Fun experiences in NC!

 

It's always so nice when you get treated in a special way when you are on a trip.

I try to be kind in the way I live my life, but I also appreciate kindnesses shown to me.

It makes me very thankful.

So here are a few kindnesses along the way!

I had a few nice 'antique' items I was ready to get rid of so I drove over to The Garage to ask the owner if she would want them. (a couple of big bowls, old cookbooks and a small child's chair) She was very happy. And I told her I didn't want to sell them, I wanted to donate them. 

She looked around the store and said for me to pick out a Garage T shirt!

 I liked the blue color, don't you? What a nice surprise!

Maybe next time we'll eat next door!

We drove down the hill to the Library so I took a few photos there too. 

I can't go to NC without visiting my favorite library.

Another day, a neighbor gave me some ripe local peaches that she had bought from a farm stand.

Thanks to everyone that made our trip even more special!

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

Also I like Thursdays HERE.   

Let's go for a Neighborhood Walk!

Most of our nature trails are closed so I've walked in the neighborhood some this week.  

It's a beautiful day...would you like to come along?

We live in an 'active' community and there are more walkers out in the neighborhood than we see on the forest trails! But everyone keeps their distance.

And it is nice to see all the pretty homes and see what flowers are blooming.

I carry my phone when I walk so these are taken with my phone.

We've had beautiful weather so I can't complain about that!

It's nice to be able to at least wave at my neighbors!

And I just HAVE to share the book I've just finished in case you are in need of a good book to read. (I checked it out as an ebook from my library)

The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood

FIVE STARS! ALL the stars! It was THAT good!

Let me know if you've read it and also please tell me in the comments how you are doing! Are you well? I continue to pray and I know you do too!

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

Do we have time for Story Hour at the Library?

I stopped at the local library to donate a few books and the story lady was getting ready for story hour at the Freedom Public Library.

I donated my books, picked up a magazine and got all the way back to my car when I thought....why not! 

I have time for Story Hour!

So back in I went! I talked to the sweet lady and asked if I could come and take a few pics. I also asked if I left early, would it be a distraction... she said I was welcome and I could leave whenever I wanted!

I'm so glad I went!

I got to sing the Welcome Song and the 'getting settled down' song!

And listen to some of a bunny book!

It was delightful! I love libraries! I have fond memories of going to my local library in Arkansas as a little girl and I've always searched out the library wherever I live! There's so many things to enjoy at the library!

And don't you love that it's a Safe Place for children!

Do you still visit the library where you live?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays. 

Books and Butterflies!

I think I'm seeing butterflies in my sleep! I've seen so many real butterflies lately and then I spent some time making cards for the hospice patients that I visit each week.

I'm still using the pretty butterflies that my blog buddy Ann sent me. 

And I wanted to share a butterfly card my son, D sent me awhile back. It's opened in the photo above. The other card is from my youngest son, D. I love having pretty things around me when I create, don't you?

I've discovered a 'new to me' author that writes amazing books!

The first one I read was Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center and I gave it 5 stars on goodreads. That's the very highest rating and I give it to only my very favorite books.

I read How to Walk Away by Katherine Center too and gave it 4 stars. Both books are worth putting on your 'to read' list!

I finally got to check out the latest Louise Penny book, A Better Man. I've been on the waiting list to get it from my library and now I have it in my greedy little hands! Oh, I CAN NOT wait to read it. This is one of my VERY favorite series and I know it is for many of you. I think Armand Gamache is REAL and don't anyone tell me he's not!

Have you read something good this week that you think I might enjoy? 

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays  and

Katherine's Thursday Favorite things HERE.

What I've been reading

I've been able to take more hikes this summer than I did last summer. If we have a little rain shower, I try to get out after that to enjoy the cooler temps. But I found something else to enjoy too. I check books out from my local library as ebooks and I love to go online and see 'what's new' in books. They have a new section called 'The Great Outdoors' at the top of the website that I love. It features books about nature, gardening, hiking, novels, poetry...all with nature as the theme of the book. I have several checked out right now.

My favorite so far is Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li.

Here's a quote, "And even more amazing is the fact that not only do the beautiful and magnificent sights of nature make us feel better, they can actually improve our health. There is no medicine you can take that has such a direct influence on your health as a walk in a beautiful forest."

There is so much great information in this book that I would recommend it to everyone! Even if you are only able to pull up a chair to the window and look outside, it would be beneficial. If you have a bird feeder or some flowers to look at that would be even better.

 I love this beautiful book of poetry by Mary Oliver, Upstream. 

A few others I've read or skimmed through are How to Read Nature by Tristan Gooley, A Woman's Guide to the Wild by Ruby McConnell and The Nature Fix by Florence Williams. 

 A mystery I just finished was Heart of a Killer by David Rosenfelt. I love all of the books he writes and I'm on the waiting list at the library for his new book, Bark of Night! I can't wait to read it!

What have you read this month? 

Anything you think I would like?

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays .

Summertime Books and Movies

I've mentioned how HOT it is here in Florida this month. And now we are having showers roll through. The rain is needed but it makes it hard to plan your day. When we have a rain shower, it rains and then the sun comes out and leaves it hot and muggy. Later...we might even get another shower. But I'm still finding lots to do inside. When I get 'cabin fever' I go to some of my favorite places and then walk in my neighborhood in the evenings.

I found these beautiful old books for sale in the lobby of my local public library.

I love the illustrations in these books. 

Isn't this cover beautiful? 

The Princess series! Don't you love that and the little sticker inside the front cover that says "Be An Angel, Wait 'til Dec. 25th"!

 Last winter I read some of the Little House on the Prairie books. They are so enjoyable, no matter what your age!

 Aren't the little drawings at the beginning of each chapter pretty?

 I started reading a mystery series by John Dunning and the main character, Cliff Janeway collects rare books. I really fell in love with the references to the books he found and what he collected! 

 

We've also watched a few 'new to us' movies lately. We can check them out from our community library and keep them over the weekend so that's been a lot of fun. Well, unless you get one that is terrible. I'll start with that one. The Favourite....it was just awful and we only watched for about 15 minutes before we turned it OFF! Creepy and crude! 

But we watched a wonderful movie this past weekend. 

 

Instant Family

We both loved it! Lots of great actors and a beautiful story!

I’m joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE .

The Freedom Library

If you've visited me over the years, you KNOW that I love public libraries! I was fortunate to have a best friend, Jeannie Carol who lived across the street and also loved to read. She was just a couple of years older so I was able to tag along with her and walk to the library, especially during the summer months. We would spread a quilt under the Silver Maples in her front yard and read to our heart's content! She helped me with any words I didn't know and we even played 'school'. I went back to school in the Fall knowing a little more than my other classmates as a result! Aahhhh! Such good memories!

 Wendy can read!

 Of course you probably knew that already! hahaha 

(I've sure had fun with her lately! Thanks for playing along!)

So what did I bring home from the library this week? I'll start by saying that I check out books online and read them on my IPAD now using a program called Overdrive. FREE from the library!

But this week was the Book Sale! 

 I'll make some mosaics to share my 'finds'! 

 $7 bought everything you see here!

 No wonder it's so hard to pay $5 for a Golden Book. We bought them for 39 cents back in the 'olden days'!

And I picked up some new bookmarks,

 And got some good movies to watch, 

And the latest Ocala magazines were in the lobby!

What a haul! And in case you wonder! I don't 'hoard' all of my children's books. I donate a lot of them to the family room at the Legacy Hospice house where I volunteer doing patient visits every week.

Have you used your library card lately?

I’m joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE 

and Amaze me Monday HERE. 

"Grandma Gatewood's Walk"

I'll begin with a quote from Grandma Gatewood's Walk, " I want to see what's on the other side of the hill and then what's beyond that."  

Grandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben Montgomery is a fantastic book to read whether you are a 'hikeaholic' like me or not! Just to read about a woman that at the age of 67 took off on an adventure is exciting from start to finish.  I keep my book list in my journal (and another one on Goodreads) and I save the highest rating for the best books I've read. This one gets the very highest. I've read a lot of good books this year but so far only 2 have received ALL the stars! (the other one is The Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny)

In 1955 this amazing woman hiked the Appalachian Trail....at age 67! She kept a diary and the author was able to share a lot of what happened to her along the way. She went on to hike it again...and again...3 times total, along with other famous trails. It is a story of strength and courage and one I think anyone would be inspired by.

I'm very thankful for good books and public libraries.

Have you read a good book lately? Do you think I would like it?

I'm still practicing my 'art' too! I sketched and then painted this little bunny with watercolors. Have a blessed week!

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays .