A Month of Thanks

I am a bit late posting my FAVE FIVES (follow the link to join!)  My excuse?  I am on a road trip.  Driving across the US.  But I just can't not post even if I am late.  What are my Five Blessings for this week, this first week of November?

1.  Four days on our road trip.  All safe.  That is a huge blessing.

2.  We did a thing on Day Two.  We walked across the Mississippi River!  Did you know that there is a walking bridge that spans the Mississippi at St. Louis?  Originally, it was the bridge that Rt. 66 used to cross the river.  Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

3.  One morning as we were leaving our hotel, I commented to The Professor that the best thing I have seen in a long time is automatic doors that open as you approach them.  No pushing, no handles.  Just walk to the door and presto!  It opens.

4.  We arrived safely in Arizona to spend a few days with PAL.  The best welcoming was PAL and her mom standing on the driveway jumping up and down and giving us lots of hugs.

5.  We have long time friends who moved away from where we all lived.  Then we moved away.  And we hadn't seen them for a long time.  Recently they moved to Arizona, and so we spend most of the day with them today.  A wonderful hike and a long lunch and it seemed like we had never been apart.

I hope you have had a great week full of blessings!

Finishing Up October

FRIDAY FAVE FIVES.  I pause in my week to reflect on blessings and little or large things that I am grateful for.  Monday evening at my Bible Study, we discussed being grateful and decided that we would focus on THREE THINGS each day that we were blessed with.  Just like the FIVE THINGS in my week.  If you want to join in, use THIS LINK to get you to Susanne's blog where she hosts us.

1.  A wedding.  On Saturday, we drove an hour each way to attend the wedding of a young man who we knew back in California.  He lives here now and married a young woman from here.  It was beautiful!  And we were able to chat with his parents and sister who flew out here for the wedding.

2.  That drive through the country to and from the wedding was lovely.  I posted lots of photos of the autumn scenery and old barns here on the blog a couple of days ago.  This is the link if you love barns and autumn leaves.  Or just scroll down to the next blog post.  Here are three pictures to whet your interest.

3.  One little blessing really cheered me up this week.  We were in a big box store looking for a new ceramic pot for my shamrock plant.  When we took it to check out, we realized that there was actually supposed to be a plant in the pot.  Since there was no plant (probably it had died), the store just gave it to us for free.  I think I like this store and will be back.

4.  Since we own the home Younger Daughter was living in, we decided to sell it and not continue to be landlords.  We already have a buyer and things are moving along quickly.

5.  I can never tire of enjoying backyard bonfires.  On the weekend, we invited our next door neighbors to join us and we sat and chatted until late evening.  I am so very thankful for my new beautiful firepit!

Barns and Trees

Are you ready for an autumn tree photo dump?  Accompanied by lots of old barn pictures?

All the fall trees and falling leaves.  We drove for an hour each way to attend a wedding through all the farm land and trees and fields.  I might have taken a few photos...

Enjoy!

And the barns!

Autumn in Full Force

Friday Fave Fives.  Here we are at the end of another wonderful week.  We've had some cold days, some rain, some sunshine, and lots of blessings.  (follow the Fave Five link to join us)

1.  Last weekend, The Professor joined both grandsons (and Younger Daughter) for the Trail Life Daniel Boone Campout.  Their troop was hosting the campout (1,200+ campers!) and they had the BEST time.  Younger Daughter was 'in charge' of their troop's campfire.  She spent the whole day Saturday tending the fire and making sure there was always coffee for the dads and leaders.  A GOOD TIME was had by all!

2.  Midday on Saturday, I received a text relating that they were running out of firewood (it was really cold!), so I grabbed a couple of bundles of wood and drove out to the campout place with Older Daughter and Granddaughter.  We took advantage of being near a great walking spot and took the dogs with us for a beautiful walk under the autumn trees.

3.  Monday morning, I spent a lovely couple of hours 'crafting' with friends (new and old).  Our hostess is an accomplished quilter but is learning to knit.  It was a fun morning of coffee and yarn.

4.  A three and a half mile walk with a young friend and her eight month old boy along our local trail.

5.  We went to the local gardening store to purchase some potting soil.  As we were checking out, we were directed toward a shelf full of gorgeous mums and told that every person who bought anything at that day were given a free one!  We came home with an amazing lavender mum.

Willow's Week wasn't exciting but it was still full of blessings.

Falling for the Season

Autumn is in full swing here.  Brilliant colors.  Falling leaves.  Cooler temperatures.  Here in my new(ish) state, fall is my favorite season.  I hope it lasts a long time this year.  Each week of autumn seems to be filled with so much color and many many blessings.  Here are five (well, seven, really) which I am sharing for Friday Fave Fives (follow the link to join).

1.  On Saturday, I joined a group of ladies on a day trip to Amish Country.  My friend's church sponsored it and we drove up in a van.  The weather was perfect autumn.  Of course, that meant the town was very very crowded with tourists and visitors.  Mostly, we wandered around and checked out all the stores.  Because it was so busy, we were fortunate to have reservations at a local restaurant.  The best part was just spending time with my friend and one of her family members.

2. Of course the trip there and back was filled with old barns and farm land.

3.  Sunday was another stunning fall day.  We took eight of us and two dogs to the local arboretum and hiked 3.5 miles.  There is an area that does not have paved trails and we thoroughly enjoyed walking under all the trees.

4.  We thought we were going to have our first bonfire on our new patio.  But, literally, just as The Professor was cutting the kindling to start the fire, guess what.  It started raining.  I guess we'll just have to wait a few more days.

5.  This week was our youngest granddaughter's birthday!  PAL is EIGHT!  She called us to thank us for her present which actually arrived on time.  She also received an American Girl doll, so we discussed what kind of sweaters Meema should knit for it.

Bonus:  I had an appointment with the 'hand doctor'.  After examining both of my hands, he suggested two more shots of pain meds in my right hand, and upcoming surgery on my left to deal with the trigger finger issues.  I have been in much less pain!  So thankful!

Bonus2:  My absolute favorite photo from the weekend is this one:

Have a wonderful week full of God's blessings!

It's October!

 Can you believe it is October?  We have only three months left of 2022!  And here we are at the end of the week.  It's Friday.  And time for Friday Fave Fives, my weekly focus on being thankful.

1.  Our granddaughter ZG turned sixteen!  We celebrated by having dinner at Cracker Barrel (her choice) and then returning home to enjoy some cake.

2.  Finally, I pulled out my small cricket loom and wove a scarf!  It has been awhile.  It is finished, and I will have to take some photos of it before it gets mailed off to its new owner.

3.  And along with that, I have to state that I am thankful that The Professor always helps me with the warping.  (that's the first part where you have to place ALL.THE.STRANDS of yarn on the loom length wise.

4.  The patio is finished!  Maybe if it is not too chilly this evening, we will lit our first fire.  Our contractor even brought over a pile of wood and placed it in the firepit for us to burn.

5.  And last but certainly not least, a visit from very dear friends from California.  We were in a Bible study small group with them for more than ten years, meeting every week at their home.  They were in our area for a funeral and saved Saturday evening and Sunday morning to spend time with us.  We know each other well enough that when all the plans for meeting them for dinner tanked because they couldn't get a rental car (it was closed!), we just went on the plan B and then plan C.  All the laughter, memories, conversations.  Then they managed to get a rental car in the morning and made it to attend church with us Sunday morning.  I really do think their visit was the highlight of our week.

Gratitude Through the Decades

 Good Friday Morning!  The sun is shining.  I'm up.  Since it is that day of the week for Friday Fave Fives, I've been contemplating which blessings to choose to share.

1.  When Susanne mentioned last Friday that it was the 700th Friday Fave Fives, I decided to scroll back to her first FFF and check the date; then I checked my blog to for the first time I joined in.  She started on August 15, 2008, and I wrote my first one on September 5, 2008.  Wow!  Fourteen years! (Have I really been blogging that long?  Actually, I started this blog in October 2005.)  I found Friday Fave Fives through Ellen at Happy Wonderer (we knew each other face to face as well as via blogs). And I have made many online friends through Susanne's hosting FFF.

2.  The patio is SO SO SO close to being finished!  Then I will take photos and share them.  All that is left is inserting the metal 'cage' in the firepit and installing the lighting under the wall caps.

3.  The leaves are just beginning to turn now.  Autumn is my favorite season and The Professor's, too.

4.  I love chai lattes.  Younger Daughter introduced me to a chai latte a few months ago.  In particular, one coffee shop we frequent has one I love.  Had one this week.

5.  When I was checking back on when I started doing FFFs, I allowed myself to be sucked into reading lots of old blog posts I have written through the years.  I lost myself in various road trips we have taken, our adventures in England, our visits with friends and family.  What blessings and joys we have experienced!  Looking back made me realize how God has blessed me.

Have you looked back lately and found things to be grateful for?

Happy Fall!

Oops.  It's Saturday.  I'm late for Friday Fave Fives with Susanne. Well, better late than not at all.  I am thankful that we woke up this morning (and every morning this week) strong and healthy and able to do what was put in front of us.  This week is the 700th! week that Susanne has hosted Friday Fave Fives!  Follow the link to celebrate the week and the years with us.

1.  Older daughter's home is nearly empty.  We will empty the last few items from the garage on the weekend.  Half done!  On to Younger Daughter's last few things at her place.

2.  One evening when we were loading boxes into our cars, it started to rain.  Not just a few drops, but it was a downpour and thunderstorm.  The short drive to the new place was slow because we could hardly see.  And of course, we just unloaded the boxes in the rain.  A fave?? Why would THAT be a fave??  It's because we all just looked at each other and started to laugh.  That's our family...

3.  Since then, the weather has been absolutely perfect!   We've been calling it Southern California winter.  Which has been helpful for the amazing hard workers recreating our patio.

4.  We greeted the arrival of Autumn (it's Fall, y'all!) with a yummy hearty minestrone style veggie soup.

5.  I think my fifth fave just has to be that we are thankful that we are almost done with the moves.

Oh~  I just thought of a bonus.  My ophthalmologist checked my eyes this week and gave me an 'all clear' diagnosis. (get the pun?)  I am thankful for that!

What things are you thankful for?  Autumn equinox?  Morning coffee?  

Rejoice Always

 It is hard to believe that this is the third Friday of September.  But, here it is.  (And next week is the beginning of autumn!)  This month has been so busy that it is flying by.  But I need to stop and reflect on the blessings of this time.  "Rejoice always!"  One] way I help myself focus is to join several other people in Friday Fave Fives, writing FIVE ways I have been blessed or encouraged this week.  [follow the link to join in]

1.  I am so thankful for email and cellphones.  I live 2,500 miles away from my only sibling, my brother.  I am also very close to my sister-in-law, having been BFFs in high school.  So when we are able to easily pick up our phones and talk to each other or send a text or email, it is wonderful. (did you notice the extra fave in there? my brother married my best friend)

2.  This week we again met our friends T and S for coffee.  They are so much fun.  Knowing that they would be a few minutes late arriving at our pre-chosen destination, they decided to prank us and text us about the time they arrived, asking us if we were on our way to another location.  (we messed that one up a few weeks ago)  Just about the time, I read that text, they walked in the door!  Good prank!  We had a great laugh about that one.

3.  Younger Daughter and her two children are mostly moved in to the new house.  There are a few things in the basement and garage that still need to be transferred.  All those people helping was a major blessing.  We can expect that to be done in the next week or two.

4.  Older Daughter and Tall Boy are packing like crazy because they move tomorrow!  (To be very clear on this, the two families are moving in together--same home.  Being two single moms now, they realized that having two adults in the house is a big help.  And since they grew up together,  well, they know how to live together.)  Friends are lined up to help them move.

5.  A major thing is happening at Willow's Cottage right now.  Our patio was becoming uneven and sinking in one area.  We had been thinking about making some changes in that area, so we decided to just get a new one installed.  We've been waiting most of the summer for our wonderful contractor/landscape guy to start it.  The whole process has been fascinating, loud and crazy.  After two days, this is what it looks like.  I am so thankful that the work is started and we will soon have a new patio and firepit!

removing cement is a little scary

no more cement, just dirt

after two days of work for three workers

The perspective isn't great in this photo; no, our backyard is not an acre long.

I hope you can find more more than five wonderful things that happened in your life this week.

Being Thankful in September

Happy Friday!  Busy week here again.  I am popping in to post my Friday Fave Fives.  If I don't do that, I quickly forget to BE THANKFUL.  Here are my Faves for Willoow's Second Week of September.

1.  The news yesterday that Queen Elizabeth II had passed away hit a bit hard. I am not British, but I have traveled extensively in England and have several good friends who are British, so I know the love and respect with which Her Majesty was regarded.  Did you read the statement written by the Archbishop of Canterbury?  My thoughts and prayers are with you all across the pond.  My fave in this?  Only that I honor the " steadfast loyalty, service and humility" the queen has displayed for the past seventy years as monarch of the United Kingdom.

2.  On a lighter note, we common folk enjoyed a Sweet Corn Festival last weekend.  Our coffee date friends S and T live walking distance from the location of the corn fest, so we drove down and parked in their driveway and strolled the three blocks to the festival grounds.  The way I described the day in my journal was 'we ate our way through the food section'.  Funnel cake.  Popcorn.  Tacos.  Hot dogs.  You name it!  AND a good friend from our church owns and operates the coffee truck!  AND he knows T and S!  What a small world.  AND our California extra family joined us for their first Ohio festival adventure.

3.  We enjoyed a wonderful evening having dinner and dessert at the home of church friends who want to get to know us better.  A lovely time was had by all.

4.  The Professor had a successful MOHS surgery on a spot on his face.  All cancer eradicated.

5.  We are nearly finished with prepping for our daughters' move in which begins tomorrow with younger daughter's moving all her furniture and belongings in (along with her two children).  Truck is reserved.  Helpers are arranged.  Boxes are packed.  Then next weekend, it will be Older Daughter's turn.  The fave?  People helping all this come together.

I hope this has been a week of gratitude and faves for you!

Is It Really September?

 Thank you to everyone who sent their condolences for the loss of our granddog Shep.  It meant so much to me.  Although Shep didn't live at our house, he was our very special doggie, and he especially loved taking walks with The Professor.

Here it is Friday again.  AND IT'S SEPTEMBER!  (I saw a notice somewhere that pumpkin spice lattes are back, so it must really be coming up autumn!)  As I reflect back on this past week, I am amazed at how fast it has flown by.  That is most likely because we have been so busy.  Here are my Five Faves--  Willow's Week with Susanne and others at Friday Fave Fives.

1.  Last Saturday, our local Vietnam veterans were honored at an event at the local airport.  Helicopter rides were available (not free), an Army band was there playing, local veterans and families were presented with plaques.  The Professor is a Vietnam Veteran.  After so many decades of no honor for him and others who served in Vietnam, it was very nice to attend such a ceremony.

2.  House renovations are moving along on our daughter's new house.  Almost all the rooms are ready for painting.  We've been over there almost every day stripping wallpaper.  Yes, we're thankful we are seeing the last of the wallpaper.

3.  I was able to drive my younger daughter in to her office one day this week.  She is ALMOST ready to start driving again.

4.  While I was waiting the hours for her to do some work, get signatures on documents, I decided to explore a bit of that part of the city.  There is a river that runs through it and there are parks and trails which connect them.  So I chose a place to park near the rose garden and enjoyed a lovely walk through urban woods. Then I returned in time to help her prepare for a take out evening dinner for the doctors who had a meeting.

There was a pollinator garden along the trail.  I think it is a success.

5.  Out of the blue, I received a text from someone at our church inviting us over for dinner!  What a delight!  So that is where we will be this evening.  I am so very thankful for the wonderful friendships we are making in our new community.

And, for fun, I leave you with this quote which I found in the rose garden.