Let Us Pray

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As  we   celebrate Flag Day,  let us pray for our nation!

Welcome Spaces

Join Shannon   on this    Cozy theme!
Last week I shared about  a new book I  purchased,
 In the Royal Manner,  expert advice on   Etiquette, entertaining , by  Paul Burrell... 


Of particular interest to me is page 23... 
Guests to Stay in Your home... 

We are reminded to 

• check the lighting and a bedside table lamp is essential because there should be  interesting books and magazines readily  available  on a table
• Make sure  there are extra blankets  for your guests  in case of  cooler weather  as  our  author has spent many a  sleepless night in draft old castles! 
•  Fresh flowers are a must  to  ensure a  cheery welcome,  as well as   bottled mineral water  placed with a glass  in  the guest bathroom.  Check that there are adequate towels and an assortment of  bath salts and oils would be  a special touch!
• 
• Adequate toilet tissue and  a fresh box of tissues  make guests  feel  welcome and comfortable, of course...  but a spare tooth brush, paste, disposal razor and  cotton balls   would also  be  a delightful find.
•   
• A guest book  makes  guests feel exceptionally  cozy and   their  loving comments  will warm your heart long after  the guests have  departed...  especially   if the  shared  time  was in celebration of life events...  memories shared become invaluable.. I like to consider  some of the bed and breakfasts  we have  enjoyed...   the lodgings were always  very   welcoming...

Hanover, PA



Lexington, VA

Christiansburg, VA

Williamsburg, VA

Lynchburg, VA

Warwick, NY
 Attention to details make  for a very cozy, welcoming space!

Explanation

My life has gotten so  frantic I  dont have time to  do  any blogging of  any value...   I want to  but my mind wont  cooperate...   It seems Im always on the road       often to church    to do something  or  to  the  Assisted Living  place or to  work at mom's house...  If anyone  gets this far into this post.. Id really appreciate your prayers for my  spirit to  rally  because I find myself  falling into a funk   and I need to be  bolstered and  up and at 'em!   Im  much rather be here creating and  blogging  but  it isnt to be for the next while.. I hate to lose  any  followers...     please  check back in a few days...   things should  get better soon!   God bless and have a great week!

Trumpeting Blooms!

Return to A Southern  Daydreamer and  more  Outdoor Wednesday!    Can  a garden  ever  have enough   petunias this time of year....









  Trumpeting  the   glory of the LORD!
Vibrant  in color,  prolific in  bloom!
Removes all  dread,,  relieves all gloom..
Smiling little flower
it's name    smiles, too!
Petunias....   we love you!!!
  

My Poached Egg Success!!

Kathy of   The Delightsome Life  hosts this  beautiful theme each week...    to  be retired  and  have  some  bit of time to  take  a leisurely    breakfast together  is  one    time  my sweetie and I have carved out of our day... before the concerns of  taking care of  aging parents and church  demands    infiltrate  our hours...   so   we   really try to  make each  breakfast  special   and  I  enjoy  experimenting!!  I have  discovered baked eggs  several ways,  and  this time   I am thrilled to share my new way to poach eggs...  Our daughter, ever the  budding  chef....  has mastered  poaching  eggs in a pot of boiling water and they come out  gorgeous  just like a picture in a book.... but no matter how hard I tried, mine  would  come apart and   make a stringy unappetizing mess ,  until I  read  in a recipe where  the cook  was using a frying pan instead of a pot...   I  immediately saw the benefit of this so was determined to give it a try!
  So I put about 3 fingers of water in a frying pan and added about 2 T vinegar  to the water and set it on high to bring it to a boil.

Meanwhile in a small  dish I broke  the egg,  and in boiling water I carefully slid the egg into the water.. I  did this with  all 4 eggs one at a time careful to keep each egg in  in its own space... not touching....
 
 Now I love my egg  soft boiled but  Lynn likes his done   so    I  stood sentinel over them  watching them carefully  and  just  love the    delicate manner in which they    curl around  as they  cook....  I  turned the  temp down  just so   they would cook  evenly and not too fast....  and  I also  gently  used my  turner to slip under each one to make sure they were floating in the water..
 
Soon the whites  were  cooking and    curling  even more  up and over the  yolk..     I  started to  spoon  the boiling water over top of the    yolks  on Lynn's eggs  to  cook  the tops    and when I was  sure the whites were cooked I removed mine from the pan  with a wire   spoon to drain all the water carefully    then placed the eggs on a nice toasted  English muffin..
  
A  tasty    slice of  country ham and a  fresh fruit cup  made for a  wonderfully special breakfast    and  I love how   the clean up    was  so easy...  the pan     was  very much easier to wash than those little poached egg cups I had been using!!!  
      
 The ham cooked for   about 3 and a half minutes in the microwave on a paper towel...      a breakfast  fit for a queen and king... in our estimation!!!
 A breakfast like this is so reminiscent of  a bed and breakfast morning  that  we  love so much....
    we can  return to loveliness  each morning  we give  this gift of time to each other!!!

Blue Monday

I am  sharing on Blue Monday  with Smiling Sally!

I  was  looking for blue   to share and  up popped  my  delicious  snack from  last week... I guess  fresh blueberries are one of  my favorite  blues  at this time of year...

Blueberries, strawberries, and  a lemon  biscotti  with   a tall  glass of iced    green tea  makes fro a  delectable   afternoon    bite!!!

One Thousand Gifts (161-180)

Ann Voskamp, creator  of  this site and the author of One Thousand Gifts  is one of my favorite bloggers.   

  Every Monday  she is hosting this  wonderful  theme  whereby we join  in  counting the blessings of our lives online, I pick up at  16Mountaintop experiences1... this week   Ann encourages us to focus on the JOY we have in our daily lives

161.  Mountaintop experiences
162.  The glory of song, lyrics, and melody
163.  Promises in God's Word
164.  Life together in the sanctuary
165.  Solace found in the Psalms
166. The lap of the Almighty Father in times of trouble
167.  The secret place where God is  found
168.  The garden glade
169.  Dappled light of late spring
170.  Cooling evening breezes
171.  Prayers of loving friends
172.  The strength of my husbands hands
173.  yet his tender touch
174.  Billowing clouds on a warm day
175.  Hope!!
176.  Peace and quiet on lazy mornings
177.  Opportunity!!!
178.  Conviction of the Word  and teaching
179.  Zesty flavor of good food
180.  Soaring spirit  like the the  soaring  birds aloft