Taking a break

 Hello, dear friends,

I just popped in here to say that I'm taking a blog break for a bit. I'm not sure how long. There are several things going on with me and my family at the moment that have my attention, and I want to step back from social media for a bit. I'll pop in occasionally to see what's going on in your lives though. I'm not totally disappearing.

There is a chorus I learned not too long after I was saved.

"They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up with wings as eagles.

They shall run and not be weary.

They shall walk and not faint.

Teach me, Lord...

Teach me, Lord to wait."

Please keep me and my family in your prayers.

Friday Fave Five - March 21

 

Hello, everyone! Yesterday we celebrated the first day of Spring. And then we shivered in low 30s for an overnight temp. Somehow the temperature person didn't get the memo! Nevertheless, here are the things I have been thankful for this week. Thank you, Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for giving us this spot every week. Come join us!

1. Gift from a friend: This was a lovely surprise. I was gifted two Lebkuchen tins from my friend, Dianna. One belonged to her German friend's grandmother. Treasures for sure.

The top of the largest one. So pretty!

I looked up Lebkuchen and per Wikipedia, Lebkuchen are honey-sweetened German cakes, moulded cookies or bar cookies that have become part of Germany's Christmas traditions. They are similar to gingerbread.

2. Safety from the weekend storms: This past weekend was a horrible time for some of the country! Tornadoes ripped through Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. I was under a tornado watch for most of Saturday night and my two sons were under warnings. Thankfully, although a tornado funnel was detected in the air about 45 minutes from me, we had no issues. Just heavy rain and wind. 

3. Healing: The cyst that I've been treating on my back seems to be healing finally. I know I'll have to have it looked at by a doctor in the future but for right now.... things are okay.

4. A meal out: Thursday evening I had dinner put with my son and his mother in law. My daughter in law and her sister have been in the Outer Banks this past week so those of us not lucky enough to join them ate great meal. We ate at the Stock and Barrel, a fantastic burger place on Market Square in downtown Knoxville. Great food and great company

5. Good sleep: I have nights when I either can't get to sleep or wake up during the night and can't drift back to sleep. This week, I've had good sleep nights, and it makes world of difference in my muscle and joint pain, as well as more energy.

Hoping you have a great weekend. 

photo courtesy of Shutter Stock

Friday Fave Five - March 14

 

It's Friday and time to share with you all the blessings of this week. Being thankful, even for the little things, is a trait that I have to cultivate from time to time. I really appreciate this spot every Friday when Susanne at Living to Tell the Story opens up her blog home to us. Come join us!

1. Video chats with family: I had the opportunity to chat with my grandson and family this past Sunday. Ava and Bella were adorable and it was so much fun! We plan to do this every month. I've had a couple video chats with Jill as well. Both Kent and she are adjusting well to their new European home and it's so much fun to chat with her. The time difference makes it a challenge, but we do it!

Market day in their little village.

2. Spring: The Bradford Pears are blooming which is a sure sign that spring is here. We're having temps in the 70s during the day and it's been wonderful. I have several Bradford Pears around where I live, and I think they are beautiful. They aren't a favorite with a lot of people due to their odor and fragility, but I enjoy them.

3. Improvement: For a couple of weeks, I've had a cyst on my back that has become swollen and painful. This has happened several times before and it usually runs its course, and I'll spare you the details. This time, it seemed to take forever to reach its conclusion but yesterday, it finally drained. I had been putting warm moist compresses on it but yesterday I got some Epsom salts from the store and after one session - it happened. I am so thankful that this didn't lead to a trip to the doctor - although I'm going to have to do get this taken care of, so it doesn't happen again.

4. Lunar eclipse: We had a lunar eclipse during the night with a resulting "blood moon" called a Blood Worm Moon. Did you see it? Unfortunately, I slept through it. Others got some pretty footage.

Photo courtesy of photographer Brandon Bell - 

Space.com. Taken from Merritt Island, Florida

5. Servant's Hope: This is a ministry of my church where a group of us visit shut ins and those in nursing homes. Once a month we have a meeting for Bible study and just to refresh ourselves. This past Tuesday we got together, and it was a lovely time. I had been struggling with some issues and two ladies spoke into my life with scripture and wisdom. I left feeling so much better.

I hope you all are having a good day and a nice upcoming weekend. Enjoy the extra daylight and warmer temps. I'll leave you with a funny courtesy of Instagram

Have a great weekend, everyone.