2026

Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to NOVEMBER. My header photo this month shows a gorgeous picture showing beautiful Autumn Colors God's Blessings to YOU for an awesome month and remember to GIVE THANKS for all of your many blessings.

Sunday, November 1, 2026

NOVEMBER: Thirty Days to be Grateful

 Dear Blog Friends,  Welcome to November!!!  This is a month where we emphasize  being grateful.   All of us  hopefully do that year-round but November is 30 days for us to count our blessings each and EVERY day. I could write a book on all of the many things/people I am so thankful for.  I will write down one gratitude  each day for all 30 days in November.  We all have so many blessings and remembrances  in our lives --but it's nice to write some of them down for these next 30 days.  I hope you do the same.   God Bless us all.  I am grateful for YOU. 


Be thankful at all times!


Yesterday,  I am blessed for all of our gorgeous ROSES blooming on our Deck.


I am thankful for AUTUMN--and all of the pretty Fall leaves changing colors.



Thanksgiving is a day to be with friends and family --and Praise God.


I am thankful for dear friends who are so special to me.


I had three amazing childhood friends.  We were good friends all of our lives and loved all of our Getaway Gang travels as we got older.   All three now are in heaven with God--and looking down on me. One Thanksgiving George and I went to Kingsport to visit one of these special Friends, Reida.   We picked her up and took here out of eat and for a long ride in the area.  She loved it --and so did we!!! (I miss these 3 friends more than anyone can imagine).


George and I love driving on all of the little back roads--especially in Autumn.


I have been a HUGE Bird Lover and Watcher.  This is a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak.
Watching and feeding the Birds is such a blessing to me.

 
I love Sunrises and Sunsets so much.  In the mornings,  God is welcoming me to another day on earth.  In the evening,  he is telling me to relax and get rest.



I am blessed and grateful to live close enough to see the beautiful Smoky Mountains during all seasons.



Family is so important to me and are my life.  I am truly blessed to have an amazing, loving family.  We meet several times a year to fellowship together.  Thanksgiving is one of those very special times. This picture was taken on Thanksgiving in 2018.   Sadly 3 people at this table are now in heaven.  One is our oldest son, Bert.  I miss him so much--but are grateful to have had 59 wonderful years of memories with him. 

And the most important person in my life is my husband, George.  He is everything to me: friend, lover, husband and everything else.   He is the reason I am still here on this earth.  We take care of each other as we age.   Thank You George for loving ME.  God's Blessings are with us always.



Thanks be to God --who is the center of my life in everything I do.  I am definitely still a work in Progress!!!  Just ask George!!!! (HA HA)


Thanks be to you,  my Blog Friends.  Remember to take time to be GRATEFUL for your lives.

Much LOVE, 

BETSY AND GEORGE  



Thursday, October 1, 2026

OCTOBER 2026--- My Favorite Season

Dear Blog Friends, Welcome to a month filled with pretty fall colors, fires in the fireplace, fall decorations, and lots of football and baseball. Hope you are happy and healthy--and enjoying life. George and I are both quite well --for 84!! Today's post will show some of our October Colors through the years. ENJOY, Much Love, BETSY AND GEORGE 
 










 

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Welcome to September: Pretty Fall Leaves and FOOTBALL

 

Dear Blog Friends,   Can you believe that September is here??????  As I said in my title,  September is the month of cooler weather,   beautiful colored leaves,  and of course for me,  it's FOOTBALL!!!

 My post this month is from a fabulous August this year.    It was my BIRTHDAY month ---and it was a great one.   My pictures this month  show some beautiful pictures from my little Birthday Trip with my Sweetheart.    AND---some of my Birthday Celebration with the Family....  I loved every minute.

Hope you enjoy celebrating my month with me!!!   Much Love,

BETSY and GEORGE 

  

In the Smokies watching a beautiful Sky!

 


Taken from the Foothills Parkway looking down toward Townsend!

 


Check out the beautiful skies!  What do you see?

 


My HUGE Birthday Dinner at the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant in Sevierville, TN. (It was so good and we brought a bunch home for more delicious dinners.)

 


HA HA HA... What a picture!!!  BUT---that Cades Cove Ice Cream is always delicious.

 


A picture of my Sweetie and me---taken at Cades Cove!!!

 


Another picture from the Foothills Parkway...  Again,  check out the amazing skies!!!  There was no rain that day although it looked like it could!!!!

 
 

 

My Wonderful Family:  Robin in front;  Mark, George,  the Old Woman, Dawn, Jeff ;



My wonderful family brought me a Birthday Cake...   I'm glad there weren't 84 candles on it.  I could have burned down the house!!!!! HA HA

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Saturday, August 1, 2026

August Lilies in our Yard 2026

Pearl Lorraine


Rosella' Dream 


Lollipop 


Casa Blenca

 


Stargazer

 


Garden Party

Dear Blog Friends,    Welcome to AUGUST (my favorite month)!!!   Hope you enjoy seeing some of the Lilies blooming on the deck this year.... You might ask:  "Why is it my favorite month?"   I'm tell you that on AUGUST 5,  I'll be 84 years young.    Last month wasn't my best month since I fell twice.  My OLD BODY says "Don't do that again!"    I'll try to do better this month!!!    Have a great August!!!

Love to all,

BETSY
 

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

25th ANNIVERSARY TRIP

Dear Blog Friends,    Our 25th wedding anniversary was on June 23rd.     SO we spent a few days at one of our Favorite places,  Mt. Pisgah Inn,  along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.   I'm sharing a few pictures today from our trip.  Hope you enjoy them!!!! 

Love,  Betsy and George 

 

View from our Room at Pisgah Inn


Sitting on our Porch enjoying the View


Two Lovers --still happy after 25 years


Blue Ridge Parkway

 


Rhododendron on  the Blue Ridge Parkway

 


Blue Ridge Parkway

 


Blue Ridge Parkway

 


Blue Ridge Parkway

 


Blue Ridge Parkway

 


Anniversary Pork Loin Dinner--Pisgah Inn

 


 Happy Man on our Anniversary

 


YUMMY DINNER on our Anniversary

 


Beautiful Sunrise from our Room

 


Beautiful Morning at Pisgah Inn

 


One more view from our room at Pisgah Inn