Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from the beautiful state of Iowa  where Spring is fully being embraced. The grass is green, the bushes are green, the trees are filled with blossoms and leaves, and even a few flowers are popping up in gardens and hanging baskets. It's so good to be able to enjoy it all.

Speaking of flowers, it is a tradition here for me to get pansies for Mother's Day. I recall it being a favorite flower for not only my mom but a sister to. Last year the yellow pansies lasted through the summer!  

Speaking of my mother, she went to be with Jesus 23 years ago at the age of 92. I was blessed in my childhood to have three influential nurturing "mothers". My mother who gave birth to me, my older sister Jo who helped raise me from age 10 on,  and my older sister Jan who did her share of nurturing me too. Things were a bit tumultuous at home after my dad died when I was six. I was happy to have Jo plop me down in the middle of her family, creating for me what I needed. So blessed. I spent a couple of Summers with my sister Jan too and she was always there for me when I was little. So blessed. And my mom? So proud of her. She began her recovery with the disease of alcoholism the year I was married. As I've shared before , one of my favorite memories of my mom is US dancing the two step around the dining room and kitchen in our home when she would come for extended visits . Another of my memories is watching her play Yahtzee with our kids ! So blessed. I am also very grateful that our daughters are such good moms. So blessed. Happy Mother's Day to all of you. I hope you have many memories of your own mothers and your time spent with them. The mother and daughter relationship is a great gift to Treasure.

This has been a week of leaking money. It seems we have some windows that need to be replaced or at least restored. And last night the dishwasher quit working. We can't complain about it as we've had it for 25 years! We actually brought it with us to this house because we liked it so much. It seems like every time we store up some money to get new countertops something else comes up that needs to be done first! Just grateful we've got the money  to take care of it . 

I've been walking daily, still resting and napping more, and trying to get a few things done around the house. I saw the retina doctor yesterday and everything is stable. We like that word. Joel and a dental appointment for another crown. His mom did not believe in fluoride. She also did not believe in Novocaine. Joel's done more biking this week, the weather has been beautiful. And he has also managed quite a bit a yard work. We're going to try to head out to look for one of my favorite plants today, the black-eyed Susan ivy hanging basket. I'm pretty sure Joel has already purchased yellow pansies to brighten up the porch! 

In regards to the influenza B, it has come to light that many people have had it this year and been very sick for a very long time. My retina doctor shared that his grandchildren were very sick with it and it was worse for them than covid. I agree. Another couple of Joel talked to said they both were sick 4 weeks and 6 weeks with the stuff. So tired and so much coughing. I seem to have been left with being tired more. I'll have energy and then it's just gone zap like that but it's better and I am only going forward

Speaking of going  forward, Joel is preaching at three different churches in the next 3 weeks any also had to say no to a couple others. So many churches are in need of pastors. 

Speaking of pastors, how  about the new pope. I happen to turn the TV on when the white smoke came out so was able to watch what was going on in Italy at the Vatican. Very interesting. The first American Born Pope with dual citizenship. Speaks five languages. Likes to dialogue with people. 

Speaking of a dialogue I think it's time to end this scribbles. Grateful today that I'm getting much better, the cough is gone, the macular is steady. Grateful for  warmer temperatures and sunshine. Grateful that spring has blossomed everywhere! Grateful that we have  money for the household expenses. Grateful for a dishwasher that lasted 25 years! Grateful for our new hot water heater, the new attic fan, ad the help will be getting for the windows. Grateful for pansies that bring many memories. Grateful for live stream on our phones and TVs to watch our granddaughter graduate from college last Sunday and two other granddaughters run for track. Grateful for walking, biking, yard work, housework and anything that keeps us moving. Grateful for emails, phone calls, texts and so much more. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this typical Spring day in Northern Iowa. We did have 76° on Thursday then around 4:00am Friday morning storms hit. But now we're back to the 50s where it still is comfortable for me to be covered up with my wool comforter. It seems we got about an inch and a half of rain that morning which was greatly welcomed! But the sirens going off at 4:30 a.m.?! Not so welcome.   It had been a rough night of coughing for me and I only had slept two and a half hours before I was awakened by the tornado sirens. By the time Joel and I got our act together the siren ended and we went back to bed. All around us there was golf ball size hail, tornado winds, and plenty of rain. Just a typical spring night in Iowa!

Speaking of coughing, this influenza B is really taking its toll on me. I would say that I am more sick with this than I was with covid after Christmas. A chest x-ray ruled out any pneumonia just inflammation for now. Is it because I've never had a flu vaccine? Who knows why....I just know I want it to go away. There's a lot of things I'd like to go away like disease and sickness and broken relationships and financial burdens and in all honesty what's happening to our country for the most part. 

Speaking of going away we took our house off the market and told our realtor we're not looking for anything else right now. Who has the energy? And who can deny the fact that the door did not open for us. Oh it looked wide open.... the house sold in 3 weeks. We already had another house we put an offer on,  everything was moving forward at a fast pace .....until it wasn't. For now we wait. 

Speaking of waiting, isn't that what the Saturday before Easter is all about? Good Friday is over..... it is finished...in the words of Jesus. But Sunday is still coming! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is coming! His return is coming! We are waiting, waiting with hope knowing what we know. Jesus Christ died for our sins, rose again, and sits on the right hand of God! Eternal life is ours as his children so we wait in Hope.

 That will be Joel's messagc tomorrow as he preaches to a very small congregation south of here.  A handful of people that want to keep their Church going.

 On that note today i'm giving thanks for this Saturday before Easter. For a time of reflection. Giving thanks that we got the rain we needed and  the tornado stayed away from here. Giving thanks for Joel and his dedication to his ministry and to me and to his family. Giving thanks that I'm a little betterI and the coughing is a little less. Giving thanks that I have Joel to celebrate Easter with. Giving  thanks that the X-ray shows no pneumonia. Giving thanks for a 76° day that tells us summer is on its way. Giving thanks for open and closed doors,  giving thanks for phone calls emails text and prayers. Giving thanks for Easter! 

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you on this last weekend of March 2025. The weather continues to amaze us. We are getting rain and temps in the 40s today and they are talking about snow showers tomorrow.... and yesterday? It was 83° here and very windy. Speaking of wind  I do enjoy the sounds of it. Right now the trees are without leaves, but when our favorite maple tree is dressed for summer it has its own conversation to share with us on windy days. I will miss that maple tree when we move. 

Speaking of moving, that journey continues to be up and down and backwards and forwards.This  past week we accepted an offer on our house after negotiations.   This week we also discovered our radon mitigation system was not working correctly. The county came to check it out for the buyers and there was twice as much radon is as is safe. That stinks and I have put that question about exposure to the radon to the side. It is what it is. So now we need to have people come next week and put in a new system. And then move forward again. Our inspection on the other house went well and we are gathering a few notes on what needs to be done.  It is always costly to move.

Joel spent his spare time this week working on those TV trays. He is making them from scratch so it takes a while to get 12 done! Once again he repeated himself by hurting a finger. A month ago or so it was a saw that caught the end of his finger and nail. Yesterday it was a drill that went into the tip of his finger. So far he's hanging on to every digit, thank goodness

Besides church activities we have found ourselves mostly dealing with the in's and out's of buying and selling a home. My energy was low this week so I did just a little baking and cooking and cleaning saving it for my 25 minutes of walking. As usual Joel has enough energy for two of us!

So today I'm grateful for the amazing energy my husband has. Grateful for the offer on our home . Grateful for a solution to the radon mitigation, grateful that the inspection on our new home went well. Grateful for fellowship, for laughter, and even for tears. God created them all. Grateful for a warm day with wind and the familiar sounds it brings. Grateful for phone calls, for texts, for photos, for emails and in person hugs. Grateful for all this and so much more. 

Enjoy your weekend!