A Very Nice Sunday, with many sorts of blessings

We finally made it to our far-away church again!!!

Our car battery being beyond the grave dead,

a man gave us a ride to church and back again!

It was really good to be back!

I did not teach Sunday School because I am still 

working on gaining energy,

it takes me a long time to bounce back from 

illness now... I am hoping to get better and 

build my immune system and strength again, but

I know that it just takes longer...

and I am no longer 20 but 40 and age too can make

a difference.... 

It was great to be in church though with my other 

church family...

I did have a moment where I nearly cried towards the beginning,

seeing the church still decorated for Christmas and 

here I was finally back and I felt like I should be greeting everyone with

Christ is Born! (The answer being Glorify Him!) but not only did

we miss Christmas because we were ill, but Theophany too...

Also, it was Zacchaeus Sunday,

which is like the flag saying 'Lent is coming'... and so it is,

and so we pray to be ready...

***

I was given 3 belated Christmas/Birthday gifts...

so many thoughtful and beautiful things!

A Christmas ornament, natural honey, 3 really nice

teas, all ones I did not have, candles, a cookbook for

high teas (! hello I hope future high tea at home tea-party dreams!), knitting notions, 

a cute crocheted container for them, lip and hand lotions,

homemade caramel and toffee... 

I am so wishing I could have my dear friends,

including many tea-loving friends who are my blog or IG friends,

and many who are far from where I live now,

here for tea and treats! 

***

We are still enjoying my Grandma's date bread!

So good with butter and tea!

***

We enjoyed lamb leftovers for dinner and soup,

and we enjoyed pots of first the new apple cider tea 

and then the ginger lemon tea!

I am very thankful that Mr Husband enjoys having tea with me...

and that he is not a coffee drinker...

***

I poured over the new tea cookbook last night....

so many great ideas!!!

Meanwhile, I found a pie recipe that I thought of tweaking for 

the dessert I hope to make for the shared house blessing meal

this coming Sunday, God willing.

I am so grateful for the many cookbooks I have, 

much of them given to me as gifts or because of purging or

at library book sales! :) 

I just love baking and cooking!

I guess you would say it was my first 'homemaking hobby' 

and one that is very close to my heart.

***

My Grandma has been a baker for many years,

of good food, what she would call 'not gourmet' but really

could be seen as such - it's more that she means

'not from a recipe that has a million steps or unusual items

that one would not normally have'... 

And in many ways, I am just like this,

though I like to do all sorts of baking, 

from simple, home-style but amazing, to gourmet or closer to it.

***

And so, Sunday, with going to liturgy, 

being given such thoughtful gifts,

having rides to and from church,

a nice Sunday dinner and clean up time,

 was a peaceful day, with a lot to be thankful for!