Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

 I really didn't have a lot to share tonight, but thought I should at least share some blessings! There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for, right?  We just need to stop and think about it and praise God for all He has done for us.

Yesterday afternoon we were both pretty tired. Just haven't really been sleeping well and we still seem to be catching  up since we were sick for a couple of weeks following our trip.  So we took a nap and we were both pretty sound asleep, and then we were awakened by a knock on what sounded like our bedroom wall, which is on the end of the house.  It kept knocking, so I jumped up and looked out the window and didn't see anything. I went around to the doors and checked, and there was no sign of anyone anywhere. So I went back to bed, and we started to doze off and it started up again. This time we both got up and went outside and walked all the way around the house and still didn't see anything.  We finally decided it must've been a woodpecker in the tree outside our bedroom window. That's the only thing we could figure out.  I am thankful it wasn't anything else and there was no real cause for alarm, but you know how those strange things that happen kind of unnerve you?  Yeah, well, Praise God everything was fine. However I did see this while I was outside looking for "intruders".

This beautiful "Gulf Fritillary" butterfly was fluttering around in the Butterfly garden.  She was so lovely, and it made the wake up call worth all the "anxiety" of the moment...Perhaps God was knocking and wanted me to see this beauty before it flew away...

I thanked the Lord for allowing me to enjoy these few moments of peace and joy in the garden.

This verse was in our devotions for yesterday:

John 14:27  NKJV

27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Perfect, right?

A little later that afternoon a young boy from our neighborhood came to the door and asked if we had any kind of little jobs he could do for us.  What a surprise! He actually just recently moved into the little yellow house over across the way from us. He seemed like a very polite and sweet young man of about 11 years old.  We told him to come back today after he gets out of school and we would have something for him to do.  And so he did.  We have lots of little branches that are constantly falling from our big oak trees into the yard, and we always have to rake them up before we can mow the grass. Especially after the recent storms, we have had a LOT of raking to do, and quite frankly, we are getting too old for that! So when he came this afternoon we gave him a rake and set him to work raking up some branches. He was so happy! After he had completed the job so very nicely, we paid him a reasonable amount, and he was thrilled. He said he is wanting to do little jobs so he can earn some money to buy himself a phone. We thought that was very refreshing to see a young person willing to work and save his money so he can buy something, rather than expecting his parents to buy it for him. I am impressed with this young man, and we told him that we will have other jobs periodically for him to do, especially when we have any storms that knock down more branches!  He was very excited and happy and did a very good job.  Hubby and I both felt blessed to have this young man come to our door in such a manner. God knew we needed the help!  Next time I will ask if he minds if I take his picture. Maybe I should ask his parents first. Yeah, that's probably a good idea.

Speaking of jobs getting done, over the past weekend we had some fellows who are actually from our church come over and do some work for us under the house.  This is a manufactured home, and because we sit on a bit of a slope overlooking the pond, there is a tendency for rains to kind of erode the grounds around us.  We wanted to doublecheck to make sure things weren't getting unlevel under there, so they came and checked everything and did some work on the jacks that are already installed under the house just for that purpose. Then they reset some of the block columns and secured them better than before, and everything is now in much better shape. It wasn't really all that bad, but we just wanted to be sure. We are thankful for skilled men who knew just what to do and did it efficiently and reasonably!

While they were doing that, I found this strange looking fella on the skirting of the house around the corner:

Wheel Bug "The wheel bug, Arilus cristatus (Linnaeus), is a moderately common, widely distributed, beneficial assassin bug that preys on pest insects. However, its bite can be more severe than a bee sting, and both nymphs and adults should be avoided or handled with caution."

You can be assured that I did not try to pick him up or handle him. I do, however, like that he preys on pest insects. He is welcome to all the pests out there anytime! LOL.  I haven't seen him since that day, however.

Since I really haven't been out and about all that much the past couple of days, I didn't have a whole lot of anything new to share in the way of photos.  And so I thought you might like to see how our little family in Pamela's Victorian Cottage are doing these days!  They sit right here beside me in my "Room with a View" where I do all of my writing, and I sometimes look over at them to see what they are doing...and then I realize that they can't do anything unless I pay them some attention. Otherwise they just kind of stand around looking at me with that look of "why don't you come over and play with us sometimes?"  LOL.  And so tonight I thought it was about time they started getting ready for Thanksgiving.  Oh, if you aren't familiar with Pamela's Victorian Cottage, you can click on the link for it over on the right column of this blog under the heading of  "Some Special Topics".  That will take you to all the blog posts I've written about them since Pamela's Victorian Cottage first came into existence. Maybe you will enjoy reading about their special place.  

Here's the whole family, bustling around and getting the house prepared for the Thanksgiving holiday that is coming up very soon...

There's the little mother, looking at the giant pumpkins and turkey that the two little friends from the farm down the road brought over to help out with the Thanksgiving dinner.

Here's our little farm friends at their house just before they took the turkey and pumpkin to the big house...

Everyone is always excited when company comes!

They have set up the table for tea and cookies...

For the family in Pamela's Victorian Cottage,"Life is one big tea party" all the time! LOL.

See here? Mama has already put the teakettle on the stove!

It's so much fun having guests for Thanksgiving Dinner!

The children upstairs are playing dress up and actually thinking about Christmas, but they need to remember that Thanksgiving comes first, and we should always set aside a special time to give thanks to God for all His wonderful blessings.  The only little boy who lives in the house is already saying his prayers of Thanks!

Yes, these are happy and exciting days at Pamela's Victorian Cottage!  They can hardly wait for Thanksgiving day to come!  

And now they are all reciting the 100th Psalm, a Thanksgiving tradition that has been around since we were all children!

Let's all recite it together:

Psalm 100 KJV

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

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

3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: 

it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; 

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

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

be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

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

and his truth endureth to all generations."

I hope you enjoyed this little story from Pamela's Victorian Cottage.  Stay tuned for future adventures!

Good Night Friends! 

Friday Foto Friends

Good Friday Morning, everyone!  I hope this day finds you enjoying whatever beauty God has provided for you...whether it be outdoors in your garden, yard, or neighborhood, or inside your home where things are cozy and warm and comfortable. Wherever you may find yourself today, I pray it is a day filled with God's blessings and much joy.  It's there...if we look for it.  Turn off the TV, step away from the computer and the cell phones for a bit, and watch for the beauty around you.

The other afternoon I noticed this Gulf Fritillary butterfly flitting about the milkweed in the butterfly garden.  I'm so glad it happened to be there while I was outside and watching!  So often they come and go before we get a chance to see them and enjoy their delicate beauty!  I felt honored to be there at this moment!

I also felt thankful that the milkweed was still blooming and looking so healthy this fall, and that the butterfly garden continues to attract butterflies for us to appreciate!

This morning's sunrise!  Nice, huh? I was a little late getting up and putting the flag out, so I was thankful that I hadn't missed this morning's event!

While I was out front putting out the flag, I thought perhaps it would be a good time to take some pictures of the chrysanthemums that I just purchased this week. 

I figured it was about time as Halloween is next week and I hadn't even put out our scarecrow or bought a pumpkin! So there you go! This is the extent of our Halloween decorations. No spooks or hobgloblins here...just a friendly scarecrow to welcome the kiddos when they come trick or treating next week. I have purchased what I hope will be enough candy to take care of them this year. Last year we ran out and I had to turn off the light and shut the door while there were still kids coming. I felt bad about that. We enjoy seeing the children in their cute costumes. Our neighborhood seems to be one of the few neighborhoods in our community with paved streets and houses closer together where the children can come and safely do their trick or treating. One of the community churches also does a nice "Trunk or Treat" fall festival for the kiddos, so all in all it's still a fun and safe activity for our little town's children.

No, I'm not necessarily a fan of "Halloween" itself, especially the darker side which focuses so much on the occult, but the traditional fun of putting on costumes and going about with your parents to trick or treat is a happy memory for many children, and as long as it is kept that way, it is not a bad thing in itself.  We used to have harvest parties in our churches and bobbed for apples (yes, everyone sticking their faces in the same bucket of water to snatch an apple with their teeth...and no one drowned or died from it that I know of...), and played other fun games and the kids wore suitable costumes (nothing demonic or satanic), and we had a really good time.  Those are happy memories that I am thankful for.

So this morning after watching the sunrise I sat on the back porch with my cup of tea and journal in hand and "listened" for the sounds of nature waking up and giving their praises to the Creator God.

There were many birds coming and going...

This female Cardinal sat there at the log cabin bird feeder for a long time, enjoying her breakfast and watching the activity in the yard.  At one point an armadillo scurried across the lawn, too quick for me to get a picture. I think he was out partying all night and was in a hurry to get home before his family woke up and wondered where he'd been. LOL. I never saw an armadillo run so fast before!

I was trying to take a picture of this dove sitting on the branch by itself, and my intentions were to name it "Lonesome Dove". But just as I snapped the picture, Mr. Blue Jay flew in photo bombed it! LOL.

Then he proceeded to fly down to the bird bath for a little drink and visit with "Bobby the Squirrel".

Mr. Cardinal flew in to say good morning as well.

If you look at this picture closely, you can see autumn leaves on that maple tree in the background.

So it's been a mostly uneventful week, although we've had several doctor appointments, lab work, etc. Benton and Rose brought over a spaghetti supper Wednesday night! Rose cooked the spaghetti and garlic toast and I made a salad. It's always a blessing to have them come over.  We didn't know it, but apparently it was World Pasta Day, (October 25), although I see that National Pasta Day was on October 17th.  Anyway, we did our part to celebrate even though we didn't even know we were supposed to. LOL.  

We have been so saddened and appalled by the horrific mass shooting that took place in Maine this week. When I saw that on the news my heart jumped into my throat because we have family in Maine. Thankfully this was further north from where our family lives, but still it was too close to home.  Our prayers go out to all those affected by this terrible crime. Praying they can find the perpetrator soon and bring him to justice...but that will never make up for all the lives lost and the heart ache and grief for their whole community and state. 

We also continue to pray for the terrible war in Israel and Palestine. It's a much bigger picture than we can even begin to understand...but for those of us who believe God's Word, the Bible, we know that God is in control and we will continue to pray for the salvation of Israel and all of God's chosen people.

As I was closing out the day with prayer last night, this song came into my mind and I laid on my bed singing it in worship and praise to our Savior:

"Jesus, name above all names
Beautiful Saviour, Glorious Lord
Emmanuel, God is with us
Blessed Redeemer, Living Word
Jesus, name above all names
Beautiful Saviour, Glorious Lord
Emmanuel, God is with us
Blessed Redeemer, Living Word"

There is something about praying the Name of Jesus that brings great peace and comfort to my soul.  There is peace, power and healing and strength in His holy name. That is my prayer for you and our world today...peace, power, healing, and strength in Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

A Golden October Day

The day started out with a golden glow in the trees as we took our morning walk.

The light was golden all around

I think you can see it better here...

And in the happy faces of these golden wild coreopsis that are growing all through the woods right now, everywhere we looked.

Even this huge spider web took on a golden glow in the early morning sun

The woods are full of God's glory

Not to be outdone, this lovely bright orange Gulf Fritillary butterfly spent some time sipping the nectar of the Penta flowers on my front porch this morning. I just happened to look out the window and saw him there, and he stayed around for quite awhile, having quite a lovely time...and so did I, watching him.

These pictures were taken through the window, so they probably aren't as clear as they could be, but they are still so pretty. I was enchanted.

Hello, lovely lady with your gorgeous autumn dress!

As if that wasn't wonderful enough, this evening we had a nice little rain shower while the sun was still shining...so immediately I once again ran to the front window to see if there might be a rainbow...and sure enough there it was!  I stood outside in the rain and took these pictures...

Yes, it was a double rainbow!

We had one last night too! Amazing!

It seems like God is displaying all His beautiful colors for us during this Autumn season, when things are actually in the process of dying out before the winter begins.  Makes me wonder about life a bit...as we enter the "autumn" of our lives, which many of us here in "Blogland" seem to be getting closer and closer to that if not already there, I wonder if we are also displaying all of our "beautiful colors" and the golden glow of God's glory shining through us.  That should be our goal in life...the closer we get to our "winter days" on this earth, the more we should glow with the beauty of Christ living in us. There should be a radiance that others can see without us having to even speak it out loud.

"The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,

If it is found in the way of righteousness."

Proverbs 16:31

Some thoughtful advice to women is found in I Peter 3:3-4 

3.  "Do not let your adornment be merely outward...arranging the hair, wearing gold, 

or putting on fine apparel, 

4.  Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God...."

In other words, may we be more concerned with developing and displaying the true inner beauty that resides within the heart of a woman who puts her trust in God rather than with the outward appearance of having fine clothes, jewelry or having things...not saying those things are bad in themselves, but only that our greater desire ought to be the better things of a gentle and quiet spirit...something for me to ponder when I look in the mirror...

Psalm 34:4-5 says:

4.  " I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

and delivered me from all my fears.

5.  They looked to Him and were radiant,

and their faces were not ashamed."

I hope you have enjoyed this beautiful golden October day.

Now, let us go out and "glow"...

Friday Fotos : Things Are Looking Up!

 Hello Everyone!  I hope you have had a wonderful week! Here we are again...another Friday already!  (writing on Thursday night, however).  Some weeks just seem to drag by and we get to Friday and I have nothing to share with you...and have to go searching through the archives.
But this week seems to have been a good week for photos.   Or perhaps I've just been more observant than usual. That may be a good sign that things are looking up and I'm feeling more like participating!  Possibly because we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and there is a sense of optimism in the air that everything is going to be okay.

I wonder what Mrs. Cardinal is trying to say to Mr. Cardinal..."Hey Red, Do you think we ought to tell the children where we are getting these seeds from?"

 "It might be easier than us having to keep taking the seeds over to them and feeding them one by one...seeing's how there are three of them over there waiting in the tree for their food!"

And then "Red" secretly showed up on my new window feeder, right in front of me as I was sitting here working. I don't think he told Mrs. Cardinal about his secret stash of the good stuff!

There she was. left on her own to keep gathering food for her youngins.  But they all looked healthy and happy and that's what matters! Things are definitely looking up!

After watching the birds here at home, we headed to our woodsy place to take our morning walk.

I was happy to see this beautiful "Buckeye" butterfly flitting about. He landed long enough for me to take his picture, and then off he went.

Here's another sweet little yellow wildflower, which I will have to look up and find out the name.

 Okay, it is a Piriqueta Cistoides, subsp.caroliniana.  Click HERE for more information.  I know you want to know!

Someone had cut up a tree and left the logs sitting in an area where people like to dump stuff in the woods. At least this is biodegradable.

 I wanted to gather them up and take them home and make stools to sit on in the yard for whenever we get a firepit.  But it would be easier to cut down one of our own big dead trees and do it right there than to try to lift these heavy stumps and haul them home.  Anyway, I appreciated having a little place to sit down and rest for a spell.

And then I got up and started walking again, and this beautiful Gulf Fritillary landed right in front of me and waited for me to take it's picture! I guess everyone was being quite the little "ham" today!!

Then we took a little ride out to the other side of town and down a road that we used to travel a lot before we moved over here as it was one of the routes we would take to come over back and forth. I have taken pictures of this old Florida "Cracker Style" house before, but I was inspired to take a few more pictures today. Now they have it all roped off with "Posted, No Trespassing" signs across the property, so I couldn't get any closer. Probably too many curious lookers have been stopping by.

  Can't you just envision the old folks that used to live and loved here? I hate to see it being let go to ruin, but I suppose it would be too costly to restore it.

 It's the style of house that I would dearly love to have (as long as it had indoor plumbing and electricity).  Here is a link to more information about Florida Cracker Style homes.

Yesterday evening I took this picture of a new rosebud on my Memorial "Don Juan" rosebush. See the cute little green grasshopper on it?

Here is that same rose this morning, and that grasshopper is still munching away.

So I thumped him off and cut the rose and brought it inside where I can enjoy it. This is yet another rose from our son's Memorial Rosebush, and again, it is blooming at another special time. Monday will be  the 6th anniversary of our son Matthew's passing, and I know I've told you this before, but this rosebush always seems to bloom around special dates in our lives. I always consider each blossom a gift from our son in heaven.

Tonight we took another walk, and I thought these clouds were encouraging...they look like rain could possibly be coming...but so far nothing. Please pray for rain! Our area of the state is very dry and that can be very dangerous when it starts getting so hot. Plus our poor little Still Waters Pond is really getting dry, and literally the waters are very still!

Seeing these clouds also reminds me that today is traditionally remembered as Ascension Day,  the day that our Lord ascended back into heaven, 40 days after His resurrection from the dead.  In the book of Acts 1:1-11, we see Jesus giving His last instructions to His disciples, and then in verse 9-11 it says:

9.  "Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched,

He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

10.  And while they looked steadfastly 

toward heaven as He went up, 

behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

11.  who also said,

"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?  

This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven,

will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

I don't know about you, but I am so looking forward to seeing Jesus come back "in like manner" as the Disciples saw Him go into heaven. I pray it will be soon.  Yes, then we will definitely be "looking up"!  I hope we are all ready for that grand and glorious day.

Have a blessed and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. I will look forward to hearing all about it next week!