On Fridays I like to press the pause button for a few moments with Susanne and friends to reflect on some of the blessings of the week.
I should probably switch over to a fall FFF graphic. But I think I’ll give it another week or two. 🙂
1. Lunch at my son and daughter-in-law’s. They had us over Saturday for some steak and fried rice stir-fry. Yum!
2. A church picnic. We’re still Zooming in for the service, but the picnics are out in the open air on a pavilion, so we feel safer attending those. Everyone brings their own lunch and lawn chairs, so we’re not all breathing over a table full of food. Some families were traveling for the long weekend, so we had a small group. But it was fun. The pastor proposed playing charades, acting out Biblical characters or scenes. At first I was reluctant and just wanted to talk, especially since we hadn’t had a chance to talk with folks there in a while. But it turned out to be really fun.
3. Labor Day weekend. Labor Day is an odd holiday that no one really celebrates per se, but it’s a nice end-of-summer get-together and cookout opportunity. We had my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson over for my husband’s grilled burgers, and my d-i-l made potato salad, home fries, and apple cake. All I did was shuck and boil corn on the cob and heat a can of baked beans.
4. A clean shiny fence. My husband and youngest son labored on Labor Day pressure-washing our fence. It’s so much brighter now!
5. Reading a funny book to Timothy. I’ve mentioned that he’s usually too engaged with other activities to want to sit down and read much. I had bought a book that I used to read to my own sons and loved, If Everybody Did. I don’t know what happened to the original. He was reluctant, but finally agreed to sit with Grandma while she read. It was so fun to hear him giggling more with each page.
One example: this is what would happen if everybody stepped on Daddy’s feet. 🙂
I love how the typography also reflects the actions.
Remembrance
This day in 2001 was one of the worst in American history. Many promised we’d “Never Forget” those who died and those who ran into instead of away from trouble to help. While I hate the events of 9/11, I miss the camaraderie and acknowledgement of dependence on and need of God on 9/12. I hope it doesn’t take another national tragedy to get back to that place. Our current national troubles seem to be pulling us apart instead of drawing us together.
Stray Thoughts 
A nice group of favorites to end the summer. The book sounds really cute.
Official fall is 9/22 so you’ve got a few weeks 🙂 I LOVE reading to kids, so enjoy that with Timothy! So sweet. And yes, it’s amazing what power washing can do. Enjoy that nice clean fence.
Hi Barbara, I love this post. Glad you had a good week. That is a cute book to read to your grandson. Your church picnic sounds fun. We played bible charades with our daughter and grandchildren and it was really a lot of fun. I was impressed that my grandkids knew so much about the bible! Hope you have a nice weekend!
Ahh glad you got Timothy to read with you. I love reading to the Grandkids. Some lovely things in your week. Enjoy the weekend
I love picnics, long time I haven’t done one ! We have our labour day on the first of May, everybody enjoys the day off and don’t really know what it is exactly ! Me included ! The 9/11 changed a lot in the whole world.
I love Labor Day because there is no pressure to do anything special or go anyplace in particular. It’s just a lovely weekend to be with friends and family. Some of our churches have been having open air services. I haven’t been but it’s similar to your picnic except it’s a worship service outside.
I love Labor Day because it means he next day is the new year for us teachers but it’s also a sad day because it signifies the end of ( most of) my kayaking and spontaneous hiking days. I do kayak and hike in the fall but it takes planning and can only be done on the weekends.
I love that you got Timothy to readmwith you. Keep encouraging him to explore books!! It’s a foundation for so many other skills and needs to be set well before age 7. That’s a fun book!!
How nice to have had a lovely church picnic. Our entire church body will be in person for first time starting tomorrow the 13th. I can’t wait!! We did away with our Sat service due to needing all that cleaning. So just offering the 9 and 11 and only 33% of the congregation will be allowed at either service. So getting there early is a must. The good news is we don’t need masks to sing!! We will all be socially distanced. Sitting in family groups only with 4 chairs between groups.
I hope you have a blessed weekend!!
I love the Labor Day weekend as it is just a holiday that does seem geared toward getting together with family for food and fun. Our church has been having in service meetings but we’ve already had several cases of COVID and though I am not afraid of getting it per se, I am reluctant to heighten my risk of exposure due to being forced to quarantine for 14 days everytime you are close contact to someone who tests positive. I can’t afford to keep shutting my child care down if that were to happen so we’ve kept on with the online services. I agree with you in that 9/11 seemed to draw people more towards God and each other and the events happening in America now are causing such division! Praying God moves in the midst of it all.
Starting now with activities with Timothy is great. It seems harder to get my older grandkids to do anything with me, even take a walk. Enjoy every opportunity.
I agree that we need unity. We will keep praying that truly we will #neverforget.
It doesn’t feel like fall, so it is hard to imagine the fall decor yet. One more week til the equinox!