twins

I have twin baby deer in my backyard.

I have named them Travis and Trixie.

They run and frolic and just make my day.

They put on quite the show.

The picture didn't turn out to be very good.

I took it from my bedroom window.

It definitely has a color demarcation,

but I think it shows them pretty well.

I have a lot of woods behind my house.

They seem very comfortable, almost tame.

God's creation never ceases to amaze me.

As I said before, He gives them everything they need.

💗

Lucy gave me this heart pin.

She is always looking for hearts for me.

I wore it to church on Sunday.

People noticed.

She is leaving in the morning to go back to college.

I will miss her for sure.

💗

 

happy birthday Erika

We celebrated Erika last evening.

David grilled steaks.

We had a baked potato bar and a Caesar salad.

It was all delicious.

After a rousing game of spoons and a present opening,

we ate creme brulee that Lucy made from scratch,

Here she is using a small blow torch to make the topping.

All in all, it was a perfect party with lots of laughter and much glee.

I am so thankful for the family and friends that God has placed in my life.

They take such good care of me,

and keep me laughing and happy and busy.

💗

 

amanda came for a visit

There is a new nonstop flight between Savannah and Fort Lauderdale...

Breeze Airlines.

That was supposed to be quick and easy,

a little less than two hours.

No six-hour drive on I-95, which always has heavy traffic.

Takeoff was 12:20.

After 4 weather delays, she finally arrived at 6:30.

She could have driven and been here much earlier.

🛫

Air travel is such a hassle now!

Anyway,

We had a lovely time!

Our visits consist of a lot of talking and eating out,

time with David and Erika,

shopping,

going to the Dairy Queen,

and laughing our heads off.

What a refresh she is for me,

a beam of light in my mostly quiet world.

I'm so glad God gave me Amanda.

She brought me a new book to read.

We talked until we finally wound down, and it was time for her to fly home.

💗💗

Her flight home was on time!

 

finding joy

So yesterday this majestic creature was spotted in my backyard.

He has a wife and a baby, 

but they were nowhere to be seen.

They come quite frequently.

They walk along the back of my property.

Always going the same way.

This picture was taken from my bedroom window.

He turned full on and was staring right at me.

I am always amazed when they come.

They are so quiet,

so graceful,

so muscular,

standing tall and straight on their stick legs.

If I forget to spray my rose bushes, they give them a good pruning.

I wish they didn't eat my flowers but,

I'm intriqued,

spellbound,

transfixed,

 staring right back.

God, You are unfathomable to me.

How amazing that you create such beautiful creatures.

From huge elephants to tiny spiders,

they are all dependent on you.

They are all different, beautiful, awe-inspiring.

You teach them just what to do,

how to take care of themselves,

sense danger,

 find their own food.

Thank You for this encounter yesterday in my backyard.

As we looked at each other eye to eye,

there was a connection between us.

He wasn't afraid.

He let me gaze as long as I wanted and slowly ambled on his way.

Finding joy right outside my window.

𐂂

 

great mercy

I went to Whole Foods on Friday.

Not to shop, of course!

Way too snobby and overpriced for me.

I had to do an Amazon return.

Whole Foods does have an incredible fresh flower assortment

making the stop so worth it.

I didn't buy any this time.

Just spent a little while examining all of the beauty.

I'm loving my study of the book of 1 John in the Bible.

I am also studying Martyn Lloyd Jones' book

Life in Christ.

He examines the tests of our faith contained in 1 John.

I've read both of these before.

But God in His great mercy, 

is revealing things to me that were previously hidden from my sight.

Sin is a big deal to God.

It's why His Son Jesus had to die on the cross.

He is daily convicting me of things in my life that I still need to repent of.

Thank you, Jesus, for what you did on the cross for us sinners.

💗

 

fullness of joy

Flowers from my Lu!

💛

Training your mind to hold onto joy

 Is one of the most powerful forms of spiritual warfare.

(author unknown)

I'm studying the book of 1 John in the New Testament.

This verse started my quest to find "true joy."

"These things wrote we unto you,

that your joy may be full."

1 John 1:4

 

saturday things

I am cooking for my family today.

There are four pork tenderloins in my mother's vintage Corningware cooker.

I was up early this morning

(I'm always up early)

preparing these to marinate all day.

Tasty morsels with plenty of leftovers.

(Maybe)

This dish has come to be known as Grammy's Red Rice.

Everybody loves it.

It has bacon, sautéed onion, and lots of hot sauce.

They all go crazy when I announce what I'm cooking.

Yes, I have a cheering section and a lot of big eaters who really enjoy their food.

I am also serving fresh green beans, corn on the cob, and yeast rolls.

There will be strawberry shortcake for dessert.

This is my butter station on my kitchen counter.

A cute little whale keeps it for me.

💗

P.S. I have a baby deer in my backyard.

I haven't been able to get his picture yet.

He is so adorable!

I have to work so hard to keep his family away from my rose bushes.

Most of the time, I am just annoyed with them.

But it is always thrilling to see them

 when they stop by with the baby.

🦌

P.S.S. My house is completely infused with the smell of the rosemary that I laid on top of the pork tenderloins.