Wordy Wednesday: Bicycling

"Life is like a ten speed bicycle.  Most of us have gears we never use." ~ Charles M. Schultz

"Life is like a bicycle.  To keep your balance you must keep moving." ~ Albert Einstein

"Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race. " ~ H.G. Wells

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike." ~ John F. Kennedy

"Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling."

~ James E. Starrs

Cat In The Box

It's not just children that like an empty box.

Cats do too!

Toby gave me a look of indifference . . .

Yawned . . .

Laid his head down . . . 

And fell fast asleep.

A Way To Peace

Speaking to me while I cleaned.

Be Joyful.  Love Always.  Pray Often.

As I cleaned our house, I realized these lovely figures represent 3 very important aspects of a peaceful life.

After dusting and returning them to their respective places, I sat down and thought for a moment.

I thought . . .

How wonderful, to be reminded daily of my need to be joyful, loving and prayerful simply by looking at 3 lovely little figures.

I like that.

I just thought I would take a break from cleaning and share my thought process with you today.  Isn't it amazing how God can speak to us, even while cleaning the house.  I sure think so!

Have a blessed day!

WORDY Wednesday: Trouble!

Do you see that?  That isn't a flower!  That's trouble!  Lucky for him there were budget cuts and I didn't plant flowers this year!

Flower box (yet to be painted) courtesy of Eric Taylor and his wife, Ruth.  I love them; and the flower boxes too!

Trouble here, had just snatched a very large West End Bakery cookie from underneath the neighbor's bushes. He then proceeded to scamper over to my empty flower pot to have lunch!

That is, until I so rudely interrupted him!  I think he thought I was going to steal his sugar cookie. 

Doesn't he look like he's saying,

"BACK OFF WOMAN!  THE COOKIE'S MINE!"

Last year, these little guys took to burying their treasure trove of West End Bakery cookies in my flowers!

Squirrels = TROUBLE!  Even if they are cute!

Our porch could use a good scraping and epoxy paint.  It looks so bad!

Flutterby Butterfly

"The green grass and the happy skies court the fluttering butterflies." ~ Terri Guillemets

Click on the images to make them bigger.

{Common Buckeye Butterfly}

"Happiness is like a butterfly.  The more you chase it, the more it eludes you.  But if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder." ~ Author Unknown

{Purple Butterfly Bush}

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies."

~ Author Unknown

{Common Buckeye Butterfly}

"Butterflies are self propelled flowers." ~ R.H. Heinlein

{Fiery Skipper Folded Wing Butterfly}

"Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life.  And everyone deserves a little sunshine."

~ Jeffrey Glassberg

{Fiery Skipper Folded Wing Butterfly}

"The butterfly is a flying flower, the flower a tethered butterfly." ~ Ponce Denis Ecouchard Lebrun

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

~ Hans Christian Anderson

Thrifty Thursday: Dreaming

Hello fellow thrifters.

I'm Michelle McCarty and I'm a thrift-a-holic!  I've been thrift free for 3 weeks now.

I can't begin to tell you how much I miss Thrifty Thursday and going to the thrift shops.  I haven't set foot in a Goodwill, Salvation Army, flea market or any thrift store for that matter, in weeks!

I miss the hunt desperately!

I keep reminding myself why I'm doing this; and the prospect of debt freedom is really exciting!  But if I'm totally honest, I'm struggling with the budget crunch.  Despite my struggles, I've kept my promise to steer clear of the thrift stores and keep fighting the urge to thrift.  

I've always looked at my thrifting as 'pinching pennies' and getting things we need at really great prices.  However, 9 times out of 10, I came home with things we didn't need.  Thus spending money--precious pinched pennies--that I wouldn't have spent in the first place.  Totally the opposite of my intentions.

You've heard of alcoholics and kleptos.  But have you heard of a thrift-a-holic?    If not, now you have.  I'm a bonafide thrift-a-holic, junk-a-holic, perpetual thrifter, whatever you like to call it, I am one; and I am definitely in the throes of withdrawal.

Maybe I should start a thrift-a-holic support group.

Seriously, I could break out in a cold sweat over the thought of missed treasures.  When I drive past a Goodwill, yard sale or flea market its all I can do to fight the wheel.  Sometimes I think the car is on auto pilot.  Still I press on and resist the temptation.

No easy task for an addict.

I've even been dreaming about thrifting.  Dreaming about what could be waiting for me, calling out to me, "Take me home!  I'm really cheap."  Okay, that didn't sound so good but you get the idea!

I miss thrifting and I miss sharing my thrifted treasures with all of you!

Until some far off Thrifty Thursday, I'll be dreaming of thrifting. . .

"May all your thrifty adventures, yield you thrifty treasures."

~ Me

Each week I link up with:

Sophie, over at Her Library Adventures on Sunday, for:

Word(LESS) Wednesday: Fat Cat, Hot Cat

Toby was too hot!

So he found a cool spot.

Linoleum is the perfect place to roll around.

What a life!