Birthday Week 2025

As always, I have lots of things to share, but first I must say THANK YOU to the many of you who wished me a Happy Birthday. The 3/4 of a Century Celebration was yesterday. 

Quoting from the handwritten note in the card from my BFF in Highlands Ranch, "... I cannot believe we are so old..." 🤭 

(a gift that disappeared quickly)

The birthday fanfare came not only with snail mail cards, and gifts but also via FaceBook, text messages, FaceTime, lunch followed by a field trip to a local history landmark, and another lunch beside a river that empties into the Gulf of Mexico (or is it the Gulf of America??). 

For that water-front lunch there was plenty of seafood on the menu, but I went with their version of a patty melt accompanied with coleslaw. Gary chose the turkey and bacon club sandwich with fries.

The weather was GORGEOUS although the wind became quite gusty. Sitting under a grass umbrella (aka a "palapa'), our table was secure. Those who were seated after us under the less secure canvas umbrellas had to move.

While waiting for our food, Gary stayed at our table while I did a little exploring with my camera. Crackers Bar and Grill is located just off of Hwy 19 in the town of Crystal River, which sits alongside the Crystal River (that empties into the Gulf).

Uhhh ..... Oh look! The waitress is bringing our food!

Forgive me; I often forget to take a snapshot of my food until after I've taken my first bite. 🙄 The patty melt was wonderful; the coleslaw was so-so (but I ate it all anyway). The lunch was filling enough so dessert was not ordered.

My birthday is shared with a number of family members on the very same day: one aunt, a male and a female by marriage, and a cousin I've not seen in over 50 years. My birthday month is shared with more family, including my sister's two Basset Hounds (whose made-for-dogs cupcakes look as good as that Fresh Pet dogfood advertised on TV!!).

Moving on to other news of this past week, we loaded our bicycles onto the trailer hitch of our car for another adventure, this time along the Withlacoochee State Trail (which is not the same as the ride we took in an earlier post).

A total of 47 miles, this trail is one of the longest paved bike trails in the state of Florida. While those younger and more hardy than us might accomplish this ride all in one day, that's not us. (We like to say the reason we got to this age is because we respect our limitations.)

Just like the last trail ride, this one is a wide asphalt path and well-maintained. It also has a lot of shade, which is surely a bonus if riding in the warmer months. On this particular day, we rode 7 miles out, turned around, pedaled through an extra little park area, and then the 7 miles back to the car, for a total of a little over 14 miles. 

We both carried our water bottles and at the end had PBJ sandwiches and chips at a picnic table.

And yes, true to what I said earlier, I usually take a bite (or several) of my food before taking a picture of it. By the way, don't judge me by my hairstyle -- bicycle helmets do nothing positive for the coiffure!

My readers may remember a couple of weeks ago I mentioned the premature birth of my nephew's third child, a sweet little boy. Born at 25 weeks, he's a little critter but oh-so-sweet and so perfectly formed.

We got to see him for the first time in person this past week because he was moved to a hospital for a special procedure. This hospital is much closer to us, so we asked if we could visit. You can see how small he is in the incubator. Those are his mother's arms extended out to touch him. He was born at 1 pound 14 ounces and is now about 3 pounds. (This is the only picture I will share due to privacy reasons.)

Several commented you would be praying for him, for which we are very grateful. So far, he's growing and gradually working through the necessary milestones, but as one of his doctors said, "There are 3 things he needs right now: breast milk, skin to skin [contact] and prayer."

On our drive back to our town after the hospital visit, we stopped at a quaint roadside ice cream shop. Gary had the Black Cherry and I got Banana Cream.

On another day it was discovered that our toaster just didn't know when to quit, so we tossed it into the trash and bought a new 4-slice model. Would you be surprised when I say we had toast for supper that night? 

On another day I tried out a wonderful recipe you may have seen in your email box if you connect at all with Taste of Home Magazine. 

1930s Bacon Roll-ups. The recipes says it makes 10 but I managed to make 16 and shared 4 of them with our next-door neighbors. They were a real hit. Here is the link to the recipe: 

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/bacon-roll-ups/?srsltid=AfmBOoo5-vKOsB_vb9tuEXPBPqjgfd_YWbUattlcgTSA3fS17H23Km8R#RecipeCard

Another foodie submission from this past week is the cherry pie I brought home from the grocery store. As I said on Facebook, while I'm not big on math (or arithmetic, as we called it during my school days), I am smart enough to observe Pi Day on March 14th, not to be confused with National Pie Day (observed on January 23rd). One does not have to be a math nerd to enjoy a baked pie on Pi Day.

Today is St. Patrick's Day, which I don't go out of my way to celebrate, choosing instead to continue the reflective thoughts that come with my birthday the day before. I have wondered what pithy observations I should share, based on the length of my life thus far. 

A thought that readily comes to mind is that we don't attain this age by being stupid (dull, half-baked, idiotic, etc.); however I have survived my share of ill-advised behavior, so I know that's not true. 

My blogger friend, Billie Jo (at Afternoon Coffee and Evening Tea) recently shared something her mother wrote that spoke to me on such a deep level that I'm pondering those thoughts every day. I won't quote her but here is my summary:

We all mess up. When the mistakes are realized, be honest enough with yourself to label them as learning experiences. The stain of the messes probably won't leave you but if you learn from them, don't be hard on  yourself. Thank God that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to forgive you and put it away in the past. Move forward in your life doing good.

I add this post script: while God forgives the truly repentant, many times people don't. After doing our best to remedy that, we have to just let it go; make the best of the life we have from here on out.

This is a somber way to conclude a birthday post, but it inspires me. If what I've said applies to you, I hope you are encouraged.

I sought the LORD,

and He answered me and

delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to Him are radiant,

and their faces shall never be ashamed.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:4-5, 8

Until next time, grace and peace.

Photo Journal of the Past Week

The Azalea bushes are competing with each other this month for the most vibrant and voluminous of blooms. This rosy pink planting beside our driveway is the winner in our yard. Gary says he's never seen this one do as well as it is this year. It's a welcome sight every time we pull up to our home in our bikes or cars.

With that said, my photo journal of the days since my last post begins. I say, "photo journal" because over the 16 years that I've been blogging, it has come about that I post just about as many snapshots (and other illustrations) as the number of words actually written. 

I'm looking at the pictures I've taken in recent days, comparing them with my desk calendar. The first thing I'm sharing is my version of Mari's Granola Bars:

Those of you who follow Mari's blog, Mari's Little Corner, know she posts the most wonderful recipes every Thursday. As it turns out, my pantry provisions did not allow me to follow her recipe exactly, so I made comparable substitutions and the end result was still very good.

One of the most notable replacements I made was to use Cheerios to supplement the small amount of oatmeal. The end result was more crunchy, which made up for my lack of sunflower seed kernels. The 8-inch square pan did not last more than 24 hours ..... (thanks, Mari!)

By the way, go visit Mari at the link below. It's a good segue into the subject of my next paragraph.  http://marislittlecorner.blogspot.com/2025/03/friday-funny.html

Well, my birthday is this month (a "big one"), so the celebrations have begun. Thus far I've received some cards, a couple of gifts, and Jersey Girl treated me to a fun afternoon with lunch and a visit to a historical site here in town.

Mojo's is painted a bright blue on the outside, making it easy to spy from the road -- and our area has at least 3 of them. All locations are fun, loud, serve good food and are decorated such that there is plenty to see while waiting. 

The ceiling decor is made up of wood posters painted with jokes and advice.

Jersey Girl and I both had the grilled chicken tenders and a side of veggies accompanied with some sauces to spice it all up. Very good!

A famous personality allowed me to snap his picture but he was too busy to give me an autograph. I think the Blues Brothers were in the crowd, too.

After a satisfying lunch, we drove out to Fort King National Historic Landmark which, for this weekend, is featuring a tribute to women in history.

Much of what was to be seen was outside under the huge Oak trees. A large garden made up of many raised beds was impressive. Most of the crops have been harvested (keeping in mind that we're in Florida) and new plantings will go in soon. 

Handmade crafts were prominent. In this snapshot Jersey Girl is playing with a cute boy puppet.

Under a grass-roofed shelter were quilts, weavings, and other craft examples from a bygone era. A demonstration for brewing whiskey was interesting (no samples were given).

There is a small museum packed with history. We missed the lecture but I came away with an interesting printed hand-out about women who managed light houses in the early days. During our visit a tea party was just beginning. We were invited to sit at the table for an assortment of teas, small pastries, and a big fat juicy strawberry.

Before getting back to the car we stepped inside the old fort. There was no activity going on at the time but just standing there, gazing inside the wood fort, I could imagine scenes like what we see on the TV westerns.  Jersey Girl and I had a good time with all we saw and did, enjoyed the food, and definitely benefitted from edifying conversation. 

The next day was Saturday and the long-anticipated "Junk in the Trunk" event here in our +55 community. HOA rules do not allow residents to have garage sales, so once or twice a year parking spaces at the community center can be rented for a few hours on a Saturday to sell our stuff, or to shop the stuff of others. The latter was our activity. We go to see what's there and to socialize. 

However, this time we did manage to leave some cash in four different places. Gary saw a tool set at an exceptionally good price, and an LED lantern, never used, that is good to have on hand if/when there's a big storm. I got a shower chair that is the perfect size for the vanity counter in the master bathroom and a really nice metal lantern to set on the bistro table on our front porch. I've wanted a centerpiece of some kind for that table for a long time. This was perfect!

That afternoon a put-together-yourself kit was waiting for our attention. By then the weather had turned cooler with some rain, so the project was assembled on the lanai.

During our bicycle rides in the neighborhood I've seen a small Asian foot bridge that was very attractive and would compliment the stone pagodas in our back yard. I ordered one and Gary put it together. 

We need to put a coat of clear urethane (or whatever it's called) on the stained wood before we subject it to the outside sunshine, rain, heat, cold and sprinklers, so I can't show it to you yet in its final resting place. 

Reminiscent of Gary's military service in Japan in the 60's, the bridge adds a touch of charming romance to what we already have outside.  This bridge should complete our oriental garden theme.

Right now we are thinking the stepping stones in this picture above will be re-arranged to accommodate the bridge. 

Speaking of romance, this afternoon while Gary was putting the finishing touches on the bridge, I put his favorite song on the record player. Would you believe this man put down his tools and slow-danced me around the lanai to Percy Faith's "Theme From A Summer Place"?  Those of you who have observed our relationship from the first blush three years ago can be assured that the light of love ignited back then still glows strong. 

Never in my wildest imaginations did I ever think my life would take the turns it has, that I would be where I am today with who I am today -- and in spite of terrible loss, joy could be felt again.

I Corinthians 2:9 in the King James version of the Bible comes to mind:

But as it is written,

Eye hath not seen,

nor ear heard,

neither have entered into the heart of man,

the things which God 

hath prepared for them that love Him.

God loves every single one of us. When we trust His Son, Jesus Christ as our Savior, He has an eternal future for us that is far beyond anything we can conjure in our imagination. 

My current season of the amazing joy God has given to me after deep loss illustrates the Lord's love for me and helps me to trust Him with whatever comes next. I hope my readers are trusting Him, too.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Bike Ride With a History Lesson

 

As promised in my last post, I want to show you the bike trail we took recently along the Withlacoochee River, the Withlacoochee Bay Trail (not to be confused with the Withlacoochee State Trail).

Years ago there was a project to dig a 200-mile shipping channel from the Gulf of Mexico in a northeastern direction toward Jacksonville. 

The idea was a result of threats by World War I and II German U-boats on American ships along Florida's coasts. Ground-breaking was in 1964, during Lyndon Johnson's presidency. The effort was put to a halt by President Nixon in 1971 due to the opposition by scientists, economists, and activists in a group called the Florida Defenders of the Environment.

The bike trail we followed on this trip runs alongside part of the canal project. The trail makes for a scenic ride as you will see.

The night before our adventure we figured out how to load our bicycles onto the new rack and took off in a westerly direction on about an hour's drive.

When we reached Highway 19, our directions told us to turn left. We did not take "Follow That Dream Pkwy" since that was not the plan for the day. We didn't know why that road was given the name, but I Googled it a few days after we got home.

The street was so-named after a movie starring Elvis Presley, Follow That Dream was filmed in the area. Perhaps that information will lead to another adventure for us on another day. But to get back to our bicycle ride...

The parking lot at the head of our trail is large with acceptable restrooms, several picnic pavilions, and an informational kiosk about the flora, fauna, and history.

The trail is wide asphalt where no motor vehicles are allowed, just bicycles and pedestrians. Bike trails are in the place of former railroad tracks, so the route tends to be pretty level (i.e. no serious hills). If you are seniors like us who don't use electric bikes, then you know how welcome that is. (electric bikes have become all the rage in retirement communities)

Along the path there are roofed wood decks with picnic tables overlooking the Withlacoochee River. The above snapshot is looking to the east.....

.... and from the same standpoint, this is the river looking to the west. It was a very calm morning, early enough for the air temperature to be cool and the river water was as smooth as glass.

We didn't stop at all the rest areas, but there were enough of them to be able to see water on both sides of the trail.

A huge swampy area at low tide was on our left. Sea shells washed up from the Gulf were scattered on the muddy river bottom. 

Our wood walkway did not extend past the muddy area to the water, so we could not look for manatees that day. But in truth, these "gentle giants" are probably not in this body of water yet. In winter they prefer to occupy Florida's warm natural springs that maintain a constant temperature of 72 degrees. 

The above isn't the best picture. I have lightened it up as much as my tools permit. I wanted to capture some of the hurricane carnage from this last summer. There were many downed trees and branches along the swampy side of our trail. To see this in person is sobering.

There was also a lot of smaller plant-life alongside the trail which the storm left in mounds.

This trail is five miles long, so to ride it out and back is ten miles exactly. You can see the end of the path culminating with this shelter that overlooks where the river empties into the Gulf of Mexico. If the shelter looks a little askew, it is. Storm damage, we are sure. 

From the shelter we got a very good view of where the waters merge. A motor boat passed by us from the Gulf, presumably fishermen. As beautiful as this was, we did not linger long because itty bitty gnats were biting our ankles. That was a problem while we were stopped at that point, but not on the ride itself.

This mile marker verified we had ridden our bikes for 5 miles to reach the Gulf end of the trail. Also a helpful amenity along the way were rest rooms. The trail is very bicycle-friendly.

Because this is alligator country, the obligatory signs warn people to be careful, never feed the wild animals, and approaching them is discouraged, too. We saw no gators on that day (that's not a complaint from me, in case you're wondering).

Having gone to the Gulf and back, we knew we were nearing the end when we pedaled under the bridge at Highway 19.

Lest I give you the wrong impression, we are not speed-racers on our bicycles. Peddling and occasionally coasting is our preference. And a round-trip of ten miles is just right. (maybe a couple more, but not much)

Bike helmets, sturdy shoes, and our chartreuse shirts were the uniform of the day. We each had a water bottle strapped to our bicycles, which we used at every stop along the way.

Lunch after the ride was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a side of potato chips and bottled water. Not fancy but filling. I slathered the peanut butter pretty thick on both slices of bread to prevent the jelly from seeping through, causing the bread to turn soggy. 

In closing this out, and while thinking of the history I've shared,  Proverbs 16:9 is appropriate meditation:

The heart of man plans his way,

but the Lord establishes his steps.

While we make our plans, God ultimately controls what happens. 

Until next, time, grace and peace.