BEYOND THE CROSSROADS
Cliff Sterling  - Jul 28, 2000

When I look into the mirror,
I do wonder how it can be,
that an old man looks back at me.
Where on earth has this old man been
for all of those many lost years -
too few laughs and too many tears.

From manhood, up to the crossroads,
those prime-of-life youth years just flew;
those happy years were all too few.
From youth to old age was a blur.
Life's tribulations took their toll.
Now, I'm simply wrinkled and old.

As I look into the mirror,
far beyond the facial lines,
I seek most a heart that is kind;
one with consistent compassion;
a heart forever forgiving -
to share lessons with the living.

I assessed my very being,
far deep within my ageless soul.
Was I wiser as I grew old?
Was my spirit all it could be?
Were my pure thoughts too far away,
when I humbly knelt to pray?

The human jungle was my cross.
Unable to meet its demands,
I mustered courage - made my stands.
Winning battles, but loosing wars,
the struggles had a human price!
I was at my end more than twice.

Only after utter defeat
did life become pure and golden -
returning years that were stolen.
I was led to the right crossroad
and received my award at last.
My trials were in the distant past!

Retirement is traumatizing
to many I am well aware,
but I find a safe haven there.
My spirit and youth are renewed.
Oh glory be, oh glory be,
I found my niche, and I am free!

   
A Gardener's Blessing

May the bunnies never nibble on your young
and tender shoots,
 May your transplants settle in and put
down hardy roots,
     May your weeds come out real easy and your
lawn be fungus free,
 May you never put your back out or
inhale a bumblebee,
May your roses never stab you or
your hoses spring a leak,
    And may everyone come calling when
your garden's at its peak,
       May you never grow too weary as you toil
for hours and hours,
    And may you never be too busy to stop
 and smell the flowers!
                                        --unknown

   
When free, the mind is naturally serene, just as unstirred water is by nature limpid and clear.

X

Ahh yes, that " unknown " gardener knows what he - she is talking about, the perils of gardening...those rose thorns and weeds that take over quicker than we blink an eyelid...Thank you bubble for starting our new week off.....

I will savour todays quote, yes to free the mind...

Good morning...

Rain during the night and just maybe it has stopped for the day. I wish we could share this rain  ,either that or start building an ark!

Labeling and putting away the dill pickles  and that is it...a day of rest here! Kyle is finishing up on another shop for his village....a quilt shop and a bake shop. Hospital with helipad is now up amongst the rest of the village.

We went to the garage sale yesterday, everything needed to go and I couldn't help but watch my friend as she watched people take away items that she had. Family was such a big help to her, they are going to down size her vehicle from a van to a small car ,much easier for her to park in the city. Her daughter lives in the area she is moving to and will have constant contact with her, one son is close by in a village just outside of town but will also keep an eye on her.

Bubble love the new start page. Since we have been retired we seem to be busier than ever! As for old age, that is a stage in life denied to many.

Better get ready to meet the day..

Enjoy your day and stay safe..

On the run, usual for a Sunday morning. All cats ate their breakfast & sittin outside in the fresh air. We had some rain overnight, couldn't have been much but the concrete is wet. Youngest son called last night to say he'd be over today to clean out the berm... the young trees have taken over and he does love the yard work. Both of his grandmothers would be proud that he is as good with plants & the yard as they were.

Bubble, thanks for the new page and I love every line of the text & your hawk as well as Phyllis' busy street scene. You do put a lot of thought into a new start for us!

Amy, I think what your friend is dealing with we can all relate to (parting with our life of stuff that we put together, all the things we thought we needed). My heart goes out to her.

Big hug to all that stop by, grateful for this day and new month (we'll get to fall sooner). 

Shirley, she  has a lot of family and friends willing to help her, which is nice.
I think we both could share the rain with those battling forest fires, if only one could. I am going tp purge a lot of items, some the kids can use others they don't want..eg dishes  china.

Colder weather can't come soon enough for me and I do think it will be early judging by the signs about. These dogs are leaving enough hair EACH day to make a St Bernard!!

Good Morning Everyfriend!  Nice new start for our "home" here.  Thank you BUBBLE!  Back when my mother was in the
"wrinkle stage", she came out of the downstairs bathroom and said, "Every time I look in that mirror, there's this old lady staring out at me. I wonder who she is?"  She could have written that one poem.

Mickie and I have had breakfast and a nice long walk this morning and I'm ready to get my shower and get ready for church.  Maybe a quick stop at the Farmer's market on the way home.

I hope you all have a good day...better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow.

Good Morning everyone. well I went to bed about 10:30 P M AND WENT TO SLEEP PRETTY QUICK. SLEPT UNTILL ABOUT 6:30 a m. feel PRETTY GOOD EXCEPT FOR MY RIGHE HIP AND Leg . yesterday I mad two large Jalapeño casseroles. excuse my caps please. Have a great day. everyone Loves them, not too hot just enough heat to be Tatsey. have a great day.

Lloyd

   
 Good grief Charlie Brown...highway is  heavily peppered with cars, town is like a ball of worms with tourist. Come on Fall and Winter although today  feels more like Fall with it being damp and a temp of 57° . Think I will put a fleece top on to chase away the chill.

Lloyd, what all do you put in your casseroles?

Amy, we started at 57 at 4:16 AM and are headed to cloudy skies and 85°.
 Yesterday was in the low eighties, too, but I agree it feels like an early fall. Farrah is having a lot of zoomies and accompanying them with hoarse growls.

I read about the fires in Europe, primarily Eastern Europe and Spain, Greece, and Turkey. People have to leave everything behind, and they're evacuating by sea. Some are also, like Belgium, having both catastrophic floods with those never before seen fires.

Patricia, we are up to 61° now and the sun is fighting the clouds to peek through. About an hour ago I was checking on the bed when a huge invisible sleep monster pulled me in..well ,that is my story. Must have fought with the dogs to because both of them were at my feet

I forgot to answer your question about the beets. I pickle them , will send you the recipe and you just may want to try it. Consists of cooked beets, sugar  water and vinegar.

 Amy First of I tell you I enlarge the recipe, the orginal calls for three cups of cooked rice (minute rice) i use, one can of cream of mushroom sup, sixteen ounces of sour cream, spread that mixture in the bottom of 8x16 baking dish, then cover that with about 1/2" of shredded cheddar cheese, dice up cooked Ham ( i get those boneless cooked ones) at walleye world. I cut the Ham about 1/2" thick and cut it in bite pieces. then I alternate the Ham bites and Jalpino's slices back and fourth across the top of that, then cover that 1/2" or 5/8 or so deep of cheddar cheese Bake at 350º Untill melted and bound to sut. 

Lloyd

Lloyd, thank you. Sounds delicious!! I will have a go at that without the jalapenos. I also have some mushrooms I can throw in. We are not fond of HOT spicy food but everything else is a go!

 

A good Sunday August First to EVERYFRIEND❣️

Thank you, BUBBLE for our fresh new page to enjoy.  I enjoyed your nice poems you added.

I have so much to be thankful for, and yet I am feeling a bit down today knowing that our anticipated family time together is over and the time just went much too quickly😩😢

I thank you all for the nice anniversary wishes.  We did enjoy a nice day and we all know how special these years are together. 

JACKIE, your cad was enjoyed by both an appreciated❣️ Thank you ❣️

PATRICIA, I made a HAPPY BIRTHDAY message to you, and now I do not see it.  I do hope your day was a good one. LOL at being called the "baby senior".
I, too, love the bag pipes.  There is a man in our area that goes out in the evenings and plays until sunset.  We never had the opportunity to see or hear him even though we have tried many times.  He will not enter our area because we are a gated community within the community.  Many years ago my mom was at a gathering of ladies in a private home.  One ladies husband came to pick her up, but did not know which house she was in.  He got his bag pipe out and started playing....she heard him and came out😃🤣🤣

AMY, lucky Kyle having lots of Jason of pickles to enjoy😘 Bless your friend that lost her husband.  I do hope she has a good support system to help her get the home cleared out for the new owners. 

Time to think about dinner.  Enjoy the evening.

Jenny



 

well I am putting this thing to bed and I not far behind, hope to see you all tomorrow.

Lloyd

LLOYD, your casserole sounds gooooood!  And I like the jalapenos.  A little zip is tasty!

I made a venison roast for supper and there's enough left over for two suppers for me and two batches of doggie food!  It was a big roast!  But it came to me already frozen so I had to cook the whole thing.  Made carrots in the roaster with it and brussels sprouts in the A/F.  Good supper!  More good supper tomorrow and Tuesday.

We got some rain today.  The report said "severe thundershowers" but it was just a nice soaking rain for about a half hour and then the sun came back out.  The temp never got above 75 today.  I don't know what to expect any more. 

I'm off to the haystack!  Tomorrow will be another busy day and I think Frankie will be stopping by.  She had a dinner date with a nice guy that she met through a friend and I'm anxious to hear how it went.  She doesn't really have much luck with guys but there has to be at least one out there who is right for her!

I think I say good night before my eyes go into Slamshut mode!  I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one!

well hello everyone, It Is 71º now @ 4:22 A M. and clear. we went to a birthday parity yesterday for our 3 year old great grandson. what a treat to see them grow. hope you all have a great day.

Lloyd

Good morning..

Another lovely day in the making...temp is 47°.
Working around home after I go and gas the vehicle up.
Both dogs really like the canned hamburg that I did, cleaned their breakfast up fast! Crow is now quiet as I threw his breakfast out to them.

Better get moving..

Gloria, where are you??

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

Good Morning Everyfriend!  The temp hasn't made it out of the 50s yet this morning and is only heading for a high of 79.  This sure isn't the August I remember!  But I'll take it!

Today is the day of the month that I detest the most!  Bill paying day!  It's not so much spending the money, I just don't like paper work!  Of course, I really don't like spending the money either.  That makes it a double whammy!

And I'm going to have to go get dressed pretty quick because Mickie is about to tell me it's time for her walk.  So I wish you all a good day...better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow.

Good morning everyone. I had a lazy day yesterday and did not even turn the computer  on till Skype time. Dozed on and off all day and slept good last night.

PATRICIA  happy belated birthday. Since we don't make the birthday greetings in PSP I lost track of all the birthdays. At times I think if Yahoo hadn't dropped all the groups I would have got back into PSP, I really enjoyed it, especially the stationery, some of those tutorials were a challenge. Then again Incredimail closed down. My oldest son is bout 7 weeks older than you. His Bday is July 2.

AMY  this week my daughter will be making her first batch of zucchini relish. She has to make enough so my SIL has enough to last a year. Before she is done she will make at least 40 pints of it. He never cared much for relish before she started making it but will use a half pint at a meal. He is eating a bigger variety of food since he married my daughter. His mother was a terrible cook, and it was eggs and packaged meals mostly. When Regina and Gary got marrie and were traveling to San Diego his mother stocked the freezer in their fridge with TV dinners that she served every night. Like me Regina never liked TV dinners.

JANE  my MIL was Scottish and would have loved those bagpipes.

BUBBLE  thanks for the new page for August. I love Beyond the Crossroads. It sure fits most of us here. Where did those days go when we were to young to appreciate them?

AMY  we have had 3 days of cool temperatures and low humidity and NO rain. Rain is due again sta rting Wednesday for 3 days according to local weather forecast.

SHIRLEY  like you I am looking forword to autumn and weather we need to wear a sweater or light jacket when going outside and windows open again, not to mention the colors of the leaves.

AMY  I had to get rid of many things when I moved here. I still have the set of my Mom's china that no one in the family wants and I cannot part with. Most likely my kids will jst throw them away as they have all the china they need an use. With big family gathe rings they now use sturdy paper plates so don't take out their  "guest" best dishes.

LLOYD  I used to love hot peppers but now I cannot enjoy them any more. My son still grows some in his garden every year.

CALLIE  great seeing you pop in at last, you have been missed here in the SS.

JENNY  family gatherings never happen often enough and are always over before you want them to be.

JANE  I hope Frankie's date with the hew guy was a good one and there will be more of them.

They are working on the elevator here today. I saw their truck come in before 7. The notice we got from the witch said between 7 and 3pm. That means I cannot go anywhere until they are done. They have to check it every year. Yvette will have to come up the 2 flights of stairs when she gets here.

Have a good day and hope wherever you are the day stays cool and the humidity low and enjoyable.

I, too,love the pipes.  The "skirling" of the pipes from over the walls of Stirling Castle on a misty morning in Scotland is one of my treasured memories. We were so lucky to travel several times in Scotland and loved every minute of it.

Thank you, Bubble, for the graphic.  Big surprise to open Soda Shoppe and see it!  It is one of my few attempts at a more abstract scene.

Happy Birthday, Angel.

Happy Anniversary, Jenny and Bob.

I'm so sorry that I've missed special days for friends but I am sending best wishes to everyone now.

My mother used to can Pickled Beets, Amy.  I'm not a beet lover but I like he pickled ones.

Take care, All. 

Good morning from a sunny Interior at 58° and headed toward 86°. Tomorrow is also bill paying and hunter-gathering, and hopefully getting a haircut, day for me as I need fresh ingredients for the green salad I'm making for the fourth. It includes sliced peaches and Roquefort crumbles.

Amy, I noticed the blue skies aren't as vibrant either, more of pastel, but I'm not looking forward to an Arctic winter and all the chilly cold that comes with it. I like autumn's glories, but I love summer's brief heat.

 Our summer is very short. Winter runs from about Halloween to Easter, not counting our unusual 2020-2021's length. And midwinter's day comes with only five daylight hours.

Thank you, Gloria, for the belated birthday greetings, and I wish your son the same.

I hope everyone's day is going well and that any bad is minimal.

Couldn't remember if I checked in this morning... one of those days. Past noon & still not dressed but was running around in my winter housecoat!!! Love it. BUT, warming up & I gotta run errands.

Main thing I keep forgetting to tell y'all is that my brother got me started with the "Aunt Nellie's" brand of pickled beets, they really are like Mom used to can. I like the baby ones best & just eat them out of the jar like brother, Jay, did. I keep a jar in the frig all the time & pull it out when the hunger strikes. Yummy!

Need to get rolling.  Gloria, I also wish we could have the PSP Steps going again, now that I have plenty of time to understand & remember what to do. I've mentioned before that I bought several newer versions to go with Windows 7 & 10 but couldn't understand how to set up the work space. One version was especially for working with Photos but, alas, I failed.....

Hey there all y'all!  It's been a different kind of day.  I did a lot of cleaning up outside while Frankie did a lot of cleaning up inside!  My floors and counters and tables and all that stuff are all clean and a lot of the weeds are gone outside.  Now, mind you, I didn't say "all" of them are gone but I put a pretty good dent in the job.

Ground up a lot of the venison for dog food and I have enough to make 2 batches.  Mickie will appreciate that.

I did all the banking up to date including the bills that are the same every month and I only have to wait for a couple of them to come in.  And then I also have to get my property taxes paid this month and that's a biggy!  But it's nice to know there's enough money there to pay them. 

I watered the tomatoes (I have a couple pink ones) and took the doggies for their last walk of the day! And I ordered some stuff I need!  Now I'm almost ready to check the haystack for zzzzzs.

I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one!