Thankful Thursday

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Here are a couple of things I am very thankful for this week.

**Yesterday was my annual mammogram day.  All is good.  Since 2016, I kind of hold my breath until I get the results.  I truly try not to worry, but it's still there in the back of my mind.  I just to a bit of praying and try to leave it all in God's hands.  But I am so thankful that again this year, I am all clear.  I did have a small bump on my side and she took a biopsy, but she didn't believe it had anything to do with breast cancer.  Waiting to hear back on that.  But again, I know God has got this!

Ugly hospital gown.  Of course, I had to wear
a mask, so if I have to do that, I figure you
might as well sparkle some. Even an old lady
likes to sparkle sometimes! lol

**I saw our new tenant today and I got a couple of pictures.  They are not real clear since I used my phone.  The tenant is so cute and tiny.  Hoping I will catch more glimpses in the future.

sitting in the tree getting ready to go in

flying in

peeking out

coming out

I'm planning to set a chair out in the drive and hopefully see more of this bird and I'll try to use my Kodak or hubby's Cannon to get a little clearer view.  I'm trying to stay pretty far away because I don't want to scare it away.  I'm very excited about this and planning to maybe pick up another bird house and hang it in a place that I can see from inside the house.

**I'm also thankful for my family and friends and for all of you too.  Hope you have a wonderful day.

Cathy

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. What do you never get tired of? Spending time with my husband

 2. My mother made the best everything.  Mom was a great cook and she did beautiful swedish weaving.  She really was very creative and I would love to be able to do even half of the things she coud do.  

 3. What machine or appliance in your home aggravates you the most? The vacuum Why? Because it's heavy (which aggravates my sciatica) and the cord is a pain.  However, I just bought a new Dirt Devil Stick Vacuum and it's very light and cordless and I love it so far.

 4. What are three things that brighten up your day when they happen? Wake up to sunshine, Read my Bible, Being able to not have to get up until I want too. 

 5. Thursday (May 12) is National Limerick Day...write a limerick about relating to spring weather, spring blooms, or a spring event (five lines, the first two lines rhyme with the fifth line, the third and fourth lines rhyme together) 

Today is sunshiny and bright

I enjoyed being out in the early light

I saw a little birdy fly out 

From the door of the new birdhouse.

I hope it comes back and I can get another sight.

 6. Insert your own random thought here.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a great day!

Cathy

Tuesday 4

 

Book Club Questions

Welcome to another Tuesday 4 . We keep Toni Taddeo's original idea alive here with 4 questions each week.     

This week let's pretend we are in a book club but you choose your favorite book to talk about....

1. What book or novel did you like the most or which do you wish to discuss? If you've been around here very long, you've probably heard me say that Lori Wick is one of my most favorite author and I read her books over and over.  I think my favorite one is Pretense.

2 If you were making a movie of your favorite book who would you cast in the parts? I have no idea.

3. Did the author of you favorite book/story write anything else? Have you read them? Yes, I have read all of them I think and several of them 2-4 times

4. If you had to create a playlist of music for the book, which songs would you choose? Again I really don't know.  It would probably be a mix of Christian music, maybe praise and worship.

Cathy

Friday Photos

Here are a few photos from our staycation.  

Frank Butler married Annie Oakly and when she died on
November 3, 1926 he stopped eating and passed 18 days later.

Aniie Oakley's gravesite.  Both Annie and Frank are
buried in Brock Cemetery between Greenville and Versailles, OH

Indian Lake

Indian Lake

I can't even begin to tell you the number of times we've driven past the exit on I-71 for Fort Boonesborough but we've never stopped.  This time we did.  The pictures below are of a replica of the original fort.  Unfortunately, the original is no longer there.  Just a short distance from this site is where the original one was, but it was closed this day.  Hopefully we'll get to go back some day and see that.

Well, that's a few pictures from our travels this past week.  We've eater some really good food and have seen some beautiful country both in Ohio and Kentucky.  I didn't get too many pictures as I was the one driving.  But oh the good times hubby and I have had out driving on the roads.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a great day and Happy Mother's Day!

 

Thankful Thursday

 

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Things I am thankful for:

***I'm thankful for the day trips we've been taking on our staycation.  I love the time hubby and I are spending together and all the hours driving (mostly on back roads).  Just so good to be together.

***My new bird house.  I've never had one before.

***Lunch Tuesday with hubby's mom was really nice.  She is so fun to be with.

That's all I'll list right now.  Thanks for visiting.

Cathy

Wednesday Hodgepodge

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1. May Day! May Day!...last time you shouted for help? Or maybe just asked? The last time I asked for help was last week when I asked my sister to help me put together my hanging baskets for in front of the house.  Actually, she did them and I helped a little bit. lol  I think they are beautiful!

2. What's something you may do this month? Planning to have another get-together with the cousins.  Looking forward to that.

3. 'April showers bring May flowers'...is this true where you live? What's blooming? What's your favorite springtime blossom? Tulips, Magnolia bush and hopefully my lilacs soon will bloom soon.  Probably the lilacs because of their fragrance.

4. What's something you learned at your mother's knee? Probably most of what I know.  I did learn to sing alto by copying her in church.  I've always loved singing alto.

5. Share a thought about motherhood. The best and hardest thing I've ever done.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.

6. Insert your own random thought here. Happy Mother's Day in Heaven Mom!

Cathy

Tuesday 4

By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea..

 Welcome back to Toni Taddeo';s Tuesday 4 where we give you 4 questions each week to stimulate thought and conversation on the net.   If you'd like to join in, click here.  Thanks Annie for another week of questions.

This week it might be nice to talk about the seashore,  

1. If you lived by the sea would you like to own a boat and what would you name it?  No, I don't think I would like to own a boat.  Now I would like to take rides on someone else's boat though.  At this stage of the game I wouldn't have the courage to learn how to operate a boat on the ocean, a lake, maybe, but not the ocean.  

2. Do you enjoy beach combing? What do you especially like to find...shells? sea glass? driftwood? Yes, I absolutely love beach combing.  Right now my favorite things to seek are sharks teeth!

3.  Do you have a favorite beach or seaside resort that you enjoy? Tell us a little about it please. If the beach isn't your thing what is and where do you like to go? We usually stay at Compass Cove when we go o Myrtle Beach in November most years,  It's a little older facility but it's kept up pretty well.  And in November we can get really good winter rates for a month and we always get oceanside with a balcony and if you've been here long, you will have seen many pictures from that balcony.

4.  You are out and about at the seaside and you are so hungry. What foods are you going to try? What  about a tropical cocktail? Have one in mind? Gumbo, Shrimp, Shrimp and Grits, Crab Legs, etc. etc.  My drink of choice is Diet Coke.

 Thanks for visiting and I hope you will join up with Annie on this.  The link is above

Have a great day!

Cathy

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. What does the word values mean to you personally? To me, values are the code I live by.  Where did your values come from? I believe ultimately they come from God, but I was taught them by my parents.  What are some of the values that have guided you throughout your life? Love God and serve Him.  Love and help others.  Be honest. Be kind.  Be patient.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

2. Your favorite vanilla flavored something? Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

3. What's something you've seen/done recently that you found to be very difficult, very confusing, very helpful, very interesting, or very special. Elaborate. We completed our Bible Study last night. I love each one of our ladies and will miss some of them until our next study in the fall. Many of our group go to other churches and I may not see them until we gather again. I just feel so blessed to be a part of this group of ladies. So this has been very special as always. 

4. Something you own and love that is violet in color? I can't think of anything I own that is violet, but how about our lilac bushes?  They aren't blooming yet, but they are beautiful and smell wonderful when they do.  I think it's usually around the end of May when they bloom.

5. Do you have vacation plans on the calendar this summer? Actually today is the first day of our Staycation.  We will be taking some day trips around our area.  Tell us more. Today we plan to go check out the new Buc-ees in Richmond, KY just for the fun of it.  We've got 4 or 5 other places to go in the next week too.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I love Erma Bombeck

Tuesday 4

 

Blast from the Past

 Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4..  We are glad to have you here! Link here to participate.

1.   If you had one million dollars to spend only on yourself, what would you spend it on? I would want to completely renovate our home, and then against the rules of the questions I would want to buy homes for our girls.

2.   You can do it again. What decade are you going back to and why? What's the attraction?  I have no desire to go back.  But if I were to go back, probably the 90's so I could maybe be a better mother as I think I've learned a lot that I didn't know when we were raising our girls.

3.   What's the last song that got stuck in your head? Revive Us Again, which is an old hymn that we sang last night at church.  Alternatively, what's your current favorite song?  I don't know if I'd say it's my favorite (plus it's probably at least 10-12 years old) but it is such an encouragement and makes me happy when I hear it.

4.   What items do you miss from the past and wish they were still around?  I miss some of the old TV shows and also some restaurants that are no longer there.  TV - I miss variety shows such as Carol Burnett, Andy Williams, Sonny and Cher, Julie Andrews, etc.  Restaurants - Burger Chef, the Tavern (which was a wonderful restaurant in my hometown and they had the best steak sandwiches and fried mushrooms, etc.

Thanks for visiting and if you'd like there's a link at the top to participate in the Tuesday 4.  Come on and join us.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

Here are a few tidbits of life:

**On Friday evening I found out you can get eCards from other libraries.  I got one from the Dayton Metro Library (I used to have an actual card there years ago, and probably I still have it in my den, but it wasn't with me).I went online and registered and then started looking for a Kindle book that I've had on hold  since March 8th through Libby at my library.  Guess what, they had it and it was available immediately.  I checked it out and started it that evening.  Finished it at 2:00am Sunday morning, which I must admit made for a bit of a rough time being alert at church that morning.  The book was The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom.  I have to say it caught my attention and imagination pretty quickly and it was hard to put down.  It's not like the typical books I read, but I really enjoyed it.  In fact, I enjoyed it enough, that I intend to try another book by this author real soon.

I really love my Kindle

**I had a really good walk with Lucy on both Friday and Saturday.  On Saturday I knew it was supposed to get up in the 80's so when I woke up around 6:30, we got cleaned up a bit and Lucy and I took off.  we ended up walking 1.75 miles, which is pretty good for me.  By the end she was starting to flop down in the damp grass to rest for a few seconds and then she'd get up and run on.  So funny.  I must admit, at times, I feel like flopping down with her.  lol

A neighbor's pretty tulips

Close-up of tulips - not quite open yet

Dandelion - I prefer the yellow ones.  They say they are good for the soil.

Can you see the moon above the trees?

**Hubby completed his series on "Conversations with Jesus"  I've put the video here, if you are interested.  This was the conversation with Salome the mother of James and John when she asked Jesus to allow her sons to sit on either side of Him when He comes into His kingdom.  Hope you enjoy.

**This morning I've already been to the salon and gotten my hair trimmed.  I'm in the process of growing out the layers and I've been trying to keep it trimmed about every 4-6 weeks.  This afternoon we'll be taking Lucy to be groomed and funny thing is, we pay a lot more for her hair cut than for mine.  lol

I guess I need to end this now as I have some studying I need to do for Bible Study tomorrow night, which will be the last one in this spring study.  We'll start a new one probably in September, Lord willing.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a great day.

Cathy

Friday Photos

 Here are a few recent pictures.  Some are from me and some I stole from my daughter's FB page. Not much commentary, but I hope you enjoy.

looks like he got a bunch

Easter egg hunt on Sunday

stole this today - he's so cute - haven't heard if he got a new skateboard or not

Cute bunny ears

Colton and his new headphones

goose resting under a tree at Cheddar's today

Thanks for visiting.

Cathy

Thankful Thursday

 

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This week I am thankful 

**that it is starting to warm up some.

**for a good book I read last week called Long Way Gone by Charles Martin based on the story of the Prodigal Son.  So good I've started another by him called Where the River Ends.

**for The Lisa Harper, How Much More Bible Study.  It is so good to be learning how much God loves us and has from the beginning.  Even though I know it's true, its very good to be reminded again.  We have just one week left.  I can't believe it's almost over.

**for the good services we had Sunday.

**to be starting a staycation with hubby next Wednesday.  We were going to go away but have decided instead to take a few day trips in the area instead.

So what are you thankful for this week?  The link is above if you'd like to join in with us.

Cathy

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

Click the button above if you'd like to join in.

1. What's something you wish you had spent more time doing when you were younger? Practicing piano Explain. I love to play then and now, but I never practiced like I should.  I could be so much better if I had.

2. Who inspires you to be better. My husband Tell us how. He always encourages me in everything I do.  If I show and interest then he is right there to support me and tries to encourage me to really go for it.  He's done that in so many different things, such as when I started blogging, and when I started really crocheting and loomknitting, etc. 

3. Share a money saving tip with us. One of the best things for us was when I started having money taken directly from my check and put in deferred compensation.  I started many years ago and it was just a small amount, but over time it adds up.  And I found that if I never saw the money, I never missed it.  But it I had to physically put it in savings, it just never made it there very often.

4. It's National Garlic Day...are you a fan? It's okay, but I don't want it too strong. Your favorite dish that includes garlic? Probably the garlic and herb grilled cod we've been eating lately.

5. Would you describe yourself as decisive or indecisive. I don't know, I can't decide.  lol  Elaborate. Honestly, a lot depends on what we're trying to decide.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful day. 

Cathy 

Tuesday 4

 

Cooking

 Hi.. welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. Link here.

1. When did you learn to cook?  Who says I did?  No, I do okay, but it's not my favorite thing.  Although, I do enjoy it more now that I'm not working.  

2.  How often in the week do you cook? 3-5 times either hubby or I cook.  Other times we just do sandwiches or something like that if we stay home. Order in? Not more than once a week. Go out? Several times depending on the week.  And this may be eating in a restaurant or ordering drive-thru and finding a quiet place and eating in the car.  We love doing the latter.

3.  Which foods are absolutely necessary at a cookout? Hamburgers and/or hotdogs.  Of course, I wouldn't turn down a good steak, but seldom get offered that.  lol

4.  Do you have a meal you are especially good at making?  or that people often request for you to make?  Not really, but I think people usually enjoy my lasagna.

Thanks for reading and the link-up, if you want to participate, is at the top.  Have a great day.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

We had a beautiful Easter weekend, with wonderful services at church and beautiful sunshine.  Below is the pre-recorded version of our Sunday morning sermon. If you've ever doubted for a moment or longer about the truth or thought Doubting Thomas was a terrible person, I think you would maybe appreciate hearing this. 

One of his points is "Our Lord welcomes every sincere person, and invites the doubters to check out the evidence for themselves," just as He did Thomas when he told him to "reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side.  Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

Another point was "The entire Christian faith hangs on this one fact:  Jesus rose from the dead--literally, physically, bodily, visibly."  Also, he said "In the history of the Christian church, the greatest doubters have often become the strongest believers."  So check Jesus out and believe and trust in Him.

This morning hubby had to have some lab work done, so I drove him and waited in the car.  I can hardly believe it's April 18th and we're getting snow!  lol

Oh well, winter will leave soon or later.  lol

I read this in my quiet time this morning and thought I would share it here. As above said, sometimes we all have doubts, but I have chosen to trust in Jesus and I hope you have too.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Cathy

Thankful Thursday

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Today I am so thankful for having time with some of my cousins on Tuesday.  Eight of of met for lunch at a little family restaurant in Waynesville, OH.  We had such a great time.  We range in age from 64 to 83 and I love everyone of them.  It seems like the only time we get together now is for funerals.  But this was just for fun.  A couple of the cousins get together once a week or so and they decided to invite the rest of us.  I think now we are going to try to do it maybe once a month or so.  That would be so awesome.  I love my family and am so proud to be one of them.  I have always been proud of my heritage.  I just feel like God honored me so much by making me a part of this family.  They had the waitress take a picture of us and then they posted it on FB.  I stole the picture and am posting it below.  It's not the greatest picture, but I'm so glad we have it.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful day and I hope you'll link up and tell us what you are thankful for.

Cathy

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. Do you celebrate Easter? Yes  If so what are your plans this year? We'll go to church, and probably to lunch, and then that evening we are having a Hymnsing and Communion at church.  Did you have egg hunts as a kid? Yes, we always had one at home and also they had a citywide one that we sometimes joined in with when little.

2. What's your favorite bread to find in a bread basket? Something I rarely have but I love is raisin bread. 

3. Your favorite chick flick? I'm not sure what my favorite is, but I enjoy "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

4.Tax day is rapidly approaching in the US of A...what's something you currently find 'taxing'? Figuring out and signing up for Medicare as I turn 65 this summer and I guess you have to sign up 3 months ahead and I'm running out of time, but keep putting it off.

5. Have you ever ridden in a taxi? No Do you have a funny-scary-crazy-interesting taxi story to share? No Do you use any of the newer taxi-like services such as Uber? No

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Memories from a few years back on Easter.  I miss these days.

Thanks for visiting. 

Cathy