Thankful for a comfortable home and beautiful weather.

It's been just beautiful here in Florida this Spring! We've gotten outside as often as we can. Today it was just to walk around the house looking at the roses and flowers.

I started a list in my journal of things that have helped me through this terrible pandemic.

I'll share a few with you today!

I started my list with 'my faith' and 'my family'. And that's what has helped me most of course. 

It helps to have a husband with a good sense of humor when he is your constant companion!

I turned the pages in the old hymnal on my piano and found these hymns.

My piano and familiar old hymns are comforting to me.

Love how the shadows in the kitchen looked early in the morning.

And when I poured myself a cup of coffee, even my packet of Truvia was inspiring!

How are you doing this week? Are you and your family well?

I'm thankful for so much. My list goes on and on! 

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays and

I like Thursdays HERE too!

That's what friends are for!

I'm very blessed to have some precious friendships. My hubby is my soul mate and very best friend and it's always more fun to hike with him. Well, unless he is taking photos of me from the back! lol

And my sweet cousin Cindy has been a life long best friend. She calls to talk...and listen! And she inherited my Grandmother's talent for making the most beautiful quilts.

Today I am going to a luncheon with my friends in the neighborhood. That's always fun!

This is a photo taken a few months ago. (we have a luncheon once a month) You can probably pick me out! lol

I've even started walking in the evenings with a sweet group of ladies. We walk and talk as fast as we can and the time just flies by! 

I hope you are blessed with good friends! That's something to be thankful for today!

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays  and

Katherine's Thursday Favorite things HERE.

 

Spring cleaning in 'spurts'!

If it's cool enough in the mornings, I like to go for a hike. But here lately I've had Spring fever!

I've been going 'room by room' and doing a little deep cleaning.  Nothing looks very different but it's nice to have everything in place and dusted.

I put all my cleaning supplies away each day so that I can start fresh each morning and not feel like I'm in the middle of a big chore. And of course I don't clean every day. 

It's more fun to hike or do my art or read or blog....or just about anything else! lol

I bought myself a gift for Mother's Day. I don't usually get a lot of presents and this year was no different so I 'treated' myself! I have good kids that I am very proud of so I'm happy with the flowers, phone calls and cards I get all year round! I am blessed!

I've wanted one of these little toys stoves and had the perfect place for it in my kitchen. But when it came, it was a little too big for that spot so I put it on this bookshelf for now.

 My roses were more beautiful each day as they opened up fully. And for those that wondered...I found out who sent them through a process of elimination.  When I talked to each son, I told them I got a wonderful 'early' gift and when they started 'guessing' what it was, it was pretty easy to cross them off the list, one by one! heehee!

Do you treat yourself with something special sometimes?

 Feels good, doesn't it?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays .

*Treat Yourself*

We probably shouldn’t need to be told to be good to ourselves but sometimes we get so busy doing for others that we neglect ourselves. Don’t worry, I’m not that bad about this now that I’m ‘older’!

But I HAVE worked really hard decluttering my house this Fall. I’ve taken 4 loads of stuff to the thrift stores. I know someone will be able to use the things I no longer need or want.

So I treated myself!

I’ve always wanted the Autumn book by Susan Branch.

So I went online and found it at alibris and I’m thrilled with it!

Just like new and a great price! My blog friend Sam from Farm Girl Sam and I had been talking about it. We both love Susan Branch…oh and BOOKS!

Then I placed an order with Amazon and got this!

Do you know what it is?

A colored pencil cloth roll up. I can get all my colored pencils organized!

And guess who mentioned this on their blog. My blog buddy at Cranberry Morning!

(can you believe I FINALLY got one, Judy!!!)

I also got Retro Clean to soak old linens thanks to my sweet cousin Cindy. This will really come in handy for linens and lace I already have.

So the next time you clean out and donate to a good cause,

TREAT YOURSELF!

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays.

A Tag Journal!

When my sweet cousin Cindy came to visit, she brought me lots of ‘pressies’! She filled a huge bag with crafting supplies from her stash and oh what fun I had playing with everything!

She also made a few pockets with tags. And that gave me an idea. I’ve seen the tag journals so I decided to make a couple of them.

I sent this one off to her. It was great fun to make and nicer that a thank you note, don’t you think?

(one without the silk ribbon so that you can read it)

The tiny photos are selfies she took with her phone and then printed out on her handy dandy printer!

Have you made anything like this?

I enjoy small projects more and more! And it’s nice when you have lots of new supplies to play with!

The one I made for myself!

I’m joining Mosaic Monday HERE

and Cooking and Crafting with J & J.

Swallow tailed Kites and Soft shelled Turtles

Florida is turning into a jungle with all the rain we’ve had but it sure makes everything lush and beautiful!

My sweet cousin Cindy and I went to Sholom Park one day while she was here. (don’t we all have ‘camera envy’ when we see hers!)

And then another day I went back to walk in an area where I usually see the Swallow tailed Kites.

One of the workers caught up with me on his ATV and asked what I had seen.

He said there were 4 Kites nesting in the trees nearby. I sure would love to see baby Kites, wouldn’t you?

It was funny that when Cindy and I were there we saw hundreds of tadpoles but when I went back a couple of days later, they were all gone.

Food for someone, I’m sure.

In this photo you can see the Koi deep in the water, turtles coming to the surface and tiny fish swimming about. Of course there are lots of birds that stop by to eat at the pond too.

We saw something VERY unusual too!

TWO Soft Shelled Turtles! (here’s one close up)

When I took this pic, the reflection gave it an eerie look!

Spooky!

What have you seen this week? How much rain have you had?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’.

Now this is what I call FUN!!!

The weather has been warm and rain free! YAY! So I’ve had lots of fun! Cousin Fun!

My sweet cousin, Cindy came to Florida this week so one day we went to Homosassa Wildlife Park.

I love this wildlife park because all of the animals here live in Florida (except for one! Lu the Hippo has lived here a long time but there aren’t any other hippos here…that I know of! lol)

She was hoping to see the Manatees but the water is so warm now that most of them have gone back out into the rivers and streams.

There are 4 that live in the park though so we got to see them.

Want to see a close up?

 

I love them! And the water is so clear!

Cindy has a really great camera so I’ll steal borrow some of her pics!

I fell in love with this little Green Heron!

A precious tiny Burrowing Owl too!

And she got the best photos of a River Otter that we watched. How fun…and FAST they are!

Lots more to share another day!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

and I’d Rather B Birdin’.

‘Special Days’

We all have them! And mine fell on the weekend! So I am having a special weekend that is extending into Monday!

It’s my birthday!

I’ve talked to several of my blog buddies that have January birthdays! We should form a club!

My sweet cousin sent me this old photo recently.  It was taken at her house when we were playing dress up. How do you like our hats? We had on high heels too.

And the nice lady, Tricia at Castles n Crowns made my banner a few years ago. I LOVE it!

I’m writing this ahead of time and hoping all my dreams come true. I’m hoping my weekend will include a hike and some football. Oh, and some special meals that hubby has planned. I had hoped to have some sugar free cheesecake from our favorite bakery but they don’t make it any more. What will I do? I may have to get creative! I don’t miss sugar very often but it does seem a shame not to have dessert on your special day!

How many years ago was this taken? I’ll never tell! hahaha!

Happy Birthday to all my January blog sisters.

(and all my blog buddies born in the ‘50s!)

Join me in the celebration this weekend! How long can I keep this going?

I’m joining Mosaic Monday HERE .