It’s been another very cold week. But we’re one week closer to spring! I’m cultivating gratefulness with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story by sharing five favorite things from the week.
1. Valentine’s Day is probably my favorite holiday, maybe tied with Christmas. We had our usual “meat hearts,” chocolate cupcakes, flowers, cards with the family.
2. Sleep. What I call “good sleep” can sometimes be elusive. One night I fell asleep on the couch from about 8:30 to 11:30. I thought I’d have a hard time getting back to sleep, but I got another six hours in after I went to bed. It’s amazing how seep chases the mental cobwebs away.
3. Hobby Lobby is one of my favorite places to just wander around. This week, I didn’t find what I was looking for and didn’t buy anything, but I still enjoyed the excursion.
4. Good news. My oldest son had a scan we were concerned about a couple of weeks ago. He got the results this week. He had some damage, but there’s a new medicine that has good results reversing the damage.
5. A couple of especially productive days, one of which came after the good night of sleep. Imagine that! 🙂
How was your week?
Stray Thoughts 
This was a good week with lots of reading and writing. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Love the photos of your Valentine’s Day fun! Praising God for the good news for your son and the medical issue. I’m with you on the fun of just spending a while looking around/enjoying Hobby Lobby 🙂
Praise God there’s a med that can help your son with whatever it is the scan showed.
I LOVE browsing around Hobby Lobby. I once was there for TWO hours and didn’t even realize. I almost always come away with some thing on sale. they have excellent sales and I love DaySpring cards which they sell. Glad you had a chance to go!
Yay and thank the Lord for good sleep.
enjoy the weekend
Hello Barbara. How do you shape your “meat hearts”? They look amazing…as does everything else tied to your Valentine’s Day family celebration.
I love it that you mentioned how a good night’s sleep chases away the mental cobwebs. I started using a “grounding” sheet a few months ago and I am amazed at how much clearer my mind is now.
Wonderful news about your son’s scan results. I’m sorry that there’s been some damage, but thankful that there’s a medication that will help with that.
I love a good productive day, too!
I use a recipe called Lil Cheddar Meat Loaves (here: https://www.leeannmiller.net/recipes/lil-cheddar-meatloaves-hg7db) except I don’t add mustard and use much, much less brown sugar. The mustard gives it a barbecue-type flavor, which I don’t want with meatloaves. The recipe makes 8 small loaves, so I double it for our family (we like the leftovers. 🙂 And sometimes we send some home with the kids). I shape each loaf into an oval, then pinch one end for the bottom of the “heart.” Then I indent the top with my finger. It’s a little labor-intensive, which is why I only make it once a year. 🙂
When I first started making these, I only had in mind heart shapes for Valentine’s Day. But the kids thought the sauce on top looked like blood, so they tease about having “bloody hearts.” Oh well–they taste good.
Barbara, thank you for the link and the instructions on how you sape the hearts. Clever of you and I will let you know how mine turn out when I make them.
I’m glad you had a nice week, Barbara. I like strolling HL, too, and my other favorite is TJMaxx Home. I did a bit of window shopping there this week. Good news that your son had a good report. And your Valentine collage is so nice. Happy Friday.
Hi Barbara, I enjoyed your pictures and thanks for the idea of meat hearts!
Sleep can be an elusive thing. My problem is getting to sleep at a decent hour since I am a night owl. If I get to be before midnight, I usually do well. I rarely have to take a bathroom break. It is the aches or numbness that wakes me up. I hope goes well with your son. Have a great weekend!
Hobby Lobby sounds like our Hobbycraft which I love browsing around. Your Valentine foods look great and yes it’s amazing what a difference a good night’s sleep can bring. I’m hoping for one tonight as last night I only managed about 4 hours overall – no idea why. It must be a relief to know that your son can have medication and will hopefully repair the damage. Have a good weekend.
A sweet holiday gathering — no wonder it’s a favorite! So glad you got some good rest this week followed by productivity. What a relief to have treatment available for your son.
I love wandering around Hobby Lobby, too.
Your Valentine’s Day parties and your other family parties are always so sweet and fun.
Good news for your son! What a relief.
A good night’s sleep is such a blessing. I hope you have several nights of good sleep this week. Willow
I see you got your favorite Lindors. I love how you celebrate these holidays as a family! Praise God for the good news for your son. The older I get the more a good night’s sleep is a real blessing.