Scrapbook of Sabbatical Snapshots

 

wild flowers in abundance currently along highways
in North Central Florida

My collection of snapshots from recent weeks has grown so big that it's time for me to bring the sabbatical to an end and return to blogging. 

The purpose of my sabbatical was to get a better idea of where I'm headed, make decisions with that regard,  determine what changes were needed or desired, and to act on all of that. It was a time of personal assessment and course adjustment that had to do with my opinions, attitudes, preferences and goals. 

It was like getting off the bus and standing still to just look around to understand where I am, where I'm headed, and how to best handle my journey. Beyond that, I won't explain because it's all very personal. 

I made some small design changes to my blog. If you follow me on your phone, you may not even see the changes; the view from a computer screen shows them a little better.

Here, below, is a visual re-cap of my time away from blogging:

puzzle purchased at Home Goods last year

Jersey Girl, came over one afternoon to help get me started on the above puzzle. She is a jigsaw puzzle maven!

This book (which I'm still in the process of reading) is helping to guide my evaluations on [everything].

In preparation for some visitors, I made a trip to the laundromat to freshen up the guest bedding. This is a place I seldom visit. It cost $14 to wash a queen-sized quilt and 4 quarters to dry it. 

(just a little FYI from one homemaker to another 😉)

Our guests came from the far north, flying into Florida and then renting a car to get to our house. This is Gary's son and wife. They spent time with us here in "the Horse Capital of the World" and then headed to a sandy beach before their return to the springtime snowstorms of the north.

We took our guests to some of the "old Florida" sites we have enjoyed in recent years (all of which I've shared on previous blog posts in recent years).

Around here, one does not need to depend solely on the loud, flashy (and exorbitantly $$$) theme parks for entertainment. A belligerent rooster was very upset and loud about ??? One of the tour guides in historical dress had to herd him back to his place with some harsh reprimands.

the rowdy rooster was beautiful

Our timing that day did not allow us to include the guided tour inside the well-preserved home of the author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, but I have dredged up a snapshot I took from our last visit:

The above is her screened, front porch where she sat at her typewriter. (one could say I follow her example as I compose my posts with an Apple computer on my lap while sitting on a wicker chair on the lanai.... 🙄🙂 ) 

currently...

It is said that she briefly taught creative writing at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Gary and me

As is typical, we took pictures of the kids and they took pictures of us. Here we are on the back porch of the home.  The architecture is typical of the first half of the last century, country, homey.

be sure to notice gator, frog legs, and venison

Lunch that day was at The Yearling, located (as the crow files over forest land) about half a mile from Ms. Rawlings' home. By car, it's a little farther.

If you examine the menu pictured above, you see some of the more exotic offerings: alligator, frog legs, and venison. The four of us ordered more conventional entrees, although our son is an avid hunter a connoisseur of venison.

Speaking of gators, you can see one on display in that same photo above, courtesy of a skilled taxidermist. This creature is some 13 feet long.

A LOT of other members of the animal kingdom are on display throughout the restaurant, this bear being one of them. Bookshelves line many of the walls with volumes on many topics and there is an gift shop of small antique items. It's a very interesting place to peruse while waiting for food, or after the dining is done. Everything is rustic, and to use the term again, very "old Florida."

On another day we took our guests to a huge sandstone rock quarry that, over time, has been converted to a stunningly beautiful garden with ponds, water falls and fountains. Again, this special place has been a topic on this blog in the past and was certainly worth a return trip.

Williston is less than an hour's drive from our home. With good walking shoes, one can explore many trails over rocky paths and steep steps past lush green trees, flowers, over bridges with huge orange, white and speckled koi fish swimming below.

Our daughter pointed out the rainbow as I snapped this picture. Do you see it?

There were at least two (probably more) of these quaint birdhouses tucked into the forest.

In the past I've mentioned Gary's years spent in Japan as a young military airman. This red structure is called a Torii, which is defined according to AI as follows: 

"A torii gate is a traditional Japanese gate marking the entrance to a Shinto shrine, symbolizing the transition from the mundane human world to the sacred, divine realm of the kami (spirits). They act as a boundary to protect, purify, and signify a shift toward a life of grace."

While Gary and I were raised with traditional Christian values, we can still appreciate the beauty of this architecture in such a lush garden setting.

Lunch that day was at Red's, another of our favorite haunts. We always ask for an umbrella-covered table outside, on the deck, which stands over a swampy portion of the Oklawaha River. Gators are underneath the deck, and in past visits we could hear them below us making their low grunts. On this day we could not hear them at all. A large group of women (i.e. NOISY!!) filled the airspace. But our food was very good, as always and the kids took our word for it about the gators.

Internet photo

On the last night of our company's visit, the big story on TV's national news was the violent weather sweeping through tornado alley. The storm hit a town where some of my family lives. I am thankful to report none of them were injured, and I don't think their property got any serious damage; but the above photo shows the carnage others experienced in their town.

This happened late on Friday. I was pleased when my sister sent this photo of a flyer distributed by her church announcing the arrival and practical help of the Christian ministry, Samaritan's Purse. This is a ministry that shows up at disasters all over the world to lead and guide with the most practical of help needed. When you contribute to them with monetary gifts, you can be sure you are helping those who truly need it.

The first puzzle that was completed earlier has been taken apart and returned to its box. I'm giving it to Jersey Girl, one of my two girlfriends who LOVES them. My friend, Joline, has completed some 165 puzzles since the pandemic!! This is what old ladies do in their latter years! 🤭

"They" say puzzles are good for seniors -- they help to keep our brains sharp. With that said, I've begun another one. My method is to complete the border first and while doing that, I divide the other pieces into containers according to the more outstanding features of the puzzle picture. Do any of you do it this way?

Our days are gradually getting warmer, which means the snowbirds of our community are evacuating for cooler climes. Some left just this morning, another is leaving tomorrow, another next week and more leaving by Mother's Day.

her reading my blog made us neighbors!!

One of my snowbird friends from up north enjoyed a picnic lunch with me the other day. This gal is remarkable to me because she began reading my blog before I even came to this town. Little did she and I realize back then that one day we would become residents of the same community. 

As she and her husband considered where they wanted to spend their winter months, she recognized from my blog pictures and writings that I was living in one of the places they were considering! Isn't that wild?!!! 

our back yard

This concludes my scrapbook of the Sabbatical snapshots. I missed writing these past weeks but the break was good and time was well-spent. I've got a clearer vision of what I'm supposed to be about and am eager to get back into the swing of things.

"Where there is no vision,

the people perish."

Proverbs 29:18 KJV

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

Also check out The Christian Lounge, where occasionally my devotional writings are featured.

https://thechristianlounge4u.blogspot.com

Worship Music on Sunday April 19, 2026

Still on my sabbatical from blogging, I'm making changes to the format and graphics. One of the changes I am entertaining is to post a Youtube link to worship music on Sundays. Worship music praises the Lord and warms my heart with encouragement. 

Thou, Oh Lord by First aDallas Choir and Orchestra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWlLbvLa_Cs

The Demise of Bad Guys

scene of the story

Well, I've only been on my sabbatical from blogging for a week and here I am with something to share. I thought about waiting to post this, our latest adventure, but the writing will probably come out better while the memories are fresh. 

me underneath towering Live Oak trees
at the Carney Island, Little Lake Weir Recreational Area

Recently, Gary heard about a horrific shootout that took place in 1936 with the FBI and members of a notorious prohibition-era gang at a house in Ocklawaha, about an hour's drive from here. 

Gary (look for his white shorts)

Tours are given at that house where the bullet holes (LOTS of them) are easily seen. He signed us up for one of the tours weeks ago.

Little Lake Weir

We arrived early, which is typical for us, but the waiting area was pleasant. Directed to park at Carney Island, which is at the Little Lake Weir Recreational Area in Ocklawaha, Florida, we enjoyed the quiet of nature beside one of the many lakes that dot Central Florida.

massive drapes of Spanish Moss from 
the thick Oak tree branches

This is "Old Florida," miles away from the thrills, drama, and expense of the theme parks. The beauty is very calm and for people of our generation, such a pleasure. This idyllic setting was a sharp contrast to the story we would hear after the tour began.

our tour tram

We waited for the group to arrive. Eventually about a dozen of us had gathered. A pick-up truck pulling a metal tram came to take us to the house of the fateful story of the day. 

lecture by tour guide

The tram took us about a mile deeper into the park, behind a secured gate, to the rented house where Ma Barker and one of her 4 sons were living in January, 1936. 

we walked from the tram to enter the house

We remained on the tram for probably the better part of an hour while our guide relayed the very interesting history of how the shoot-out came about.

bullet holes in one of the bedrooms; 
that is an open dictionary (not a Bible) on the table

Some background information: the Barker-Karpis gang was responsible for numerous kidnappings, bank robberies, and murders across the Midwest in the early 1930s. This gang  murdered 30 people, which was more than some of the other more well-known gangsters of that era.

bullet holes in another upstairs bedroom

At the time of this shoot out, Ma Barker and her 32-year old son, Fred, were hiding out under assumed names in a beautiful rented house near the edge of Lake Weir. 

some bullet holes have been repaired in the walls
but not all

While FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover described Ma Barker as the gang's cigar-chomping, gun-toting mastermind, many historians believe she was pretty much an average person, and that Alvin "Creepy" Karpis led the group's criminal activities. Another source said that Ma Barker couldn't even organize breakfast!

bullet holes in a bedroom chair

In the boys' growing up years, it was also said that eventually the husband/father in the family just walked away from the family because Ma Barker would not allow him to discipline their sons. He was not heard from again until many years later, after the death of his wife and all the sons, when he tried to claim their accumulated stolen wealth for himself.

beautiful appliquéd quilt
in one of the shot-up bedrooms

After the deaths of Ma and Fred, the FBI continued to hunt down other gang members, including Alvin Karpis, who was captured in 1936. Karpis in later years was influential in the life of well-known murderer, Charles Manson.

some beautiful antiques 
survived the storm of bullets

But to address the actual shoot out, FBI agents surrounded the house around 5am on a January morning. This led to a fierce, hours-long exchange of gunfire. Agents fired hundreds of rounds of ammunition and tear gas into the house. The number of bullets shot by both the good guys and the bad guys was first said to be around 5,000. This was later reduced to 2,000. A later count of bullet holes was approximately 640. 

newspaper clippings and many photos
are displayed on the large dining room table
for visitors to see

But the point is that the guns fired from both inside and outside of the house lasted for a solid 2 hours. After that, the FBI continued to shoot but eventually it was decided maybe the criminals had met their end. After about 4 hours from the start of it all, the agents entered the house and found the dead bodies of Ma Barker and Fred. Ma Barker was shot twice in the heart and Fred was shot 3 times in the head. 

Their bodies were reportedly put on display for 30 days for the public to see.

Gary inspects this 1936 Chevy

The 1936 Chevy was not a part of this story. It belongs to the tour guide who drove it from the parking lot to the house, leading the way for our tram driver. Then at the end of the tour, our tram followed this car back to where we were parked. 

Turning over this story in my mind led me to think about Proverbs 22:6,

Train up a child in the way he should go

and when he is old

he will not depart from it.

Theologians have said this verse is not necessarily a promise but more of a principle. God created us all with free choice. We train our children in the ways of morality, wisdom, and healthy self-discipline, but what they choose to do with their lives is their decision. 

With that said, we do well to keep our offspring in our prayers all of their lives.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

See also The Christian Lounge:

https://thechristianlounge4u.blogspot.com/2026/04/prayer.html

Easter Weekend

 

Easter woodworking by Benton Steiner

 

It is Good Friday, and what a good day it is for all who 

choose to trust in the death of Jesus on the cross, dying in our place to pay the price for our sins. When we believe in Him as our Savior, we are no longer condemned to a godless eternity.

And of course, following His death was His resurrection, which further demonstrates the absolute supreme power of God. Easter -- a most joyous time for those who believe.

💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐

It's time for me to take a blog break. We are doing very well, for which I thank the Lord every day; but I want to devote some time to pondering, maybe some re-thinking, perhaps a re-design of this blog, and just in general devoting energy to some other pursuits.

I plan to still read the blogs of my friends, leaving occasional comments. I may submit more devotional articles to The Christian Lounge, but here at Journal Memories I'm putting my writing pen down for a while. 

Speaking of The Christian Lounge, this week one of my articles was published. You can see it here: (click on the title)

Tips for Developing the Character of Jesus

Praying grace and peace to all,

Barbara

The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make His face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn His face toward you

and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26 NIV

Florals, Food, and Faith

 

Bougainvillea

From age 8 to 16 I lived in Southern California where Bougainvillea grow with abandon. At that time of my life, I was more interested in geography (the beaches in Venice, Santa Monica, and Huntington and winter snow in the San Bernardino Mountain areas of Big Bear Lake and Crestline). 

Years later as a young adult, circumstances led me to spend a summer at Vandenberg Air Force Base, north of Santa Barbara. We were driving parallel to the Pacific coast when I spied Bougainvillea growing up the outside wall of a seaside cottage and then spread out over the roof. It was very striking. Now these many years later, that sight remains a vivid memory. 

a scene from my post on March 5th

The flower petals are sort of wrinkly, and thin, much like tissue paper, in clusters. They come in many shades of reds, pinks, and orangey-salmon.

I've never had one in my yard, in part because I've lived in more places where Bougainvillea can't survive the climate than where they can thrive. 

Years ago Pastor Chuck Swindoll referenced Bougainvillea in one of his sermons, stating this plant has sturdy sharp thorns with runners that can grow underground, piercing bare feet in the grass. The plant is said to be difficult to handle without gloves. I choose to enjoy this plant in the yards of others.

My Yard Boy and I had to make another trip to the nursery this past week. After pruning the freezer burn from the plants that took such a hard hit from this winter's unusual cold, we fertilized what was left. In our fervor to boost plant growth, I forgot we're not supposed to fertilize the Blue Daze. Feeding them resulted in a quick death.

Blue Daze

Our conversation with one of the nursery employees, revealed that Blue Daze is more like a weed, which means you plant it and then ignore it, please. It can thrive on its own, thank you! I used to know that, but had clearly forgot. We bought 8 more and Gary planted them. 

It's nice there is something in our yard that does not need our devoted attention. As Gary likes to say, "There is a secret to growing grass in North Central Florida -- but I don't know what it is!!" 

This is true. There are several kinds of grass from which to choose and all of them seem (to us, anyway) like very fickle women who are hard to please.

waning white rose (on the right)

The beautiful flower arrangement that some of our children sent for my birthday has been a real delight. As the days passed, I gradually removed the faded blooms from the vase, but kept the 3 milky white roses until their petals began to fall off. The transition from white-white to this lunch sack shade of brown has been beautiful. It has been a wonderful illustration of how some things develop a special charm and even elegance with age. We should all hope to be as lovely as an old rose as our birthdays accumulate!

But with that said, eventually the roses were falling apart (like people 🤭), so I had to discard them along with the dried up and turning - to - powder Baby's Breath. What remains is this hearty flower that reminds me of lemon cake frosting. I don't know what this flower is. There were white carnations in the original arrangement, and they were bigger and shaped different from these yellow blooms. 

the mystery flower

Do any of my readers know what this yellow flower is?

afternoon treat at Wendy's

Moving on to the subject of food..... this week was my annual eye exam. These appointments, even for the most healthy of eyes, take FOREVER with a lot of waiting between tests. But after two hours, all came out very well. A Wendy's is next door to the eye doctor's parking lot, so Gary treated us to vanilla Frosties.

The next morning was the weekly Ladies' Bible Study I attend. It was the last session until late May, so we were encouraged to bring finger foods. It was not a sumptuous feast, and more was added after I snapped this picture. But it was enough and very good.

Grape and cheese kabobs

My neighbor, who rides with me to the study, brought these kabobs, which I thought were really great: cheese and grapes skewered with a decorative toothpick (a little longer than the teeth-picking kind). Colorful, not at all messy, and festive. 

My contribution was more of a craft project -- you had to work for it. 🤭 Assuming there might be a lot of sugary treats for this occasion, I wanted to balance that out with some protein. This individually-wrapped Babybel gouda cheese was perfect.

I say it was like a craft project because you first tear away the orange tissue wrapper. Then you grab the red tab and pull off a strip of the red plastic that encases the cheese, which easily releases from its case. There's no mess, it's got a satisfying salty taste, and is only 70 calories.

It is Palm Sunday weekend as this post is published. Both the plant kingdom and food are major players in the Biblically historical events we are observing. 

Palm fronds (or branches) were used like flags to enthusiastically wave as the people of Jerusalem welcomed Jesus into the city. 

some of the several palm trees in our yard

The crowds welcomed Him with great enthusiasm for not only the many miracles with which He had blessed them, but also because they thought He was the King of the Jews who would set them free from their oppression by the Romans.

The Last Supper by Da Vinci
(Unsplash)

A few days later, Jesus met in a private room with His twelve disciples for what would be their last meal together. Within hours after this meal the horrendous happened: He was betrayed by one of His own and summarily killed by crucifixion before a raucous crowd of those who had hailed Him as their king earlier that week!

God so loved the world

that He gave His only Son

that whosoever believes in Him

shall not perish

but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

I, like everyone else, am a sinner. I hold to the belief that Jesus' death on the cross paid the price for my sins. Because of this conviction, I know I'll spend eternity in Heaven. It's that simple. 

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

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For further devotional reading, visit The Christian Lounge at

https://thechristianlounge4u.blogspot.com