I had thought October would be a fairly uneventful month, besides a couple of appointments and a couple of traditional activities with the kids.

However, as most of you know, I ended up in the hospital for four days on IV antibiotics due to the worst case of cellulitis I’ve ever had. It started with flu-like symptoms the week before, then there were several days of recovery afterward. So a big chunk of the month was taken up with that.

Then my poor, dear husband has had a horrible sinus infection for over a week, and antibiotics have not helped. He went to the doctor yesterday and was diagnosed with Covid.

Between those things and scheduling conflicts, we missed our usual October pumpkin decorating and dress-up party with the kids as well as a guys’ camp-out earlier in the month.

So this month has seemed a little depressing at times. But in my weekly gratitude list, Friday Fave Fives, I’ve been able to share some blessings spread throughout the month as well–mostly simple things like a couple of dinners out, hearing from an old friend, humor, hearing about and seeing photos from my oldest son’s trip to Chicago, and more.

Creating

I just made one card this month, for a friend recovering from a broken hip:

The wording was made with a stamp and the two big leaves with the Cuttlebug.

Watching

County Rescue. We had subscribed to Great American Pureflix to watch something else, and while we had it we also watched this three-season Christian series about a young woman who is trying to find her purpose. She has tried various things and quit them all. Now she feels God wants her to work as an EMT. But there’s only one opening and three people are vying for the position. The acting and script are a little amateurish, but the story is good and the show is clean and wholesome.

Ludwig. Brit John Taylor is something of a genius recluse who publishes famous puzzles under the name “Ludwig,” because he listens to Beethoven while he works. He gets a call from his sister-in-law that his twin brother, James, a detective, is missing and left an odd note telling her and their son to hide and not to trust anyone at work. His wife does not hide but asks John to go to the office impersonating his brother to see if he can find out what’s going on. He’s reluctant, but she briefs him on who’s who at the office and finally talks him into it. While there, he gets caught up in using his puzzle skills to solve cases.

This was actually a delightful series, at least what we saw of it. We watched all of the first season and two episodes of the second on Britbox, but then they wanted us to upgrade to Britbox Premium to watch the rest. If we could do that for a month or so, we might consider it. But they charge for Premium by the year rather than the month and don’t refund you if you want to cancel before the year is up. We accidentally did that with another show and could only get out of it by canceling the purchase on our credit card. So we’ll wait until the rest of the series becomes available on regular Britbox or somewhere else.

The episodes we saw were clean–no bad words or bedroom scenes. I hope they keep it that way. Plus it was nice to hear variations of Beethoven’s music in the soundtrack.

Reading

Since last time I have completed (titles link to my review):

• Beyond the Snow: The Life and Faith of Elizabeth Goudge by Christine Rawlins. Not the best biography I’ve ever read, but it did help me to learn more about Goudge.
• Things We Cannot Keep by Amanda Cox. Tess had left home and changed her name to make a new start. But now she receives a mysterious package addressed to her old name. Then the person who betrayed her shows up, but might be the only one who can help her figure out what to do with the contents of the package. Very good.
• Anna and Her Daughters by D. E. Stevenson, audiobook. A widow in London with three young daughters learns that there is not nearly as much money in her husband’s estate as she had thought. She takes her daughters back to her native Scotland where they won’t have servants but will have to do their own work. The oldest rebels, and the younger two blossom. Very good.
• The Pilgrim’s Inn by Elizabeth Goudge, audiobook. This is the second in Goudge’s Elliot family trilogy. Family matriarch Lucilla manipulates her son, George, into looking at an old inn that’s for sale, thinking it will help his marriage and family to leave London and live in the country. Her grandson, David, is back from the war but suffering a nervous breakdown. A mysterious nomadic father and daughter come to the inn and end up staying to work there. Another father who is a painter and his daughter visit the inn as well. The daughter falls in love with David, but he’s still in love with someone he can’t have. Themes of home and sacrificial love run through the book. Very good.

I’m currently reading:

• In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin with a friend.
• James: Walking in Wisdom by Lydia Brownback with the ladies’ Bible study group at church.
• The Powerful Purpose of Introverts by Holley Gerth
• Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World by Jen Wilkin
• A Dangerous Legacy by Elizabeth Camden, audiobook
• The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower

I also shared a post with Favorite Novels about Books, Bookshops, and Libraries.

Blogging

Besides the weekly Friday Fave Fives, Saturday Laudable Linkage, and book reviews, I’ve posted these since last time:

• What Makes for Good Worship? A good song service at church? The feeling we have when everything flows well and the sermon speaks to our hearts? What about when we don’t know the songs, or they’re not the ones we like, or the technology breaks down, or there are a dozen distractions? Isn’t God still good and worthy of worship?
• Why Ask People to Pray? Do I feel like my prayer will be answered the way I want if I get the more people to pray? It doesn’t work like that. But there are good reasons to ask for prayer.
• Why Do Christians Dread Death? Why would we fear death if we’re going to heaven? For a number of reasons. But God’s grace is sufficient or each one.
• Afraid? Of What? A lovely poem about why we don’t need to fear death.
• We Don’t Always Know Where God Is Working. Some have said that we should see where God is working and join in. But we don’t always know where He is working. Often His work is “behind the scenes.” We just need to be faithful wherever He calls us.

Looking ahead

I’m scheduled for oral surgery on a papilloma on my tongue the first week in November. I’m dreading that, but looking forward to getting it over with. It’s been rescheduled a couple of times due to heart rhythm issues, so I am hoping we can get it done this time, Lord willing.

Though you never know what a day, or a month, will bring forth, let’s hope the rest of the month is smooth sailing straight into Thanksgiving!

How was your October? Looking forward to anything in November?

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)