Friday, June 29, 2018

Sabbath Music - It Is No Secret



Do you find it difficult to slow down and rest on the Sabbath?  Most people do, but I have a little tip for you.  All you have to do is ask Adonai to make you willing.  This song is in line with that.  It Is No Secret What God Can Do was popular (right up there with Elvis) back in the 1950's and I ran across it last week when I was thinking about This Old House (last week's song).  I hope you'll be still and listen to the lyrics of this beautiful song.

The story of how this song was written is really interesting:  It Is No Secret What God Can Do by Stuart Hamblin

I like what Mr. Hamblin's wife said: "You didn't write that song.  God just let you hold the pen."


Isn't it amazing that songs about God were played on the popular radio stations back then?  Can you remember that happening lately?  Yes, it was a different time, Gail-Friends.  Our society respected God and the Bible.  I'm praying for that to happen in America again . . . soon.  I believe it's up to us to spread His grace and truth and as we do that, hearts will change.

Have a rest-full, worshi-full, and blessed Sabbath, Gail-Friends.

I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up
 OVER THE MOON LINKY PARTY!


Thursday, June 28, 2018

Thankful Thursday - A Golden Reunion


This past weekend, Jem and I attended my 50th high school reunion and had a fabulous time.  It's hard to believe fifty years have passed since I graduated and believe me, Gail-Friends, the time has flown by like a speeding train.  I was having so much fun that I didn't take many pictures but here are a few from our Saturday night dinner and dance:

We had a great band and so much dancing. . . it was hard to get on the dance floor sometimes!
My friend, Dee, is always the life of the party!
Dee was also in charge of putting on the reunion. She and her team did an amazing job and I think this was our best reunion so far.

Look at all of that beautiful silver hair!!!
Pam, Nancy, Elizabeth, Dee and me taking a break from dancing.


I told you I had a good time . . . I had my dancing shoes on for sure.

 We had a blast, as we used to say in the sixties.
 There were some great displays of memorabilia from our high school years.

Charm bracelets were all the rage back then.

Ours was the last class to graduate in long, white gowns and carrying red roses.  The guys wore white sports coats.


Below are our letter sweaters and a letter.  You could earn these back then.  I don't know if they do that in high school anymore.  Probably not, because it might offend someone.  I say this because I recently heard about a high school that did away with things like the valedictorian, etc.  The school also didn't allow the first in the class students to march on stage ahead of their classmates.  Back in my day, there were no "participation" trophies. We strove for excellence in all areas, and we weren't offended if we didn't get a prize. We just tried harder the next time in order to win the awards.


The photo below shows some girls in the "dreaded and hated" gym suits.  I still think they were the ugliest things ever created.  Ugh!!!


It was so much fun catching up with old friends.
Me, Dee, Janice and Elizabeth
Elizabeth and I have been friends since the first grade, attending grammar, junior high, and high school together for twelve years.  We have lots of shared memories, and we get together with a big group of girls from Lee several times a year.  We meet for dinner and have the best time.  We call our group the Lafies because we laugh and cut up like a bunch of teenagers, and we even do a cheer at the end of our evening together. We really are still young in our hearts and these girls know how to have FUN!


One of our classmates, Jack, did a presentation that just thrilled my heart and made my passion for Making America Great Again flame even higher.  He portrayed Teddy Roosevelt and gave a rousing talk about his hero, General Robert E. Lee.  His performance caused a standing ovation, and I'm thrilled to know that so many of my classmates are like-minded about the values we all knew in our youth.   I thanked Jack for his strong stand about our Southern Heritage and our revered role model, Robert E. Lee.  Jem especially enjoyed Jack's history lesson and kept shaking his head in agreement, while I was saying, "yes" and "amen" and "that's right!"  (He's a refined Southern gentleman, while I'm an outspoken Southern belle who can't stop talking about such things. All of my friends know this.)

There was a raffle for some beautiful gift baskets, and I won a fabulous one.  The blue basket had two pretty goblets, two bottles of wine, some candles, and a gorgeous wine rack that I fell in love with.  When I opened it I got a big surprise -- a $100 gift card for more wine!  Such a blessing!

I'm sad when I hear people say they don't want to attend their reunions because I've made some good memories by getting together with my old classmates.  I've even made new friends because I've grown close to people I didn't even know while we were going to school.  Dee and Janice are good examples.  We've gotten to know each other through the reunions, Lafies, and on Facebook.  We're all passionate about our families and our country and if we'd not gone to these meet-ups, we'd have missed out on being good friends.  I love this saying on our class website because it's so true:

It's not about waistlines, hairlines or credit lines...It's about lifelines,

And about reconnecting with friends from some of the best years of our lives.

I was thrilled to run into Karl, a guy who lived on my block growing up.  I hadn't seen him in decades and it was so good to learn about how his family was doing.  I also had a great time catching up with Linda, an old camping buddy, and friend after high school.  There was so much going on that I didn't get to see some people I'd really hoped to see.   One friend, Brenda, contacted me yesterday to find out what happened to me.  We were both there, but never crossed paths.  You have to understand . . . our graduating class was over 500, and probably about 200 were at the reunion. It was a big room, Gail-Friends!

There was an author table and I had some autographed copies of my book, Golden Moments, for sale.  I sold some books that night and pray each reader will be blessed through reading it.

So, this week, I'm thankful for old and new friends, good memories, and that I've made it to my Golden Years!!!  Life is Good!

What are you thankful for this week, Gail-Friends?

I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up
 OVER THE MOON LINKY PARTY!

Friday, June 22, 2018

Sabbath Music - This Old House




Shabbat is coming, Gail-Friends.  I'm getting ready, and part of that is to think about the music for this blog post.  This week, this an old song has been running through my head.  It's a song from my childhood and when I looked for it on You-Tube, I found an interesting video about how the song was written by Stuart Hamblin.

This Old House  became popular in 1954 and was a big hit in seven countries.  It's a real toe-tapper with a catchy rhythm and is the version I remember.  Many times, Daddy sang along with his deep bass voice as we listened to it on the car radio.

This next version of This Old House tells the story of how the song was written and I think you'll find it interesting.  After the writer tells the story, he sings the song the way he intended it to be performed.

The spiritual message of This Old House is something to pause and reflect on this Shabbat.

Have a blessed and restful one, Gail-Friends.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Thankful Thursday - Protection & Creativity







This week, I'm praising Adonai for protecting us from a fire last Sunday.

Jem and I sat in the living room during a thunderstorm with lots of thunder and lightning.  We heard a strange low sound like thunder . . . but not exactly . . . looked at each other and asked, "Did you hear that?"  The sound was more like a loud sizzle.

Then, we saw smoke and smelled an electrical, burning odor.  Jem turned on the lights in each room and searched to see where the odor was coming from.  The air conditioner was running, so we didn't think that was the problem, but when we opened the a/c closet, the smell was stronger.  About that time, the a/c popped twice . . . like a firecracker.  Jem turned off the a/c switch immediately.

That night, we slept with the fans blowing on us and, once more,  gained a new appreciation for air conditioning.   I say once more because we've been through many hurricanes and have experienced this more times than I can talk about.

We called Mr. Brown, our a/c guy, and he came out right away.  This was on Father's Day morning, and we were blessed to have him come on such a special day.  Mr. Brown has helped us before, at home and at the synagogue, so we really appreciated his help once again.

When he opened the a/c up, he discovered a fried relay switch.  It was black.  It was toast as the saying goes.  But, praise be to Hashem, Mr. Brown had a relay switch/box in his truck and had us cooling off very quickly.

We talked about how blessed were to have been at home when this happened, that it didn't start a fire, and that we have a great a/c guy who was willing to come out on  Father's Day.  He's a believer and we had a great time just thanking and praising God for His goodness.

Halleluyah!

I'm praising and thanking Hashem for my beautiful night-blooming cereus.  We had eighteen blooms last night, and there are more to come.

I'm always so amazed by these flowers that bloom for one night and then die.  I used to think the plant, a cactus, was so ugly, but one night I saw the blooms and I understood why people kept them in their yards. I learned a spiritual lesson from this amazing plant, too, and wrote about in my new book, Golden Moments. You can get information about the book at the top right of my blog.


Here are a few more photos:


I think they look like fireworks or sparklers.  The brownish, hairy things are getting ready to bloom within a day or so, and the pink things hanging down are flowers that have already bloomed.


Just look at the beauty inside the bloom.  Think about the creativity of Hashem to make something so unique and gorgeous. Every year, I stand in awe of these fantastic flowers.


Jem and I work as a team to take these photos.  He holds the flashlight while I use the camera.  Last year, we had to also hold an umbrella in the pouring rain.  Before I go outside,  I have to soak myself in bug repellant.  That doesn't stop the bugs from dive-bombing my head, though.  It's a challenge, but so worth it to see and capture this beauty!

A cardinal couple has been visiting the feeders with their young one.  I think the baby is a male because all of his feathers are starting to turn bright red.  I love watching the parents feed their young.

Daddy and Mommy are both very good parents.  I was excited to catch that photo of him feeding baby.  (That's why it's a bit blurry!)





Can you think of a good caption for this photo?  I think Mommy is saying, "Where's Junior?"

With all the rain we've had lately, Golden Garden is thriving.  I'm loving all the bright blooms and  I'm so thankful for Rabbi Jem who keeps everything looking great.  (I'm not a gardener . . . I'm the idea part of our team.)


I hope your week has been good, Gail-Friends, and that you are counting your blessings.  What are you thankful for this week?



I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up
 OVER THE MOON LINKY PARTY!

Friday, June 15, 2018

Sabbath Music - Halleluyah La Olam





Beautiful song for you today.  Halleluyah La Olam is such a lovely praise song.    The song is in Hebrew with English lyrics, so sing along and Praise Adonai with me.  Hold the hands of your loved ones and dance around the room!  And REST, my friends.  Be still.  Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you. 



Have a wonderful Sabbath, Gail-Friends.


I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up
 OVER THE MOON LINKY PARTY!

Friday, June 8, 2018

Sabbath Music - El Shaddai Mi Kamocha


Greetings, Gail-Friends!  It's Preparation Day, and I'm getting ready for the Sabbath.  Part of my preparation is the song I choose to share with you.  This week, the song is El Shaddai Mi Kamocha by Michael ben David.  

This video was filmed in Sweden and includes dancing that I think you will enjoy.  I encourage you to be still, draw near to Hashem and He will draw near to you.  Lay your burdens at His feet, and receive the rest and peace He wants to give you on this holy, set-apart day of blessing.

Listen to this song, lift your hands and dance.  Your spirit will be refreshed and lifted, I promise.

Blessings and shalom to you.

I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up
 OVER THE MOON LINKY PARTY!

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Thankful Thursday - Answered Prayers and FFF




It's Thankful Thursday, and I have so much to be thankful for.  Jem is recovering well from his retina surgery and the doctor is pleased with the results.  Praises to ADONAI and thanks to all who prayed for him.

Golden Cottage Garden is flourishing with all the rain we've had here over the past month or so.  Here are a few of our beautiful blooms.




And even though the painted and indigo buntings are gone, we still have daily visitors to brighten my day.

a thrush looking for food under the bird feeders

beautiful butterflies love Golden Cottage flowers

lizards - lots of them around here.  They are very friendly, but boy can they jump.  Now I know where the expressions "leaping lizards" comes from.  I stay back away from them because I had one jump right on the top of my head one time.  YIKES!!!!!!!!!

Look at this bad boy. . . he's HUGE!

Our neighbor's pet.  We named him "Yeller" due to his color, but also because he's a real scaredy-cat.  Not friendly like her other cat, Toon-Chee.
We had such a wonderful time at the Florida Folk Festival, and I promised you some photos from the event, so here you go:

I always enjoy the story-telling sessions.  This fun lady . . .

. . . and this gentleman are a married couple and told some tall tales to entertain us




My focus this year was learning more about the dulcimer, so I attended workshops:



I need one of these stands.









The dulcimer teacher, Laurie Alsobrook, was the best.  She also held a "petting zoo" in the children's area with twenty dulcimers for them to play.  Laurie is a great gal.  Very kind, helpful, and giving.  She even loaned me her own favorite dulcimer for this workshop.

I also attended a couple of jam sessions for dulcimer players.  Other stringed instruments joined in, too:


 We enjoyed all of the concerts by famed dulcimer artist, Bing Futch.  He's amazing and always entertaining.  His rendition of the old folk song, John Henry, was a show-stopper.  You can see his videos on YouTube.


Here's a video:



The folk dancing is always my favorite part.
This lively group did a dance with scarves.  I've seen it done in Israeli / Davidic dance, but never in folk dancing. 

This was a broom dance . . . great idea while doing housework . . . and much more fun, right?

This dance originated in the Netherlands, and the dancers wore wooden clogs.  Fun to watch and to hear.

This gentleman is at the festival every year.  I love to see him dance and admire him for continuing to practice his art even though he's missing his left arm.
I also fell in love with this lady's blouse.  I think I saw it at Cracker Barrell recently, so I'm on the hunt to find one like it.  If you've seen it anywhere, please let me know.
Here's a guy to admire!  He's not a spring chicken by any means, but I saw him limbering up before the performance, and he kicked his foot above his head several times!!!  I was amazed!  Dancing is good exercise, Gail-Friends.

The band accompanying the dancers was having a good time, and they were great!
 There were lots of beards and mustaches at the festival.  This was one of the favorites and I love the hat:

If you ever wonder what happened to the hippies from the 70's, you'll see a few of them at this festival, I'm sure.  There was lots of tye-dye, too.


It's wonderful to spend time way down upon the Suwannee River and be in the woods. This year, I was well prepared with Deet bug repellent and didn't get any ticks.  Here are some photos of the beauty in the park.  I highly recommend you attend this festival one day.  I know you'll enjoy it.

Nothing says Southern like moss-draped trees. 


I thought you'd like to see some moss up close. Don't touch it, though. It has chiggers, or redbugs as we call them down here in the South. 

Another big answer to prayer was the weather during the festival.  I prayed for good weather because a huge tropical storm was threatening to come our way.  It sprinkled a couple of times but never did rain on us.  I prayed daily, "Father, please let Your face, and Your sun, shine on us,"  and He did exactly that the whole time we were there.

On the way home from the festival, we rode along A1A and were sad to see all the damage from Hurricane Irma last fall.  I didn't take photos because it was raining, but a lot of the beach has eroded and many homes are close to falling into the sea. We stopped at a neat restaurant  in Palm Coast.  I was intrigued by these things:


All of the light fixtures were bait buckets turned upside down.  Neat, huh?
My favorite college football team -- University of Florida!  GO GATORS! CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP!

That's an alligator skin.  (I'd imagine an FSU fan, biggest rival of UF, would like to have one of those.  LOL)


I suddenly remembered we'd not taken any pics of us together even though we'd brought our selfie stick.  It was pouring rain, so the server took a nice pic of us.  Much better than any selfie we would have taken I'm sure.

What are you thankful for this week, Gail-Friends?

**There are some videos of the festival on YouTube to give you an idea of the different types of music performed. Just click on this  - Florida Folk Festival 2018

I sometimes share my posts with these friends:
  Spiritual Sundays  GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY     Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up     
    Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday 
Sunday Thoughts Link-Up
 OVER THE MOON LINKY PARTY!