Getting Ready for Shabbat Shalom

Today is Friday and we are getting ready for Shabbat.  I am making a turkey sausage, turkey bacon, potato, onion, kale, and cream soup in the crock pot.  I made some banana bread too but because I used four very ripe bananas instead of three, it came out a little mushy.  It's still good though and I think it will probably get finished off by this evening.  We'll have enough soup for today and tomorrow so I won't have to cook on Shabbat.

Here are some beautiful sunflowers that I got for Shabbat.  I love sunflowers, especially the orange ones.  They're usually very expensive but this whole bunch was bought for $9.99.  A wonderful gift from the Messiah to us to help make our day of rest a delight!

Here is a picture of our dog Katie and some sunflowers

Here is a picture of our dog George in front of our flower garden when we lived in Minnesota

George and Katie have both passed on now.  Even though I still miss them and think about them almost every day, I really believe they are waiting for us in the Messiah's Kingdom!  In fact, I think while they're there, they're keeping Shabbat too, waiting for us to join them so we can all keep Shabbat together!  Isn't the Messiah's Kingdom going to be wonderful?

Chad made this neat little flying machine.  Maybe after the Sabbath, we'll both get on and take a ride under the beautiful night sky!

Here is some cotton fabric that I'm going to use to make a hand sewn quilt.  I have hand washed and dried the fabric.  I still need to iron it.  I just love the way cotton feels and looks!

Here is the drawing of the small quilt I'm going to sew.  It's a Shabbat Shalom quilt.  

Some years ago, I gave away a pig, just like this one to my friend before I moved.  I've felt bad for quite a while because I did that.  I even let the Lord know how I felt.  Guess what?  I was in a large antique shop this week and I found her again.  Her clothes are different, but it's the same pig with the same name- Kaitlin.  I brought her home and she sits next to my knitting needles and helps me to knit!

I went back a few days later and found her brother- Lofton.  He's in need of some clothes and I am thinking about knitting him an outfit!

Here are the rest of my buddies!

Here are some new knitting needles I got.  I have really taken an interest in aluminum ones while at the same time, I really love my bamboo ones.  So many choices!  I think I'll use both!

I hope you have a wonderful Shabbat with the Lord and catch up on your resting!

Isaiah 58: 13-14 (NASB)

“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot
From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,
And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And speaking your own word,
¹⁴ Then you will take delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Relaxing Day

On Friday morning,  Chad and I decided to go for a shorter walk (2 miles instead of 5) after we worked at the gym.  Before we did, we went to downtown Springfield to get a cup of coffee.  Here are some pictures to show you our day. 

Off we go after our work out at the gym!

 

Here's Chad is trying to decide what type of coffee he is going to get

Downtown Springfield

A church with New England style architecture

A quaint looking inn

Me, the ducks, and the geese at the park for our walk

An interesting building along the walking path

We cross the small bridge to enter into Galloway Village

I really like this building (I think it might be a yarn shop)

A pottery shop

 

An art studio

A neat little restaurant on the walking trail.  It's currently not open to the public.  I think it is being worked on by the owners because there is a lot of construction debris outside.  I hope they open it up because it's really quite cute.  The pictures below show the mural along the building. 

This is at the back of the restaurant.  It looks like an outdoor seating area

There's also a cemetery up on  a hill across the street.  On the side of the street along the walking path where we walk is this pet cemetery that is an extension of the regular one. 

There's also a place where they bury police service dogs

After our walk and coffee run, we went home to get ready for the Sabbath. We had a really nice and relaxing day.

Garden Day

I went to the hosta garden today at the Botanical Center.  I like to go there and just hang out.  I read, watch the ducks, pray, and drink coffee.  Even though it's crazy hot outside, when I'm sitting in the gardens, it's nice and cool.

Here are four ducks that are always together.  They're usually by the lake, out with the other ducks and geese, but sometimes, I find them in the hosta garden.   Sometimes, they come out suddenly from behind a bush and they start "talking."  It almost looks like they're guilty of doing something naughty and have been caught in the act.  Once in a while, they take a nap in the garden. 

There are lots of little gardens at the Botanical Center.  You have your choice!

The rose garden always smells wonderful!

Chad likes these blue spruces

The entrance to the hosta garden

Such a peaceful and shady place to sit on a hot day

The view from the bench where I usually sit

Can't forget my coffee

Just the perfect shoes to wear in a garden

Going back home now

Isaiah 58:11 (NASB)

“And the Lord will continually guide you,

And satisfy your desire in scorched places,

And give strength to your bones;

And you will be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.