Saturday Thoughts

In case you missed this post on my Facebook page last night, I wanted to share it with you today as it was really special.  Here's what I wrote and the pictures that followed:

"My sweet Daughter in law Rose and I went out to watch the sunset together. It was a special time of enjoying God’s majesty in the skies while we talked about life together. I am very thankful God sent us a daughter in love to love our son and who also enjoys spending time with his family. We are truly blessed. And the skies were beautiful too. Thank You Lord for both blessings today."

These are the pictures I took as we stood out there beside Still Waters Pond, watching, waiting for the sun to go down, and talking about life.  The pictures here are not exactly in order of appearance, but it really doesn't matter. It was just such a lovely time.

The mosquitoes were biting my legs and arms, but I didn't want to spoil the moment by suggesting we go back inside. It was such a special time with my dear daughter in love. I don't have a daughter of my own, and so God, in His mercy and great love, provided Rose for me to love and enjoy. I am eternally grateful.

Rose's own mother passed away from a long illness not long after Rose and Benton got married, and so I kind of became her "mother" by default.  Thankfully, God arranged for us to live in a fairly close proximity, and so we are able to get together often as a family and enjoy a really sweet relationship.

Last evening the "kids" came over around 3:00 and Rose brought a pork loin roast to cook. We put it in the oven and peeled potatoes for mashed potatoes and made a salad. Then we just sat and visited until the roast was cooked and then we mashed the potatoes and made gravy and put it all on the table and sat down and enjoyed a delicious dinner.  Afterwards we played that "Deer in the Headlights" card game again for awhile, until time to go out and watch for the sunset.

The skies never did get very colorful like they sometimes do at sunset, but the clouds against the blue skies and the reflections on the water and silhouettes of the trees was still quite beautiful and interesting. And we both enjoyed the time together so much. 

I know it looks like I'm just showing you a lot of pictures of clouds and trees, etc., but to me this display just represents so much more.

I can't really put it all into words, but if you knew the whole "back story", you would understand. But that is not really my story to tell, just to appreciate and be thankful for how God works all things together for good...

Romans 8:28 NKJV

"28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, 

to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Psalm 113

"1  Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

Praise the name of the Lord!

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord

From this time forth and forevermore!

3 From the rising of the sun to its going down

The Lord’s name is to be praised.

4 The Lord is high above all nations,

His glory above the heavens.

5 Who is like the Lord our God,

Who dwells on high,

6 Who humbles Himself to behold

The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

7 He raises the poor out of the dust,

And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,

8 That He may seat him with princes—

With the princes of His people.

9 He grants the barren woman a home,

Like a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!"

Amen.

Foggy Saturday Morning

Good Foggy Saturday Morning to you!  This foggy view of Still Waters Pond is a lot like my brain this morning...LOL.  Didn't sleep well because of various reasons...too much going on here in the house with this flooring job...body aches and pains...typical stuff that keeps a mind awake when it should be sleeping...

So as I started typing this I looked back outside at the fog on the pond and thought to myself that it looks like it is even getting foggier. So I decided to go take another picture...and again, God's timing is always perfect:

You can just barely see them in this picture above...Mr. and Mrs. Sand Hill Crane were taking off from the marsh island to head out for the day's explorations elsewhere!  I am so glad I kept snapping pictures:

Because if I hadn't have gone out there at that precise moment, I would have missed this!!! I didn't even know they were still out there! There were being perfectly quiet, which is something for Sand Hill Cranes!

So, this lovely event has helped to awaken my foggy brain and get me up and at 'em, because today is going to be another busy, but happy day!

Like Mr. and Mrs. Sand Hill Crane, we must be up up and away!  The floor installers will be arriving around 8 a.m. to hopefully finish up the floors today. However, last night we realized we are running short of the flooring material, and one box was damaged, so with a last minute before the store closes phone call to see if they still have more of this particular product (thank the Lord, they do!), it was determined that we would drive into town (15 miles) to pick up extra and exchange the damaged one so the men can keep working.  

These are the scenes from yesterday's work in our great room

And here is how it was left last night when they left at 9:00 p.m.:

Today they will tackle my "Room With A View", where I am presently sitting typing this post to you. As soon as I hit "publish", I must disconnect the computer and get a move on!  Oh, and don't forget, our friend Linda and her hubby Dave are coming today and we will have lunch with them!  I had hoped to be able to show her a finished floor project, but I'm afraid that won't be quite the story yet...

So, without further delay, I must say good day!

Oh, here is where we've been spending our waiting hours...in the guest room, watching TV. That's my little "bear bear" watching with us. He was a gift from hubby when I had surgery last year, and he has become a sweet sleeping companion ever since. LOL.

And this was the sunset last night:

Psalm 113 says it best:

1 Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

Praise the name of the Lord!

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord

From this time forth and forevermore!

3 From the rising of the sun to its going down

The Lord’s name is to be praised.

4 The Lord is high above all nations,

His glory above the heavens.

5 Who is like the Lord our God,

Who dwells on high,

6 Who humbles Himself to behold

The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

7 He raises the poor out of the dust,

And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,

8 That He may seat him with princes—

With the princes of His people.

9 He grants the barren woman a home,

Like a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

 

Last Day of March? No Fooling?

 Here it is the last day of March already! What happened to this month? Although this particular week has seemed rather slow. I kept trying to make it go faster. I thought Tuesday was Wednesday, and Wednesday was Thursday, but now here it is really Thursday and tomorrow is April Fool's Day! I feel like I've been fooled already! LOL.  

Like this squirrel is trying to make like a statue and fool the Bluebirds into thinking he's not really there. They weren't fooled, however, and were keeping a watchful eye on him, dive bombing him if he got too close to their nest.

And these Canada Geese are standing at attention on the little marshy island in Still Waters Pond. They are standing like statues too...

Until someone gave the honking alert sound and they all started honking and here they go into flight mode.  Of course I couldn't get the in flight picture. They were too fast for my camera.

Last evening I was walking around the yard and came across this ugly sight:

Those are baby Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers, just freshly hatched apparently and eating the flowers on a weed in the yard. HOWEVER, they will soon move to other plants, like my amaryllis plants, and totally destroy them if I don't destroy them first. So, sorry, folks, but they are history! These fellows are not to be fooled with!

Speaking of Amaryllis Plants:

They are just getting ready to open up and bloom, and if those grasshoppers got on them and destroyed them, I would NOT be a happy camper!

My little blueberry bushes are developing blueberries. Sadly, there aren't very many. I accidentally knocked off some when we thought we were going to have a late freeze and I was trying to cover the plants.  We were fooled by the weather report and ended up not getting the freeze after all. Oh well, maybe they will get better as the season progresses. Time will tell.

The wild blackberries are certainly producing...but the birds usually get the berries before I do. Besides, there are too many thorns to get through to pick them to make it worth my while.

The birds will be happy.

Last evening's sunset on Still Waters Pond was lovely again:

I just stand in awe and watch it as it progresses.  I've been known to stand there and clap my hands and sing praises to God as well...

Psalm 113:1-6

1  Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

Praise the name of the Lord!

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord

From this time forth and forevermore!

3 From the rising of the sun to its going down

The Lord’s name is to be praised.

4 The Lord is high above all nations,

His glory above the heavens.

5 Who is like the Lord our God,

Who dwells on high,

(Sunrise this morning)

6 Who humbles Himself to behold

The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

(this picture was taken a couple of weeks ago when we had a full moon. It was reflecting on the water and Mr. Blue Heron was out there fishing for his breakfast)

And here is some encouragement and hope for us today:

17 ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. 

There is nothing too hard for You.

Jeremiah 32:17

No Fooling!!!

Have a blessed last day of March!

Thankful for God's Blessings

Writing on Thursday evening...Did you happen to see the sunset tonight? 

If you missed it, you missed a glorious time rejoicing in God's glorious beauty in the skies!

Psalm 113 would be a fitting song of praise:

1.  "Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the LORD,

Praise the name of the LORD!

2.  Blessed be the name of the LORD

from this time forth and forevermore!

3.  From the rising of the sun to its going down

The LORD's name is to be praised.

4.  The LORD is high above all nations,

His glory above the heavens.

5.  Who is like the LORD our God,

Who dwells on high,

6.  Who humbles Himself to behold 

the things that are in the 

heavens and in the earth?

.

7.  He raises the poor out of the dust,

and lifts the needy out of the ash heap,

(Mississippi Kites seem to be multiplying in our treetops)

8.  That He may seat him with princes--
with the princes of His people.

9.  He grants the barren woman a home,

Like a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

Job 37:14 says:

"Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God."

Tonight I am thankful for a good week.  God is very gracious unto us.  The sunsets have been amazing every evening. We are in good health, and God is providing all our needs. Even our children are being well taken care of and seem to have more work than they can handle, but that is God's way of blessing them and we are glad for this answer to prayer.  I had a little tummy bug yesterday, but today it "took care of itself" and I am feeling much better. So much better that we decided to have the "kids" over for a roast beef supper...roasts were on sale at the store and it has been forever since we have had a roast beef, mashed potato and gravy, fresh broccoli and glazed carrot dinner.  My sweet daughter in love brought peanut butter cookie brownies for dessert...very good.  We are blessed beyond measure and give God the glory, Great things He has done!

What are you thankful for tonight? When we stop and think about it, we can become overcome with joy and thanksgiving.    Amen? Amen.