Showers of Blessing

 

Rain in our back yard

This afternoon we are [finally] getting a very long, hard rainstorm. Although the Central Florida weather maps on TV often show a great deal of rain, the western half of our county usually gets much less (if any) of that. But this afternoon as we have been sitting on the lanai reading, dozing, and sipping on coffee (for Gary) and tea (for me), a pounding rain has been just outside the windows. 

rain pounding on the patio

All that landscaping rock delivered a month or so ago is now thoroughly rinsed clean of dust and associated debris. 

The tall pine trees and palm branches are swaying in the wind, creating a gentle picture that promotes calm in my spirit. The tiny Gecko lizards that love to sit atop the pagodas in dry weather, scurry off to their hiding places when it rains.

We are having an odd sequence of things of late that I won't detail in today's post except to say that plans added to our calendar in ink should have been written with a pencil due to changes and cancelations that have had to come about. I am reminded of this scripture from Proverbs 16:9,

The heart of man plans his way,

but the Lord establishes his steps.

This verse states that humans make their plans but it is God's ultimate sovereignty and control that directs our lives. 

Yes. I see that.

With that said, I don't have my usual diary-style of writing plan today and will depend on the writing prompts from Joyce's Hodgepodge provided for this week. You can click here if you want to do this on your own blog and link up with other participants. 

1. What's a characteristic you admire in others? Elaborate. 

The ability to choose words wisely and to communicate briefly what needs to be said. And to get to the point. 

2. Do you have a favorite mug? Let's see it. Why is this one your favorite?

Mary-with-the-French-last name gave this mug to me in 2018 when I visited her family's Alabama lake "cabin." (it was a spacious house!!!) I like it because of the scripture (written on both sides, which makes it perfect for both right- and left- handed people.) I also like it because the handle fits my hand well. 

3. July 15th is/was National Give Something Away Day... will you (or did you, depending on what day you answer these questions) give something away? If so, what? Do you regularly give away or do you tend to 'accumulate'? 

How interesting that this subject has come up. Earlier this afternoon I stumbled across an interesting Youtube video: (click on the title)

7 Ruthless Decluttering Tricks Seniors Use 

to Clear Entire Homes in 48 Hours

The video teaches to look at your stuff according to these principles:

1) can't live without it

2) might need it some day

3) give yourself permission to be wrong about a few things instead of being trapped by everything

waiting to go to its new home

Both Gary and I have eliminated things as we have brought our lives together under one roof. Recently he gave this rocking chair to one of our (his) sons. Gary gave it to his late wife at their first Christmas, so it was only right to pass it on to her son. It's a very comfortable rocker. Our (Gary's) daughter-in-law said they have a guest room of antiques and this would be a perfect addition.

To respond to the question about accumulating, after emptying my 2-story house a few years ago so I could move in with Gary, I nearly abhor the idea of buying more "stuff." We are blessed with plenty.

And yes, I have a bag in the master closet to which I often add more things to be donated. 

4. You're planning a trip. Do you prefer exploring big cities or smaller, more off the grid towns? World Atlas lists these 12 'off the grid' towns to see in 2025. How many on the list have you seen? Of those listed, which one would you most like to visit and why. 

Middlebury Vermont

Middlebury Vermont - I may have been there during my leaf-peeping tour bus vacation in New England in about 2007.

New Hope Pennsylvania - sounds good to me

Rehoboth Beach Delaware - my family visited this beach several times when my children were school-aged.

Medora North Dakota - haven't been there but lived in SOUTH Dakota for 4 years. That's probably enough of the Dakotas for me at this stage of my life (lotta wind and snow).

Ouray Colorado - lived in Colorado for many years but never made it to Ouray. Crested Butte is probably the closest I got to Ouray. All beautiful "God's Country" in my opinion.

5. Have you ever... 

ridden a motorcycle? yes

been to a Disney park? yes

met a celebrity? depends on how you define 'celebrity', but yes

Tell us something about whatever you answered yes to on this list. I had emergency surgery about ten days after delivering my second son. My mother had already flown out from Chicago to help us. My father rode his motorcycle from Chicago to South Dakota to visit us and to see the newest baby. Although I was terribly weak from blood loss and surgery, when Daddy asked if I wanted a ride on his motorcycle, I quickly agreed. My mother had a fit about it, but Daddy kept the ride short. He took us to I-90, getting on at one exit and getting off at the very next exit. I just held on tight to Daddy's waist and it was great!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

40 years of Christmas newsletters

Returning to the subject of decluttering, the above photo is the folder where I have collected the Christmas newsletters I've written since 1980, the year my first husband and I had been married ten years. I have enjoyed composing these letters and kept them all. (One year, 1989, our Beagle wrote the letter for me!) I realized the folder had a lot of duplicate copies, so a few weeks ago I eliminated the duplicates.

a Printshop program on my computer 
was a big help
I no longer have access to that program

While I consider myself to be pretty efficient (aka 'ruthless') at de-cluttering, it is not a favorite chore. Memories, both good and bad, get stirred up. That may have a lot to do with why de-cluttering is avoided by so many. 

quiet road in Newberry, Florida

He restores my soul:

he leads me in the paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Psalm 23:3 

May this be the desire and prayer of us all, that the Lord would lead us in paths of godliness.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Recently.....

our potted Mandevilla 

Our younger, more rowdy days are behind us. I have learned this about myself over the years:  hot sticky weather combined with loud fireworks out on the driveway are not a good mix for me. 

Especially in this season of my life, I prefer quieter celebrations. This past holiday weekend was exactly that. Here are snapshots from the memories we made.

front yard

As with all patriotic holidays, Gary posted the American flag in our front lawn. There was no breeze for this photo-op, but the colors still looked great in the morning sunshine.

If you look closely in the grass, to the southwest of the flag pole, you'll see a small blue-green rain gauge cup. The rainy season is here. We've had a good downpour on several days recently. I think it was on July 3rd that we got a full 2 inches in one storm. 

On the subject of rain, I will stop here to express my sincere condolences to our fellow Americans in Texas who have had the catastrophic flooding and shocking loss of life. I pray for any who may still be in need of rescue and for the comfort of those who have personal loss. As one of my Daughters-in-Law who is a former first responder said on Facebook, remember the many who are working on the search and recovery. Even though this is the career for some, it's not an easy calling.

My favorite and trusted donation agency for catastrophes like this:

Samaritan's Purse
click on the link to contact

In times like this the shock is profound. I have no other words about this tragedy that have not already been expressed by so many. When we can't find the words to pray, the Lord reads our hearts. 

holiday garments

Returning to the 4th of July, I wore the two shirts I save for patriotic occasions.

front row parade seating in our back yard

Where we live, nearly every other house has a golf cart in the garage. Holiday parades are the norm. We don't have the space nor a desire for a golf cart, but are content to pull out our canvas patio chairs to watch the celebration drive by.

one of 20 or 25 golf carts in the parade

Our community is huge, so the parade is limited to one of the primary loops, which is on the other side of the berm behind our house. Generous decorations, honking horns, waving flags, calling out to on-lookers, and some with their own music -- it's a fun tradition. 

Washington Monument souvenir from 1984-1988

Very early in our relationship, Gary and I discovered we both had not only lived in the greater Washington DC area, but it would not be unreasonable to imagine we might have crossed paths at some time, most likely in the underground metro (subway) system. We enjoy sharing with each other our experiences of living there. 

Watching the explosions of color within view of the Washington Monument and the Capitol was memorable. It's possible that Gary and I could have watched the same fireworks, but of course that was many years before life-changing events and circumstances brought us to meet face-to-face here in Florida. 

Our lunch on this 4th of July, was home-grilled hamburgers and French fries. All weekend we sliced into a Poke Cake made with strawberry Jell-o and Cool Whip until it was all gone.

PBS version of the 4th of July
Washington DC, 2025

When it was time for the fireworks, we enjoyed those at home, too. The forecast expected hard rain off and on all through the evening, but our plan all along was to enjoy the show from the comfort of our recliners in the living room via TV.

One of my favorite parts of the show was the Beach Boys, who gave us 4 songs.

Since our weather has been too hot and/or rainy to do much outside (with the exception of our after-breakfast bicycle ride), I read two books that gripped my attention so completely that I could hardly put them down and finished them both in just days.

In the Presence of My Enemies

This, from our public library's biography section, is the true story of a  an American missionary pilot and his wife who lived in the Philippines. In 2001 they were kidnapped by a terrorist group with ties to Osama bin Laden. Held captive for a little over a year, the wife tells the story with the co-author help of Dean Merrill from Focus on the Family. I remember when this happened but had never read the story. 

Cold Before Morning

This second book was not a terrifying read like the first one, but a good story of a Scottish family's history as they immigrated to North and  Central Florida. With the growing number of day trips we have taken to smaller towns north of Orlando, I was interested to read how this area was settled, the wars fought, and how Florida became famous for its orange orchards. 

Camp Blanding in Starke, Florida
(Florida National Guard)

Speaking of our day trips, this week we drove to Starke, Florida to visit the World War II Museum at Camp Blanding. Established in 1990, the museum features displays from Camp Blanding's history and involvement during WWII. 

There were many life-like scenes such as this one with descriptions of the guns, vehicles, and clothing from that war.

helmets

We were welcome to pick up, and even try on, this variety of helmets, some heavier than others (surprisingly heavy!).

example of where soldiers slept

Based on his Air Force basic training and years of service, Gary told me the three different ways airmen were taught to make up their beds. Depending on the requirements of the day of the week, the beds were made according to these designations:

Dust Cover

White Collar

Open Air

Gary made immediate note that the museum people did NOT know how to make Hospital Corners. (When we wash our sheets every week and then make our bed together, Gary makes a perfect hospital corner on his side. Mine, well, not so much, but that's mostly because the mattress is very heavy.)

We saw examples of practical (personal) matters in addition to the implements and techniques of warfare.

There was this famous painting by Norman Rockwell from an issue of the Saturday Evening Post.

dress made from a parachute

Since I have enjoyed needle and thread since the age of about nine, this dress really caught my eye. It was made by a French farmer's wife from two parachutes picked up from the field. The label says the parachutes "were from the D-Day jump of men from the 508th PIR outside of Ste-Mere-Eglise." 

As we returned to our car, Gary insisted my picture be taken beside one of the static displays of an army tank:

And of course I wanted his picture with an Air Force F106 Delta Dart.

Gary 

One of his duties in the early years of his military career was to guard aircraft on the flightlines in Japan, Minnesota, Thailand, and Maine. After that he became a Special Agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. 

Junior

As I close out this post of recent events with us, I am giving a shout-out to one of my sons who is celebrating a BIG birthday today. Named after his dad, now that Senior is deceased, Junior still keeps that designation to his name, even though by law that is not required. He tells me he is proud to have his dad's name and for others to know he is named after him.

"Brad, turn off the TV and go clean up that mess you left on the table! And pick up your jacket!!"

"Y'know, it'll be a relief when Brad goes off to college! I mean, can you tell me ONE useful thing that kid does around here?"

"Yes. He's the only one in this house who can set the clock on the VCR."

"Oh.... That's right ..."

I have saved this cartoon, clipped from our newspaper in the 1990s, because it spoke well for us at that time. I feel sure many of the readers of my generation can say the same!

Until next time, grace and peace.

O Canada!

Reading the post titled "Colors of Summer" by Ellen at her blog, The Happy Wonderer - ellen b., I was reminded that today, July 1, is Canada Day. I'm taking her observation of this holiday as a writing prompt regarding an adventure I had that began 59 years ago today. My family immigrated to Canada from Southern California.

My father, who at that time was a corporate aviation pilot, was hired to fly a Lear Jet for the government in British Columbia. The summer of 1966, when I was 16 years old, we moved from the San Fernando Valley in Southern California to Vancouver, British Columbia. 

the Georgian Towers probably
late 1950s - early 1960s

Before the big transfer of our household goods, we did all the paperwork, medical appointments, and whatever was required at that time so that upon our arrival we were given our immigration cards to carry in our wallets at all times. It was exciting!!

the Georgian Towers in 2019

We did not have a place to live when we arrived, so our first three weeks were spent with living in a downtown high-rise, the Georgian Towers. I wish I could remember what floor we lived on but the article I've read says there were 22 floors. 

We had what was originally intended to be an apartment that was converted for hotel use, and a few years later went back to apartments again. There was a living room, a very small kitchen, a couple of bedrooms, a bathroom and a fantastic view of the harbor complete with ships, boats, Stanley Park just a few blocks away, and mountains for skiing on the opposite side of the water.

The article I've referenced, written in 2019, says the plan was/is to tear the building down to replace it with another with 49 stories! Over the years its stature had become rather dwarfed by the newer structures constructed all around it. 

main floor restaurant at
Georgian Towers Hotel

On the main floor of the building was a restaurant where we had our meals when we weren't eating simpler fare prepared in our apartment kitchen. I have a fun little story about that -- actually two. The first one regards a large pin (brooch) I had that was just costume jewelry. It was a gold cursive letter B, for Barbara. (Remember the large L that Laverne wore on her blouse in the TV sitcom, Laverne and Shirley?)

Laverne and Shirley, 
when it was the fad to wear an initial

I wore it to dinner one evening and noticed later before going to bed that I had lost it. I had no idea where it might be. I went back down to the restaurant to look but did not find it. 

ballerina with the
Bolshoi Ballet

At the same time, Russia's Bolshoi Ballet was in Vancouver, apparently staying in our hotel. The next time I was in the restaurant, the host remembered me looking for my lost pin. He handed it to me saying that a member of the Bolshoi Ballet had found it and turned it in! I was both grateful and amazed. This honest person could have kept the pin for themself since it was a large, very attractive letter B.

The other memory I have of that restaurant was of a young waiter (possibly just a bus boy), who caught my eye. (or I caught his eye?) Since we lived in the hotel for 3 weeks, we encountered each other several times and he eventually asked if he could take me out after his shift ended. His name was Mario and he looked Italian. Of course my parents said no. I imagine that even hastened their search for a permanent residence for our family, other than this hotel!

Another memory I have of our weeks in the hotel was the first couple of nights. Moving from the greater Los Angeles area up closer to the North Pole in summer, Sister and I were not use to the delay in sunsets, with total darkness not coming until nearly 10pm. That was an interesting phenomenon to us teens.

After the 3 weeks in the Georgian Towers, we moved into an apartment very near the entrance to the University of British Columbia. Again, a tall building, we lived on the 8th floor (which was the top) and again had a jaw-dropping view of the harbor in the distance from our balcony. 

Sister and I were intrigued, only at first, that our new home was just a few blocks walk from the 'beach.' It turned out that beach was quite different from what we enjoyed in Southern California. This beach was more like hard-packed dirt and since it was along a harbor with ships, boats, and the like, there were no big waves to speak of. Also, even in July, the temperature was cool and being in the Pacific Northwest, there was the rain. Oh well.

Lord Byng Secondary School

Eventually the summer came to an end and we girls had to enroll in school. Excitement combined with a healthy amount of trepidation got us into our classes. I was a junior by then (grade 11). I registered for English, geometry, a Canadian government class, physical education, and a Spanish class that I could only take via correspondence. 

It seemed that in this Canadian school, everybody took French, but I already had a good amount of Spanish behind me and needed to complete that for college requirements. They gave me a study hall and a record player with a large vinyl record of Spanish lessons. To say that was a hard adjustment for me would be an understatement. 

The Canadian government class was a mystery to me, too, but as far as I can remember, I studied and held my own well enough for the length of time I was there ..... which leads me to a major development in this Canadian adventure.

The one man in government who had taken it upon himself to hire my father to pilot the Lear Jet was reprimanded for apparently taking matters into his own hands, working on the assumption the funding for the plane and the crew would be forthcoming. It was not. 

To sum that up, by November it became clear Daddy would be let go and so over the [American] Thanksgiving holiday (Canadians celebrate that in October) we left Canada to return to the USA. We ended up in New Jersey, outside of Newark and then shortly after that we settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I won't go into the details of all of that except to say Sister and I had to learn resilience and to one extent or another, we did. We both were enrolled in three schools in that school year, and it was not without (allow me some Biblical humor here) "weeping and gnashing of teeth."

But with that said, there was one notable miracle for me that I have never forgotten, even better than the Bolshoi ballerina finding my brooch. In New Jersey I was put into a civics class where the teacher must have been a lawyer wannabe. His lectures were chock-full of legal cases proving this and that. My eyes rolled to the back of my head and when it came time after only 6 weeks for the semester final, I was absolutely beside myself with fear that my grade would fail me.

Actually, it did. BUT, when I had to confer with the teacher later, he told me he would give me a passing grade because he knew I was Canadian and would therefore not know much about government in the USA. 

Did I correct him with the truth that I was as American as he was, having been born in Oklahoma? What would YOU have done?

Whether it was right or not, I graciously accepted the passing grade he gave me and left it at that. Very shortly after that, Daddy's work took us to Oklahoma, the very town where I was born and where (blessedly) my grandparents lived. I felt an acceptance and security I had not felt in quite some time. 

This is my story and I'm sticking to it because it's the absolute truth. O Canada! I enjoyed you most of the time my family lived there but what an interesting set of twists and turns you gave me!

Philippians 4, verse 11 is a lesson I've had to re-visit all of my life, especially as an adult, with the many relocations required of me by both my father and my late husband with their jobs:

 

"... for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." 

One Bible translation even phrases it this way, "I have learned to be content in whatever state I am in." 

To be content with anything, there comes a time when we must just accept the matter, the issue, the circumstance, the people, the problem, whatever you want to call it. Change may come at some time, but meanwhile, often the means for peace is to just accept and choose to be content.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia

P.S. #1 Happy Birthday, Canada!

P.S. #2 without the magic of the Internet, I could not have provided any of the photos that enhance this blog post.

Daring Adventures

 

us on one of our adventures

Today I am using Joyce's Hodgepodge questions as the springboard for this post. (click on the link if you want to answer her questions on your own blog)

She starts us off on the topic of adventure. My yellowed copy of Roget's College Thesaurus gives the following words that could be used in place of adventure: enterprise, undertaking, happening, event, risk, hazard, venture. Also chance, embark upon, and dare. (see DANGER)

1. What does adventure mean to you? I'm thinking it means something out of the ordinary, a little mysterious, perhaps with some measure of danger and/or unpredictability. It can be planned as a departure from the usual way of doing things, or it can be a surprise, either pleasant, or not. 

From the beginning of my association with Gary, that led to our marriage, we have had adventure. Others who have traveled the world might think it's an exaggeration of the word to describe it so, but for the two of us at this stage in our lives, yes, it's been an adventure. 

Shutterstock image

I suspect (and frankly, rather hope) that our days on a zip line are over, in spite of the fact that it was fun and certainly something out of the norm for me. (note: I had to insert a graphic from the Internet because when on a zip line, that's no time to be fiddling with a camera -- at least not for me!)

us on the Rainbow River

Gently gliding down lazy rivers in a kayak and a canoe may (or may not) be the last for us (there are alligators hiding in the grasses along the bank). I wouldn't mind more air boat rides (we've done two).  

10-foot gator in the Florida Everglades
from the air boat

Then there was the time where I pulled out all the stops and pinned Gary's ears to the sides of his head as we swirled around at break-neck speed on a large lake in a two-seater catamaran boat -- now that I'd do again! Gary had to hold on for dear life after he insisted I take the helm and off we went!!! THAT's adventure to me!

photo taken by our tour guide
before I cut loose on the throttle

2. What are your thoughts on tipping? What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip? Do you resent being asked if you'd like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented?

The summer after I graduated from high school, I was a waitress in a coffee shop. The tips at the end of a shift were heavy in my uniform pockets and what's not to love about that?!! At a sit-down restaurant I do tip and if a suggested amount is on the check, I take that as a help to not have to do the math in my head. I do rather resent being asked if I want to add a tip -- seems kinda cheeky to me, and especially if all they did was to punch in some numbers to place my order. It's not like they also had to keep tabs on when my food was ready and then had to carry a heavy tray of plates to my table.

Simply Dipped Drumstick
(ice cream cone from Publix)

3. I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream... do we? Is ice cream a favorite treat at your house? What's your favorite flavor? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream... what's your pleasure?

Vanilla is my favorite, but also mint and just about any other flavor will do. Sherbet is a favorite with me, too, as well as raspberry sorbet. Lactose-free vanilla ice cream is also very good.

front gate to the farm house

4. What's your 'back in my day, we _______' story or saying?

I will begin my reply to this question with some snapshots taken this week from our visit to the Dudley Farm National Historic Landmark. Taking another glimpse into "old Florida," as they like to say around here, we thoroughly enjoyed walking freely through the farm house and many out buildings on this large family farm. We had a printed brochure as our guide and since it was on a Thursday morning, there were no other guests around. We greatly enjoyed the quiet freedom to browse where, and for as long as, we wanted. 

Visitor's Center

A very interesting visitor's center was the starting point that had a video documenting the family's history and many artifacts from daily and farm life. On that video the youngest of the 12 children in the Dudley family (all now deceased) gave a brief overview of the farm and the changes they made over the years as the passage of time required.

Now to get back to the question above (#4) regarding "back in my day ..." my fellow sojourner demonstrated to me how the laundry was done on that farm. He grew up watching his mother use an electric ringer washer, but he knew how this one worked, too. 

He also explained the particulars of an outhouse, complete with the usage of corn cobs. This one, by the way, is a 3-holer (can you imagine???)

Having grown up with outhouses, Gary had this experience to share: "It was Halloween night when I was in high school (1959). I was out with a group of thugs (friends) and as a Halloween prank, we decided to tip over the outhouse of Zack, the shoe repairman. When we tipped it over, we found out he was inside because he started cussin'!! We have no idea how he got out because it had tipped over onto the door!"

inside the farm house

5. Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in July. Sum up your June using three adjectives. 

I don't know how to use just 3 adjectives to describe my month of June. I'll just say, I tried to be grateful and rational every day, and prayed more than usual for our government.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower.

The righteous run to it and are safe.

Proverbs 18:10

Until next time, grace and peace.