Truth and Encouragement for 2026

our back yard 
(before we replaced the mulch with river rock)

Well hello everybody! It's good to be with you in this New Year of 2026. 

my neighbor's Bougainvillea -- in January!

North Central Florida has been experiencing the depths of winter (about as cold as it gets here). I've enjoyed wearing my socks, ankle-length blue jeans, long sleeves, and (on some days) even an undershirt! Some mornings it's just been too cold to ride our bicycles here in the neighborhood. Forty-five degrees is just about my breaking point, and at that, there needs to be little-to-no wind! 

"Me and My Shadow"

But I usually still take a walk in our immediate community (our +55 neighborhood has some 16 of these communities). That walk, which is a BIG circle, is 1.3 miles. I don't walk fast these days, maintaining that movement, the sunshine, and fresh air are benefitting me even if I don't get the heart rate pumping hard and fast. (excuse the honesty, but I don't like to sweat!!)

yellow cornbread in the cast iron wedge pan

Cold weather calls for warm comfort foods. For New Year's we did not have my family's traditional black-eyed peas. I'm not at all superstitious but in my growing up years it was my mother's habit to include these legumes for "good luck." 😏

While I like black-eyed peas, a few years ago I decided to give up on them. Superstition or not, I had a terrible year, so maybe discarding the peas would be a little helpful? 

I did bake a pan of cornbread and accompanied that with sliced ham. We plan to have the leftovers of that for our supper tonight.

our dining table

All of the Christmas decorations have been packed away with the exception of this table runner. I bought it at Hobby Lobby in early December and just love it. The table may stay this way until I pull out a runner for Valentine's Day!

the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California

Gary turned on the Rose Parade but we did not watch all of it. Even with the benefits of HD TV, it doesn't hold my attention as much as it used to. But there are still some very clever floats.

Some people tend to get philosophical at this time of year as they assess the past 12 months, their lives, current events, and so forth. I've collected some thoughts that have come my way that are worth pondering. This one (which I may have shared before) came from Sister:

It's true. That makes me smile every time I read it. There is no doubt that carbs tend to comfort the broken heart, at least temporarily!

Then there is this, which may frustrate at the first reading, but it carries a lot of good sense:

Literally just let people be wrong about you.

It does not matter.

Live with integrity and

let inaccurate opinions fall away on their own.

The rest will sort itself out.

(by Liz Ann on Facebook)

This is a quote I've had in the right column of my blog for about a year and I think it's worth leaving there:

(from theologian Randy Alcorn)

All of us have not always responded well to things in life, so we need to forgive ourselves, as well as others. Hard circumstances often bring out the worst in us. We need to keep that in mind when observing people. Given time, kindness, and the grace of God, people work through the tough stuff and are often better for the experience. (and if they don't forgive us, then scroll back up to the quote about letting people be wrong about you. God knows the heart.)

As I said in my last post, we can't take our next breath or even blink our eyes except with God's mercy, so no matter what our situation, God has been good. Quoting from faithful grace.com:

When you recount God's faithfulness in the past twelve months, it strengthens your trust for the year ahead.

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

Psalm 77:11

I close with this very pretty picture and another encouraging thought from CoffeeWithMyFather:

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

My Last Post for 2025

a good goal for every year

This is the last Hodgepodge for 2025. If you want to join in by answering these questions on your blog, click here.

 1. Did you make resolutions or set goals for the year we're waving goodbye? How did that work out for you? Will you set any goals for this new year, new season, or new month? Share one or two if you'd like to share. 

I don't remember making any specific New Year's resolutions for 2025. But I do try to not repeat past mistakes, striving to "get it right!!!" -- whatever the issue is at hand.

wisdom from FaceBook

2. When did you have the most fun this year? 

We have visited a lot of historical places this year (which I wrote about in our Christmas newsletter). I have discovered how much I enjoy museums and learning life lessons from the experiences of others. (with the hope maybe I can avoid some of their pitfalls??)

3. What's a song or song lyric you'll associate with 2025? Tell us why. 

One of my sons and I were talking about music from years ago that we have recently enjoyed again. "Praise the Lord" by The Imperials has blessed me any/every time I hear it and it's been revived for me in 2025. This is the link on youtube: Praise the Lord

4. Best (or a favorite) bite of something delicious you tasted this year? 

The day after Christmas we met family at Da Vinci Pizza and Pasta in Gainesville. I ordered an entire pizza for myself so I could take home the leftovers for supper. At the first bite I knew I'd made the right decision. It tasted so good that I had to remind myself to save some for the take-home box!

I am also infatuated with the sweet, spicy pickles served at Couchon Butcher, a popular casual sidewalk cafe in New Orleans where we dined 3 times during our November trip. 

photo from Couchon Butcher website

5. What do you want to do more of in the new year? Less of? 

More laughter, more bike rides, more walks, more time to read, more pizza, more laughter, more quiet meals with loved ones beside water (ocean, Gulf, rivers, streams, lakes), more blogging, and a better understanding of the issues that trouble me. 

Less concern about those things I cannot change (although prayer about them will continue).

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This, from Marcus Stanley on Facebook, really says it for me: 

It is a fact that we cannot blink our eyes or take a breath of air without God's grace. He could "pull the plug" at any time! We need to express our gratitude to Him for everything.

One of my girlfriends is distributing these tickets for New Year's Eve.  I got one for YOU! 🤭🎉🥳 (Thank you, Ona!)

Thanks for reading my blog this past year. I hope we can continue this relationship in 2026! We all need validation and kindness. You so considerately do that for me in your comments, and I try to return the favor on your blogs as well. 

Both now and into next year, grace and peace to you.

Barbara

After Christmas 2025

 

our cards to each other

Christmas 2025 is now behind us. Gradually the decorations will come down, we'll pack away the cards received (although more came in just today), finish up the egg nog, and try to pace our consumption of all the wonderful foodie gifts sent by both family and friends.

one of many gift boxes received

There are some serious dietary considerations among us due to surgeries in recent years. We have to keep a close watch on what we eat, the amount, and even the time of day it is consumed. But with those medical necessities in mind, we are still able to enjoy the season and appreciate the foodie gifts.

non-alcoholic egg nog is a treat

For Christmas breakfast we had our usual Cheerios but served in my Christmas dishes instead of the Corelle bowls.

Christmas dinner (lunch)

These same festive dishes were used throughout the day (although my portion of salmon is obscuring the poinsettia on my plate!). In addition to the salmon, we had green beans and Stovetop Stuffing (my favorite when it comes to dressing/stuffing). It was a simple menu but very tasty and just right.

I have a package of the most cute Christmas paper napkins that Denise gave to me years ago. They are so fun that I only use a very few of them each year. When I went to find the package on Christmas Eve, I couldn't find them! I know they're here SOMEWHERE because I happened to come across them just before Thanksgiving..... oh wait! I just now found them on the Internet. Here's what they look like:

you can order them from Etsy,
click here

Gary got us tickets for several upcoming concerts in the New Year. We gave each other gift cards for necessary services, a cross word puzzle book, and red and white blinking safety lights for our bicycles. 

fog on a lake along our bike route

We don't get snow, but at this time of year, fog descends in the morning hours for a wintery scene. We don't ride our bikes when the fog is really thick (nor at night), but the blinking safety lights are a good idea in any weather conditions. They make me feel like I'm seen.

Here is a T-shirt gift from me to you-know-who:

an Etsy purchase

I absolutely love it when Gary gets tickled. He tends to chuckle for a long time. This shirt made that happen. 

Before and after Christmas day we visited with family and friends (local, out of town and from out of state). We brought a friend with us to attend a Christmas concert at a local church, and we were part of the massive crowd standing in line to get seats at the mega church's Christmas Eve service. 

Plans for the last few days of 2025 include but are probably not limited to: 

~ packing away the Christmas decorations.

~ pruning back the gorgeous Hibiscus outside the lanai. She really showed off well this year with so many large red blooms, but in a few days we are forecasted to have nighttime lows in the low 30s. At this size, the bush is very hard to cover. Trimming her back will make protecting her easier. She has always come back in the past when severely pruned.

~ I'll be working my Sudoku puzzles ....

~ and when stumped with that, Word Search puzzles.

~ There are a few pages in Susie Larson's [excellent] advent devotional book that I did not have time to finish before Christmas, so I want to complete that.

~ and just wind down from 2025 to move into 2026. 

Internet art work

Until next time:

Now may the Lord of peace Himself

give you peace at all times

and in every way.

The Lord be with all of you.

II Thessalonians 3:16

A Quiet Christmas Week Afternoon

 

Signs of Christmas are in full display at our house now, and in our neighborhood.

There are symbols of the season in nearly every room of our home.

Some are prompts regarding what this is really all about.....

... with treasured keepsakes from many years.

This Fostoria piece was a gift 55 years ago. When we disposed of the old white Christmas tree a few weeks ago, I kept the lights and then tucked them into this glass to brighten the kitchen counter that overlooks our living room. (I remove the lid to keep it from getting too hot in there.)

This afternoon I spent time in the kitchen making egg salad for tonight's supper. 

I brought my computer laptop to the kitchen table and set it to play "ambient Christmas music" on Youtube. 

This particular link had a most delightful scene, presumably a coffee shop, with snow falling, and even an occasional truck or car passed by on the street. Easy listening, quiet, relaxing. (just Google it to find a nice selection)

One of my several Christmas-themed aprons that I sewed years ago became the appropriate attire (I know how to make a mess, so this is essential for me).

I did not bake anything today, just cooked hard-boiled eggs and combined them with mayo, pickle relish, some mustard, a little artificial salt and Splenda. Being in the kitchen doing easy things during this season is relaxing.

Gary was within easy view, on the lanai, working one of his crossword puzzles. You see in the foreground our tribute to loved ones who are no longer with us in body but most assuredly in our thoughts. This was Gary's idea when we married. We keep them out like this all the time.

Dear ones who remain have sent cards, newsletters, emails, and Facebook greetings. It was Gary and Edith's habit to display the cards on the dining table in full view so we can easily enjoy them as we walk past. They tend to stand out very well, contrasted against the ecru-colored table cloth.

This table runner of red and white poinsettias is a new-found treasure from Hobby Lobby this year. It reminds me of my mother, who loved poinsettias; and I like them, too.

We have received a lot of foodie gifts this year, which is a practical (and delicious!!) idea for those of us who (relatively speaking) "have everything" and don't really need anything. Chocolates, nuts, fruit, fancy breads, jams -- in the past there have been sausages and cheese. As you can see in the above snapshot, the chocolates tend to disappear FAST.

One problem that's been resolved this year has been how to make something orange look Christmasy. My predecessor collected three really nice bowl-and-pitchers. One in white, one in blue, and one in this peachy orange. In my shopping I came across some glittery rusty orange Christmas balls, so those were combined with white, copper, and gold balls and tucked into fake evergreen branches. Voila! Problem solved!

As I said at the beginning in this post, symbols of the season are in nearly every room. Just in case SOMEONE is tempted to question the santa hats on the headboard .....

.... he gave in when this showed up on his bathroom counter! In his defense I'll tell you that he had two older brothers who messed with the belief in Santa early in his life. 

Me, on the other hand, my mother finally had to sit me down and explain "the facts" because she was afraid my classmates would tease me about my ardent belief in the jolly old man. I cried. I did! And then she had to follow that up with revelations about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. I cried about them, too.

Well, that was a long time ago and I have long since recovered from the shock. But I do believe in the birth of Jesus Christ, God's Son come to earth. Some may ask how can I believe Him when the fantasy stories are not real. I'm not sure I can really explain it. 

Maybe it's because I choose to believe. I also choose to believe the Bible is God speaking to mankind. He is real to me and He is real to all who choose to believe.

Without faith it is impossible to please God,

because anyone who comes to Him

must believe that He exists

and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

Until next time, have a wonderful Christmas, however that is defined for you.