Monday Monday! Cats, Flowers and Doppelgangers!

Happy Monday morning from Still Waters Pond!

If you were sitting in my "Room with a View" and looking out the window above my computer in the early morning just after sunrise, this is what you would see most every morning: 

Look at those faces...Yes, this is what they do as soon as they know we are up and the lights come on in the house...they sit outside my window and watch and wait...

When they know I am looking back at them, they sometimes turn their heads or pretend they really aren't looking at me...

But the underlying message is, "Don't you know it's time for breakfast?"  LOL.  I try to at least finish my hot cup of tea before it gets cold, but with them sitting out there watching me and patiently waiting, I find that I can't concentrate on what I was trying to do (mostly reading your comments and posts and/or trying to write something sensible...)

And so they win the contest and I go out and feed them...(although this morning I had to chase away that pesky Muscovy Duck before I could feed them...)

And once again peace reigns on Still Waters Pond... (after I chased away the duck a couple more times...)

Now, here's a fun story...well, may be funny now, but it wasn't at the time...this is what happens when you try to do something in a hurry and don't take the time to secure things on the top of a shelf cabinet before trying to move it in order to get to the air conditioner filter to change the filter...Yes, there was a gallon of bleach on top of that cabinet, and somehow the cabinet swayed when I was trying to reach around it, and the plastic jug of bleach fell off the top and of course the lid blew off when it hit the floor of our laundry room, spilling bleach all over the rugs and floor...and splashing all over me!  These are my pants...thankfully they were what I call "house pants" already, ones that I only wear inside the house and not out in public because they might have already had some stains and spots on them, but now they are REALLY pants that I probably won't even wear outside to do yard work...well, maybe I will do that, but that's about it! LOL. Or maybe I'll just start a new style...At least they aren't ripped jeans! LOL. (and people pay good money for those ripped jeans...I wonder what I could get for these??? LOL. ) 

Thankfully the floor was not damaged, and believe it or not, the scatter rugs that I have on that floor did not show any sign of bleaching!  Those inexpensive woven rugs from Walmart must be made of something special....recycled plastic bleach bottles maybe. LOL.  Anyway, I learned a valuable lesson about being in a rush and not taking the time to secure things before acting.  My One Word "Wisdom" might have come in handy for this situation.

Proverbs 15-16

"15 Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!

The prudent carefully consider their steps.

16 The wise are cautious and avoid danger;

fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence."

Oops!  I guess that "fool" who plunged ahead with reckless confidence might have been me!  Lesson learned!!

Okay, moving on to something pretty...I bought this lovely Portulaca plant at a farm market the other day. It just made me smile, and I needed some color on the front porch:

Of course, it closes up in the late afternoon, but it opens back up in the sunshine.  I hope it survives!!

And speaking of flowers...we took a little walk early this morning before it got too hot...and we went back to that walking trail where the vacant lots are where old historic houses used to be...

And now there are lovely Crape Myrtles blooming where those houses once stood! There's something new popping up everytime we go by there! I love it!

Again, a reminder of those who once lived here and loved their homes and gardens and planted beautiful flowers that would stand the test of time way beyond their own lives here on earth...

There's a lot of this Lantana blooming everywhere around there as well...It's kind of a wild flower, but many people planted them. They are colorful and lovely...and attract butterflies!  

I didn't see a butterfly this time, but there's some kind of little bee/bug on that flower above, enjoying the nectar!

And now for the mystery "Doppelganger!"  

If you are a member of my family, or if you knew my father and saw this picture on Facebook yesterday, you might have wondered where this picture came from and where was he?  Because when I saw this picture on a friend's post, I about fell over.  This man was at a wedding of my friend's nephew in Ohio over the weekend.  He is apparently the brother in law of our friend.  

And even though my mind knew it couldn't be a picture of my father, because my father has been in heaven since 2011, to say I was flabberghasted would be a huge understatement! It also sent me scrambling to find a picture of my father that would corroborate my thoughts...and this was the first one I could put my hands on.  And yes, I know there are subtle similartities and differences, but if you knew my father, you would definitely see what I saw in that picture above, and be just as amazed. He's even wearing a plaid shirt, similar to what my father loved to wear!

I immediately texted my friend and asked her who that man was, and she told me his name and some other basic information.  Of course, I wanted to know MORE...like, who were his parents, was he on Ancestry.com and could we possibly be matched somehow by DNA...you see, because my father's mother was adopted, and even though I've done extensive research and have discovered who her birth parents were, there's still so much we don't know...and anyone who has done the DNA test knows that we have distant "cousins" all over the world.  But I didn't want to bother our friends or their relatives any further and interrupt their happy weekend celebrations by probing and asking more questions, but it sure got my attention!! And the more pictures she shared of him throughout the weekend, the more similarities I could see between him and my father, and even my grandmother! 

 

My Grandma Elva Sowers Hill Mursch

However, I've decided that after I finish this post I will let it go and just chalk it up to one of those strange "coincidences" in life...like perhaps there really is such a thing as a "Doppelganger!" I know I've been told that I look like a lot of different people throughout my lifetime...

Per AI Google Search:

"A "doppelganger" is a person who looks almost exactly like another, but who is not related to them. It's a term borrowed from German, meaning "double-goer" or "double walker," and can refer to a ghostly double or a person who resembles another. “Canadian photographer Francois Brunelle spent 12 years tracking down real life Doppelgängers -- two individuals who are not related but could pass for identical twins -- and photographing them” as mentioned in an article on chasejarvis.com.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Meaning:
The word "doppelganger" literally translates to "double-walker" or "double-goer" in German.

Appearance:
Doppelgangers are known for their striking physical resemblance to their counterpart, often including facial features and hairstyles.

Not Related:
They are not related to the individual they resemble and are not identical twins.

Folklore and Literature:
In folklore and literature, doppelgangers are often portrayed as supernatural entities or ghostly doubles, sometimes with sinister or ominous connotations.

Real-life Sightings:
While often associated with the supernatural, doppelganger sightings have also been reported in real life, leading to discussions about their potential existence.

Modern Usage:
The term is now commonly used to refer to any person who closely resembles another, even if the resemblance is purely physical. "


I will close with these few Scripture verses about the image of whom I really want to resemble in life...That is the image of of Christ...not in looks so much as in my whole being and spirit and heart...

2 Corinthians 3:18
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.


1 Corinthians 13:12-13
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And the most important thing to remember is this:

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

And with those thoughts to ponder  I will close this post.  Have a blessed and beautiful rest of your week...

Tuesday 4 and More

 April Showers Bring May Flowers

I am running behind on this because yesterday (Tuesday) was a busy day for us.  But, better late than never, right?

So here we go!

Welcome to the first of Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 of April 2024.

1. What spring flowers/trees are your favorites?
Here in Florida where I live we don't have my favorite spring flower, the Lilac. But we do have many other beautiful flowers that start blooming in February and it just keeps getting better. I don't have a lot of flowers here in my current yard where we live,  and you've already seen pictures of most of what I have.

This "mystery" flower that popped up in our yard that I've already shared with you the whole story...it's still beautiful!

The Bottlebrush bush is blooming beautifully right now, and the hummingbirds and butterflies love it.

Bottlebrush

This is a new plant that I recently bought at our flea market to put in the butterfly garden. It has just started blooming. It's also supposed to attract butterflies and hummingbirds...

Thunbergia erecta, or King's Mantle

And there's this beautiful Cape Honeysuckle, that is blooming profusely right now! The hummingbirds and butterflies seem to love it as well!

2. Do you ever bring home bouquets for your home?

These are the kinds of flowers bouquets I bring home..."fairy flowers" and wildflowers growing in the woods...

Lady Lupine:

It makes a lovely bouquet, but their season is now passing by as well so no more wild bouquets until the next batch of wildflowers appear!

3. If you are married, what flowers were in your bouquet? If you aren't which flowers would you like in a bridal bouquet?

This is the only color picture I have that shows my wedding bouquet. Of course, this was taken almost 55 years ago, on August 16, 1969.   The little red flowers were tiny roses, and I have no clue what the rest of the flowers were...babies' breath probably.

4.Do you check the weather forecast for an upcoming month? It is said that April showers bring May flowers. Will your April be rainy this year?

I don't know how much rain to expect in  the rest of April, but Lily Grace is ready for it if it does rain!

And we are expecting rain today, so it's a good thing she's got her umbrella ready!

Thank you, Annie, for these fun questions for the Tuesday 4 meme.  Now, why was I so busy yesterday?

Well, we were so happy to have some visitors come calling...my cousin Becky and her hubby Pat were passing through back home to Ohio after a trip/cruise.  They met us at our local "Nanna's Country Cafe'" for lunch, and then we came back here to our house to visit for a while before they had to hit the road.  Here's our selfie on the back porch:

Becky is the cousin I grew up with. We spent many days together during the summer months and whenever possible, playing with our Barbie dolls, building houses for them and making new clothes for them.  We also did lots of other fun things throughout our childhood. We are only 9 months apart and lived about 10 miles from each other, so we did have a lot of memories together. It was great catching up with each other's current "events".

Here's a picture of cousin Becky and me, on my 10th birthday, when I received my Barbie doll from our Grandparents.  She also got one that year, so from then on we had lots of fun pretending and playing. Good wholesome fun!

Well, with that I think I will have to close this post and get started on a new day. Have a blessed and wonderful week dear friends!

I'll finish with this one calendar post..."The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him."  Lamentations 3:24      Amen!

Abundantly Satisfied...

Here it is Wednesday night already...this week is flying by...

Just like that Great Blue Heron, whose wings you may see spread out way over on the other side of the Still Waters Pond...He flew so fast I had a hard time getting a picture:

But when he finally landed, I was able to zoom in on him and get a closer look:

He stretched out his neck as if to say..."Well, if you must take my picture, at least let me stand up tall so you can see me better!"

Something else that is flying around in our back yard is this "lovely" rooster sitting on top of the weathervane... (if you can call a black iron rooster lovely, that is! LOL! At least he doesn't crow every morning and wake us up at the crack of dawn!)

 The weathervane was actually an anniversary gift that we bought (with gift money) for our Golden Wedding anniversary last August. (Hence the gold decorative balls on the post).  Our intention was to perch it atop a cupola on the top of our new shed. (see the Pinterest picture below to get the idea.) ⇓

Cupola w/weathervane, Pinterest picture

However, after pricing the cost of a cupola we decided that will have to wait awhile, maybe until our son can find some time to build us one some day. So in the meantime, the rooster weathervane has been patiently waiting to be set up somewhere...and finally this past week we decided to put it on the deck where we can see it and can watch which way the wind is blowing out by the pond.  It makes for a good conversation piece if nothing else!

On another note, Valentine's Day and my hubby's birthday is coming and we will be having some company for lunch actually two days in a row...tomorrow some dear friends from our previous home neighborhood (and our home Bible Study we had there) are coming and actually bringing the food!  We are really looking forward to seeing them.

And then on Friday my sister and her hubby (from the Orlando area) and my brother and his wife (from Charlotte, NC) are coming for lunch...and we will celebrate my hubby's birthday and also my sister in law's birthday is coming up next week so we will celebrate her birthday too. So this will be another very special day. We don't get to all be together very often! We are thankful to still be able to do this since we lost our oldest brother to leukemia last year. These times together are very precious.

These tulips were so pretty at the store today, so I just had to bring them home to decorate the table.

And we've finally been trying to start doing some "landscaping" in the front yard. This is just a small start, with some pretty flowering plants to bring some color to a very dry and drab looking yard.

It will take some time to get things green and pretty as this home never had any kind of landscaping or flowers before.  Seems like that was what I had to do at our last home too, and then I left it all there. So now we are starting over again little by little.

But when I really want to see something pretty, I just look out the back door in the evenings and see this gorgeous sunset, and then I remember why we bought this house in the first place!

We give thanks to the Lord for providing this lovely dwelling place for us. Yes, there is always work to do to maintain a home and help make it attractive.  But the most important thing is to always remember to honor and praise God for how He has blessed us...and to use this home for His glory.

Psalm 36:5-9

"Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;

Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the great mountains;

Your judgments are a great deep;

O Lord; You preserve man and beast.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

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

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,

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

For with You is the fountain of life'

In Your light we see light."

(The full moon this past week)

I hope that you are having a blessed week. I know some have had difficulties with too much snow or rain and possible flooding. Others are grieving the loss of a dear loved one or are battling illness or caring for those who are ill. May the Lord give you peace and comfort and strength for whatever issues you may be facing each and every day. And may we each put our trust "under the shadow of God's wings...and be abundantly satisfied with the fullness of God's house..."

Amen.

Friday Foto Friends-Some Habits are Hard to Break!

Good Morning Everyone! It is Friday, and even though we no longer have a link-up for our Friday Foto Friends,  some habits are hard to break! When I think of Friday, I think of sharing "fotos" with my Friends!  I hope that many of our other blogging Friday Foto Friends will continue this "habit" as well!  We can still visit each other and enjoy what you've captured on your camera throughout the week.  Visitors are always welcome to join in! Just let us know when you do!!

So, I've been waiting all week for my azaleas to start opening up in the Secret Garden!  Finally, this morning they are beginning to put on a lovely display of color.  It's a little early still to get a good bright picture, but I couldn't wait any longer.   I am particularly happy about this because I planted most of these last year, and was really looking forward to seeing how they would do this year...and then we put the house up for sale and I was afraid we would be moved away before they got to bloom...boy was I wrong!  After four months on the market, here we still sit...so...I guess the Lord wanted me to see the azaleas bloom!! 

I know you are probably saying, "What azaleas?"  Yes, they are still a bit sparse in their blossoms, but they are starting, and this picture really doesn't do it justice.

This pretty little reddish pink is all alone on it's bush, but it is so pretty. I wish I had more of this color!

Along the path into the Secret Garden:

Another lovely, cool morning to be in the Secret Garden with the Lord...

Aren't they sweet? 

This is in our Memorial Garden, where I also planted some azaleas last year.  For those of you who are new here, this garden area was created in loving memory of our son Matthew, who passed away on May 25, 2014, after a four year battle with cancer. He was 41 years old.  His birthday is coming up on February 25th, so he's very much on my heart and mind right now...well, actually, he's always in my heart...but we know where he is and we look forward to a grand reunion one day.

Our next door neighbor, who likes to surprise us with little "gifts" at our back fence, left these bunnies at the gate one day...

They looked so real, I was startled to think there was a whole family of bunnies sitting there...

But once I realized they were not going to hop away, I moved them into the 

Memorial Garden, where they could keep Mr. Froggy company.  They all hop around together now and have a good old time. Mr. Froggy looks pretty proud of his new friends, don't you think?

I know, this is a weed...but it is a pretty weed, and it is growing in a flower pot!  This lovely little flower opens up during the day on the wild shamrocks.  I love it. I think it brings me good "luck"...but I don't believe in luck...so it brings me good blessings as I enjoy it's sweetness.

And in another pot is a smaller wild shamrock growing, and it has a this delicate little yellow flower! How amazing is that?  Sometimes it is better just to let the weeds grow...and you will be blessed!

Now here is a perfect blessing for our day... this Pink Perfection Camellia is blooming again!!

All these little blessings just help to make our day so much brighter.  I think of these flowers like I think of you, my friends.  I was having a bad day yesterday over on "Facebook", and was ready to call it quits.  But so many of you and others jumped in and encouraged me and helped me to see that our worth here and there is so much more valuable than what the "world" may think.  We do have a purpose in being here... and my purpose is to share the love of the Lord with you in what ever way He leads each day.... as so many of you do the same.  It could be a verse from scripture, or a photograph of God's beautiful creation...or even some kind of humorous cartoon to give us a laugh on a gloomy day.  We are all His ambassadors of love to a fallen world, and that is going to be even more necessary as the days go by.

So thank you, dear friends, who came to my rescue yesterday when I was feeling a little down.  You know who you are.  I thank you, and I thank the Lord for the wonderful friends we have made here in blogland in particular.  You are a blessing to me, and I pray that in some small way, God may use me to be a blessing to you.  Thank you.

"Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, 

and the pleasantness of a friend 

springs from their heartfelt advice."

Proverbs 27:9 NIV