July 25

Blessings abound!

 It's been a long time coming--but a good friend and I went kayaking after a year of not going.  And it was marvelous to be on the water again.  So many things to see, hear, and smell.  Nature in her glory!  I probably overdid it a bit as I'm paying for it with some neck and shoulder pain but it was absolutely worth it.  There is a peacefulness that I won't even try to describe.

A friend instigated signing up for a glass fusing class so today we experimented with making six different pendents.  The "baking" won't be done until sometime tomorrow, so she will have to pick mine up for me because tomorrow my husband and I are leaving on

vacation!

We will be gone two weeks.  Going camping in the Tetons, kayaking, hiking, being with family, potlucks, playing games (banagrams here we come!), fishing, and just having fun.  It will be fabulous!

I am looking forward to some quiet time as well.  There is still some reading to be done before Academy starts in mid-August.  And, of course, some writing and thinking, and thinking, and writing, and more reading.  The last book is a bit dry, a bit too studious, and difficult to get through.  Did I mention that it's also the thickest?  :(

Fresh vegetables are springing forth from a friends garden.  We are enjoying cucumbers, basil, dill, zucchini, beets and fresh garlic.  The lettuce, green beans, and raspberries are finished--but we sure enjoyed them while they were in season!  Yet to come:  corn, peppers, squash, melon, and one of my favorites--home-grown tomatoes!  Yippee!

I don't know how often I'll have an internet connection over the next two weeks.  I'll try to post during our time away.

In the meantime, may you be as blessed as I feel right now!

A Second Opinion

We have just returned from a larger metropolitan area about 2 hours away.  My husband was getting a second opinion about a recommended surgery on his foot.  The specialist, to no surprise, recommended the surgery advised by the local doctor--but suggested a different method and a bit more adjustment to one of his tendons.  What he said made sense and my husband really enjoyed meeting and talking with this fellow.  And not just because he has a Harley Davidson and they got to talk bikes and automobiles!  So it is now official--we will be scheduling his surgery some time this fall after he has finished his fall projects and had the winter to recuperate.  We'll be making several trips to accomplish this with this doctor--but have decided it will be worth it.  Yee ha.  I don't always enjoy driving in the winter (especially north), but this is the best option.

We are blessed indeed to have the resources and opportunities to have our health concerns addressed within the realm of the "insured."  There are so many who are not likewise blessed.  And I wonder how in heaven's name they take of themselves.

I  was reminded today that my husband and I enjoy a fairly quiet and peaceful life.  It has its frustrations, but generally we are content.  And that indeed is a blessing that many folks seem not have. So I am grateful for all that is good in our lives.

Blessings to you too!

Good News

There has been much to be thankful for the last few days.  A good friend got a positive report at the doctor's office.  My daughter is healing well from her surgery and is looking forward to getting back to some activities thus far banned (river floating, swimming in her friend's pool, etc.)  Today I did a short trip in my kayak and have concluded that I can (and will!) do some kayaking on our upcoming vacation.  I don't think it can make my shoulder any worse and it was absolutely marvelous to be "on the water" in the warm summer sun.  A mostly good day...

Oh--and I have discovered the joy of having a wireless printer.  Yeeha!

Blessings to you!

Finding time

It's not that I don't like to write daily--it's difficult to find a good time every day.  I've got some thoughts in the back of my mind as to a solution.  Will see if it works.

Blessings most notable over the last few days:

A good appointment with a Spiritual Director (and helpful comments from a friend as well!).

Two chocolate bars to enjoy.

Fabulous news about a friend's macular degeneration.

Maintaining an even keel (for the most part).

Fun and games at church this afternoon.  Several folks showed up to enjoy Aggravation, Banagrams, and more!

The second floor mats ordered for my husband's car fit well and he was pleased with them.  The first set I ordered were NOT what he wanted and boy, was he gritchy!

So, there's a brief synopsis.  Not meaty, unfortunately, but enough to remind me of happenings!

Blessings to you.

Pleasant Summer Days

It's often quite warm here--on the desert side of Washington State--but the last couple of days have been  pleasant.  Today, my husband and I enjoyed sitting under an umbrella at a local Starbucks.  The temperature was pleasant, a light breeze was blowing, and we enjoyed reading a couple of chapters in our current book.  Times like these are blessings indeed.  May you have such blessings in your life as well!

Blessings to you!

Kid's Movies

My husband, a friend, and I went to see Despicable Me 2 this afternoon.  What a hoot!  We laughed most of the way through it--and some of the scenes were downright hand clapping!   And the entertainment continued through the credits.   We had a great time.

So I'm thankful for folks with imaginations and abilities to make such fun entertainment come to life.  As my husband remarked as were leaving the theatre, "It's downright amazing what people come up with!"

Thank you God for small things that make us laugh, smile, and feel good!

Blessings to you!

Missing the Point

So, it's been difficult to keep blessings on the brain the last few days.  Seems like there is a lot of not-so-wonderful stuff going on.  However, this morning I was reminded, unexpectedly, that it is indeed good to look for blessings and keep smiling.  So there you have it.

The liturgy this morning focused on "Deliver us from ourselves, O God."  Aren't we often our own worst enemy?

The silly little message this morning?  An espresso cup lid that had the word "SMILE" written so your eyes would see it as you took a sip of coffee.  And indeed, it did make me smile.  :)

So I am reminded once again that in the midst of everything, there are reasons to smile and it is a good thing to keep focused on those things.

Blessings to you!

Barley and Hops

A few years ago at a local Folk Music Festival a singer named Scott Katz sang a song that just made my brother and I laugh.  The title is "Beer is Good."  The first verse goes like this:  I don't wanna know the sad event that led you to forsake beverages of barley for the pleasure of the grape.  But I hear you sing the praises of your sulfite laden mead, and I'm thinking that a Heineken is all you really need.  Beer is good.  Beer is good.  Beer is good.  Beer is good.  Beer is good."  It continues on in a similar vein--a kindof rap and very fun song.  (If you care, the CD is titled "WRONG" by Scott Katz, Brown Bag Studios.  It's a great CD.  :)

At any rate, this evening I've been enjoying a "High Five Hefe" brewed by the Iron Horse Brewery in Ellensburg, Washington.  It's pretty good--described as a ginger honey wheat beverage.   Gee--ginger is one of my favorites and in a flavorful beer it is down right delicious!

I bought this bottle at a nifty shop in Ellensburg on a road trip a few weeks ago and this evening was the perfect evening to enjoy it.  Family drama has about done me in, so this large bottle of beer tasted wonderful with some sweet potato french fries.  Burp.  The dog enjoyed the fries as well.  :)

So thank you  God for providing the hops, wheat, ginger, and honey that went into this delectable beverage that has given me a soft/warmish feeling that offers me a bit of peace in the midst of a trying day.  I love my relatives dearly--but their trials and tribulations are both mind-boggling and wearisome. I'm reminded of the phrase that goes something like this:  Life would be a lot easier if there weren't so many people in it.

In the midst of all this I can still say that Life Is Good--and I am blessed in so many ways that I'm ashamed of being so snarky this evening.

Blessings to you this evening as well!

A Little Progress

There was actually some "down" time today to keep plugging away at a not-so-fun project that will be awesome when I finally complete it.  I'm updating my contacts, important dates, business contact information, and password information.  Whew!  Not only will this help me keep track of some things, but it will provide an accurate source of information should anything happen to me.  Not that I'm planning to depart the earth any time soon--but I've become increasingly aware that I'd better have information available for my husband if anything happens to me.  And it's a good exercise in organization as well.

"Down time" (or time not specifically set aside for something) is a rare commodity.  If nothing specific is scheduled, there are still the 'daily' intrusions of life: errands, laundry, menu planning, cooking, playing with the dog, being available for important people in my life, opening the mail, paying bills, keeping track of schedules, making phone calls, ad infinitum.  You know what I'm speaking of!

Sure, there is always something that needs "doing" but some spare time to concentrate on a project is welcome.  A bit of a blessing, actually.

Blessings to you!

Someone else doing the dirty work.

It's been over twenty years since my husband and I added the deck on the back of our house.  At the time, we also invested in a hot tub to relieve the aches and pains that construction would bring on.  So along with the redwood deck, we also got a redwood hot tub (yes, just a couple of years before they came out with the "no care" siding!).

At any rate, the first year and approximately every three years since we have repeated the treatment on the deck and hot tub.  It's not fun work, especially around the railings, and I've never considered it much fun.  As I've gotten older the chore has gotten more difficult.

So, when our currently living with us daughter offered to "do" the deck this summer I was overjoyed.  Unlike myself, she enjoys the warmer weather and seems content to turn on her iPod, grab the brushes and rollers, and work merrily away while the music plays on.

Talk about a blessing.  And the deck looks great too!

Blessings to you!

Thank God for Praise Band

Some days it isn't easy to find a blessing.  My daughter got news of a "2fer" surgery today.  Two procedures instead of one.  And then, poor thing, she will need a follow-up ultra-sound on a mammogram as well.  All this and menopause as too!

It was blistering hot today--the kind of heat that tires one.  And the family angst had both my husband and my daughter in tears.  We ended up in a group hug--smiles in the midst of crying.  We are on a long road of healing in this household!

So it's Monday.  And that generally means praise band practice.  And, between playing with a friend's dog who happens to show up for practice and playing the songs with the group, my spirit received a healthy dose of peace and thankfulness.  Praise band is always uplifting--thankfully so.  Music is a huge blessing in my life.

Thank you, God!