TODAY IS: August 12, 2024
AROUND ME: We were blessed with 2 and 2/10ths inches of rain last week, for which we are very thankful. While we aren't expecting anymore rain other than a possible shower late tomorrow night, we have also been blessed with much cooler temps and much less humidity for which we are thankful. My heart goes out to all of those who have lost so much as a result of Debby.
I AM PONDERING: the blessing of friendship. About seven years ago we were able to reconnect in person with a friend we've known for almost fifty years. He was pastoring a Mennonite church about 45 minutes from us and we would enjoy getting together about once a month with him and his wife for lunch at a restaurant close to their home. He recently retired and they moved South to be close to family as his wife is going blind. Strongheart and I ate breakfast on Saturday morning at the same restaurant where we used to meet with our friends. It wasn't quite the same without them.
AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS:
BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY ENJOYING:
Refreshment for the Soul is a collection of Richard Sibbes thoughts on different topics and is compiled as a devotional. So, it will be an ongoing reading throughout this year.
The Soul's Conflict by Richard Sibbes
The Journals of Jim Elliot by Elisabeth Elliot...I'm down to just over 100 pages left to go with this book and I am looking forward to doing a review once I am finished. It's such a wonderful book!
I AM THANKFUL FOR:
FROM THE KITCHEN: No pictures today and no recipes...but I do have a super simple crockpot idea for a beef roast. Place the roast in the bottom of the crockpot and dump in one jar of the Greek Pepperoncini peppers. Turn crockpot on low and cook for 6 hours (more or less, depending on the size of your roast). Delicious! We had that last week, only I used a venison roast. The brine from the peppers breaks down the fibers in the meat and makes it ever so tender! I used some of the juices at the end and made some gravy with it, and made mashed potatoes and other sides. Yummy!
SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY: The "Littles" from next door. I know I have spoken about them before but they really do brighten up our day. Here's an example.
Lots of cozy things to read here this morning. The tomatoes look wonderful. Nothing like fresh, juicy tomatoes! Little guy sounds so cute! I'm sure the family next door really appreciates your friendship. I enjoy your flowers and trees so much. I just can't have them where I live so I enjoy yours! I love the quote in Isaiah. God always accomplishes what He begins!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, Melanie. The verse in Isaiah reminds me to give out His Word often because it won't come back void, but will have accomplished what He sent it out for.
Deletethere is a gentleness and peace when I read your blog, thank you! Love the story of the littles!! We had fantastic weather this weekend and I am so happy about it!!
ReplyDeleteKaren, I am so blessed that you sensed gentleness and peace when you come for a visit.
DeleteThose littles are such fun.They will be going back to school next week and I will miss hearing their laughter and squeals during the day.
I've thought of you often these beautiful fall days and hoping you were having the same. 🍂🍁
Those tomatoes look so good and healthy! Such sweet stories with your little neighbors. Love it. That is a great idea to cooking up a roast. I'll need to try that the next time. Beautiful Rose of Sharon. Happy new week to you!
ReplyDeleteEllen, those tomatoes 🍅 are wonderful to work with. We bought them from an Amish family fruit stand. I worked some of them up today and there's very little waste to them.
DeleteLet me know what you think if you try out the roast suggestion.
Hope your week is filled with blessings.
We're in another dry spell this week. It's funny how it seems like there's either a lot of rain in one week or none this summer.
ReplyDeleteI've read Jim Elliot's journals a couple of times, but it's been a while. Such wisdom and inspiration for one so young.
What a sweet relationship you have with your young neighbors.
I know what you mean about the rain. Normally, what we have here is a very wet spring and then dry summer, but normally the dry summer isn't as dry as this one has been.
DeleteHave you read Made for the Journey ? It's the next Elliot book I want to get. I'm thoroughly enjoying his journals.
We love our littles next door. The Little Guy always comes up and stands beside me for a hug when they come over.
I had not heard of Made for the Journey, so I looked it up. It was originally published as These Strange Ashes, which I have read a couple of times. I wish they wouldn't change the titles.
DeleteBarbara, thank you SO much for letting me know that. I have These Strange Ashes so I will remove Made for the Journey from my wish list.
DeleteI'm envious of your rain!. We're completely dry, both people and fields.
ReplyDeleteThe books you read featuring the soul (Refreshment of the soul, the Soul's conflict ) sound very interesting!
The sight of the tomatoes is delightful!
I can't imagine living in an area that is dry, as you do there. You must certainly enjoy the rain when you do get it. And I can understand the people being dry also under the circumstances in your country at present. I can't imagine what it's like living under the threat of war. Truly your hope must be in God.
DeleteI'm enjoying both of the books. The Soul's Conflict with Itself has been especially helpful for me.
I turned some of the tomatoes into diced tomatoes to have for winter . They were really nice tomatoes.
I enjoyed reading your post and had a wee giggle at Little Guy and his sister 'running away from home' :)
ReplyDeleteI'like to follow your blog but cant see where to do so.
Diana, thank you for your kind words. We certainly enjoy the littles nextdoor. When they run away from home we always make sure they call their mom to let her know...but of course she already knows. 😉
DeleteThank you for mentioning about the "follow"widget. I used to have it on my blog years ago when I blogged, but didn't think about it when I started blogging again a couple of years ago. I have added it on the sidebar now.
I like that the Little Guy from next door enjoys visiting you. So many littles are growing up without contact with Grandparents, aunts & uncles. Bless you for taking the time to spend with them.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful all those tomatoes look!! So far the only ones we have that are ripe are rather small and not shapely. Hard to make a sandwich with.
Are pepperoncini peppers at all spicy? My DH does not like hot food so I'm careful about adding any heat.
Thank you for your kind words, GM. Our grandchildren are all grown now... one on his own, one in her third year of engineering school and the last one starting college this fall. We miss the times when they were young so having the little ones nextdoor is a joy for us. They love going to the garden with Strongheart and then picking flowers with me.
DeleteThe 🍅🍅 are wonderful. They are known as Amish Tomatoes...much like a Roma but bigger so they are nice and meaty and there was very little waste to them. I canned 13 pints of diced tomatoes today and will have close to that many to do tomorrow.
Yes, the peppers do have some heat to them. 😟
Such a blessing to have 'little' friends. :). Those tomatoes look fantastic!!
ReplyDeleteOh, Karen, it truly is. They brighten our days.
DeleteThose tomatoes are really nice. We bought them at the little Amish family fruit stand on the right shortly before getting to Whispering Pines.
We have little friends next door too. 2 young girls. We used to find wild flowers and painted stones on our porch from them. They are getting older so we don't see them as much but sometimes they still pop over.
ReplyDeleteThose tomatoes are beautiful and will be so wonderful this winter!
Having Littles nextdoor is a blessing, yes? How fun that yours would leave you flowers and painted rocks.
DeleteI worked up a little over half of those 🍅🍅 this afternoon and they were so nice to work with. I had 13 pints of diced ones today and will probably have about 10 more tomorrow. They will taste so good this winter.
I forgot - we have Rose of Sharon's too. We have 5 or 6 out back, in 3 colors. I love them too.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see pictures of your Rose of Sharon bushes.
DeleteHey Dianna. Your yard is so pretty! Looks like you live on a hillside. Looks so country and wonderful. I set out a row of Rose of Sharon along our property line along the side road by our house. Well just as they began to grow the deer kept every leaf eaten off. I tried netting and spraying...nothing worked. Finally, I pulled them up and put the bundle by the road with a sigh, "free". They were picked up as soon as I came inside. :) Anyhow, now I have a row of Beauty Berry bushes growing there. Your Rose of Sharon is really pretty. Good to visit with you again.
ReplyDeleteYou, my friend, are quite observant. The picture of the bike does show a bank but it's on our neighbor's property. There is a gentle slope to our backyard but nothing steep.
DeleteInteresting how quickly your Rose of Sharon bushes disappeared when you put them out. I'm not familiar with Beauty Berry. I will have to look that one up.
Good to have you stop by. Miss you. Do you all ever come to Morgantown anymore? Would love to see you.
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