Go-Go and Good Friday Faves

 It has been a go-go-go week here at Willow's Cottage.  I have had to remind myself a few times to Stop. Breathe. Focus. Be thankful.  That is what Friday Fave Fives is about.  Focus on the week's blessings. (follow the link to be part of it)  And it is Good Friday, a most important day in the year's calendar.

1.  On Friday (a week ago!), a friend and I drove about an hour and a half northeast of home to attend the Whole Health Conference.  Wow!  It was great!  We took the making herbal medicine class which was very hands on.  We created an oil using essential oils and also watched our teacher make a salve from herbs, oils, and beeswax (exactly how I make mine).  The dinner and snacks were exceptionally yummy.  All in all, it was a great day and we plan to attend the full weekend conference next year.  And the conversations to and from in the car were so uplifting.

2.  Saturday was the wedding of the older son of our 'family' from Southern California who moved here last year.  It was a Star Wars themed wedding.  The Professor and Older Daughter had helped to set things up on Friday and we all showed up for the 10:30am wedding and stayed after to clear the space for church service that evening.

3.  I have only one sibling.  An older brother.  We have always been close and he is so good about calling and talking with me on a regular basis.  This week, I called him and we chatted for a good long time.  What a blessing it is to me to have a sibling with whom I have such a great relationship.

4.  Because of busy schedules, we have not had a chance for family dinner with our daughters and grands, lately.  But this Wednesday, we all carved out time on Wednesday evening to eat together and enjoy each other's company and conversation. (the grands requested Panda Express, so The Professor did a take out run to grab their favorites)

5.  It is Holy Week and we attended the Maundy Thursday service at our church last night.  Since The Professor was on lighting duty, I sat alone.  Scriptures were read, walking us through the day and night of The Last Supper and Jesus' time in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Then we took communion.  This time was the highlight of our week.  And finally, I slowed down and just focused on my thankfulness for Jesus' sacrifice of His life for me.

Happy Easter to all!

Quietly Blessed

It has been a mostly quiet week here at Willow's Cottage.  Not boring; just quiet.  I like weeks like this.  Here are some FRIDAY FAVE FIVES from Willow's Week.  Follow that link to read and share with others.

1.  Now I can explain the hint I mentioned in last week's Friday Fave Fives about getting information from some new friends.  This is what has excited us.  The New Boy (who is no longer new at all) asked his mother if he could switch to homeschool this semester.  The result is that The Professor and I are back in the teaching positions.  We homeschooled our own children, and it feels good and normal to be teaching our grandson.

2.  We've had some sunny. albeit cold, days, so you all know what that means.  Yes!  Walks!  Outside activities like walking and hiking are PE, right?  So our walks along the river are logged as PE time.

3.  I am thankful for quiet evenings, too.  We have just finished watching all the Inspector Morris episodes.  I appreciate being able to sit and knit and watch a captivating movie or show from the comfort of my own home.

4.  Sunday evening we had the opportunity to help prepare and serve meals at the local Salvation Army.  Older Daughter and New Boy were there helping, too.  I love that serving others is a gift that is being passed on through our generations.

5.  Dr. Mike, our younger son, had a birthday this week.  Although we can't celebrate with him in person, we called and talked to him and wished him a happy day.

Not every week is exciting.  But every week has blessings to discover!

Thankful for our New Adventure

 Five Favorite Things. FRIDAY FAVE FIVES.  I missed last week because we were in the final stages of packing our remaining belongings in our cars and cleaning our home for the new owner.  Now we are on the next part of our adventure.

1.  Safety in travel.  Two cars.  Two drivers.  Five days.  2,440 miles.  The views of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are all so different.  Mesas, deserts, rolling hills, green fields, rivers, lakes, forests.  What a wonderful world we live in!  No photos on this trip--I was driving!  But here are photos from other trips I've taken on the same roads.

Arizona

New Mexico

Oklahoma!

2.  An evening with our son Chaplain Dan and his wife and PAL. Since we didn't arrive in Phoenix until late, they simply drove to the hotel and visited us there.  Then in the morning PAL and her mom and auntie had breakfast with us before we left.  (Chaps had already left for the airport to fly to military stuff he had to attend.)  The next day, Dr. Mike drove down to Albuquerque to spend the night with us.  We just hung out in an air bnb and didn't go out anywhere else.  It was great to see both of our sons!

3.  Music took an unusually important place on the trip.  Normally, I don't enjoy listening to music in the car.  I think it's because I just have to sing if I hear a song I know.  Since I was alone in the car, I just turned on Kristen Getty, Stuart Townend, and Liberated Wailing Wall and blasted out those praise songs with them.

4. Texts from friends telling me they already miss me, they were praying for safety on our long long drive, and they are praying we will soon find a home here.

5.  All the excitement when we pulled into our daughter's driveway in Ohio!  I'm thankful for this new adventure. (Now to find a new home!)

August. Ready, Set, Go!

 Good Morning!  First Friday in August.  This is my month of huge changes.  Selling our home of thirteen years.  Driving across the US.  Moving to a new place.  Even in all the chaos and change, there are moments and hours of blessings.  Here are my best moments of this week.  FRIDAY FAVE FIVES.  Follow the link to join and read and be encouraged.

1.  What's not to love about lunch with a friend?  Especially now.  And especially when we live two counties apart.  She drove UP from Orange County.  I drove DOWN from Ventura County.  We met in the middle in Santa Monica in Los Angeles County.  We brought our own homemade lunches, found a coffee shop with outdoor seating and spent HOURS.  We have known each other for nigh unto thirty years.  Wherever either of us have lived, we've always made sure we stayed in touch.  Oh, it was wonderful to just drop right back in to our friendship for a bit.

2.  And what's not to love about driving home along the Pacific Coast Highway and all the ocean and beach views?

3.  House sale is moving along.  The big fave about that is that packing is also moving along and although the house looks like a tornado blew through, we are on track to have all the packing done by early next week when the movers are scheduled.

4.  A miracle happened.  We have been wanting a (very) small motor home.  Especially now, it is difficult to find one since everyone who is traveling wants to distance from others by staying in their own space.  BUT.  Wednesday morning, The Professor showed me a Class B van type and he had already contacted the owner.  Short story:  it's ours!

5.  More saying, "See you later".  Lunch with my former boss/friend and my TA who I mentored in teaching the writing classes.  It was great to just reminisce and catch up on what they are doing and how teaching is going to look this fall.

Bonus~ conversations with my girls who say, "We can't wait for you to get here!"

G'Bye, July

Happy Friday!  Happy Last Day of July!  Happy FRIDAY FAVE FIVES!

1.  Today is my youngest child's birthday.  I prayed for this girl!  She's a treasure, and I will always be thankful for her.

2.  Last weekend, I met my art group friends in a park. We sat in appropriate social distancing chairs we brought and discussed another chapter of Hidden Art by Edith Schaeffer.  We're almost done with the book and it has been a great review for me as I had read in a long time ago.  How I appreciate this group of women--just five of us.  

3.  After that, one friend and I walked up the horse trail by the park.  She wanted to show me the sculptures and animals at one property and the vineyard at another.  I love the terrain of this area.  It reminds me of Italy (as it should since we have the same mediterranean climate.

4.  Yes, things are moving forward and after one small glitch, it looks like the house sale will be finished in less than two weeks.  [insert deer frozen in the headlights look]

5.  A crew of guys from church showed up this morning to move all our boxes from storage and bring them to our home, so they can be packed into the moving truck when it is loaded.  Firefighter guy and his young brother-in-law and one other man.  Besides our being so blessed by their strong arms and willing help, I loved listening to those brothers act like brothers. [Smirk]  Honestly, we couldn't have done it without them!

 

So much to be thankful for.  All the help and care of people we are leaving.  All the excitement of family who are expecting us next month.  What are you thankful for this week?