The Ministry of Green

multi-purpose path in my neighborhood

The current rainy season has just deposited another deluge of water in my neighborhood. It is mid-to-late afternoon, the usual time for a storm at this time of year. Per our usual habits, we were able to schedule our To Do List so that we were comfortably back at home before the storm began. 

 

Rainbow River
Dunnellon, Florida

I needed to do some business at the bank and since we were out in the right direction for it, Gary suggested we get lunch at one of my favorite spots before heading back home.

Swampy's

Not a stranger to my library of blog fodder, Swampy's is a very casual grilled burger (and other foods) place planted on the literal edge of the Rainbow River on Hwy 484 in the town of Dunnellon. My readers may remember my accolades of the place in previous posts.

seating options

The hostess walks us through an open-air, covered dining room to get us to where we request to sit, at an umbrella table overlooking the water. 

Rainbow River
Dunnellon, Florida

There are a few tables set indoors but in my opinion, why even go there if you don't want to sit outside? Yes, here in Florida, it's usually hot if the choice is to eat outdoors, so we come to Swampy's when the temperature is more amenable. This was a good day for that.

watching the boat traffic

The number of actors in the "show" on the river vary every time we go there. We have even been a part of the show a couple of times in the last couple of years when we rented a kayak, and another time a canoe, to paddle up river to the natural springs that create the river and then turning around to travel down river. Moving with the current was a lot easier, allowing us to just float and enjoy the flora and fauna all around us. Birds, turtles, fish ..... probably gators were close by but mid-day, they prefer to hulk in the weeds and that's just fine with us.

my plate

The menu is good but I usually get the hamburger with sweet tea (the way Southerners brew it). I opt for steamed broccoli while Gary gets fries. I got the chicken wings one time and they, too, were very good. 

source

Getting to the subject of "green" (referring to my post title), just for fun I'm given Kermit a brief cameo as a nod to the happy years when my family watched The Muppet Show. It was our habit on Saturday nights to get everybody's bath and hair washing out of the way, followed with pizza at the coffee table so we could watch Jim Henson's creations on television.

As for the psychology in the lyrics of his song, that's for another article another day. I included him only because he is green.

image source

My mother liked to say that God gave us so much green in nature because it's the most relaxing color for us. I decided to research that, coming across an article titled, "Why We All Need Green in Our Lives." 

Did you know the human eye sees green better than any other color in the spectrum? "Compared with residential regions where plants and greenery were sparse, [green] proved to be beneficial to mental health."

This fascinates me and once again confirms how our Creator has so carefully formed us and our world with great compassion. He gave us more green in horticulture than any other single color to aid our emotional and mental well-being.

my visit to Custer National Cemetery in
Little Bighorn Battlefield, Montana
2016

I say that green has been used in horticulture to calm us. Beyond the plant world, blue skies help a lot, too, along with abundant sunshine.

Humans have learned to use the color green when comfort is most needed. Green makes a wonderful background for the other vibrant colors of nature.

Cosmos in one of my raised gardens, Colorado

All of the houses I've lived in since moving to Florida have had abundantly green landscapes on the back side of the floorpans. 

my back yard in Jacksonville

It's fascinating how these views have had such a calming effect on me -- and most especially over the past nearly 4 years when grief has affected my state of mind to one extent or another. 

our current view of green 
on the back side of the house

We're told when our faith falters, we should review what God has done for us in the past, taking note of the blessings. I see how our Creator has used green to minister peace and calm to rebuild my injured psyche. What a faithful God He is to provide all that we need. 

Blue Daze in our yard

Psalm 23:1 says in one translation, "Because the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything that I need."

Sometimes the most simple things around us have been divinely positioned for our good but we are oblivious, choosing instead to spend money and time on more involved remedies. It captivates me to think how simply some of our troubles can be resolved.

A song by Selah has been playing in my thoughts with these lyrics:

Be still my soul

The Lord is on your side

Bear patiently

The cross of grief or pain

Leave to thy God

To order and provide

In every change

He's faithful will remain

Be still my soul

Thy best, thy heavenly friend

Through stormy ways

Leads to a joyful end.

Until next time, grace and peace.

September Summer

 

"Balloon Glow" in Colorado Springs, CO
September 1, 2024

Today's post is titled, "September Summer" because, while many of my blogging friends are posting the very first signs of approaching autumn in their locales, daily temps here in North Central Florida continue to easily register in the low to mid-nineties. There has been some relief with a little less humidity, and believe me, I don't take that for granted. 

While I don't miss shoveling winter snow, I could do with a bigger indication of changing seasons. Ah well.

I have lived in Colorado Springs twice in my adult years (1977-1979 and 1988 - 1995), so one of the thrills that came with Labor Day weekend was the annual hot air balloon festival. Not as large as the one in Albuquerque but still very impressive, the display of lit-up balloons at dusk was a treat. After parking the car, we would walk to the scene and wander between the balloons with the crowds. At that time of evening, all the balloons were securely tethered to the ground but the burners were running full blast, illuminating the scene with wonderful color and even filling our ears with the noisy blast of the fires. I do miss that.

Pikes Peak from the perspective of
Garden of the Gods

Before I leave the topic of Colorado Springs, here is another photo recently posted on FaceBook of a much-loved, familiar scene. Pikes Peak is one of many "fourteeners" as Coloradoans call them (mountain tops at 14,000 feet, or more, in elevation). On a clear day (which is easily at least 325 days out of the year), the city can see the Peak that looks down as if in charge of all that is going on. 

Well, so much for that stroll through some memories. It's been seven years plus two months since we left Colorado in the rear view mirror to retire in a state closer to the grandchildren with a lower cost of living. I have no plans to go back, especially now that the last of my family we left behind have also moved on to another state.

downtown Jacksonville on the
St. Johns River in 2017

A lot of memories have accumulated since coming to Florida, many of them documented in my blog posts. I won't go back to visit them right now except with the insertion of a couple of snapshots.

light house in St. Augustine

My life's destiny has been to relocate to new places (10 states and Canada, 13 schools Kindergarten through high school graduation). I learned long ago it's best to accept what I cannot change and live by the adage to "bloom where you're planted." 

Little Birdie Blessings blog

This Bible verse attests to the benefits of acceptance and has tutored me during the more difficult changes put upon me:

But godliness with contentment

is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world,

and it is certain

we can carry nothing out.

I Timothy 6:6-7 KJV

wall decor in my last house
(probably from Hobby Lobby)

Thus far the memories I've made in Florida can be described as both eulogy and rhapsody and a lot in-between. As far as it may depend on me, I intend to remain a Floridian because no place this side of Heaven's gate is perfect (and moving is a lot of effort for this retiree).

dead ends at the beach
https://www.floridaforboomers.com/retirement-spotlight-daytona-beach/

We made a pleasant memory this past week when we drove east of here to Daytona Beach. While the town boasts itself as the World's Most Famous Beach, our trip was for a more banal reason: I needed to return a pair of shoes ordered by mail that did not fit well. There is a large outlet mall several miles west of the hard-packed beach that allows car traffic. We got no closer to the ocean than that on this particular day.

(it's amazing what bloggers will capture for their blogs!)

With that task satisfactorily completed, we wandered in and out of several more shops and then decided to find lunch and head back home before traffic got heavy.

Buc-ee's Daytona Beach
on I-95

As one would expect, many of the popular restaurant chains and fast food eateries were represented at the outlet mall. Gary was interested in going to Buc-ee's because he'd not been inside one and we are told our town will be getting one soon. But as it turned out, although Buc-ee's has a lot of great food offerings, there was no place to sit inside the air conditioning and in Florida's heat, dining in our car held no appeal that day.

Gary with one of the eye-catching Fords

As we were arriving at the outlets, I had spotted this place with an automobile theme. Since Gary is definitely a car aficionado, and Buc-ee's was not going to work out this time, decided to suggest we dine at Ford's for lunch.

my plate

Affiliated with the Ford Motor Company, this restaurant franchise was a fun departure from our usual choices. We both had the half rack of pork ribs. Gary ordered French fries on the side and I had steamed broccoli. The food was great. But the decor was fascinating, too.

napkin with napkin ring

This swank place had cloth napkins -- an oil rag with a metal hose clamp for the napkin ring. Car engines and tools were in prominent display, setting the theme very well. 

rest room sink

In the rest rooms, the sinks were tires with a metal bowl in place of the hubcap. The water came out of a gas pump. I will say that the handle to turn on the water, which is not seen in this snapshot, was a test of my ingenuity to turn on. The lady at the sink tire beside me was as baffled as me, but together we managed to figure it out. The rest of the day went very well and since then we have been enjoying the Labor Day weekend comfortably here at home. 

cheese quesadillas

We have been enjoying the Labor Day weekend comfortably here at home. Still thinking about food, my quesadilla maker had been shoved to the back of a cabinet but I happened to spy it the other day. We had a light supper one evening of shredded cheese between the flour tortillas, dipping the wedges in fat free Fage yogurt.

burgers and fries

On Saturday Gary grilled his World Famous Hamburgers with all the fixin's on the buns, and accompanied with potatoes from the hot air fryer.

brownies 

Speaking of things forgotten in the pantry, I came across a box of Betty Crocker Brownie mix. I LOVE to cook with my cast iron wedge pan, so this was the holiday weekend dessert. 

I mixed the batter and after emptying the bowl, I gave it to Gary to finish off. Since he was involved with watching football on TV,  I told him to just call me when he was done. This was his response:

My man knows how to put a smile on my face and a chuckle on my tongue!

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

    He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

 

    he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

    for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk

    through the darkest valley,[a]

I will fear no evil,

    for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

    in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

    my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

    all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

    forever.

      

Until next time, grace and peace.

Escaping August

Our hostess for Hodgepodge questions Volume 566 helps us neatly tie up this month so we can move on to September. Always cleverly-phrased, tempting us to dig up the deep stuff in our thoughts, Joyce has given us the following questions:

1. What is one cliche [or phrase] you think is nonsense? What's one you think holds truth? 

“With that said …” is a phrase [not a cliche] I use often in my writing and every time I do, I think I should be more creative. With that said, 🙄, I’ll move on to the next question.

2. What's the last thing you broke and how did it happen? 

.I can’t think of anything in particular right now except that I have broken a promise to myself that I would not eat too much ice cream.😋

3. Are you a fan of s'mores? Have you had a s'more this summer? Last thing you ate that you wanted to ask for 's'more of'? 

.I love S’mores but haven’t had one in years.

Since much of what we eat here at home is single servings of “heat-and-eat” from the freezer case, we seldom have leftovers for ’s’more. 😏 That’s just as well. 

But since the subject of S’mores has come up, I’ll repeat what I said in a recent post. A mug of hot chocolate with 3 of those really large jet-puffed marshmallows stuffed on top is super-good!

4. A mode of transportation you've never tried? Will you someday? 

photo source

. Hang gliding, nope, not if I'm in my right mind!!!! 

5. Believe it or not, next week's Hodgepodge lands in a brand new month. What's your happiest memory from the month we're bidding adieu? 

.August 2024 has had some somber issues come up, so "happiest" is a word that falls short this time. However, “satisfaction” is probably a better word because worrisome things are getting addressed and I’m thankful for that.

Also, the worst of our intense hot, humid summer is probably behind us -- that is a reason to be genuinely happy.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

.After responding to question #5, I'll become more upbeat by illustrating a few of my favorite things:

my husband at his desk, proofreading my blog

our new couches and area rug

my return to a former hairstyle that is 
much more "bicycle helmet friendly"

embellishing my Bible study times
with colored pencils

Until next time, grace and peace.

If you care to answer these same questions on your blog, click on this link to join in:

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com

Post Script: The refrigerator repairman gave us a very helpful tip this afternoon. When the appliance is making a funny sound, record it with your cell phone so you can play it back for the repair person. This is much better than trying to copy the sound with your voice. How clever!!!