Stronger

I am getting stronger and more at my normal level of things.

Today I *finally* cleaned my dining room table and 

changed the table cloth! 

I also made a new bouquet of fabric flowers

(did I mention that when I was in MI in late summer this year

that I raided the flower department at Joanne's Fabrics?) 

So doing this really made me happy.

(Also, I actually added one bunch of white flowers to this

bouquet as it seemed unbalanced and now is perfect, 

hope to take more pictures later and share them!)

***

Yesterday night I made my Thanksgiving 2020 list

(meal + dishes I will use).

It will be a smaller Thanksgiving for us;

at most 3 people will be coming from 2 families.

People who are in our 'circle' or 'bubble' as people are calling it.

I don't know if I ever mentioned that I plan my meals

with lists including what dishes I am going to use +

if it is a bigger meal (meaning a meal of many dishes)

I put sticky notes by every dish so I remember 

1. What goes in it and 

2. That I have the right amount of serving dishes out

and the right kind (i.e. a large salad cannot go in a small bowl). 

***

So my Instagram account on my phone has basically been down for 2 nearly 3 days now.

So not doing a lot there.

That's OK. 

I've been thinking of how I want to work on some more creative projects

and need to re-balance my time use. 

***

Not that I don't want my account back; I do. 

But one thing at a time and anything can be seen as a good or bad thing

and I try to see the good in it.

***

Rosemary, I am so happy you still read my blog!

That makes me smile very much inside.

Very fun that you have mutual friends with the author;

that makes me really happy as it tells me you have good friends!

So about the author of Sweep.  

We actually both went to the same University for Undergrad in BC Canada and did 

the same degree.  But I don't remember how many classes we had in common;

I think some but my memory is poor.

I was not a 'close' friend of his but the I can say that the book Sweep is VERY much

the guy I knew from back then but I would say one thing

I see more clearly:  how his basic nature, stance towards others, is kind. 

The Kindness I saw in this book, well written, well researched and just such a great book,

it's a really comforting read in many ways; like the book you want to think 

more about because it was not only so absorbingly interesting but

had such a goodness, such a kindness. 

I was so glad to see that and I really need to read more his books. 

And I am just so happy and proud of him, if that makes sense!

Who would not be proud of a fellow English major who now writes

such meaningful, beautiful books! 

***

If anything, I can't wait till my Instagram account works again so I can

review his books and sing the praises his book/s surely deserve! 

***

Meanwhile, I am re-reading an old favourite Jill Churchhill mystery

and I went to vespers tonight!

It was good to be in church!

That's such a wonderful blessing and one I do not 

take for granted, though I wish I was even better at that.

So easy to fall into forgetting how wonderful it is,

if that makes sense. 

***

Edited to add: this article on the Mr Rogers's movie by the man 

whose essay the movie came from, is really quite worth the read.

***

Well, I am hoping that this day was somewhat peaceful for you.

I have some friends going through really exhausting hard times.

Lord have mercy on us!

May God show us the way in our lives and may we follow!

God bless and keep you! 

Better and better

I read this book today and HIGHLY recommend it! My Instagram is down but when it's back (it's not lost, just not working) I hope to do a review of it! 

I am feeling much better. Thanks for your concern! 

God bless you all! ❤

well that was tiring

The last verse was my prayer today! So I am fine, but I was in the ER 6 hours before that was verified. All turned out fine.  It was a tiring day. 

One Step forward, One Step...

I am still having some health issues. It's a bit up and down right now. Asking your prayers! God bless you!!!

Slowly Improving

 

Feeling better and stronger,

still needing some rest, but very thankful!

I read this delightful mystery book today!

(I started it last night!)

***

Not much else to say

but I am thankful.

***

God be with you dear ones!

Here, Briefly

 I have not been feeling that great in the last days

so not online much.

I am getting better though, slowly

(no worries nothing to do with the Dread C-19 Virus).

***

I read a really enjoyable book that was published

as All One Summer in the US by Elizabeth Fair

and that has been republished in 2017, called

Landscape in Sunlight in the UK; all of her books

have been republished,

much to my relief as my library does not have all of her books!

***

Lisa, yes, my library as I call it is a subscription library,

as in you pay money yearly to be a member

and for me it's such a wonderful deal;

it's beautiful, has an impressive collection of novels,

many of them vintage and hard to find.

And it's been around, literally, since George Washington's time,

as he used the library!

(here's a story about a book he checked out being returned 200+ years later!)

***

Well.  I hope you all are well.

I think many people, myself included, had a rough week for various reasons this week.

***

May God bless us and save us and protect us! 

May His mercy shine upon us!

Beautiful Reading

 I heard this read out loud today and I hope reading it

now blesses you like it blessed me when I heard it. 

God bless you dear hearts! 

*********

Faith Persevering in Trial

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

[Psalm] 40

I waited patiently for the Lord;

And He inclined to me,

And heard my cry.

2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,

Out of the miry clay,

And set my feet upon a rock,

And established my steps.

3 He has put a new song in my mouth—

Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear,

And will trust in the Lord.

4 Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,

And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works

Which You have done;

And Your thoughts toward us

Cannot be recounted to You in order;

If I would declare and speak of them,

They are more than can be numbered.

6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;

My ears You have opened.

Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;

In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8 I delight to do Your will, O my God,

And Your law is within my heart.”

9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness

In the great assembly;

Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,

O Lord, You Yourself know.

10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;

I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;

I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth

From the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;

Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.

12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me;

My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;

They are more than the hairs of my head;

Therefore my heart fails me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;

O Lord, make haste to help me!

14 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion

Who seek to destroy my [a]life;

Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor

Who wish me evil.

15 Let them be confounded because of their shame,

Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

16 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

Let such as love Your salvation say continually,

“The Lord be magnified!”

17 But I am poor and needy;

Yet the Lord thinks upon me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

Do not delay, O my God.

Footnotes

Psalm 40:14 Lit. soul

(from here).

Briefly and still more briefly still

 God apparently thought I needed more cookies in my life; 

these were accidentally put in our grocery delivery! 

Today was a tiring day.  And tomorrow may just be worse than today.

Asking your prayers.

And praying that no matter what, that you can see

ways that God is showing His care in your life

and that we can all cling to His peace.

Beautiful, Blustery, Sunny, Cold NYC

I love cold bright sunny blustery days.

To not lose my hat (it was a cotton beret so very easily blown off),

I wore my earmuffs over when walking around...

I always love cold sunny days, they were my favourite in Ottawa...

when I felt so alive... 

***

Tomorrow and the next day are going to be quite tiring for me,

so if I don't blog right away, that's why.

***

So I got (I think 15!) more books from my library...

I have 2 shelves full, these shelves are right next to where I am typing and I

am so excited to have so many good books to read for the next months.

I did return some library books today as well. :) 

***

I have Thai curry with beef today (and brought the leftovers home for 

Mr Husband, he enjoyed them with extra rice for dinner!)

***

I bought a super cute pink beret hat today at a CVS...

I am already dreaming about wearing a cute dress I have with pink

to match that hat when I DV one day visit NYC again... 

***

I find that thinking of something in the future that can be fun, 

from wearing a special outfit, to an outing to the library,

to reading a special book or planning a tea or meal for

friends to come over... 

***

I am finding it more and more important to look for what is good,

what is beautiful, what I can be thankful for.

What gives joy to life ... the joie de vivre

(interestingly this French phrase seems to be first found in 

 Fénelon who was a very well known Roman Catholic

in the 17th century...it would be cool to see where he used this phrase...)

for me it is not the pursuit of pleasure but a joy that is form

a desire to have a deeper thanksgiving for life as God has given it to me

in the day at hand; it's a living in the present and trusting God to care for me

in the moments that I am currently living in. 

***

It is not a denial of pain; rather I think joy of life can only come when

one has come to terms, as much as one can in any given day,

with the grief that one may have in that day, but seeking

not to be, ultimately, over come by it.  

***

When one is in great deep grief, it is very hard to believe there can

be pleasure in life again; I remember this well.

But with God's help, 

slowly, with time, one can be brought back to life again.

And even back to the joie de vivre, 

the joy of life.

***

Well.  I better try to get to bed.

It's going to be a tiring time for me,

so I better get off to it.

***

God be with you dear friends.

May God have mercy and envelope us in His peace

and in His care.

Sunday: Full, Beautiful, Unexpected

I know, the comic above is really funny :) 

A quilt guild friend sent it. 

So no pictures of church, or of my meal afterwards with my

friend Photini as I forgot my phone at home! 

My friend has, for very valid understandable reasons, decided to leave

and probably relocate to her home country overseas.

I will miss her.

This is the 3rd person (the other 2 are a couple and a family) leaving our area

in the last month or so.  

It's just how it is going right now.

I am sad about it.  I am going to miss her. But I am seeking to be resolute and brave.

I did everything I hoped to do for preparing for this

very busy week, it's possibly going to be one of the hardest of my year

in terms of personal intensity. 

So today I cooked up a huge batch of rice, boiled some eggs for myself,

baked 2 loaves of bread, made pumpkin bread from a mix.

The good thing is that I am able to be quite organized when I need to be

and my cart is already packed with library books to return

and an emailed list of things to do. 

I have a cab scheduled to pick me up early

and am so glad for the many good things.

Including grocery delivery service,

which comes Tuesday with a lot of great things for us.

I am really thankful.

And I got to see my Husband excited about his toy soldier collection,

that is growing, and that's really nice.

I pray that you have peace from God and that 

when our small 'enough' is embarrassingly paltry, that

you will know that God will bless it,

that if we come to Him,

He will never forsake us, no matter what suffering may come.