Touching on Several Topics

 

from our bike rides

Do you know what a bollard is? I'll give you a moment to ponder that while I go on.....

Our oft-mentioned bike rides are somewhere between 4 and 5 miles in length, taking us about 45 minutes to pedal through 7 or more of the 16 neighborhoods that make up our +55 community. We like to ride after breakfast, before the traffic picks up too much. 

Yes, even within the human-guarded gate (there's just one) of our environ, there is traffic. Unfortunately, often the drivers do not observe the speed limit and stop signs. It can get downright scary at times. I am not exaggerating when I say I pray daily for our safety (It has not been a wasted appeal) and I thank the Lord for His protection.

Anyway, back to the question of bollards. A bollard is "a thick, low post, usually of iron or steel, mounted on a wharf or the like to which mooring lines from vessels are attached." (quoting the dictionary on my iPhone)

Actually, the British definition fits my purpose better: "one of a series of short posts for excluding or diverting motor vehicles from a road, lawn, or the like."

(repeating the photo as the one above) 

As  you've probably guessed by now, the bright yellow posts in my photo are bollards. 

We have these wonderful wide, black asphalt multi-purpose paths designated for pedestrians, bicycles, and golf carts (the houses snug up to an 18-hole golf course that winds around). These paths are absolutely NOT for car traffic (although yours truly did accidentally drive on one during her first week after moving here). 😲

I hasten to add in my defense that no bollard was in place to discourage my mistaken identification of what was designated for car traffic and what was not, plus this was in an area still under construction at that time. Some of the workers saw me and stopped to stare in wonder as to what this crazy female driver was doing. Yes, it was very embarrassing.

So, a bollard is intended to give us instruction of where to drive and what is forbidden. I use this illustration to segue into a recommendation to read a really good book I have just completed today:

click for purchase information

This is good for everybody. We ALL have messed up; it's how things are in this fallen world. This book gives real hope and practical counsel on how to move on. It serves as a "bollard" as we travel through life.

wisdom from Facebook and Mindful Christianity

On the subject of adversity, a lot of my readers (and many members of our family) are facing the big snow and ice storm this weekend.

I've been praying this storm turns out to not be as serious as predicted. 

Our son in Minneso-cold (as Gary calls it), texted yesterday to say we need to cancel our surprise visit to see them due to the terrible sub-zero daytime "high" temps expected at his house. 🥶 Not to worry, no "surprise visit" was planned. I've already written in a previous post how we try to avoid that kind of weather. 

Jacksonville Beach - Internet photo
(yes, they are statues!)

We are thankful to be entertaining 80-degree sunshine here in Florida this weekend, although on Monday we expect to get some of that cold -- nowhere as extreme by any means. 

This past week we did our grocery shopping. We don't go on any particular day (except we avoid weekend shopping) and on no special schedule. When the milk jug is really low, Gary (who is king of the kitchen in this house) announces it's time to go. By then I've usually already started a list of my own and he rummages through the 'fridge to determine what else is needed. 

With exceptions for the absolute "must haves", we pretty much buy what's on BOGO (buy one, get one free), which is a method that tends to serve our finances very well. 

The Boston Cream donuts have not been BOGO yet, but that's just as well because one package doesn't last more than 9 hours around here. They are Gary's favorite and have become mine, too. One box of them is enough because I am sure they "go to waist"! 🤭

Before I leave the subject of food, here is what we had for lunch yesterday, and then the leftovers again today:

Taco Pie

Billie Jo's Taco Pie was a recipe she featured recently on her blog (click here). Many of you will probably recognize the mixture of ground beef, taco seasoning, cheese, sour cream.... oh my! I edited the recipe just a little for our personal preferences (and with what was in the pantry) but it was definitely a hit with Gary. 

There has been some bittersweet sadness in the Christian community of late with the news of the sudden passing of Robert Wolgemuth. I won't go into the story; you can Google their names to see many stories, memories and wonderful tributes to this good man of God and his dear wife, an excellent Bible teacher, Nancy Leigh DeMoss Wolgemuth. (she has been the designated successor to Elizabeth Elliott, for those who remember her).

I will say that the first time I heard his name was many years ago when he and his first wife (now deceased), Bobbi, were guests on the Focus on the Family radio show. She was big on music and taught their two daughters well in harmony. On the show she said that when the family would travel in the car, they would sing. The four of them sang something on the radio that day in the most exquisite, a cappella harmony (something I dearly love). I have never forgotten that. Oh, how I wish we could hear more true music like that today!!!

The hour is getting late here; I need to close this out. My friend and editor at The Christian Lounge has published another of my devotional articles and encouraged me to invite you to visit the blog. In this particular post I share from the immediate days after the passing of my late husband and how scripture helped me through the worst of times. My long-time readers may remember: 

https://thechristianlounge4u.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-comfort-of-scripture.html

If you would like to submit your own article to The Christian Lounge, check it out.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

Baby! It's COLD Outside!

 

Winter Bird stitched around 2020

No, I'm not complaining about the weather, but rather keeping in mind this declaration:

"This is the day the Lord has made; 

we will rejoice and be glad in it." 

Psalm 118:24

And also this advice: 

"...Do not grumble among yourselves..." 

John 6:43

In this hemisphere, it's winter, even in Central Florida. This is how it's supposed to be (although we are having unusually cold temps right now). 

My family that lives a few hours north of here got some snow, but not enough to shovel. 

by Happy Gardens

While in my area we don't need snow brushes, ice scrapers or boots, we have had to cover several of our bushes for protection from the hard freezes.

Our back yard

Early this morning I realized I had forgot to bring in that gorgeous Poinsettia featured in one of my recent posts:

R.I.P.

Fortunately I did not overdraw my bank account when I bought it....😕 It's a goner for sure.

Manatees @ 3 Sisters Springs, Crystal River, Florida
Photo by Greg Dee

All of the 1,000+ natural springs in Florida maintain a constant temperature of about 72 degrees. In the cold of winter, the manatees seek that warm water. 

My guess is that this photo was taken from a drone because I know from experience that we can't see the manatees as well when standing on that bridge beside the pool of water.

Iguanas

Then there is the matter of Iguanas freezing up and falling from tree branches in South Florida. They're not dead, just too frozen to move. They thaw out and get on with life.

Thankfully, we don't face that where I live (North of Mickey Mouse and the other amusement parks). They aren't as prevalent here as the small geckos are (and they just hide when it's cold). 

But it's a thing. Google this: 

"iguanas falling out of trees in the cold article"

Since I've brought up the subject of the animal kingdom, here is the latest from Sister. She lives up north where snow is always a part of winter.

(left to right) Maggie and Daisy

Her Basset hounds are wearing their sweaters, because it was eleven degrees outside when this picture was taken. I am told that after "taking care of business," they said to her, "We've had enough of that. We're comin' back in!"

(left to right) Daisy and Maggie

So, from the warmth and comfort of our living room, I'm sharing some homey observations while wearing knee socks, ankle-length jeans, and long sleeves over a camisole. 

me 'n Sister walk her neighborhood
on a cold afternoon ~ 2022

When packing to move to Florida from Colorado in 2017, I donated a lot of my wintery wardrobe, saving just enough for any trips to the frozen North, should that be necessary. We told our family that unless somebody is dying, we won't be traveling their way in the winter months. 

Gary on a chilly morning
 even farther North 

Of course, those words spoken so glibly have had to be retracted. We've been up north for a death and a wedding, and to meet new family members (newborn great grandchildren). Now that we have record-breaking temps here in Florida, I'm glad I kept the cold weather threads that I have!!

our dining room

Along the lines of glib proclamations, I had implied a few weeks ago that the Christmas table runner would remain on our dining table until Valentine season. I changed my mind (we can do that, you know) but kept with red while the poinsettias were packed away for next December. 

The decision to put away Christmas decor came about while I was riding my bicycle, pedaling past a neighbor's nativity scene, still in the yard even past Epiphany. I understand it is the custom of some to leave out their Christmas decor until after the Wise Men have arrived, and I'm fine with that. 

But now with each passing day, I think to myself that a note should be put on the neighbor's door suggesting Mary and Joseph need to "leave for Egypt." Although this neighbor need not fear King Herod, there is the Home Owners' Association to appease.

[Please excuse my religious humor here. If you are not a student of the Bible, you may not know that after the Wise Men came to worship the newborn King of the Jews, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, instructing him to move his family to Egypt for a time. The wicked King Herod was jealous and wanted to kill the baby Jesus.]

recent US mail received

I've got one more thing to share while I'm humorously walking the edge of scriptural matters ..... this letter was in our mailbox a few days ago. I've smudged out our address for reasons of privacy but this was clearly addressed to Gary's late wife, who was ushered into Heaven nearly 5 years ago. Upon opening the envelope, Gary saw it was an advertisement for replacement windows and doors.

Of course, both Gary and I are used to getting mail for our late spouses but this one was a bit unnerving with its pressing message of "Trying to get in touch with you!" 

Yeah. Good luck with that! 🙄 On to other things.....

source

While I don't refrain from writing about my faith on this blog, I do not say much about politics because I just don't want to "get into it" with the comments and such. However, we are in such a serious place regarding so many matters that I do urge us all to be in honest prayer for our country. It is not a wasted effort.

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, 

intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—

for kings and all those in authority, 

that we may live peaceful and 

quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

I Timothy 2:1-2

Exactly what should we pray for or about? Start with this:

Peaceful lives

Godly conduct

God's will

Protection and guidance

I love this quote by J. Sidlow Baxter:

Men may spurn our appeals,

reject our message,

oppose our arguments,

despise our persons, but

they are helpless against our prayers.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

* * * * * * *

For more faith-based reading, join me at this link where Christian writers contribute their articles of encouragement:

The Christian Lounge

https://thechristianlounge4u.blogspot.com

The Whites of Winter

a winter sunrise at Daytona Beach, Florida 
2022

This week Joyce's Hodgepodge questions focus on winter. If you want to link up with her blog to answer these questions, click here.

1. What kind of winter person are you-snow lover, fireplace snuggler, winter adventurer, or indoor hibernator? Elaborate. 

My preference over the years has changed from the thrill of being in snow to just observing it from inside a warm house. After years of living in snowy climates (Upstate New York, New Jersey, Colorado, South Dakota, Northern Virginia), when asked if I miss snow, my reply is I don't miss shoveling it. 

my last month in Colorado, May 2017;
6 inches of snow to be cleared from our deck

Been there; done that. Now my preference is the white caps of ocean waves.

collecting sea shells at Florida's Atlantic beach
after moving here in 2017

2. The Pantone color of the year is cloud dancer, described as a gentle, billowy off white shade. The color symbolizes 'peace, clarity, quiet reflection, renewal, and a soft reset'. Of the terms just listed which do you need most in your life this winter? 

I choose "clarity." Some baffling issues have been on my mind in recent years that could benefit from some clarity. 

I'm seeing that there are things in life we just need to accept, make our peace with as much as possible, and move on. 

God has everything in his control. I'm learning to trust His loving character in my life.

1957 "Colonial White" Ford Thunderbird

As to the subject of white, here is a gorgeous car we saw at a show this past November. While I much prefer driving newer vehicles for the techie additions they provide, I am also partial to T-birds since Gary dated me in his 2002 T-bird (a turquoise that was called "Thunderbird Blue").

December 2021

3. Every cloud has a silver lining, on cloud nine, head in the clouds, storm clouds gathering, or cloud of suspicion...which 'cloud' idiom do you most relate to currently? Explain. 

Thinking of current events in our world, "storm clouds gathering" is very accurate. We need to be praying for our leaders and asking God to bring calm to our streets.

4. Coconut, cauliflower, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, onions, ranch dressing...of the white foods listed, which would be the hardest for you to give up? Do you like all or any of the foods on the list? 

Without a doubt, mayonnaise would be the hardest of the listed foods for me to give up. I grew up with Miracle Whip, which I loved at the time, but my desire for that has long since disappeared. Now it's Hellmann's Real Mayo for me!

5. Thomas Wentworth Higginson is credited with this quote-

"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year." 

Agree or disagree? Tell us why. 

Yes, I agree. Winter teaches us to slow down, review where we are, and to consider if adjustments should be made. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Here are the words to an old hymn that fit well with today's theme of winter whites:

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;

I want Thee forever to live in my soul,

Break down every idol, cast out every foe;

Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

Whiter than snow, yes whiter than snow,

Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

James L. Nicholson United Kingdom/USA 1828-1876

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

Elvis and Other Topics

 

our Saturday lunch locale

This is one of those days that exonerates the decision to leave a colder climate to endure steaming, oven-hot summers. (uh, but don't ask me to repeat that in July!!)

Today I'm taking my writing prompts from two blogs I don't normally follow but did visit this week from the Hodgepodge: My Joyful Life and Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa. (click on the titles to access them)

Loving? 

Well, this guy, of course! Not only is he handsome, kind, smart, energetic, organized, and accomplished, but he serves as excellent 'blog fodder', putting up with candid photography by the paparazzi. 

Resolving? I choose to not be specific, but there are things I don't understand in spite of much research. I am wiser for the investigations but still have questions.

Planning? We live in a place where the potential for a variety of day-trips are abundant and we take advantage of them when our calendars allow. At this time of year, the manatees congregate in the warm springs of Florida (which maintain a year-round temperature of 72 degrees). We may venture over to one of the state parks to gaze at them one day soon.

Eating/drinking?

Lunch

As implied in an earlier snapshot, today we had lunch on our back patio with a menu of hot dogs and French fries. 

The outside temperature is in the upper 70s and there is only a slight breeze. We dined in the shade of several palms overhead with sunshine filtering through the many tall pine trees. 

Rosy pink Camellias and reddish-orange Hibiscus bushes are also in easy view of our chairs. Our fellow Floridians agree this kind of weather in JANUARY is why we live here.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

But returning to the subject of food, yesterday I baked a casserole recipe printed on the box of Stove Top Chicken Flavored Stuffing: Bruschetta Chicken Bake. Mavis Butterfield has the recipe on her blog at this link. (click) The only change I made from what's printed on the box is I used some leftover Swanson Chicken Broth for the 1/2 cup of water and I used the biggest can of shredded chicken on the store shelf instead of raw chicken. 

It was very easy to prepare and so tasty that my mouth waters now just thinking about the small amount that is left over in our refrigerator! Were I not trying to have a slim figure, I might have given myself a larger serving yesterday!

Watching/reading? 

Lost at Sea

Earlier this week I finished reading Lost at Sea by John Wukovits, which is a biography of World War I hero, Eddie Rickenbacker and the detailed story of being lost at sea on  life rafts with seven other men. 

Gary had checked this book out from the library. We often sit out here on the lanai in the afternoons, reading our books and talking about what we've read. I became convinced to read this book for myself and in spite of its close to 400 pages, I could hardly put it down!

approaching the Cultural Center from the parking lot

Then to address the rest of this prompt, what am I watching? ELVIS! (January 9th was his 91st birthday)

Cote Deonath as Elvis Presley

Yes, and also Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Garth Brooks. 

If you don't already know, retirement communities tend to invite a lot of "tribute" artists and bands to give monthly concerts. One of Gary's Christmas gifts to us was the purchase of tickets for 4 of these concerts, this being the first of the season. 

Michael Cullipher as Johnny Cash

Samantha Chambliss as Dolly Parton

Alex Mitchell as Garth Brooks

These concerts are a lot of fun. Old folks of all shapes, sizes, and physical abilities/disabilities flock to these things to be reminded of our younger days and to sort of "cut loose" (some concerts more than others). This one was titled, "Elvis and The Legends of Country." 

All of the performers were skilled in their talent, but Elvis was our favorite. This fellow really put on a good show.

where we sit

We like to get there early to secure the parking location we like. We choose our seats when the tickets are purchased ahead of time, on line, preferring seats on the aisle and toward the back. .... and we DON'T wear our hearing aids for these concerts. Like all concerts, the music was LOUD.

us

To amuse ourselves as we waited for the show to start, we took the SMOS (social media obligatory selfie). Then I left Gary at our seats so I could inspect the raffle items on long tables in the lobby.

the entire event was sponsored by Habitat for Humanity

Lots of Elvis memorabilia was displayed for the raffle event. About the only thing Gary and I gamble on is each other (which has turned out to be a WIN WIN! for both of us), so no money was spent beyond our concert tickets. (I will say that we have both purchased and donated items to our local Habitat for Humanity store located here in town.)

It was a good concert; we are glad we went. The show began at 6:30pm, so we were home 🥱 in time to get to bed 😴 easily before 10pm -- a good consideration for concerts in a retirement community! 💤

Sister and Bob

I want to give a shout out to Sister and her husband on this, their 50th wedding anniversary!! Although they look like just kids in their wedding picture, they were married in their last semesters at the University of Illinois where she graduated with her Bachelors Degree and he completed his Masters Degree. They went on from there to settle in farm country where his career in agriculture (cows, crops, and a corporate sales representative) helped to support their family of triplet daughters(!!!) and a son. Now, these 50 years later, their 4 happily married children have given them a total of 11 grandchildren. Congratulations!

https://thechristianlounge4u.blogspot.com

My last item of interest on this post is to direct you to a blog where I have been invited (along with many other writers) to contribute occasional posts of a devotional-type nature, The Christian Lounge. Today my first contribution to the site is featured: 

https://thechristianlounge4u.blogspot.com/2026/01/black-eyed-peas.html

If you would like to write for this blog, check out the links I've provided for further information.

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by here. 

Grace and peace,

Barbara