Everyday Living

Simple + Southern Sunday No. 477 ~ Best of ’23

~ Everyday Living, Simple + Southern Sunday

“The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭103‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Happy New Year!!! SSS posted 781 pics in 2023. That number offered a challenge when attempting to narrow things down! But, we have selected a few from across the year that we hope you enjoy. Pam and I made a lot of pics one afternoon of rainbows that provided some of the most beautiful, thought provoking skies. We enjoyed the unusual and ever changing light that day as eternal thoughts of things to come came on our minds, This is the eastern sky. While we did post a photo of this scene, this particular pic was not published in that post.

February found us in Montana at Triple Creek Ranch to celebrate our 50th anniversary. A great time in breathtaking Big Sky country!

February and March  were phenomenal months for sunrises!

One of my all time favorites of EM as she was out and about helping us usher in spring a little ahead of schedule!

A Tuscan panzanella salad that is a “Pam favorite” at Bottega cafe.

The first peony bloom of the season. PJ was excited!

Princess EK loves to visit the Sunshine Cottage and hang out with PJ!

Another one of my pre-dawn walks through the pastures and trails that paid off. April continued to be a great month to be out and about early!
 

I had to build a hideout last spring, and be still and patient to finally get this pic. A bluebird was actually spotted sitting on top of this box last week!

Pam loves glads and they do make a statement. Some years strong winds wreak havoc on them but these fared well in 2023. Do you see the ruby-throated hummer that made his way into this photo? Pam didn’t know the hummingbird was in the photo until reviewing later!

If the Lord allows us another year to garden, we will very likely plant additional Luna Rose Hibiscus. These plants are herbaceous perennials,  and tolerate cold and should be fine where we live. I mulched this one and a Luna Red Hibiscus to help protect the roots.  The blooms were 8 inches in diameter!

After about 50 photo attempts of a hummingbird moth, I managed to capture this one visiting the lantana. 

The first half of the year was the time to visit waterfalls in our region. The latter half of 2023 has been very dry and for a while most falls were only trickles. Our best rains of the last 4 or 5 months were probably on Christmas Eve into Christmas Day last week. The kids with outside toys had to wait a day or two to really try out the new stuff!

A goldfinch showed up in 2023 that seemed to follow me around the yard and garden whenever I was outside. It was like he was spying on me. I think I talked about this in a post.

An occasional drone shot is fun and can give a quick look at how things are looking overall. This was obviously before the really hot, dry weather came along.

WL has always loved anything outside, and especially anything that has wheels. When he visits, instead of coming in, he might climb up on the golf cart and fasten his seat belt. That’s a pretty good sign he is ready to travel. And “Mr. Blue Eyes” usually gets his wish.

It’s always nice when the hummingbirds begin to show up and become regulars around the garden. Like the bluebirds, it took a lot of patience and a good hideout to get close.

Supposedly a spring and summer bloomer, the snowball bushes might bloom any time of the year. One of our two bushes of about 20 years became diseased and I finally cut it down this past summer. It might be time to part with the remaining one and start over with new plants.  O’ to be young again!

The cottage garden did well in June and into July but thereafter it was water, water, water. Watering became my daily task from early July until frost in November!

We did not see a lot of swallowtail butterflies in 2022, but after a slow start, they were abundant in 2023.

Pam, an early morning golf cart ride, clouds, and a waiting camera…all part of capturing a beautiful moment at the start of another day!

After giving up on dahlias and basically ignoring this plant, it bloomed for the first time ever toward the end of the growing season! Saved by the bell, I was planning on digging up!

Pam and I always anticipate the Monarch butterfly visits that happen every October. 

With autumn arriving, golden fields begin to appear, and it is a great time to ride through our farm country.

White fields are also plentiful as harvest season begins!

I spoke last fall about dry weather and leaves turning loose instead of turning colors.  While that was somewhat the case in 2023, there’s never been an ugly autumn! God’s handiwork is always awesome!

As we looked upon a full moon, Jupiter, and the garden under a winter sky, we had a lengthy discussion of just how quickly this year was drawing to a close. I realize each day has 24 hours, but as the years go by, each 24 hours seems to roll around a lot sooner than it used to. It was a challenging year in many ways, but 2023 was filled with blessings!
 

As always, we are grateful for your prayers, support, and encouragement.

We appreciate the time you take from a busy schedule to read, comment, and be a part of our everyday living.

We wish you a Happy and Peaceful 2024!!!!!!

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Linking with:
 Pieced Pastimes,  Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
 Life and Linda

Comments

  1. A beautiful look back of your rainbows, sunsets, flutterbies and drone shot, and especially of those adorable grands! I especially love the hummingbird capture and can attest to how challenging that was to snap! Wishing you both a happy and healthy 2024. ♥

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  2. Oh how I appreciate your love for God’s beauty. Your posts are a delight to the senses and it makes me want to dust off my camera. Thanks so very much for all your hard work. Wishing your family a wonderful New Year

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  4. I really enjoy your garden photos. We have a new yard so just getting started. Hoping to attract some hummingbirds this new year. Thanks for the posts!

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  5. What extraordinary photos. I love the way you both look at nature and the world. Just such a beautiful journey through life that you share with us! Happy and Healthy New Year.

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  6. Such a wonderful year in review, and stunning pictures! The rainbow capture over the Sunshine Cottage is incredible! Love the photos of your 3 grands, so precious~ and all the amazing nature captures. This was a great start to my Sunday and I wish you both the best for 2024!

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  7. Your grandchildren, your gardens and all the visitors, and your inspirational observations are so well-loved. Thank you for another year of Simple Southern Sundays. Wishing you both a very healthy new year.

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  8. What beautiful shots of nature and your grandchildren! Thank you for sharing these glorious photos. Wishing you a healthy, happy New Year!!

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  9. This is such a beautiful post for the last day of 2023. The rainbow photo over Sunshine Cottage is gorgeous. The sunrise photos are absolutely stunning, and I am always amazed at God’s handiwork. Your grandbabies are absolutely precious, and I can’t believe how quickly they are growing up. I wish you both a healthy and happy New Year!

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  10. All of the pics are colorful and so pretty. We always enjoy them and the commentary. The grands are so cute and we always enjoy seeing their smiling faces. The sky shots are gorgeous. Capturing the butterflies, hummingbirds and blue birds was quite an accomplishment! We’re praying for you and your family. May God richly bless you with wonderful health in 2024! Clara❤️

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  11. What a beautiful look back over 2023. The double rainbows photo over Sunshine Cottage is spectacular. It is wonderful seeing all the color, especially this time of year. And I always enjoy seeing the grands and wonderful foodings! Hope 2024 brings you much happiness, good health, and joy. And as always, I will be looking forward to Pam’s beautiful tablescapes and Butch’s walkabouts!

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  12. Wonderful pictures! Feast for the eyes and balm for the soul! Thank you for your encouragement! Happy New Year my dear friends! Blessings! God bless your adorable Grands and all of you.

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  13. All gorgeous pictures. You need to put all your pictures in a book each year to remember the year. I am looking forward to 2024 and all the beauty and beautiful stories you will post. Happy New Year. Let’s pray for more love and peace and fun adventures. Hugs. Kris

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  15. What I see today in your post is the love you have for Pam, your family, God and us. Thank you. The amazing first picture touched me. It seemed to surround the throne of God. I thought when Pam can’t find you, you are hidden with your camera being very
    Quiet so that we can “see” the beauty of a fleeting moment. Many wow moments.

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  16. The photos are all stunning, but I love maps, so the image from the drone is my favorite. It’s like a little map of your property. I love how everything is arranged so neatly! Happy 2024 to you – wishing many more beautiful adventures ahead.

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  17. Your grandchildren are beautiful! I would have a hard time ever having to say “no” to Mr. WL’s big blue eyes. To be honest, I rarely said “no” to my grandkids anyway.😄
    You are an amazing photographer. I especially love that closeup of the Hummingbird Moth! Wow!

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  18. Butch, I suspect you are privileged to “catch and capture” these supreme moments because
    the Lord recognizes your keen insight and open heart, as well as your ability to share His
    gifts with others. These year-end photos of your surroundings are awesome and your
    youngsters remain delightful subjects for your trusty camera. The Lord, for certain, will allow more years for gardening and being faithful…. A very blessed New Year filled with love, peace, joy and His prosperity to you, our Pam and the kindred spirits at Everyday Living.

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  19. Thank you for sharing the amazing photos and your love of the Lord with us each week. You never know whose heart you touched. Wishing you and yours a happy healthy New Year.

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  20. Such a pleasure being with you this year! Thank you for sharing so much beauty and love. Best wishes to you and your sweet family for a happy and healthy new year!

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  21. Wishing you both a healthy New Year! Your pictures are all beautiful. Thank you for continuing your Simple Sunday posts each week.

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  22. I love your “best” list, with beautiful images and wonderful portraits of those three adorable children. The scenery, the colors, the nature — splendid — just like you two!

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  23. It is nice to look back over a year and see what all has gone on. Our family is going through changes with our DIL deciding she doesn’t want to be with our son. Sad… But the year has also been very good in other ways, too. Lovely photos! Wishing you a blessed 2024.

    Happy New Year,
    Barb 💕

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  24. I love sitting down on Sunday afternoons and reading your weekly post. My husband spent time in the summers at his grandparents’ home in Piedmont. He has so many fond memories of that area. Although my roots are in upstate SC, I always enjoy seeing what you have captured with your camera. It helps me connect with my husband’s Alabama heritage. May 2024 bring many blessings your way!

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  26. Oh my goodness. With 791 photos to choose from, it must have been challenging, but these that you have chosen are absolutely beautiful! So many pretty pictures of skies, nature, birds, flowers, and of course those precious grands. The opening shot of the rainbow almost looks like the rainbow is encasing a bubble and the hibiscus is gorgeous. New Year to you both and wishing that 2024 brings many more blessings your way.

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  28. As I pondered your comment about if the Lord grants another year to garden, I sent up a prayer that He will bless you both with many more years of gardening. We all need you here. It was wonderful to look back over the year through your photos. May the Lord be with you and bless you today!

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  29. I think your beautiful pictures, comments and scriptures are your ministry. Thank you for sharing. It’s always encouraging

    Reply

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