Everyday Images #54 January/February

 Hello  Again!  I thought I'd better get this done before things get extra busy around here again!  Remember a couple of weeks ago I did this new photo link up here?  Well, apparently it's time for another one, and here's the link up for this week with the new prompts for the photos:

January/February Prompts - Everyday Images #54 from "A Fresh Cup of Coffee"

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blanket

moon

square

logo

at home (monthly)

on my plate (quarterly)

So here I go!  This is kind of like going on a scavenger hunt, looking for the items to meet the criteria for the prompts.  You are welcome to join in the fun by going to that link above for "Everyday Images #54".  

1.  Blanket

You've seen this set up on our sofa since Christmas time.  The blankets each have a story.

This red and black buffalo plaid flannel blanket was made by my mother many many years ago for our youngest son Scott, when he was probably a young teenager and we lived up north where it was cold and "Grandma" thought he could use a nice warm blanket.  Not only is it made of flannel, but on the back side she attached a thick brown fleecy blanket, to make it like a 'bear rug'.  Actually, that was supposed to be the top, I think.  Anyway, Scott loved his blanket and all the love Grandma put into it. However, when we moved to Florida he didn't need it so much anymore, and so I claimed it to put on the couch in the winter time. Our couch is old, with a very dated upholstery (think mauve and blue flowers), so I now keep a beige slipcover over it and then use accent blankets and pillows to change the colors with the seasons.  The couch is too good still to get rid of, and it's too expensive to have it reupholstered, so this works for me!

The other blanket that you saw on the back of the couch is one that "Santa Claus" brought me for Christmas this year.  (Actually, it was Mrs. Santa Claus, because she does the shopping and knew I would love it!)

I make no apologies for the fact that we take a nap most every afternoon after lunch. It's not a long nap, but long enough to recharge our batteries and keep going for the rest of the day. Because it has been so cold here this winter, this blanket has become my nap blanket:

And I place it over this little flannel blanket, which is over the bedspread, so I don't have pull down the bedspread and remake the bed.  The bear/moose/elk blanket has a fleecy sherpa lining, and it is SO soft and warm and cozy, I sometimes find it difficult to wake up after my allotted 30 minute nap! LOL. And yes, that is my teddy bear...a gift from hubby the last time I was in the hospital.

(BTW, Hubby has his own special "nap blankies", but we'll have to hold that for another time. LOL).

2.  Moon

Here's the last shot of the full moon I took earlier this month, early in the morning when it was "descending" into the trees.

3.  Square

These are individual coasters, which are each squares, and put together make another square. I have been picking these up at our local Ace Hardware store (Yes! They have lovely gift items!) and I like to give them to people as a little gift of encouragement. They cost about the same as a card, but so much more permanent!  Oh, the one that says "She is clothed in Strength..." is mine to keep, since "Strength" was my "One Word" for 2024.  I haven't found one that says anything about wisdom yet, but I am watching for it!

4.  Logo

These are my husband's Tervis insulated glasses.  The UCF one is for his Alma Mater. He graduated from UCF before it was named UCF (University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL). It was originally called FTU, "Florida Technological University", and he was in the charter graduating class. (1970)  They later renamed it to UCF, and he had to get his diploma reprinted to show the new name!  

The other one is for the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, which he follows. We don't live too terribly far away from them, about 2 hours drive, but he's never yet been to a game. I hope we can go sometime.

5.  At home (monthly)

I just stepped out on the back porch to take a picture for this category, and was surprised to find "Blackie", our neighborhood kitty, making himself "at home",  sitting in a chair taking an afternoon nap in the sunshine.  Of  course I woke him up and he wanted to run away...

But he stopped and didn't go any further.  I went back inside the house and looked out the window, and saw why he froze...the Sand Hill Cranes had come into the yard and I didn't even know it! I took this picture through the window, so it's not very clear, but that's what's "at home" right now!

6.  On my plate (quarterly)

I know this probably means "what's on my plate", as far as FOOD goes! Or it could mean, "what do you have on your plate, like what kind of stuff are you having to deal with right now?"

Well, I didn't have anything interesting to show you "on my plate" in regards to food...I mean, we're having fish sticks for supper tonight because I'm in a hurry to get to choir practice and I'm writing this post when I should be cooking a good meal! LOL.

So I decided to take a picture of a pretty plate instead! "What's on my plate",...I've been getting the rest of the Christmas/winter dishes and cups put away, and am starting to think Valentine's and springtime in the decor.

This plate was a thrift store purchase a few years ago. I have two dinner plates and a couple of saucers and a vegetable bowl in this pattern.  Isn't it pretty? I love vintage dishes. It's fun to set the table with mix-matched vintage type plates and cups and saucers once in a while...just for the fun of it!

Okay, so that's the "Everyday Images #54 for this week. This was fun to do, and gives you something to blog about when you might be running out of things!  So feel free to join in and link up with the others! Oh, and don't forget to mention Kym's "A Fresh Cup of Coffee" in your post.

Some words of wisdom from God's Word for today:

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says:

"11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

Be blessed my friends!

Something New for My Friday Foto Friends

 

This morning I was reading one of my blogging friend's posts, Tales of the TCKK Family, HERE, and she (Cathy) was doing a  new photo challenge that I thought was interesting.  She links up with Kym over at A Fresh Cup of Coffee~ Everyday Images #53 to do this "personal photo challenge".  I guess there is one every two weeks, with several prompts for things to look for and take photos of and share.  So since I didn't have anything new to share today, I thought I would try to do this and link up with Kym and Cathy and others who are doing the personal photo challenge.  The prompts for this week are: 

calendar

doorway (quarterly)

letters

chill

hidden

plans

So let's see what I can come up with!  Of course, you know the calendar photo for me is already a regular event each month. Maybe I can find something new to share in the way of a calendar that you haven't already seen:

Not too fancy. That's our church calendar, one with the birthdays and anniversaries for the month,  and the other with the activities for the month.

Below is the box of cards that I use to send out birthday and anniversary and get well cards to members of the church each month.  That is a little ministry that I do for the church that keeps me on my toes, especially lately with the number of people needing get well cards! 

Doorway

I just switched our door wreath from Christmas to a Valentine decoration, which will probably stay up through February.

And when we think about doorways, of course the title of my blog is "Closed Doors, Open Windows", so things having to do with doors are things that I tend to gravitate towards...like this collection of doorknobs:

Letters

I am assuming you mean letters, as in "letters of the alphabet" ?  This made me think of a little bag full of blocks that I've had for years and had stashed them away in a cabinet. So this was a good opportunity to bring them out:

Each side of the block has a different letter on it, and if you arrange them correctly, you will find four different messages!

Sometimes it's challenging to rearrange them and get them in the right order.  Finally I got smart and penciled in a very small number in the corner of each block so that if you put them in that order, all of the messages will be in the correct order for each side.

Chill

Still Waters Pond early in the morning, when it was 39 degrees outside.  That's a way to get "chilled" if you step outside to take a picture!

Hidden

There's something hiding behind that photograph of my great-nephew's graduation picture on the bookshelf in our living room:

Oh, it's this beautiful handmade music box, created with love by my father many years ago:

And hiding on the back is his little note: "Handmade by Bill Mursch,12/90"

It was a Christmas gift to me that year. I think he made one for each of his children.  The little upside down sticker says "These Foolish Things", which is the song that it plays when you wind it up. 

Plans

When I started to write this post this morning I had no special plans for the day. Just figuring out what pictures to take and share was my only plan...and hubby had another plan...He wanted pancakes for breakfast...so here you go:

This used up the last of the frozen blueberries that we got from the Blueberry Farm here in town last summer. So I guess my next plan will be to buy some at the grocery store until we can get the good fresh ones again from the farm when they are ripe!

Regarding "Plans", here's some words of Wisdom from God's Word:

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Proverbs 19:21 NIV

21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 16:9 NKJV

9 A man’s heart plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps.

Just as I was about to close this post, I got a call from my niece, telling me that her father, my sister's hubby, was out running errands, and was stepping out of a store and someone on a bike or e-bike or something ran into him and knocked him down and he hit his head.  Thankfully he didn't lose consciousness, but he's at the hospital getting checked out to make sure there are no internal injuries, especially in his head since hit it so hard.  Apparently whoever knocked him down did not stop.  And my sister now has pneumonia and can't go to the hospital to get him, so thankfully his son is available to go get him.  So please say a little prayer for my brother in law Art and my sister Doris. Thank you so much.  Sometimes the "plans" we have for the day just don't work the way we planned. Praying that God will speed healing to them both.  Amen.

Thank you, Kym, from "A Fresh Cup of Coffee", for these photo prompts for today. I enjoyed finding the pictures and I hope you will all enjoy them too.