Another Friday (already!), another opportunity to stop and count the week’s blessings with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story,.

1. Vintage Market Days. This is where a number of vendors from all over come and display, and try to sell, vintage-looking items. There were a lot of clothes, craft items, furniture, and more. Jim and I went with Jason, Mittu, and Timothy. It seemed the best of these kinds of events that we attended.

Here’s my haul:

I didn’t intentionally look for a bird theme, but that seems to be what I found! Along with a giant chocolate chip cookie and a slice of banana bread. It was a fun outing.

2. My oldest son’s new job. My oldest son got a call from a recruiter from a resume he had posted online ten years ago. As they talked and then my son went for an interview, all the boxes seemed to tick favorably, so he decided to go with the new job opportunity. I don’t want to say much more than that, because it’s not my story to tell. But we prayed for him through the decision-making and are happy for him. It seemed the hand of the Lord was obvious in a number of factors.

3. Timely books. Just as I’ve been pondering over a particular issue for the last few months, I discovered a book written on the subject by someone I know of and have reason to trust.

4. New Wednesday night church activities. Over the summer, instead of our usual Bible studies, the church has smaller prayer meetings. They’re attempting to do something different this year–still having prayer time, but also food and other activities, sometimes meeting all together, sometimes just men or women. We had the first such meeting last night with food catered by Salsarita’s (I’m not sure, but I don’t think it will be catered every week). We really enjoyed the conversation around our table and the prayer time together.

5. Moderate weather. Once again, the forecast showed rain and thunderstorms most of the week. We got a little rain, but not as much as projected, and no thunderstorms. Seven of the next eight days show a forecast of rain and thunderstorms again, so I hope that forecast is as inaccurate as the last week’s 🙂 I don’t mind some rain, of course. But, living in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, where there are hills, there are also low spots which flood when we get as much rain as was in the forecast. Then when the ground gets that soaked, sometimes tree roots loosen and trees fall over. And thunderstorms and lightning can cause fallen tree limbs and power outages. So it’s a blessing when rain is mild and limited.

How was your week?

We’re almost a week into June already. I’m pausing with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story, where she hosts an opportunity for folks to share some highlights or blessings of their week.

1. Winning an Amazon gift card from Susan for a drawing she was hosting. I used it to buy this mini sewing room kit. It doesn’t look as easy as the Lego bookish sets I did! We’ll see how it goes.

2. Lunch with Melanie. I enjoyed the conversation as well as the food at Cracker Barrel with the gift cards my family gave me.

3. An impromptu dinner date. Jim and I went out to Olive Garden one night this week. It’s a little further away than most of the places where we eat, so we don’t get there often. But we both love that this one was divided into smaller areas instead of being one big room. The noise level at some restaurants takes away from the enjoyment of them, but Olive Garden didn’t have that problem.

4. A “retirement” schedule. I joke that even though my husband is retired, I don’t get to retire. 🙂 Someone still has to cook and clean and do laundry. 🙂 Not that I mind. The load for that kind of thing is a little lighter now, though. And Jim does help with cleaning and dishes sometimes, and he does the grocery shopping now. But what I most appreciate about our more relaxed schedule this week is that, most of the time, if I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, I can take a nap as needed. I’d rather get all my sleeping done at the designated time and place. But when that doesn’t happen, I can make up for it.

5. VBS (Vacation Bible School) for our church is this week. We donated some supplies for the crafts and decorations, but we’re not able to be there every night to help. Mittu is helping, though, and Timothy is a helper this year instead of attending as a kid. Our VBS director has more love and enthusiasm for this ministry than anyone I’ve ever known. It’s been fun to see the decorations going up, and we look forward to hearing how it all went. They’re using Answers in Genesis Emerald Crossing curriculum based on Psalm 23 this year.

That was our week. How was yours?

Welcome to the final FFF of May. I’m not really ready to go from spring to summer. I know it’s not officially summer for a few weeks yet, but I’ve always felt that summer was June, July, and August. And whether I am ready or not, summer is coming! So I’d better gear up for it.

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story invites us to share what blessings the Lord has graced us with each week.

1. Memorial Day. Though I am sorry for the cost of life, I am thankful for those who gave their all that we might have the freedoms we enjoy today. I always like to watch the National Memorial Day concert on PBS the Sunday night before and hear stories of people from various wars.

Then we enjoyed having the family over for Jim’s grilled burgers and playing games.

2. A new camellia bush. Jim had gotten it for me for Mother’s Day, but it arrived late. He planted it this week. It’s not supposed to bloom til later in the summer, so I hope it will be established by then.

3. New flowers. Jim cut back the spent daffodil foliage and planted some annuals by our front sidewalk.

4. Mild weather. The weather apps have been showing rain every day for almost two weeks. We’ve not gotten nearly as much as predicted. And, thankfully, we haven’t had any storms. The rain that we have received has been pleasant and gentle.

5. More impromptu times with the kids. Mittu brought dinner over when they came to do laundry, then they stopped in later this week as well. We went out for lunch Sunday after church, too.

How was your last week of May?

I started out this week pretty discouraged. I woke up around three a.m. Sunday morning in afib. I had hoped that the ablation in January and the change of medicine would keep things regular at least for a few years, if not forever. I took some medicine and went back to bed. By the time I woke up, around seven, my heart rate was lower and more in rhythm, but still elevated. By lunchtime it was back to normal. I’ve been pretty much normal since then–just a few erratic moments here and there.

I’d had a long day Saturday, and was on my feet more than usual. Jim thinks that may have triggered the heart rhythm issues. That may be. I had felt okay at the time–tired, but okay. But I will pace myself better.

I’m thankful Susanne at Living to Tell the Story started this practice of looking for the blessings of the week. Sometimes the problems and frustrations can color our whole outlook. But God’s blessings are there, even amidst trials large and small.

1. A short-lived episode. I’m thankful the afib episode was short and didn’t seem to trigger a new round of heart rhythm trials, as I had feared.

2. A light cooking week. Jim got breakfast at Burger King Sunday morning since I wasn’t feeling well. Monday night, I just didn’t feel like cooking. So I asked Jim if we could get take-out. Then Tuesday, I took a nap and woke up past the time we’re usually eating. I thought, “Hmm, I should’ve waited til today to ask for takeout.” But Jim offered to get something out again. Wednesday, Jeremy called us around 5. By the time we got done talking, it was past our usual dinnertime again, so we decided to just scrounge around the refrigerator and pantry to find something to warm up.

3. My husband’s indulgence in allowing for the above. 🙂

4. Time with the kids. Jason and Mittu’s washer isn’t working, so they asked if they could come over and do laundry Tuesday. We’re glad to be close enough to help out with things like that. It wasn’t a regular visit–Timothy had school work to do, I had to dash out for an appointment, Jim had a short Zoom call, and Jason had work to do for a couple of hours while Mittu did the laundry. But in-between all that, we enjoyed some time to talk.

5. Rain. It’s been pretty dry here for a while. Rain is in the forecast every day for the next ten days or so. And thankfully, so far it’s just been a gentle rain. We had thunder a couple of times, but no lightning or storms. I hope the rest of the week continues in that vein.

That’s our week. How was yours?

It’s been such a busy week, I had to double check whether Mother’s Day was last Sunday or the Sunday before–it seems so long ago already. Friday’s Fave Five hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story helps me pause and take note of the blessings of the week.

1. Mother’s Day. Jim went out for breakfast sandwiches that morning so I didn’t have to cook. Then for dinner, he grilled ham steaks, Jesse made cheesy potatoes, and Jason made chocolate pretzel pie. We Face-timed Jeremy while I opened thoughtful presents and cards. It was a lovely day, and I am so thankful my family makes it extra-special.

2. Good results from scans. My mammogram and bone density scans were okay. A “little thinning” of bone density, with calcium supplements and weight-bearing exercise encouraged.

3. An okay visit with the cardiologist, a four-month follow-up from the ablation. My EKG was a little wobbly, but he didn’t seem to be worried about it.

4. Not one, but two craft store excursions. I needed something from Hobby Lobby, which is like a Grandma’s amusement park to me. 🙂 I enjoyed walking around. I had gift cards, so I didn’t feel guilty buying a couple of “extras.” Then, I’ve had a gift card to Michael’s that I’ve been trying to use up for months, if not years. But our local Michael’s is small and doesn’t have much. There’s another one near the cardiologist’s office half an hour away, so I stopped in while I was in that area. That store is so much bigger! I found some things I loved, and, as a bonus, I found at the cash register that they were marked down.

5. A visit with friends. A couple from church invited Jason, Mittu, Timothy, and Jim and me for dinner Saturday night. The man is skilled in archery and taught the guys some basics, letting them use his bows and arrows. They had fun. We enjoyed a tasty stir-fry of chicken and vegetables as well as wonderful conversation.

How was your week? I trust you can see God’s blessings sprinkled throughout.

Someone told me last week that my Friday’s Fave Five and monthly recap posts made my life sound so perfect. Let me assure you, we and our circumstances are far from perfect. 🙂 But one thing I like about FFF is that it gets my mind off the problems, inconveniences, aches, and everything bothersome and makes me look for the positives.

The hardest weeks for me to come up with an FFF post are not the ones with something major going on. Rather, the everyday, not especially bad but not especially good, blah weeks are the hardest for me to find things to be thankful for. But when I look for them, I find them. Some people write gratitude journals; I participate in Friday’s Fave Five with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story. 🙂

1. Surprise breakfast sandwiches. Jim was out early one morning and came back with some breakfast sandwiches from McDonald’s and Burger King. I used to get something out for breakfast once a week or so when I was taking kids to school, but I’m not usually out that early these days. So it’s a nice treat.

2. Primary elections and pool working. We had primary elections this week. I am always grateful we have an opportunity to vote in this country, and I was sad to learn that only about 17% of those eligible in our county voted this week. On Sunday, a man at church told us that there was a shortage of poll workers. Jim contacted the proper authorities and was able to work one of the polling places. He’s much more interested in politics than I am, so I was glad he had an opportunity to participate in the process. He said it was also a nice way to get involved in the community and touch base with neighbors.

3. Lunch with my friend, Melanie, with Red Lobster gift cards form my family. We hadn’t met for lunch for a couple of months, and had to reschedule this one a couple of times. So it was good to finally get together. The food was wonderful and our waiter was great. But we mainly enjoyed the conversation together.

4. Annual flower purchases and planting. Jim and I went out this week to get hanging flower baskets and plants for the front and back planters. They’ve gotten incredibly expensive, but we were able to find some good deals. Some of the wildflowers from last year have come back along the fence line, so we’re waiting to see if we need to do anything there. We’ve talked about placing bushes and/or perennials there, but haven’t quite decided what to do.

I’ll hold off on pictures of the planters until they fill out a little bit, But I always love these hanging baskets. I can see them from my desk and the dining room table.

5. Mother’s Day is this Sunday. I’m thankful for my mom year round, but especially this weekend. She passed away over twenty years ago, and I wish I had more pictures of us together. But I’m so grateful for her love for me, her influence in my life, and the many good memories I have of her.

Happy Mother’s Day to moms and mothering figures! May you have a joyous time remembering your mom and celebrating her.

It’s May! Wow, spring is going by fast. It’s nice to pause for a moment on Fridays and look back over God’s blessings from the week with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story, who hosts this beneficial practice.

1. A mall shopping excursion. I have not been to a mall in years. But I had ordered something from a department store online that I wanted to return. I could return it for free at the store or pay a $12.95 flat fee to send it back through the mail. So I went to the store. 🙂 I was afraid they would give me trouble returning it,. because there was nothing wrong with it and it fit fine–it just wasn’t what I thought it was. But they returned it with no problem. Then I went looking around at the multitude of pretty spring dresses. Some of the racks had a sign that said “60% off with coupon.” I heard the sales clerk tell someone else that if they downloaded the store app, they could access the coupon there. So I did that while in the changing room. 🙂 It’s also been years since I tried on clothes in a store, since I buy mine online. I had forgotten how much fun it could be to shop and try on clothes in a mall.

2. Dinner from Sarku. While at the mall, I got chicken teriyaki from Sarku to bring home. Theirs is my favorite, but they only exist in malls, so I don’t get it very often.

3. A Jane Austen-themed Lego set finished this week. I shared about it and some other bookish projects here. (Those who read here regularly, forgive me for mentioning this three time this week. 🙂 Not everyone reads every post.)

4. Timothy’s birthday party with friends. The week of his birthday was a busy one at church and school, so they waited to have his birthday party this week. I think everyone who was invited came. His parents invited us over afterward to eat leftover nachos and cupcakes and hear about it and see pictures.

5. Family time. Jason and Mittu had asked us to watch Timothy on Friday. I had a couple of appointments, but Jim said he’d be happy to watch him. He found that the Oak Ridge science museums were free that day, so they spent the afternoon visiting a couple. They went to Chick-Fil-A, then came back to our house so Timothy could gather his things. I decided to join them to take Tim back home, them we were going to get some fast food for me, since Jim had already eaten. We ended up staying a while at Jason and Mittu’s house, and she put together a nice impromptu light meal. Plus she had some lemon blueberry bread–or cake–I think from Costco she wanted us to try. It was good! I felt bad about missing out on the afternoon with Tim. But I’m glad we had some family time together afterward.

Bonus: My peonies are popping! It had even more blooms, but I had cut some off to put in a vase. This photo reminds me not to cut blooms from the front!

Happy Friday!

It’s astonishing to me that this is the last Friday in April already. On Fridays I try to slow down and savor the moments with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Impromptu visits. Jason, Mittu, and Timothy stopped by to borrow my kitchen scale and stayed for a while. Then Jason and Timothy dropped in again later in the week. Jeremy had sent Timothy a surprise box, so we had a multi-family FaceTime session to see what it was (a radio kit).

2. Pre-ordering books. I’ve mentioned Gabrielle Meyer’s Time Crossers series here many times. I follow her on Instagram and saw that the newest in the series was available for pre-ordering at a reduced price and with free shipping. Publishers like pre-orders because it gives them an idea about how much interest there is in the book, so they offer incentives I am happy to accept. 🙂

3. Roads paved. I mentioned last week that preliminary work had been done to repave our out-of-the-way roads in our little neighborhood. The roads were paved the very next day! They look so much better, and I was amazed at how quickly the process went.

4. Finding a timely book. While looking for an older, previously read book on my shelves, I rediscovered one I had not read yet and had completely forgotten about: Life Under the Sun: The Unexpectedly Good News of Ecclesiastes by Hannah Anderson. I’ve read all of her other books except this and one other and enjoyed them immensely. This is in a Bible study format, unlike her others. Our pastor just started a new sermon series in Ecclesiastes, so I plan to use this book as a companion through the series.

5. Peonies blooming! Or at least beginning to open. We planted them last May, after their blooming cycle. I’d heard that it can take them a few years to flower, so I am delighted they each have several buds looking like they are ready to pop. I am excited to see them open more fully.

The roses are blooming, too!

Bonus: We saw the first hummingbird of the season at the feeder outside my kitchen window!

How was your week?

We’re halfway through April already! It seems like spring just got here but is in a hurry to pass through. We try to slow time down just a little by stopping to appreciate the good things of the week with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Timothy’s birthday was this week, but we celebrated a little early on Sunday with pizza and cake. It’s hard to believe he’s going to be a teenager next year!

2. More time with Tim. He stayed with us Monday afternoon while Mittu had a doctor’s appointment. We spent much of the time sitting in the camper van and chatting. Then I asked Jason and Mittu if they could stay for dinner after the appointment, and they did.

3. Cleaned front porch and back patio. Some little birds built a nest between the front porch light fixture and the wall. The baby birds already hatched and flew away, but they left a mess. So Jim hosed the whole porch off. Then I noticed Monday that a couple of different kinds of vines had entwined themselves in my hydrangea bush next to the back patio. Jim cleaned out the vines and pressure-washed the patio. It’s nice to have the outside areas ready for use again.

4. Mary Poppins. The school associated with our church puts on a play at least once, maybe twice a year. They always invite the church family to the last dress rehearsal for free before the regular performances start. This time it was Mary Poppins, which had to have been quite a challenge. I had wondered if they were going to have her come from the ceiling with her umbrella. They didn’t. 🙂 The kids did a great job. I’ve thought that a musical would be harder to do than just a regular play, but the musicals they’ve done have been some of their best performances. Maybe having a melody to remember the lines by helps.

5. Road paving. Our little street connects to another couple of small streets before reaching a main road. Plus we’re in the county rather than the city. So sometimes our streets are the last to get needed attention. I’ve wondered several times if there was a way to request someone to come out and fix potholes and repave the streets. But this week, workers appeared out of the blue to do some of the preliminary work for paving. I’m not sure how long the process is, but I am so thankful it has started. I look forward to freshly paved, pothole-free roads soon!

And that’s our middle-of-April week. How was yours?

We’re through our first week of April already, and it’s time once again to count our blessings lest they pass unnoticed. I join with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to share about our weeks.

1. Easter is a tremendous blessing, and not just once a year. What a marvel, that God loved us enough to send His Son to redeem us.

2. Easter with the family. We had a lovely meal together. Then the guys and Timothy had an Easter egg hunt with money in the plastic eggs. 🙂 We had to do it inside because the ground was wet from morning rain. I made a basket for Timothy and smaller spring buckets for the adult kids. We had a paper tablecloth with puzzles and picture to color.

3. An egg hunt for Mom and Dad. Jason, Mittu, and Timothy made up and hid some eggs for Jim and me! That was unexpected! And fun! His had a boy stick figure on the outside, and mine had a girl figure.

They filled the eggs with little slips of paper where they wrote things they appreciated about us. That touched my heart. I especially liked Mittu’s “You made my favorite man” and Timothy’s “Thank you for my Dad.” 🙂

4. My own Easter basket. This year, Jim made an Easter basket for me! That was also unexpected and thoughtful. Yes, that’s a lot of sugar! But it’s all packaged, so I can parcel it out over the next several weeks.

5. Peony buds! I’ve wanted peonies for a long time. Jim planted these last May, but it was past their blooming time. He thought they had not survived the winter. But he discovered they’re about to bloom!

That’s our week. How was yours?