It's October!!!

 It's October first! And you know what THAT means!  It's time for the Calendar Roll Call!!

No better way to express the essence of Autumn than with this beautiful picture by John Sloane, from his Country Seasons Calendar..."Welcome to Autumn"...

For those of you who live in the region where there are scenes like this, I know you can well imagine the "thrill" of raking leaves with your children...and perhaps falling into a pile of leaves as soon as they are raked up!  That's what my little boys did way back many moons ago when we lived in Ohio:

This is from the Susan Branch calendar for October:

I see that she listed October 12th as "Indigenous People's Day", and neglected to add that it is also "Columbus Day". Although I have no problem in setting aside a special day for the "Indigenous People", I do have a problem with the movement to erase Columbus Day from our calendar. But I won't get political here...just wanted to remember that in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And who remembers the names of the three ships?  The Pinta, The Niña, and the Santa Maria.   And please be kind...no debates here regarding this special day from our history. Thank you.

Oh, the Susan Branch calendar did add something really good...a recipe for Corn Pudding!  Who doesn't love a good corn pudding at Thanksgiving (or any church pot luck dinner?) Yum!

Well, after raking the leaves out on a chilly, windy, autumn day, why not come inside for a cup of hot tea with me? Although this particular picture doesn't depict our typical kind of fall fare...and is that a grasshopper on that teapot? It is an interesting Japanese design.

This is actually a teapot designed for drinking "sake" during New Year's celebrations in Japan...

Okay, if you like that, be my guest, but I will be serving tea...

It's really not that difficult:

Now, this is more like it...wow! What a beautiful stone cottage beside the creek... This painting by Thomas Kincade is entitled "The Valley of Peace".  It certainly does look peaceful now...and I love the verses included on the picture and below..."Casting all your care upon him; (the Lord), for He carethe for you." 1 Peter 5:7

And now we move on to the Billy Graham calendar for October...love those beautiful red apples...

And I love this promise quote from Billy Graham...especially the part, "God has not yet finished with us."   That's good to know, isn't it?  

And I love this verse from Psalm 139:16...God knew us even before we were born...and every day of our lives is already recorded in God's book!! Wow...that's certainly a major thought to consider...

And last, but not least, we can ponder all these things while we cozy up in front of the fire in this lovely little cabin in the woods...Oh my! I can hear the fire crackling in the fireplace, and perhaps there's an apple pie in the oven and something good bubbling on the stove...chili? soup? stew?  What's your favorite comfort food to make on a chilly fall day after being outside raking leaves and/or taking a walk in the woods on an autumn day?  Any of the above sound good to me, but chili is probably the easiest to make, so that's most likely what I'd do.  Gosh! This all makes me anxious to have those cooler fall days get here!  Here in Florida we may have to wait a while, but we can still pretend...

Speaking of using a "physical calendar...", my friend Debbi from Debbi's Front Porch, sent me this picture.  I told her I couldn't believe how much that actually looks like me...

It reminded me of this picture below, taken many years ago at our last house, and when I had a permanent in my hair that looks just like that lady above! LOL.  In this picture I wasn't writing on my calendar, but I was writing a post on my blog and wearing my favorite flannel shirt, that I usually start wearing again about this time of the year every year. I will probably continue to do so until it just falls apart from wear...don't you have any special shirts like that? It fits me the best of any of the flannel shirts I own, and is the most comfy of all. Anyway, I thought the resemblance was uncanny and had to look up this old photo to show you! LOL.  

HERE is a link to the story about when this flannel shirt was brand new.

Meanwhile, while we wait for flannel shirt weather to begin again, this was our sunset last night...the last sunset of September...

Still no significant water in Still Waters Pond,  but over under those green bushes it is very wet, so keep praying! It's supposed to rain a lot this week...and I heard we are in for a wet winter, so there's hope!

And here's the sunrise this morning, October 1, 2026!

It's going to be a great month! I can feel it in my bones! LOL.

Thank you for hanging in there with me through all the calendars this morning. I pray that your October is off to a great start too! Now I have to go call the dentist as my hubby broke a tooth last night...actually the tooth was apparently cracked around an old filling, and a part of the tooth broke off while we were eating dinner. So now we can add that to the calendar...a dentist appointment! 

God bless you all with His love and kindness and tender mercies throughout this month and beyond. Amen!

Tuesday 4~ Traditions (& More!)

 (Posted on August 31!)  Oh yes! It's September 1st, and even though fall is not officially here for a few more weeks, September always makes us think fall from day one, even though we still haven't had Labor Day, which is usually the last summer event and then I begin my fall decorations after that. However, since Labor Day seems a little bit "late" this year, some rules may be broken. So here's the Tuesday 4 post for this week, but I've added a few extras that I usually do on the first of the month...i.e....the Calendar Roll Call.

So grab a cup of hot pumpkin spice tea or coffee and sit back and enjoy the "show". 

Tradition

 Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.
Tradition is an important part of any family or community and so important that people will fight to be sure they are not neglected or done away with.
From the first day of Autumn, to Halloween, All Saints Day, and Thanksgiving autumn brings many different traditions from all around the world.
School kids cut out paper leaves, pumpkins,etc. Homemakers change decor to reflect the new season.
Sweaters come out of storage... the weather is changing.


1. Why is tradition important to you?

I think traditions help us to mark special occasions and holidays and make them more memorable for our families. Many traditions have been handed down from generation to generation, and some traditions may be new and exclusive to our own current generation. Either way, I love traditions and doing things with my family that we all look forward to.  As I said above, I may be adding some other current events into this post, and here's one of our family traditions...the Birthday Cake/candle blowout. 

Yesterday we celebrated our son's birthday (which was actually Friday) here at home with our immediate family. No matter how old we are, we all enjoy having a birthday cake and candles and hearing people sing Happy Birthday to us. Here's the video of us singing to our son yesterday and him blowing out his "55" candles. LOL.

Now, here is the first try "blooper" video...we started to sing, and my hubby was doing something silly and we got to laughing so hard we had to stop singing and start over. It was worth sharing, I think.

2. Have family traditions helped to shape who you are?

Yes, I definitely think so. My parents were really big into traditions for Christmas and Easter and birthdays. We have carried on many of those traditions with our own children throughout the years, and we still do things like setting up a train set under the Christmas tree and hunting for Easter Baskets even now when our kids are all grown. It's the fun side of the holidays that our family always looks forward to, and it helps connect our family together.

3. Do you believe that tradition helps a community or shapes the unity of family and community?
Most definitely.  I love it when towns have annual traditions of things like a Christmas Parade or a Fall Festival or  4th of July fireworks or other special events that are special to that community. It helps identify their community and builds communal strength when people  come together and enjoy the fun times as well as the other times, when people need to be there for each other.

4. Are there any traditions you would like to bring back and why?

Not sure of any at the moment that we don't already do.  And every community/church/school is different in the kinds of things they like to do traditionally. That's why I love living in a smaller town and attending a small church where people do like to get together and do special events.

Now here is one of MY traditions for the first of every month...the Calendar Roll Call! Are you ready? Let's go!

I love this Thomas Kinkade painting for September...It's entitled "Morning Pledge", and if you notice the kids are gathered around the flagpole in front of the school house.  I love the old classic cars in this picture too.  I know some schools do still have the "See You At The Pole" day, where they say the pledge and also pray for their school. It's voluntary, but such a great way to start the school year. This year's SYATP event is scheduled for September 23, 2026. You can learn more about that in the link above.

And this verse is a great way to put things in order in our lives:

I love the little cabin on my Cabin Calendar for September...What a peaceful setting. The only thing this cabin needs is a big front porch!

This recipe for a Cranberry Apple Crisp is on the Susan Branch calendar for September. It sounds really good. I may have to try it!!!

Apples always seem to go well with September!!

Interesting thought to ponder:

This is the Billy Graham quotes calendar for September...

and a very good thought also to ponder...

And this verse goes along with that thought...

Here's the Teapot Calendar for September...a very unusual looking tea set, I must say...

Here's some information about it... I don't think it's exactly my idea of what a teapot should look like,  but it is interesting for sure.

I don't know if I am THIS fond of tea, but I do love it... LOL:

And last but not least, the John Sloane Country Seasons calendar for September shows this farmwife peeling apples for an apple pie...which goes along with my idea of September just fine. 

My birthday is later this month, and talk about tradtions, my mother used to bake an apple for me for my birthday instead of a cake (at my request). I do miss her wonderful pies so much, but now my sister usually does that for me, or she picks up one from Costco, which is pretty good. Here'a picture of a couple of my sister's pies on my birthday several years ago... (I think she baked two because we had a large group there, and I notice there was also a cake, brought by my sister in law! What a blessing!)

I think I was listening to them sing Happy Birthday to me! LOL.

Another September tradition is decorating the house for the autumn days and weeks...I normally wait until after Labor Day to begin my fall decorating, but the "kids" helped me get a head start yesterday with this little gift that they created:

Aren't they cute?  Especially the black cat!!  Now that I have my own black cat, I find myself drawn to all kinds of fun decor with black cats!

Oh, here's Blackie now,slieeping with one of his "toys".  Actually that toy belongs to our grandpups, but Blackie decided it was now his.  

Well, friends, that's all for this post. I am posting it early tonight because we have to go back up the road an hour + tomorrow morning to see the Eye Surgeon again. Hubby's eye is still not really doing as well as it should be since his cataract surgery, and so we are going to get it checked out.  This will be a busy rest of the week...I have a dental appointment on Wednesday, then on Thursday there's the Memorial Service for the man in our church who passed away last week..  On Friday hubby has a Dr. appointment over in Gainesville, which is another hour's drive in a different direction.  Somewhere during this week we need to fit in some hair cuts because we are looking like shaggy dogs.  So I may not be around much here in Blogland, but I will try to pop in as I am able.

Have a blessed and wonderful week everyone.

August is Here! Happy Days!

 Happy August 1st!  Hooray for a new day, and a new month!  Of course, you know what that means! Yes, it is time for the August Calendar Roll Call!! So without further adieu, here we go:

Even though this appears to be a fall scene, it is one that I love, and this calendar is in my bathroom where I can see it every day (several times a day and night too! LOL).  That's pretty much my little dream cabin spot, with that beautiful lake and mountains in the background, and a row boat right there waiting to take me to places to explore all around the lake. Yes, I could easily climb right into this picture and be quite happy and content!

Wow! There seems to be a theme going on here for August!  Here's another beautiful cabin and lake and rowboat scene, with a mountain backdrop. It is also gorgeous, but I think I still prefer the more peaceful and private scene above.

This calendar has quotes from Billy Graham and also from the Bible..."Christ belongs to ALL people; He belongs to the whole world!".  Yes, He does...and it is up to us to share Him with everyone everywhere!

"Blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." Luke 11:28.  Yes, a good reminder for each of us to not only read the Bible, but to actually believe and put it into practice in our daily lives.

I love this John Sloane Country Seasons calendar...and this picture for August is a true gem...

I wonder how many of us have ever done a lemonade stand before? I'm trying to remember if I ever did, but I know my kids did years ago...

Here's our three little musketeers now...I snuck up behind them and got this response:
Matthew on the far left, sticking his tongue out at me...Benton in the middle, and Scott wearing his swimming goggles...

Hey! Lemonade only 10 cents! What a deal that was!!

I don't know how much lemonade they sold that day, but I think they sure had fun. I'm so glad I could find these pictures, thanks to having my early photo albums of when our kids were little more organized. I must admit to having a bit of a tear in my eyes as I look at these sweet pictures of when all three of our boys were so little and sweet and innocent and healthy. Sadly, today I don't even develop pictures, and it would take forever to find a picture, unless I've posted it here in my blog or on Facebook. That really is a crime.

Scott, Benton, and Matthew, circa 1981, Willoughby Hills, Ohio.

Precious Memories.

Well, moving right along...Look at this very colorful teapot set from my TEAPOTS calendar:

Here's the description:

And there's always a quote from some famous tea lover, whom I don't know, but it's still interesting...

The Thomas Kinkade calendar always has something beautiful to see...and this picture is from along The Big Sur, which I assume is in California?   And I love the Bible verse: "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens." Psalm 8:1  Amen!

And this verse is at the bottom of the calendar:

"Ah Lord God! Behold, Thou has made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretche out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee." Jeremiah 32:17

Oh, and here's a good thought to end the calendar roll-call...This Susan Branch calendar always has fun and good thoughts...

Yes!  "Oh for a book and a shady nook, either indoor or out."  Summertime is a great time for reading, but here in Florida, it best be a cozy nook indoors during August. It's still too hot to consider sitting outside for very long! If not for the heat, it's the mosquitoes!

And speaking of bugs:

I discovered this "Dog-Days Cicada" shedding it's exo-skeleton under our shed. 

Here's how the exo-skeleton looked after he disengaged himself from it:

And here's how he looked until he turned himself over and started pumping out his wings...

Here he is in the process of his wings filling out.

I assume he flew up into the trees after this as he wasn't anywhere to be seen this morning.

Not my picture, but this is how he should've looked later:

Internet photo.

I've never seen one of these creatures that close and alive before.  I know they sure can make a lot of noise!!  It is typical that they should appear now, in the hot "dog-days" of summer!!

And speaking of creatures...

Some furry black creature has invaded and taken over my chair!

Almost looks like a bat! But yes, it is none other than King Blackie, sleeping so peacefully in my chair. And yes, I have to cover my chair with this coverlet because I'm trying to preserve it from cat hair and possible fleas (although he is being well-treated for fleas these days and I think we have that pretty well under control).  

If I want to sit in MY chair, I have to roll him up in that coverlet and encourage him to "roll down" on the floor...otherwise, he will stick his sharp little claws into my behind and let me know who's boss around here! LOL. Now, I must say that quite often he jumps right back up into my lap once I've seated myself, but that lasts for a while until he decides he doesn't like me moving my arms about to use the tv remote or my phone, and then he grabs my arms and lets me know that if I'm going to sit in HIS chair, I have to be still! LOL.  What a little tyrant he can be!!!!

To follow up on my rooster story, no, these eggs didn't come from that location, but they did come from some chickens that are being raised by a woman in our church, and she brings dozens of eggs to church quite frequently to GIVE away...first come first served. Aren't they beautiful??? So colorful!

And below, this is a comparison...guess which egg is the fresh "real chicken egg" (as I call the eggs from the chicken lady) ?  And which egg(s) came from the grocery store?

Just look at that huge egg yolk! It came from the fresh "real chicken eggs", and the other two smaller yolks came from large eggs from Walmart. What a difference!  I wish I could have "real chicken eggs" all the time, but no, I am not willing to raise my own chickens in order to do that.  I will just keep looking for more reasonable alternatives!

I will close this out with this photo of this morning's sunrise, righ after a nice little early morning rain shower!

And here's a view of Still Waters Pond, still very dry, but we are supposed to get rain all this next week. I hope they are right this time. Still Waters Pond is very very thirsty!!!!

Isaiah 55:1-5

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David. Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader and commander for the people. Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the Lord your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.”

Here is a video of a church singing this beloved old hymn, "Ho Everyone That is Thirsty". This is not our church, but I like their presentation...

1 Ho! ev'ryone that is thirsty in spirit,

Ho! ev'ryone who is weary and sad,

come to the fountain, there’s fullness in Jesus,

all that you’re longing for; come and be glad.

Refrain:

"I will pour water on him who is thirsty,

I will pour floods upon the dry ground;

open your heart for the gift I am bringing,

while ye are seeking me, I will be found."

2 Child of the world, are you tired of your bondage?

Weary of earth-joys, so false, so untrue?

Thirsting for God, and His fullness of blessing?

List to the promise— a message for you.

 [Refrain]

3 Child of the kingdom, be filled with the Spirit;

nothing but fullness thy longing can meet.

’Tis the enduement for life and for service;

thine is the promise, so certain, so sweet.

 

[Refrain]

Amen.

Go and be filled...and be blessed.  Happy August!!!