Comfortable Routines

Google Bicycle Water Color

It is late on Friday afternoon as I begin this post but I don't expect to complete and publish it until Saturday or Sunday. There's about half an hour to fill here before we begin our usual "Friday Night Date Night," and getting a start on a blog post seems the perfect "filler."

I really like water color art and have recently discovered how easy it is to find free examples of this on the Internet to supplement my blog posts. Water color has such a gentleness to it, not harsh or sharp. 

Regarding this week's water color, my readers know Gary and I ride our bicycles nearly every morning of the week...

a selfie of our shadows

I took this snapshot during the first of our two water breaks. Creatures of habit, we usually take the same route and stop at the same two places for a few sips of water during the 45-minute ride. Gary carries the water bottle in a clasp-thing on his bike.

You can't see them in this picture, but if you look at the grassy distance to the left of the STOP sign, there are cows grazing for breakfast. Some homes in our 55+ community back up to pasture lands, some homes have a lake behind them, some trees and the homes of fellow residents, and then there are those like us back up to tree-lined street. It's all quite beautiful.

Gary's friend sent us this cartoon the other day. Can you, like us, relate?

from a friend

I don't even need to ask. I KNOW Gary and I are not alone in our agreement that this is a statement illustrating life for many of us in the senior crowd. In spite of what AI (artificial intelligence) may say, life is not as simple as it used to be. 

Moving from Friday afternoon to Saturday...

Friday night supper

My typing hit a pause late yesterday afternoon so we could begin our usual habit of "Friday Date Night." Unless we have tickets for a music concert at the neighboring retirement community, we seldom leave the house after dark (or when it would be dark on our arrival at home). We just like it that way. We're seniors. We can give ourselves a sunset curfew if we want.

Anyway, the menu for Friday night supper is "Gary's World Famous Popcorn." He's been making popcorn on the stove since he was a kid living at home with his parents in Idaho. The stained, warped metal pot he uses is nearly as old as I am. Afterwards we pick our teeth with those little plastic disposable brushes (oh yeah! This is date night!) while watching the news and then decide on a movie to watch.

what's left of my family's movie collection

Before Gary and I got together, I had two full bookcases between 4 and 5 feet tall of DVD movies that my family of five had collected over the years. As I reduced the volume of my stuff to move into Gary's house, what you see in the above picture is what managed to survive the transition. Now, well over a year later, we've seen probably all the ones Gary is interested in from these shelves, and the rest are my favs (or ones I'm not ready to abandon).

It's been a curious study of men to note what interests one but not the other. Formerly my shelves had a lot of science fiction (Star Wars, Star Trek, etc) and the Rocky Balboa flicks. Gary's preference is more for police stories, and historical war themes, as well as westerns. And classic cars. He definitely appreciates old cars.

Oddly enough for the romantic that he is, the Hallmark Channel just about makes him upchuck 🤮, but he does choose older musicals with Natalie Wood, Debbie Reynolds, Connie Francis, and such. Watching a movie at home is what we do most Friday nights.

blogging from the lanai

Our weather has begun the turn toward the reason many people move to Florida-- our nighttime low temps are now dipping into the upper 60's, which means our daytime highs are more tolerable. Today we had lunch on the lanai, and since then I've taken over that same table to write this blog post. We've got the big windows wide open, fans are whirring, and I can see the red Hibiscus bush just a few feet from where I'm sitting. It's delightful!!

Stacy's Vincas

The cooler air is re-vitalizing neighborhood flowers. We've been waiting to add more blooms and bushes to our back yard, not wanting them to cook in the worst of summer's heat. 

one of our neighbors has decorated for autumn

Returning to the subject of routines, we get our yard work, house chores, appointments and errands done in the mornings, as much as is practically possible. After lunch (and often a nap), we sit on the lanai with books -- mostly biographies. Of late we have learned the details and opinions of Lauren Bacall, Robert Wagner, Haylie Mills, Paul Anka, Billy Crystal, George W. Bush, and Alec Baldwin. I'm about half-way through Mike Lindell's bio (of My Pillow fame). 

The lives of these personalities span many years with adventures from sedate to shocking, and much in-between. While their choices often veer off from what I would deem wise, there are still helpful lessons to be learned and conclusions we can take away from the consequences of their decisions.

a Gecko on our front patio--
one of MANY

In addition to the current biography on my table, I'm adding to my private journal some quotes worthy of further thought or meditation. These are from author Lysa TerKeurst in her study book, Finding I Am:

~ Unrealistic expectations often lead to our greatest frustrations.

~ Don't expect a tidy life.

~ We learn obedience by the things we suffer.

These thoughts basically repeat a theme I've been focused on for months; our Lord warns us to not expect a trouble-free life. 

But with that said, all is not lost. With Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives, He gives meaning, purpose, and significance to all we experience. He tells us this in John 10:10,

The thief comes only to steal 

and kill and destroy;

I have come that they may have life,

and have it to the full.

Until next time, grace and peace.

P.S. I nearly forgot --- several of my readers did not catch in my last post that I have, indeed found a new church. I ended that discussion with what is apparently subtle confirmation that my search was successful. 

As my friend Loraine phrased it, I have found a church with more of a feel for "shepherding," which is harder to achieve in a mega-church.  I do not mean to criticize the very large congregations. People need to find the church that best fits with their needs and personalities -- all within the framework of an accurate teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not all methods of worship and structuring of organization reach all people. 

Thanks to those who communicated some concern to me about this. All is good.