Miscellany Monday - Blues & Friendships

 Can it possibly be Monday again already?  I sure had good intentions to do more than one blog last week, but alas!  That just didn't happen and here we are a week later.  My oh my, where does the time go?  But, it is always good to know that Carissa is here Monday after Monday waiting for us to join her for Miscellany Monday.

BLUES & BLUES

 A few weeks ago I featured our newly enclosed back porch and included pictures of a couple outdoor plant stands.  I asked for suggestions about whether to paint them or not.

Daryl @ porch enclosure system suggested that a navy blue would look nice.  After discussing this with Hubby on numerous occasions, we decided to give it a try.

Now, there is navy blue and there is navy blue.

  So, after looking at what seemed like hundreds of color charts, I made my selection and got busy.

Because the stands would be unprotected outside, and the wood was already showing a lot of deterioration, I applied a good coat of primer.

Now, the final coat and stands are in place.

 

 I think I'm pleased with the result.  It picks up the colors in the painting just inside the window.

 

Thank you Daryl, for the advice to go with navy blue.

FRIENDSHIP

In the early 1970's we became friends with Neal and Becky DeForest.  Our two oldest babies, John and Ginger, were only a few months apart and grew up as brother and sister.  They were always in the same classes all the way through school; in all the same church activities; in band together.  When Ginger's little brother, Neal Allen was born, he became John's little brother too.

The DeForest family adopted John as their own as well and he spent many hours with them, fishing, playing ball, and seeing who was the faster runner.

The years have passed and distance has kept them apart, but the bond still exists.

John and Ginger reunite at a their 10th class reunion in 1997.

 During those years, there were several couples of us who went to church together, most of the men worked together, and our kids were all about the same age.  We would get together on weekends to eat, play games, eat, and did I say eat?  We valued the friendships.

 Left to right:  Robert & Nancy, Andy & Sandy, Neal & Becky, Dick & I

 As we were all celebrating our 35th wedding anniversaries at about the same time, we decided to take a cruise together. What better way to celebrate such a momentous occasion than to do it with your best friends?

 Our Caribbean Cruise was amazing and memorable!

Becky, Sandy, Libby, Nancy, & Monica

 Last week, our dear friend Neal, died suddenly from a massive heart-attack.

As I look back, I am grateful for these lasting friendships.  I am grateful for our many years to share times together.  I am grateful for the example he was to our son.  I am grateful for the friendship and mutual respect he and Dick had.

One of the most memorable things that was said about Neal is,

"When the Lord changed him, he never got over it!"

Thank you Neal for living your life as a testimony to the Lord and what He can do in and through one individual.

We will miss you!

 A good friend of Neal's has paid a humorous and yet very sincere tribute to him HERE

Yard Benches - What do you think?

While I was down in my back a couple weeks ago and wasn't able to do my regular gym workout, I did try to walk some in the neighborhood.

It was during these little excursions that I began to notice yard benches.

They seem to be the rage right now in a lot of neighborhoods.

BUT,

does it matter how they are used?
Is it enough to just stick a bench somewhere in the yard?

Should they be decorative?

Should they be functional?

Should they be of some practical purpose such as adding to the landscape or offering a place to relax or pull off your shoes?

Let's look at some and see what we think.
(Excuse my shadow in these pictures - probably not the best time of day to be shooting with my iphone)

 Cute bench, but who would want to disturb the Frog Family to sit there?

By the way, this same homeowner has had this little display blocking her front door since last fall. 

Okay, I know its not a bench, but I just couldn't resist.  I found this little grouping in a niche off the garage, and wondered if anyone ever uses it?

 What do you think about the lone, isolated lawn bench?  It is very pretty and decorative, but why stick it out in the front yard behind the buried water meter?

 This homeowner's sense of overgrown evidently doesn't correspond with mine.  I would be leery of spending much time there and on those cushions.

 

I love this little white metal bench and think it adds to this little corner area of the side yard.

 

What do you think of this ornate little cast iron bench in this English garden?

 I like this simple little wooden bench placed in the side front corner of the yard, under the crepe myrtles.  I think it adds an architectural detail that I like.

 This simple little rustic bench is placed at the end of a driveway and helps define the area well.

There are a couple homeowners who have chosen to use a swing in the place of the bench.

 Pinterest provided these beautiful and purposeful benches for our enjoyment and inspiration.

Which is your favorite?

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

 So, do you have a bench in your front yard?

I'm leaving the first comment with my personal favorite.  Come join me.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Hodgepodgey

It is so good to be joining Wednesday Hodgepodge again after being away for a while.  I can't imagine how Joyce keeps coming up with such good questions week after week.

1. Picture postcards were first printed back in the mid-1800's and deltiology is the official name for postcard collecting. When did you last send a postcard?  Receive one? Do you save postcards sent to you? Do you collect and/or send postcards when you travel?
The only postcards I buy are those I purchase while traveling of sights that I can't take photos of.  I do not collect or generally send postcards while traveling.

2. What treat do you most like to indulge in while on vacation?
Breakfast is my favorite meal so I love to indulge in big, special breakfasts.

3. Are you good at hiding your feelings?
I think my eyes and moods are pretty transparent; however, I do think I have learned to keep a lot of my feelings to myself.  That being said, I also use Hubby as a sounding board and source of guidance when my feelings begin to run away with my emotions.

 4. Does your town/city/county still deliver telephone books to your home? Do you check the yellow pages when searching for a local business number or has the internet replaced the phone book in your home?
Yes, we still get phone books delivered to our door step and usually hung on our door handle.  I keep them and change out the outdated one, but rarely consult it.

5. Would you rather be first or last?
This is an easy one - LAST!

6. July is National Park and Recreation Month (in America, but everyone can still play along)...where and when were you last in a park?  Did you participate in any recreational activities while you were there?
Not recently!  When we camped years ago, we would often stay in National Parks, but heavens that was years ago.

7.  What was one of your worst ideas?
To buy a burgundy faux leather sofa and love seat.  May I just say, "UGH!"?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I recently read about an App for my iPhone and thought I would try it out.  It had good reviews so I thought I would give it a try.  It is "PicBeauty."  WARNING!  Do not Google "PicBeauty.com.  I did and was embarrassed, so certainly would not recommend it.

Here are results of a few of my photos:

Before - Beautiful Granddaughters

 After - Look at those eyes

 Before - Grandson's night graduation

 After

Before of Me - Don't judge

After - Now, see why I like this App?

Try it!  You may like it too!

Miscellany Monday - Friends, Food, Fun

It is so good to be back sharing my weekend happenings with Carissa on Miscellany Monday.

 Thursday

 Our weekend happenings actually began on Thursday when friends from Bastrop called to say they were coming to town and wanted to visit.  We could not have been more thrilled.  We met them at Superior Steak House for lunch.

I had the highly recommended meatloaf on mashed potatoes and one HUGE carrot.  It was delicious and worth repeating.

Afterward, Tommy and Lea came home with us while Charles and Jerry had a business meeting, but we just had to do a tiny bit of shopping on the way at Corner Collections.

Lea found some bright, colorful items to hang on her outdoor patio wall.  They are as happy and colorful as she is!  She is probably showing them off herself today at CiCi's Corner.

We enjoyed visiting and catching up on the years since our last visit which was much too long ago.

 This spontaneous visit with long-time friends was so much fun, one has to wonder why we wait so long between visits.  We vow to not let that happen again, and yet we know it probably will.  Life is busy and we all go in different directions, but it is such a blessing to know that when we do make time to renew old friendships, there is nothing more rewarding.

 Even the Hubbies enjoyed the visit.

Friday

We belatedly celebrated my precious and "oldest" friend's 70th birthday.  I know, who would ever know!

 Judy and I have been friends since we were preschoolers and reunited as adults 10 years ago.  It has been the sweetest friendship and one for which I am so grateful.

I prepared a delicious dinner for the four of us after which we enjoyed a game of Mexican Train.  We are really the Party Hardy Bunch!

Happy Birthday Judy!

 

Saturday

I went to my monthly Sunday School Class Ladies Luncheon which is always held at the

Glenwood Village Tea Room.

Last year, I featured this wonderful place and it's owner, my friend Sharon here.

Our dining table.  Isn't it just lovely?

 I love the Victorian Soup, which is asparagus and other goodies, so I rarely change my order.

But, among the other things ordered was this beautiful tray of Tea Sandwiches.  And, oh the deserts!

I love the Glenwood Tea Room!

That evening, we met another group of friends for dinner at Monjuni's Italian Restaurant

 prior to going to the Emmett Hook Theater for a production of

We undoubted have some of the most amazingly talented people here in Shreveport.  The production was superb.  Good friends of ours, Horace English and Barry LeBlanc played their parts as Javert and Jean Valjean respectively, equal to any Broadway production you could see.

Sunday

After Sunday School and Worship, Hubby and I took a new friend to lunch.  She is such a fine lady and one we really wanted to get to know better.  We so enjoyed our lunch with Mary today and look forward to doing that again.

It has been a great, busy, friend-filled, long weekend.  I am so grateful for friendships!

Now, for the lesson God is teaching me.

"Cast your burden on the Lord (releasing the weight of it) and He will sustain you."

Psalm 55:22