Friday Foto Friends: "Just Grin and BEAR it!"

 Good Morning and Happy Friday!  I've been promising you a special blessing and so I hope you will just "BEAR with me" today and let us enjoy this together.  First off, I've been doing this Photo-a-Day Challenge every day for July, and it's been a lot of fun. Chrissy T. from "One Season to the Next" got me started on this.  I know some others of you have joined in the fun, and it's really been neat to see what each of you has come up with for your photo challenges.  Most people are more disciplined than I am and they only show one picture a day. I've never claimed to be very self-disciplined when it comes to taking pictures, and especially when it comes to sharing them! It's just something I love to do, ever since the day my brother gave me my first digital camera...and then when I got a cell phone that actually takes pretty good pictures...there's just no stopping me!.  So today I'm asking you to not only "BEAR with Me, but to "Grin and BEAR it" as we go along, okay?

Today (24th) the challenge is for a "close-up".  That should be easy...

LAST week (HERE) I mentioned that " I did do something interesting and special this morning, but I've promised not to share it until after the person for whom it is intended has been properly notified and surprised, so you will have to wait a week for that.",  and so you all have been patiently waiting for me to explain what that something interesting was, and who it was for.  Well, yesterday was the day for the 'big reveal'.  I had mentioned yesterday that I was having a special guest over for lunch, and so I did...

Well, let me explain a little further. We will have to go back in time a few weeks to THIS STORY to explain.  Many of you will recall that my dear friend Maura had passed away just a few months after her sweet hubby Woody.  And so their granddaughter was working hard at trying to settle their estate and clean up their house, and they had a LOT of clothes that needed to go somewhere. I suggested to Katheryn (the granddaughter) that our church's "Sew & Sew" Quilting group was going to be having a yard sale to raise funds for their quilting projects  that they do for the Ronald McDonald house and Hospice, etc., and that they could probably sell a lot of those clothes. So Katheryn donated a literal truck load of clothes to the cause and we went and picked them up.  

Also Katheryn asked me if I knew anyone who could make a Memorial Teddy Bear from the clothes of a loved one, and so I asked the ladies in the quilting group if anyone could do that, and one of the ladies volunteered to do so.  So Katheryn gathered up some favorite clothes from both her grandparents, along with one article from her father who had passed away a couple of years ago.  What she wanted to have made was two bears, each made with clothes from both grandparents and a piece from the one article of her father's.   Well, last Thursday I picked up the completed bears from the lady at the Quilt House at our church. (They meet in what used to be the OLD parsonage, which is a little house next door to the church. They have turned that into their own Quilt House and they meet there every week to work on the hundreds of lap quilts that they make.)

So, much to my surprise, when I got to the Quilt House, the dear lady (her name is Deni), had made not just two, but three bears from the clothes. She said she had been confused and thought she was supposed to make one female bear and one male bear, but then realized the bears were supposed to have something from each, and so the one female bear was a bonus bear!  So here she is with the three bears. (Please excuse the extra lady in the background working on their quilting materials. This was their usual work day and there were about 10 ladies there all working very hard!)

Here's a better "close-up" of the three bears.  They each have a blue heart on them, which was the one piece of fabric from Katheryn's father's clothes.  

And the bear sitting up above (below) is turned backwards to show you the butterflies that were applique'd on the back of the bears, which came from one of Maura's blouses. The flannel plaid bow ties came from one of Woody's favorite flannel shirts. And all of the material to make the bears came from each of the shirts that Katheryn had chosen from their clothes, ones that were special to her.

Aren't they all adorable????

Katheryn lives about 30 minutes away, and she was busy last week, so she couldn't come herself to pick up the bears that day. So I invited her to lunch at our house for yesterday so she could pick up the bears. I asked her if she wanted me to send her pictures of the bears beforehand, but she said, "NO! I want to see them in person and be surprised."  So that is why I couldn't share any pictures of them last week, even though I was sorely tempted to do so. I'm proud of myself for having that much restraint! LOL.

And so this close-up below is a very smiling Katheryn, holding the three bears...and yes, she was very surprised and pleased.  The only thing we both agreed on was that she's going to try to figure out a way to change those staring eyes...at first they were cute, but after they stare at you for a while with that surprised look, well...we both decided that maybe some plain button style eyes might be easier to look at in the long run, so she will figure that out and use some buttons from her grandmother's button stash.

Thank you for "BEARING" with me for this little story!!...oh, but there's more...

Many of you will remember when I told you about this book HERE, The Little Sand Hill Crane, 

The book on the left is actually a journal, and she gave me this yesterday!

and that my friend Katheryn had written this book and it is for sale on Amazon. Well, yes, this is the same Katheryn!

And now my copy of the book is signed by the author!!!

She also has written a coloring book to go along with the book, in addition to the journal!

Click this link to more information about Katheryn's books

And this is her latest book!

I am SO excited for the work that Katheryn is doing with these little books. They are really well written and so very special! If you have grandchildren or great grandchildren they would make wonderful gifts!

Okay folks, that's all for today. I have to go as we have some tree work to be done on the property today,  and I have to get a move on.

God bless you all, and thank you for "BEARING with me today!!"  

Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Friday Foto Friends...So Much To Love

 Here it is Friday evening...we've just had some really NICE long rain showers, and our Still Waters Pond is still "dry", but I think that big old sponge is getting filled up and it won't be too much longer before it starts overflowing!

All that area from the two pine trees and all the way across all that bright green on the other side should be under water!  I believe the bright green on the far side is actually lower and wetter, hence why it is so green. All the dark area is just plain old dried up muck, and little by little it is soaking up the rain and eventually it has to start showing puddles on the top and eventually it should fill up all the way to the pine trees. It's still a long way off, but with every day of rain that we get, the closer we get to it filling up.  One day at a time!! We are thankful for every drop of rain that falls!!

So today we did something extra special. Our son drove us in his pick up truck down to visit the home of our friends Woody and Maura, who both recently passed away and whose Celebration of Life I attended last week.  Their granddaughter and her young adult son are now living in their home, and she is in the process of going through things and determining what to keep and what to give away. The reason we went is because she wanted to donate their clothes to our church's thrift store and/or our quilting group, for their yard sale that is coming up soon. The proceeds from the yard sale go to purchase more fabric and materials to create all the wonderful lap quilts and bags that our ladies sew and donate to the Ronald McDonald House in Gainesville.  They are amazing as to how many lap quilts they make each year. Just yesterday they took 108 quilts over there, and that's the 2nd or 3rd time they've done that already this year!

 Here's a picture of them when they took 116 quilts, 285 tote bags, and 19 crochet' blankets back in March!

These ladies really rock!!!

So anyway, we filled up the back of our son's pick up truck with so many big garbage bags full of clothes, you would not believe how many...and I forgot to take a picture of it all! Here's the closest to a picture of it I got...that's his truck in the driveway of our friends' home, and by the time we were through gathering the bags, the back of that truck bed was full all the way to the rim and packed solid! It was a LOT of beautiful clothes (my friend Maura always dressed like a lovely queen!), and we still left some behind because we ran out of space.

While we were there we took some other pictures outside their lovely home, which overlooks the marshy canals leading out to Big Lake Kerr. Our friend Woody built their home on an island many years ago, and had to literally build a causeway to drive out to the house. He was an engineer/builder, so he knew what he was doing.

The Sand Hill Cranes are right at home there under the old live oak trees and swaying spanish moss...

Looking out toward the lake...

There's those cranes again...They think they own the island...

The canal leads out to the lake.  Even though it has been such a dry year, they are now starting to get more water in the canal and around their island.  It is truly an idyllic place to live...

We had a nice visit with their granddaughter, and we plan to stay in touch with her. Her life as certainly been turned upside down through all of this, and she definitely needs our prayers.  But she is a solid and good Christian young woman, and I know God has some wonderful plans for her.

While we were there she asked me if I would like to have one of Maura's teapots from her collection. Of course you know what I said...

 This is the one I chose, and I have placed it in the middle between two other things that Maura had already given me before. The little cream pitcher you have already seen. I had forgotten to show the beautiful china cannister on the left before. (I keep tea bags in it).

And then I remembered something else she gave me some time ago...these delightful little pink and white tea cups and saucers!  It looks like they all belong together, doesn't it?

I chose this teapot because I loved the style and somehow I knew that would be the one that Maura would want me to have. She and I thought a lot alike on many things, and we both appreciated beautiful old china and especially teapots.  I did not look to see what markings were on the bottom of the teapot until I got home, and this is what it says...

Here is a link to what I discovered about this particular "mark"on the china:  "Jean Pouyat Limoges stands as a beacon of French porcelain excellence, blending centuries-old traditions with innovative craftsmanship that has captivated collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. Originating from the heart of Limoges, France—a region synonymous with superior porcelain production—this brand encapsulates the elegance of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known for its hand-painted designs, luxurious gold accents, and timeless aesthetic appeal, Jean Pouyat pieces have adorned dining tables, display cabinets, and prestigious collections across the globe."

It would appear that this teapot is indeed very special in many ways...but to me, it is special because it belonged to my dear friend Maura, and I will treasure it in her memory always.

After we delivered the bags of clothing to our church, we took Benton out to lunch at the local Hog Wild Burger & Shakes restaurant and we all had a great hamburger and then we headed home before the rains started! Thankfully God held off the rains until we got the clothes delivered and we were safely home. Praise God!  

These little rosebuds were blooming in the yard, and I brought them inside to enjoy...

Thankfully, since we've been finally getting some more regular rains, the roses are blooming again!

Here's a Psalm of Praise to Our God...

Psalm 63:1-8 NKJV

Joy in the Fellowship of God

A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

"1 O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water.

2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

4 Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips

6 

6 When I remember You on my bed,

I meditate on You in the night watches.

7 Because You have been my help,

Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.

8 My soul follows close behind You;

Your right hand upholds me."

Tonight I am filled with gratitude to God for His mercy and lovingkindness, and also for the sweet friendships He has blessed us with throughout the years. I am thankful that the kindness of our friends and their granddaughter will continue on through the gift of the clothes that will, I'm  quite certain, bring in some much needed money to support the ministry of our quilting group to the children and families at the Ronald McDonald House.  So, in essence, Woody and Maura's legacy continues. It may not seem like a big thing, but when you see how God uses those funds to create blankets and items to encourage and bless those who are going through such difficult times in their lives....well, it truly is a blessing, and I know my friends would be pleased to know that something like their clothes could become a blessing to others...and to those who actually buy the clothes at a price they can afford as well! That is another gift that goes on giving.  I am happy that we had a small part in that blessing by being the delivery people today. It's all a part of the chain of God's grace and love extended to others. What a blessing indeed!! 

Good night my friends.  It was a good good day. 

Recent posts regarding the passing of our dear friends:

https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2026/06/thursday-thankfulnessthe-blessing-of.html

https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2026/06/happy-sundayflag-day-and-beyondon.html

https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2026/04/easter-saturdaywhile-we-wait.html

Thursday Thankfulness~The Blessing of Friends

 Good Thursday Morning!  The days of June of are spinning faster than a merry-go-round on a school playground!

Internet Photo-Remember When we used to do this as a child? 

I much preferred THIS kind of Merry Go Round ride (below)...yes, that's me when I was about 2 years old, with my Mother standing close by to make sure I didn't fall off that big horse!  Oh such a sweet memory, although I don't think I can actually remember this, but it's somewhere back there in the recesses of my mind...

I must have been having a good time...can you see my tongue hanging out?  That either meant I was happy, or I had been running really fast! LOL.

I am thankful to have such pleasant memories from my childhood. Even if I can't remember the actual event, I'm thankful for the pictures that show that it happened, and it was a happy time. I was blessed as a child, and I am still blessed as a much older adult. God has been very good to me.

This week has been a difficult one for me. But it has also been a blessed week, with sweet memories and kindness extended toward me that I feel unworthy of, but am so grateful for...

I received the above devotional book in the mail this week...a gift from a new friend. I met this dear lady at our Ladies' May Fellowship Day at our church, where we had invited women from many area churches to come and fellowship with us. This particular lady stood out to me, because I was very surprised to see her there! It's a long story, but I think a remarkable one. You see, I had actually noticed this woman's picture on Facebook for a little while as "someone you might know". The fact is, she is married to one of my best friends from childhood's cousin, and the interesting part is I had actually dated her husband when I was a teenager. It had been a kind of "long distance" "friendship" with him, because he lived over an hour away and I only saw him when he came to visit his cousin...and as young teenagers we "hit it off" and became friends, and we probably saw each other maybe once a year from then on, and he actually escorted me to "The Holly Ball" when I was a senior. But after that we never saw each other again until one chance meeting some 40 years later. Click HERE to see more about THAT story.  

So you can imagine my surprise when I saw this lady at our "Ladies' May Fellowship".  She came with our guest speaker, and they are from another church in a nearby city. Thanks to wearing name tags, I knew it was her as soon as I saw her, so I introduced myself to her, somewhat timidly, because how do you introduce yourself to someone whose husband you once "liked as a teenager"?   I think she was just as surprised to meet me as I was her, but she was so very kind and friendly, and we hit it off right away. I was very pleased to know that my former "friend" was married to such a lovely Christian woman.  And so she and I became friends on Facebook and have determined that we might get together sometime for lunch...but she is busy with her family and I am busy with mine, and we live maybe 45 minutes apart, so who knows when it will happen ...but in the meantime, she sent me this beautiful devotional book in the mail this week!  It was written by a friend of hers, and she thought I would enjoy it. Would I!?!! Oh yes! What a blessing indeed!  This first chapter in the book starts like this:

"Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 18:3

"I guess even in Bible times adults needed to be reminded to simplify and look at life through the eyes of a child. It's morning, and the mountain may already be staring you in the face. The list is longer than your arm, and it feels like the impossibles are stacking higher than the laundry..." 

(Jennifer Cremer, This Moment Matters)

OH yes, that resonated with me this week! I've already shared with you the deep sorrow and shock of losing a dear friend earlier this week HERE in this post.... That sudden loss has thrown me for a bit of a loop, and I am still having to work through the grief process.  Her granddaughter contacted me and asked if I could send her any pictures that I have of her and also with her husband.  I had many pictures as we spent so much time together in the 7 years that we lived in Salt Springs.

Maura, celebrating her birthday with us several years ago at our house in Salt Springs.

Actually, this is the complete picture. We celebrated her birthday with our son Benton's birthday, because they were both born in August.  Our mutual friend Marian on the left, and my DIL Rose on the right, both adding some fun to the picture.

I think we flipped the candles around as well. I'm quite sure Benton wasn't 80, and neither was Maura 47. LOL.  This is just a sample of the fun we used to have together.

Here's another picture of Maura with her hubby Woody, at a 4th of July celebration at our house. I just realized that the person Maura is smiling at across the table was our dear dear friend Sharon, who was undergoing chemo at that time for cancer, and sadly, she passed away about a year later, in 2019. Sometimes it seems like I have more friends now residing in heaven than I do here on earth...I know my Daddy used to say (when he was almost 90), that it seemed the only time he ever got to see his friends was when he went to their funerals.  Sad, but true, the older we get.

This picture actually was one that the granddaughter has shared, as she took it of her grandparents on their 70th anniversary, a few months prior to her grandfather's death in March, and Maura's passing now in June.  There will be a Celebration of Life for both of them this Saturday, as they never did have any kind of service yet for Woody because Maura was struggling with her own health issues and just wasn't ready to do any thing. So now there will be a joint "celebration" for them, which is fitting. They lived 70+ years together on this earth, so it is only fitting that they should be celebrated together.  I do plan to be there on Saturday.

Anyway, as my heart and mind and body have been dealing with that emotional shock, I knew I had to get busy and take care of some other things already scheduled this week.  Yesterday was our monthly Women in Faith meeting, and I was scheduled to be the co-host with another lady. We meet at our church Parsonage, which is the house that we ladies have taken over for our Bible Studies and Women in Faith meetings, because our Pastor and wife do not live in the Parsonage since they have their own home.  It's a lovely big house and is perfect for our women's meetings. Each month different ladies sign up to be the hostesses for the little light luncheon we have following our meeting. There are usually anywhere from 15-20 ladies present. Yesterday there were 15.  

Anyway, my co-host and I had already planned to do a variety of little sandwiches in mini croissants, some chicken salad, chips, and fresh fruit salad and dessert.  My co-host ordered the trays of sandwiches and chicken salad from Publix, and she baked a delicious cake. I was going to get the fresh fruit already cut up at Publix and make a big bowl of it, but the already cut fruit was SO expensive that I decided to buy the fruits whole and cut them up myself.  I cut up  a small seedless watermelon, cantelope, pineapple, and added some blueberries to a large beautiful cut glass punch bowl that we have at the Parsonage. It made a beautiful display, but I forgot to take any pictures of it. I also had fresh grapes, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries on a separate platter so they could eat them separately or add them to their own fruit bowls.  

This wasn't my bowl of fruit, but you get the idea.  

(Pinterest)

It may not have seemed like much, but when your mind is already dealing with other things like grief and shock, having to do something like this project seemed monumental to me and I didn't sleep well the night before.  But I prayed my way through it, and once I got started on cutting up the fruit and putting it all together, it was actually good therapy for my mind. And the ladies all loved it and raved about having the fresh fruit, so it was a win-win.

This morning as I was thinking about writing this post, I was also thinking about some of the sweet memories I have with my friend Maura, and that led me to think about some of the little gifts she gave me over the years.

She knew that I loved to collect china creamers...and she gave this one to me. It is so delicate and sweet. I love it, and I will always think of Maura when I use it.

Also, Maura had taken a trip to London with her Step-Mother, (who wasn't too many years older than Maura and they had not always had a good relationship, but she considered the fact that her Step-Mother wanted to take her to London with her to be a real blessing and answer to prayer.) Anyway, while there, Maura thought of me as she knew how much I loved tea, so she brought me this cute little British teapot and tin of English Breakfast tea, which is in a tiny tin that looks like an English Telephone booth:

Isn't it cute?  It was so sweet of her to remember me while she was traveling abroad....

And then one year she gave me this beautiful tea pot for Christmas...and I love to use it and display it at Christmas time. Now all of these items will take on even more meaning to me ...

This is a picture of the two of us...

This was our sunrise here the morning after Maura passed away, and I wondered to myself what the sunrise must be like in heaven. Can you imagine how beautiful every morning must be in heaven, with Jesus as the LIGHT that shines forever and ever?  

Revelation 21, verses 2-5, and 23 give us a glimpse of what "the New Jerusalem" in heaven shall be like:  (Read the whole chapter for a complete and beautiful description of this)

"2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

I Can Only Imagine

Song by MercyMe

Lyrics

I can only imagine

What it will be like

When I walk by Your side

I can only imagine

What my eyes will see

When Your face is before me

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel?

Will I dance for You, Jesus

Or in awe of You, be still?

Will I stand in Your presence

Or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing, "Hallelujah!"?

Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When that day comes

And I find myself standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever, forever worship You

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you, Jesus

Or in awe of You, be still?

Will I stand in Your presence

Or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing "Hallelujah!"?

Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine

I can only imagine!

Oh-oh, surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you, Jesus

Or in awe of You, be still?

Will I stand in Your presence

Or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing "Hallelujah!"?

Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine, oh, yeah

I can only imagine

I can only imagine, yeah

I can only imagine

And I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever, forever worship You

I can only imagine

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Christopher Maurice Brown / Dwayne Carter / David Guetta / Jacob Elisha Luttrell / Frederic Jean Riesterer / Giorgio H. Tuinfort / Nasri Tony Atweh

I can only imagine Maura with this kind of joy and delight on her face when she saw Jesus face to face! And then to see her beloved Woody again...I'm sure he was surprised to see her arrive so soon after he got there! But maybe not. Woody was probably helping Jesus get Maura's "Mansion" ready from the day he arrived.  

Yes, they will both be greatly missed.  Rest in Peace Maura and Woody

Happy Blogging Sisters Day!

 If you read my last post HERE, you will know that today was a special day in "blogland" for some of us very blessed bloggers!  Today I went to meet up with three other dear blogging friends for lunch, and discovered that we had a bonus blessing of one more precious blogger added to our group!  Many of you may not know Cheryl, from Sunlit Pathway, because she hasn't been doing quite as much blogging lately due to having had some major health concerns in the past year or so, but what a surprise to find her there at Bob Evans with Terri and the rest of the ladies when I arrived!  Cheryl had just recently arrived in Florida to visit family, who just happen to live not too far from Terri, and so Terri made arrangements for Cheryl to join us today! What a blessing indeed!  And so here we are:

Our waitress was very kind to take our picture!  We are l to r front row: Cheryl, Terri, (Your Friend From Florida), back row: Yours truly, Linda, (Just Simply Linda), and Barbara, (My Journal Memories).  While we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Bob Evans, we shared with each other why we ever decided to write a blog anyway.  We each had different reasons and beginnings. Some have been  blogging for over 20 years! I think I had the most recent beginning, in 2010!  I'd never even heard of a blog before then! 

I don't think any of us had any clue how far reaching our blogs would ever be, but God knew, and He had a plan for each of us in doing this...maybe not the same plan for each of us, but a plan that would bless us and teach us and make us a blessing to others in the process. I believe He has accomplished that for each one of us...

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV tells us:

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."

HERE is a link to my very first blog post, written in February of 2010.  My blog has gone through a lot of metamorphosis over these past 15 years...moving with the ebb and flow of my life experiences...the joys and sorrows, highs and lows, and even through three different home locations! Thankfully the blog is portable and goes with you wherever you go, as long as you have access to the internet and don't make any false moves that accidentally delete the blog. I know some have done that, and had to start all over. I pray that never happens to me...there are too many precious memories tucked inside these pages. I've tried to save them over the years, but that has become too cumbersome for me to keep up with, so I just pray nothing happens. Maybe someday I will get busy and try to back up more of them and print them off, but it takes a lot of work to do it. 

The best part about blogging to me is all the wonderful friends I've made along the way, like these lovely ladies. I wish I could meet each and everyone of my blogging friends in person. There are so many that we have shared so much of our lives with each other...and some I would just love to give a big hug to in person someday.  If you are ever passing through Florida please let me know and if there is any way possible to arrange it, it would be so wonderful to meet you. Not too many people pass through the little town where I live...we are kind of off the beaten path of where most people like to go in Florida...and I am limited in how far I can travel away from home, but if there's a way, we will try to make it happen.  Anyway, meeting up with these wonderful women today was truly a blessing for each of us! I thank each one for going the "extra mile" to be there! It was a lot of fun and good fellowship too!

When I got back home I noticed that the bird feeder favored by most of our birds was empty, so I refilled it, and soon the Cardinals and Titmice and Chickadees were having a feast and waving their wings to say thank you. I only managed to get pictures of the Cardinals, but here's what I saw:

Mrs. Cardinal was waiting her turn in the Holly Tree:

They are storing up food for another night with a freeze warning!

And thankfully, I also noticed when I got home that all of the Christmas boxes were finally put away, and the house is back to its normal self...

(hmmm, I should probably turn that blanket around so the bear and moose and elk aren't standing upside down! LOL. It is correct on the other side that we look at on the front of the couch, but not on the back where you walk in the door and see it! Oh well...this isn't a magazine photo shoot! Just my blog, tellin' it like it is! We aren't striving for perfection here...just comfy and cozy!

And the Christmas totes are all safely stacked away in the shed until next year! Yay! Thank you to our son Benton and Hubby for taking care of this today before they went out to lunch and had a good hamburger at our local "True Grits" restaurant.

And so I close this today with a thankful heart, full of joy and blessing...letting the memories of the day and the smiles on the faces flood my heart. It was a wonderful time, and I am so thankful that God made it possible for me to participate.

Time to close for today friends. 

Some words of wisdom from God's Word...

2 Samuel 22:29-31

“29 For You are my lamp, O Lord;

The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.

30 For by You I can run against a troop;

By my God I can leap over a wall.

31 As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the Lord is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him."

Amen.