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| chocolate birds -- the Fairy Tale in our back yard |
Ornamental birds are a common sight in Florida yards. We have 5 of them (although, shhh! One of them may be removed soon). The unrelenting sun and sub-tropical rains here cause the paint to wear thin and rust to develop. Today 4 of the birds got a fresh coat. These in our back yard look like they were dipped in a huge vat of Hershey's chocolate!
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| loaded and ready to go! |
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| one of several rest stops on the bike trail |
I'd say 10-15 miles is about as long a ride as I care to do. A wide, paved asphalt path is necessary, too, and preferably no other traffic. Although I am not sore today for the effort, I did take a really good nap after lunch today, after a good night's sleep last night!
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| where the Withlacoochee meets the Gulf |
I plan to write more about the bike ride in another post, including the snapshots taken along the way. In the meantime, I've answered Joyce's Hodgepodge questions for this week focused on Fairy Tales.
1. February 26th is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day...have you read a fairy tale lately? What's your favorite fairy tale? Do you believe in 'happily ever after'?
While I have not read a fairy tale lately, I feel as though I am living in one with my Gary. He is the prince who rescued me out of a dark time of grief and loneliness with his dashing good looks, gentlemanly ways, skill and willingness to take care of practical problems, and a great sense of humor. I call him "Handsome." He always responds that he's "just an old geezer." But my comeback is always this: "I love a mature man!"
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| me with my Prince Charming |
2. Complete one of the following sentences with a thought relating to your life currently- once upon a time; a long time ago; in a place far far away.
Once upon a time, I did the majority of the cooking in my home. Now I just bake and Gary does the rest!
3. Which of the following 'fairy tale foods' is your favorite? Which have you made/eaten most recently?
porridge/oatmeal (Goldilocks and The Three Bears), an apple (Snow White), a gingerbread cookie (The Gingerbread Man), pumpkin soup/pie/bread (Cinderella), peas (The Princess and the Pea), beans (Jack and The Beanstalk) or a cup of tea (Alice in Wonderland)
I would not classify any of these foods as true "favorites" with me, although I would not turn any of them down. As for which of them I've had most recently, it would be a cup mug of [decaf green] tea, which is sitting beside me as I type this post.
4. What's your idea of fun?
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| mine is purple; NOT electric |
I enjoy riding my bike (it's a "Townie," known for its "flat foot technology*), I like walking through Hobby Lobby, and I LOVE eating a hearty meal beside the ocean, a river, a stream, or a lake.
FYI: Townie flat foot technology provides an efficient, relaxed riding position that allow you to sit upright and not bent over the bike handlebars. It gives a relaxed arm position and a wide view of the road.
5. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in March. Is that right? I guess so. Give us one noun, one verb, and one adjective that tell us something about your February. To make you think a little harder, you cannot use the words cold or snowy.
noun: Florida
verb: traveled
adjective: enjoyable
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Most mornings I read a short devotional authored by Susie Larson. Last week she gave this wonderful thought to ponder: "I will not allow my history to speak to me except to teach me."
This reminds me of Psalm 90:12,
Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
My personal paraphrase of the verse is something like this:
Make good use of each day,
learn from the experiences and
put those lessons to good use.
Until next time, grace and peace.
4 comments:
Grace and peace to you, dear friend! Hugs!!
Your chocolate birds look pretty cool! I'm sure they are happy for the new fresh coats! I love that you and Gary are living your fairy tale happy ending story. You are refreshing to all of us old timers! I love that you can bike ride for that many miles! I probably couldn't make it to the end of the driveway and back! I never was a very good bike rider, and due to having had major back surgery in the past, I'm just not too sure I want to risk the danger of falling, so I avoid bikes even though I know it would be great exercise. I did have a stationary bike, but I didn't really ride it either...it's not the same as having the breeze blowing in your face as you ride. (Of course, no bugs in your teeth either! LOL). I enjoyed your post immensely. You have a gift of using the "write words". Have a blessed weekend with your Prince Charming!
I love reading about your fairytale and your good times together riding your bikes. God has blessed you both!
Barbara, I so love your willingness to be adventurous with Prince Charming and to share your adventures with us here. Hope you have a wonderful and blessed weekend and are able to get those bike rides in. Blessings always!
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