2023 and I am mentoring a new Christian

 Happy 2023 Friends.

What a ride of ups and downs and in betweens these past few years have been. I hope 2023 will be filled with blessings and an increase in our freedoms worldwide. I am praying for big things because there is no prayer that is too big for our God.

I like to do new things and hope it keeps me young(ish). In November I began mentoring a lady who is 72 and a new Christian and member of our church. We are both learning so much and having fun at the same time. 

 

I bought a book "The New Believer's Friend Handbook" for me and for her "The New Believer's Handbook". This book has 8 lessons for 8 weeks and we both love it. We meet at my house and I serve a light lunch, food for the body and food for the soul.

Below is a photo that makes me smile. I do love lions, they remind me of the noble Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia.

Christmas 2022, Mr. Bounce wearing his Santa hat and Treats for delivery drivers

 

Bounce in a pensive mood this week, wearing his Santa hat.

Below is our nativity set we have had for 40 years. This is the way I arranged it in 2021.

Above is water and snack chips I put out at my front door for the delivery drivers who work so hard. I am impressed that last year they did not take the sweet treats or soda, just the water, unsweetened teas and chips I put out. So this year I skipped the sweet treats. They are a healthy bunch of drivers.

Above is the new arrangement of my nativity scene in 2022, each year is a bit different.

Christmas is a happy and holy day to celebrate God sending us his son in the form of a new born baby. All those who believe in him have his gift of eternal life. We don't deserve it, none are perfect. What a life saving gift. He is the light of the world. My sons and I will attend the Christmas Eve service at church Dec. 24 at 4 p.m., a lovely time to worship. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all.

Funny yard sign I saw and red Autumn leaves in December

 In these preChristmas days let me share some photos of pretty red leaves. It seems autumn leaves have arrived here in coastal California in December.

The above photos were all taken in our church parking lot in December.

Here is a sign I thought was humorous in a dark way. See if you think it is funny too, or can you guess why I thought it funny or ironic. I saw this whilst walking Bounce. The sign says "Please keep your dog off our LAWN."

 

I thought the sign was ironic because I do not see a lawn and there is not one blade of grass growing there. It is all dirt and weeds. Keep your dog off of our yard or Keep your dog off of our dirt might be more accurate. That would show the home owners have a sense of humor to laugh at themselves. Well, that's me and my sometimes dark sense of humor. And yes, I did keep Bounce off of their dirt.

The Ocean and Spectacular Clouds Near My Home and My Hubby and I

 I have had my terragarden blog since 2007 and that is a lot of posts. 873 is what Blogger tells me. What in the world is new to post about? Here are some photos of the ocean taken near my home. 

 The above photo shows the beginnings of sunset. There is a new annoyingly huge home built right on the point which is much taller than nearby homes and seems out of place to me. Can you see it?

Above is a happy moment with my husband Will on vacation in Palm Springs, California in 2004. Time just zips right along, doesn't it. We had Thai food at Thai Smile restaurant. I have a favorite Thai restaurant near my house. I enjoy silver noodles, Pad Thai and all their curries there and their delicious coconut soup.

Spectacular clouds over the ocean in photos I took a couple days ago. Can you see the small blue dot in the second photo? Is that perhaps the moon rising? The dot appears in 3 photos I took, in a different location in each photo so I don't think it is my iPhone camera. Possibly a UFO, well, possibly not. I am going with the moon rising unless any of you have a better idea.

Happy Thanksgiving to All in the USA and Around the World

 

For my friends here at home in the USA and all around the world in many countries, may November 24 be a day of joy and peace for you. Here in the USA we set aside a day for thanks giving, which is a great idea.

Here is Scripture I find appropriate today and every day: "Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from Him." James 1:17 Written about 2000 years ago and it still rings true to me today.

This is the seventh Thanksgiving without my dear husband, and a few days ago would have been / was our 51st wedding anniversary. My sons and I celebrate Thanksgiving together each year, though there is an important person missing. Every day I thank God for gifts big and small, and recently I have been thankful for the beautiful blue sky and fluffy white clouds. I hope each one of you dear readers has a day of peace and joy.

Arcade games in church lobby, Walking and Dementia

 

I took this photo of the arcade games in our church lobby. The games were borrowed for six weeks and relate to the sermon series our minister gave titled Press Start. Kids and adults played the games before and after church and they were quite popular. One boy age 9 insisted his family arrive a half hour early for the six Sundays so he could play the games. I like the colors in my photo.

 

Above is Bounce, my exercise coach. Hey friends. I just read that walking 10,000 steps per day can help cut our risk of dementia in half. This was in an article by Sarah Cownley in the Epoch Times this month. When I finally got a smart phone four years ago I found a fun app that I got that counts my steps. I do not walk 10,000 steps but I do walk x thousand. I don't think we need to compete against other people, I like to compete against me! Set slightly higher goals when inspired.

Above are my kitty Fluffy and Bounce on a walk, Fluffy often chooses to walk with us. People in the neighborhood love to see this. My exercise and walking coach is my dear dog Bounce, and I tell him I am his exercise coach in return. Cownley reports that walking 3,800 steps per day reduces dementia risk by 25 percent. She has a diploma in nutritional therapy from Health Sciences Academy in London. I wonder if the benefit is enhanced by walking outdoors where we can see the beauty of the sky, breathe in fresh air, and be encouraged to think peaceful thoughts. Or is the benefit the same when walking indoors? Just pondering.

I got 3 of these jackets for Mr. B, this one says Security and another says FBI. I read that neighborhoods where lots of people walk their dogs have less crime which makes sense. Enjoy your walks and your day.

Agatha Christie's Marple TV series, Will Mellor, Benedict Cumberbatch

 

I am watching the TV series that began filming in 2007 and that stars Geraldine McEwan. In season two I enjoyed seeing Benedict Cumberbatch as he was 15 years ago, very young and a dish, but I think he is more handsome now. 

 

Below shows Cumberbatch in the Marple show back in 2007.

In season 3 I watched an episode of Agatha Christie's Marple with Will Mellor in it, I love that actor, star of White Van Man TV series. Photo of Will Mellor below.

 

I just watched Season 3 Episode 4 and each time I watch the next episode I check to see how many episodes are left for me to watch. There are 6 seasons available to me and that makes me happy.

Do you like to know there are many episodes of favorite TV shows that you have not watched yet? Having episodes ahead to watch makes me feel like my pantry is full. Sometimes I hold off on watching the final episode in a series as I don't want it to end.

I only have a few episodes left of Lie to Me and of Professor T and don't want to watch the last episodes, but will one day. Do you have TV shows you feel that way about?

This morning I will be in Women's Bible Study at church, about 7 of us meet and study the book Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God Speaks by Priscilla Shirer. She has videos offering further insights for each chapter, and her father is the well known preacher Tony Evans. I am enjoy the study and learning.

Zug, Switzerland, Lady from Zug, and Alpenhorns

 

Long ago my husband and I took the train from Paris to Istanbul, and stopped in Switzerland on the way. We were in Zug, Switzerland on their National Day, or their Independence Day and above is a photo of Lake Zug. We had a moment when we saw a long canoe emerging from the mist on Lake Zug and a man was playing an alpenhorn which was about eight feet long. That was a moment of profound and unexpected beauty for these two young Americans to witness.

Above are some alp horns or alpenhorns, though I could not find a photo of an alp horn in a canoe. I read that people, especially shepherds, used these horns in the mountains to communicate over long distances. They just make one long low haunting and very beautiful note, or perhaps a couple notes or tones. Each horn is made of one or two tree trunks.

I had a nice experience recently involving Zug. I arrived early at my favorite coffee shop here in California (yes, the one on the ocean cliffs that I have posted about). I was meeting a friend and was early because I arrived early to find a table outside. All the tables were full and this friendly lady insisted I join her at her large table. She said she was visiting from Switzerland and I right away said, my husband and I had a lovely visit in Zug. She looked very surprised. She said she is from Zug. It is a small town. We had a great chat, what a nice meeting between the lady from Zug and me who right away mentioned Zug.

My magnificent coffee creation, red flowers on trees and sunset over the ocean

Yes, I am not humble when I call the above coffee creation my masterpiece. It is pretty and tastes fabulous and I added frothed milk to it and some chocolate mini sprinkles. Below is my new electric milk frother. Why did it take me this long to discover such an appliance?

I pour in one cup of whole milk, press one button and three minutes later have frothed milk that stands up in pretty peaks. The directions say only whole milk works, not lower fat, and I bought whole milk and am using it. Apparently you can froth almond and oat milk, but best to research and find frothers recommended for that. Hey, I am from the dairy state, Wisconsin, so milk it is for me. A nice source of calcium too.

The brand I bought is Secura and I do recommend if you buy one you get one like mine that is in two pieces, the motor in one piece and the pitcher that lifts off for easy cleaning. Many frothers I looked at are one piece and more tricky to clean.

Above is another of my coffee creations. I tried this also with black tea and that worked fine too. There are four settings on the machine, one is cold froth for iced coffee and one is for hot cocoa.

My neighbor has four of these gorgeous tall trees, perhaps 70 feet tall, I am just guessing their height, and they are loaded with red flowers. I think they may be a type of eucalyptus.

Below is the early phase of a sunset over the Pacific Ocean, photo taken at 7:15 p.m. at the end of my street. "For He hath made all things beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:11 When I see the beauty of the ocean I always pray thankful prayers and sometimes ask God to take my worries. He always does.

"The Heavens declare the glory of God." Psalm 19:1

Castle Richmond by Anthony Trollope, my favorite book read thus far in 2022

 

Castle Richmond by Anthony Trollope

Writing this review in September, Castle Richmond stands out as my favorite book I have read thus far this year of 50 books read. I like Trollope’s novels so much that I always buy the print copies and keep them. He wrote in the 1850s -1880s and his books give a wonderful picture of the Victorian era in England and Ireland.

This book is set in 1860 in Ireland in the time of the Irish potato famine and explores the ups and downs of the fortunes and loves of three families. Owen Fitzgerald of Hap House, Patrick Fitzgerald of Castle Richmond and the widow aged about 38, Lady Desmond, and her daughter Clara age 17 of Desmond Court. The Fitzgerald cousins deeply love Clara and each was briefly engaged to Clara. Meanwhile the famine begins and is raging across the land, while Patrick works to provide work and food to the poor. Trollope writes with great insight about the rivalry and mistrust of 2 Protestant ministers and the local Catholic priest as they set aside differences to save the lives of starving people.

How will the love triangle of Clara and her two suitors be resolved? Lady Desmond has her own lonely and impoverished life to consider while she struggles to find the right husband for Clara. Who will inherit the title and estate of Castle Richmond as evil blackmailers cause immense suffering for the family? The whole novel and especially the ending are brilliant and Trollope provides some humor and also his clever asides to the reader, when he makes comments as the author directly to us.

Do you read Anthony Trollope as I do? I just realized some readers might like to try one of his novels, a good one to start with is Barchester Towers. Richmond Castle is also a good choice. Who is your favorite author and what are you reading today? I have many authors I enjoy reading and Trollope is at the top of my list.

Queen Elizabeth II, Rest in Peace

 A life of service. Style. Devoted to family, faith, and country. I like the photos of her laughing and with her beloved corgis and horses and family. A role model I admire. R.I.P. Queen Elizabeth.

Above is Princess Elizabeth and her father riding together in the 1930s.

Above is Queen Elizabeth and her four corgis in 1969 at the train station returning from holidays at Balmoral. The first photo below is of her in South Africa and the next two are more recent photos

Mysterious Occult Buildings Near My Home

 

Mr. B and I walk past this mysterious building group often since it is near our house. I took these above photos at 8 p.m. The buildings were constructed in the 1940s and the builders moved away in the 1950s. Not much is known for sure about the buildings. The builders incorporated astrology, and there are symbols of the sun and the moon. The builders said that the symbols of the sun and moon will move to signal the beginnings of the end times. I am glad the buildings are preserved, they are on private property but easily seen from the sidewalk. 

I used the word "occult" in the title to this blog post so I looked up the meaning of the word "occult". 1. Of, or relating to, or dealing with supernatural or magical influences, agencies or occurrences. 2. Available only to the initiate, secret or mysterious. Synonym is "mysterious".

Above you can see the sun and the moon in the circle and the builders said the sun and the moon in the circle will shift positions signaling the end times. They studied astrology too. Should I check this frequently to see if they shift positions? Just kidding.

Above shows the nice iron work, inlays which may be of shell, and the brick work.

One of several tall spires on the site. I am happy the buildings and spires are preserved by the millionaires who bought it. They said they would build their home there and live there while preserving and protecting the site. The new owners sold it all for $4,000,000 a few years later, but I am sure it is written in the deed that the historic buildings must be preserved. 

On a side note think of the property taxes on a home that cost $4,000,000. In California I think the yearly property tax will be $40,000.

Photos I took of fog, sea, trees, fisherman near my home

 

I went out for tea with two friends at my favorite coffee shop and here are photos I took near my home in California. The above is my favorite as it shows the pretty wisps of fog on a sunny day. Do you see the fisherman and his umbrella? Below you can see him more clearly.

And two more photos, the first looking toward the boardwalk amusement park and wharf and the second is toward the direction of my house. I love the cooling wisps of fog; the fog photos I took at 9:45 a.m. before going inside to order tea and the sunny ones I took at 11 a.m. with the fog on the water pretty much all gone.