who like to degrade our country and our beliefs, but we need to be paying attention to what is taking place in certain parts of the country, or we may find ourselves losing those freedoms we hold so dear and we will end up like Cuba or Venezuela or God forbid, like the former USSR or Nazi Germany.  We need to pay attention, and remember that once our freedoms that we  hold so dear are lost, we may never get them back again.  May we continue to place our Trust in God, and never let go of the freedoms so many have died for. Amen.    

Tuesday 4: Your New Town

This is a dream-time meme for today...thinking about a town of my dreams. So why not dream along with me?

Your New Town

Welcome to Tuesday 4 begun by Toni Taddeo and kept up in her memory. We are so glad to have you joining in! You can make your post as elaborate or as simple as you wish. The object really is to share with others.

This week let us talk about a new town/city/village that you are going to create. It is brand new.

1. You are establishing a new community. Where will it be located? What will the surroundings be like? Describe the environment and the weather which you get to create.

Although I am thankful to currently be living in north central Florida, where we do not have extreme weather too often (except for the high heat in summer), my new town will be in a part of the country where we get more of the four seasons, but with a mild winter...just enough to enjoy perhaps a little snow for the holidays, but no extreme or extended freezing/blizzard type weather. Spring will be beautiful, with all manner of blooming trees and flowers, and summer will be warm enough to enjoy swimming and boating and gardening, but no extreme high heat or humidity. Autumn will be gloriously colorful, with crisp, cold air, apple orchards and pumpkin patches, hiking trails and places to explore. This idyllic town will be in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, probably somewhere in north Georgia or south western North Carolina or southeastern Tennessee.

2. You are in charge of naming this new town. What will you call it and is it a town, village , city? Is it country, suburb or city? I am still debating in my mind what to name my new little town, and yes, it is a town, with a village like atmosphere. It would be considered more rural than city or suburb, but the closest larger city would be within 15 or 20 miles.  I will give the name of this town at the end of my post, because I am still thinking about it as I write.

3. What features will your new town have? Library? parks? restaurants? Rural or metropolitan area?

Oh, my new town will definitely have a public library, well stocked with wonderful books, and yes, there will be parks in every direction, with a central park on the town square, complete with a gazebo for summer and fall community actitivities like concerts and festivals. There will be parks for children to enjoy, and also most likely there will be some kind of a public beach or waterfront with a place for family picnics and swimming and/or canoeing/kayaking in season. There will also be hiking trails around the community. 

As far as restaurants go, there will be delightful little cafe's on the town square, a bakery and a tea room, a pizza parlor, and other small home town and locally owned diners and restaurants to enjoy a variety of kinds of food. However, there will not be any franchised type of restaurants...and no "fast food" places, except for what is created and owned by the local people. There will be a locally owned grocery store that is well stocked with fresh vegetables and fruits and really good meats, and a really good deli/bakery.   This town will be developed with a town square with the City Hall or County courthouse in the center of the square, and businesses will be located all around the square and within walking distance.  There will be interesting gift shops with items created by local artisans and craftsmen. Our new little town will encourage entrepreneurship, and each store will be uniquely designed and owned and operated by the local people. Oh, there will also be an old fashioned Drug and Five and Dime Store with a Soda Fountain, where you can sit at the counter and get an ice-cream soda or sundae, or your favorite soda fountain drink with hamburger and fries or a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, while you wait for your prescription to be filled,  

Our town is very friendly and welcoming, and you will find an atmosphere of people who are happy to live and work and thrive in this community.  There are wonderful churches and civic groups who are actively involved in the daily workings of this little town, making it a peaceful and happy place to live. Of course there is a local Police Department and Fire Department, and these home-town "heroes" help keep the community safe and secure. There is also a small community hospital for the more routine medical needs and emergencies, but the larger county hospital will be in the next city about 15 miles away.

Oh, I almost forgot...Our town will have an old historic Train Depot and there will be train rides available through the countryside and mountains and also to the Apple Orchards in the fall, and also a special Christmas train ride in December.  Also, the town will always be decorated for Christmas throughout the holiday season and there will be caroling on the square and other fun and meaningful Christmas activities throughout the month of December. There will also be a live Nativity Scene nightly on the square, with live animals and people.  The true meaning of Christmas will be celebrated along with a Christmas Parade with Santa.  

4. Your new town has a high school and it is your job to name it. What name do you give it? 

Well, I guess the high school will be named after the town name, and the school mascot will be something indicative of the local wildlife.  Since our town is in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, I'm thinking the mascot will probably be the Bears.  I am still debating on the name of the town, but it's going to be something like Mountain Laurel, named for the beautiful mountain laurels that bloom in the spring all around the area.  

Internet Photo of Mountain Laurels blooming

Mountain Laurel flowers information.

Okay, that's my town! Now let's go see what others are dreaming up today, shall we?  Click here to join the fun.

Monday Monday! "O Sing Unto the Lord a New Song!"

 Happy Monday Morning Friends! I hope this day finds you rested up from your weekend and ready to begin a new week!  Looking ahead this week, hubby is having is 2nd cataract surgery on Thursday. So that will be the "highlight" of this week! The place where we go for the surgery is about an hour's drive away, and then we have to go back again for "post-op" early Friday morning, and of course I will be driving, so no time for pictures or anything fun. LOL. Praying all goes well with his surgery.  Thankfully my eye doctor said I could still wait another year unless I start having more symptoms...and did I mention that in a previous appointment he thought I could have the beginnings of glaucoma, but at this more recent appointment he said, "No glaucoma!" I just have some weird looking nerves in the back of my eye that sometimes indicates glaucoma, but he said my pressures are good and there is no evidence of it, so praise God!!!!

Well, while I was sitting here at my computer trying to write and sip my morning cup of tea, this happened:

Good Morning, Blackie! So nice of you to come and visit while I am trying to "work". 

From the desktop to my lap...

Hi Mom! Just thought I'd come say hello to you and all your friends...and get some early morning lovin'.

So after a few minutes of him squirming around on my lap trying to find just the right spot, and me trying to pet him but he'd try to "bite" me  (they say they are love bites, but don't you believe it...! LOL), he finally decided to jump down and go visit Daddy for a while. So now maybe I can get this thing written! LOL!

Life with "King Blackie" is never dull!

So yesterday was the day that hubby and I sang our duet at church. Some of you expressed interest in hearing it, and so Benton and Rose both recorded it on their phones. So here you go...this is the one Benton recorded. I like it because at the end of the song we asked the congregation to join us on the last chorus, and you can actually hear Benton singing along.  The one that Rose recorded is a little longer and I'm having trouble uploading it, but I can also hear her sweet voice singing at the end. I told them that next time we sing we are going to do a family quartet!!  They have never done anything like that before, so they said, "We'll see...". LOL.  Anyway, without further adieu, here is the song, "What a Day That Will Be."  Remember, we are old and a bit rusty, but we are singing for the glory of the Lord...

After church we came home and Scott had arrived in time to grill some hamburgers for our lunch before the rain started. And yes, it did rain most of the afternoon, which was really nice. We are supposed to get rain most of today too and all this week, so here's hoping and praying that Still Waters Pond will finally reach a saturation point and begin to look like a pond again!

I know these birds will be happy to see that day!  Mr. Cardinal and Mr. Bluebird were having a "conversation" the other day, probably over territorial rights, but perhaps they were both just happy to have their place on God's green earth to sing their praises to their Creator!  And the other photos were just taken right now this morning as the sun is breaking through the clouds!  Let's "sing unto the Lord a new song" together with them!

Psalm 96  KJV

 "1 O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

4 For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, 

and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

13 Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth."

Amen!

I hope you have a lovely and joy-filled day!!