Things that make me happy today...

• Ceiling fans.
• Finding out that one of my favorite magazines is making a comeback!
• More work hours this week. I ended up working three days instead of one.
• Enjoying the sight and sounds all the bees in the Crepe Myrtle this morning.
  
• Spending time studying Psalm 119.
• Trying out a new restaurant with hubby.
• A lovely new fake ivy plant for our mantel. Not enough light for a real one, but the fake one is fine with me.
• Having hubby do the vacuuming. That is a blessing!
• Flavored coffee beans...Caramel Creme this week.
• Going "the extra mile" for someone at work yesterday, and having them express appreciation.
• My blue and white flowered china mug. And the memories of when I found it in Victoria, BC.
  
• Enjoying our women's monthly Bible Study and fellowship time this week.
  
• Seeing the unexpected ways the Lord uses to meet all of our needs.
• The pleasure of hearing the sounds of trains going by in the distance.
  

Things I am Thankful For Today

Pink Crepe Myrtle.
Fresh picked roses.
Pastries from the local grocery store.
Time with Hubby.
Bringing needs to my Heavenly Father and
Knowing
that He hears, cares, and meets those needs.
Books that make me laugh.
Figuring out, with my daughter's help, how to
download ringtones to my cell phone.

Thankful

Another week of blessings from my Heavenly Father. He is indeed Good. I am grateful for:

• A new CD player for our car. What a blessing to be able to listen to relaxing music on the way home from work after 10 at night.
• Sensing the Lord's special help at work yesterday. Very long, hard, busy day, yet I was so conscious of His help, peace and joy in difficult circumstances.
• Only having to work 3 days this week. And, very grateful that I usually only work one. I can put up with some extra days, knowing it is not permanent.
• Going out to breakfast with hubby.
• A special verse from the Lord that has carried me through this week. What a blessing that the Lord knows ahead of time what we need, and prepares our hearts for it.
  
• Roses.
  
• Hot, humid days. I like the south.
• Being able to upgrade my cell phone- I now have the flip phone style which is a great blessing. No more finding out that I forgot to lock my phone which resulted in the phone doing things I did not want it to do. Which usually involved spending some money. I can even take pictures of my roses and use them for the wallpaper. Fun.
• My mother's delight in a visit from her little great- grandson Jack. He sure made her day. Course he brought is mother with him, which also helped.
  

Happy Anniversary to us.

34 years ago today hubby and I got married. Wow. Where has the time gone. I am so grateful for all the seasons of life we have traveled together, and for the Lord's help through the storms, and for the many blessings He has brought into our lives. And, for bringing us together in the first place.
And, my heart is full of praise for blessings from this past week:

• Once again having the painting team of Katie and Penny and their able assistants work their magic in our home. Now our living and dining room are a lovely pale green. Such a delight! They did a great job. And, it was a huge job to tackle. Thank you!
• Having the Lord's help at work. I realized that out of the last 10 days, I have worked 8, for a total of 60 hours. And, four of those days I only worked 5 hours. Made for some long days.
• Going out to eat at a new place last night...hubby got chicken, I got salmon, and it was wonderful. I even got dessert. Fried cheesecake-cubes of cheesecake, dipped in crushed granola, flash fried, and served in a goblet with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. That was so good.
• Enjoying several rain storms this week. We had a severe thunderstorm one evening that was so incredibly beautiful to watch. Lots of sheet lightning, heavy winds etc. I was thankful I was safe inside my house and didn't have to be out in it.
• Once again the Lord has protected my mother. She fell again yesterday afternoon, but only sprained her ankle. Could have been much worse. She did end up going to the hospital for x-rays, but they found no broken bones so I am very grateful.

Life with God is indeed good.

Of Hawks, Swallows, and 12 hour work days...

I am thankful that I don't work 12 hour days very often. I did yesterday. I was filling in for a co-worker who had a family emergency, and was glad to help her out. Even so, I prayed that the day would be an easy one. I am very thankful that it was a quiet, basically uneventful day. Except for the one hour when we had a little excitement. Suffice it to say that there was an ambulance and 2 police cars outside our building for awhile.
Other thankfuls:

• Being outside at just the right moment one evening last week so that I could watch a flock of swallows dive bomb a hawk. This poor, defenseless big hawk was huddled on a fence trying to protect himself from an attacking army of tiny birds. He finally flew away trying to escape but the whole flock followed continuing the attack. Was interesting to watch!
  
• Enjoying our roses.
• Warm weather...um, maybe hot would be a better word to describe it.
• Being one of the Redeemed. I am so grateful for the Lord's mercy and love and forgiveness.
  
• A wonderful series at Church about the faithful work of the dear Holy Spirit. What a blessing and encouragement these lessons have been.
  
• A few rain showers this week.
  
• Protection driving home after 10 at night. Not something I enjoy doing, and I did it twice last week.

A Thankful Heart

Once again, at the end of another week, I am thankful for many things.

• The beauty of our Double Delight rose. I am enjoying the one I picked a couple of days ago.
• The aliveness of God's Word. I am so thankful for the Bible. I started reading another version this week for a change of pace, and it is refreshing to read from a page not all marked up, and to find new insights and blessings from the Lord. (and this new Bible has black text, and Purple notes/headers/etc.-very pleasing to the eye.)
• Being treated to lunch at the office where I filled in Wednesday morning.
• A new floor lamp in our living room.
• Having an overcast day today so that I have an excuse to burn candles. (Not that I need an excuse)
• My craft area where I can leave my current Scrapbooking project out and ready to work on when I have the time/inclination.
• White Chocolate Raspberry Creamer for my coffee.
• Having enough birds at our feeder so that I have to refill it every day.
  
• Having waffles for dinner thanks to hubby.

Sitemeter

Those of my faithful readers who are very observant will have noticed that for the last week or so, my blog has not had sitemeter up and running. When I made some changes on my blog last week, I somehow lost my trusty little counter. Checking out this device lets me know that people do actually read my blog, even if they don't comment.
Well, I really wanted to have it back on my blog, but had no idea how to do that. I thought I would have to ask the advice of my brilliant son.
But, lo and behold, with lots of going back and forth between blogger and sitemeter, (drum roll please) I actually figured out how to do it all by myself! (insert applause here.) Course I had to start a new counter, but that is OK. Now I will know how many people have visited since I set up the new sitemeter.
So satisfying to figure out something new!
You can rejoice with those who rejoice.

Sunny days, grilled chicken and comfy shoes...

My heart is full of things I am thankful for:

• Lovely warm sunny days. Yes, we really need rain, and I trust it will come soon, but meanwhile I am enjoying the sun.
• I like grilling chicken! I like eating grilled chicken. I really enjoyed being outside last evening, using my grill, and having us enjoy the results for dinner. And, grilling extra so we can have grilled chicken quesadilla's for dinner tonight. Yum.
• I realized yesterday that I had not noticed sore feet at all on Thursday, my long work day. How thankful I am that the Lord prompted me to get new shoes for work, and had me go to a shoe store I would not normally go to. Those shoes are such a blessing.
• Hubby's delicious meal that he cooked this week. His version of chili...hot dog chili! Very unique and one meal I hope he does again.
• Good laughter at work this week. I am so thankful for the co-workers that the Lord has given to me.
• Enjoying playing "tag", and learning all sorts of random facts about my friends.
• Delighting in the antics of our mocking bird family.
• Treasuring the beauty of hummingbirds. What a joy it is to see those tiny creatures. I am thankful that the Lord gave us hummingbirds.
• Knowing that I can trust God...He is so faithful and trustworthy.
• Enjoying ladies fellowship this week at our monthly women's Bible Study.

Thank you Father for your many blessings.

Tagged

Thanks to the kindness of my daughter, I have been tagged. Here are the rules. I am to share seven random things/facts about myself and tag seven other people, listing them on my blog, and leaving comments on their blogs to let them know they have been tagged.

1. I worked 4 hours this morning, all tucked away quietly in a nice private office. Lovely.

2. I just bought a new plant today, planted it in a fresh pot, and it is now residing on my mantel.

3. I have been 1n 48 states.

4. I learned to spell Massachusetts when I was in 6th grade.

5. My grandmother was blind.

6. My father was born in Jerusalem.

7. I love the color purple.

I now tag Kimberly, Kim K, Mary A, Elaine, Fritha, Brandon, and Rachel A

And, I echo Penny's disclaimer...if you really don't like to do these things that is OK...I will still like you.

Thankful for ....

I am so thankful that the Lord gives us the ability to enjoy things...especially His incredible creation. I have been getting such joy watching birds this week. Those tiny little hummers...this morning one was just sitting on the feeder for the longest time and I got so much blessing just taking time to watch him.
And, our little mockingbird family...we found out there are actually 3 babies, not 2. I feel quite honored that the mama feels safe enough in our back yard that she is bringing her family to enjoy it. She is acting like a typical frazzled overworked mother as she tries to watch them, feed them suet, catch worms for them, and in general training them in the way they should go.
And then there are the house finches, the gold finches, the meadowlarks, the red-winged blackbirds...what joy there is in seeing these all these birds. He is indeed Good.
Other thankfuls:

• Successfully doing nearly 30 hours of work this week, in 3 days. The Lord really helped and answered prayer as Wednesday looked big to me. I worked until 10 PM both Monday and Tuesday, and then needed to be at work by 8:30 AM on Wednesday. I prayed, He heard and answered, and really blessed the day for me so that it went much better than it could have.
  
• Finding some neat candlesticks for our mantel, painting them, and now enjoying the look, and enjoying the candles burning for awhile this morning.
• Lovely weather...not too hot or humid this past week. Perfect weather for being outside.
• Using my new grass clippers. It was actually fun to get out and do some trimming that needed to be done.
  
• Enjoying our healthy looking rose bushes. I am thankful the Lord created roses! We are still learning how to take care of them in a different climate but it is sure a fun project to be working on. Worth all the effort.
• Finding chocolate creme horns on sale at the store this week. I didn't even know they had the chocolate ones!
  
• Continually being reminded that I can indeed trust my Heavenly Father. I don't have to understand, or like what is going on, but I can trust Him. I am safe in the shelter of His wings, and He is lovingly watching out for - and meeting - my every need.
  

Things that make me happy...

l. Watching hummingbirds at our feeder. And finding out that this feeder is by far the easiest one to clean that I have ever had.

2. Watching a Mama Mockingbird and her two half grown children enjoying life right outside our kitchen window. And having the fun of seeing her feeding them suet. This is one of the children.

3. Spending time today shopping with hubby.

4. Living where we can hear trains, and see them fairly often.

5. "Warm Spiced Apple" scented candles.

Things to be Thankful for...

• Enjoying an inner chuckle when someone asked me this week if New Hampshire was up there near Maryland.
• Three days of work this week.
• Being tired. That means I had things to do, and was busy, and now it is OK to be tired and to have a lovely chance to rest.
• Getting new shoes for work. I figured that coming home from work with very sore feet, and having them ache for a good part of the night afterwards was just the way things were. Then, I got new shoes. Expensive new shoes. Comfortable new shoes. My goodness. What a difference. Thank you Lord for Merrill shoes.
• Coming home from work on Wednesday to discover that hubby and Penny had hung my new mirror over the fireplace. I will have to confess it took me awhile to notice it, but what a fun surprise.
• Agreeing to work for a few hours at another facility for the company I work for. I do not do well in new circumstances, but this place is between receptionists, and the manager was feeling overwhelmed. So, as a favor to my boss I agreed to do it. And, I ended up doing computer work in a nice quiet office by myself, and it was wonderful. Thank you Lord for helping me to step out and do something out of my comfort zone. (Again)
• Having hubby pick me up at work the last two nights and being willing to wait as we closed late both nights. And the nice conversations we had on the way home sharing our days experiences.
• Hubby fixing dinner for me on Wednesday....by taking me out to eat.
• Knowing that the Lord hears our cries and that He answers. I am so grateful for the answers He has brought this past week.
  

Of Pelican's and Gardenia's

We met this interesting resident during our recent visit to Tybee Island. Pelican's are sure interesting creatures.
Thankfuls for this week:

• A multitude of blossoms on my gardenia plant. What fun to live where I can have one in my yard.
• Working four days this week. Three days I only worked 9-2, and found I loved working those hours. Five hours a day somehow seems easier than 10. Hmmm.... But, the Lord gives energy for the 10 hour days as well.
  
• The joy of picking fresh roses to put around the house.
• Shopping with hubby two days this week.
• Really enjoying our purple kitchen. I catch myself giggling when I walk into that room now. Having color on walls is so much fun.
  
• My daughter's willingness to offer to paint rooms for us. Thanks again Penny.
• Appreciating the many ways the Lord shows His love and care.
  
• Rain.
• Chocolate Velvet flavored coffee.
• Warm sunshine.
  

Roses Again

Our roses are now blooming, and this gives you a little idea of what they look like now. It is such a delight to go pick fresh roses when I want to and to have vases of roses all around the house.

And, again, the picture does not do them justice...so, you must come to see them in person. Come on over, enjoy the roses with us.

From front to back, you are seeing Double Delight, Veteran's Honor, Gemini, Peace, Aromatherapy, and Blue Moon.

Of Purple Paint

Our kitchen is now two shades of purple. For my birthday my incredible, wonderful, talented daughter offered to paint some rooms in our home. This is the result of her efforts yesterday, along with the very capable assistance of Katie. What fun to actually have some color on our walls, and not plain generic white or off white. They did the kitchen and back hall, plus a little in the Master Bath. Thank you Penny and Katie!
And, for your info, the pictures do not do the colors justice. You really need to come and see it in person! So, come on and see it for yourself.

Savannah and Yard Sales

This past week hubby and I enjoyed a visit to Savannah. We stayed a couple of days,
and one of the spots we liked was this swing. We sat here for quite awhile, and relaxed as we looked out at the ocean. What a restful, peaceful spot.
So, number one on my Thankful List would be Savannah, and Tybee Island.

• What a blessing to have 3 days to relax, sit by the water, read, enjoy watching pelicans and sea gulls, and cormorants and enjoying the ocean.
• Enjoying yard sales yesterday, and finding a mirror for over our fireplace. That was an extra bonus from the Lord. It will be nice to have that bare spot finally filled.
• Having an abundance of fresh roses to pick, and more coming. What fun. At the moment I have a white one, a red one and a purple one in vases around the house.
• Enjoying Women's Bible Study Wednesday evening and being reminded that we serve a loving Father who is responsive to our heart cries. He does hear us when we call to Him.
• Enjoying another birthday and feeling loved, appreciated, and cared for. The Lord brought many extra blessings into the day for me and I am grateful.
  
• Getting an unexpected extra day of work on Wednesday and the neat way that the Lord arranged to take care of all the things I had planned to get done that day.
• Constant reminders that God Is Good, that He loves me, and that He cares for me.
  

Of roses and things

My thankfuls for this past week include this lovely rose. I missed seeing our first rose of the season bloom as I was up in the snowy, flooding north, but this was waiting for me when I got home. So lovely.
Other thankfuls for the last week or two:

• Learning that it is wise to listen when the Lord prompts you to weigh your suitcase before heading to the airport. That saves the embarrassment of having them tell you your suitcase is 5 pounds overweight after you get to the airport. (I ended up having to carry that extra 5 pounds around in my carry on stuff. Ugh)
• Enjoying warmer temps now that I am home.
• Grateful for the Lord's protection in the snow and flooding while I was north.
• Enjoying the CD player in my rental car last weekend. Kristi's first CD was a big blessing from the airport to Fairwood, and her second CD from Fairwood to the airport. The joy of music. (And "traveling with Kristi". Thanks Kristi for being such a good travel companion.)
  
• Having hubby go grocery shopping with me this week.
• Enjoying looking at all the pictures that I took last weekend. What a special group of ladies.
  
• Enjoying a lovely view from the plane of Washington DC. Was so neat to see the White House, the Washington monument, the museums, the capitol, and of course the train station.
• Knowing that my friend Dorothy is safely home with her Lord Jesus.
• Learning in more specific ways that I can indeed fully trust my Heavenly Father.
  

Home Again

I just spent a few days in lovely New England, visiting with my mother and attending a wonderful Women's Retreat. You will notice from the picture that I was able to have the pleasure of "enjoying" snow. Yes, this is what it looked like outside on Sunday afternoon.

Course by Monday morning it was all melted, and I just had to deal with rain...lots of rain....and more rain...which made for flooded roads. For awhile I wondered if I might be stuck for days at the nursing home where my mother lives. But, the Lord is faithful, and I did manage to find that the roads were passable, even if I did have to drive through water a couple of times and make a detour along the way. Made for something interesting to talk about anyway.

And, I am thankful that I can still trust the Lord...even when the weather is not perfect. He sent grace and peace and help so that I was able to accomplish all that I needed to while I was north. I was able to spend some good long hours with my mother, and to get refreshed and encouraged with all the good fellowship and meetings at the Retreat. So, the Lord's timing was perfect for the trip, even with the weather. I made it safely there, and safely home again. God is good.

Hummingbirds

Last year was our first summer here and for various reasons I did not put up a humming bird feeder. This year figured I would give it a try. So, for several weeks I have been faithfully putting fresh sugar water in my new feeder every few days and keeping it clean. I have enjoyed seeing it hang there outside the window...but so far no sightings.....until tonight.

We had just sat down to eat dinner and hubby announced "hummingbird". Sure enough! There he was, that wonderful tiny bundle of beauty gratefully drinking sweet water from his new found supply. Wow. My response was, "Thank You Father".

Then, as we continued to eat our dinner, we enjoyed some mocking birds, a pair of mourning doves (have you ever really looked at the incredible colors on those birds???), and of course a meadowlark. All right outside our window.

God is good...and I am so thankful that I can enjoy His incredible creation. And for the variety of birds he brings to our window.

Happy Easter

A glorious Easter to everyone. What a joy to celebrate His Resurrection...He is alive.

Once again Penny, Claire and I did eggs. For another picture, check out this.

We enjoyed a BBQ for dinner...yes, it is cold here in Georgia. I actually had to wear a sweater when I was out grilling. Sigh.

And, again, what joy comes from serving a risen Savior, Lord and Redeemer. Thank you Jesus.