Seeking the Cool Places

 

Early Floridians were surely made of sturdy stock. That has to be true since they persisted in settling here in spite of nearly year 'round heat, insects, reptiles, and hurricanes. 

Of course we have central air conditioning now. Otherwise, I would not be a resident of the Sunshine State and the Lightening Capital of the United States.

Oh wait! I just now did a fact-check and learned (to my surprise) that Oklahoma (the land of my birth, by the way) has recently unseated Florida as the lightning capitol of the USA; this is according to recent annual environmental monitoring reports. 

Returning to my reasons for this post, we have not allowed the daily heat and humidity to stop us from getting out and about -- as long as our destinations have air conditioning, of course. But we are spending a little less time on the lanai because it has only windows and fans, no A/C. Time spent out there has been abbreviated in spite of the new furniture that we love.

In "Seeking the Cool Places" we drove across town to the Appleton Museum of Art. It is a part of the College of Central Florida, here in Ocala. Admission is free for the entire month of July. 

I have been to this museum several times in the past 7 years of living here, but Gary had not. These whimsical  elephant sculptures playing in the fountain were a fitting welcome on a hot summer morning.

In addition to the appeal of an air-conditioned venue, we wanted to see the advertised patriotic display for our nation's 250th Birthday. One long wall was devoted to a time line of Florida's history from [way back when] to present day. That was tricky to photograph, so I don't have that to share, but it was very informative.

Of particular interest to me was this quilt (below) made entirely of Prairie Points (uniform squares of fabric folded to make points) and sewn together:

Those who do not quilt may be surprised to learn that a piece such as this is quite heavy. There is no way a person could comfortably sleep under this even on a cold Florida night!

There were references to wars of the past, which always catches Gary's interest.

The museum has many other exhibits but we saw what interested us the most and then exited through the gift shop. 

Keeping up with my usual habit, I bought a refrigerator magnet to remember the occasion and also a post card to send to my sister-in-law. She lived in this town for many years but now lives farther north. She has encouraged us to visit this museum, so I sent the post card as proof-positive that we had.

the boy, Jody Baxter, main character in
The Yearling

On another day we took a couple of neighbors to lunch at The Yearling, an "old Florida" restaurant that I included in a post this past April. Named in honor of the well-known book by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, The Yearling is quite rustic with a lot of dark wood, many antiques, taxidermied (is that a word?) animals, countless old books for sale, and several dining rooms of varying sizes. This place is an icon.

"Old Florida" has grown on me over the years since I moved from Colorado. It portrays this state before the Mouse bought up a lot of land, followed by Sea World, Universal, and others. Especially for those of us who have "been there, done that, bought the T-shirt" at the flashy theme parks, these quieter historical locations hold a lot of appeal.

When I moved to Florida in 2017 (and then to Ocala in 2019), I barely remembered the story from my younger years of The Yearling. 

I knew nothing at all about the book, Cross Creek, also written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, until our late blogging friend and New England resident, Vee of "A Haven for Vee" assumed I was aware of all that. I checked the book out of the library, bringing myself up to speed. 

I also watched two movies that have been made, based on the book, Cross Creek. I enjoyed the second (newer) film more than the first, although it did depart from the book. Here is a link to that one, the 1983 movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC7ikRDWkwg

The menu at The Yearling serves venison, gator, cat fish, and other exotics as well as burgers and more traditional fare.

Gary and our friend Darryl had burgers and fries. Vickie and I chose salads. We joked about our choices. Gary and I have a personal rule that we "don't eat scavengers." 

When I say that some of the walls are lined with books, I am not exaggerating in the least. There is a sign that says the price of each book is inside the cover, so you can buy them if you want.

Those who read my blog post last April will remember the 13-foot gator on display. But for those of you who didn't see it, here he is:

And then, just to be a bit macabre, here's another view I took this week: 

This is the gator's gaping open  mouth -- truly the stuff of which nightmares are made!!

While I'm most definitely not a lover of reptiles of any kind (ok, maybe turtles are an acceptation ....), you may agree that they do make for interesting "blog fodder."

We all thoroughly enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere. I brought home about the last 1/3 of my salad to enjoy for supper that night. Among the choices of salad dressing was Mango Cream. I took a chance with that and was not disappointed. It was all so very good!

As I conclude this post on seeking the cool places, a verse from the Old Testament comes to mind:

The Lord watches over you,

the Lord is your shade at your right hand.

Psalm 121:5

A commentary I read explained it this way, "God is close by to protect you from the heat and heavy burdens of life." I like that. We all need the safety and comfort of His protection. I seek the Lord daily for those very benefits.

Until next time, stay cool in grace and peace.

Barbara

Sweet and Sour

In case you are wondering, yes, you have arrived at my blog with its new header design as well as a different "selfie" in the sidebar. Terri at her blog, Your Friend From Florida, recently changed her header with the help of ChatGPT. It looks so good that I decided to give it a try. 

After a couple of what felt like bumbling efforts, I still don't know just exactly how I did it. But with that said, it was pretty easy and I was very surprised with what "they" (AI, I assume) came up with. I only tweaked one detail and decided it would work for me. 

My hope and assumption is that this was entirely free. There are opportunities to sign up for discounts and such, so that tells me one can get into paying for it. I have avoided all of that and plan to be satisfied with what I have. I definitely did not give them any $$ information, etc.

This is Wednesday, so I'm responding to Joyce's Hodgepodge questions, which are all about lemons and yellow. If you want to link up your blog with this meme, click on this link:

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2026/07/hodgepodge-questions-volume-663.html

1. Do your goals and dreams energize or exhaust you? Elaborate. 

Goals and dreams: at my age, the really important ones have been achieved. The Lord has given me so much that I wanted and also used some of life's "hard knocks" to change my desires.

There is a heartwarming TV commercial here in Florida for Publix grocery stores that includes the statement, "Mistakes . . . . were made." I like that. When we own up to our errors, we free ourselves to do better. 

As for current goals and dreams, I try to avoid the busyness and preoccupation with things that used to tie me up in knots. My last 5 years have been a very personal, intensive study of human psychology and relationships. My current "goal" or focus is learning how to relate better to people.

If you want to see the commercial, which is short and really cute, click here: Say It With Pie. (Click on the link, not the photo.)

2. July 23rd is national lemon day. Are you a fan of this flavor? What's a favorite dish or beverage you enjoy that calls for lemons? 

Lemon Meringue pie and lemon bars are favorites with me. (Hmm. I've not made Lemon Bars in a long time. I should do that!)

3. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"...is this something you're pretty good at managing? Have you had to do this recently? If so tell us about it. 

We do ourselves a service when we make a practice of transforming lemons into lemonade. It's a survival skill. When we come to the realization that life is NOT all about me, sweetness tends to flavor the sour.

While I've tried to have this attitude most of my adult years, the COVID pandemic and all that has transpired with me since then have taught me to be more flexible, more resilient, less critical, and to make the best of what's happened.

With tongue-in-cheek, if I were to claim a superhero for myself, Elasticgirl from the Disney The Incredibles movies would be my choice. Click here to see a brief portrayal of her flexibility and resilience.

4. Something you love that is lemon yellow in color? 

This is what we like to use at our bathroom and kitchen sinks. I took this snapshot because my preferred shade of yellow is not "lemon" but more of a "banana pudding", something more mild and mellow, like what's at the bottom of this bottle. 

5. How would you describe your attention to detail? 

It all depends on what the subject is. Some things just aren't that important and "artistic freedom" is allowed. But for what demands accuracy for a correct outcome, I do work hard to get the details right. Bookkeeping is what comes to my mind and that definitely needs attention to detail.

BTW [by the way], that particular task (finances) is not something that needed my close attention until a few years ago because others took care of that for me --- until they didn't. With that said, my attention to detail changed (a lot).

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We tend to handle or respond to life based on how we have been treated and taught. Some manage better than others and there is no doubt that with all of us, "mistakes were made" along the way. (thinking of question #3 above)

A lesson I am learning is that I need to forbear with those who are not navigating well. We are all in process. We need to give space to those who struggle, just as we want for ourselves. None of us get it right every time. But mercy and grace help.

Be ye kind to one another,

forgiving one another, 

even as God for Christ's sake

has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

Now I think I'll go check my pantry to see if I have what is needed to make those lemon bars!

Something Old, Something New

. . . . . Nothing Borrowed But Plenty of Blue! 

We were sitting out on the lanai last week when I noticed a pensive expression on Gary's face. From time to time I will ask him, "What's going on between your ears?" 

Sometimes the reply is, "Nut n' Honey!" But this time, to my surprise, he said he thought it was time to replace our green wicker furniture. Oh, really?!

He's had this set a lot longer than he's had me and he felt it just wasn't comfortable any more. Hmm. Okay. What shall we do about that?

An advertising flyer from one of the local furniture stores had some appealing possibilities, so we stopped into their show room, and also checked out a couple of other places.

We found a set we liked but did not buy on that first trip. We took snapshots of the size/dimension information and went home to measure our available space.

Based on the measurements we decided what pieces we wanted and returned to the show room to complete the sale. 

Not wanting to fool around with selling the green wicker set on Marketplace, etc, we called Gary's favorite donation charity, The Humane Society. To our delight they were able to schedule their truck to pick up our stuff in just a few days.

We moved the old furniture into the living room to await pick-up, which for an overnight took on the appearance of a second-hand store. (But the classic Ethan Allen pieces are still with us!)

G'bye, old friends!

Then the very next morning, the new furniture arrived, and early, too! They had notified us the day before to expect the truck between 7am and 11am. No sleeping in for us!! (Ha! we rise before dawn anyway, so it was good to have them come sooner rather than later.)

Even with our prior measurements, it was a little eye-opening to realize these pieces are larger than the previous furniture. We arranged things differently and are pleased with the result.

I told Gary that the new coffee table, which is significantly bigger than the wicker one, was big enough that we could sit on cushions on the floor to eat off of it, like the Asians. But then there would be the matter of getting our aged bodies up off of the floor (as in, "Help! I can't get up!!"), so I think we won't be doing that.

We are happy with the new look and spent the rest of the morning putting everything in place. With that entire wall of glass sliders between the lanai and the living room/kitchen nook, we can easily see it all.

Recently Debbie, at Millie's Cozy Life, posted her picture of some scones she had made. I made a mental note to bake some, too. I always enjoy baking with my cast iron wedge pan. Cornbread, scones, brownies. 

I did goof up this time. I guess I misread labels with my trifocals. I mixed up baking soda with baking powder and used too much buttermilk. I could do nothing about the dry mistakes, but I did my best to amend the excess of liquid by adding a lot more flour. 

Aside from not tasting as sweet as usual, it all came out just fine. Whew! We sliced them in half horizontally to slather on margarine and strawberry jam. Sooo good (if I do say so myself!).

One more fun thing to share: on yesterday's bike ride this Sand Hill Crane* was on alert for his breakfast from atop a neighbor's roof. 

This house backs up to a lake that is a block away from our house. I had left Gary at home that day to do some yard work, so on this particular route I rode just under 4 miles, which had me pedaling by this house several times. The crane was there every time I passed. On my last pass he lifted up his wings and made a dive down toward the water. Houses obstructed my view, so I could not see if he was able to grab a bite or not. 

* This is most likely a Great Blue Heron, not a Sand Hill Crane. Diane at Lavender Dreams, who is my personal bird expert, kindly mentioned in her comments (at the end of this post) that a Sand Hill Crane has a longer neck. I looked it up for myself and saw that she is exactly right. Thanks, Diane, for your help! ❤️

Florida is such an interesting place in which to live! I've quoted Jeremiah 33:3 many times on this blog:

Call unto me

and I will answer thee

and show you great and mighty things

which thou knowest not.

(That's me quoting the King James version from memory, so I may have messed up with the "thees" and "thous", but you get it.)

My family had a pastor when I was a little girl who quoted this verse a lot, so it made a deep impression on me. I include it in this post because once again, I am in awe of how God answers prayers with responses we may never have even remotely considered. At least, that's true in my life. 

The beauty of creation He has allowed me to enjoy through the many places where I've lived are just amazing. That Sand Hill Crane is one of many examples. 

Okay. I'm done for today. Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

This Afternoon .....

Roseate Spoonbill (right) -- 
photo from my camera while on an airboat tour
in Central Florida.
The bird's beak is rounded, like a spoon!

Weather

Today my format is inspired by Linda at Just Simply Linda. She and I live in the same town, as well as Diane.  Other relatively close-by blogging friend, Pam is a little over an hour to the northeast, and Terri D is 2 hours due south. 

I know some of you follow their blogs. All of us are "glowing" (perspiring) in the heat. Please forgive us when we make comments on the weather. It is a little over the top with no relief in sight until --- October? 

Reading

If you are familiar with author Sarah Young and her book, Jesus Calling (which I read a portion of daily), I am reading (and enjoying) a biography written by her brother, Sarah Young's Journey to Jesus.

Eating

Yesterday I asked Gary what he wanted for supper, which is typically light, with lunch as our biggest meal of the day. I suggested beef quesadillas (we each get half of a tortilla, so it is, indeed, a less-heavy meal). He thought about it and then asked for a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich. 

If I do say so myself, this was perfect: a hot meal but not too much.

The Past Few Days

In spite of the many times I've extolled the pleasures of afternoons on our lanai, this week we decided to donate the furniture and get new pieces that are more comfortable. Here is the old; I'll show you the new after it's delivered one day this next week.

Feeling

I have been feeling more upbeat as perplexities about [stuff] are either clearing in my mind and/or acceptance has grown stronger. I've learned that partnered with "acceptance" needs to be "adapt." When we decide to accept something, we often need to also determine how we will adapt (or live with) whatever it is we are accepting. 

Celebrating

In addition to the 250th anniversary of Independence Day, we have been in a season of family birthdays. We both have large families (11 grandchildren on my side, and Gary is expecting his 4th GREAT grandchild this summer). Since April there have been more birthdays than I have fingers and toes to count. 

Making Me Laugh

While I don't have a cartoon to share at this very moment, here is advice I take seriously:

Thankful

Right now the clouds have thickened up, the wind is blowing stronger through the pines outside our windows, the sound of thunder is like bowling balls in the sky, and the temperature has dropped to 88 degrees. Yes, I am thankful for this respite, brief, as it will probably be.

Beyond that, there is so very much for which to be thankful and I try to dwell on that when discouragement tries to steal my peace. It really is true that what we allow our thoughts to dwell on affects our mood and behavior. 

The really good news is that we can change what we are thinking about! The choice is up to us.

We are told in the Bible to not worry about anything and to pray about everything. (see Philippians 4:6-7)

Holy Scripture also tells us that when we trust (wholly rely upon) the Lord, He gives us perfect peace. 

(see Isaiah 26:3)

For I know whom I have believed

and am persuaded

that He is able

to keep what I have committed to Him

until that Day.

II Timothy 1:12

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara