Saturday Revue

 Hello friends! Here it is Saturday afternoon already...and I'm just sitting down to write...and hopefully I can get this finished in time to start cooking supper! Actually, supper will be easy, because we picked up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store this morning, and had some delicious hot chicken breast with fresh slices of tomato and lettuce sandwiches for lunch...and there's plenty of meat left to make something good for supper. Haven't decided exactly what yet, but I'll let hubby help me decide when the time comes. LOL. That's one good thing about retirement and being just the two of us...meals can be very simple and casual if we want...and thankfully, hubby prefers that, so it makes things easy for me!

I mentioned stopping at the store this morning. That was after we went to the Deep Creek Trading Post Farmer's Market, where our son Benton had set up his booth to sell the above ground planters that he makes.

And I stepped across the way from him and purchased these vegetable plants to plant, and he has promised to build some planters for me to make this job easier on my poor body. LOL.   I bought 4 beefsteak tomato plants, six little pots of zucchini and six little pots of yellow (summer) squash plants. Those are the main vegetables that I find myself buying all summer (and beyond), so I decided to give growing them myself a try.  Since with his wonderful wooden planters I don't have to dig in the ground to plant them, hopefully they will actually grow and produce "fruit"...or vegetables...Tomatoes are a fruit, so they say, and the squash are definitely vegetables.   (Hubby is busily guarding my stash while I walk around. LOL). 

Speaking of hubby...I caught him having this conversation with Blackie on the front porch last night...He literally sat down on the steps to sit and visit with Blackie on "his level".  I was impressed...and amazed at this man who really didn't want us to get too involved with this outdoor neighborhood cat...

But who can resist that face? LOL.

Or his cuteness?

He's not too sure about Lily Grace and her dog Bailey...

Especially when he'd rather be left alone to sleep on the couch...

But yesterday was such a pretty day, I had to get outside and sit a spell in the "Secret /Memorial Garden", beside the Still Very Dry Still Waters Pond...

(Although we DID get a very nice rain shower the night before last...and I saw our first male Ruby Throated hummingbird, but he got away before I took this picture as I had not yet put out that feeder for him...so I immediately went and made some sugar water for him and put out the feeder so hopefully he will be back ...The males come first, and then soon after the females arrive...and it's interesting that they know exactly where to to come back to each year!)

The rain was falling so gently and it lasted a pretty good while, but alas, the pond was still dry when all was said and done...

But at least it's a start, and we are scheduled for more rain tomorrow and the next day...so please keep praying that we are finally getting into a rainy pattern again!

We read this passage in our devotions this morning, and these words gave me great hope...not just for our pond, but for life in general, especially in the current world situation...Although it was originally written for "Unrepentant Israel" some 750 years B.C., I believe we can learn from this today...and it does give me hope...

Hosea 6 NIV

1“Come, let us return to the Lord.

He has torn us to pieces

but He will heal us;

He has injured us

but He will bind up our wounds.

2 After two days He will revive us;

on the third day He will restore us,

that we may live in his presence.

3 Let us acknowledge the Lord;

let us press on to acknowledge him.

As surely as the sun rises,

He will appear;

He will come to us like the winter rains,

like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Anyway, I digress...back to the next day when the sun was shining, but it was much cooler as the rain had ushered in a bit of a cold front, which actually is quite nice! Blackie was enjoying watching the birds in the trees while I sat in the swing...

And then he decided to come and sit and swing with me, although I don't think he really liked the swinging part of it, so I tried to sit still. Didn't want to upset his tummy!

I was noticing how brown/auburn his coat is in the sunshine!  

It's as if he's a different color altogether when he's out in the sunshine...

Speaking of "Sunshine", our beautiful Orange cat who passed over the rainbow bridge back in November, and who was Blackie's bonded buddy...it made me wonder if perhaps Sunshine and Blackie were actually more closely related than just buddies?

Sweet Sunshine, R.I.P.

Best Buddies

It's really a strange kind of markings...maybe Sunshine was his daddy? I do think he was much older than Blackie...

So I looked up this color phenomenon online, and here's what "AI" has to say about it:

"A black cat with an orange or reddish undercoat is often a black "smoke" or "ghost" tabby, where the hair shaft is black at the tip but banded with orange or red near the skin, sometimes caused by sun bleaching ("rusting") or hidden tabby genetics. These cats often appear entirely black until sunlight or movement reveals the warm orange tones.
PetMD +4
Common Reasons for Orange/Red Undercoats:

Sun Rusting: Sunlight breaks down the black eumelanin pigment in the fur, revealing red/orange highlights (pheomelanin) underneath, especially in black cats that spend time in windows.

Smoke/Tabby Genetics: A "smoke" black cat has a white or silver undercoat, but if it carries hidden "red" (orange) tabby genes, it can produce a smoky-orange or black/red effect.

Torbie or Tortie Influence: A very dark tortoiseshell or "torbie" (tortoiseshell + tabby) may appear predominantly black, but has intense orange streaks or patches hidden throughout the coat.

Nutritional Factors: A deficiency in tyrosine, an amino acid, can cause black fur to turn a reddish-brown color, which some owners perceive as an orange undercoat, as discussed in.
Facebook +4

If the cat looks black but has reddish undertones in the light, it is most likely a "rusting" black cat or a black smoke cat with underlying red genes."

It doesn't really answer my question about whether or not Blackie and Sunshine could be related, but it's possible...whatever the reason, Blackie is still sweet and handsome, and Sunshine will always be missed by all of us.

Moving right along...The azaleas have been so pretty this year!

And I'm just going to keep "living life in full bloom" and enjoy the beauty of all of these things while I can! 

How about you?

Have a blessed and beautiful weekend my friends.

The Secret Garden Chronicles: Waiting and Watching Updated for Lent 2026

Good Morning on this first Friday of Lent, 2026.  I haven't been out and about much this week due to all the previously discussed issues we were working through, so I don't have anything new to share today. Therefore, I decided to go back into the archives of previous years to see what I was writing about "Lent".  This particular post goes back to March 25, 2017, when we were still living in our home in the national forest and also where my "Secret Garden" orginated.  I hope you will enjoy this walk back to the Secret Garden with me..

Original Post 3/25/2017:

I bought this beautiful old antique bowl today at the local flea market....

with the idea of using it for a bird bath in the Secret Garden.  So, I've set it up here

And now I'm just sitting here waiting and watching to see if the birds will try it out.  They probably won't while I am sitting here...and where it is placed it can't be seen from the inside of the house...so I may have to rethink this plan.  It is so pretty...I do hope the birds will appreciate it!

Meanwhile, while sitting in the garden my attention was drawn to Lamentations 3:22-26, which speaks a bit about watching and waiting:

22.  "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed.

Because His compassions fail not.

23.  They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

24.  'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,

'Therefore I hope in Him!'

25.  The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.

26.  It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord."

What are we waiting for?

We are waiting for God's mercies and compassions...

they are new every morning.

We hope in the Lord..

We wait for His goodness,

because He is good to those who wait for Him...

We wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord...

In verses 40-41, as we sit and wait on the Lord:

40.  "Let us search out and examine our ways,

and turn back to the Lord;

41.  Let us lift our hearts and hands 

to God in heaven."

If we already know the Lord, we have nothing to fear...but it is good to take time to examine our hearts and repent of any lack of trust, lack of faith, and lack of honesty before the Lord. Let Him cleanse our hearts anew and refresh our spirits so that we are able to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

This is a wonderful time...during the Lenten season leading up to Easter...to prepare our hearts for renewal and revival.

I noticed that one of our local churches is having a revival this week...and I wondered in my mind, "Do people still go to revivals?"  And if they do, who goes...the "sinners" or the "saints"?

It's been a long time since I attended a true revival, and it seemed as though only the "saints" were there...but guess what?  A lot of "saints" recognized that they were also "sinners", and there was a lot of soul searching and repenting going on.  So, I guess a revival is a good thing for both the saints and the sinners...we never know when a "lost sheep" will come home to Jesus and be saved...and perhaps there might be some sheep who truly needs to make things right with the Lord as well.

So I'm praying for this church and its revival services. May the Lord do a mighty work that overflows into our whole community, resulting in a true revival where hearts are changed and souls are saved.

While sitting there reflecting on the words of the prophet Jeremiah, the author of Lamentations, 

I couldn't help but start singing this favorite old hymn:

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

1 “Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

2 Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Refrain

Amen!

Oh How Great is the faithfulness of our Lord!!! Yes, we who know the Lord are truly blessed with all that we have ever needed...and beyond!  May we watch and wait for Him every day with hope and faith!  

Back to the Secret Garden....after waiting all that time to see if the birds would try out the new bird bath (note the pictures of the birds above...they were all watching and waiting for me to leave)...I decided to go back inside, but I moved the birdbath to a location where it could be observed from inside the house.

And then I came in the house and started writing this into the computer...and it wasn't long before my attention was brought back to the window...

And there was Mr. Catbird...taking a drink from the new bird bath.  I had put a smaller bowl of water inside the large one, which is also filled with water,  in case the birds were fearful of the deep bowl.  After he took a drink from this one, he then flew over to the other smaller birdbath that is in the garden:

And there he sat and took a bath...even though it sits a little cockeyed.  Then Mr. Cardinal also came and drank from this birdbath:

And so I decided to go back out and take out the smaller bowl from the new birdbath and lower the water level a little bit to see if they will try it out that way.

I'll keep watching and waiting!

Meanwhile...

May your day be filled with the joy and blessing of the Lord!!

For another post on this topic, click HERE

Back to the Present, 2/20/2026:

In case you are wondering whatever happened to that beautiful bowl, well, I rescued it from the Secret Garden before something bad happened to it. The birds never did take to it like I hoped they would, so it came back inside and now, at this house where we moved to from that particular house, it resides beside our bed on my hubby's nightstand:

It actually serves a good purpose for him in that he can roll up his extra smaller throw blankets and put them them there to grab during the night if needed. (no picture of that).   

And meanwhile, as we wait for the return of our Lord...let us not grow weary...

Isaiah 40:31 KJV

"31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; 

they shall mount up with wings as eagles; 

they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Amen.

Have a blessed day!

Wednesday Treasures: Autumn Days in The "Secret - Memorial Garden"

 Oh friends! It's been SO long since I was able to sit outside in our "Secret-Memorial Garden" and enjoy a beautiful cool autumn breeze from the garden swing.  Yesterday afternoon and this morning have been just perfect for "porch sitting" or walking around the yard, enjoying these beautiful fall days here in north central Florida.  I will just share pictures so you can see what I've been enjoying...

Good morning from the garden! No, it's not your typical garden...I call it "My Secret-Memorial Garden" because it's a combination of the two, however there's really not much growing there except for what grows naturally and wildly. If you've been with me a long time, you will know that both garden ideas started at our previous home in the Ocala National Forest, and if you click on links over in the right sidebar for either the Secret Garden or Memorial Garden, you will find lots of posts telling about them both and their origination.  

Anyway, here at this house we combined them and it is primarily a beautiful and peaceful place in our yard and along the shore of Still Waters Pond, 

where I love to sit and enjoy the beauty of nature all around while I meditate on God's Word or read a book or magazine, 

or write in my journal or just relax and watch the birds and /or the cat!

Blackie decided to come join me on this beautiful afternoon. I was happy for his company!

He was very aware of any other activity around us, like squirrels chattering in the treetops at our intrusion into their world, or the birds flitting to and fro, who kept a watchful eye on this intruder...

This morning I was thrilled to find so many kinds of flowers blooming all around us, even though we've been in a drought situation here for the last few months! I love these wild purple asters that pop out in the fall:

And in the butterfly garden these seed pods of the Roselle plant I planted earlier this year are literally weighing down the branches of this bush:

Click on this link for more details about this plant.

It's a very unusual plant that I haven't quite figured out yet. 

This Cape Honeysuckle plant is blooming again.  I love these colorful flowers in the fall. They also attract butterflies!

This beautiful hibiscus that we planted in the "memorial garden" in memory of our son Matthew last year is still blooming every day!  This bloom was just starting to open up this morning! So pretty!!!

Out in the front yard the geranium is blooming!

I am so excited to see so many holly berries on the holly tree in the Memorial Garden this year! It hasn't had this many berries in several years.  Click on this link for a post about when the Robins and Cedar Waxwings came and cleaned off every berry in just a couple of days!  That was in November of 2020...5 years ago! It hasn't had that many berries since then, and so I am hoping that we will see those beautiful migrating birds come through here again this month like they did that year!  I will definitely be watching for them, and hopefully will be here to take pictures when they come!

Blackie has been quite active lately, and one of his favorite places to go "sit" is up in the very large Live Oak Tree in our front yard.  I happened to step outside on the front porch yesterday evening, and there he was. Of course, as soon as he saw me he started coming down to greet me...thinking I had food probably! LOL.

And here he comes!  He's becoming quite the character.    His buddy Sunshine has kind of traded places with him and seems to be gone most of the day lately, not showing up until supper time. Not sure where he goes, but at least he still comes home and stays a while and then leaves again for the night. Maybe he's found a warm hole to curl up in somewhere at night since it's been so chilly. Neither one of them are very interested in the nice warm beds Benton made for them.  Time will tell...

While I was in the Secret Garden I thought I'd better check on our Gnome Family! Sadly, I have been neglecting them over the summer because it was just too hot to go out there and look at them! But here they are...a little dirty from all the debris under the tree, but still intact and happy as a family of Gnomes can be I guess.

I probably should do a bit of housekeeping for them...

Speaking of Still Waters Pond...it's really the "Very Still NO Waters Pond" right now!   

But even with all the dryness, there is still a lot of beauty and growth on and around the pond...

These beautiful wildflowers are blooming all around the shore:
Be sure to watch out for the bees! They are quite active!

Yikes! Glad I didn't get too close!

And just when I thought I was finished with these pictures, I looked outside and saw this beauty laying in the yard:

Isn't she/he? beautiful? Look at that raccoon tail!  I believe this lovely cat belongs to someone else in the neighborhood...she took off as soon as I came out the door for a closer look.  Hopefully she/he?? will go back home where he belongs.  I'm not taking on any more boarders here on this porch!

He/she is really pretty, however...

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this little tour around our yard and gardens along the shore of  Still Waters Pond...right now things are still beautiful, but eventually the autumn days will turn into winter, and things will begin to fade away until springtime...but here's some good news:

And even these words from the Book of Isaiah are a great comfort and encouragement to us in these days of uncertainty in our world...

Amen.

Be blessed my friends, and enjoy these autumn days while they last!!