September --a glorious month!!

Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to SEPTEMBER. This is a picture taken in September one year when we visited PIKES PEAK, Colorado. Hope you have a month filled with JOY and LOVE. God's Blessings to YOU.

Monday, July 20, 2020

Need to SMILE Today??????? Then check out this post!!!!

Summer Nights Roses --Taken on 6/27/20
Dear Family and Friends,  I love ALL of our many flowers in the yard.   However,   the ROSES  (which are by far the hardest to grow and keep healthy) are my all-time favorites....George works very hard on his 'babies' ---and I love to publish the results for all to enjoy!!

SO ---here are some little Sweethearts just for you!!!!   AND --if you have time,  revisit another Rose Blog I published on July 6. Click HERE.


Octoberfest  --- 5/31/20





Perfume Factory ---6/3/20





Peace --6/14/20





Color Magic--- 6/26/20





Malibu ---6/27/20





Cabana  ---6/30/20





Sweet Afton ---7/4/20





Crescendo ---7/13/20





Rio Samba --7/8/20


I certainly hope these little darlings made you SMILE... They always make me smile--and with everything going on these days,  I'm sure that we ALL need to smile....

George and I both got good results from last week's tests...  My mammogram did not show any changes.  I told someone that 'that' is one area of my body where I've had no problems... Praise God for that.  George also found out that the blurred vision he has been struggling with is a 'simple fix'.... His cataract surgery (from 2 years ago) caused a condition in which  a protein film developed in both eyes causing his up-close vision to continue getting more and more blurry.

He had to have a simple procedure done called a YAG Laser Capsulotomy.  Dr. Galloway said that it is  like using a laser to 'clean the window' in his eye (just like we clean dirty windows at home)... ha.... George had one eye 'cleaned' this past week and will have the other one done this week.   And the good news is that his vision is ALREADY much better.... So--another "Praise God"...

The doctor also said that this is 'common' with some cataract patients --even two years after that surgery... We had never heard of it!!!!!

The doctor visits continue the next couple of weeks.    I go to my heart doctor this week and George goes to the retina doctor next week (for his Macular Degeneration) ....  Between my heart problems and George's eye problems,  we are a 'pair' for sure!!!!!  BUT--we keep on plugging and pushing through it one day at a time and one step at a time...  'Tis Life for us OLD folks!!!!!!

Hope all of you have an awesome week...  Find things that make you SMILE...

Hugs,










Monday, July 13, 2020

Come with us and get some Exercise!

Want a little exercise????  Join us on a couple of short HIKES.
 Dear Friends/Family,   When we were at Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway west of Asheville, NC (from June 15-18),  we took time every day to get some exercise.   Today,  I'm featuring what we did on June 17.   Hope you enjoy our hikes!!!



First of all,  we have to get there!!!!!  We count on our pretty Prius to take us on our journey!!!! NOW-- Think back to June 17, 2020 (which is the day we were there)!




It's a little CHILLY and DRIZZLY this morning --so don't forget to bring your Rain Jackets!!!




We drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway heading east from Pisgah Inn.  We stopped at an overlook and took a SHORT hike on the Mountains to Sea Trail  (which is a LONG trail from Clingman's Dome in the Smoky Mountains all of the way to the Outer Banks,  NC)...




Along that trail,  George is waiting for me to take pictures of the beautiful Mountain Laurel in bloom  (which will be another post).




A smiling old woman --who is enjoying being out in nature on the Mountains to Sea Trail!




We then hopped back in our Prius and headed east of Asheville along the Blue Ridge Parkway to visit an absolutely beautiful waterfall, not too far from Mt. Mitchell.  This was the beginning of that trail.




Isn't this creek gorgeous?  The 1.2 mile (.6 each way) to the waterfall was a nice hike up an old logging road.  I always love hearing the sound of rushing water when we hike in the woods.   Are you still with us????




George is anxious to see that waterfall.   (We had seen it a couple of times --many years ago.)




My first view of that amazing cascade, named Roaring Fork Falls.  My waterfall book says that we are at an elevation here of 3,080 feet and that the cascade is about 45 feet high.




You should hear the sound of that rushing water.    I would love to put up a tent and just stay here all night....




I sat on a rock while George took pictures with his tripod.   Such incredible beauty!!!




Here is one of George's awesome pictures of Roaring Fork Falls.  I love the 'silky' water! 




This is another of George's photos --but this one is zoomed in a bit (so that you can see how much water was flowing down that cascade).  




Like we always do,  we used the tripod to get some pictures of us together...   
I hope you enjoyed our two hikes today!!!!!  Do you feel better now that you got some exercise?  Hope you are hungry!  After our marvelous day,  we were ready for some dinner... SO--we drove into Asheville --and ate at one of our favorite restaurants,  The Moose Cafe.....They have the best home-made biscuits with their home-made Apple Butter.... YUM!!!!

Well,  I guess it's time to head back to Pisgah Inn and have some hot tea on the balcony.... Want some?

The hike is over --and we are now (7/13/20)  'back to the grind' at home!!!!!  Hope your week is GREAT...  I get my yearly Mammogram tomorrow and then on Wednesday,  George visits our Eye Doctor (to hopefully get help for his failing eyesight)....

Hugs,
💚💕💚Betsy💚💕💚