Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from our corner of the world where winter continues to bring us snow and bitter cold and then teases us with an unusually warm day here and there.  Spring is officially less than a month away, but then again March has brought us some pretty wild stormy wintery weather most years.

Speaking of wild and stormy, I cannot help but be drawn to the Ukraine and what is happening in their country.  To hear that this kind of military invasion has not been seen in Europe since World War II is a bit disturbing.  There is no understanding or getting into the mind of leaders like Putin.  In my way of thinking, he is power hungry and evil.  Lord have mercy on the Ukranians, especially the children.  

Speaking of children, I am thinking of a video I watched on Facebook that involved a boy about 2-3 years old.  I may have shared it here, but will do so again.....just to make us smile.  It was one of those videos where the mom puts the child in front of his favorite candy and tells him not to touch it.  He can have it when she returns but not until then.  She leaves the room, secretly videotaping this boy.  He waits and waits, struggling and struggling not to eat this candy....a huge temptation for him.  Finally he says ..."Mom?"  and then sighs and mutters, "Mom is a dang stinky-butt".  I burst out laughing when I watched this.....and I am in complete agreement here with this little guy.  Mom IS being a stinky-butt to put this little guy through this!  But he keeps waiting, until his mom comes back and lets him have the candy.  I question how many of us would be so patient..  

I confess there are more than a few times I have wanted to call, or maybe have called people stinky-butts, although not to their faces~~~!   Lately it has been my favorite new word?  Today I said, "Satan, you are a stinky-butt!"  Always causing trouble, trying to destroy God's creation, His people.  John 10:10 tells us, "The thief has come to kill, steal, and destroy.......but I (Jesus) have come to give you life and give it to you more abundantly."  This certainly qualifies Satan to be a "stinky-butt"!

It has been a week!  A wonky eye shot left me in a lot of pain and discomfort for a couple days.  Our youngest daughter had knee replacement surgery.  My 74 year old cousin died in Oregon.   But.......my eye healed and our daughter Sarah did well and is home recovering.  And we take comfort that my cousin loved the Lord.  During the week we were able to talk for a long time with our three treasures in the north country, I read and sorted quite a few articles on my journey to gather info for a book. We watched an excellent teaching in the healing school class we attend, plus a couple other sermons and teachings. We have laughed, cried, contemplated life and death together.  Even though my body has me resting more, we went to church last Sunday and to a "puzzle exchange" before church where people brought in puzzles and exchanged them for others to take home.  I made Joel a pumpkin pie, cooked, cleaned, blah, blah blah.  We talked with friends in WI and Mesa AZ. and talked with a lot of family too.   This week has been much like life as we all experience it......a mixture of the good, bad, and the ugly.  And we give thanks because we are not hiding in the subway while bombs fall on our city.  Yeah........it could be so much worse, couldn't it?

Speaking of teachings, we heard a brief one on "Prayer" this week by a professor at a Lutheran college and I have to say it was very disappointing.  I turned to Joel and said, "That is it?" Really?    The importance of prayer is found written in the scriptures.  I have found myself wanting to defend my beliefs about prayer.......to whom I do not really know!  So frustrating

Speaking of that....maybe.......We have an Alexa.  Sometimes she talks to us without us instigating a conversation.  Somtimes she can't answer our questions.  Somtimes she won't play the radio stations I request.  You would think she was not real!!  One night we were sitting in the living room watching TV and all of a sudden she said, "Good night!" in a lilting voice unlike her normal voice....we looked at each other and said, "Okay that was weird,"  I have actually heard that a murder was solved through an Alexa because it records everything. Hmmmmmm  Someone else told me that some place like China could be gathering info on us through Alexa.  Maybe.  Just saying.............we lead pretty boring lives.  Not much if anything to gather!  I do enjoy listening to music on Alexa and asking her questions at times.

Last Sunday night we watched the season finale of one the most delightful shows on TV and above all, our favorite.  "All Creatures Great and Small" on PBS is excellent.  Decades ago we watched the first series, but the "new" version is so updated, and well written.  Would recommend it to everyone.  

It is about time to end this "no really exciting news" Saturday's Scribbles on the last weekend of February. If you made it this far, bless you.   I am remembering and giving thanks for how often God walked with us through the days and nights this week, how He spoke to us through his word, devotions, and a whispering in our ears.  Giving thanks for the beautiful show "All Creatures Great and Smalal".  Giving thanks for Sarah's surgery going well, my eye healing, pumpkin pie for Joel, new puzzles to try, Alexa...I think?, phone calls with friends and family, texts and pics from our daughter's adventures, laughter, tears, remembering the little guy and his "stinky-butt" frustration, professors who challenge and also frustrate, the prayers that bring us together and connect us with God. Thankful for our warm home, safe community, our country.   And so much more....................

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of the world where once again the weather has been wacko!  Cold, warm, cold, warm.....Yesterday the high was supposed to be 41 and today 19.  Tomorrow 51 degrees and Monday and Tuesday snow and winds again!   What?  Here we go again............Is this the new normal?  

Speaking of here we go again, I headed to the medical oncologist this past week and the report was good.  Yay for that.  A couple days later we drove to Mayo Clinic where I saw the PT at the Lymphedema Clinic.  She is so amazing and we are so thankful she is in charge of my treatments.  We come away well taken care of with answers to our questions and immediate help.  I observed the PT helping me, while answering the door to a doctor while also on the phone with the pump company.  I remember thinking that at one time in my life I could multi-task like that too!  At one time...,

Wednesday's adventure to Mayo Clinic had me thinking............There are times in my life I have experienced miraculous healing ~ microwave healing! Where we have prayed and something leaves immediately.  Mostly I have experienced crockpot healing....slow and steady....and then there are times when God provided the meds needed, the right doctor, the right PT, the treatments needed, management of a condition.  Those are miracles provided by God, too.  We have so many of those "Godwinks", those God-incidences, doors opened or closed....those small miracles that are provided for us and for those we love and care about.  Lately we have seen this over and over concerning the Lymphedema treatments.  The care at Mayo is way beyond what was provided for me before.  Sometimes I wonder where I would be without the care I am getting. Well, I know where I would be, but a combination of my grit and our God's guidance brought to fruition the help I needed. So grateful.  So, so grateful.  

Speaking of grateful, I finished John Skipper's book, "Why am I Here?" and it was a great read.  We both have been thinking about just that......why are we here in this season of our lives?  I heard a speaker at a prophetic converence say recently that we need to ask, "What are you up to God?"  and...."How can I be a part of that?"  All good questions, don't you think?!''

We have been watching the Olympics again this past week.  Curling, curling, curling.  A bit of ice skating, snowboarding, biathlon competitions, and ski jumping.  Today I plan to watch the Japenese women compete for gold in curling.  Have you seen the team?  They are petite little young women who pack a powerful punch.  Not only in how well they do, but it their attitude.  They have so much joy, their smiles light up the place!  You cannot help but respond to it as you watch them.  The contrast tosm them and the Russian skaters in the midst of a huge conflict, is quite obvious.  Whatever opinion you have on what has been going on, you cannot help but feel some compassion for the 15 year old girl in the middle of it.  What a mess.  No joy there......

I have been going through some of the things I have written on my blog for the book I keep planning to write.   I read a few stories to Joel and we have laughed and laughed over a few adventures we have gone through as a family.  Laughter is so good for us!  Speaking of laughter and joy, today we were able to spend some time talking on the phone with out oldest.  Such a delight to hear her voice.  Our son-in-law, her hubby,  puts the silliest quotes on Facebook, which makes us shake our heads or laugh!   So good...........that laughter.

It's time to end this Scribbles....and today I am grateful for good reports, excellent care, progress, Olympic TV, talking to our oldest, homemade bread, miracles ~ microwave, slow cooker, medical, etc. So grateful for laughter.  The kind that makes you bend over, the kind that makes you cry, the kind that connects us to each other!  Grateful for talking to our son Mark on his birthday.  Grateful for our family, friends, and faith. Grateful for the power of prayer....... And so much more..............

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from Iowa where it feels like someone keeps pushing the reset button here.  The temperature goes up to 38 degrees on one day, like this past Thursday,  and then plummets to -9 degrees two mornings later.  Come on! The weather is so unpredictable, swaying back and forth like a swinging bridge in high winds.

Speaking of a swinging bridge....have any of you been on one?  Being a person who does not really like water nor heights, I find myself avoiding them.  My most recent encounter with that kind of peril would be when we took a road up in the mountains near Lake Tahoe.  There was one area where only one car fit going across a space so narrow and so high in the mountains that we held our breath as we drove across it. With no railings, it barely fit the car and Joel, who has no fear of heights, was gripping the steering wheel as we crossed.  Prayer sustained us as we trusted that even though the way was narrow and looked unsteady, we were safe.  We watched other cars cross and we decided the view would be worth the risk.  Then we realized we were on a one way road and could not turn around.  Ha   No where to go but forward!

You know I have to connect this somehow to our journey of faith with Jesus.  Sometimes the way looks narrow and unsteady but we step out in trust.  We made a decision when Christ became our Savior that the "view" would be worth it all, and we drove onto a one way road.  No way to go but forward!  Mostly that means we are blessed by His Love and grace and walk a road well traveled.  Sometimes it means we are on a road less traveled but love and grace still blesses and sustains us.   There will be times God speaks to us and we obey even though the outcome is not guaranteed.  We may even be required  to be "rocking the boat" as God has told us to do.  Four years ago we heard prophetic words from a man who saw in his mind that we were rocking a boat and he cautiously asked us that question...."Do you rock the boat?"  He then told us that God was pleased and did not want us to stop rocking the boat.  Without going into any details, Joel rocked the boat this week in some of what he shared to a small group of people.  What will the consequences be to his obedience to Holy?  We don't know.  We do know we answer to God, and not man.  God blesses us when we walk that wide well traveled road and when we walk....or drive across a narrow one way road.  We trust God in His love and grace, right?

Writing about the roads we travel made me think about a book I finished this week entitled, "Why Am I Here?" by John Skipper, a retired journalist, man of faith, friend of Joel's, and author of many books. This small book is packed with powerful insights into John's quest for purpose....just why is he here....He really simplifies and clarifies through his words and the words of others he quotes just why God created all of us.  I expect all us us have been challenged with this question.  In the past few years I have questioned a few times why I am here.  What purpose has my life now in this season.  Glimmers of that answer were revealed as I finished this book.  We all have purpose whether we sit on a throne or in a prison cell.  Fame and success do not really answer the question. Maybe our purpose is to be more Christlike as John says in his book.  Something to ponder........... 

Speaking of fame and success, did you catch any of the Olympics this week?  We watched a lot.....and I mean a lot of curling ~ mixed doubles, men's, women's.  Also ice skating ~ Nathan Chen is amazing in his performances and how he views life.  We also took in the biathlon and a bit of ski jumping.  I wonder what it feels like to soar through the sky like a bird?!

Looking once again at purpose and agenda, my hubby has been back in the garage making boxes out of recycled redwood.  He always finds something to keep himself busy!  He made me a basket out of redwood that is pretty cool.  Most of his boxes are a small box within a box within a box.  He is up to 150 or so now.  Seriously.  He definitely is reusing the redwood posts for something good!  I have been building up my walking....up to 35-40 minutes daily.  I also finished my puzzle.  We have noticed I like puzzles that have golden retrievers (never have had one) an old truck (another no) and country scenes and living.  Again I have never lived in the country!  Hmmmmmm  Here is my latest....

There is just something about the country that I find quiet and peaceful.  Even the rocks worship God as the Bible tells us.  Think of that....trees...rocks.....animals.....all of creation worships God.  And we do too.  There is a certain country porch that always draws me........along with a lake view...........Nature is such a gift to us humans.  Just settles us right down, and soothes the soul.

On that note it is time to close this week's scribbles.  So much to be grateful for.  Olympic TV, teachings on healing and deliverance, phone calls with family and friends, worship music, a narrow road on the way to Lake Tahoe, natures peaceful call to us humans, "rocking the boat", John Skipper's book, Joel's need to recycle wood into something useful, texts, prayer, laughter, and so much more...............

Enjoy the weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you all from our corner of the world where temperatures continue to fluxuate up and down like a roller coaster at an amusement park.  We are not finding it amusing.  Bitter cold with -double digit temps then spiking to temps in the thirties have our bodies here complaining.  The wind chills have us wishing for Arizona or Florida where family members are basking in the sun.  Well, trying to anyway.  The weather has not been cooperating there much either!  But seriously, winter in Arizona cannot compare to winter in Iowa.  Alas, we know it is only early February, and winter has a long way to go........

Speaking of winter, one day as I laid on the sofa to rest I noticed the light and dark contrasts out our oversized living room window.  Stunning!  I am always drawn to the stark images of trees in winter.  I find them beautiful and honest in their portrayal of this season.  And a very good reminder that in life, things may look stark and dark, but "this too shall pass".  And there is beauty to be found in the journey even though sometimes we have to be intentional about finding it.  And, yes, there are times the phrase ~ "This too shall pass.....it may pass like a  kidney stone, but it will pass" holds some truth. But, there is good to be found in every season of the year, and of life.  

Speaking of seasons, the winter Olympics are here, and last night we watched some of the opening ceremonies.  We watched some of the curling competition on Thursday and Friday nights also.  We both like curling.  I like the limited amount of people involved in the competition, the strength and the mindset needed to play and win.  I heard someone say it is "chess on ice" and that makes some sense!  Joel enjoyed watching the biathlon, which is one of his favorites.  As a young man he received an expert marksmanship status and even though it has been decades since he has done any target shooting, he likes watching it.  

I finally finished the 1,000 piece puzzle I have been working on since the end of December.  Yeah.....One of our younger grands got a 1,000 piece puzzle for his birthday and had it done in 2 days.  Yikes.  For me puzzles are a way to relax and settle down my thoughts.........unless I am having difficulty getting the borders together or when I first start filling in from the edges.  Then, according to Joel, I talk out loud while working on it.  Yep.  Takes me back to when Joel was gone 12 hrs a day working and commuting an hour each way to a church.  I was alone so much of the time that I just started talking to our dog Levi, my housemate.  So when Joel was first ill with Lyme Disease and home on disability, I would be talking and he would ask me, "What did you say?"  I would reply, "Oh I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to the dog".  Hmmmmm  Now I talk to puzzles?  Don't tell anyone, okay?

I am making homemade bread today.  Every two weeks I bake up a loaf and we use the first couple of slices to make French toast for a meal.  After decades of pancakes 2x a month on Saturday nights ( as I said before) we now have gone to French toast.  Our oldest son was surprised when I told him.  Hey, you gotta shake things up, right?  (giggle) Big shake-up?  We might be kinda set in some of our ways.  

Speaking of bread, this past week our new neighbors came by with a loaf of pumpkin bread as a thank you for Joel doing their driveway when the hubby was laid up with a bad back and she couldn't get their snow blower started.  Joel was out doing the association path down to the river where he walks and noticed her dilemma,  so he just zipped up and down their driveway on his way back to our house.  They have young kids, and are a delightful couple.  So nice of them to come by with a thank you...Joel enjoyed it a lot!

This past week my sister Jan turned 85.  Let me tell you, this woman looks amazing!  She is beautiful inside and out and was given the "looking forever young" genes in our family along with my sister Jo.  Sure do miss hugging on her!  Happy Birthday Janey!  And many many more to come!!!! 

How have you been filling up your week?  Joel works in his garage shop of course, walked outside a couple of times, helped with house stuff, and worked on taxes, etc.  I walked 30-35 minutes daily, worked on the house needs, baked and cooked, finished a puzzle, and visited on the phone a lot. We have watched a worship service, 3 teachings and one Q and A session this week too. It feels like we don't have enough to fill our days, and yet when evening comes we have quite a list of what we have been getting done, and have much to be grateful for. 

Speaking of getting things done, I expect it is time to end this first Saturday in February scribbles.  So I am giving thanks for good reports, for phone calls with friends and family, for homemade bread and cookies for Joel, and a neighbor's pumpkin bread thank you, for texts and emails and pictures that arrive, for getting things done.  Giving thanks for a fireplace, furnace, good nights of sleep, laughter that is such good medicine, and all we are learning from online teachings.  Giving thanks for puzzles, the Olympics, French toast on Saturday night, for 85th birthdays, 14th birthdays, a clean house, and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa on the last weekend in January.  It has been another roller coaster ride of weather and temperatures with -36 windchills one day and temps in the thirties another.  Unpredictable.  That is the word for this winter's weather.  Unpredictable.

Speaking of unpredictable, isn't that how life has been the past 2 plus years?  And I would venture to say it taken it's toll on all of us.  Have children ever experienced such upheaval in getting an education, doing normal after school activities, or just getting together with friends, etc. let alone those who have lost parents to this vicious virus.  And we could add the rest of us to that unpredictable atmosphere.  I know that there are those who feel this is all a conspiracy.....or an attempt to control people.  And there are those who have believed our scientists and followed the guidelines to get us through this.  No matter where you stand, and people do stand......we are all weary of it all.  My heart hurts for the doctors and nurses who are working so very hard to stop the tsunami of death and destruction in peoples bodies. Help us God.  I know more people who have had or have Covid now than when it first started.  Some still have a few long term side effects from it too.  And yet at the same time I see less people taking any kind of precautions to stay healthy and avoid omicron.  I guess another word for how I feel would be a world my mom would use...It all "baffles" me.  The whole pandemic baffles me!  But then again, that applies to other things we see going on in our country too.  We seem to be in a season of being baffled and bewildered.  Tighten that grip on God everyone!  This too shall pass!

Speaking of precautions, we headed over to Mayo Clinic on Tuesday for my yearly check up with the radiology oncologist.  N95. KN95, 94, or surgical masks are required there.  NO cloth masks are acceptable.  We also noticed that the doctors and nurses where we were at not only wore N95's but also special goggle type glasses to protect their eyes.  That was new and we found it very interesting.   We had left by 6:45 that morning for the long drive, having an appointment at 9:15.  We then stopped at Trader Joe's to stock up on such things as organic unsweetened applesauce, yogurt, almonds and cashews....save lots of money going there.  Anyway, we were able to see the sunrise as we drove east.  The windmills seemed to be dancing gracefully as they welcomed the day!  Soooooo beautiful to see...God welcoming us to another day!

Sunrise 

Sunrise with the windmills "dancing"

to welcome the day!

Speaking of doctors, my appointment went well. I gathered a bit of confirming info also.  Like the weak/fractured ribs will be an ongoing issue due to radiation.  The chest wall tightness and pain are chronic also. Just like the lymphedema. I will be adding range of motion exercises to my PT for lymphedema.  I have mixed emotions about this appointment being my last with Dr. S.  He is my favorite doctor, but I have "graduated" now and my local medical oncologist is taking over all my care.  I confess after we left I shed a few tears.  Dr. S. was a true gift from God during that season of my life.

It has always been my intention to share my journey through life here....the good the bad and the ugly, so I do.  If the medical stuff makes anyone uncomfortable or bored, just move on....I get it!

Along with the ribs and lymphedema and chest wall issues, there are the side effects of the medication I take to suppress all the estrogen in my body.  The cancer was estrogen fed so the aromatose inhibitor  (exemestane) works to remove it. It is also used to treat cancer in women.   The side effects I personally deal with because of that drug are weight gain, joint pain, fatigue, increase in anxiety, and once again cognitive issues.  They were gone on this new med for 9 months but a week ago started up again with me pulling up random or wrong words when I am thinking and once in awhile speaking.  I know right away I have said the wrong word so that is helpful.  I have read a message board at Mayo Clinic Connect where other women talk about this same side effect.  At this point I continue to take this necessary drug believing that the cognitive issues are minor when being compared to having cancer again.  And we pray.  We pray for clarity 24/7.  Maybe that is too much to ask for this nearly 74 year old?!  Nahhhh  God has this!

Speaking of wrong words I must tell you a funny story from yesterday.  Joel and I were having devotions and I was talking about how we connect with our kids and I said the word visit.  Joel looked at me confused and said what did you say?  I said, "visit".  He said, I thought you said "zipper".  My thought was, did I say zipper when I meant visit (cuz that is what happens, random words pop into my head) and Joel was thinking, did I hear zipper when she said visit? (Cuz he has hearing aids now)......I said to Joel, "We are going to have to think about what kid we are going to move closer to when our minds start to go...."  I went on to say, :I'm going to tell the kids this story"......And he said, "Text them and tell them we will see one of them next week!"  We laughed and laughed.....I sent this story to the kids and a couple replied with laughing....probably a defense mechanism!

Last night we watched ABC's "20-20".  Not a show we usually turn to but it was about Jodi Huisentruit, a newscaster who went missing in June of 1995.  We used to watch her on a local station in north central MN when we lived in that area. Then when we moved here to Mason City, IA we discovered she had taken a position here and nine months before we arrived she was abducted and disappeared from the parking lot of her apartment building as she was going in early to work.  No one was ever arrested, and her body has never been found.  Last night they did a two hour special on her case.  It was strange to watch Mason City on national TV.  How tragic for her family and friends, and to just never have answers must be so difficult.  They did do a good job presenting Jodi's story.   

Joel and I have been continuing in the healing school class we are taking, plus a couple of sermons from churches in IA and CA.  Joel has been busy in the shop no matter the weather outside. I have been putzing inside with housecleaning, reading another fiction book, working on a winter puzzle, and walking 30-35 minutes a day indoors....in circles pretty much!  If I walk from our kitchen through the large entry area;, then through the living room and then through the large entry area again and then around the dining room and once again the large entry back to the kitchen it is 90 steps and takes me almost one minute.  I do that 20 times and then in the afternoon 15-20 times more.   Pretty boring but I usually listen to a podcast. Any amount of walking helps us, but I am pretty excited I am up to 30-35 minutes.  Haven't lost an ounce, but haven't gained either and have more energy.  Yippee  I decided to put a pedometer on my phone to see approximately how many steps I walk a day and was pleasantly surprised to see I walk 4500 to 6500 steps a day.  That is pretty darn good for this lady in this season of my life.  Grateful.

I cut Joel's hair this morning.  I have been doing this for decades.  Homemade soup ingredients are in the big soup pot to give us chicken and rice soup for a few meals, Alexa is playing soft music and the sun is shining into our home from our large windows.  I can see the birds are out and about and so are the squirrels.  One neighbor out here recently had a red fox on the front porch during the night.  Deer come through on their way down to the river.  Over Christmas we had 5 in the backyard.  Once in awhile a coyote or racoon is spotted.  We are not out in the country but close to the edge of town and nature just seems to thrive here.  

It is probably time to end this weeks' scribbles.  Today I am thankful for all of you who visit my blog.! Today I am giving thanks for the 10th anniversary of Joel's miraculous healing.  I am grateful for good reports and caring doctors, for the healing gift of laughter, homemade soup cooking on the stove, for sunrises, for the animals that visit or share our habitat, for Trader Joe's, for getting my steps counted, for energy to walk 30-35 minutes, for Joel's new band saw, for packages that come to the door, for N95 and surgical masks, for being able to cut Joel's hair, for prayer, for texts, phone calls, emails, and so much more!

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from snowy cold....like -36 wind chill cold Iowa this week where the people in this house are kinda over winter now.  The snow was pretty.........the cozy fireplace nice............and now heading into the third week of January, I am over it.  Ready for Spring!  Sigh.....guess it is time to put on my big girl boots and find the gratitude in each day whether it is bitterly cold, moderately cold, or slightly cold.  Cuz the bottom line is that it is gonna be cold for awhile.

Speaking of putting on my big girl boots, this coming week I head to Mayo for my annual check up with my favorite radiology oncologist.  He is a gem, no doubt about it.  I just filled out several questionnaires that they sent to my portal and as I was answering all the questions two thoughts came to mind.  First, there has been a couple of changes with lymphedema now a big part of my daily life, and second, how very blessed I am.  When you answer questions that in general make you realize how much we do have including no worries related to food or shelter or care, I can't help but be thankful.  Blessed.  

The big excitement this week was Joel's purchase of a new band saw.  He tried to fix his decades old saw three times before searching for a small engine repair guy, but finally accepted (with my encouragement) the idea that he needed a new one.  I expect I was a bit pushy on the matter....he has a hard time buying stuff for himself.  He voted for cheapest, I did not.  He uses it all the time and a moderately priced one came up with a good rating.  He came around.....and it is now being used in the garage (even in this bitterly cold weather) and we are both happy.  Me too?  Yep.  The old one was really really noisy and this one is safer too.    

Joel and I have been taking classes with Ana Werner's healing school, learning more on healing and deliverance from different teachers who focus on this kind of ministry.  It keeps us growing in our faith!  We have also been watching a weekly teaching from our local church, this past one on worship in the Lutheran church.  Add to that a few YouTube teachings by Liz Wright, and an old video by Brene Brown on the power of vulnerability..... and our brains are stretching.....We have also enjoyed a short series on boat excursions on the canals in Great Britain and Europe.  Of course we knew there were canals in Europe, but I did not know anything like that still existed in the United Kingdom, people owning their own boats and traveling through locks, and waterways the way we travel in cars or on airplanes.  You certainly see a lot more from a boat than a plane!\

Besides the teachings we watched, Joel has been playing with his new band saw and writing a bit for his new book.  I have been doing a challenging (for me) puzzle, reading, walking 30 minutes a day, and baking some homemade bread besides cooking and a little cleaning.  

Speaking of homemade bread, we have replaced our 2x-a-month-on-Saturday-night pancakes for the past three or more decades....I am NOT kidding.....and moved on to thick sliced homemade French toast.  Sooooo good.  We often eat breakfast meals for supper.  Anyone else do that?  Maybe yogurt (my go to breakfast), or eggs, or oatmeal, or French toast.  Don't feel like cooking?  Had a big meal at noon?  Then breakfast will call our names.  So easy!

I am thinking that it was about 10 years ago our daughter-in-law gave us her used iPad.  Joel was going to use it while traveling for an Interim job.  He ended up with a laptop and I used the iPad at home.  I tucked it away about 3 years ago when cancer came calling again,  and forgot about it.  Seriously.  Then I thought about reading some Kindle books again so I dug it out and charged it up and it is still working!  I go to "free Kindle books" on Amazon and see what I can find.  The lighthearted reading I have found have been enjoyable during January, and on an old iPad that was given to us used.....and is still working!  

I expect many of us could compare ourselves to this iPad.  In need of a charge to get going when the cold brings on stiffness in the joints and muscles or the need to just get under an afghan or throw and snuggle in takes over.   I find walking can "charge" me..........and inspirational teachings..........and laughter.........and the retraining of the brain stuff I am still dabbling in. Lots of ways to recharge.  And lest I forget the lessons God is sending me sometimes plain ol' rest recharges us.  But I know for me, writing absolutely recharges me.  I come alive when I am "talking to others" with my keyboard. Recently a family member shared that they have taking up painting in retirement!  How great is that!  Another way to recharge.....love it.  How do you recharge?

So, today I am grateful for the ways I can recharge, for phone calls from friends and family, for texts, for laughter, for teachings that take us out of our comfort zone and stretch our minds.  Grateful for French toast made with homemade bread, for getting back to 30 minutes walks, for Joel's new band saw, for an iPad gift that still keeps giving, for music from Alexa, for free Kindle books, for exploring England through the canals, for Joel, our family, and friends...........and so much more!

Enjoy your weekend!