Once again another week has flown by, and we’re pausing with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story to remember some of the good things that have happened.

1. Dry ice “experiments.” We had gotten some dry ice to use at our family Halloween party, but had quite a bit left. Jim texted Jason and Mittu a link about some other things they could do with dry ice. They invited us over on Saturday to do some of those dry ice activities with Timothy. As it happened, when Jason went to get the dry ice out of the freezer–the bags were empty. The dry ice had turned back into a gas, I guess because their freezer wasn’t as cold as dry ice needs to stay solid. Since we were set up and planning to play with it, Jason set out to find some more, having to go to four stores before he found any. But Timothy had such fun mixing up water with food coloring or dish soap and dropping dry ice in, then using different utensils on it. We found that if you squeeze dry ice with tongs, it makes a screeching sound. And Jim and Jason got curious about what would happen if you put water and dry ice in a water bottle with the lid on. Short answer: it explodes loudly. (There’s a sheriff’s deputy living in Jason’s neighborhood, and we were a little afraid he would come over to investigate the noises we were making on the back deck. He didn’t, thankfully.) Near the end of the activities, Timothy proclaimed, “I love science!” 🙂 Then Mittu made stir-fry for us, and we played a couple of rousing hands of Uno.

2. Voting. I’m thankful we have that privilege in this country.

3. Veteran’s Day in the USA today. I am abundantly thankful for those who have served our country, often in unseen ways, at great sacrifice to their families.

4. Getting an hour back. I don’t really like changing the time back and forth, nor the early darkness. But I do like that extra hour once a year from “falling back.”

5. Apple cider. We usually just have this a couple of times a year, but Jim and I discovered we both like having an alternative hot drink. Neither of us likes hot tea, but we usually want more warm drinks in cold weather than coffee.

I hope you’ve had a good week as well!

Here we are at the first Friday of November. Our trees are past peak color, but there are still plenty of beautiful autumn leaves outside. Nights were in the 50s, and days got up to mid-70s this week. I’m thankful for this weekly opportunity to pause and reflect with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. A joint church service. The church we have been visiting prays faithfully for their “sister church,” a Black church about twenty minutes away. Last Sunday, they held a joint service with the theme of Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” Different people from both churches sang, testified, read Scripture, and spoke. The styles of singing and preaching were different, but it’s good to experiences those differences. It was such a wonderful day.

2. A neighborhood get-together. One of our neighbors used to organize a big neighborhood cook-out on July 4th each year. The practice kind of fell off for several reasons, and then the pandemic hit. Last Sunday afternoon, we had the first big get-together in a long time. I met some new neighbors and touched base with some old ones. An added blessing: intermittent rain had been predicted, so one lady opened her garage for the get-together. But, though it rained that morning, the afternoon was dry. Plus the temperatures were comfortable. We were able to set up lawn chairs in the driveway while keeping the food and drinks in the garage.

3. Family dress-up party. When the pandemic closed down the usual places my son and daughter-in-law used to take my grandson trick-or-treating, they asked if we could have a family party on Halloween night. We’ve done that ever since. Here are our costumes for this year:

Mittu made some yummy chicken sandwiches and these two cute pies, one apple and one blueberry.

4. Mammogram done. Nice to have it behind me for another year. I don’t have the results yet, but the first look didn’t seem show anything alarming.

5 Operation Christmas Child. After my mammogram appointment, I stopped by two different dollar stores and then packed my OCC box last night. I love participating in this.

Bonus. The Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions started this week. Host Ken Jennings said it was their “Academy Awards, World Series, PhD Defense, and Homecoming Week all rolled into one.” This has been a season of super-champions. It’s fun to see some of my favorite players again, and it will be exciting to see which of them comes out on top.

How was your week?

It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the end of October already. I’m grateful Susanne at Living to Tell the Story started this tradition of stopping for a few minutes to recap the best parts of the week. Maree’s blog today shares how gratefulness makes us happy.

1. Pumpkin decorating/carving. Mittu made chili and cornbread. Jim and Jason were the only ones to carve their pumpkins this year. They’re the most proficient at it. Jason created his from a photo of Timothy.

The rest of us painted ours. Mine is *supposed* to look like a cupcake. 🙂 Jesse did the clown face, Mittu the cute little ghost, and I think Timothy’s is a bat. I found some face stickers that some of us used on the back of our pumpkins.

2. Caramel popcorn and apple cider is what I traditionally make for pumpkin decorating night. the caramel popcorn is one of my husband’s favorite things. It’s a bit of work to make, but it’s so addictive (and it makes the house smell so good).

3. Trunk or Treat. We’ve never been in a church that did this. but the church we are visiting did this week both as a community outreach and to provide a safe place for kids to dress up and get candy. Most of the adults giving out candy dressed up, too. Jim and I resurrected our Red Riding Hood’s Grandmother and the Big Bad Wolf outfits from a couple of years ago. I thought some of the kids would be afraid of Jim’s mask, but they mostly just laughed or growled when they saw him. One little one kept his distance, though, and stared. Jason, Mittu, and Timothy came out for it, and it was a lot of fun.

4. Getting a physical is not fun, but getting it over with is nice. Plus I had a fairly good visit this time. I am not always happy in trying to discuss things with this doctor—he tends to brush off my concerns. But we had a good discussion this time.

5. Tidying the blog and around the house. Nothing major, but I deleted a few defunct things from my sidebar got some things put away at home. It’s always nice to neaten and restore order.

Finally, I wanted to share this quote from a book I am reading, Joy: A Godly Woman’s Adornment by Lydia Brownback. This seems to encapsulate Friday’s Fave Five:

“If we are not looking for the good things, we may fail to see them when they come. That’s part of why thankfulness is so important. Offering thanks to God, no matter what is going on in our lives, is a way of acknowledging that he knows exactly what he is doing and that we can trust him” (p. 28, Kindle version).

I liked this one as well:

“Sometimes thankfulness is a choice we make rather than a feeling we have” (p. 28).

I appreciate our regular practice of pausing at least once a week to remember the blessings of the week with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. The University of TN vs. Alabama game. Neither my husband and I are much into sports. But when we moved to Knoxville, it was hard not to get caught up into Vols fandom. The last few years, however, we haven’t been able to see the games on our particular cable plan. Last Saturday’s game was on CBS, so we turned it on mid-way through the second quarter. Man, what a nail-biter. Each side had some great plays, and each side made mistakes (they’re only human, after all). I hadn’t realized that there was a particular rivalry between these two teams, with AL winning the last 15 or so of their matches with UT. But UT won with a field goal in the last minutes. I’m thankful the game we got to see was such a good one.

2. Dinner with the family. We usually see Jason, Mittu, and Timothy at least once a week, but hadn’t seen Jesse since my out-of-town family was here a couple of weeks ago. Mittu made dinner for us all Sunday night–tilapia, garlic mashed potatoes, and broccoli in cheese sauce. Then we played a couple of games.

3. Newish clothing. I had ordered some long-sleeved items last year near the end of winter, but didn’t have a chance to wear them much before the weather turned warm. It’s been fun to rediscover those this year and to find that my clothing is pretty well set for the season.

4. A favorite old sweater. I have newer, better looking sweaters, but they’re a little heavier and thicker. The one I wear most is old, stretched out, frayed, and even has some holes—but it’s just the right weight for around the house. One bonus: since it’s already so well-worn, I don’t care if I spill on it or snag it on something. But I’d be embarrassed to wear it out or even have anyone but family see me in it at home. I’d love to find something the same weight to replace it with.

5. Our beautiful fall weather and color continue, though we’ve had early morning freezes a couple of times.

Some of you who have participated in FFF for a long time may remember Debbie in Canada (Edmonton) who used to blog as Purple Grandma, though her blog doesn’t appear to be online any more. Her family and ours attended the same church for a decade or more after we were first married. She and her husband planted Foundation Baptist Church in Calgary, and I believe they began Foundation Baptist College, or were, at least, instrumental in starting it. Debbie has been battling cancer recently. It started in her pancreas but has metastasized to other parts of her body. She keeps having bad reactions to different combinations of chemo—fever, severe digestive issues, low white blood count. I think she has ended up in the hospital after almost every treatment. Her doctor discontinued chemo, saying it was killing her. Their only other option appears to be various herbal treatments and supplements. Debbie is ready to go to heaven, but she’d love to stay around for a while longer with her family. If you’re a praying person, I’m sure she would appreciate your prayers. If you’d like to follow her journey, you can find updates at Mama Talbert’s Cancer Fight on Facebook.

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story invites us to stop for a moment and appreciate the good things of the past week. It’s been a nice, quiet week here with lovely fall weather.

1. A reversible bedspread. I’ve had the same bedspread for a few years and have kept the same side up all this time. But on a whim, last time I changed sheets, I decided to turn the bedspread over to its other side. It’s like getting a whole new covering. 🙂

2. Drop Stop. There’s something about the angle of my car seats that makes my phone slide out of my pocket. Then the phone falls between the seat and console, and I usually have to get out of the car and dig around to get my phone back. I had seen Drop Stop advertised, which fits between the seat and console to keep things from sliding down there. I thought that sounded like a neat idea, but didn’t get it until I saw it on a Woot daily sale. When I saw it was just a stuffed tube of fabric, I thought, “Why didn’t I think of that? I could have made something like this.” But it’s made out of a fabric that fits with car upholstery and doesn’t look “homemade,” so I guess that’s something. 🙂

3. Central heating. I know I say this at least once a year—but it’s good to be thankful for the same thing more than once, right? 🙂 We turned our heat on for the first time this fall when the outdoor temperatures dropped into the 30s. It was so lovely to just push a button and not have to gather wood or take out ashes.

4. Fall decorations. I didn’t take pictures–the decorations are the same as in past years. 🙂 But I enjoy changing things up a bit with the seasons.

5. Pickup order working out. I was running errands, the last of which was picking up a grocery order from WalMart. Then I got a text that my order was delayed. I tried to call the store to see when they thought it might be ready, but the number wasn’t working. Then I tried their 800 general customer service number. Long story short, I was able to pick up the order while I was out instead of coming back home and having to go out again that evening or the next day, which was a big help.

How was your week?

Just like that, we’re a week into October already. I appreciate Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for hosting this opportunity to pause and appreciate the good things of the week before they slip out of memory.

1. Lunch with Melanie. Since Melanie moved here from FL, we’ve tried to meet for lunch once every few weeks. I enjoy our fellowship, and lunch at Red Lobster with gift cards from my family is great, too.

2. Scheduling medical visits is NOT a favorite thing. I tend to put it off, and then when I do try to call, I spend time on hold or leave a message as we play multiple rounds of phone tag. I finally got a dentist’s appointment changed to a more suitable time and got my yearly physical scheduled. Nice to have that finally done, but it will be nicer still when both appointments are over.

3. A church dinner. We’ve been visiting a new church which has started having dinners on Wednesday evenings to facilitate people being able to make it to Wednesday night activities (prayer meeting, Bible study, youth group, choir). We had come to Bible study a few times but hadn’t made it to a dinner yet due to Jim’s work schedule. We finally went to dinner there this week. It’s a good way to get to know people–and not having to make a rushed dinner at home before dashing out was nice, too.

4. Naps. I don’t know why, but I have been wiped out this week. Maybe due to the fun but busy weeks before. But the nice thing is that this week a lighter schedule has allowed me to doze off in my desk chair or on the couch as needed.

5. Fall color is spreading in earnest. I love when autumn color comes on gradually, and each excursion outside yields new things to see. Some years the color hangs around for a while—other years, a good storm knocks the leaves off early. I’m hoping the color will stay as long as possible.

Bonus: The cooler nights are really helping me sleep well.

How was your first week of October?

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts this opportunity to pause and appreciate the good things of the week. It really helps to pause and reflect a bit before the week floats away into memory.

It’s hard to believe we’re at the end of September. It was a busy month for us–maybe that’s why it seemed to go by even more quickly than usual.

Here are some of the blessings of the last week.

1. Extended family visit. My step-father, two sisters, and nephew from TX flew in to spend a few days. We all drove to SC to spend a day with two more sisters, my niece, and great niece there. It was the first time in three years all five sisters were together. We only wished my brother and his wife in CT could’ve come and made it a full family reunion. I had hoped the TX family might see a bit of fall color here, because they don’t have that in TX. There wasn’t a lot here yet, but we saw a bit driving through the mountains to SC. The weather was great the whole week except for a bit of rain and fog on the way back from SC. I wrote more about the visit in my end-of-month post yesterday and shared some pictures. We had such a good time and miss them already.

2. A completed extended to-do list. I tend to want to do a full-scale spring cleaning before anyone comes to visit, but I’ve learned the hard way that, 1) I never get everything done I want to, and 2) I wear myself out if I try. I made a master cleaning list I keep in the computer and added to it this time. For the first time ever, I got every “cleaning for company” item crossed off! That doesn’t mean everything that could have been done was–there’s always more to do. But the most essential things were. A very few items got crossed off without being completed since I determined they weren’t needed. But that’s a legitimate way to deal with them, right? 🙂

3. Pumpkins Spice Mini Donuts. I’m not big into pumpkin-flavored everything, but I really like getting these once a year.

4. Great American Cookie Company. I’m not at the mall often (probably a good thing), but I love this company’s peanut butter cookies when I’m there. I got some both at a mall in SC and then here in TN this week.

5. Cooler weather seems to have settled in for the season, and I love it.

How are things in your neck of the woods?

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts this opportunity to pause and appreciate the good things of the week. I’ve found this weekly break to be so helpful and encouraging. Here are a few of this week’s blessings:

1. Jesse’s birthday. I always love our kids’ special days, though they’re starting to make me feel old. I joked on Facebook, “How can my youngest be 29 when I’m only 39 1/2?” 😉

2. Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service. I didn’t get to watch it as it happened, but someone had told me they watched on YouTube where there was no commentary, just a recording of the service. The music was glorious and the message so clearly pointed to Christ.

3. The first day of fall. I’ve said often that I love the in-between seasons of fall and spring, where the weather is a nice change but not at the extremes of hot or cold. And both have such beautiful color. The leaves are just starting to turn. I have family from TX coming in this week, and though full fall color won’t be out for a few weeks yet, I’m glad they’ll see a bit of it.

4. A productive week. With my family coming, I got a few projects done around the house and have started a more intense cleaning than my usual weekly tasks. I’ve learned from past experience not to get so into getting things done that I am exhausted when they get here. So I am aiming to get the major things done, then we’ll see about the rest. I can’t say I enjoy the act of cleaning, but I do enjoy the results.

5. Weeding out items to give away. I keep a large box in the pantry to toss things in that I don’t want or need any more. When that gets full, I usually add to it some other items. With family coming, I wanted to get that stuff out of the way. I’ve got a few boxes stacked up to be taken to the thrift store. It feels good to create some space and get these things some place more useful.

Have a great weekend!

Wow, this month is going by so fast. Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts this opportunity to pause and appreciate the good things of the week, lest they’re forgotten in the bur of passing time.

1. Grandparent’s Day was last Sunday. Jason and Mittu observed it by bringing over dinner and dessert as well as flowers for me and jerky for Jim. Timothy colored pictures for us both.

2. Not getting sick when I thought I was. I thought I was catching a cold one morning, but felt better that evening and the next day. It must have been allergies, but it was odd to suddenly have such a reaction when I have been taking Claritin every day for months. Jim saw a weather report that day showing a map of our whole state under an allergen cloud.

3. A customer service call that took care of a problem (actually a second call, but thankfully everything got straightened out). It’s nice to hear those words, “I can help you with that.”

4. The Tennessee State Fair. We haven’t gone to the fair since a year or two before the pandemic. It’s a bit of a sensory overload outside, but we enjoyed watching Timothy on some rides. Inside the main building we always enjoy the 4-H competition displays in various categories.

We had a couple of unexpected blessings, one in finding a parking space right next to a gate. There were no signs about paying for parking, so we parked close and free. Jesse rode with us, and as we walked to the gate, the attendant asked if we had tickets to the fair. No—we had planned on buying them at the gate. She said she had three that she had been given to hand out to family members, but none of hers wanted to come. So she gave them to us.

5. Delicious coolness. The afternoons are still warm, but the mornings and evenings have been pleasant harbingers of fall breezes to come.

What’s something good from your week?

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts this opportunity to look back at the previous week and appreciate the good things in it. Sometimes we overflow with things to give thanks for; other times we have to dig for them. But this is a good exercise either way.

1. A long weekend. My husband took Friday off before Labor Day to have a four-day weekend. We had the kids over for grilled burgers Monday, and Mittu made a gorgeous cheesecake. Jason and Mittu brought over gluten-free cheese pizzas and assorted toppings Friday night and then had us to their house for Sunday lunch after church.

2. A new light fixture above the sink. The one we had was broken and held together with tape. Jim used one of his days off to replace it. I always feel bad when a home project turns into a bigger deal for him than we thought it would be. He had to make four trips to Home Depot. The first light he bought didn’t work with our configuration. The second turned out to be an off color. I don’t remember what the other two trips involved. But he finally got it in. Not only is it more pleasant to look at, but it’s much brighter.

3. A super clean tub and sink. My cleansers and scrubbers weren’t taking complete care of the stains in the sink and tub. Jim has a drill with a brush attachment and scoured both fixtures til they were gleaming.

4. A breakfast biscuit. Somehow in talking with the kids I mentioned that when I used to take them to school, I’d “reward” myself by getting a breakfast biscuit once a week or so. But because I’m not usually out early in the mornings any more, I hadn’t had one in a long while. The next morning, Jim had to go out for something and surprised me by bringing back Chick-Fil-A biscuit.

5. A good critique session. I mentioned recently joining a writing critique group. Everyone in the group has a chance to “present” several pages of their work for others to edit and offer suggestions. It does feel very vulnerable, but it is so valuable. Even with running our pages through a spelling and grammar checker, mistakes are missed. And then there are larger issues, like when a phrase or paragraph is confusing or something hits in an unintended way. This past week was my turn to present, and the comments were so kind (as I knew they would be, even though I felt nervous beforehand). I had a chance to ask for feedback afterwards and got lots of good ideas.

Bonus: We watched Timothy last night while his parents went on a date. They brought me this wonderful cookie in the cutest little box:

Just before sitting down to start this post, I heard of the passing of Queen Elizabeth. She was such a stabilizing factor over the course of such a long reign. My heart goes out to her family and British friends.