The Simple Joys of Life

This morning, I have been embracing gratitude and thankfulness as I reflect on all that God does for my family and me. That's how I reset my emotions when they go off the scale. And now, I'm feeling much calmer and less anxious and ready for the day.

One of His sweet creatures visited our deck yesterday afternoon. God's sweetest creations like this grey squirrel bring me so much joy and calm me down. Thankfully, I didn't scare this little squirrel when I pulled back the curtain to check the rain gage.

The bluebirds must have eggs in the birdhouse now, because the male chased the squirrel under the deck, perhaps thinking he could be a predator. Then he took to his "throne" on the shepherds hook that will eventually hold one of the hummingbird feeders later this month, watching out for other "predators" that may come along.

In an earlier post this month, I had mentioned that we had either a bumble bee or carpenter bee visiting our deck, looking for nectar, following me around like a pet. Seriously! I did finally find a site that helped me determine it is a male carpenter bee (because it has a black abdomen and a yellow face). And male carpenter bees do not have stingers.

image courtesy of blogs.cornell.edu.

That's a relief to know, because it can be a little unnerving as he buzzes around my head. And while my little friend is around, the wasps stay away. I'm very grateful for that, because those wasps are very aggressive. I'm hoping he keeps away the yellow jackets as well, because they like to create their hives in the ground under our deck. And they are extremely aggressive, attacking in groups, making it very dangerous for us to be outside. And my husband has to get rid of the hives, which isn't fun for him at all.

I hope you're able to find a reason to be grateful today, even if you have to find that gratitude in nature. Ground yourself in God and His beautiful creations. And take pictures to look at these creations so you can find that peace when nature isn't being particularly cooperative. 😋

Have a blessed day,

Patricia

Comments

Bounty Paper Towels Product Review

Today, I want to let you in on a little secret . I recently bought a new four-pack of Bounty paper towels - full sheets. I am not a select-a-size fan at all, for the record. Anyway, the newer package didn't look as thick as the last several packages I had bought over the last several years. I happened to have an older package in storage (and I actually noticed not long ago that the rolls seemed to be smaller in more recent packages, as well, based on the way they fit more loosely in my paper towel holder; not too long ago, they were very snug in my holder until I had used four or five paper towels), so I compared the two when I brought the newer package home. Lo and behold, I was correct. So, I think the decrease in sheets actually started happening gradually over the last year or so. But this time, the reduction was very noticeable. And I hope Bounty won't decrease the size anymore. As you can see in the pictures below, the older package of paper towels shows 58 sheets per r...

Finally a Few Nice Days in a Row

I've been waiting and waiting for spring temps to arrive for more than a couple of days without rain. And this is the week! We finally have some color in the yard and on our deck. So, I want to share what my husband, son, and I have been up to for the last few days. First of all, we had our first cookout on Sunday, April 28 to celebrate our younger son's birthday. That officially kicks off spring. I mixed the first batch of hummingbird nectar a couple of weeks ago, hoping the males would take advantage while the females were tending to their nests. As far as we can tell, 1 male has visited twice. Of course, we can't look out the window all of the time. But we do look out frequently. And we hang them in 2 locations that we can see directly from the kitchen windows. The rose bushes started blooming about a week ago, and I finally had time to take pictures of them. I pulled out the grass and weeds that were growing around them a couple of hours after I took the front-facing ...

Tomedes Free Transcription and Translation

Recently, as you know, I’ve transitioned from a career in transcription and data entry to one focused on generating passive income . Throughout this shift, I’ve realized that I still rely on AI transcription services for the writing component of my new business. In previous posts, I mentioned several AI transcription options, and today, I want to highlight Tomedes’ free Transcribing (up to a 10 MB video file) and Translation services. Tomedes Transcribing and Translation Services Like other free offerings, these services come with certain limitations and may incur additional charges once those limits are exceeded. However, I find their free offers to be comparable to other AI transcription and translation platforms available online. Offering free services showcases Tomedes' confidence in their products. Additionally, providing these free options helps build trust between the company and users, while also giving individuals the opportunity to explore and experience the features o...

Search This Blog