Hello October!

 I'm a day late, but I really hope I'm not a dollar short.  Or even a few pennies.

It's Saturday Friday Fave Fives time!  It's October, the tenth month of this year. This year has sometimes crept along and sometimes raced so fast I couldn't keep up.  Always, it is important to stop and reflect and remember the many many blessings I have in my daily life.  Here is Willow's Week in Five Faves.  Thank you, Susanne, for leading this exercise in gratitude every Friday.  Here's the LINK. 

1.  You many recall that my younger daughter had ankle surgery about six weeks ago. She has been cleared for physical therapy and has been making great progress.  Her post op appointment was yesterday (which explains my lateness in doing FFF since I am her driver.) and she is healing well according to her doctor.  Yay!

2.  We took a lovely drive and hike to a park in the next county north of here and hiked down to the falls.  It wasn't a long trail but it was lovely to be in the trees and next to the creek.  No photos cuz I forgot my camera.

3.  So on Thursday, we drove south a bit and parked next to a section of one of the TJ Evans Trails and walked on the paved bike trail.  One thing I love about my new home is all the accessible trails.

4.  One of the benefits of zoom meetings is that we can still call in to group meetings and see our friends.  There was a church business meeting and we joined and were able to 'see' friends and know how things are going at our CA church.

5.  This isn't so much a fave for me personally, but our granddaughter was SO HAPPY to go back to physical school on starting on Wednesday.  She's an extrovert and is loving being back with her friends.  I'm glad for her.

And so that is my Five Faves for this first week of October!

DEPEND

Ellen at Happy Wonderer has been hosting a challenge to post Bible verses through the alphabet.  Today is D.  And I have chosen the word depend.

D

 is for DEPEND

Psalm 62:5-6

5 I depend on God alone; I put my hope in him. 

6 He alone protects and saves me; he is my defender, and I shall never be defeated. 

Autumn Nostalgia and Coffee

Hodgepodge Day.  Click on the picture if you want to join in.  Edited to add:  I have no idea why my post is all wonky today.  Not a fan of the new blogger format!

 

1. When is the last time you experienced nostalgia?  This morning.   Every day I miss my California friends.  And the beach.

 2. September 29th is National Coffee Day. Do we need this? Ha! So are you a coffee drinker? If so how many cups per day, and tell us how you like it. Is there a recipe you enjoy that calls for coffee as one of the ingredients?   {Raises hand}  Yes, I am a coffee drinker.  I like mine half-caf and diluted with unsweetened almond milk.  I experience a daily miracle.  Every morning, I eat a banana.  As I am holding the peel, shazaam! Suddenly, the peel turns into a cup of coffee that is made just the way I like it.  It's a miracle.  How does that happen?  Maybe my husband The Professor is a magician?

 

 3. Do you find praise or criticism to be more motivating? Explain. Praise is definitely my motivation.  If you thank me or praise me for something I have done, I will happily strive to do more and better.  Criticism will simply shut me down.

 4.  What's a television series you keep coming back to and re-watching?  I can't think of any TV series I would re-watch.  Maybe  I Love Lucy?   

 5. As the month of September draws to a close give us three words to describe your mood.   A. Bit. Impatient. I am impatient to move into my home.  By the end of October, we should be living in our home, unpacking our boxes, meeting new neighbors.  Can't wait! 

6. Insert your own random thought here.   I'm glad I'm knitting a warm wooly afghan today.  It's cold and windy.

Autumn is truly here

Happy Friday!  Here is Willow's Week with Friday Fave Fives.  Thank you, Susanne, for always hosting this wonderful way to focus on giving thanks and being grateful.   Here's the LINK TO JOIN IN.

1.  Haircut!  First time in ten months. No more covid hair.  No explanation needed.

2.  I drank my one and only pumpkin spice latte this week.  I allow myself ONE each year.  Gotta admit.  It was delicious.

3.  Home purchase is moving along.  Here in the US, an inspection is done to determine if there are any repairs that need to be made and who pays for them.  Our inspection is done and we are mostly done negotiating some minor issues.  The best part?  The house is in very good condition.

4.  We took our younger grandson on a walk along the bike trail.  There is a connector to the trail just a block from our new home!  I think this trail is going to be well used by us!

Some photos from our walk

Goldenrod blooming along the creek

Getting their ducks all in a row

The tree leaves are beginning to change their colors.

5.  On Saturday we visited a community garden where volunteers plant, tend and grow vegetables to teach community people to love homegrown food and grow their own gardens.  We harvested kale and carrots.  Yum!  Together We Grow Gardens is a great community resource.  Local schools, including my grandson's, have gardens, too.  I'm pleased to see all the efforts that people are making to bring homegrown food to people's gardens.

I hope you are enjoying these early autumn days. 

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."  Albert Camus

Alphabet Bible Verse C

 My in person and blog friend Ellen at HappyWonderer is hosting a Alphabet Bible verse party every Thursday.  I just found out about it and we are on C.

When I was a third grader, my teacher at the Christian school I attended assigned us a Bible verse to memorize every week.  The verses were alphabetical and I still remember most of them.  The verse for C was:

Casting all your care on Him for He cares for you.  1 Peter 5:7

All these years ago, and I can recite them.  Mrs. Pfrehm certainly knew that if I hid those verses in my heart as a child, I would always have them.

Falling in

 

1. It's fall y'all. What's something you love about this season and also something you don't? 

        I'm learning my new climate.  So far, I have noticed that the humidity is gone.  I like that.  I've also seen that the leaves are starting to turn on the trees.  What don't I like?  When the season changes, allergies (especially for my daughter) kick in.

2. When you think of the colors of fall, which one is your favorite? Is there somewhere you could easily day trip to see the leaves in all their glory? Will you? 

        Honestly, I'm not a fall colors girl.  But I do love the color of all the goldenrod I am seeing (just not in my house). 

 Because of all the logistics of moving, I doubt we'll be going anywhere to sightsee.  But there are many parks and trails where we can walk and bike.  I'm sure we'll be doing that.

3. What's one thing you've let 'fall' by the wayside during this season of staying home and staying away? 

        Since our move, I haven't even pulled out my watercolor paints.

4. If you're wearing a sweater is it most likely a cardigan, crew neck, v-neck, or zip up hoodie? 

        Cardigan or crew neck for me.  And I'm a big fan of warm cozy sweatshirts.  And vests.

5. What's your secret to dealing with change? 

        Joshua 1:9 states, "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed. for the LORD your God is with you WHEREVER YOU GO."  I cling to that promise.  Life changes, but God is with me.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

        I've been thinking about autumn colors because everyone is talking about them.  Having lived more than half my life in either the tropics or a mediterranean climate, I didn't even think about fall colors.  As a child, I don't remember paying much attention to the changing colors.  Probably, that was because I lived among the evergreen trees of the Pacific North West.  Every day of our year we had deep forest green trees surrounding us.  Yes, there were deciduous trees, but my memories are of the Redwood and Douglas fir trees towering above me.  So, per #5, I will learn to embrace the change of colors and (maybe or maybe not) learn to like snow in the winter.

Getting Adjusted

Lately, all I have been thinking about is how to adjust to my new life. There are so many blessings in these changes and adjustments. Here are My Five Faves for Willow's Week. Susanne is always faithful to host Friday Fave Fives. THIS LINK will take you to her blog and you can join the gratitude girls.

1. Better weather. Less humidity. I kinda hope we don't get 'second summer' and more humidity. Ohio, please give me a few months to adjust to cold before you hit me with the humidity again.

2. The roses in my daughter's garden are blooming. I've been picking a few and placing them in a mason jar where she can see them as she sits with her leg elevated. I would love to post a photo but my camera has stopped talking to my computer, or maybe my computer has stopped talking to my camera.

3. Knitting is happening. Again...no photos. I started another diagonal block afghan using autumn shades of left over sock yarn. It's a fun and easy pattern and so colorful and will be warm and cozy this fall.

4. If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know we love farmers markets. There is a great one on Saturday morning here. Yay! The only difference with our Saturday market in CA is that this one closes down the end of October and doesn't go all winter long. But we are savoring our wonderful fresh local veggies for now.

5. I saved the best til the last. We have found a home! If all goes well, we will be living in our home before the end of October! I just can't wait!

Bonus: A younger woman we knew during our Indonesia days (she was a missionary kid and lived in the dorm with my children) posted this excellent statement on facebook.

A good meal can be made better by a happy and grateful attitude while eating.

And I would add, good conversation.

Reflections on Growing Older

Wednesday Hodgepodge is a fun thing to do.  Here are my reflections on growing older.  If you want to participate, you can click on the picture and it should take you to Joyce's blog.

 

1. What's one thing you learned at the ripe old age of whatever age you are now?
        I've learned this:  I look better in shorter hair.  I can't wear the below shoulder length hairstyle anymore.

2. I read here a list of foods that can help you look younger-
How many of the foods listed have you tried? How many do you eat regularly? Your favorite from the list?

        Since I almost completely eat a whole food plant based diet, ALL those fruits and vegetables are in my daily diet.  Except the avocado.  I'm allergic to avocado.  Breakfast is oat based cereal with chia seeds, flaxseed meal, banana, strawberries and blueberries.  Lunch is a big bowl of veggies and hummus and chips.  Dinner will once in a while include salmon.  I'm not a big fan of green tea, but I will drink it.  And dark chocolate.  Always need dark chocolate.

3. Something you miss from the 'good old days'? When were the good old days anyway?
         The good old days were when all my kids were still living at home.  Believe it or not, I enjoyed those middle school and high school years.  I miss the daily interactions with them all and sitting around the dinner table chatting.

4. What are two or three of the most rewarding things to be found in growing older?
        First, it's great that I am retired, and I don't have to get up and go into work.  I miss the students but not the grading.  Secondly, I love being able to travel in non peak times. England in November and March is beautiful! Thirdly, I enjoy my 'retired' routine of slow mornings, walks and hikes, and books and more books to read.

5. What's your favorite part of your life right now?

        My life right now is so much in flux with moving and house hunting that it's hard to think of 'my life'.  I do love being able to see my daughters daily.

6. Insert your own random thought here.
        Sixty-five is the new Forty!

September Second Friday

It may be Friday evening, but it's still Friday.  And it's still Friday Fave Fives time.  Here are five blessings from this week, five things I am thankful for.  Here's where I link up to Susanne's blog as she is our host:  FRIDAY FAVE FIVES

1.  A couple of cool-ER days.  I'm not really getting used to the humidity in this climate, but at least there was a bit of a respite from it the end of the week.

2.  American flag cleaning.  One of the flags my USAR Chaplain son brought home from Afghanistan which he gave to his sister got water stains from the flooding at her house.  We were able to take it to a dry cleaner's to have it cared for.  AND the cleaners has a policy that they do not charge to clean an American flag!  We'll definitely be frequent patrons of that shop.

3.  We love botanic gardens and arboretums.  There is an arboretum nearby and we became members there this week.  There are so many trails and also numerous activities.  AND our membership is reciprocal with more than 300 other gardens.  Dawes Arboretum is great!

4.  We learned a new skill this week.  Our first tornado warning and watch.  We heard the sirens and saw the scary clouds.  But no tornado appeared, and we were safe.  And then there was rain.

5.  I love being able to keep in touch with our CA friends via zoom and skype.  This morning I 'met' with my art group and we just chatted for over an hour.  It was so wonderful to catch up and share that time with them.  We've also joined our church's prayer meetings via zoom and watched Sunday services on you tube.  We love still having those connections.

Laboring

Wednesday Hodgepodge

I am joining this fun group of people

Click the link to join, too.

  

1. Something you've done in recent days or months that might be described as a labor of love?

        Since we are staying with our daughter while we search for a home to buy, we have been keeping house for her.  Laundry.  Dishes.  Cleaning.  Yard work.  It's a fair trade, though. Biggest labor of love?  Taking her ice packs several times a day to place on her ankle as she recovers from the ankle surgery.

2. Last time you 'worked your fingers to the bone'?

        Yesterday? Playing nursemaid to my daughter and granddaughter who are BOTH on crutches right now.  Actually, I think the hardest I've worked lately was packing boxes during our move.

3. According to a recent survey people named the following ten jobs as the hardest-nurse, doctor, paramedic, police officer, firefighter, surgeon, healthcare worker, bomb squad, farmer, and prison warden. Of the jobs listed which would you say is the hardest? The one you'd most like to do? Least like to do? What's one job you would add to the list?

        I would say that, at least right now, FIREFIGHTER is the hardest job.  I lived in wildfire country (SoCal) for a long time, and I know how hard those firefighters work.  We have friends who are firemen, and we know their fire season schedules.

        Which job would l like most?  Nurse.  I always wanted to be a nurse.

        Least want to do?  Prison warden.

4. A recipe you make that is labor intensive, but worth it?

        We love our Indonesian food!  There are a couple of recipes that just take time and a lot of cutting of ingredients (mostly veggies). Gado-gado is mix of cooked and raw veggies served with peanut sauce.  And no, store bought peanut sauce just doesn't do it; it's gotta be our own peanut sauce.  And then there's curried lentils with roasted vegetables...

5. Last job you did or task you completed that required teamwork?

        My older daughter needed some furniture moved into her garage so the flooring in two rooms can be installed.  So The Professor (my husband) and I helped her and her eleven year old son move book shelves, book boxes, an elliptical machine and a day bed (with trundle).  It took all four of us to move that bed!  But really, The Professor and I do see all of life as 'teamwork'. WE do the grocery shopping.  WE cook meals.  WE do laundry. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

        All I can think about right now is my family and friends whose homes are in danger of burning (and my high school friend has already lost her home!) from the West Coast wild fires.  I keep praying for their safety.

My First September Week in Five Favorites

 Good morning!  It's Friday!  Willow's Week has been full of our two full time (temporary) jobs:  nursing our daughter during her recovery from ankle surgery and searching for a new home.  Here are Five Faves from this week which I am sharing along with others via FRIDAY FAVE FIVES.

1.  My daughter's ankle is healing well after her surgery two weeks ago.  I am so thankful the doctor was able to remove the external stitches today and she is cleared for 'starting' to put weight on it.

2.  We have the best realtor.  He is helpful and patient and persistent.  While we haven't yet found 'our home', we are being very interactive with the realtor and looking at properties nearly daily.

3.  Weather.  Lots of rain.  We don't have to be concerned about drought here.  And according to my girls, the weather 'broke' today and it wasn't muggy.  (See?  I get to learn lots of new things!)

4.  Listening to Daughter #1 (the rocket scientist) and her dad talking about old movies.  They both love movies, especially old ones, and they can discuss the pros and cons of them all for hours.

5.  Family dinners.  It's one of the reasons we moved here.

What blessings have you found in your week?

Hodgepodge 1 in September

September 2020

Let's hope and pray that this month  brings beauty, peace and joy to everyone.

Here are some fun questions to review in your mind as you read my answers.

www.fromthissideofthepond.com

 1. The Hodgepodge lands on the second day of a brand new month. Tell us one thing you're looking forward to in September.

        In September, I am looking forward to finding a home and moving in to it!

2. Do you enjoy browsing second-hand shops? Last thing you bought or 'inherited' second hand?

        I don't particularly enjoy shopping in general, so I seldom browse second-hand shops or any shops (except grocery stores and garden stores!).  However, last winter, just before Covid put an end to all shopping, I had a day out with my art group friends.  After spending a couple of hours at a nearby art museum and eating lunch at a favorite local restaurant, we visited some thrift stores.  My friend noticed a turquoise long sleeved Eddie Bauer t-shirt and identified it as "Willow's color and type".  Yup.  I bought it.  Love it.

3. Something you had second thoughts about after committing to, purchasing, or posting/commenting  online? 

    

        I always have second thoughts after I have ordered clothing items for myself online.  I finally bought a pair of my usual walking shoes this summer.  Second thoughts all the time until they arrived.  Fortunately, they fit.

4. What's a product or service you use that you'd rate as second to none?

        There's nothing to rival Mary's Gone Crackers--the original ones!

5. Something you do so often or that comes so naturally to you it's second nature ?

        Knitting.  I knit in the dark.  I knit when I'm half asleep.  I knit in the car.  My children have accused me of knitting while I drive.  Nope.  I only knit at red lights and stop signs.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

        I am a second child. (So is my husband, The Professor.)  I have been so very blessed my whole life that I have an older brother who, while he teased me and got annoyed with me, has loved me, protected me, and guided me through our lives.  Case in point: he still calls me regularly to check up on me and to just chat.  How many older brothers do that?

Three Things August

I missed posting Hodgepodge yesterday.  I plead moving across the country as my excuse.  It's exhausting!

But then I noticed that Joyce From This Side of the Pond had another 'write along' for today so I decided to join in.  This is all about August since it's almost the end of the month.

Three things I like about August

1.  My son's birthday on the 3rd.

2.  My daughter's birthday on the 13th.

3.  National Independence Day for Republic of Indonesia (where we lived for a decade).

Three things I dislike about August

1.  This year?  ALL.THE.RIOTS

2.  Fires in my beloved Southern California

3.  Humidity in my new state of Ohio

Three goals for the rest of August

1.  Write some thank you notes.

2.  Find a home!

3.  Help my daughter recover from her ankle surgery.

Three things I thought I'd use more this year

1.  Amazon Prime

2.  National Parks lifetime pass

3.  Garden tools

Three things I never thought I'd use as much this year

(just like everyone else!)

1.  Zoom and Skype

2.  hand sanitizer

3.  face masks

Three things I'm into right now
1.   Realtor.com

2.  Realtor.com

3.  Realtor.com

Three things I've googled lately

1.  directions to a house viewing

2.  original flavor of Lifesavers

3.  vegan substitution for eggs and egg wash

Three foods I've survived on in Corona summer
1.   coffee

2.  farmers market veggies

3.  herbal teas

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!)

My Wednesday Hodgepodge

 Wednesday Hodgepodge is today.  Here is a link if you want to be included:  Hodgepodge.

1. August 12th is National Middle Child Day...are you a middle child? If not, where in your family do you fall in terms of birth order? Do you hold true to the typical characteristics of oldest-middle-youngest-only child? (a quick list can be found here) Elaborate.

Well, I am second born of two children.  I am definitely a youngest and  a second child.  You know this explanation of birth order:  a first child doesn't need rules; a second child is the reason there are rules; a third child thinks the rules don't apply to them.   According to my parents, while my brother was a rule keeper, I was a rule tester.  I definitely tested the limits when I was small.  But I didn't feel like I was a wild kid.  I did try to obey.  Really, I did.

2. Tell us about a time you felt like (or you actually were) in the middle of nowhere.

My husband and I were missionary linguists in West Papua, Indonesia (used to be called Irian Jaya).  We could travel in to our village either by a four day walk which included crossing gorges with rivers (we never had to do that) or by helicopter (which was our usual mode of transport).  We were literally in the middle of nowhere in the jungle.

3. What's something you're smack in the middle of currently?

Currently?  We are in the middle of moving.  The packers came yesterday (Tuesday) and packed the trailer.  ABF movers are scheduled to pick it up tomorrow.  We leave our home on Friday (or maybe Saturday) if all goes well with the transfer of title for our motorhome.  Yup, we're right in the middle of a 2,400 mile move.

4. What's a food you love to eat that has something delicious in the middle?

I adore cinnamon rolls.  They have all that cinnamony goodness in the middle!

5. Share a memory from your middle school days, or junior high if that's what your school dubbed kids somewhere between grades 6-8.

I was blessed to attend a small Christian school from first through eighth grade and then also in high school.  My memories of that time always include choir and music class.  Every Christmas we had a performance.  My favorite memory is when I played a piano solo of O Holy Night.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Well, I am moving from the West Coast of the US to a 'middle state'.  Ohio isn't really a middle state, but most people (at least in the west) think of Ohio as being in the middle of the country.

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!"

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to Wednesday Hodgepodge.   This is a first time for me to do this.  Here is the link to join the group. From This Side of the Pond.

1.  What's happening where you live in terms of schools opening? How do you feel about it?
    As of today, all schools in my county, Ventura County, CA, are doing online classes this fall.  That includes university, public and private, and homeschool.

    How do I feel about it?  I think it's wise.  But I know it will be hard for single parents and younger children.

2. What's something you still do 'old school'?
    I write real letters and mail them.  I grow herbs and use them.

3. August 4th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Will you/did you celebrate by baking a batch? Eating a batch? Nuts or no nuts? Homemade or store bought? Soft and chewy or do you prefer your cookie to snap when you bite into it?
    Soft and chewy.  Yes on the oatmeal.  No on the nuts.  Homemade.  Actually, usually I just skip the baking and eat the chocolate chips.

4. What are you starved for?

    Great vegan pizza from our favorite pizza place which has closed.  (is there a loud weeping emoji that I can insert here?)

5. Anything new and interesting on your August calendar? What is one thing you're looking forward to this month?

    New and interesting thing on my calendar?  Ummm, YES!  We are moving next week.  2,400 miles across the US.  I'm looking forward to being done with the packing and moving.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

    There is much I will miss about my home of thirteen years here.  BUT, there is much I am looking forward to in our new location--especially FAMILY.

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?

July and More July

I check the calendar and realize, Nope, we're still in July.  I know I'm not the only person who just has no idea of what month it is or even what day it is.  So I think it's Friday.  I hope.  If it is, that means it's Friday Fave Fives day.  No matter what day it is, I need to remember to be thankful for all the blessings in my life.  Here are mine for this week.

1.  We are keeping careful track of the progress of our home sale.  Our excellent agent is keeping us up to date, and it's still on track for closing August 10th.  I am so thankful that it seems to be working out.

2.  Bring Your Own Dinner in the park with our friends who have the blueberry ranch, which is now actually the strawberry ranch.  We chatted for almost three hours.  I'm thankful for wonderful long time friends (who I will miss so much!).

3.  Wednesday morning, I walked up to my friend's home.  She is part of my weekly Bible Study class and is the leader for my small group.  She got our group of ladies together in her back garden and we spent a wonderful couple of hours sipping our coffee and catching up.  I was totally surprised by the cards and little gifts they shared with me since this will be the last time I am able to be with them.

4.  We were given an unexpected blessing this week in the form of A.Whole.Bunch. of used moving boxes.  As I was walking home from my friend's (see above), I passed a new neighbor who we had met on one of our nightly walks.  He was throwing used moving boxes out of his garage, so I asked him if I could have them.  YES!  So The Professor and I drove our car up to his place and filled it with boxes.  Four times.  It was a win-win.  He got rid of the boxes he didn't want and we got boxes we need.

5.  Back gardens and parks are great places to meet (see #2).  The art group met in a park this morning and we discussed one more chapter of Hidden Art.  We can be social distanced and still have the friendship and fellowship together.

Busy Week

Late. Late. Late.  Sometimes it is just like that when it comes to Willow's Week for Friday Fave Fives.  But I think I made it in under the deadline.

Edit to add:  I should have reported that the sale of our home is moving along.  So far, so good.

Here are five things that I have been blessed with this week.

1.  An older friend from church is decluttering his house after his wife passed away.  He has handed over all her yarn to me (as the conduit) to share with others.  Wow.  There is a lot of yarn.  It is going to be a blessing to my friend's weaving studio, Threadbender Textiles, and to a church's knit group which makes afghans, prayer shawls and hats for people who need them.

2.  I just can't get enough of the beautiful animals and birds in our neighborhood.

Herons and ducks night fishing

3.  On Saturday, a friend and I hiked up the very steep trail to the water storage tank across the freeway from where I live and almost exactly halfway between her house and mine.  When we reached the top just above the tank, we sat on the highest rock and chatted for a long time before hiking back down.  The views were stunning!

We were actually overlooking Highway 101, Camino Real.  Waaay out there under the fog bank is the Pacific Ocean.

One of the places where your California lemons are grown

4.  I had a good reminder to FINISH something this week.  I'm working on it!  There's a knitting project someone asked me to do (make a copy of an antique doll's sweater which was ruined) and I've been procrastinating.  It needs to be finished before we move.  So I picked it up and have been knitting and am nearing the end.

5.  This week was our anniversary.  We've been married forty-seven years!  My constant thought that day was--we started out on an adventurous life and it seems like we just continue with the adventures.

Our Engagement 

Bonus.  A favorite quote (taken from Micah 6:8)

Do not be daunted by

the enormity of the world's grief.

Do justly, now.

Love mercy, now.

Walk humbly, now.

You are not obligated to complete the work,

But neither are you free to abandon it.

It's Still July

Well, I'm late posting my FRIDAY FAVE FIVES.  It has been a crazy week and especially a crazy Thursday and Friday.

1.  But first, this blessing.  The Professor preached Sunday morning.  There were a total of ten people in the building (and I got to be one of them).  But it was on YouTube and nearly 1,000 people tuned in to listen to him talk about Heaven Is More Than a Wonderful Place.  It was a blessing to hear my husband speak of something of utmost importance and from his heart.

2.  AND I bought myself a pair of walking shoes on Amazon.

3.  AND I bought myself a pair of black Skechers shoes, too.   In a store.  I've been avoiding buying these shoes for months, and my feet finally convinced me to just buy the shoes.

4.  AND the baby quail are back!  I happened to be standing in the back of the house and heard a quail calling.  I knew she (I think) was calling the 'babies, where are you' cry.  Quietly, I peeked out the open window and spied the mama quail standing guard above the broccoli patch.  And YES!  The baby quail were there pecking around for seeds.  This new little covey is the first one we have seen for a couple of years.  They are such a delight!

5.  We have accepted an offer on our home!  It has been a long time coming, but we are thankful that soon we will be able to move to live nearer our two daughters and three grandchildren.   The next few weeks will be a bit wild, but we know this is our next step in life.

July Has Arrived

2020 is already half over!  It's hard to believe.  Here we are in July.  And here we are on Friday.  I've been writing parts of this post for Friday Fave Fives during this week as I think about what gives me joy and what I am grateful for.  Being thankful is a good thing to practice.  Every Day.

1.  I am catching up on a couple of books I started awhile ago and set down.  I am really enjoying The One-Page Financial Plan.  The author has a great sense of humor that shows through his writing about a difficult subject:  money.  One of my favorite statements so far:  "There isn't anyone who know what the next week, month, year, or even decade of the stock market will look like.  And if an advisor or investment expert tells you they can: run."

2.  I decided to post a picture a day on facebook, focusing on photos I have taken through the years.  I'm enjoying wandering through my history via the photos. Today is July 3rd.  Here are my 1st, 2nd and 3rd photos.

1st:  happiness is... my hubby and me and our coffee.

2nd:  favorite colour.  It's obvious.

3rd:  mirror.  On the shed wall at my friend's farm.

3.  This happened.  The Professor said I should add it to my fave fives.  He was scrolling through some movie options on the tv, and I said, "I remember that movie.  We watched it.  It was good."  Then I added, "I remembered a movie! We should mark today on the calendar!"  You see, for some reason, I simply do not remember movies.  It's a family joke.  Usually, I'll remember movies I've seen in a theatre, but since I didn't grow up going to movies and I didn't much care, I don't store movie trivia and data in my brain.  So actually remembering a movie is a highlight of a week for me.

4.  Some evenings we walk a bit earlier and so can take the trail up above our neighborhood.  We love the view.  I'm thankful to live (for now) in such a beautiful place.

5.  I am an American.  For that I am thankful.  Happy Independence Day!

Enjoy your weekend!  For those who are U.S. citizens, Happy Fourth of July!