Family, Flowers, Faithfulness

 This past week, it has been hot and humid here in Ohio.  Too hot to walk most days until late evening.  I have spent most of my time inside (more on that topic below).  But there have been blessings along the way.  Friday Fave Fives is how I share some of them each week.  Susanne is our faithful host and she leads us by example.  The link takes you to her blog and to where and how you can participate in FFF.

Here are mine.

1.  I didn't mention this last week...my bad.  Our Fifty-second wedding anniversary.  Yes, you read that correctly. 52 years.  I am thankful for a faithful husband who has always been through life with me.  We were so young fifty-two years ago.

Many of our wedding photos were damaged when they were in storage during the years we lived in Indonesia, but a few escaped the rats.

2.  Back to current times.  We grow old together.  Dr. appointments become faves.  The Professor had a very encouraging physical therapy assessment.  I was able to schedule a quicker than usual appointment to find out why I am having allergic reactions (and to what).  I am thankful that we have excellent insurance and options to help us with our health.

3.  The Professor is improving and we were able to walk two miles one evening.  And the one morning when the temperatures were bearable, we enjoyed a shorter walk with our Nurse Girl (younger daughter) and the two granddogs.  (According to Nurse Girl, we are the grandpawrents)

4.  As I mentioned above, the weather has been so hot and humid.  Because of the testing I am undergoing for the allergies, I am not supposed to be exposed much to sun or get all sweaty.  So mostly I have been sitting inside reading or knitting.  I'm thankful I can stay cool(ish) in the house.  And I don't have to weed the garden.

5. My view into the back garden is of potted plants on the patio, and just behind them in the garden bed, sunflowers!  The sunflowers are so tall and blooming huge flowers.  I love them.  The birds love them. (photos taken in the evening after it cooled a bit)

And I have a few growing in the front of the house, too.

I am thankful for my garden!

A volunteer daisy among the potted nasturtiums.

A solar light dragonfly among the wildflowers. 

This week I hoped you stopped to smell all the flowers, not just the roses.

Monday Harvest

 Goodies from my garden.  It's worth waiting for.

Sunflowers.

Fave Fives, Mid July

Friday already!  Time to hit the pause button and think about all the blessings of this past week.  Friday Fave Fives does help me stay focused.

1.  Lately I have been reading a devotional book every evening before I sleep.  I bought the book in Lindisfarne on Holy Island, Northumberland, England in April 2022.  This week, the daily reading mentioned Heavenfield.  This is a place in the UK that has great significance to the Celtic Christian church because it is where King Oswald raised a cross before a battle (Battle of Heavenfield).  I looked up where Heavenfield is and, lo and behold,  I have been there.  We were hiking on that same trip and following a path to Hadrian's Wall.  There was a small church on a hilltop and we explored the perimeter and then walked down another path and passed a large wooden cross.  I did a bit of research and yes!  That is the same place that is mentioned in my devotional book.  I love the connections that give me a visual to help me understand and appreciate the words.

St. Oswald Church, Heavenfield

the cross

2.  After several days of heat and humidity, today I am thankful for cool(er) temperatures, clouds and rain.  We needed the break.

3. The garden is thriving, even in the heat.  Flowers and veggies.

4.  Do you have a favorite tea that you enjoy drinking every day?  Besides my first love of Earl Grey tea, I have been enjoying a good herbal tea-- hibiscus tea.  Flavorful and healthy.

5.  I wish I could catch photos of the birds that flutter around our back garden.  I think my favorite visitors are the yellow goldfinches.  I love the bees, butterflies and birds!

Bonus bit:  The Professor continues to gain strength.  This week we did a two mile walk on the path by our house!

Barns Local

 Sometimes you don't notice the beauty that lives near you.  I walk past these two barns regularly on my daily walks, and often I don't even 'see' them.  They're beauties.

I love the red doors on this grey barn.  The barn is on the Ohio State University campus and used for storing outdoor equipment.

Privately owned red barn that seems somewhat neglected.  Why is the barn door open?

Busy and Blessed

 It's Friday (night) and time for Friday Fave Fives.  I had planned to have my FFFs up and running early this morning, but, as usual, life got busy.  Finally, I have a bit of time to just sit and reflect back on the past week and all the blessings.

1.  We have moved on from Fourth of July weekend, but we loved our times on the back patio with family.  We enjoyed a bonfire, various meals and some s'mores.  I am so thankful to be living so near to our daughters so we can just text and say, "Come on over!"

2.  Trail Life.  Both grandsons are part of our local Trail Life troop (like Boy Scouts with church connections).  This week was 'crossover', a time of recognizing each troop member and 'graduating' those who are moving up to the next age level.  They literally cross a local walking bridge and are greeted by all the other boys and leaders.

3.  Our honeybees are doing great!  The 'bee guy' visited our hives this week and we enjoyed watching him do the inspecting.

4.  The bees are loving all the flowers.  That's probably why they are thriving and seem so 'busy'.

And the butterflies are happy, too.

5.  Our extended family, the ones we unofficially 'adopted' years ago from Los Angeles and who moved here to Ohio after we did, have added a new little one to our 'tribe'.  We got to meet little L this week! (posting with permission)  We each got to hold him!  Welcome, L!

So, that's Willow's Week here.  Busy but overflowing with Blessings!

July Fourth!

 Happy Fourth of July!  AND it's Friday Fave Fives time.  Here in the US, we are celebrating a national holiday.  Two hundred forty-nine years ago, we declared independence from England.  So I am focusing on both our national holiday and five blessings from the past week.  (The link above takes you to the blog of Susanne, our FFF host.)

1.  Thank you to all the people who have visited this blog and commented about their prayers, thoughts and concerns for The Professor after his stroke last month.  He is recovering so well.  If you know him personally, face to face, you know that he is working hard, doing his exercises faithfully.  This week, we have walked a couple of evenings-- almost a two mile walk!  One thing his therapist told him to do is put together puzzles.  He has done several 350 piece puzzles using his left hand to increase dexterity and strength.

2.  Three hundred ninety years ago, my ancestors left London on a ship named Increase, floated across the Atlantic Ocean and landed in Boston, Massachusetts in June 1635.  I am thankful that I have all the information about my ancestors (courtesy of some very dedicated great aunts and uncles who did so much research) about the people who arrived and settled here in America.

3.  One morning, we drove to the local car dealer where we bought our Honda and had the usual maintenance done on it.  The car's good to go.  I am thankful for experienced and reliable mechanics to do all the work like oil changes.

4.  The Professor's friend spent one morning with him, just talking about everything.  RD is such a blessing to him and I'm thankful for that. 

5.  Last night, almost all our local family met at our house and then walked down to the Ohio State University campus and set up our chairs to enjoy food truck cuisine and orchestra music and fireworks.  It's a yearly tradition in our town to have a huge fireworks display on July 3rd.  We had a great time!  We sang along with the orchestra.  We snacked on popcorn.  We oohed and aahed at the fireworks display.

Some photos from last night.  Can you imagine all the booms and explosions?

Again, Happy Independence Day!