April is here! A new calendar page, a new month squarely situated in springtime. We’re still having some cold mornings, but the days have been very pleasant.

I woke up around 2 a.m. Monday to discover we were under a tornado watch. Thankfully, nothing happened. If we got the thunderstorms that were in the forecast, I didn’t hear them until after I got up. I was thankful the Carolinas got some of the rain, as they’ve had some serious wildfires there.

I’m sharing blessings of the week with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story. Feel free to join in!

1. Impromptu dinner with Jason, Mittu, and Timothy. They had asked to come over to see Jim’s new-to-us camper and truck, but ended up not getting here til dinner time. So they brought frozen pizza.

2. Sunday dinner gathering. Jason and Mittu had invited a couple over from church who were about our ages, so they asked if we wanted to come, too. We enjoyed the great pot roast and fellowship.

3. Another family dinner. I was to make a dessert for the dinner mentioned above. I tried two things, and they both flopped. So Jim ended up buying a gluten-free cake at the store.The one cake I made tasted great, but looked terrible. The blondies were not great, but were edible. Since we had all this sugar in the house with two of us who are trying to keep sugar under control, I invited the family over for dinner and dessert Tuesday. I was able to send some food home with them as well.

I’m not sure if it’s considered a promotion or just a lateral change, but Jesse is in a new position. It did come with a raise! But it’s also third shift to start with. When he came for dinner, we got to catch up with how everything was going.

4. Youth Sunday. Once a year, our church has a special emphasis on our youth, praying for them and having them participate in the service. It’s always so encouraging to see all those bright faces and to be reminded to pray for them as they seek God’s guidance and grow in Him.

5. Dinner out. I had an appointment one afternoon and stopped to get my hair cut afterwards. I got home just before dinnertime and suggested either getting take-out or using a gift card someone had given us to Olive Garden. We did the latter. Sometimes when we go out, we wish we had stayed in after dealing with the excess noise and bustle. But this time, we were seated in a quiet side section with just two rows of tables and had a nice view out of the windows. We had a great waiter. Instead of my usual choices, I tried something new: chicken and shrimp carbonara. It was so good! Plus I had leftovers to bring home for lunch today.

How was your first week of April?

March has felt both long and short. Here we at at the last Friday and FFF of the month. I’m sharing with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Shared dinner. Timothy texted one day to ask if his family could bring dinner over. Sure! A few hours later, they brought Salsarita’s to share.

2. Blooming trees. It’s been so nice to see trees blossoming in the neighborhood and around town. Of course, that means pollen is in the air as well. As someone said, there’s a cloud behind every silver lining. 🙂 But I love seeing color come back into the landscape.

3. Back to church. I have not been in a couple of weeks due to the digestive effects of antibiotics. But things have settled down enough that I was able to go Sunday and Wednesday.

4. A different camper. My husband had been contemplating trading in our RV for a camper that is pulled behind a car. The RV is more expensive to maintain with insurance and a service plan (needed in case of a breakdown on the road). Plus, we don’t use it as much as we thought we might. He went to a few places to look and found one he liked, and was able to negotiate the trade pretty much the way he wanted.

4. A new-to-us car. Jim had thought he could have a trailer hitch installed on his car to pull the camper, but found his car wasn’t rated to pull that much weight. At first we thought that would nix the RV trade. But then we discussed trading in Jim’s car for one that would be able to pull the camper. He found a small truck on his first scouting trip to look at what was available. He has always wanted a truck. 🙂 Plus, the cash from trading in the RV, along with trading in his old car, is going to just about pay for the new car. I’m thankful for God’s provision and a husband with a head for handling these things well.

How is your last week of the month wrapping up?

This has been an up and down kind of week. I was in atrial fibrillation for about fifteen hours one day. And I am on my third round of antibiotics for a stubborn case of cellulitis. Today I am focusing on the good things with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Pi Day. 3/14–the number of pi–is as good a day as any to have pies. 🙂 We started the morning with a breakfast quiche Mittu has sent over with Jason and Timothy when they came to watch the lunar eclipse the night before. Then I made spaghetti pie (thanks to a link from Susan) and Brazi bites while Mittu made hamburger pie, vegetables, and chocolate pretzel pie.

At some point during the night, I heard Mittu say she was glad she married into a family of nerds. 🙂

2. Winning a gift card. Speaking of Susan, I won an Amazon gift card from a give-away she had.

3. Safety in storms. One night this week, our area was predicted to receive severe storms and possibly tornadoes. Thankfully, all we got was some rain. But at one point when we had the TV on, we saw the local news channel had preempted all scheduled programming to cover the storms. They said a possible tornado was heading to the town where my youngest son lives. We called him to let him know and discussed the best places in his house to stay if a tornado did come. He only got hail. None of us lost power. We were very thankful.

4. Snail mail. With digestive issues from the antibiotics I’ve been taking, I haven’t been to church in a few weeks. A couple of sweet ladies sent me cards. Then my friend Dianna and I both mentioned liking a particular author (Michele Phoenix), and Dianna asked if I’d like to have some of her books by that author. I got her package and a lovely note last Friday.

5. Friends who pray. I’m so thankful to have friends I can email or text with prayer requests.

Bonus: The first day of spring. I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks. 🙂 Even though it was overcast and cool, it’s a promise of better weather to come!

How was your week?

It’s been a fairly low-key week, but a pleasant one. I’m joining Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story, not just to “look on the bright side,” but to cultivate gratitude in large and small happenings on good and bad days.

1. First daffodils of the season! They’re not my favorite flower, but they’re the first ones that bloom in our yard. They’re a sign that spring is almost here! For that and their cheerful look, I love them.

2. Dinner and flowers. Jason and Mittu brought over some barbecued chicken, macaroni and cheese, and salad as well as miniature pink roses one night.

3. Health Progress. Thanks so much for your prayers and kind words last week. I’m on a second round of antibiotics for the cellulitis. I saw the doctor for a follow-up visit Thursday, and he was pleased with how it looked. It’s hard for me to tell, because it looks better one hour and worse the next. So it was reassuring that he thought it was headed in the right direction. My prayer is for continued healing and that I won’t have to take a third round of antibiotics.

4. File organization. My desk has a built-in file drawer, and I realized that much of its content was not the kind of thing I needed close at hand. Plus, I wanted to make room for other things I did want close by. I was finally able to work on that this week, sorting through the files, throwing some things away or finding another home for them, and clearing some things off my desk into the newly created space..

5. The lunar eclipse. I figured my husband and I would wake up from our pre-bedtime naps on the couch in time to see something of the lunar eclipse. But then Timothy asked if he and Jason could come over and watch it here and then sleep in the RV. So the guys had kind of a watch party, complete with Jim’s telescope, portable fire pit, and s’mores. I went out around 2 a.m., when the moon was about 3/4 eclipsed.

How was your second week of March?

Though it’s not quite spring yet, and we still have some cold temperatures ahead, I’m ready to put aside the winter graphics and use spring-like ones. No matter what the season or weather, there are always blessings to be found along the way. Some of us share weekly with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story. Feel free to join in!

1. Men’s prayer breakfasts have been one of Jim’s best ways to get to know other men in some former churches we’ve attended. Some men will come to something like that when they won’t come to other things. Plus there’s more time for conversation and getting to know each other in that setting. It’s hard to “go deep” in Bible study with people you hardly know. He suggested starting one here. They had their first get-together this last Saturday, and around 25 men came.

2. Dinner brought over by Jason and Mittu. They had found some pre-seasoned carne asada beef, I think at Costo, and served it over Spanish rice. It was very good! Plus it was nice to see them and not have to cook dinner.

3. Sunrise. I don’t usually catch a glimpse of the sunrise, but I did one morning when heading to my desk. I didn’t want to go out in the cold, but wanted to get a photo. Even through the blinds and screen, it was lovely.

4. Jim’s birthday. It’s always a joy to celebrate my dear Husband. I am so thankful for him. We had lasagna, salad, and chocolate cake.

5. Encouragement. I’m battling another round of cellulitis this week. Some of you may remember I had an ordeal with that last year. I was discouraged that it happened again, especially after seeing early signs and praying it wouldn’t develop. And then I did something to my back one day. There are people dealing with much worse things, I know. One morning when I was particularly down, Daily Light on the Daily Path was particularly encouraging, as well as various things online and on the radio. God doesn’t always answer prayer just the way we would like, but He does care and walks with us.

It’s the last day of February! Twenty days until spring! It’s time to once again reflect on the last week and look for the highlights and blessings God places in our path along with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. My daughter-in-law’s birthday was actually the week before, but they took a short trip to Chattanooga, saw Ruby Falls (a waterfall in a cave), and took a train ride that week. We celebrated her birthday Sunday by going to lunch at Kern’s Food Hall–a big food court with a lot of ethnic cooking to choose from. Not being an adventurous eater, I stayed with pizza. 🙂 But Mittu, Timothy, and Jim got Indian food while Jason got Mexican and Jesse got sushi. Then we went to their house for presents and cake. Mittu made her own cake–a black forest cheesecake. Jason or I have made her cakes in the past, but she wanted to do this one. We Face-timed with Jeremy while there and enjoyed the afternoon.

2. A schedule adjustment. With an empty nest and a retired husband, I don’t have to get up at any set time most days. I’ve been sleeping later and later until it feels like I don’t have a lot of the morning left to accomplish anything. Though I’ve loved not having to set an alarm, I’m starting to time it for about half an hour earlier than I’ve been getting up. So far, that’s going well. Once I get used to that, I’ll set it back another half hour. The key–and the hard part– is getting to bed earlier. I’m naturally a night owl, but I get more done during the day than I do at night.

3. Nice weather. A lot of our winter weather has looked like the picture at the top. But we’ve had some lovely days this week–sunshine and afternoons in the 60s and 70s.

4. Lunch with Melanie. We talked about trying someplace different, but we ended up at one of our favorite places–Cracker Barrel. I always enjoy the time together, and I had enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

5. Daffodil leaves peeking through the soil. They’re not my favorite flower, but I love that they signal spring is coming.

Happy last day of February!

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?

Happy Valentine’s Day! This will just be a fly-by post today as there is still much to do before our family Valentine’s dinner tonight. I’m cultivating gratefulness with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Pretty pens. Sometimes the pretty ones don’t write very well, but this one is both lovely to look at and functional.

2. Hiding cords and cables. I love our electronics, but I hate to see cords and cables and wires hanging off the furniture or tangled on the floor. With all the moving furniture around while painting, Jim has been finding ways to make the cords less noticeable.

3. A picture rehung. A picture above our bed has been off-center ever since we moved the bed over to make room for a chair. I have balance issues, so I wasn’t able to stand on the bed to rehang it, and the bed doesn’t move easily. Jim painted the master bedroom this week, and we finally got the picture in the right place while the bed was away from the wall.

4. No ice or snow. Our temperatures have varied this week with a lot of rain, but thankfully the rain didn’t come on days when the temperatures were low.

5. Good fellowship. I always enjoy being at church, but the last few weeks have had some especially good conversations with different people.

I hope you have a wonderful day and know how much you are loved.

Usually I jot down things to include for FFF throughout the week. Somehow I didn’t this time. As I sit down to write, I’m thinking . . . .what did happen this week? I’m sharing blessings with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Feeling much better. Thanks so much for your prayers last week for my sinus and back pain.

2. Sunshine and warmth. We’ve had rain off and on and more is predicted for most of next week. But I am thankful the temperatures are too warm for snow and ice, and we have seen blue skies and sunshine some days. We almost hit 70 on Thursday. I know winter is not over yet, but it’s nice to have a reprieve from bone-chilling cold.

3. More home improvements. Jim finished painting the living room last week and this week did what we call the alcove, the study, or the office. It’s a little extension off the dining area where we keep a couple of desks. I didn’t do “before” and “after” pictures of the other rooms, but thought I’d do so here to give you an idea of how things have been brightening up all over the house.

Before: beige walls, off-white blinds that look old and yellowish.

After: light grey walls, new white blinds, brighter light bulbs.

We’ve been so pleased with the transformation.

My dear husband even cleaned the windows inside and out as well as the window screens.

The only major rooms left are the master bedroom and Jim’s office. After that, there’s stuff like the pantry, laundry room, and closets. We have four closets near the garage door with coats, Timothy’s toys, games, and decorating items. We need to take all of that out to paint and want to go through everything before putting it back in. That will be a chore, but it will be nice to get it done.

4. Mug warmer. One of the kids–Jeremy, I think–bought this for me some time ago. I wanted the cord to go behind the desk, which was going to entail someone scrambling around on the floor to plug it in, since this desk is too massive to scoot. So I put this in the desk until such time as I remembered to ask someone to set it up. Since Jim had to move the desk around while painting, I asked if he could plug this in behind the desk while he had it pulled out. It’s been so nice to keep my decaf coffee warm while I’m at the computer!

5. Dinner at Jason and Mittu’s for the first time since Christmas break. Jesse came, too, and we Face-timed with Jeremy.

Timothy has a thing for tornado sirens, and I am amazed at his knowledge of them. Jim and Jeremy were making one for him for Christmas with their 3-D printers, but a problem getting materials meant they couldn’t get it ready in time. Jim got it finished, and we brought it over last night. It’s nowhere near as loud as the real thing, of course, but I think he enjoyed using it. Plus Jim brought it over in pieces so Timothy could see how it was made and help put it together.

So thankfully, a little reflection brought to mind many highlights of the week. That’s one thing this exercise is so good for.

How was your week?

This has not been a great week. I started coming down with a head cold late Sunday night. I think it might be a sinus infection now, but I am waiting to see if it goes away on its own. I can’t take decongestants due to afib, so I muddle through with Tylenol, cough drops, and rest.

Then I did something to my back one day this week. Though it feels much better now, it’s also a little twingy. So I’m trying to remember to move slowly and deliberately rather than suddenly.

But even on the not-so-good weeks, there are blessings to be found. I’m thankful Susanne at Living to Tell the Story started this weekly exercise in cultivating gratefulness.

1. A peaceful transfer of power. I forgot to mention the inauguration last week. I’m thankful that, whatever political affiliations are represented, we have a peaceful transfer.

2. Lunch with Melanie was also from the week before. I always enjoy our lunches. We met on a Friday, and I had already published my FFF for the day. Then I forgot last week. We went to Red Lobster courtesy of some gift cards I had received. The waitress even gave us some extra Cheddar Bay biscuits to take home with our leftovers.

3. Home improvements. One of the things we looked at during our excursion to Home Depot last week was new knobs for our kitchen cabinets. We discussed painting the cabinets but weren’t sure if that’s what we really wanted to do. But I did want to go ahead and change out the plain brassy knobs. We bought three to try out, then after we made a decision, Jim took back the ones we didn’t choose and bought enough of our choice to do the whole kitchen–something like 29 knobs. I took a picture when he was part-way through installing the new ones:

New ones are on the left, old ones are on the right.

I liked some of the antique brass ones we saw. But if we ever do paint the cabinets, I want to paint them grey, and the black would look better on those. I think they look better now. 🙂 Funny how such a little thing can spruce up a whole room.

Jim is almost done painting the family room, probably the most used room in the house. That room and one other had off-white window blinds that looked old and discolored–plus would not go well with the light grey walls. I’ve wanted to get rid of them for a long time, and now Jim replaced them with white ones. They look so nice!

4. Dry cleaning sheets. With painting the window frames, we wanted to clean our valances. The fabric I used for them is dry clean only. Woolite makes sheets for the dryer for dry clean items. Jim cleaned off dust and cobwebs from the curtain, and I popped them into the dryer with the Woolite sheet for twenty minutes. So much nicer than trying to find a dry cleaner and paying their prices! The valances came our great.

5. A “Bed Buddy” pad that can be used for heat or cold. I put it in the microwave to heat and use when my back was bothering me and Icy Hot and Tylenol weren’t working. It helped a great deal. I wish it was unscented, but at least the scent didn’t give me a headache like scented things usually do.

Just sharing the highlights of the week has lifted my spirits.

How was your week?