And Then I Skipped Two Days

Welp, didn't mean to do that. I posted on Sunday and then missed the next two days. Oops.

Monday night we had Community Bible study and when we got home, I spent most of the evening packing and getting ready for a trip to my daughter's for a few days. Then Tuesday was filled with traveling and ended with some fun time with my granddaughter.

I am at my daughter's for a few days to help her do some things to get ready for Baby Girl #2 who is due in only three weeks! On the agenda is cooking some food for the freezer, some cleaning, some sewing, some errands and some playing with a 20 month old.

Today's errands included a doctor's appoinment for Mommy. Grammy and this sweetie hung out in the waiting room. Here she is pointing at and asking me if she can touch a plant that was in the corner of the waiting room.

This little girl has somehow transformed into a full-fledged toddler since I last saw her in October. So many words, so much silliness!

Today I am thankful for...

...a safe flight
...warmish weather in the Midwest
...so many hugs from a little one
...the quietness of the farm
...lots of time chatting with Daughter

A Wall Hanging

I thought I'd show a picture of the wall hanging quilt I made for Grandson's room.

It's a Missouri Star, a nod to the state he was born in.

Even though all those triangle points gave me fits, I finally got it right and really like how it turned out. it's about 26" square. I only did quilting in the white background. The orange binding frames it nicely.

Today I am thankful for...

...my mom teaching me how to sew when I was 9 years old
...PJs on at 7pm, popcorn and a movie with Hubby
...the challenge in the sermon this morning to be more generous

The Saturday Evening Post

Well, I blew it. Last night I was especially tired and climbed in to bed early. After I read for a while, I turned off my light and snuggled in. Then I remembered I forgot to write my thankful post for the day. Oops!

Yesterday was a pretty good day for me. I finally finished the quilt for Grandson (Thomas). Holy cow, it took me a ridiculous amount of time to get that thing done! (I'll show a picture after it reaches its destination next week.) I finished the label, sewed it on and tossed it in the washing machine. Then pinned it on my design wall and took a bunch of pictures to make sure I documented it. I packed it in the box the quilter sent it to me in and taped it up, slapped on the mailing label and have it all ready to go to take to the post office on Monday.

When that task was done I rewarded myself with a trip to Target (yay!) and a pedicure.

When Hubby got home from work we headed downtown to one of our favorite restaurants and ended up with a 45 minute wait. Fortunately, the restaurant sends you a text when a table is available so we were able to wander around a few nearby stores. There is a really cool toy store downtown that I have a feeling we'll visit often to find things for our grandbabies.

Today was spent mostly at home. Hubby is working on the daunting task of organizing and sorting through the stuff in our storage room. You know, that stuff that you keep because maybe.... or we've had it for so long we might as well hang on to it... We are getting a little better at tossing things that we realize we haven't used for a long time like the uncomfortable metal folding chair we've had our whole married life and maybe we might need it for extra seating but really we have used to for probably over 20 years but have moved it 6 or 7 times and besides we have a real dining room table set with 10 chairs so we really don't need the uncomfortable chair. (It's gone now.)

I talked with Daughter on the phone for a bit this morning and we video chatted with Son and Daughter-in-law and Grandson. We got to witness Thomas working so hard to hold his head up while laying on his tummy. It was so cute to see!

Son sent me this adorable picture earlier this week. Such a cute smile and such a bald head! Love them both!!! (Thomas looks so much like his daddy.)

I worked on grandbaby #3's (!!!) quilt this afternoon. She's due in just a few weeks, so yeah, I'm already behind on that. Sigh. It's really different from anything I've made and I'm only going from a picture.

After Hubby was done watching football we went to explore an antique store. We love looking around, but rarely buy anything. Supper was at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, then a stop at the grocery store for one thing that ended up being three bags worth of stuff.

Today I am thankful for...

...a smiling grandson
...finishing his quilt
...pedicures
...a good night's sleep last night
...keeping in touch with our kids

A Sweet Girl

Today I am thankful for...

...this sweet, adorable face

She brings me so much joy and love. I'm thankful I get to spend a few days with her next week.

Weakness

I spent some time reading this afternoon. The book I have been reading is The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin. It's a fictional biography of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, the wife of Charles Lindbergh. Here is a quote I read today that really caught my attention and I've been thinking about it ever since. This was Mrs. Lindbergh's mother speaking:

"You need to stop looking for heroes, Anne. Only the weak need heroes and heroes need those around them to remain weak. You're not weak."

When I first read that I thought, "Sure, that's true." But the more I thought of it, the more I realized that it is true in the secular world, but for me, as a Christian, not so much.

I have heard it said that being a Christian means that you are weak. It's meant to be a negative thing, but I wholeheartedly admit that I am weak and that I need Jesus to give me strength. These verses came to mind:

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ~2 Corinthians 12:9-10

 

I am weak so that Christ's power can been seen in me. If it appears that I am strong or brave in any way, it's because of Jesus Christ in me. He is my strength. He is my hope. I often (as in probably something like 99% of often) face the hard things in my life with much terror, but Christ meets me there and brings me through. 

 

Just my serious thoughts for today. 

Today I am thankful for...

...Jesus' strength in me and available for everyone

...the fact that I don't need to panic, I have read the end of The Book, I know Who wins

...chocolate chip cookies because sometimes I just really need one

...a text and a phone call from my daughter today

...

Election Day

No worries, I'm not talking about an candidates here. You're welcome.

I voted this morning. Then chose to not pay attention to any news coverage. Hubby and I went to a movie tonight and didn't watch TV. I'll find out tomorrow. And no matter the results, God is still God and Jesus is still on the throne and I will still spend eternity with Him.

My son write this on Facebook yesterday. He nailed it.

We are all Americans. Behave like it tomorrow and vote. And afterwards, we are STILL all Americans. After the surrender at Appomattox: "As Lee left the house and rode away, Grant's men began cheering in celebration, but Grant ordered an immediate stop. 'I at once sent word, however, to have it stopped,' he said. 'The Confederates were now our countrymen, and we did not want to exult over their downfall,' he said.
Jesus still reigns. The sun still rises. Your brother is still your brother. We all still need grace.

 Today I am thankful for...

...being able to make up my own mind and vote for that person

...the privilege to live in this country

...a movie date with Hubby (we were the only people in the theater!)

...a sweet picture of my 5 week old grandson smiling (it melted my heart!)

Monday, Monday

Yikes! I almost forgot to write a post today! I was just about to shut down my laptop and head to bed. But fortunately I remembered, so a little recap for today.

Today was a pretty low-key day around the house, yet I felt the need to write myself a to-do list. Laundry, finish my Bible study for tonight, send an email to some friends (trying to plan a weekend away with them), and pick up my new glasses. Not a big list, but I had a feeling if I hadn't written it down, I would have forgotten something.  I almost added to my list: make egg salad for lunch. One of those days. Monday.

I picked up two pairs of glasses today. I got new lenses for the glasses I wear every day and I got a pair of glasses just for reading. I like to read in bed at night and my regular glasses with bifocals don't work when I lay on my side and the drug-store variety don't work so well for me. I asked for the cheapest frames, was shown probably 50 to choose from and this is what I chose:

Cool, huh? The name it is "Pizzazz"  I really didn't care what they looked like and I thought these were kinda fun for reading at night. They are basically opposite of what I wear everyday. Those glasses are frame-less and as inconspicuous as possible.

Tonight Hubby and I went to our weekly Bible study. We sung a hymn before we started and I was struck with these lyrics:

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Today I am thankful for...

...new glasses to see better with

...scallops for supper

...Jesus' blood that changes everything for me