Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

A Real Love Story

 


The first real love story. Amen? Thank you Jesus for saving us from the "wrath to come". By His grace we are saved.



Right now I'm comfortably ensconced in my recliner with a belly full of New England Breakfast Blend coffee and the heater humming peacefully along because it's 33* outside. I am anxious to get out there to begin preparing for Spring planting. Yesterday, I spotted this design in a magazine. It's made from grape vines. One of our plans is to have as big a Butterfly garden as possible off one of our back decks. We live on a fairly good size amount of acreage surrounded by woods. Therefore there is an abundant supply of free muscadine grape vines trailing off the pines and scrub oaks. I plan (note 'plan', doesn't mean I will 'do') to chop some down and while the vine is green and pliable, make this design myself. I used to do things like that Way Back When. $30 to $40 for a premade one is just silly when there's ample free vines all around. With these plans in mind I have ordered a small string of solar fairy lights off Amazon to dress it up with. Stay tuned to see if I actually follow through. "The best made plans ..." etc. etc. πŸ˜…πŸ˜


"Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
  That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
  Was blind, but now I see."

I hope your day is blessed with the true love that flows from His throne to our hearts. πŸ’“

Monday, January 1, 2024

Word Of The Year And Happy New Year

 


Another day, another dollar, I used to quip while still working. It's nice being retired. Every day, except Sunday, is pretty much the same as the last. I can live with that. 

I hope everyone had an enjoyable evening. I haven't checked the local news yet to see how many fatalities occurred. It was quiet out our way. Well, we live down a narrow, dirt, country road. It seems most of the silliness is confined to towns and cities for which I am very thankful.

Yesterday, since most of our small congregation is out of town or dealing with serious health issues we had all decided to skip Sunday School this one time. Steve is Sunday School teacher, so, it was kinda nice to take a short break anyway. Supposedly Steve's little sister and her family are going to be moving out of south Florida to our area very soon. They're just done with the hurricanes and being so far away. I'm happy that they are already getting rid of furniture and other unwanted items. This makes the move seem more real. Because of the distance, they have asked us to start looking around at any areas that they might find desirable. Steve was looking on Zillow and he found an affordable home on the Brantley/Ware county line that he wanted to look at. We drove down there yesterday morning to check it out before doing a turn and burn to head to Church. I think it might be a desirable area for them. I had no idea there were so many homes down that road! The house that's For Sale needs a little love but I think it's doable for them. It's up to them, of course, this is their dream. Little Sister's health is not good and her husband is in his 70s. I believe they will require a place that's mostly move in ready. That's their goal, anyway. We are all praying for an easy transition for them.

After much prayer I think my word for the year is BOLDNESS.


That's the thought that keeps weighing on my heart. Please pray with me that I will go and say and do what HE wants me to do. I want to be more bold in sharing His Good News of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.


Time to move on from 2023 by taking down all the Christmas decorations. Hopefully it shouldn't take too long as I didn't put so many up this time.  

Have a blessed day folks. Ride Safe. 

Monday, December 25, 2023

Merry Christmas

 πŸŽ„From our house to yours πŸŽ„








(comments turned off so we may all enjoy the day) πŸ’™πŸ’šπŸ’•


Monday, May 30, 2016

Friday, January 1, 2016

The Day After

These creaking bones are moving slow today. I blame the damp weather but it could be just plain laziness. The rain started last night at the party, then temperatures began to drop and now it's gloomy. Today has been as quiet as the tomb. Somehow after coming down off the sugar debauchery of last night, Hubby and I have managed to stay busy most of the day.

It just dawned on me I hadn't shared the pics from last night. I do apologize for the sorry picture quality. I'm still trying to get accustomed to the smartphone camera. Apparently, there's a trick to getting good photos from this thing. Wish now I had taken the Olympus.



Our long time friend and host, Daniel, cooking the roast beast.
He's a master with the smoker.


My plate of smoked pork, pork & beans, cole slaw, beef steak tomato.
There was much, much more and I made certain to sample it all.
My husband's homemade Banana Pudding was a big hit!

Hubby enjoying his meal with me next to Kawasaki Mule.
Now, you know I'd be near the machinery.



This is just a small view of the building Daniel built for
his parents last year. He's quite the master craftsman!
I added a star on the little girl's face. Since she is a minor,
I don't have the parents permission to put her face in
cyberspace. Just want to protect all the little ones.

We're being 'good' tonight, having a strictly vegetable supper (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it). *lol*

Thank you for stopping by. Hope your day was blessed.

Friday, December 25, 2015

Happy Christmas Everyone!

[click to enlarge]
[comments turned off ... spend time with the loved ones!]

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

A Day In A Country Life

There hasn't been much going on in our neck of the woods worthy of note. However, today we had a friend drop by and help remove a 30 foot Red Cedar that was too close to the carport.
Notching the tree in preparation of a fall.

Thar she blows!

Now the fun begins ... disposing of all the limbs and debris.

And a pleasant surprise. An early Christmas gift from Santa.

I know, OMGoodness! It's a 'bling'! The necklace is made from Sterling Silver. The stones blue Tiger Eye. I nearly suffered whiplash during the last visit to the Tractor Supply Store and my husband noticed. He's such a sweetie. Now if I can just find a way the earrings wear it under my helmet ... (ouch) *lol*


Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Setting The Cruise Control

Ok, things have suddenly gotten crazy hectic around here. With my husband pre-cooking many items that need to be chilled, me washing up, cleaning the house, running errands and now I've injured my right hip again! Bummer. Anyway, I'm going to put the blog on cruise and concentrate on the Holiday.

Here's wishing everyone in my bloggy world a very Happy Thanksgiving, even the dear ones across the pond. Wish you could join us here in the States. You'd be more than welcome at our table.

From my house to yours, stay safe and have a lovely rest of the week. Be chatting with you all soon!


Saturday, October 31, 2015

Happy Halloween


(Comments turned off
so you can get lots of candy
... and then share it with me! *lol*)
Ride Safe

Friday, July 4, 2014

What July Fourth Means To Me by Ronald Reagan #4THJULY


Editor's note: When he was president, Ronald Reagan wrote the following piece for Independence Day in 1981. Aide Michael Deaver later wrote: "This 4th of July message is the President's own words and written initially in his own hand." Contrary to media fiction, many of Reagan's speeches, commentaries, and other papers were written by Ronald Reagan alone in his own hand. 


What July Fourth Means to Me 

By Ronald Reagan
StrangeMilitary.com 

For one who was born and grew up in the small towns of the Midwest, there is a special kind of nostalgia about the Fourth of July. 

I remember it as a day almost as long anticipated as Christmas. This was helped along by the appearance in store windows of all kinds of fireworks and colorful posters advertising them with vivid pictures. 

No later than the third of July - sometimes earlier - Dad would bring home what he felt he could afford to see go up in smoke and flame. We'd count and recount the number of firecrackers, display pieces and other things and go to bed determined to be up with the sun so as to offer the first, thunderous notice of the Fourth of July. 

I'm afraid we didn't give too much thought to the meaning of the day. And, yes, there were tragic accidents to mar it, resulting from careless handling of the fireworks. I'm sure we're better off today with fireworks largely handled by professionals. Yet there was a thrill never to be forgotten in seeing a tin can blown 30 feet in the air by a giant "cracker" - giant meaning it was about 4 inches long. 

But enough of nostalgia. Somewhere in our growing up we began to be aware of the meaning of days and with that awareness came the birth of patriotism. July Fourth is the birthday of our nation. I believed as a boy, and believe even more today, that it is the birthday of the greatest nation on earth. 

There is a legend about the day of our nation's birth in the little hall in Philadelphia, a day on which debate had raged for hours. The men gathered there were honorable men hard-pressed by a king who had flouted the very laws they were willing to obey. Even so, to sign the Declaration of Independence was such an irretrievable act that the walls resounded with the words "treason, the gallows, the headsman's axe," and the issue remained in doubt. 

The legend says that at that point a man rose and spoke. He is described as not a young man, but one who had to summon all his energy for an impassioned plea. He cited the grievances that had brought them to this moment and finally, his voice falling, he said, "They may turn every tree into a gallows, every hole into a grave, and yet the words of that parchment can never die. To the mechanic in the workshop, they will speak hope; to the slave in the mines, freedom. Sign that parchment. Sign if the next moment the noose is around your neck, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom, the Bible of the rights of man forever." 

He fell back exhausted. The 56 delegates, swept up by his eloquence, rushed forward and signed that document destined to be as immortal as a work of man can be. When they turned to thank him for his timely oratory, he was not to be found, nor could any be found who knew who he was or how he had come in or gone out through the locked and guarded doors. 

Well, that is the legend. But we do know for certain that 56 men, a little band so unique we have never seen their like since, had pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Some gave their lives in the war that followed, most gave their fortunes, and all preserved their sacred honor. 

What manner of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists, 11 were merchants and tradesmen, and nine were farmers. They were soft-spoken men of means and education; they were not an unwashed rabble. They had achieved security but valued freedom more. Their stories have not been told nearly enough. 

John Hart was driven from the side of his desperately ill wife. For more than a year he lived in the forest and in caves before he returned to find his wife dead, his children vanished, his property destroyed. He died of exhaustion and a broken heart. 

Carter Braxton of Virginia lost all his ships, sold his home to pay his debts, and died in rags. And so it was with Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Rutledge, Morris, Livingston and Middleton. 

Nelson personally urged Washington to fire on his home and destroy it when it became the headquarters for General Cornwallis. Nelson died bankrupt. 

But they sired a nation that grew from sea to shining sea. Five million farms, quiet villages, cities that never sleep, 3 million square miles of forest, field, mountain and desert, 227 million people with a pedigree that includes the bloodlines of all the world. 

In recent years, however, I've come to think of that day as more than just the birthday of a nation.

 
It also commemorates the only true philosophical revolution in all history. 

Oh, there have been revolutions before and since ours. But those revolutions simply exchanged one set of rules for another. Ours was a revolution that changed the very concept of government. 

Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people. 

We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should. 

Happy Fourth of July, 

Ronald Reagan 
President of the United States

Monday, May 26, 2014

Memorial Day Post 2014


In Loving Memory Of All Those Who Sacrificed For Our Nation
All Gave Some
Some Gave All
Honor And Respect To The Hero's In Uniform
We Will Never Forget
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; 
and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Psalm 33:12 KJV

Ride Safe,

Friday, April 18, 2014

Jeremy's Egg

JEREMY'S EGG
Jeremy was born with a twisted body, a slow mind and a chronic, terminal illness that had been slowly killing him all his young life. Still his parents had tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to St. Theresa's Elementary School.
At the age of 12, Jeremy was only in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy irritated his teacher.
One day, she called his parents and asked them to come to St. Theresa's for a consultation. As the Forresters sat quietly in the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five-year gap between his age and that of the other students!"
Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here."
Doris sat for a long time after they left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read or write. Why waste any more time trying?
As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. "Oh God," she said aloud, "here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared with that poor family! Please help me to be more patient with Jeremy."
From that day on, she tried to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares. Then one day he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him. "I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed loudly enough for the whole class to hear. The other children snickered, and Doris's face turned red. She stammered, "Wh-Why, that's very nice, Jeremy. Now please take your seat."
Spring came, and the childen talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them of the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Miss Miller!" the children responded enthusiastically - all except for Jeremy. He just listened intently, his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them.
That evening, Doris's kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents.
The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their Math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground we know that spring is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arms. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out.
The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up, "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes that is new life, too." Little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine."
Next, Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that the moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom. "My Daddy helped me!" he beamed.
Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty! Surely it must be Jeremy's she thought, and of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another. Suddenly Jeremy spoke up.
"Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered, Doris replied, "but Jeremy - your egg is empty!" He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty too!"
Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh yes!" Jeremy exclaimed. "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then His Father raised Him up!"
The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the school yard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.
Three months later Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty.
Have a blessed Easter!
"And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it."[Matthew 28:2 KJV]

Monday, March 17, 2014

Part Nine: The Birds, The Bees ... And The Honey

As I stated in his first post, once weekly I plan to feature a guest writer, my husband. Since we have no children, he has been painstakingly writing down the stories of his childhood to share them with his then 9 year old niece. I wanted her to know what kind of childhood her beloved Uncle was able to enjoy. While enjoying them myself I thought these are so much fun to read, why not share them? So here are the short missives of his memories of growing up in wilds of Florida during the 1950's and 1960's. They're packed with misadventures, romance, and all the confusing things that can happen in our youth. Even though his hometown of Jacksonville is a big city with over a million residents now, during his childhood it was several small communities surrounded by countryside.

This is his story.

(Please note: None of the photos in this post are from our files. They are all from the internet.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

The Birds, The Bees ... And The Honey
by Steven R. Hudson

On a warm summer morning we boys, that being Ray, Jackie, Peanut and I,
were walking the trail from Sherwood Forest toward the Mealer house carrying bundles of Dog Fennel stalks we had cut to make a tepee. De-limbed Maple saplings had already been stacked at Ray and Jackie's backyard to make the tepee frame. The Dog Fennel stalks, feathery and green and wreaking of Chlorophyll, would be woven over the frame of Maple to form the walls of our "Injun" dwelling.

Along this path stood an old Bald Cypress. The tree was one that could not help but be noticed, standing alone now on dry ground that was once a shallow wetland and somehow having avoided the saws that felled it's companions. Like all members of it's kind, it was swollen at the
base with many "Cypress Knees" thrusting from the ground nearby. Something was different as we approached the tree this day. A steady buzzing sound from the tree caught our attention causing us to drop our bundles and investigate. There was a hole about six inches wide at the tree's base and a steady stream of Honey Bees flying in and out of the opening. We passed by this tree many times a week on our way to the forest and were surprised that the bees had escaped our notice until now. Being of an age famous for short attention spans, we forgot about tepee construction and set about investigating the beehive. 

The first painful lesson learned was that Honey Bees get highly irritated when you get too near their honey store. Pulling their barbed stingers from our tender young flesh convinced us that another approach was needed. Now it seems that at least one of us brigands had heard that smoke was like a drug to bees. Smoke would calm them, making them docile enough so that we might rob their honey supply without being stung. We began gathering some dry sticks and enough tender to make a small fire near the hive opening and dry leaves would make plenty of smoke to soothe the hive's protectors. A long sapling was cut and used to push the sticks and tender up to the opening which was less than a foot from ground level. Dried grass was wrapped around the pole's tip and lit to make a long "match" to get the sticks and tender burning. This actually worked as smoke drifted up and into the opening. We became emboldened and moved closer, throwing more sticks and leaves on the fire and fanning the smoke into the opening with a palmetto frond. The bees seemed confused and crawled around the opening, no longer flying aggressively toward us. Which of us would be brave (crazy) enough to reach in that opening and pull out the honey comb with it's sweet treasure?

If Peanut was known for anything it was impulsiveness. If you wished to see him do something risky or just plain stupid,  just dare him to do it. So we dared him and straight away, he reached into the hive opening, felt around for a moment, then pulled out a comb a foot long and dripping with honey. Jackie rushed home to fetch a bucket for the honey comb. The bucket was soon filled and raid over, we retired to a shady spot to enjoy our spoils. We cut the comb open and lapped up the honey like thirsty dogs. It was so sweet and delicious and, like dogs, we ate too much and got sick. The bees had gotten their revenge.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Special Note For Today:
In case my readers haven't noticed,
I'm not much into celebrating holidays.
However, March 17th is a special day for us
because on this day 35 years ago
Sweetie and I had our First Date.
(And, yes, I wore green that day.) :)
We've been together as a couple ever since.
We always, always find some way to celebrate this day.
For everyone else, I hope your day is special too.
Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Saint Patty's Day!


Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year!


We're going to a local party with friends. See y'all next year! [ha ha]

~ Ride Safe ~
Sparky

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas To All And All That

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas.
I found the YouTube video below
of what is undoubtedly a cousin of
our lovable Jack Russell Terrorists:


I wish I could train my two to do that!



And with that I'll say, from our home to yours, stay safe out there on the highways and byways. And most especially watch out for those reindeer! [lol] We're gonna stay home where it's warm, toasty and away from the wildlife. :)

God bless from our home to yours.

~ Ride Safe ~
Sparky and Steve
Lucy, Jack and Sam

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Pre Thanksgiving Day Preparations


I absolutely love Thanksgiving Day! It’s hands down my favorite holiday of the year. For me it’s all about family and friends. None of this silly exchanging of gifts. It’s all about just getting together, feeling thankful and building happy memories.

According to the Holy Scriptures, thankfulness pleases God. I liken our praises and thankfulness unto a sweet smelling aroma on the altar of sacrifice to Him. He has given us so much. It is always a fitting time to openingly express our thanks for all the multiple blessings we have through the year. And like all of my readers, I have lots to be thankful for this year too. I’ve been exceedingly blessed this year. First of all, we all have been blessed with a loving Lord and Saviour who by His grace has granted all who believe eternal salvation through His shed blood. Money can’t buy that kind of security! And the most important thing we can do as believers, is share this knowledge of eternal love with those that are perishing. To be someone who is openingly thankful, thoughtful, and kind helps show how much He cares about us all.

Also, my health is much improved over the previous four years. I am thankful to have a safe, comfortable, secure home, a husband that adores me, and access to some of the best food on this planet. We may be poor but we’ve been eating good doggone it! I never was interested in food preparation but retirement changed all that. Hubby is teaching me how to cook like he does. I’m really getting into the planning and cooking of meals, thoroughly enjoying myself along the way.

Since it’s just us tomorrow, we’ve down-sized the turkey day menu. It will still be the traditional Butterball with Cornbread Dressing and the green beans. But instead of a “regular” salad I decided to fix Cucumber Salad. And because of our low-carb diet, I’ve opted for cooked, mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. We’ve been doing a lot of experimenting using vegetables in place of  other foods. I recently was sent a recipe for Kale baked just like sliced potatoes to make chips. Can’t wait to try it!

Here’s the menu that’s planned for tomorrow:

Butterball turkey stuffed with cooked Cornbread Stovetop Dressing (our one “bad“ carb). Save the drippings for the gravy.

Green beans thoroughly cooked with garlic, basil and coconut oil. They taste as good as if they where boiled in sugar!

Cauliflower:
    Two heads, chopped fine, thoroughly cooked until soft.
    Mash and serve just like potatoes. No bad carbs and even
    tastes better than the “real” thing!

Cucumber Salad:
    4 cucumbers, thinly sliced        ½ cup water
    1 cup white vinegar                 1 tablespoon dried dill
    1 small white onion, thinly sliced

    Toss together the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl.
    Combine the vinegar, water and Splenda in a saucepan
    Over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Pour over the
    Cucumber and onions. Stir in dill, cover, and refrigerate
    until cold. Serve next day.

Cranberry sauce: chilled.

Pumpkin Pie:
    1 prepared pie crust                 2 tbsp. Corn Starch
                                                 ½ tsp. Cinnamon
    Filling                                     1 ½ tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
    1 can Pumpkin Puree                 1/8 tsp. salt
    ¾ cup Splenda granular             2 eggs
    1/3 cup Half & Half                   1 egg white
    3 tbsp. Heavy Cream                 1 tbsp. Vanilla
    1 tsp. Sugar-Free Maple Syrup    REAL Whipped Cream!

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
    Blend pumpkin puree, Splenda, corn starch, spices
    and salt in a medium bowl. Blend well. In separate bowl,
    mix together remaining ingredients. Stir well. Add to pumpkin
    mixture and stir well.
    Pour pumpkin filling into pie crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes
    or until set in the center and the crust is golden brown.
    Serve warm or chilled with real whipped cream. YUM!


                               Happy Thanksgiving Y‘all!


Psalm 107:1 (NIV) -”Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV) – “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 4:2 (NIV) – “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

Colossians 3:15 (NIV) – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Psalm 69:30 (NIV)
–“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.”


                                      ~ Ride Safe ~
                                            Sparky