Tuesday 4~ St. Patrick's Day

 I had another post started for yesterday and got busy and never finished it, so now today is St. Patrick's Day, and I guess I'd better address that first and go back to the other one later! LOL.  So here we go...

St Patrick's Day

It is St. Pattys Day here at Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4...


1. Do you celebrate in any significant way?

Not particularly...I will probably be wearing green wherever I do and whatever I do, but I don't have any special plans for today except that I hope to plant my vegetables that I bought over the weekend...Benton is supposed to bring over the wooden planter boxes for me so I can get started on it...we'll see how far we get! 

Lily Grace and her dog Bailey are all dressed up for St. Patrick's Day...they are hiding in a forest of shamrocks and looking for the pot of gold! LOL.

You can click HERE for more adventures with Lily Grace!

2. Is it religious to you or secular?

It is a secular day in my mind. Although we appreciate the stories and legend of St. Patrick, we do not really connect that with anything "religious".  He was a good man and it's a fun day to remember what he did for Ireland.

3. Is there any green in your wardrobe ? Your home? Is it a good color for you?

I have some green in my wardrobe, but it is mostly either more of a forest green or a teal green. I do have one kind of emerald green top that I will wear today so I don't get pinched. LOL.

4.March has a lot of things associated with it... The Ides of March on the 15th, St. Patrick's Day and the old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.
How is your March going thus far? Is it quiet? Is the weather good, bad or ugly? Is it a lion or a lamb?

Well, yestereday was certainly a lion as far as the weather is concerned! We had quite the thunderstorm yesterday afternoon, and I hear that there are trees down in various places around here. There was a lot of lightning and thunder and very wild winds for a while. Thankfully we are fine and we didn't lose power, so that's good. It also has cooled down to 40 degrees this morning after being in the 80's yesterday!

These photos of the skies were actually taken the night before last, (Sunday night), when we also had a good rain! Rain two days in a row! Woo Hoo! Prayers are being answered!  

But this is the Still Very Dry Still Waters Pond after the rain...it's like a big sponge soaking up the water, but there is still not enough to have any water on top of the ground. It's going to take a LOT more rain for that to happen.  

But hey! There's one blossom on the Bottlebrush Bush! That's a start! LOL.

Hopefully today Benton is going to bring over my above ground wooden planters so I can get the vegetable plants planted. Although I hear we might get a frost tomorrow morning, so we'll see...I may decide to wait...but then again...I hate to keep putting it off...decisions, decisions...I can always cover them...Tune in for further developments! LOL.

In keeping with the tradition of the day, HERE is a link to a post I wrote a few years ago for Toni's Creative Adventures.  Our Toni Taddeo was a very creative lady, and she often did these special "Creative Adventures" for us to make up little stories to go along with a theme. This one was my favorite, and it bears repeating again today especially for St. Patrick's Day. I hope you will take the time to revisit it and enjoy this little fairy tale today with a lovely Irish little lady.

Tuesday 4 ~ The Windy Month

 The Windy Month

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we try to have fun answering questions about various subjects.

March, they say, comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. It is called the windy month like Chicago is called the windy city!

1. Has March come in like a lion or a lamb in your neck of the woods?

I would say it has been mostly a lion, at least these past few days,  with a LOT of wind and a stormy weekend. It was warm in the high 80's yesterday, and today it was in the 60's, but the wind made it feel much colder.

2. There have been some awful storms of late.. have you suffered through them or have you ever suffered through a very bad storm in your life? (if so we wish you well)

Speaking of physical weather type storms, again, we are thankful that the predicted tornadoes for yesterday did not materialize here in our neck of the woods, but it was definitely a stormy afternoon.  Regarding other kinds of storms in life, yes, I've had them...haven't we all?  I believe everyone goes through different kinds of storms in life...and we really can't compare them with each other because whatever it is/was, it was a hard time to go through for each one of us.  But I am SO thankful that I know the Lord and that He has always been there for me in every kind of storm...oftentimes He has had to carry me when I just couldn't keep going on my own, but the beautiful thing is He did not ever let me go.  


3. Spring begins March 20th and ends with summer on June 20th this year. Any plans for Spring in general? How about the spring holidays?

No special plans that I am aware of at this time.  It would be nice to take a little spring trip to the mountains or the beach, but I doubt we will do either one. We just don't do much traveling anymore unless our kids go with us and do the bulk of the driving.  Easter is always a very special time for us, but we don't travel. We usually spend Easter with our family here at home and have dinner after church. Our church choir usually presents an Easter Cantata, and this year will be no exception. We are already working on it and it is always a blessing for those who participate in the singing as well as for those who come to witness it.


4. What are your favorite springtime flowers? Trees or shrubs?
How about a song with a springtime theme to it that you enjoy?

Right now we are enjoying the azaleas blooming everywhere we look.  And yesterday at church I noticed for the first time a beautiful wisteria vine blooming over the fence in our parking lot. I had to go take some pictures as they were so gorgeous:

The reason I'd never noticed them before was because this fence is behind where the old log cabin building stood on our church property for 100 years, before a tree fell on it during a hurricane a few years ago and we ended up tearing it down.  If these flowers bloomed last year, I just must not have been looking at the right time! 

( A link to another post about the log building.)

This little spiderwort flower was blooming everywhere too:

I have been very happy that the Hibiscus plant we planted recently is blooming very nicely:

Of course, I love many spring flowers, but a lot of my favorites don't grow here in Florida, like daffodils, lilacs, peonies, tulips.  Some areas do have lovely dogwood trees that bloom in spring and many other beautiful flowers. 

A song with a springtime theme?  Hmmm, I'm drawing a blank. I may have to come back to this later. While I'm thinking about it, I am writing this on Monday evening, which is St. Patrick's Day! I didn't do a St. Patrick's Day post today, but couldn't let the day pass without sharing these cute pictures:

Lily Grace was all ready today for St. Patrick's Day, and she had some special friends to play with as well:

Her cute little Fairy Friend was also wearing the green:

These sweet little Madame Alexander dolls, Miss Irish on the left, and Miss Scotland on the right, are ready for an Irish Tea Party:

For a previous fun post about Lily Grace and her friends on an Irish Adventure, click HERE

But the most exciting thing for Lily Grace today was that she finally got to meet Blackie and Sunshine up close and personal:

Blackie was giving Lily Grace the sniff test to make sure she was safe, and not going to bark at him like those puppies did yesterday! LOL.  Aww, I think he's giving her a sweet kitty kiss:

Then Sunshine also had to check her out and make sure she was safe:

I think they both gave her their kiss of approval!

And I think Lily Grace gave her seal of approval too!  So now they are all friends! Hooray!

Oh, and true to my word, I went around and checked on the Sand Hil Crane couple today to see if there was any "news",  but so far it appears that Mama Crane is still sitting on the nest:

And Daddy Crane is still keeping a close watch nearby for intruders:

So for now, no new babies for St. Patrick's Day!  

Okay, to close this post, I just thought of a "Song" for Spring, but it isn't exactly a song set to music (that I know of), but it is known as the "Song of Songs" or "Song of Solomon" , 

Song of Solomon 2:11-13 NKJV

"11 For lo, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone.

12 The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of singing has come,

And the voice of the turtledove

Is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs,

And the vines with the tender grapes

Give a good smell.

Rise up, my love, my fair one,

And come away!"

And with that I will bid you farewell for this episode of the Tuesday 4 meme! Be sure to go over HERE to check out what others are writing today

A Visit to Ireland- A Creative Adventure Revisited

In honor of St. Patrick's Day and also in memory of our blogging friend Toni Taddeo...I wanted to repost this special little story.  I've shared it several times now over the past few years, but since St. Patrick's Day only happens once a year, I hope you won't mind reading it again if you already have, and if you are a newer friend here this may be your first time to enjoy this little Irish Fairy Tale.  Here is what I wrote in 2021, and prior to that when Toni was still here with us.

3/16/2021:

Our dear friend Toni Taddeo,  also known in the blogging world as Treasures By Toni, passed away several years ago.  Toni left us with such a wonderful heritage of creative writing adventures, poetry, and interesting blog themes. Those of us who were privileged to have been Toni's blogging and Facebook friends miss her daily smiles and wisdom.  Our friend Annie over at Cottage By The Sea has picked up where Toni left off with a Tuesday 4  weekly theme in memory of Toni.  You may want to check that out.

But today I wanted to do something a little different, in memory of Toni.  Toni used to do a "Toni's Creative Adventures" meme, where she would give us several unfinished sentences that we needed to complete with our own special creative adventure.  Here is one that I did, using Toni's prompts, back in March of 2018.  Since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day I thought I would share this one again, as I also did last year at this time. So here we go, back in time and space to a happy place...won't you come along with me? Some of you have already commented in times past, but there are a few new friends who might not have ever seen this before. I hope you will enjoy it.

Original Post 3/12/2018

So, what did YOU do the Monday after the time change to spring forward?  I know what I did...I took a nap!  (I did yesterday too...and the day before that, and the day before that...) I actually look forward to nap time!  I snuggle down with my blankie and pillow and fall asleep within one minute (wish I could do that at night)...and I stay asleep for at least fifteen minutes...sometimes twenty or even thirty!

Well today I must have either fallen into a much deeper sleep, or perhaps something else happened...I'm not exactly sure... but I found myself...

1.   "Walking in a countryside in Ireland,  and I see a strange green glow coming from behind a large tree. Walking up to it I find a large pot of shamrocks...

 They were so lovely, they seemed to be glowing and smiling up at me...

2.   Being the curious kind I decide to pick a little bouquet...

3.   Much to my surprise as I bend to pick them, a sudden gale blew up and whirled me around and round and finally sat me down on a lovely garden bench. 

As I recovered from feeling a bit dizzy, I looked around, and sitting there beside me was a delightful little tea tray, with the prettiest little Irish red haired girl blinking her bright green eyes at me and asking me if I'd like to have some tea!

Well, of course, I said yes!  

And then she asked if I would do the honor of pouring since the teapot was so hot and a bit too heavy for her to lift...and so I did.  

As we sat there together, sipping our tea,  it was so peaceful and lovely in spite of the wind...and I noticed some dainty little wildflowers blooming across the lawn, and thought how perfect they would be for our tea table...

The little yellow flowers looked like miniature dandelions. 

The tiny purple flowers were so delicate and airy...it seemed as though they belonged in a fairy garden.  (Perhaps it was???)

4.   Deciding this must truly be an Irish fairytale, I laughingly think to myself that I must have fallen out of bed or hit my head or something, because how could I really be sitting in that lovely little garden in Ireland, sipping tea with this lovely young maiden when just a few minutes ago I was taking a little nap in my own bedroom many miles and oceans away?

Suddenly I woke up, sprang out of bed, rubbed my eyes and looked around my room. Everything looked just the same as it had before my nap.

And then I got up and went into the kitchen, and there on the windowsill was this tiny little bouquet...

But where did that shamrock come from?...  What do you think?

Thank you, Toni!  This was delightful!!!

Well, You have just come along with me on another of Toni's Creative Adventures...  and I wish Toni were still here to share more of her creative ideas with us.  These were a lot of fun, and I am sad that I didn't participate in them very often, because now all of her special creative adventures are lost to us.  Perhaps there are some of you out there who might have some of them saved in your blog archives, and maybe we could revive them again in memory of Toni...just a thought! It's another way to keep her memory alive and we could all benefit from the wonderful ideas she shared with us.

2021: Current picture in my kitchen! The little Irish Maiden found a little Scottish Maiden friend, and they picked some fairy flowers for us to enjoy for St. Patrick's Day!  

They had a little help from another little "Irish Lass", 

Miss Lily Grace....

who is all dressed up in her Irish Green so she won't get pinched!

And perhaps some help from the fairies as well...

Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV)

 "A merry heart does good, like medicine,

But a broken spirit dries the bones."

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 I hope you all enjoyed this little adventure in fairyland with me. In the midst of  the current world situation we need a little levity and creativity to lift us above our troubles and help us to enjoy some lighter, happier moments.  Have a blessed and beautiful St. Patrick's day...and be watching for the little fairies and leprechauns to bring some cheer to your day!

Tuesday 4 ~ It's March!

 

It's March!


Welcome to Tuesday 4 begun by Toni Taddeo.
It's March and it might be nice to talk a bit about it.
The year is going by quickly....


1. March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion. How has it made it's debut in your area?

It's been a bit windy and rainy, and this morning it's foggy!  Pretty much typical March weather for us here in north central Florida. It's also been getting up in the 70's each day, with lows in the high 50's/low 60's.  So not too bad at all.
2. Is St Patrick's Day something you observe?

Only in the sense that it's a fun day to wear green so I won't get pinched, and maybe use a bit more green in my decor.  Although we are part Irish, (mostly "Scotch-Irish, English, and German") it was never something that was a big deal for us.
3. Do you observe Easter?

Most definitely!  Easter is THE most important Holy Day for all Christians.  Without Christ's atoning sacrifice for our sins, we would all still be lost in our sins with no hope of heaven.  But Jesus said in John 3:16  

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

And also in John 11:25 Jesus said:

“I am the resurrection and the life. 

He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

And then this passage in Luke 24:5-6

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!"

And that is why we celebrate Easter!  It's not just about the Easter Bunny and the colored eggs, although those are the fun aspects of celebrating the resurrection and new life that Easter represents. But without recognizing the true meaning of Christ's Resurrection from the dead, Easter would be meaningless.

HERE is a link to a post I wrote some time ago, "What Easter Means to Me".

4. What will those holidays see you doing this year?

Well, St. Patrick's Day will probably find us doing the usual routine, but wearing green!

Easter will see us going to church, and our choir will present our Easter musical cantata entitled: 

And after church we will come home and have a traditional Easter dinner, but so far that's all I know...we haven't gotten that far in our plans.  Oh, and we also have the great family Easter Basket hunt. We hide the whole basket here at our house, not just the eggs!  It's getting more difficult to find suitable hiding places as these "kids" are too smart for the old "Easter Bunny". LOL. But we have a lot of fun with it and that's been our family tradition since I was a little girl.  Here's a blast from the past:

I'm the little redhead on the front row, next to my beautiful mother. On the back is my sister Doris, brothers Clifford and Russell and my Daddy.  

Okay, that's it for today! Hope you have a wonderful MARCH and Easter season!

You can join in the March fun HERE

Happy Belated Friday Photos and St. Patty's Day

Happy Saturday...and belated St. Patrick's Day! We were busy all day yesterday with some company from out of town, so I didn't have a chance to write anything. But I know you are all waiting with baited breath to find out about our Sand Hill Crane Family...

Well, just as I figured...the baby cranes, "Colts" both hatched yesterday on St. Patrick's Day!

First there was one making a timid appearance:

Welcome to the world, little "St. Patrick"

And the proud parents doted on him throughout the morning hours:

And then a little later in the day egg #2 hatched, and I named him (or her?) St. Valentine, because we first saw the eggs on the nest on Valentine's Day:

As the day progressed you could see them both toddling around on the nest, with Mom and Day standing close by, showing them what to do and where to eat...

It seems like they grew bigger and stronger throughout the day:

And by nightfall they were all tuckered out and went to sleep up under mother's wings for the night.  This morning they've been actively walking around and eating, but it's kind of cloudy and threatening to rain and I can't really get a good picture. But I have a feeling there will be many more photos coming in the future!  

Meanwhile, the Bluebirds have been quite busy feeding their hungry brood in the birdhouse. No sign of them fledging the nest just yet, but I think it will be soon:

Yummy juicy grasshoppers!

Amazing little baby birds can eat that whole thing!

Mama and Daddy patiently waiting for me to quit taking pictures so they can go back and check on their babies:

Meanwhile this Red Bellied Woodpecker is pecking his way up and down the trees in search of a good juicy bug...

I wonder what he found?

Always a lot of activity around here on Still Waters Pond!

Our company left this morning after a nice breakfast at our church community breakfast that we have once a month, but here's a few pictures taken yesterday while we were out and about showing them the town and surrounding area:

Of course we visited Dixie Cottage

And then we took a ride up to one of our favorite places, Lake Swan Camp, which I've written about before HERE and HERE.  We played a little miniature golf game, and we girls beat the boys, of course!

These are very dear friends that we've known for over 40 years.   We all served in the ministry in the same area and denomination for quite a few years, and spent a lot of time together at church conferences, etc.  They are the kind of friends that you can just relax and be yourself with and know that you are loved.  

Then we went to lunch at another favorite place, Hog Wild Cafe'.  I didn't get pictures of us dining, but I did take some pictures of the decor:

I don't think I'd want to run into this "hornet's nest" while out in the wild...

Or this one either:

Not even this old wringer washer could wash away the pain of those kinds of stings:

And I found this sign in the Ladie's Room:

And I think I will leave it at that for today!

So be happy!

Make them wonder what you're up to!

Today is also our son Scott's birthday, and he will be coming home a little later to celebrate. So I am baking a cake and cooking some ribs in the crock pot.  It would be a wonderful day. Our other kids will be coming over for supper as well.  So the joy continues on.

"See you later alligator!

After while crocodile!"