Tuesday 4~ Relaxing

 

Relaxing

Hello! Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.
Do you keep busy all the time? Many people don't take time to smell the roses. What about you?

1. When was the last time you sat down and relaxed and allowed the weight of the world to melt away?

Just a few minutes ago.  I sat down and looked at a new magazine that had come in the mail...

I don't get many magazines anymore...so many of them just have way too much advertising and not enough content. But Country Living still has some beautiful pictures and stories, and someone very thoughtful actually subscribed to it for me, so I will enjoy it as long as it lasts!

It's relaxing to just sit and peruse the pictures and dream a little bit about some of the things I see and the ideas they have for decorating and cooking, etc. Now that so much is online we don't get to actually hold a real magazine very often, and I do enjoy sitting back in my recliner and looking and dreaming a bit.  

This issue had pictures of log cabins...just my style and idea of real relaxation!

2. What things do you find most relaxing ? How often do you get to do these things?

Of course, most of you know I find photographing nature to be a very enjoyable and relaxing thing to do.  Our own Still Waters Pond gives me plenty of  subjects to photograph.  I try to take the time to look out there often and see whatever there is to see. Some days there is nothing much to see, but then other days we are blessed with beautiful creatures from God's Creation who stand and wait for me to take their picture as if they expect it!  The Great Blue Heron stood very still for me this morning. I was most appreciative!

I'm always so thankful and blessed when God provides these beauties for me to enjoy!

I also love taking pictures of sunrises and sunsets. The sunrise the other morning was just gorgeous, and the Sand Hill Cranes made a cameo appearance in a fly-over while I was enjoying the moment:

Can you see them?

There they go! Off to wherever it is they like to spend the day, and then they come back here to our pond for the night.

It was definitely a beautiful way to start the day!

3. What things wind you up and keep you from relaxing?

Housework! LOL. Knowing it needs to be done, and not having the energy (or desire) to get up and do it, but feeling guilty that I'm not doing it.  So I can't relax until I do.  Now, these next pictures have a story.  Saturday morning hubby said very sweetly to me that perhaps it was time I thought about cleaning out my side of our closet, as the clothes racks are starting to look overly full and crowded. I was a little bit put off by his "suggestion", and made a few comments that may not have been entirely sweet and demure in response, but after I thought about it, I decided that he was probably right. I hate to admit that ever...but yes, it was time I did something about my half of the closet. We won't mention the fact that the reason HIS half of the closet looks so nice is because he takes his extra seasonal things out and puts them all in the guest room closet, and I can't even hardly open the door to THAT closet because it is so full of HIS stuff...but we won't mention THAT! LOL.  So moving right along...

And so, I started weeding things out of my side of the closet...and found many things that probably should go to the thrift store so someone else can get some use out of them because I am not wearing them anymore for various reasons.  Among those items were some very special things that I have been holding onto for quite a few years...18 to be exact.  Why? Well, these next items belonged to my mother. They were things that I saved out of her closet after she passed away, and I actually thought I would wear some of them, (and I have), but now I no longer wear them, and they really aren't my style, and they are still in excellent condition for being so old, (my mother had good taste and had some lovely things, but I only kept some that I thought I would wear or that I had actually given to her).

These two jackets I gave to my mother, and I can remember her wearing them, and when I was still working, I often wore them to work. 

And she had some lovely little blouses with short sleeves...

I love this delicate pink one...but again...I just don't wear these kinds of blouses anymore.

I actually wrote a post about this blouse and one of my mother's sweaters HERE a long time ago. The sweater I have decided to keep, as I still wear it occasionally and I really don't want to let it go yet.

I always loved the collars on these two blouses:

So anyway, I made up my mind that it was time to let those things go. It wasn't easy, but it's time.  I pray there will be some dear person who will appreciate them and enjoy wearing them. 

Here's the bags of items I gathered. They will go to the church thrift store tomorrow, and that will be that.

My hubby commended me for a job well done. I thanked him, but told him that  he needs to get rid of about 5 or 6 suits from his years in the ministry that he will most likely never wear again, along with several winter jackets that we have no use for here in Florida. We live in a very casual area, and men just don't wear suits to church here.  We will save one or two for possible weddings or funerals, but that should be enough.

 But that's another story for another day. LOL.

4. When was the last time you treated yourself to something, anything that is special?

Hmmm, I'm thinking...the trip we took to the mountains was pretty special, and I'd say that was a real treat. You've already heard all about that, however.

How about this?  You'll think this is crazy. We took a little walk this evening, and we came across this bush that was blooming: Turk's Cap or Sleeping Hibiscus

With it's bright red flowers on the green leaves, it almost looks Christmassy, doesn't it?

Here's a close up of the flower:

So what's so special about that you may ask? Well...Here I am reliving a childhood memory from our days on the playground at school!  There were always lots of these plants growing all around our playground, and the flower has a very sweet nectar that if you pick it off the stem and suck the end of it, you will get a delightful little sip of what the butterflies and bees love to much!

Hubby also remembers doing this as a child. I think every child who grew up in Florida in our era had this experience.  And so we both enjoyed this little treat very much! It took us back to our childhood!

Here's a Psalm for the day:

Psalm 145:14-19

"14 The Lord upholds all who fall,

And raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season.

16 You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways,

Gracious in all His works.

18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them."

And so with that I will conclude this edition of the Tuesday 4 meme for this week.  If you wish to join in the fun, you can do so HERE!  I hope you found this "relaxing" and enjoyable! See you again next week!