Wednesday Blessings!

Happy Wednesday Everyone! I hope your day has been extra special for you! I know mine has...and here's one of the reasons why:

This smiling group of people you may recognize, at least some of them...yes, we are blogging friends and we brought along some of our favorite subjects for our blogs...hubbies!

Left to right there is Mari Bruins, a.k.a. My Little Corner of the World and her hubby Bob, who traveled all the way from western Michigan to visit Your Friend From Florida, Terri D'Orsaneo, and she instigated this little get together with your's truly and my hubby John on the back row, and we met up at the Cracker Barrel in Ocala with Barbara Mims and her hubby Gary, a.k.a. Journal Memories.  We had such a great visit!  One thing I have discovered since joining this "blogging family", is that bloggers are a wonderful group of people to know!  It sure would be fun to meet ALL of you someday too!!   Thank you. Terri, for being the one with the true gift of hospitality to help bring us all together! What a blessing!!  Oh, and speaking of blessings... Mari brought us each a jar of these wonderful "Cherry Berry" Jam preserves, straight from her part of western Michigan, where the best kind of tart cherries are grown...the kind that make the best cherry pies.  I can't wait to try this on a fresh hot biscuit!  Thank you, Mari!!!

Today is another special day, because it is also the birthday of our "baby" son, Scott! However, because he is working and living a couple of hours away, we will not be celebrating together until Sunday afternoon.  Still, we called and sang Happy Birthday to  him this morning before he went to work.  I just can't believe my "baby" is 49 years old already!!!

Speaking of "babies"...our current "baby" Blackie was helping me in my office/Room with a View" early this morning...He likes to check out the waste basket to see if I threw anything important away...

I think he was actually trying to climb inside and sit a while, but he soon gave up and moved on to other things. It really is a lot like having a toddler in the house again...gotta watch every move they make! LOL.

Speaking of "children", here's my "Big Baby Boy"...the oldest, a.k.a Ben & Rose's Country Woodshop...

and these are two of the planters he has made for me to grow my new vegetable garden.  I will use these for the zucchini and yellow (summer) squash plants.  He's still making one for my tomato plants.

He also picked up some dirt for me so I can get started...but since we were busy today in addition to the fact that there was a frost this morning, I decided to wait until possibly tomorrow afternoon to do the planting. I have an my annual eye appointment in the morning, so we'll see how the rest of the day goes.

Meanwhile, I have all these things growing in my kitchen that need to get planted before they get too big!

Meanwhile,  I took these pictures Sunday morning next to our church parking lot. The purple wisteria vine is growing profusely and blooming beautifully, although I think it might even do better if it had been pruned a bit before it started blooming. Still, it is quite lovely,  and I will close this post with these thoughts tonight from John's Gospel:

John 15:1-10

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 

2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 

6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 

8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Love and Joy Perfected

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 

10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Amen.

Good Night my friends! I hope you have a blessed and glorious rest of your week.

 

Tuesday 4~ We've Got Questions

We've Got Questions

 Welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. It's nice to have you take part.

Here are some questions for you.....

1. Where did your mother and father grow up?
My Father grew up in Crafton, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Here is a link to some fun stories I wrote about where he grew up. My mother grew up mostly in Ohio, but also lived in Maryland for a short while when she was young. HERE is a link to some stories about my mother and her family.

2. Where did you grow up? 

I was born in Clarion, Pennsylvania and lived there on a farm until I was almost six years old, (and farming became too expensive  unless you had partners or government assistance and my father didn't want to go that route) but we moved to Tavares, Florida when I was in 1st grade. I lived there until I was married. HERE is a link to a post about my hometown. (where I grew up).

3. What was your favorite meal your mother made? What is your favorite recipe to make?

Gosh, I can't remember, there were so many good things my mother made. I don't know how she cooked so many wonderful meals and worked a full time job. I'm remembering her Salisbury Steaks and gravy, Mashed potatoes, and probably green peas.   

I actually just made the same thing the other day, except for the peas...we had green beans as hubby is not particularly fond of green peas, but he LOVES Salisbury steaks.  To make them I use ground chuck, and mix it up much like I would for a meatloaf...add chopped onions, bread crumbs, egg, and a little bit of ketchup and mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Make them into patties and brown them good on each side, drain off the grease, then add water and cover and simmer until they are done. Then make gravy with the water that they have been cooking in. They are SO good! 

 

Here's Mom cooking in her kitchen...

 She probably just got home from work...note she is wearing a dress with an apron and still has her earrings on, which she didn't ordinarily wear at home. LOL.

And she had to feed a family of six hungry people...two big teenage boys who were football players, my dad who worked hard all day at the post office, and my sister and I who were growing girls.  Here's a picture of us kids not long after we moved to that house:

4. What are the advantages you enjoy where you live?

Where we live now? Well, let's see...it's not far from our local small town and grocery store, doctor, church, Dollar General, gas stations, etc.  And the closest bigger city is only 15 miles, where there is a Walmart, small hospital, and many other stores and restaurants, etc.    It is still a "small city", and we don't have to fight traffic to get there.  Where we live is semi-rural, and even though it isn't fancy, it's  friendly and convenient.  We are very thankful for our home and community. And our kids live nearby. You can't beat that!

So now, why don't you tell us all about you?  You can join in the fun HERE

(Writing this on Monday afternoon) Oh, one last thing...Thank you all on your comments on my Sunday post! Some of you asked how Blackie did in the new kennel/crate last night. 

Well, MUCH better! We brought him inside around 10:00 p.m., when we were going to bed. I put him inside the crate and tossed a couple of treats in there and shut the door and he didn't object one bit. I will admit that I probably did not sleep as well as he did, as I had one ear on the door of our room trying to hear if he was making any noise out there, and a couple of times I tiptoed out to where I could peek at him without him seeing me, and he was perfectly peaceful.  I ended up getting up around 5:00 a.m. and let him out and fed him, and then I encouraged him to go outside to go potty, but he really didn't want to go out in the 30 degree weather, and the porch actually was icy from the rain we had the day before.  Finally he stayed out for a little while, but was right back at the door wanting to come inside, so we brought him in and let him wander around the house for a while.  He discovered this box and promptly jumped right in and twisted and turned about in it for a few minutes and then jumped back out and went and tried to make the back of our couch a scratching post, so that was that and outside he went!

 By then the sun was up and it wasn't too bad, but the pond looked like this:

Yes, that is frost. I also did see a few tiny snowflakes swirling in the light on the porch while it was still dark outside. I know the northernmost part of Florida did get snow yesterday, but we really weren't supposed to,  however, I know what I saw! It was snow! Frost doesn't come down in flakes and swirl around!

So all in all it was a good night, and he may have to come back in tonight too because of the freezing temps.  I'm glad we have this option and it helps my conscience knowing he's not outside freezing!

One more thing, in my last post I told you about our visit with blogging friend Terri. She posted her version of our visit HERE today, if you want to check it out!  It sure is fun to meet up with our blogging friends in person, and I wish we could ALL do that someday!! Wouldn't that be wonderful?  It would take some doing to make it happen, but it sure would be fun!  

Okay, I think that's all for now. This post will go live Tuesday morning, but we will be traveling to Gainesville for an important doctor appointment for my hubby, so I won't be around all day to visit. I'll try to catch up with everyone hopefully Wednesday.  Blessings to all!!!

Some words from God's Word to ponder:

Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

That definitely gives us some "food for thought".   Amen.

P.S. Tuesday morning 5:51 a.m., I had some "help" with posting this blog this morning:

Yes, that's Blackie, and yes, he spent the night indoors again last night and did very well. Never heard a peep out of him, but he was sure happy to see me come let him out of that crate this morning!

And for those of you who may not remember or weren't here with me then, that "clipped ear" you see is from when he went to be neutered. Because he went to a special program for neutering and spaying "feral" or stray outdoor cats, they clipped his ear to show that he has been neutered.  Although I'm not crazy about it, it does give him a special extra "charm".  

Okay, time to get this thing published so I can go on about my duties today. We will be on the road in a couple of hours to drive an hour away for a medical appointment for hubby. TTYL.

Sunday Thoughts

These are some good thoughts to ponder in light of all the turmoil in our world today:

Psalm 103:19 NKJV

19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,

And His kingdom rules over all.

Colossians 1:16-17 NKJV

"16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. 

All things were created through Him and for Him. 

17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."

Isaiah 45:7-8 NKJV

"7 I form the light and create darkness,

I make peace and create calamity;

I, the Lord, do all these things.’

8 “Rain down, you heavens, from above,

And let the skies pour down righteousness;

Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,

And let righteousness spring up together.

I, the Lord, have created it."

Psalm 46 NKJV

"1 God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,

The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;

God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;

He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

Who has made desolations in the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;

He burns the chariot in the fire.

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"

Psalm 121 KJV

"1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, 

and even for evermore."

Knowing this Great God of Israel, "The Lord of Hosts is with us", I do not need to fear whatever this world may throw at me. I just need to remember to "Be still, and KNOW that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I wll be exalted in the earth!"    God is in control...no matter what!  

And that gives me great peace of mind as I go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."  There can be NO better help than that, not from any army or government or person or thing. Praise God! Amen. 

Switching Gears now...I know some of you are waiting to hear about our visit on Saturday with "Your Friend From Florida", Terri D.   Well, I was kind of waiting for Terri to share her pictures first, but I think she's waiting until tomorrow, and I didn't want to steal her thunder...but maybe I'll just share a couple of pictures...

Of course Terri wanted to see Blackie, who is quite the celebrity these days...so here we are...oops! Our eyes are closed! But not Blackie's.  And he's loving that chin rub from Terri!

I think Terri may have a better picture of this because hubby took these pictures first on my camera and then on hers. So I hope hers are a little better! We'll have to wait and see!

Here we are on the front porch, with the flag waving in the breeze.

And here's my sweet son Benton washing the dishes for us so we could visit! (I don't have a dishwasher, but I have great kids!)  He came and had lunch with us, but sweet Rose had to work so we missed her.  Benton volunteered to wash the dishes so I had to take his picture and share it with Rose!

We had a great visit and and I was so happy that Terri was able to swing this way on her way back home from her whirlwind trip to Georgia to visit her family.  I will let her tell the rest and share her pictures in her post tomorrow!

Thank you all for your kind words of compassion regarding the crazy calamity of our poor kitty getting trapped in that "tent". 
Needless to say,  that "tent" will be going back to Walmart probably tomorrow. In the meantime, I ordered something else online and it was delivered yesterday afternoon:

Since we have more cold weather on tap for tonight, I wanted to have another option available for Blackie if we can get him to go in there...well, lookie here:

I let him come in the house and walk around for a while and he went right inside this with no problem. However, I haven't tried to shut the door on it with him in there yet. We will see what develops  later.

So stay tuned for further developments!

I hope wherever you are you are safe and warm and cozy!  I know some folks in the panhandle of Florida and southern Georgia have had some snow today! We had about a quarter of an inch of rain this morning and the current temperature is 46. It was a raw, damp, windy day. It's supposed to be down to freezing by morning, so that's why the need for the indoor crate for Blackie.  

Okay, that's all folks! 

Have a blessed and peaceful night!  

And remember:

"2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber."

Amen.

Wednesday This and That...

 Tea Time with the Cardinals...

This afternoon Mr.  and Mrs. Cardinal were quite active at the bird feeder, preparing for the cold weather that is coming up tomorrow night.  

As Mrs. Cardinal flew down to the "Tea Time" feeder, I decided it was time for me to have a cup of tea as well, to take the chill off of the afternoon.  

I enjoyed watching the birds flying back and forth to the feeder while I sipped my tea and relaxed a bit from my labors.

 

Mr. Cardinal wanted to see what Mrs. Cardinal was finding so interesting...

They were certainly a beautiful bright spot of color against the drab backdrop of the wintry landscape and DRY Still Waters Pond.  Hopefully the rain that is scheduled to usher in the cold front will bring us some much needed rain. We keep hoping and praying!

So what kind of exciting things do You do on a dreary winter day when it's too chilly/windy to go outside and "play"?  

Well...some people play with soldiers and have battles...

It's been a long standing tradition that my hubby's brother would give him a bag full of soldiers for Christmas...and at some point there would be a major battlefield set up and "Daddy and the boys" would play "war".  However, we forgot to do it while they were here the other day, so someone was anxious to try out his new soldiers, but he needed someone to be the "enemy', so I was elected.

Nerf "dart" guns serve very well for the purpose.  And for a few wild and crazy moments, we shot our weapons across the battlefield at each other and then tallied up our losses.  I think in the long run, hubby won this battle, but I'm still getting used to the rules of the game. We may have to have another round soon.

This very very short video doesn't really show much because I was trying to aim my weapon and shoot my camera , or was it the other way around...oh yeah, aim my camera and shoot my weapon at the same time! Either way, it was fun.  But we are looking forward to the kids coming back over so they can have a real battle! Stay tuned...

Oops, I just checked and the video didn't work after all, so nevermind! It was too short to show much anyway!

Oh, and why does his brother give him these soldiers every year? Because he remembers his big brother playing with soldiers and setting up battlefields for all of his young childhood years, and it's one of those fun brother memories that brings back thoughts of happy times as kids.  Actually, I think his brother needs to come over and play!!! It's too bad they live 2 hours away!! We have to remember that for the next time they are together!

Now, on another note, with the colder weather coming this weekend, getting down below freezing they say, I am getting more concerned about Blackie being outside all night, even though he seems to be fine, but this is going to be colder than we've seen yet...and so because he isn't really ready to become a full time inside cat and roam freely throughout the house at night, we thought we might try something else. I saw this at Walmart today and decided to buy it and give it a try:

 

I set it up on the back porch for a few minutes so he could see it and to see what he would do with it. He went right inside and explored for a minute, but of course I did not zip it shut, so he didn't feel trapped inside.

He had fun exploring his new "tent".

I also brought it back inside and he did come inside and look at it again, but I don't want to scare him off from it so right now we are just letting him come inside occasionally and look it over, and then tomorrow night I will attempt to get him to come inside and then zip it up for the night. One question I have...do cats need to use the litter box during the night?  I'm thinking not. I don't want to put a litter box inside this with him...what do you think, those of you who have more experience than I do with cats? I would appreciate your thoughts on this, especially if you have dealt with outside cats coming inside. Thank you. You all have been such good helpers with good ideas. 

Meanwhile, I've been wanting some really good fresh juicy Florida grapefruit for a while. You'd think living in Florida it would be easy to find, but no it isn't.  Florida really doesn't grow as much citrus as it used to when I was growing up here, and it's getting harder and harder to find, especially as far north in the state as we live.  But I did manage to find some at Walmart, and yes! It had a sticker on it saying it was from Ft. Pierce, FL., so I know it's got to be good! (We actually used to live in Ft. Pierce, and that is where my husband first served as a Pastor of a small church many many many years ago!!)

Normally I usually only eat one half of a grapefruit at a time, and save the other half for the next day. But this tasted SO good to me, I ate the whole thing at one sitting! LOL.

And yes, I am on a statin drug, and I know it says not to eat grapefruit with statins, but that means don't eat it at the same time as when you take your medicine, at least that's what I have heard and believe. So I ate the grapefruit in the evening and I take my meds in the morning. I have not suffered any ill effects and if had to choose between the two, I'd much prefer the grapefruit!! LOL.

Tomorrow I will be at the dentist for several hours, having the other side of my mouth deep cleaned and then the root canal done and a temporary crown put on. They said I will be there for at least 3 hours. And I doubt I will feel any too perky when I come home and the numbness wears off, so I don't expect to do much tomorrow.  Hopefully I will be back to normal on Friday...and on Saturday I am looking forward to seeing "Your Friend from Florida", Terri Dorsaneo, as she comes passing through here on her way back home from a whirlwind trip to Georgia and back! We will have lunch and a nice little visit before she has to head on down the road another two or three hours to her home.  

I am borrowing this photo from her recent post, which I think I have a copy of already but can't find it now so I am copying it from her blog. This was when she and her dear hubby Joe came by to visit us way back in 2017, when we lived in our previous home...and obviously it was right around Christmas! We have met a few times since then in person as well, but this was the first time, and I am so thankful that we got to meet her dear Joe. He was truly a very sweet and friendly man, and he and my hubby enjoyed visiting with one another.  He is greatly missed.

Well, folks, that's all for now. I will update you on everything that happens in the next few days in my next post. 

Now here is some good food for thought for today from Philippians 4:4-7, 19.

"4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, 

with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

"19 And my God shall supply all your need 

according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Be Blessed, my friends!!

Thursday Thankfulness/Friday Foto Friends

 Happy First Day of Spring!  It's getting late in the day, so most of you probably won't see this until Friday! Although I am always surprised to see when I post something that I think is late at night, when I wake up in the morning so many have already commented on it! There must be a lot of night owls out there in blogland! LOL.

Just wondering how you all spent the first day of spring? How was your weather?  It was kind of cool and cloudy and became very windy here today, so not a very good day to be out and about.  However, I did make one trek around Still Waters Pond to check on the Sand Hill Crane family and see if the other egg had hatched yet.  Here's what I found:

Finally I got there in time for the "changing of the guard" between Mama and Papa Crane! One was leaving and the other was settling back in on the nest...and no, the other egg has not hatched yet!

I am thinking this is Mama Crane leaving the nest for her afternoon break, and Papa Crane is staying with the baby and tending to the egg. It's really hard to tell them apart, but I think the one staying behind looks a little bigger than the other one.

OH, I've decided to name the first baby colt, "Spring", since he/she has made his debut in time for the first day of spring.  I know I said I would name them after a President since Mama first sat on the nest on President's Day, but I am thinking I will name the new baby when it arrives after one of our former Presidents. You will have to wait and see which one.

So Papa Crane stood there for a while and looked at baby Spring, and also checked out the egg for any signs of hatching...

And then he and Baby Spring laid down for a nice little nap until Mama Crane comes back to take over.

Such a sweet picture of love and trust for this first day of Spring.

Psalm 36:7-9

"7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,

And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

9 For with You is the fountain of life;

In Your light we see light."

Now I promised you some more pictures from our wonderful visit with Terri, "Your Friend From Florida"and her son Joey yesterday.  So here we go!  Thank you, Terri, for sending me the majority of these photos from your camera! I think you had the best pictures! And for those of you who are friends with both Terri and me, you will probably be seeing these pictures twice! So bear with us! We are both happy to have this little story to tell!

Terri and Joey

Terri and Your's Truly...and yes, we are on the dock at one of our favorite places to dine, "Corky Bells", on the St. John's River.

Hubby, me, Rose and Benton

Rose and Benton again!

Joey and my hubby John

Yours Truly and Terri with Lady Gator

And thank you to our waitress for taking this group photo while we waited for our lunch, which became "Lupper", as Terri called it.  Something sometime between lunch and supper...as apparently because it was such a beautiful day, half of everyone in the county and beyond decided to come and dine at Corky Bells on this day...and let's just say that we ended up having a very nice LONG visit while we waited to be seated and then to be finally fed. But it was all good and we were very thankful to get this table in the bar because it was going to be a very long time to get a seat out on the deck as originally requested.

But God was in control, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together and the food was excellent too.

You may wonder why Terri and her son drove the long 2 &1/2 hour drive to come and visit with us all? Well, apart from the fact that we are such good friends having met through this blogging adventure in person for the first time back in 2017, when Terri and her husband Joe passed through our town and paid us a wonderful visit, but also because Terri had a special project in mind that she needed help with.  

As most of you know, our son Benton and his lovely wife Rose do a lot of woodworking and furniture refinishing.  Terri has a lovely antique cedar chest that was her mother's, and she would like to have it refinished and then give it to her niece.  So she asked Benton if he could refinish the chest, and he said he would be happy to, and so she and her son Joey, who happened to be visiting her, came up to visit and to bring the chest with them!  Sadly, we didn't get a picture of the hope chest, but Benton has promised to take some before and after pictures so Terri can have them to share later.

So now you know the "rest of the story"!  And I thank Terri for being so outgoing and friendly in pursuing meeting other bloggers in person.  She has set a good example of us, and I am trying to get around and do more of that as well, as God brings people together. Thankfully, we live in the same state, so it's not too difficult to get together occasionally, but for many of you dear ones out there in blogland, I'm afraid our meetings will probably always be here in "cyber-space", unless somehow God brings us all together someday.  

So now I must close for today, but hopefully there will be some other exciting news tomorrow, so stay tuned!  You just never know what might be developing here in "Pamela's Wild Kingdom!"  LOL.

Psalm 46:10  NKJV

10 Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!