Maximizing the Days

wall art in the ladies' room
at church

Today I am responding to Joyce's Hodgepodge questions for this week and then sharing journal memories created in recent days with a lot of snapshots. 

1. What's your favorite room in your house and why? 

I like all the rooms in my home but they each have their own purpose and so in their own special way, they’re all “favorite.” 

However, to be more specific, I love our guest room because it is also my “study” with the antique desk I brought in when Gary and I married. The desk is small and belonged to my late father-in-law. It’s been in my home since he died in 1980. I've added a rectangle-shaped card table for my laptop computer since there is clearly no room for it on the antique desk. (Sheila, if you are reading this, do you recognize your floor lamp??)

In spite of the desk being small, it’s got 8 drawers (one drawer looks like 2 but is extra deep) and I’ve organized those and the desktop just about as efficiently as a person possibly can. It is my refuge, my sanctuary, the place where I meet the Lord for my daily quiet time every morning after breakfast. 

I have some other special places where I meet the Lord throughout the day, but at this desk I can spread out my open Bible, write in a composition book journal, jot down my responses to Bible study books, and pray.

2. What's something that will instantly annoy you? 

Don’t laugh, but when riding in a car at night, to turn on the dome light in the car absolutely instantly irritates me. I can’t explain it. I guess it makes me feel vulnerable.

However, at our age, we are seldom in the car after dark, so this is pretty much a non-issue for me any more.

3. May 28th is National Hamburger Day...will you celebrate? How do you like yours? If you're not cooking at home is there a favorite place you like to go for a burger? Did you ever work in a fast food  restaurant? 

We had home-grilled hamburgers on Memorial Day, so I don’t know if we will have burgers again that soon. However, we tend to eat a lot of chicken and fish at home, so I often will order a hamburger when we are out because I want the vitamin B12 that is in beef. I like my meat well-done, but Gary says we should order medium-well to make sure it’s not overdone. 

Internet photo

As for my favorite place to buy a burger? For a long time it was Red Robin to get the Whiskey River Burger. But we don't like the slow service at the only Red Robin in our town, they are pricey, and they keep the dining room insanely cold, so we help keep Culver's in business.

Internet photo

My very first job was in a fast-food restaurant. King’s Food Host, known for its Cheese Frenchee. I was 17 years old, the summer before my senior year in high school. I'm pretty sure the chain is no longer in existence.

Internet photo

4. What are three scents you like? Vanilla, freshly baked bread, beef steak. But with that said, when I had COVID in 2020, I lost my sense of smell and it has only partially come back. Since my husband lost his life to COVID at that time, I'm thankful the repercussions in my body are no worse.

5. What do you miss most about being a kid? Not having to give thought to much of anything serious.

6. Insert your own random thought[s] here. Here are journal notes and snapshots from our holiday weekend. 

It was o'dark early. (translation: the sun had not risen just yet) I was finishing off my last mouthful of Cheerios when Gary announced, "I want some sod from Lowe's before the crowds get there. Do you want to go with me?" 

We were on the cusp of a holiday when the weekend warriors invade the hardware stores. If nothing else, Gary is all about avoiding crowds. 

As I said, it was early. We go to bed before most, and as a result, we rise earlier than that same crowd. Glancing at the clock, I suggested it was too early for such a trip.But as it turned out, we had just enough time to clear up the cereal bowls, put on our outside clothes and get over there. Lowe's opens at 6am! Yes, we beat the crowds and the selection of sod was good. 

That's how our holiday weekend began. Three-day weekends in the USA are often accompanied by sales, big sporting events, food, and so many other activities that the younger generations hardly know what Memorial Day is all about.  

For verification of that, watch Jesse Waters on FOX when his representative, Johnny, interviews young people on the street and on the beach -- it's shocking how little these people know about our nation's history, let alone them having any appreciation for the hardships and sacrifices that gave them their freedoms.

My husband and I were introduced to each other on Veteran's Day (November 11th), so I learned at the beginning how important patriotism is to this man. On Memorial Day weekend he posts his MIA flag in  our front yard, a reminder that this holiday is not so much of a celebration as it is a remembrance of sacrifices made so the living have a reason to celebrate.

Then on the actual Memorial holiday, he flies the American flag, and we do thank the Lord for the lives of the brave that have preserved our freedoms.

some of our kids

With all of that said, we also indulged ourselves with fun. Some of our kids made a day-trip to see us. We took them to my favorite Italian place (the same restaurant where we enjoyed Mother's Day lunch). It was a hit with them as well. We visited all afternoon until it was time for them to face the traffic on the way home. It was a day well-spent!

Like so many others, on Sunday afternoon we watched the Indy 500 car race from the comfort of our automated recliners. On Monday we were a part of the well-attended memorial service in our retirement community. We pledged to the flag, sang the National Anthem, watched a video from Honor Flight, enjoyed patriotic choral music from our Glee Club, and concluded with Taps by one of our residents. And there were refreshments, lots of honey buns and coffee.

Of course television had a lot of old movies with war themes. We tend to watch those at all times of the year for their historical value and our appreciation for good character demonstrated.

The Longest Day

Other notables (for me, anyway) from this past week include two books completed. 

purchase information

I checked this one out from my public library after the recommendation from gals in my Bible study. I have written my impressions of it in the Book Reports feature of this blog (go to my home page and click on "Book Reports.") I'll just say that I'm learning I'm not an avid fan of fiction, preferring biographies more. But with that said, the book was of a more light-hearted theme (sort of). And sometimes I need that.

purchase information

The other book completed was a study of the Old Testament Ecclesiastes, which I have also summarized in my "Book Reports" column. The group of ladies began this in March, meeting weekly for the 8 chapters. I do enjoy a good Bible study. I've been going to church and been in Bible studies all of my life but there is never an end to learning something new, which is exactly what came out of this study for me.

On the last day of class, we celebrated with cake! 

Speaking of food, I did some cooking this past week. We had neighbors over for ice cream and homemade brownies from my cast iron wedge pan, and on another day I made some no-yeast dinner rolls that served as buns for mini ham sandwiches. 

Regarding my recipe for the brownies, I use whatever boxed mix is on sale and pour the batter into the wedges of the pan, baking them for 35 minutes. They never cool entirely before somebody starts removing them from the pan. He likes them warm.

"Overnight Cookies" page 200

I also have recently baked cookies from Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of several books, including The Yearling and Cross Creek Cookery. The recipe says to mix up the batter, then create a roll, wrap that in plastic, and refrigerate overnight. The next day you slice the roll and bake. Mine turned out flat on one side, but you know, funny thing, that did not affect the taste at all. Gary loved them. They did not last long. (Thanks, by the way, to my blog reader and neighbor, Ona, who loaned me her copy of Cross Creek Cookery. 😊)

Well, this has (once again) turned out to be a quite lengthy blog post.... I wonder how many readers have stayed with me till the end?!! I will close with something King Solomon said to sum up Ecclesiastes:

So I commend the enjoyment of life,

because nothing is better for a man under the sun

than to eat and drink and be glad.

Then joy will accompany him in his work

all the days of the life

God has given him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

Until next time, grace and peace.

sunset on the lanai

Assisting a Lost Turtle

Today I am responding to Joyce's Hodgepodge questions:

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2025/05/the-hodgepodge-buzz.html

1. May 20th is World Bee Day...what's something that's kept you 'busy as a bee' lately?

Tracking packages in the mail has been a big deal. Then nine of my family members have birthdays in May-July, so cards have gone out with a personal hand-written note in just about every one. 

2. Do you like honey? What's something you make or enjoy that calls for honey? 

Yes, I like honey, but I dislike when it doesn't roll out easily from the cute plastic teddy bear container. I make him sit in "time out" in hot water and then the honey just rolls out. 

3. "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." Proverbs 16:24

What's a proverb you love, or one that speaks to you or has helped you in some way? 

As I have aged, I have seen the wisdom of this one and am trying to remember it when I speak:

"She opens her mouth with wisdom; And the law of kindness is on her tongue."Proverbs 31:26

The Bible is full of Proverbs, a whole book in fact, if that helps with your answer. The word proverb is defined as 'a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice'. 

4. Tell us about a 'sweet' moment in your life recently that filled you with joy, gratitude, or peace. My husband is a kind-hearted man.

We had just left our house on our morning bike ride when we came to an intersection with everybody stopped. There was a very large turtle making his way in the street, and from his slow pace and the direction he was headed, it was going to be some time before traffic would feel free to proceed without hitting him.

carrying the turtle (not visible in this picture)

Gary got off his bike and picked up the turtle, which was heavy (maybe ten pounds), perhaps 18 inches in diameter, and slippery on the underside. He struggled just a little to get a good grip on the heavy creature.

Unfortunately I was not fast enough with my camera to get a picture from the front as he carried the fellow across the street.

the turtle is in the grass to the right of Gary

He carried the turtle out of the intersection and onto a grassy area. One of our many community lakes is two blocks away, so hopefully he found his way to the water.

When I asked Gary if he's handled a turtle before, he said he has. At his previous home up north there would be turtles (much smaller than this one) that he did not want his dogs to encounter. If he needed to pick one up, he had to grab the shell far enough toward the front that the back feet would not scrape his hands with the claws.  

close-up snapshot

After our bike ride, I did a little research on the internet and concluded this fellow may be a Fly River Turtle, also known as a pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta). I learned the following: 

"They are the only 100% fully aquatic freshwater turtle in existence. They have flippers instead of legs like sea turtles and have a nose that resembles that of a pig. They are very aggressive and require an absurd size enclosure because they grow to be around 2 feet long."

I assure you we did not know about the aggressive personality of this turtle. It probably worked in Gary's favor to approach the creature from behind. (Although with flippers and such a tiny nose and small mouth, what real harm could he have done to us?) When we rode past that area again at the end of our bike ride, the turtle was nowhere to be seen. 

To conclude my answer to this question (what's a sweet moment I've felt lately), with this little adventure, I loved seeing this compassionate and brave side of my man.

5. When you were a child, what did you want to 'be' when you grew up? How close did you come to that? 

Oh this is funny. I wanted to own a motel (not a cutesy bed-and-breakfast but a motel, like a Best Western, etc.)  Yes, for several years I said that's what I wanted to do when I grew up. I guess that dream came out of enjoying times when my family stayed in a motel on trips. Those trips included an outdoor swimming pool and meals in restaurants, both of which I'm sure added to the allure of my imagination.

Now when I hear stories of  the damage, crime, and unholy things that go on in motels and hotels, I think owning and/or managing one would be an absolute nightmare!!! 

But I also wanted, most of all, to be married and have children. Thankfully, that desire came true!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Since I referenced our bike rides in an earlier paragraph, here is another snapshot Sister sent recently from our past, this one from my early days on a bike. That's our dog, Susie, on my lap.

Sister and me holding our dog, Susie
September 1955

More recently:

me 'n my bike some 60 years later

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Until next time, grace and peace.

Old Florida

outside The Yearling Restaurant
Hawthorne, Florida 

Often, celebrations are not restricted to just one day on the calendar, and especially if the special things you want to do cannot be scheduled on that particular day. Such was the case for our 3rd anniversary, which was the topic of my previous blog post, "Celebrations." 

We wanted to tour the home of the late author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (The Yearling, Cross Creek, South Moon Under, The Sojourner, The Secret River, and more) which is now a state historic park located about 25 miles north of us.  The tour through her home was not available on our anniversary, but two days later 'her calendar' and ours could agree and so we made a day-date of it.

Before I go further, I need to tell you that there are terms used around here, that may not be commonly known in the rest of the USA: "Old Florida" and "Real Florida." On Google that is defined as "anything from the mid-20th century or before." Or to update the term, "anything before Disney and all the other big-money theme parks invaded this peninsula." (my words)

entrance to the park

Don't get me wrong, the theme parks have their place. Years ago I spent a lot of the green stuff there and even enabled the dream of one of my children to move to Florida to work for The Mouse for nearly twenty years. I do have an appreciation for the incredible ingenuity and awesomeness of Disney, Universal, Sea World, Legoland, Busch Gardens, and so forth. I don't know about today, but back in the day, the expectations made of the Disney Cast Members (what they called their employees) was excellent.

entrance to the home

It's not unusual for seniors like us to enjoy looking back into history. Visiting the home of this author was an opportunity to be in the Real Florida, the Old Florida. 

approaching from the parking lot

Entrance to this state park is free but we did have to pay $3 for all-day parking. We arrived at 9am, giving us time to wander about the grounds freely and as you will see, there was a lot of opportunity for photography. (I'm not sharing all of my pics; there were just too many.)

me with our docent in period dress

Shortly before the tour of the house began at 10am, our docent came outside to greet us. Caroline was very pleasant and knowledgeable. To prepare for her volunteer position, she did a lot of reading research and sewed her costume.

Gary in the barn

The tour began in the barn where we signed the guest book and met up with the rest of the group, about a dozen adults total.

This gorgeous Oldsmobile sits in the car port of the home, although it is not the original vehicle. We didn't catch the year but somewhere in the roaring twenties is my guess. 

The house is more long than wide because the rooms have windows on both front and back to allow the breeze to flow through in an era before air conditioning became the norm for Florida. 

front of the house

There were lots of flowers on the property including Vinca, Oleander, Nasturtiums, Queen Anne's Lace, and more.

just inside the front door

This may be my favorite room of the house because of the huge screened windows providing inspiration for the typewriter on the table. While I could never go back to this old-fashioned method of writing, I know my laptop computer would perform well in this setting.

living room

This room was the kitchen at the first, but Ms. Rawlings converted it to a living room. The closet in the corner originally served as the kitchen pantry, but later the area inside and above the closet was designated as the storage place for liquid spirits during Prohibition. 🤭

one of the bedrooms

I have lost count how many bedrooms (2 or 3?) but was more interested in the beautiful quilts. Although I have my own long history of quilting, I did not want to slow down the material the docent needed to cover before the next tour group, so I did not ask about these quilts. They may not be original to the house, but rather donated from that period and/or popular style from that day.

an example of period dress

We don't see style like this much these days unless in the theater. The details and modesty of design are tasteful and lovely.

formal dining room

The formal dining room was another of my favorites. We were told the original dining table was much bigger than this one with seating for 15 guests! Yes, they surely must have been sitting elbow-to-elbow, but I've heard Ina Garten on the Food Network say that a close dining experience helps conversation to flow better. 

the kitchen stove

This is the only snapshot I took in the kitchen. Not the original stove, but one very similar, it's what Ms. Rawlings used to perfect her enjoyment of cooking. One of her popular books is Cross Creek Cookery, of which I happen to have a copy right here beside me as I type! Good friend and blog-reader, Ona, has loaned me her copy. Maybe I'll try some of the recipes....

the first toilet in the home

One of the charming stories shared in our tour regarded the first toilet on the property. The outhouse in the back is still standing but don't you know this porcelain upgrade was most welcome! 

As the story goes, Ms. Rawlings loved to entertain and hosted a party after the bathroom was completed. Her uncle was not able to attend the party but sent a bouquet of roses. Visitors would be walking through the bathroom to see both the toilet and the bathtub, so our hostess placed the roses in the toilet, where they got all the water they needed and beautifully displayed the new convenience! 

These flowers for our tour were cut from the gardens outside. Speaking of flowers and gardens .....

the vegetable and flower garden

My snapshot of the garden, just steps from the house, does not do it justice. In person, this was beautiful and so well plotted out. On an interesting note, you see the wire fencing surrounding the garden. Every few feet a half bar of Irish Spring soap was in a plastic bag and tied to the fence, surely meant as a deterrent to animals wanting to dine on the fresh edibles.

street view of the restaurant

We thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the house and grounds, which lasted just under one hour. Lunch time was approaching, so we drove less than a mile to another well-known (around here) landmark, The Yearling Restaurant. 

Well-known for serving local exotic carnivore edibles, as well as the usual fare, we wanted to give it a try. The place has quite a reputation.

rustic in appearance

Nestled among huge Spanish moss-laden oak trees with a lot of shade and dense undergrowth, we nearly missed our destination. I'll frankly say the outside appearance is not impressive.... but maybe that's because that's what "old Florida" looks like! 

 

grilled pork sandwich with a side of collards

Although the outside decor made us wonder, inside did not disappoint. Taxidermy animals watch the diners enjoy gator bites and other entrees that are outside of the norm for city folk. We both are not quite that adventurous, so Gary ordered the fried pork sandwich while mine was grilled. He enjoyed fries but one of my goals for the day was to enjoy old south collards (which I have come to love since moving to Florida). 

In addition to the restaurant, inside the building is a gift shop and other merchandise throughout, including used books on many topics, some of them by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (of course, since the restaurant is named after her most famous novel). 

Before leaving for home, we found this 13-foot long gator in one of the many dining rooms. It was hard to get a clear snapshot of him with so many other eye-catching aspects of this room, but I could not leave him out of this report.

Sister's Basset Hounds

To close out this blog post about celebration, I want to tip my hat to Sister, who is having a birthday this weekend. We live some thousand miles from each other, so the only cake I can send to her is a photo she sent to me of her two Basset Hounds on their birthday a couple of months ago. These were doggy-edible treats, but I'm sure Sister will enjoy something suitable for humans. 

Mama and [my] Sister

Sister looked after Mama for many years as our mother's health dictated needed changes, moving from living in Chicago by herself to her new home closer to Sister and more family in a rural setting. Then there was the transition to assisted living and eventually to a nursing home. The adaptations Sister made with our mother's changing needs were many and sometimes baffling. This past October Mama's earthly story came to a peaceful end.

With some chagrin I share with you the terribly self-centered, childish request I made to my mother well over 60 years ago when I said I didn't want to have a little sister any more. I wanted to be an only child. While Mama listened to my reasons (none of which come to mind now), she let me know I would have to be content with things as they were, and the conversation was concluded.

All these years later, I'm really glad to have had Sister in my life, and still do! Our family moved A LOT of times during our school years and so by default at least, we were the only friends we each had with every new location. 

Happy Birthday, Sister! Have many more! I am thankful for you and I love you!

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

for [sisters] to dwell together in unity!

Psalm 133:1

Easter 1957
Left to right: me, Mama, Sister

Until next time, grace and peace.