Month: September 2019

Friday Afternoon Serenade

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

I read a beautifully written piece the other day by a fellow blogging friend, Modern Serenade, and as I was standing on my back porch this afternoon I thought I’d take his idea and write about my own Friday afternoon serenade.

An airplane flew overhead as the neighbor’s air conditioning unit seemed to kick into overdrive. The wind begin rustling through the trees, and the crickets began their evening rhythms. The dogs across the ridge must have seen a stranger or a critter run by, because they started up in a bit of a panic only to subside after a few minutes. Maybe it was a squirrel that crossed their paths, but his squawking was a bit delayed as he gave a good fussing to some young creature or fellow walking by. The wind rustled through the trees again, as if to attempt to quiet his tirade. I believe it worked. Then, the dogs barked a few times again, and our cats came swirling around my feet with a meow or two just to get some attention. A mosquito buzzed by my ear and landed on my hand as I swatted him. “Smack!” That will be his last bite today; unfortunately, he got me twice. I hear a car driving through the culdesac, probably a neighbor coming home from a long day’s work. The wind rustles a bit stronger through the trees, it seems to be telling the weary soul, “Welcome Home.” My son just joined the chorus as I hear the bass through the subwoofers booming a bit through the walls of the house.

Whish-bark-meow-buzz-smack-vroom”

Another mosquito says goodbye to this life, and I grab the bug repellent; so, I might enjoy a few more moments of the evening serenade before turning in. Even the spray adds a swishing noise to the symphony. The temperatures tonight are quite delightful. … There goes the wind and the crickets again.

“Whish-boom-smack-swish-which-chirp-chirp-bark-boom”

Ahh, there’s the little bird to join in while another plane travels overhead to it’s unknown destination, and finally, the cicadas have come to add their part to the harmony. I was wondering what was taking them so long.

“Whish-boom-chirp-chirp-bark-vroom-whish-tweet-tweet-chirp-chirp-buzz-buzz-cacah”

…a crow couldn’t miss out while he was flying by. 😂

A beautiful symphony given to us by our amazing Creator God. Sitting here, listening and watching just brings a sweet peace to my mind and a gentleness to my heart. It causes me to breathe deeper and smile a little longer. I’m so thankful for my restful place of solitude. It truly brings healing to a weary soul.

I hope you will step outside and listen to the serenade around you, and if it’s just too noisy with human chaos and manmade distractions, take a little drive to a park, an open field, a hiking trail, a lake or a waterfall. Get off the asphalt, and see what you might bring into vision with, not only your eyes, but with your whole being.

Happy listening, and Happy Friday! 😊

Satisfaction in the Small Things

/ The WheatandTares / 10 Comments

It’s so funny, but this little thing I did today brought such great satisfaction in a moment. Two years ago, I had bought one of those bulk packs of pens at Costco, and over time, the pens run out of ink, one by one. I kept them all in a drawer, as they are refillable. I just didn’t get the refills, because this was a bulk pack of 20; so, I had plenty of ready replacements.

As it probably happens for many, after loaning pens out, or having a pen in every notebook and journal you use regularly, that pack of 20 started to dwindle, and I kept seeing the pile grow in the drawer, knowing I needed to get the refills. Yet, I would remember at such inopportune times that I never made the order.

So this week, I finally bit the bullet and order the pack of refills. Tonight, I refilled all the empty pens in the drawer. It was quite a feeling of satisfaction knowing I have pens ready and waiting once again. Yeah, I guess, I’m a bit quirky like that. 😂

I’m curious to know. What’s some little thing that brings you a sense of satisfaction?

Tuesday’s Treats #179

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

Cantina 76

Location: Greenville, SC

The downtown of Greenville, SC is a great place for shopping and eating; so, even pursuing TripAdvisor makes it tough to decide where to eat. (There’s only 711 restaurants from which to choose! 😳😜) Cantina 76 was listed in the top 200, and it was close there where we were walking; so, we decided to give it a try.

Now, if you know anything about cantinas, they’re typically a little more expensive than your local “authentic” Mexican fare, and Cantina 76 doesn’t disappoint. They even charge individually for salsa! However, everything was incredibly fresh, and they had a trio app that came with three salsa/quest choices. So, we decided to not resent the choices too bad. Lol.

Our oldest got the teriyaki chicken and buffalo chicken tacos (individual, not mixed). Wow! Crazy good!! Our youngest got rice and beans. My husband got 3 beef and cheese tacos, and I got one beef and one roasted chicken. Each of the tacos were great, but I would have to say the roasted chicken was my favorite. My husband and eldest son would say the buffalo chicken was the best. Our youngest would say the bean dip was the absolute best. oh, Ana the salsa is phenomenal!

There are a variety of tacos to choose, and there are a few other items on the menu, but you’re not going to find all the extensive “authentic Mexican” menu items.

Here is the website to find menu and location.

Thank You, America

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

It seems to be a phrase that is ridiculed more than appreciated these days, but today, I will proudly say, “Thank you, America.” I don’t care who you are, or where you have come from, if you live in this country, and if you call yourself an American, then, you should say the same…and even though, it may not be a popular sentiment, even if you are not an American citizen, you should still say the same.

Too many in today’s culture take so much liberty in bashing the bad of this country. Too much joy is taken in attempting to destroy the history, and the heritage and the legacy upon which this nation was built. If someone stands for patriotism, freedom and anything “American,” too many snarks and ridicules can be made, and everyone is simply expected to accept it as some sort of tolerance and penance for years of a presumed “superior conceit.”

I will never attempt to argue the perfection of America, nor will I say it can do no wrong, but if you cannot take pride in the country in which you preside, why live there? Just as a mother has to admit the foolishness of her child if that child is to grow beyond the wrong; yet, it should never negate the love and protection that mother holds for her once newborn babe. Seriously. I could stop and restart a whole new blog on that little soapbox right there, but I won’t. Not today.

Today, I’ll just stop and say, “Thank you, America.” Thank you for every hardworking man and woman who seeks to serve and make this country a better place to live. Thank you for all those who put their “hand to the plow” and never look back, always striving to leave a better community for the next generation. Thank you for every person who hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow and instead of tearing down all shreds of goodness from yesterday, he or she digs deep to find a ray of sunshine within the clouds of gray. Thank you to every American who continually takes the next step toward life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; so, our children may dream and pursue those aspirations of their hearts just as our forefathers did so long ago.

Thank you, America, and God bless you!

Happy Labor Day to all! ❤️🇺🇸❤️