What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!
Showing posts with label Mary Englebreit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary Englebreit. Show all posts

Saturday, July 26, 2025

Saturday Revue

 Is it really Saturday?  What happened To Friday?  I totally meant to post something yesterday, but like I mentioned in a previous post, the week seemed to be filled with delays, and yesterday was one of them. What I had hoped to write about earlier in the day never happened until too late in the day to sit down and concentrate and write, so it had to be delayed until today, and now it's getting late in this day too! LOL.


I've had chairs on my mind this week...and while thinking about chairs, this picture came to my mind,  as illustrated by Mary Englebreit for her book "Life is Just a Chair of Bowlies"...

Internet Photo...by Mary Engelbreit

I was going to attempt to explain it, but Google AI had the answers already there for us:

"People also ask:
What is the meaning of chair of bowlies?
AI Overview:

"The phrase "chair of bowlies" is a playful misinterpretation of the idiom "life is just a bowl of cherries." It suggests that life is filled with easy, pleasant experiences, like being served food in a bowl, implying comfort and ease. It's often used in a humorous or slightly sarcastic way to contrast with the reality that life can be challenging and not always easy."

Hubby being served pie, not in a bowl, but on a paper plate, on Father's Day, while sitting in his favorite chair.
Talking about life being full of challenges, and not just like a bowl of cherries (by the way, that was blueberry pie, not cherry), this past Sunday hubby was having a bad day physically and even though we went to church, he needed help getting out to the car and into the house afterwards.  The kids were all here for lunch, and although he went straight to bed, he got up a while later and ate something and sat in his chair.  The problem is, he was having difficulty getting up and down out of his chair, which is an extra large recliner.  I don't know how many years he has had this chair, but more than ten I am pretty sure.  So, the kids started talking about maybe he needed a new chair, one that lifts.  I started looking them up and trying to find an extra large chair that lifts, etc., but hubby said that he really didn't want a new chair. He thinks his old chair is just fine. And he definitely doesn't think he's ready for a "lift chair".   And yes, even though the doctor appointment this past week and review of his lab tests didn't show any major issues, nonetheless, he still has some issues that need to be figured out. It didn't help that he told the doctor that he "felt just fine" while we were there, so the doctor didn't see any need to refer him to anyone else...but since then he hasn't felt "just fine", and we may be going back to discuss things next week.

But in the meantime, while looking at the recliners online, I mentioned that my old chair is getting rather worn out and that it is causing me a lot of back issues because the seat is sinking and the chair just doesn't properly support my arthritic back anymore.

You've seen this picture before in a previous post about where I like to sit and read:
Yes, on the surface it still looks pretty good, but internally it is breaking down and if you could see me when I try to get up and stand up after sitting for about a half hour or so, you'd think something was really wrong.  I started calculating how long we've had that chair, and to the best of my recollections, we bought it USED around 15 years ago. It was in pretty good shape then, but that was then, and this is now, and lately I've had to add a stiffer seat cushion under me as well as a back cushion. 



So, after further discussion, it was determined that I should look for a chair for me instead! Okay, that sounded like a good plan!  Rather than shopping in various furniture stores (where the prices are usually a bit higher), I started searching online. My sweet dil Rose, who works at Home Depot, said that you can actually order recliners through Home Depot online, and they will deliver them to your house! (Free delivery too!)  So my search began...and for the record, I was also looking for an extra large chair for hubby too, but the more I looked, the more I realized he really needs to go sit in a chair and make sure it fits him. He is tall and has a large frame, and the chairs I was seeing just didn't look like they were going to fit him even though they claimed to be "oversized".  

However, I did finally narrow it down to one chair for me that was on sale at a very good price, and it even has lumbar heat and massage up and down the back!  Now that's something I would love! So after hem-hawing around and checking every option, I finally took the plunge and ordered the chair for me. They said it would be delivered on Thursday, which was fine, because originally hubby's Dr. appointment was scheduled for Wednesday, so we didn't have any other commitments on Thursday. Then the doctor's office called and said they had to postpone his appointment until Thursday...so...we called our son asked him if he could stay at the house while we went to the doctor in case the chair was delivered...which he said he would.  THEN, the Home Depot delivery people sent us a text saying that the delivery was being delayed and wouldn't come until FRIDAY! So, good, that meant that Benton wouldn't have to come wait for it because we would be here on Friday!

Friday came, and the tracking for the delivery said the chair was on it's way. Of course, they didn't say what time they would arrive, so of course we were tied down to the house all day waiting.  Finally at about 3:30 p.m. we heard a door slam outside and rushed to the door to welcome the delivery people, however, they were actually getting back IN the truck and driving away!  I started waving my arms at them to come back, and then I noticed that they had placed the chair (in a very heavy, large square box) on the ground at the foot of the steps to our porch! What??? They call that "delivery???"   I couldn't believe my eyes!

Thankfully, our son lives pretty close by, and so I called him and told him what had happened, and he came right over and managed to get the heavy, awkward box up the steps and onto the porch.  However, it would not fit through the front door.  So we had to open the box on the porch and take the chair out, which was in sections, and bring it inside and figure out how to put it all together!  There's NO WAY hubby and I could've done that by ourselves! It was a major job, and we are SO thankful for our strong young son who was available and able to figure it out (although it did take some doing, for sure!), and finally the chair was in place and ready for me to try it out:

|



Ahhhhh.....

Let me tell you, that massage and heat sure felt good!

Now, let me say that I am very thankful for this chair already. Last night I sat in it and read my book for over an hour without getting up. I used the massager for a few minutes before getting up, and when I stood up, I had absolutely no problem standing up straight and walking! I practically jumped for joy! I've not been able to do that for a LONG time!!! So, was it worth all the hassle and delays and craziness? Yes, it was.    

But a few words of wisdom...if you are going to order a chair online and have it "delivered" to your house, make sure you have someone strong and smart who can help you get it inside and set it up.  I think we could've paid extra to have someone do that, but it never occurred to us that they wouldn't even bring it up the 5 steps to our porch and at least knock on the door to let us know they were there!  

And btw, my old chair is going to be donated to our church thrift shop. Maybe someone can get some more use out of it, or they may know how to make the necessary repairs to tighten up the seat and make it last another 15 years.  I hope so. 

Furthermore, I am still on the lookout for a new chair for hubby, but I've convinced him that he really needs to go to a store and try them out first. And then we will let them deliver it and set it up for us, even if we have to pay for it to be done, it's worth it.

Psalm 16:5-6, 11

5 "O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.

11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."



The End.

(Thank you to Mary Englebreit for her brilliant inspiration!)




Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Special Announcement and Tuesday 4: Friendship.


 Greetings from my desk to yours...This will be brief...our WiFi modem is dying and seems to keep dropping in and out. We have contacted our internet provider, and they cannot come to replace it until Thursday.   Right now at this moment it is working, but by the time I finish typing this, it may be back off again, so you may or may not ever see this message.  I didn't have time to do the Tuesday 4 meme today as I had other things planned and had hoped to get it done tonight.  But I don't want to chance it and will just say that most likely you won't be seeing much of me for the next couple of days.  

Of course without the internet, we also cannot watch TV...and I cannot access the WiFi items on my cell phone either, so things could get pretty quiet around here.  I told hubby we need to just take tomorrow off and go someplace, like the beach or some other interesting place rather than sit here staring at the four walls.  It's sad that we've become so dependent on the internet for our communication as well as entertainment, bill paying, GPS, all of the above and more.  We've forgotten how to "live" without it.  I've been reading a lot of Amish fiction lately, and they seem to get along just fine without it or any other modern convenience. We may need to get back to the basics again and try to spend a little more time focused on real life, right here in front of us without any technological interference. Sounds good to me. 

Well, right now we seem to have two green lights on the modem, so I'll keep typing. LOL.  

I don't really have anything much to share anyway...but the other morning I was in a "vintage mood" and decided to eat my breakfast on this vintage china that belonged to my hubby's grandmother. It was a very common pattern back in the day, seems like everyone had some kind of dishes similar to this. I love it and wish I had a whole set of it!

It was perfect for my two fried eggs and two blueberry bran muffins.

Later that day, after we had gone to the store, I had bought some very good fresh Bing Cherries. It made me think about Mary Englebreit's "Life is Just a Chair of Bowlies", instead of the saying "Life is just a bowl of cherries."  So Lily Grace got in on the act and sat in the chair with a Mary Englebreit placemat and had a bowl of cherries.   I had shared more about this particular placemat HERE sometime last year, when I first got it and thought it was so cute.  It's still cute, don't you agree? And it goes so well with the bowl of cherries and Lily Grace  wanted to say hello again!

Still in the "vintage mood", this was the bowl that I used for the cherries...Isn't it a beauty?

Here's the pattern name if you are interested:   It's the only one I have of it. Found it at a yard sale sometime ago.


Well, the internet seems to be holding up while I type, so I might as well try to do the Tuesday 4 meme for today.  Hopefully I will get it posted before it goes down again.

Here goes nothing... LOL.

Friendship

".,,there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" Psalms 18

It's time once again for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.




Let's talk about friendship.


1. Do you have or have you had a special or best friend or do you consider all your friends the same?
 
I was blessed all during my school years to have several really special friends. We grew up together, 1st grade through 12th grade, and so we shared many experiences together during all of our stages of growth...early childhood through adolescence and almost adults...Many of us have stayed in touch through the years, and especially now through Facebook.  I don't want to single out any one of them because I love them all.  HERE is a link to a post I wrote about my old school friends, complete with pictures, if you are interested in going down memory lane with me.  I was blessed to grow up when and where I did, and I treasure every friend.

2. Many in the past had close relationships and fell in love through letters. What do you think of online friendships.. are they real ? Are there friends who last a lifetime?
I think our online friendships are very real.  I consider every one of you a special friend, and I treasure your friendship very much.  I have been privileged to meet a few of you in person, and I wish we could ALL meet in person sometime.  Yes,  there are definitely friends who last a lifetime.  See my #1 answer above.  

3. Are there stories, movies or TV programs that you enjoyed because of the friendship or relationship portrayed in it?
I'm trying to think...Anne of Green Gables comes to mind...Here is one of several posts I've written about that particular character.

4. What does friendship mean to you?
All of a sudden I remembered that I had received the book "Friendship", by Ralph Waldo Emerson, as a graduation gift from a lady in my church. So I just went in search of it and found it on a bookshelf...goodness, I've had that book for 55 years!!  I will give one quote from this little book:

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.  
Shall I not call God the Beautiful, who daily showeth Himself so to me in His gifts?"...
"My friends have come to me unsought.  The great God gave them to me."

That is an excellent way to describe how I feel about my friends...they are gifts from God to me...to bless my life with their presence and kindness and sincerity.  I am indeed very thankful for all of my friends, old and new, near and far...

Here are some other little quotes that are hanging on the walls around my home that will also give an insight to how I feel about friendship:


Each of these special little plaques were actual gifts from dear friends.




Friendship is a very special gift that I truly cherish. 
Thank you for being my friend.


Well, I guess I made it all the way through this post without the internet going down! Maybe it has healed itself...or maybe God touched it with His special grace so that I could share this post with you.
Either way, I am happy I was able to spend this time with you.
Now let's go see what our other friends are writing about over at
Thank you, Annie, for making this possible.

I will try to get around to visit you all, but if I don't it will probably be because the internet went back down. So bear with me please, friends!
💕