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

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