Marching In

 It's March!  I'm excited!  Are you?  And it's Friday.  And time for Friday Fave Fives.  Here are the five blessings I am choosing to share from my week.

1.  One evening when I was climbing into bed, I thought, "I am thankful for a warm bed."  Snuggling under my cozy blankets is something I don't take for granted.

2.  The weather has been very very rainy this week.  Finally, yesterday, it was mild and dry enough to take a walk around our neighborhood.  A bit more than two miles.

3.  We spent Sunday afternoon with a young mom at her place.  We've known her for a couple of years and adore her fourteen month old daughter.  Spending that time with them was a delight for us.

4.  This afternoon, my daughter-in-law and PAL drove down to the next county with me to a used book store that supports a local nonprofit.  We might have found a few books we want to read...  and then we stopped by a 'country store' where there is lots of yarn and fabric as well as used goods.  I only purchased two balls of yarn and a pair of needles.

5.  And it is almost Spring!  To prove it, the plants in my garden popped out some indications that Winter is winding down.

The crocus is blooming!

Daffodils are getting ready.

The forsythia hasn't begun to bloom, but it is setting out many buds.

Even the bees were busy outside of their hives.

That wraps up my first week of March.  I hope you had a great week, too.

Day 14. And Friday Fave Fives

Day 14.  A Month of Thankfulness. And Friday Fave Fives. A week of blessings.  I am combining today's post and the weekly FFFs.  Friday Fave Fives is hosted by Susanne every Friday of the year.  She is so faithful to organize it and keep it going.  And I am thankful I can join it.

1.  An autumn walk at the arboretum.  The Arizona family is enjoying the change of season.  I love watching their joy in the falling leaves and fall colors.

2.  Veteran's Day. It's a day to celebrate those men and women who have serviced the US in the military.  That includes The Professor and our son Chaplain Dan. (and many other members of our families)  I am proud of the service they have done for our country.

2.  Our friend T is also a veteran (Navy). So we decided to forego our coffee time and have breakfast at Denny's on Veteran's Day because the guys' breakfasts were free.  We had a great time and saw many other veterans enjoying their free breakfast, too.  I appreciate how so many stores and companies honor our veterans with gifts of free meals or drinks.

3.  Speaking of Veteran's Day, it was Chap and his lovely wife's anniversary!  I am so very thankful for the wonderful woman who my son married.

4.  First snow!  It's a bit early for snow here in Ohio, but we had almost an inch of snow at the beginning of the week.  Of course, it melted quickly, but PAL was ecstatic to experience her first snow.

5.  Lately, I have been making an effort to limit my time on social media and focus on reading books.  I am really enjoying that change in my activities.  Yesterday, I finished reading A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal.  It is a memoir of a young boy who survived living at Auschwitz during the Holocaust of WW2.  Now I am beginning a DE Stevenson novel titled The English Air.  I appreciate having access to so many books through my local library.  And I appreciate the time I have to focus on reading.

How was your week?  Did you find many things to be thankful for?

Last Fave Fives of Summer

I had to look up exactly when Autumn begins this year.  September 22nd.  Which means this is the last Friday Fave Fives of Summer 2025.  So, as we wave goodbye to summer season, let's be thankful for all the beauty,  garden bounty, and bonfires.  And we look forward to all the changing leaves and crisp weather and pumpkin flavored everything, we will focus our thoughts on being thankful for those things, too.

These are the Five Favorites that I chose from this past week.

1.  This past week I read two books, Green Money and Music in the Hills, by one of my favorite Scottish authors.  D.E. Stevenson (1892-1973) wrote more than forty books mostly set in Scotland. I could just get lost in her books and happily live in one of those small cottages in the Scottish hills.

2.  On Sunday, The Professor and I drove into the big city and met dear friends of ours from California for lunch.  California?  Yes.  He grew up here in Ohio, so they had flown out to attend his high school reunion.  This is the second time since we moved here that they have visited and we have spent precious time with them.  I'm so glad they chose to take some of their holiday time to be with us.

3.  Then, on Monday, we drove to (south of) Cincinnati to meet up with a college friend and his wife who are visiting various places and family members in Kentucky.  FYI, the Cincinnati airport is actually in northern Kentucky.  So, we enjoyed dinner and hours of conversation with them at Appleby's. (the servers were so sweet to just let us stay and chat).  It was so worth the hours of driving!  No photos taken of either couple--just wonderful memories made.

4.  Yes, I did get some walks in this week.  Not as many as last week, but still, any walks or exercise is good.  Both long walks were with the granddogs.  I'm thankful I have the energy to walk two or three miles a day.  And the leaves are falling, so I am kicking leaves on the ground as we walk!

5.  I don't know if you have noticed that Eleanor Elizabeth (Bunny) has not been mentioned lately.  She has been very busy hosting all the bunnies that arrived with PAL last month.  In fact, she has missed several coffee dates due to how full her schedule has been with spending time with all the other bunnies.  However, I did ask her to model a new dress that I knitted for PAL's  bunny AJ.  (this is one of the things I've been knitting this month).

Tall Boy's Senior Photos...2013

Examining shark teeth in the lab in National Science Museum, Los Angeles

Wearing his new Weasley sweater.

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!

August, Second Week

 We are traveling.  Again.  This time, we are on a road trip.  This trip had been planned before our adventure in Ireland, England and Wales.  So we wanted to keep our plans in place.  Yes, it has been a busy summer, but we are enjoying it.

And now it is Friday already.  Time for me to stop, breathe, and ponder all the blessings of this past week.  That's what Friday Fave Fives is for.  To help us slow down, think, and be thankful.

1.  Older Son's (Chaplain Dan) birthday was on the 3rd.  We had good conversations with him and found out he will be in the area that we are passing through on Saturday!  He is a US Army Reserve Chaplain and is spending some time on duty in Kansas.  So we will be able to see him!

2.  Older Daughter's birthday will be while we are gone.  So after church on Sunday, we took her and Tall Boy to lunch at her favorite restaurant, Olive Garden.  It was good to spend that time with them and celebrate her life.  (our rocket science girl)

3.  Books on Kindle.  I appreciate having so many more books available to read through our local library.  And I can put many of them on my Kindle to read and not have to carry all the heavy volumes while we travel.

4.  A safe car to drive.  I am thankful for our 2023 Honda CRV.  We had basic service done on it (oil change) and know it is in great condition to take us on our road trip.

5.  I know I chose this as a fave last week, but truly I am thankful for air conditioning.  It has been so hot and humid this past week that I don't know how I could have handled it and home and in the car without AC.

I hope you take time this week (today) to remember all the ways you have been blessed this week.

A Coffee Shop Week of Faves

 I am late posting my Friday Fave Fives today.  But I have a good excuse.  Our internet is out.  So I am sitting in a coffee shop sipping some hot chocolate and using their internet access.  Anyway, here are my five blessings from this week.  Follow the link above to join us in being thankful.

1.  I am thankful for a technologically brilliant husband.  The Professor (yes, he used to teach computer science classes at a university) has been working all day on a solution.  Trust me, if he can't fix it easily, it's not an easy fix.  I appreciate his ability to work on all technical issues.

2.  This week we have had weird weather ranging from sunny and rainy, warm and freezing, and right now it is snowing.  What makes me thankful about that?  a warm home, snow proof boots, cozy gloves and hats.

3.  Tuesday we drove an extra half hour more than usual to visit a new coffee shop with our friends T and S.  The bakery goodies were yummy.  And afterwards, we went over to the Wagnalls Library (yes, the Wagnalls of Funk and Wagnalls dictionary and encyclopedia).  The library building is amazing!  I can't access my photos right now, so here is a link to the Wagnalls Library.

4.  One afternoon, The Professor and I met at a much closer coffee place with both daughters.  It is not usual for them both to have the same afternoon off work.  We had so much fun chatting with them and pondering some hard questions.

5.  Remember our new 'great grandson'?  We were able to meet him this week!  Oh he is so adorable!  And snuggly.  And calm.  The whole time we were there, he never opened his eyes; he just slept in our arms.  I wish I could share photos of him (I'll have to ask permission).  But trust me, he is the cutest baby born in Ohio so far this year!

Bonus:  Because I didn't have internet at home, I 'met' on zoom with my dear dear friends, The Art Girls, in the closest coffee shop to our house so I could join them in discussing the first chapter of the book we are reading 'together' during Lent this year.  If you care, the book is Rembrandt Is In The Wind.

Bonus2:  Did you notice all the coffee shop references?  Yes, I am thankful for local coffee shops!

Soon

Hello to all my friends from around the world.

If you came here looking Friday Fave Fives, please return in a bit.  I'm fighting what is most likely a cold and need some rest.  Then I'll post my usual Five Blessings from the week, one of which will undoubtedly be that I am feeling better.

Until then...

Thanks for your patience.  I am feeling some better.  Here are my Friday Fave Fives from this past week.

1.  I am thankful for all the OTC helps I've been consuming.  They really have helped me feel better.  My favorite is still Cold Care tea from Traditional Medicinals.

2.  I'm thankful The Professor has been doing so much to help me.

3.  Can you imagine feeling sick and living in a cold house with no heat?  I am so thankful for my heated home, cozy blankets, and warm clothes.

4.  OK, on to other things...  Last night (Thursday) we attended our first Sights and Sounds of Christmas.  It is a tradition here and we loved walking around the center of our town and visiting eight churches and listening to Christmas music--bells and chimes, choirs, organs, harps and pianos.  It was beautiful!

5.  I love our library!  And I am thankful for all the books I can read which I can request from the library.  Especially when I am 'confined' to my recliner.

Sayin' Bye to October

Friday Fave Fives... in a hurry because Younger Daughter and I are off on a 'date' to have dinner with a friend who is visiting Ohio from Oregon!!  I've linked up HERE to join others in celebrating a week of blessings.

1.  On Saturday morning at fiber arts group, I was greeted by a young girl who immediately informed me that I needed to attend church Saturday evening (it was in our plans) because she (Kl) and her friend L were both being baptized then.  Of course, we were there to cheer them both on.

2.  That young girl's big sister, Ka, loaned me the first book in a series that she owns and loves.  Yes, I've already read it and requested the next two books in the series to borrow.  Don't you love it when a young child recommends a book to you?

3.  After some downpouring rain over the weekend, our weather turned warm and sunny.  Until today.  Now it's raining again.  Truly, I am thankful for rain.  But I am also thankful for those warm sunny days.  Even at the end of October.

4.  Because of the warm weather, I was able to clean up quite a bit in the garden.  All that is left in the vegetable beds are some herbs like parsley and a row of carrots.  The flower beds look much better.  I am thankful for the weather and stamina to work outside.

5.  We had a lovely walk around the local arboretum with Younger Daughter and the puppies.  The autumn leaves were stunning.  I am thankful to live in a place where autumn glows.  (photos will be uploaded when I return later this evening, so come back over to feast on fall colors).

And... here they are!

Settling in to Summer

Friday means summing up my gratitude for the past week.  This weekly post really helps me focus on being thankful.  Each evening before I turn out the lights, I write down a couple of things that were impressed on me reminding me how blessed I am.  Then on Friday, I write about them and link to Friday Fave Fives.

1.  On Monday, we celebrated both Father's Day and The Professor's birthday.  He didn't want cake.  He wished for pie, but only if Older Son made the crust (we considered flying him out here to do that).  So he ended up with ice cream.  Lots of ice cream.  I'm thankful for the years The Professor has had to enjoy life.

one of my favorite photos of The Professor (1987?)

2.  The smoke laden skies have made our days grey this week.  The weatherman has warned us not to be outside.  I am thankful that I have an air-conditioned home with some protection from the smoke.  (I am sorry for all the people in Canada, so close to those fires--memories of the years we spent watching the fires burn around our hills in California.)

3.  A new book recommendation is always a fave.  PAL is almost nine years old now and during a video call with her last week, she showed us a book she has enjoyed reading.  Of course, I had to pop on to our local library website and put a hold on that title.  Word of Mouse by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein.

4.  I started working on a new afghan for my older granddaughter.  The blanket I knitted for her almost ten years ago had a fight with a dog and lost.  For this one, I chose a beach theme.  I am thankful I can knit!

The colors aren't quite accurate.  The darker blue is lighter and more turquoise-ish.

5.  Our garden is slowly growing.  The birds are well fed.  So are the two constantly-visiting rabbits.  The bees are happy.  I am so very thankful for room to garden!

a few raspberries

nectar and wax from the hive

Be blessed this week!  Choose gratitude!

Midwinter Friday Faves

Happy Friday!  Willow's Week was mostly quiet with a few bursts of energy.  In midwinter, that is probably the best way to gratefully walk through a week.  These are my Friday Fave Fives (the link will connect you to Susanne's blog where you can read more or join in).

This week I finished reading a book titled Simple Ways to Be More With Less by Courtney Carver.  At the very end of the book there was a section written by guest writer Joshua Becker about Prayer and Gratitude.  I loved his closing statements and feel they are worthy to be quoted here and used for my first three faves because they have encouraged and challenged me over and over this week. 

1.  "Another benefit of prayer in your life is that prayer leads to gratitude.  Gratitude leads to contentment."  

2.  "Unfortunately, we live in a culture that preaches discontent.  A consumer-driven culture will always attack gratitude.   If they can sow seeds of discontent in our lives, they can sell us on their new product line or latest version with new improvements.  In contrast, those who can find gratitude in their current existence will be less influenced by those empty promises."  

3.  "Gratitude grounds us and focuses our lives on others."

4.  Sunshine and somewhat temperate weather filled me with joy and gratitude this week.  We took several walks in the sunshine, one of them at the local arboretum.

5.  Finally, I read a book this week that challenged me.  Titled Safer Than A Known Way, it is an autobiography of a young woman who worked with Brother Andrew and was also the companion and caregiver for Corrie Ten Boom at the end of her life.  I highly recommend it.

6.  Yes, I have an extra this week again.  Younger Son's birthday was this week.  He was my miracle baby as I was sick with malaria when he was born.  We both lived.  And for that too I am grateful.

Wasn't he the cutest six year old in the world?

Fourth Week of Advent

PEACE.  That is the theme of Advent's Fourth Week.  That is what the world needs.  Peace.  We can only get peace from Jesus.

Did you have a chaotic or peaceful week?  Mine was a mixture of both.  Three trips in to the big city for medical appointments.  At least, one of them included a quick grocery shopping trip to two stores we don't have in our little town.  But we also had periods of quiet between which we definitely needed.  I try had to focus on the peace and not the chaos.  That helps me be thankful for all situations.  Here are five ways I found peace this week.  Willow's Week for Friday Fave Fives in this fourth week of Advent. 

1.  I am thankful that the stitches in my hand are out and the PA declared that I am healing well.

2.  According to the PA, I can resume my knitting as much as I feel like!

3.  I have been contemplating buying this book for a long time.  Finally, at the (slight) urging of my daughter-in-law, we found it online and I purchased it.  I am calling it my Christmas present to myself.

                                                       

4.  I have found a place to offer my knitted hats for sale.  During the summer, I had talked with the owner of a resale shop who told me she would take them during the winter/Christmas season.  This week, I dropped them off and am hoping she will sell them all.

5.  As our temperatures have dropped this month, I have been huddling under my afghans.  I am so thankful that I am warm and cozy!

How about you?  Where did you find Peace this week?

Five Cheering Things

 Hello from cold, snowy Willow's Cottage.  I have absolutely no ambition to do anything.  However, I need to focus on something positive.  FRIDAY FAVE FIVES does that for me.   We choose FIVE somethings from the past week and post them to encourage ourselves and others.  Here is Willow's Week in FIVE encouraging statements.

1.  Although it is cold and snowy today, the middle of the week was warm (I mean warm in Ohio terms, not Southern California terms).  Because the ice mostly melted, we were able to get in a couple of walks Tuesday and Wednesday around our neighborhood.  Crunching around the leftover ice patches slowed us down but kept us from slipping and falling.

2.  In fact, it was so nice out that people were outside sitting on their porch steps and watching their children play.  We finally met a neighbor on the street behind us and reacquainted ourselves with neighbors on our street.

3.  Now it's back to winter weather again.  I decided to dream a bit about traveling.  So I pulled up some photos of our 2019 trip to England and scrolled through them.  Want some cheer? Two photos from Dover.  (I think I am going to make some posts about that trip--I never did that)

4.  Obviously, I have England on my brain.  I've been reading more D.E. Stevenson novels.  This week I've been immersed in her stories about living in UK during World War II.  Crooked Adam and The English Air.  Books are a wonderful antidote to winter.

5.  Plans for a Lent study with my Art Girls!  When I saw the email, I knew we would have some wonderful mornings chatting via zoom.  Our book choice is a new non-fiction work by Andrew Peterson, God In The Garden.  I'm excited to read the book and enjoy the fellowship of my friends.

What FIVE things have cheered you up this week?

Small Blessings

 Good afternoon!  I had such great plans to post a couple of times during the week, mostly about my knitting projects.  Obviously, that didn't happen.  But here I am on Friday to post my Friday Fave Fives.  If I do nothing else all week on my blog, I make sure I write about the five blessings I noticed this past week.  Friday Fave Fives is really important to me and I hope it is to you, too, and it encourages you to look for events of gratitude in your life.

1.  Walks outside.  I know, I know.  I post something like this EVERY WEEK.  But being outside and walking or hiking is one of my happy things.

2.  The reason for being able to walk--mild-er weather this week.  I'm not holding my breath.  Snow is coming.  But in the between times, I appreciate the respite.

3.  Another happy thing.  Sitting in a comfy chair reading and sipping tea.  This week's book choice is The Bird in the Tree by Elizabeth Goudge.  And the tea is spearmint--from my own garden.

4.  There is a new member of the family!  Meet Fritz Sawyer Winston ok, maybe Fritz.  Younger Daughter's neighbor offered her a very sweet and adorable puppy.  Now there's a debate discussion about what to name him.  Isn't he just the cutest?

5.  Trail Life for the grandsons.  Both boys are part of the local Trail Life troop.  This is like Boy Scouts but with a strong Christian faith based emphasis.  The Professor has been a leader since we moved here and it's a great activity for them to enjoy together.  This week there was a ceremony to celebrate those who have earned badges.  Both grandsons received at least one.  The photos are very blurry, but you can tell how pleased they are.

I hope you have found small blessings in your week, too.  Sometimes, we have to look around for them.  But they are always there.

Gratitude in Autumn

What made you smile and be thankful this week?  Some weeks, it is just the small things.  Other weeks, it is huge, amazing things.  Whatever God brings in to your life will have ways for you to be grateful.  Here are FRIDAY FAVE FIVES from Willow's Week.  (the link takes you to more!)

1.  When I was at Costco this week, I wandered into the fresh veggies and fruits area where I don't usually go.  Imagine my delight to find RAMBUTAN!  What's rambutan, you ask?  It's a tropical fruit, similar to lychee, that we loved eating when we lived in Indonesia.  The name mean 'hair'.  The reason is obvious when you see the photo.

2.  What's not to love about finding a package on your front porch that you weren't expecting?  And it contained BOOKS!  My beautiful, thoughtful, book loving, librarian daughter-in-law sent me some books by a new to me author.  D.E. Stevenson.  I love anything British, and this author reminds me of Elizabeth Goudge.

3.  The weather has changed.  Time to pull out my warm snuggly AFGHANS!  And one more is almost finished, just in time.

4.  Last night our family drove into the city to attend a showing of the MOVIE Ends of the Earth.  It is produced by Mission Aviation Fellowship, the group of aviators who provided our only means of transportation into the villages where we lived when we were missionaries in Papua, Indonesia.  As you can imagine, we were all so excited to 'see' the places we knew so well.  There was even a clip of one of the national missionaries preaching in OUR little village church.  PLEASE, if you have an opportunity to see this film, GO!

5.  To add joy to our evening, we met a family as we were walking out of the theatre.  Their family member lives in PAPUA!  So we chatted and exchanged information.  The sister even texted her brother--obviously we know the same people and he lives in the town where our children attended boarding school.  What a small and wonderful world!

And here is some fun for you to enjoy...a sign I noticed recently in a local park.  I don't think it is correct...