A Rose is always Beautiful

I love summer roses... 

***

Had some nights of poor sleep.

tonight should be better.

***

Read English Air By DE Stevenson, very good.

***

Thanking God for each drop of mercy that one can see in the day...

I pray these for you...

The butterfly of happiness briefly lands...

 I went back to my NYC library today...

Returned Rochester's Wife,

the novel that helped me so very much with my eye worry,

with the understanding that I need to see how it unfolds and not worry

about it in the meantime,

just take it as it comes.... 

the whole book speaks of patience and the thoughts really crystallize in the pages 

below that I snapped pictures of right before returning it... 

 It's such wise advice... I love DE Stevenson's novels so much! 

I got another DE Stevenson novel out today! 

And A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt.

Here (YA) novels are very engrossing... 

I went to Mr Husband's workplace in NYC

and had a really good salad and burrito with spicy lamb, spinach, rice 

and a mild salsa... and mint tea! and one frou-frou chocolate peanut butter cup! 

I walked over 2.5 hours total and did a lot of stairs (subway and library)

so a lot of good exercise today! 

Then we played the Intrigue version of Dominion at his work...

NYC, you can find unique things including game places.... 

it was really fun... really what I needed as it were...

so much heavy stuff on my mind,

it was wonderful to have great food (with no food prep or clean up)

and then playing a game that I was familiar with...

there were others at the long table playing games too

for a bit and it was nice to be with my Husband and near others too,

it was a great 'date night' that was just right.

I felt like a lot of our past unbloggable struggles really felt past...

and that we are slowly recovering from a few years of hard... 

things are not 100% in recovery/rebuilding yet but a lot better... 

So the reflective bubble wrap came today,

I laughed when I saw how big it was!

I thought it was going to be not as long but much thicker 

but it will work just fine and we can store the rest in the garage... 

now I have to box up the things for my godkids to send it ... 

and I need to research shipping options...

***

I worked on some essays today at the library...

I am going to need some sort of way to move forward with them,

but this will unfold in time... 

***

Well, it's late again so I better sign off for now!

Wishing each of you God's blessings and help and comfort

in whatever you are finding yourself at...

The Road Goes On and On...

The Munchkin loved his lego present and we did a Mad Lib... 

and the cake was loved by all... 

cake left overs went home with the Munchkin and his Mom...

***

My friend Photini is facing some more medical things and I ask prayers for her.

And for my cousin Wes... within a week he will begin Chemo... it's not going to be an easy road... 

***

Had leftovers for dinner and watched a Walton's episode and earlier 

I finally did 2 letters and finished addressing them etc...

and after the Walton's Mr Husband did dishes while I folded laundry and we talked about

lots of things, including suffering and how there is not much one can say

to those suffering ... as in better to be silent or communicate one's love 

to them ... instead of talk about the situation that you can't fully comprehend... 

when and how to talk and when not to talk,

it's always something of an ongoing discovery to figure out...

***

On another note, we did go to Hobby Lobby

and I got some wash cloth yarn, a small glue gun,

things to fix jewelry with, and a big blue stamp pad...

there was so much there that I felt like I was in a candy store,

where I wanted one, two or three of everything :) 

***

Between finally being able to have things clean again at home,

including laundry and dishes, 

and good talks and such things,

I am feeling a bit better...

***

But life is an ongoing process... 

I hope to go to NYC tomorrow... to the library I joined...

it's going to storm but it's the best day for me to go in

schedule wise, so that's that...

***

Onward...

...this song seemed good for right now...

Lord have mercy on us all! 

Amazing Love, how can it be...

....that Thou would die for me... 

***

Woke up with this hymn in my head

and I am holding on to it like a man to a 

life raft waiting for the life boat to come...

***

I know today will be a good day, DV...

***

I just put sprinkles on the Munchkin's cake,

we are going to a diner to celebrate him,

to Hobby Lobby afterwards (new stamp pad and 

wash cloth yarn in works for me!)

and I will keep thinking of this hymn...

***

I need to let thankfulness fill me

as that is what will take that feeling of 

restlessness away...

***

and I have so much to be thankful for...

That feeling when...

I am not sure what it is yet,

but I feel I think a type of sadness, 

a restlessness that does not want to settle down;

I often know something is off kilter because all I want

is "presents" and nothing helps,

treats, an unexpected lovely gift (a beautiful icon + tea from Romania,

and I LOVE Romania)... but that feeling of 'off' remains...

and of wanting to be busy...

it could be so many things

~missing the family we left in Atlanta (natural and we had so much fun!)

~the emotional impact my cousin Wes' cancer has on us/me

~my friend Photini suffering

~awareness of suffering in other people's lives who I care about

~a friend lost a little boy whose parents she is good friends with and the funeral was this week

~missing the kids in my life and the Munchkin, who we are going to celebrate his

11th birthday tomorrow DV!!! ... is going abroad again this summer to

be with his grandparents and at a really great camp... he loves it and we are so happy for him...

but I miss him of course (and more so obviously his Mom but it really is the best for him)... 

~being aware of time passing and of all of us aging and that with this

comes, most often, more challenges, esp in terms of health and energy... 

***

The good thing is that this feeling does not last forever and I will be a bit better in time...

it just takes time...

***

Well, I better get to bed so that I am ready for tomorrow's fun! 

***

God bless you all and help you in the place you find yourself in!

A Good Few Days

While I don't think there are many days

that one can call fully 'perfect' ...

I have a lot to be thankful for...

I was able to do my baking goals...

chocolate chip cookies, St Phanourios bread and a cake

for the Munchkin's birthday...

We went swimming this morning!

The pool was so COLD I was rather gasping for air the first minutes,

it was pretty intense, but then I got moving and was able to swim...

and enjoy it... and when I sensed I was getting cold again, I got out! 

We went out to dinner with a dear friend...

Please pray for my friend Photini who had been in hospital a while back,

she is having some unexpected complications...

My cousin Wes of course needs our prayers as he gears up to begin chemo...

I've been thinking of so many who have such hard situations,

with so much sickness...

it brings me to silence often, knowing that other than that God is with them,

that it is hard to understand suffering... 

Well, busy days.

I pray you are comforted/given the strenght you need to get through

the hard that you are dealing with

or are protected if given a time of rest...