Tuesday 4~Summer Reading

 Summer Books

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 which is not limited to Tuesday by any means. You can join in whenever you want to!  Click HERE to join in the fun.


Will you be reading this coming summer?
When the weather gets hot and humid so many stay indoors to keep cool and studies show that people read more in the summer.
How about you? Let's discuss it.


1. Do you have a favorite kind of book that you like in the summertime? What kind is it? Mystery? Bio?...

No particular kind, just whatever strikes my fancy as I go looking.  I do like cozy mysteries, and I also like historical fiction. I prefer Christian authors and publishers, but I will read other books if I can be assured they aren't full of foul language and too graphic descriptions.  I don't need to fill my head with that kind of trash.


2. Is there a book you return to again and again and if so why?

Well, besides the Bible, I'm trying to think of one. It used to be that I would try to wait at least five years between reading a book again so I wouldn't remember too much of the story to make it interesting. But nowadays I could probably read  the same book over and over again and not remember if I'd ever read it before or not. LOL.  I definitely enjoyed reading the Mitford series of books by Jan Karon, and wouldn't mind reading them over again, but I gave away all of my copies. I could check them out at the library I suppose. I hear she has a new one coming out in October, so I will be watching for that.

3. What book is better than the movie and what movie is better than the book??

The Guernsey Litierary and Potato Peel Pie Society was an excellent book, and it also became a movie, which I saw after reading the book. Although I loved the movie and the characters, it did leave some things out that were in the book and I was glad that I had read the book first so I understood the story better in the movie.

As far as a movie being better than a book, I am not sure.  Perhaps Anne of Green Gables with Megan Follows as Anne, and Little Women with Katharine Hepburn as Jo.  But truly, I don't think any movie can capture the full depth of Louisa May Alcott's book, Little Women, or capture the complete personality of Anne of Green Gables as did the author, Lucy Maud Montgomery.  

4. Do you have a list of books you are looking forward to reading this summer?

These books below are currently in my bookbag from the public library.  I have already finished reading these first two:

And I'm currently working on this one:

These were all three much BIGGER, thicker books than I normally read, especially those first two by Kate Morton. I've never read any of her books before, because I usually look for books that are from Christian publishers with a Christian author and theme.  The book by Tamera Alexander fits that description well, and it is so far so good, but it's taking me a while to really get into it.  The other two by Kate Morton turned out to be excellent, even if they weren't exactly what fits into my normal genre of reading.  They were definitely mysteries, with a lot of going back and forth between characters and into the past to figure out the whole story. And they were clean enough to meet my standards of what makes a decent book to read. LOL. No foul language or really steamy descriptions of relationships, so I actually enjoyed them both once I got into them, and I would probably read more from this author.  

I used to read a lot of non-fiction type books that have current authors and topics on faith, devotional style books and those that especially encourage us in our relationship with God and our fellow humans. And I certainly can always still use encouragement and education in that area of life, but I find that I mostly just enjoy reading for entertainment and relaxation nowadays. And our ladies' Bible study at church  and our adult Sunday School class usually helps to fill that need for growing in my faith and encouraging others. However, if a book is highly recommended and it is something I am interested in learning more about, I will "check it out".   Which, btw, is my usual manner of reading. I rarely buy a book these days, unless it is written by someone I know, like some of our blogging friends are published authors and I love to have copies of their books, but mostly I check out books from the library or, if I see something I want to read at a thrift store or yard sale that is reasonably priced, I will buy it and then donate it to the library when finished. I don't need any more books on my shelves.

I have found this scripture verse to be a helpful guide when choosing a book to read or a movie to watch. I know sometimes we can get hi-jacked when reading a book and discover part way through that it is not what we thought it was going to be and we can choose to put it down if it is offensive, or walk out of or turn off a movie if it bombards us with foul language and other things that are not fit for our minds and eyes to see. This is why I am choosey about the types of authors and publishers I look for when selecting a book.

Philippians 4:8 KJV

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Thank you, Annie, for another thought provoking Tuesday 4.  Sunshine and Blackie approve of this message. LOL.

Memorial Day Weekend and So Much More

 

John 15:13 KJV

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Memorial Day weekend always brings a lot of mixed emotions for me.  Of course we think about those who gave their lives in service to our country...those who sacrificed everything so that we can live in freedom.  We don't ever want to forget them...or their loved ones who also made a huge sacrifice.  I also think of those who may have come back home from war, but they were never the same. So many suffer from PTSD, battle scars and wounds that we may not be able to see on the surface, but they carry them with them deep inside and their lives are forever changed. And then of course those who have physical wounds that have altered their lives significantly as well.  Yes, we honor and remember them, and pray for them and their loved ones who must  also deal with the changes in their beloved that affects their whole lives and relationships.  May we pause to remember them all, and do our part to live in such a way that is worthy of their sacrifices. Living here in our country is a privilege and a blessing that we should never take for granted. Our world is so full of strife and volatility...and if it weren't for those on the front lines making these sacrifices for us, we would not be able to continue to live in such peace and comfort.  

Of course, Memorial Day Weekend also signals the beginning of "summertime" here in America...maybe not literally the Summer Solstice, which isn't until June 21st, but it seems to be the unofficicial kick off for summer vacations and activities.  In many places school is already out or soon will be, and people are ready to head to the beaches, lakes, parks, picnic grounds and all other outdoor activities. We took a ride yesterday morning to go see where our son was set up with his products for a flea market.  The community where he was is also a kind of outdoor activity destination in the Ocala National Forest. There are lakes and springs and a river and campgrounds and woods.  The boats were lined up at the  boat ramps and people were very anxious to get out on the water and enjoy a beautiful sunny day. Cars were lined up at the entrance to the Springs (Salt Springs State Park) for about a mile, waiting for them to open the gates. 

These pictures were taken actually on our way back home, across the big bridge in Eureka, FL., which was built originally to be a part of the Cross Florida Barge Canal, but that project was scrapped in the 1960's.  

Up Up and away!

At the top of the bridge...

Going back down the other side...

Blast from the past, this is me back in 2012, standing under that bridge...

This is what I wrote on Facebook with this picture (below) back in 2012: "You have to come see this very high long bridge out in the middle of nowhere to believe it. Our tax dollars at work (back in the 1960's) before the Barge Canal was scrapped due to environmental concerns."  Click HERE for the history of this project.

Unfortunately not that many people were as interested in going to the flea market as they were in getting to the water.  So it wasn't a great day for sales for our son, but he didn't do too badly.  Here's a few pictures I took there:

He used to do a lot of signs back when we lived there in the forest and he used to be at this flea market all the time.  I think he's decided to wait and go back in the fall when the snow-birds and weekend campers are there, and when it's a lot cooler.

I love these crosses...

There's usually a vegetable stand there, and I decided to buy a watermelon so we could have it today when "the kids" all came over for lunch...it was a seedless watermelon...and VERY SWEET and DELICIOUS!

Here's my piece!  It REALLY was good!!!  Question, do you put salt on your watermelon? I usually do, and I did today, but honestly, it was so sweet I probably didn't need to.

I didn't take any other pictures of the family here with us today...we were too busy enjoying our grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans, deviled eggs, corn on the cob, fresh sliced tomatoes and lettuce and onions and then the watermelon for dessert. It was all very good and very special, just being together.

I took this picture a little while ago, as I thought about this day and all that it means to us.

You see, for us, this day holds other special memories.  Today, May 25th, 2025, is the 11th anniversary of the passing of our son Matthew from this life into heaven.  So you see why Memorial Day weekend holds a lot of emotion and memories for us.

I know these pictures aren't very clear, but this is on the counter top of the island in our kitchen, and I keep these photos there to remind me of our son in his happier, healthier days, before he was struck with cancer in 2010, and fought it bravely and valiantly for 4 years before Jesus called him home in 2014.

And this photo is on our refrigerator door...this is the last "family portrait" of Matthew and his wife Nicole and their son Noah, taken in the spring of 2014 when they were down here in Florida for a vacation and to celebrate Matthew's 41st birthday with us and all the family. They spent a few days together at the beach before heading back to Maine.  Three months later his battle with cancer was over and he was in heaven, totally healed and never to suffer any more pain.

So yes, Memorial Day weekend has a special significance for us.  

I saw this quote from Martin Luther on the little devotional calendar yesterday, and it spoke to my heart:

Yes, that is so true...the "things" we have held in our hands that are temporal; houses, land, personal "treasures", those are all gone when we leave this world.  But our loved ones, especially our children...they never really belonged to us...they are a gift to us from God...on "loan" from God for us to nurture, love, cherish and teach them to love and believe in God, but if and when God says it is time for them to come "home" to be with Him in Heaven, we have no choice but to let them go.  They belong to Him, not us.  But the good news is, because we have done our part to place our children in God's hands when we dedicate them to the Lord, we know that He will receive them back with love and tenderest care, and someday we will all be reunited in Heaven for eternity.  That is the believer's great hope and prayer. 

That's why this verse in Proverbs 22:6 is so important for every parent to know and believe...

Even if our child should wander away and go his own way for a time, I truly believe that if we have done our part as parents in teaching them about the love of Jesus, when that child is older he will come back to those "roots" that were planted so long ago.  We personally may not live to see it here on earth, but I truly believe the time will come when that "child" will remember the faith that was taught to him/her as a child, and he will come "home" eventually.  That's why we should never stop praying for our children no matter how old they are or how far away they've roamed.  God hears our prayers, and He knows which children are His, and John 10:28-29 tells us that NO ONE shall ever be able to snatch them out of God's hand...

John 10:27-30 NKJV

 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 

28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 

29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 

30 I and My Father are one.”

I hope this brings some comfort to you today.

Thank you for hanging in there with me through this whole long post.  It's been a difficult day, but a beautiful day, and I am so thankful for all that God has given me. I know that none of that which I have placed in His hands will ever be lost.  Praise God!!

I hope that you and yours will have a peaceful and blessed Memorial Day tomorrow. Remember those who have given so much for our freedom, and perhaps also remember those that you love who have gone on before to their great reward and final rest.  We have so much to look forward to someday!!!

Good Night my friends.

Thursday Thankfulness~Taking Time to Smell The Roses

I Peter 1:6-8

"6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 

7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 

8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory..."

I hope you don't mind seeing these beautiful roses from the "Double Delight" rosebush that was given to me for Mother's Day from my sweet daughter in love, Rose.  I am going to enjoy the blossoms as long as they keep blooming!  And to me, they are just too pretty to keep to myself, so that's why I'm sharing them with you.

I just wish I could share the delightful fragrance of these flowers with you!

I keep cutting these roses and bringing them inside so I can enjoy them, and also inhale their awesome fragrance!  Sometimes we just need to slow down and take the time to smell the roses along the way...

Here's one I left on the bush for now...

This was one bud that the "lubber grasshopper" was nibbling on before I discovered him. But the flower is still persevering and blooming in spite of its afflictions...there's a lesson to be learned there for us...

This bowl was something I found at a flea market a couple of years ago, and even though the flower on it is a peony, it looks so much like these roses.  It's been holding the peaches for the past few days, but I thought it was worth sharing with you too before I put it back away in the cupboard after the peaches are all gone!

Below, the flower on the right was the one the lubber grasshopper was literally devouring when I "eliminated" him from the bush, and hopefully from existence.  And again, this flower is still blooming and giving off that sweet fragrance even with its battle scars...

I liked what this little devotional calendar said, and it seems to fit today.

2 Corinthians 2:15 NKJV

15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 

Here is another one still blooming on the bush outside, and it's just so perfect that I thought I'd leave it there for a little while longer before bringing it inside.  They keep changing every day with the sunshine. 

I was doing a little walkabout the yard and saw a few other things of interest...this pink geranium is making a comeback finally after repotting it in some new fresh fertilized soil...

And these yellow mums have been hibernating in their pot since last fall.  I've been trying to keep things watered, and all of a sudden they sprang back to life!  

John 4:10-14 NKJV

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 

12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

The first zinnia blossom in the little butterfly garden...

Remember the Gnome House that used to exist on this tree stump?

And then how it looked later after the Pileated Woodpeckers got a hold of it?

Well, I thought you'd like to see how that tree stump looks now:

Isaiah 61:2b-3

"To comfort all who mourn,

3 To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

It is still uninhabitable for the Gnome Home, but there is certainly new "life" growing all over it!

And the Gnomes are still living happily ever after over on the Holly Tree in the Memorial Secret Garden:

And speaking of the holly tree, I was sitting on my garden bench nearby for a few minutes, and this female cardinal kept flying back and forth into the tree and acting really nervous because I was so close. Now I'm wondering if she has a nest in there or nearby, based on the way she was acting. That will be something to watch and see...

Today has been rather cloudy, which is nice for a change, but I do wish it would bring some much needed rain...anyway, it was nice to walk around outside since the clouds were keeping the temperatures a tiny bit lower. (it's only 89 instead of 95 today! Wow! A cold front! LOL)

This is the big magnolia tree across the street from us, in full bloom:

So I walked over to get some close ups...no one lives in that little house, which is for sale, btw, so I wasn't bothering anyone by looking at the beautiful magnolia blossoms...

Actually, some people walked by on the street and saw me taking pictures of the tree and said "It sure is a beautiful tree!"  And I replied, "Yes, and we need to enjoy it while it's still blooming!"    

So I hope you are enjoying these flowers, which are putting on their magnificent display for the season.  This is what they are designed to do, and then they turn into a kind of a seed cone, which eventually drops to the ground and the squirrels and some birds come and eat the bright red seeds, and many more little magnolia trees sprout up in various places.

Oh,  and btw, these magnolia blossoms also smell divinely!!

This one is getting ready to bloom any day now...

I hope you enjoyed their magnificent show!

Meanwhile, on the back porch, Blackie is licking Sunshine and giving him a head bath I guess.  Oh, btw, you can really see where they clipped Blackie's left ear when he was being "fixed". That is a sign to anyone in the future that he has had this procedure done. They do that on outdoor/feral cats. I never realized it would be such a big piece cut off! It doesn't appear to hurt or look sore in any way, thank goodness.

They are so sweet together.

They are truly sweet kitties, and I am thankful that God sent them to us to enjoy.

I'm sure if you read my last post HERE, you may be wondering how my menfolk are doing. 

Well, Praise the Lord, our son Benton was sent home the following day after several tests to see if his heart was affected in any way, and after much consideration, it was determined that he was suffering from heat exhaustion. So we are very thankful for that, and he learned a hard lesson about staying hydrated during this very hot weather we've been having.

And regarding my hubby's MRI, well, he just wasn't physically able to do it at that time and it has been rescheduled until next week.  Hopefully things will go better for him next week and then we will be able to get some answers. 

You might enjoy this choral arrangement that our choir sang this past Sunday. (see video below)  You won't see me singing because I wasn't there for choir practice when this was recorded, and also we are taking a little bit of a sabbatical right now while we wait on those test results for hubby.  He needed to take a bit of a break from his teaching responsibilities and other activities that we have been involved in for now.  Hopefully we will be able to get back soon, but sometimes you have to listen to what God is telling you about your own and loved ones' health and welfare as well and take some time off  "to smell the roses."

Anyway, I was so glad this was recorded, because it has a great message and was somewhat challenging to sing!

Our God is an Awesome God and The God of Abraham Praise medley

And when the sky was starless in the void of the night

(Our God is an awesome God)

He spoke into the darkness and created the light

(Our God is an awesome God)

Judgement and wrath He poured out on Sodom

Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross

I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten

That our God is an awesome God

Our God is an awesome God

He reigns from heaven above

With wisdom, power and love

Our God is an awesome God

Our God is an awesome God

He reigns from heaven above

With wisdom, power and love

Our God is an awesome God

The God of Abraham praise,

Who reigns enthroned above;

Ancient of everlasting days,

And God of love:

Jehovah! great I AM!

By earth and heav'n confessed;

I bow and bless the sacred name,

For ever blest.

Our God is an awesome God

He reigns from heaven above

With wisdom, power and love

Our God is an awesome God

Our God is an awesome God

He reigns from heaven above

With wisdom, power and love

Our God is an awesome God!

I can't think of any better way to close this post than with that song and message above. Our God IS an awesome God!

Psalm 47:1-2

1 Clap your hands, all you nations;

shout to God with cries of joy.

2 For the Lord Most High is awesome,

the great King over all the earth.

Amen.

Now I hope you will also take some time to go and "smell the roses" while you are able to do so. Life is so short, and we often think we are just too busy to take any time out for the pleasantries of life.  Don't do that. None of us knows how much time we have in this life, and we may be missing some of the sweetest moments by constantly staying so busy or putting things off like retirement, or a little vacation, or just some time off to do something special with the ones we love.  No one is promised tomorrow. Go ahead...go smell those roses...tell someone you love them...go out of your way to do something extra special for yourself and /or someone you love while you can. Be blessed...and be a blessing.  

Good Night my friends.