By the Light of the Silvery Moon

Today was another beautiful day!  Low to zero humidity!  Beautiful sunshine!  Thank You, Lord!

I slept until 7 this morning!  I got up and checked my email and then got ready for the phone call from my financial adviser so Michael could give him instructions on how to change my investments!  I have NO idea about that stuff, so I gladly let Michael handle it!  Basically, things are being changed to have a more conservative portfolio of investments.  Anyway.....whatever!  :D

Jessica and I went thrifting after she was finished with homeschool.  Kara was left with some work to do and Michael was working in his home office.  While out, I treated Jessica to Chinese for lunch.  And then to treat me for my birthday, we went to Applebees for supper!

We hurried home to catch the moon as it rose.  So, I have MUCHO many moon shots, 90% of which I spared sharing with you!  :D  So, you get to see the best ones!  Enjoy!

The view from the front porch at 8:20 a.m.

Supper at Applebees

First picture as the moon began to rise.  6:43 p.m.

At first the moon looked red

The moon was high enough to start reflecting in the water

You will notice more and more reflection in the water

Clouds in front of the moon

By the light of the silvery moon!  Probably my favorite picture for tonight.

Last one I took at 7:14 p.m.

Tomorrow I head for home.  I'm dreading the trip!  But, I will be glad to see my peeps back home!

Thank you, Michael, Jessica and Kara for the fun week and a half I have had spending with you!  Looking forward to our next rendezvous at Christmas and then again in January!  :D  Thank you for being available for hugs when I needed them, Jessica!  Love you all very much!

Venturing Out

I woke up at 5:30 this morning.  Tried to go back to sleep.  Finally gave up!  Fixed some coffee, checked my email then got dressed.  By that time, Jessica and Kara were ready to start school.  I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out to the porch to read my Bible and my Christian Handbook for Widows.  Before I knew it, it was 11:00 and since I had not eaten yet, I had an early lunch of Doritos and a ham sandwich with some dirt pudding on top of everything!  :D

I ventured out on my own today in my new-to-me car.  I figured out how to find Mike's Treasures where there are a ton of books, most being $0.50 each.  However, the only thing I found were a few craft books and some crossword puzzle books for Tim's mom.  Not a single book by my authors!

Jessica, Kara and I left at 4:00 for church.  Jessica had a few things to do at the church and Kara was dropped off early to help get things ready for everyone else who would come later.  After Jessica was done, we met at Bubba Ritos Southwest Grub with some of the ladies from her Bible study group she leads on Wednesday nights.  We left in time to get to the church by 6:00.  Michael goes to a separate Bible study, so he leaves the house later.  The women in the Bible study were very open and sharing their hearts tonight, so we got home later than Michael, too.

My sister sent me a text today and invited me to stay the month of February 2018 with her.  That sounds like a good month to be in Florida!  :D

Enjoy the pictures from today!

It was another gorgeous day today!

Math class.  I don't think we had this option of being so comfy during Algebra!

Full moon tonight, but no reflection in the water

Full Moon out tonight!

School pictures of Abby and Hannah that I stole from Liz's Facebook page.  Ryan's order was incorrect, so his will come later.  Liz told me that Abby always prays that I will be happy without papaw!  That brought tears to my eyes.  I told her I am as happy as I can be without my best friend!

Neat cross in front of Michael and Jessica's church

Time to Paint!

Today was a lazy day with nothing planned except to do some painting and give Michael's financial adviser our decision on my IRA investments for the future.  I don't have a ton of money, but if I use it wisely, it should last me the rest of my days.  It has grown substantially since moving to NC, but we are going to move it into a less aggressive status.  And, especially since I won't be paying rent for awhile.....if ever.....that will help the money to go further!

I will be staying with Jessica through the month of November.  I will be staying with Elisabeth through the month of December.  And today Michael invited me to stay with him through the month of January!  I thank the Lord for my kids!

Today was another gorgeous day!  Not quite so windy as yesterday and a little warmer.  It made for a perfect time of sitting out on the front porch with a cup of coffee and my Bible and my Christian Widow's Handbook, written by a pastor friend, Ron Rumburg.

Look at that sky and lake!

A close-up shot of the lake.

While waiting to Skype with Michael's financial adviser, Jessica and I ran to Walmart real quick to pick up a few things.  Then after lunch, Jessica did some work around the house and Kara and I did some painting.  She painted a cat character for one of her books she is writing.  I decided to do a water scene.  My inspiration was the Art Sherpa YouTube found HERE.

Kara is sketching her's out first.

Here's how my ocean scene turned out.

Kara showing her painting of Lightning.

I love that to do my painting I only needed 3 colors.  However, I didn't have the exact colors, so I had to add a little black to the blue and a little brown to the yellow.  Mine didn't really turn out like the tutorial from the Art Sherpa at all, LOL!

Our work area.

Before supper tonight, we played some more corn hole.  Kara and Michael beat the socks off of Jessica and I!  Then Michael beat the socks off of me after Jessica went inside to start supper and Kara went inside to play on the computer.

The kitties watched, and tried to catch the corn sacks as we tossed them back and forth.

Michael sure was on a roll tonight!  Dad would have called it slop!  :D

More kitty play

After Michael and I finished playing corn hole, I went in and told Kara I was going to take some pictures in the woods if she was interested in going along, so she did.

I love the lighting in this photo!  Plus, I'm all about taking photos from behind!

Granddaddy long legs is hard to see in its web right next to the leaf.

Kara and Shiloh

Shadow and Shiloh lagging behind.

Kara went inside and I stayed out to take some more pictures before supper was ready.

I zoomed in on this sail boat from the front porch.

This is about the size it was to my eyes.

Beautiful coleus leaf coloring

Looking up through the trees at the edge of the woods

A little bit of fall color starting.

A closer shot

We ate a delicious meal of steak, rice and broccoli in front of the TV while watching Jeopardy.

While I was working on this post, Jessica said I needed to check out the reflection of the moon on the lake!  How pretty!  Almost a full moon!

And, the final picture of the day.....dessert before bed!  Jessica said she wanted to make something special for me to celebrate my birthday coming up this Sunday.  I told her I would like some dirt pudding!  She drew a heart in it!  What a sweetie she is!  Happy early birthday to me!  Thank you, Jessica!  It was delicious!

Today Terry texted me that Chance prayed for their supper and he prayed for me.  He said, "Let mamaw live a long, healthy life without papaw!"

Lord, thank You for Your blessings on me!

My Lord's Day

I missed being with my church family today.  It just isn't the same going to a different church.  The message was good, but it was not my church.  That's OK, though!  God puts us in different churches for a reason.  He puts us in different places of abode for a reason.  Everything He does is for a reason!  He is our Sovereign God!  He rules over the earth and He rules over our lives.  I'm glad for His rules and reigns!  Without Him directing my steps, there is no telling where I may have ended up in my life!

Today I got to test drive my new-to-me car!  I should have gotten a picture.  Maybe tomorrow!

The weather was beautiful again today!  It was breezier than yesterday and cooler!  I sat here on the porch to enjoy the view of the lake and the beautiful sky, but it was so cool, I had to go back inside! 

Tonight we watched a movie that I did not remember having so much cursing in it.  Can you guess what it is by the pictures I took of the TV?

Can you hear the music?  :D

Remember what happened at this point?

So, I hope you all had a wonderful Lord's Day!  This is the day the Lord has made!  I hope you rejoiced and were glad!

A Dream

I was having an awful dream this morning at 3:30 a.m.  I was going down a strange street full of people.  I was searching for something, I'm not certain what.  Then, all of a sudden, I saw Tim as he passed by me.  He did not see me in the crowd of people.  I turned around as he walked away with the crowd.  I ran after him and turned him around and said, "Tim?"  He just shook his head no.  I asked him why he had abandoned me, as the tears began to stream down my face.  He just kept shaking his head and never did answer me.  I asked him, "Don't you know I love you?  Why did you leave me?"

That's when I woke up.  The feeling was unbearable!  I began to cry.  I went into the bathroom and just cried.  I went back to bed and prayed through my tears, "Father, help me!  I know Tim would never abandon me and I know You will never abandon me!  But, how I long for Tim's arms to hold me once again!  Hold me in Your arms, Father!  I need to feel arms around me!  I hate being without Tim!"

I had to get up and read God's Word for comfort.  I Googled encouragement for widows.  I added the italicized words.

Psalm  68:5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge (or advocate) of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

God will defend me.  He has not abandoned me!

Psalm  34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite (crushed) spirit.

I woke up this morning feeling crushed!  How wonderful to know I could go to Him in prayer because He IS near!  He is not far away!  I can go to Him any time of the day or night when I need comfort!  Thank You, Father!  Thank You for sending the Comforter!

John  14:18 ¶ I will not leave you comfortless (bereaved): I will come to you.

Yes, that is a powerful promise!  God will not leave me alone in my grieving!  He will help me get through this.  His Word is comforting!  I am already feeling better!  I know Tim would never abandon me, if the choice were his to make.  I said to him a few weeks before the Lord took him home, "I wish the Lord would heal you down here!"  He said, "I do, too, Babe!  I do, too!"  The last day he was at the house, I saw him lying in the guest room bed just staring up at the ceiling.  I asked him if he was OK.  He just shook his head yes.  That's when he said, "Take me to the hospital."  Looking back, I think he knew his time on earth was coming to an end.

1Thessalonians  4:13 ¶ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep (are dead) in Jesus will God bring with him.

God has a great plan of hope.  I have a great hope (Having Only Positive Expectations) because the real Tim is not in that casket in the mausoleum.  The real Tim is in heaven with the heavenly Father!  Not only will I see my Lord, but I will see Tim again!  God was very gracious to give Tim to me to love for 46 years and 5 months!  And that love continues, it is just different now.  I have so many wonderful memories of our life together!  Thank You, Lord, for giving us a GREAT marriage!

I could list many more verses, but I think I will go back to bed and try to get some more sleep before it is time for church!  Thank You, Father, for Your comforting!