Friday Fave Fives, February Take Three

Friday Fave Fives is here already.  It is Friday, but we have been so busy, I'm not sure what day it is... I really needed this time to stop the craziness and focus on remembering all the blessings of this past week.  I am truly thankful for Susanne's faithfulness in hosting Friday Fave Fives.  You can join, too, by clicking on that link.

1.  As of last night, I have a NEW working laptop computer!  Thanks to The Professor!  We are still working on getting everything moved from the old one and downloading all the sites that need passwords.  Come back soon for a photo dump!

2.  The snow has melted (temporarily).  Most of this week, the outside temperatures have been mild.  Although we have experienced heavy fogs, lots of rain, and thunder and lightning storms, it has been a wonderful respite from the frigid cold.  The winter birds have visited my feeder. Even my bees have been out of their hives frolicking in the warm weather.  I know that we are in for more freezing temperatures and snow, but I am thankful for the few days when we have been able to leave the house without hats, gloves, boots and parkas.

A funny anecdote about the snow... earlier this week, The Professor walked into the house carrying a newspaper wrapped in a plastic bag and tied with a rubber band.  That was not unusual because that's how our local printed paper is usually delivered.  But.  The date on the paper was January 23rd!  Evidently, the paper arrived just as the snow storm started scattering all the snow down on the edge of our driveway and it got covered in the drifts and piles of snow blown and shoveled off our driveway.  It lay there for three weeks hidden in the snow drift.  But it stayed dry and was still totally intact and readable.

3.  We have been able to get outside and walk several times this week.  One afternoon at the local arboretum (3 miles), twice in our neighborhood (usually 2 miles), and once on the local county path that runs alongside the river.  I know that walking is important (vital?) to our health, so we just keep walking.  I am thankful that we can and that we have beautiful and safe places to walk.

4.  Lent began on Wednesday.  My "Art Girls" friends and I are reading the book Journey to the Cross by Paul David Tripp during this Lent season.  The book has forty days of devotionals.  Already, on Day 3, we are being deeply challenged with the topics.  I highly recommend this book.

5.  Last weekend was my daughter-in-law's birthday!  We celebrated with a dinner at their house.  Her mother had flown in to visit so we enjoyed spending time with her, too.

This photo was taken at least ten years ago, but they still look just like this.

I hope you have had a warm, cozy, joyful week with many things to be thankful for.

Friday Fave Fives in Second Week of February

 Friday afternoon.  The weather has warmed up a bit and snow is melting.   Another busy week.  Now it is time to stop, take a deep breath, and focus on all the wonderful things that have happened this week.  Friday Fave Fives is the best way for me to remember all the blessings from the past several days.  Susanne hosts FFF every Friday and I am so thankful for this weekly reminder of all the blessings in my life during the week.

1.  You will notice that again today I am not posting photos.  Sadly.  But.  A new computer has been purchased and we (meaning The Professor) are in the process of getting it up and running.  Then, I will be able to post ALL. THE. PICTURES.  I can't wait!

2.  I have spent many many hours the past few days scrolling back and reading all my oldest blog posts from the time I started this blog in October 2005.  Yes, I've been blogging that long.  It was a wonderful walk down memory lane.

3.  Last Saturday The Professor and I and Nurse Girl and Warrior Boy went snow tubing with our Trail Life troop.  First time for the three adults.  Oh, it was great fun!  I'm up for doing it again.

 4.  Our house cleaner came this week, the first time since before Christmas.   I greatly appreciate all the work she does to clean our bathrooms and vacuum and mop our floors.  The house looks so much nicer.  And that makes me happy and relaxed.

5.  Two long walks this week.  One afternoon we tromped through the snow drifts with PAL and her mom for three and a half miles.  The sun was shining and it was a fun walk.  Then this afternoon, Nurse Girl and I took the dogs for a walk along the river for three miles.  Most of the path was clear as it has been a bit warmer the past two days and the snow is finally melting off.  I love my walks.

There were other blessings during the week like coffee time with our friends, a couple of long phone calls with a friend and my sister in law.  Afternoons sitting and sipping my tea and reading a book.  I hope you have had a calm and restful week, too.

An Important Day

 It's Friday and the end of the first week of February.  It is also Friday Fave Fives day. (the link takes you to Susanne's blog where you can join us) But that's not what makes this day the most important.  

So why is it an important day? 

1.  It's Tall Boy's Birthday!  He's eighteen!  How did he grow up so fast??  He went from this

to this,

to this,

(a year ago, and so he is even taller)

As he answered me this morning when I texted him "Happy Birthday", "we are the same age now"... yes, he's an adult!

2.  It has been very very cold all week.  And then more snow arrived this morning.  I am so very thankful for a warm house and all the warm blankets.

3.  Earlier this week, two young men from a local chimney company came to inspect our fireplace.  The result was the best we could have asked for.  By the end of this month, we should have a safe and functioning wood burning fireplace, again!

4.  I am a bit later than usual today posting my FFFs because I was busy doing something else.  That something involved hot tea and homemade scones.  My daughter in law invited me to spend an hour or so with her.  We discussed all kinds of things.  One topic was the Well Read Mom group we are in is going to be reading Dante's Purgatory in February.  I have never read it, but of course, The Professor has and owns an interesting translation of it.  We spent some time comparing our versions.  I am loving having my daughter in law living just two miles away from me.

5.  The issue with my computer not playing nicely with my camera will be solved soon.  The solution is that I will be getting a new computer as my current one is old and quite outdated.  The Professor has been researching all the options and has come up with the best choices and prices.  I am happily anticipating having a new computer.  And being able to post new photos.   And.  I am thankful that the other person who lives in this house is so knowledgeable and experienced with computers.  (If you are a new reader of my blog, you may not know that The Professor taught computer science/literacy at a California State University for the last ten years before he retired.   And before that, he worked many years for Intel Corporation.  So, yes, he knows his computers.)

I hope your week has been filled with many blessings, too!