Puzzles, Pasta and Peace

 

Our newest pastime: jigsaw puzzles

Is it only Wednesday? It's been a mind-occupying few days for me and I feel like this should be Friday afternoon. I'll fill in some of the specifics as I respond to Joyce's Hodgepodge questions for this week. 

To put you at ease, I will say that even with the challenges of late, it's all good. So don't read thinking that I'm leading up to bad news, because I am not. 

👍🏻  👍🏻  👍🏻  👍🏻  👍🏻

Gary and I are really into jigsaw puzzles these last couple of months. Both of us enjoy them so much, assembling them out here on the brightly-lit lanai (only in daylight hours, that is). At times we work on a puzzle together, but sometimes that means one of us has to work the pieces upside down, and that's tricky, of course. I'll share some of our works both in finished and incomplete phases.

my friend Joline had a puzzle with a missing piece!!

I've been giving a lot of thought as to how these puzzles are similar to life with necessary problem-solving and how to handle as much as we can with calmness and good sense.

a particularly crazy design that was tucked
into Gary's cabinet when I moved into his house

Today I'm comparing puzzles (jigsaw puzzles, to be clear) with life, problem-solving, and handling that with calmness. 

Looking for a red head with a yellow shoulder scarf
(this is some of my personal puzzle-assembly strategy)

Much of life seems to be a puzzle. How well we separate the pieces, sorting them into groups, and then fitting them into a neat design tends to say something about how well we cope with the dilemmas of life. 

Here are my responses to Joyce's Hodgepodge questions for this week. If you want to connect with your blog, click on this link: http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/2026/07/hodgepodge-questions-volume-664.html

1. What was the last thing you celebrated? 

While it was not a celebration with cake and party hats, I had plenty of reason to rejoice yesterday AFTER a techie-type problem with huge implications for disaster found me and I was able to not only get it resolved in about an hour's time, but I was CALM about it. 

Then today I had extensive follow-up work to complete repairs from the mess encountered yesterday. I can say with pretty good confidence that I believe all the i's have been dotted and all the t's are crossed. Of course, time will tell.

So to get back to Joyce's question about "celebration," I am just very thankful that the Lord is maturing me with confidence to handle adversity better than my past history has shown. For me, this is celebration.

2. July 29th is International Day of the Tiger. Besides the wild animal itself, when you hear the word tiger what's the first person-place-thing-whatever that comes to mind? 

Orange Tiger Lilies. In 1974 we moved into military housing at the Air Force base where my husband was stationed. It was a spacious 3-bedroom duplex with a single-car garage and a front flower bed filled with gorgeous Tiger Lilies planted by the previous occupants. 

3. The expression 'eye of the tiger' describes someone with intense focus, determination, and the drive to succeed. What area of your life are you currently bringing that kind of energy to?  

one of many peaceful scenes
in our +55 retirement community

In my current season of life as a retired senior citizen, I do my best to not get 'wrapped around the axle' nearly as much as I used to. This week's test with techie things was a "pop quiz", so to speak, but as indicated above, it's gone well.

4. What was the last meal you cooked? 

Gary does most of our cooking but from time to time I give him a break with things like quesadillas, egg salad sandwiches, grilled ham ’n cheese sandwiches, quiche, and Pasta Alfredo. 

The last time I prepared a meal for him was probably about 2 weeks ago. There are times when I need to refresh my culinary skills and let Gary just sit. 🥱😴💤

Speaking of pasta, I bought this refrigerator magnet when we were visiting Terri D in May. Carbs can provide a calming effect when we are stressed out.

I love to combine a pot of cooked pasta (any kind, any shape that's in the pantry) and smother it with a heated up jar of Alfredo or Marinara sauce, topped with shredded Parmesan cheese. I serve it in pasta bowls (the wide diameter and curved sides make chasing the noodles so much easier) and sometimes eat with a spoon instead of a fork.

5. Describe your July using exactly five words. 

Puzzles, food, contentment, peaceful sleep

Us enjoying lunch at
The Whistling Duck

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

In closing, I've done some research on the benefits of jigsaw puzzles.  

Sorting and connecting pieces forces us to mentally rotate shapes and assess how small parts fit into a larger image.

sorting puzzle pieces into categories

Assembling these puzzles strengthens working memory, helps with goal setting and systematic planning, and step-by-step problem-solving. (really???)

cheerful designs make it so much more fun

This hobby also builds long-term cognitive reserve, a protective factor against cognitive aging. (quoting Artificial Intelligence here) It aids in creating a “cushion” that helps the brain better compensate for age-related decline or symptoms of dementia. (!!!)

a car puzzle for Gary

Who knew such a pleasant activity could benefit us so much?!!

You make known to me

the path of life;

in Your presence there is

fullness of joy;

at your right hand there are

pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

Until next time, grace and peace!

Barbara

Our Anniversary Celebration

 Thank you, everybody, for the kind and thoughtful comments on my previous blog post where I made the announcement of our anniversary. The actual day was the 14th (yesterday, as I write this) so today I will show you the snapshots taken as we celebrated. 

cards and Mother's Day flowers

My guy has many sterling qualities. One of them is that he gives me THE BEST cards!!! I save them all, making note at the very bottom on the inside of the card the year it was given. Now after 4 years of birthdays, Valentine's, Christmases, and anniversaries, I have a wonderful collection of the sweetest, most heartfelt words. His sentiments are no joke (I mean, his cards are serious), which stirs my heart. My personal "love language" is Words of Affirmation, which explains why his cards to me are so precious. 

click here for
purchase information

By the way, if you don't know what your "love language" is, look up Gary Chapman's book, pictured above.

diamond and garnet earrings

We began our day with the exchange of cards and then a small black box appeared from Kay Jewelers, you know the company that says, "Every kiss begins with Kay". (it's true, you know!! ❤️) Inside was this pair of beautiful earrings that match the necklace Gary gave to me for Valentine's Day. So, be-decked with jewels and a smile on my face, we headed out for our day-trip.

anniversary celebration destination

We both have been to St. Augustine before, and more than once, but this was our first time to go there together. Having found the address for free parking at our destination, we entered that into the Waze map app I prefer to use. (it's free and very user-friendly. Check it out on your cell phone's app store) 

Waze

Although this was probably my 6th trip to St. Augustine, I had pretty much seen the same [few] things on every trip and had never taken a real tour. After enjoying the trolley tour during our November trip to New Orleans, I became convinced that is possibly the best way to acquaint oneself with more than a general familiarization with a city, so that's what we did in St. Augustine.

stickers on our shirts 
for trolley admission

While not an inexpensive option for sightseeing, we saw and heard a lot of information in a 90-minute ride that made the $$ worthwhile. There was also the benefit of free parking just steps from the ticket booth. 

By the way, here is the address of where we parked. If you plan a road trip to tour St. Augustine, put this into your GPS:

167 San Marco Avenue

St. Augustine, FL 32084

There are other parking options, but this one worked very well for us.

We had a choice of 4 different tours, each one including admission to features we preferred. Our tour had 22 stops:

Oldest Store Museum

Visitor Information Center 

Potter's Wax Museum, Old Drug Store, Huguenot Cemetery

City Gates and Pirate & Treasure Museum

Colonial Quarter, Castillo de San Marcos

Bay View

Hypolita St., St. George St., St. Augustine Shipwreck Museum, Medieval Torture Museum

Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church, Grace United Methodist Church, Ancient City Baptist Church

Villa Zorayda Museum

Lightner Museum, Flagler College, A Ghostly Experience, Haunted Pub Crawl, Savory Faire Food & Wine Tour

Lincolneville Museum and Cultural Center

St. Augustine Distillery

San Sebastian Winery, Whetstone Chocolates of St. Augustine

Plaza de la Constitution, Government House, Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, Pena-Peck House

St. Augustine Marina, Ripley's Bayfront Mini Gold, Schooner Freedom Scenic Cruise, Eco Tours, The Black Raven, Spanish Military Hospital Museum, Zimenez-Fatio House, St. Augustine Parasail

Oldest House, Fernandez Llambias House

Castillo de San Marcos

Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Red Train Tours

Old Town Trolley Welcome Center, Ghost & Gravestones, Uptonw San Marco Shopping District 

Mission of Nombre de Dios, Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche

The Old Senator, Villa 1565

Fountain of Youth

me with Mr. Ponce de Leon himself!

The tour bus allows riders to jump off and on at any of the stops. Fortunate for us, one of the main things we wanted to see was at our last stop, The Fountain of Youth. This was one of 3 or 4 attractions included in our trolley fare, so we just had to show our trolley receipt to get in. 

The water for the Fountain of Youth was inside a stone building and dripping out of a clay urn. Disposable cups were provided. 

We both drank deeply and our thirst for hydration was satisfied. No immediate physical changes took place. It's now about 24 hours later as I write about it and so far we are both as gray-haired, wrinkled, and in need of an afternoon nap as we were yesterday. 🙄

However, as born-again Christians know, the real 'fountain of youth,' or another way of phrasing it, 'the water of life', is our belief in Jesus Christ, as recorded in the New Testament where Jesus said, 

"Everyone who drinks this water

will be thirsty again, 

but whoever drinks the water I give them

will never thirst.

Indeed, the water I give them

will become in them 

a spring of water 

welling up to eternal life."

John 4:13-14

milky white Gardenias

After exiting that building, we toured through the gardens, which were much more quiet than the noisy (although enjoyable) trolley ride.

One notable exception to the tranquility were several peacocks strutting about announcing their presence with their noisy call. I took 3 snapshots of this one but even with the tools in my photo program, I'm not able to bring out the vibrant colors of his feathers. He walked in a particular way, much like those showgirls in Las Vegas when they wear huge headpieces as they swagger across the stage.

As I said earlier, our trolley fare included some attractions. After enjoying fast-food-type sandwiches (which were very good) at outdoor picnic tables, we got the tour of The Oldest Store Museum. My photos of that follow. Wax figures looked shockingly real.....

 

This (above), however, is no man made of wax! Nor is the jail bird pictured below.....

The Old Jail tour

Probably the most revealing information I gathered from the entire visit to St. Augustine was given at The Old Jail tour. Our guide (above) gave us a very interesting as well as entertaining excursion through the original jail house in St. Augustine. Comprised of 3 floors and lots of metal cells lacking absolutely any means of privacy for the most personal of needs, this tour should make anybody think twice before committing a crime -- at least in those days!! 

In this photo, some government officials were having a meeting in one of the jailhouse rooms. Both men are made of wax. The one on the right, especially looked so real that I had to squint my eyes as I approached him, not sure if he was alive or fake. His left hand had the blood vessels and bones showing through his skin as it is on my hands. It was an amazing work of skill and art!

It may have been that same man who mercifully released us so we could leave the dark gloom of that jailhouse, (hopefully never to return!!). You see our documents of pardon pictured.

Back outside in the brilliance of sunshine and freedom, I couldn't resist taking this picture of Gary since his military service included law enforcement, security, investigating crime, and wrestling bad guys to the ground.

These two museums were in the area of our free parking, the kiosk where we had bought our trolley tickets, and a large, well-supplied gift shop. With plenty of touristy-type T-shirts in my closet already, I opted for refrigerator magnets. There were many from which to choose and they were reasonably priced! (such is not always the case)

The gift shop also had ice cream, so Gary got a chocolate mallow blend in his cone, and mine was rainbow sherbet. We enjoyed them in the car on the drive back home.

It was a full day, well-spent. We made more good memories to add to our happy marriage, for which we are both profoundly grateful.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Barbara

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