My SW Daybook – March/April 2020 edition

Whoa! It’s been awhile since I participated in The Simple Woman’s Daybook. But it’s about time. It’s a wonderful group of faith-filled bloggers, and I always find the fellow participants’ posts delightful and inspiring.

So here goes:

For today

It’s a little damp and dark around here today, but I’m grateful that we have just enjoyed a lovely spring-like weekend with lots of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Spring is coming, folks!

The rain is scheduled to start in six minutes. C’mon, flowers. Get ready to pop up.  You've been sleeping long enough. We can hardly wait to see you.

Looking out my window...

We had an unexpected visitor at our front door. This friendly feline took special interest in our self-appointed head of household, the cat who thinks she is top dog. And she is kind of correct in that regard. Hey, she’s a Maine Coon. Nobody wants to mess with her!

LAN photo. All rights reserved.

I am thinking...

Despite all of the nay-saying news we hear on TV and when we are out-and-about, the world is still a pretty beautiful place. Here’s a sweet scene we saw on yesterday’s windy and wonderful run around a local lake.

CL photo. All rights reserved.

I am thankful...

The trash truck comes once a week, and it’s always a welcome arrival. Our neighbors across the backyard leave their diaper-filled dumpsters in their driveway, right where the wind is most likely to topple them over. The stuff blows right into our yard. We pick up their discards several times each week – along with their dog’s droppings. And can you tell they haven't picked up a rake since they moved in three years ago?

Not that any of this this bothers us … or does it?

LAN photo. All rights reserved.

One of my favorite things...

This little guy rocks my world. He’s six months old and ready to take on the world. Actually, he just wants to crawl, but he’s still working on lifting that midsection off the floor. One of these days, he’ll be up and running, and there will be no stopping him.

Grand-parenting is everything I heard it would be – and more.

LAN photo. All rights reserved.

I am wearing...

Working from home today, I’m sporting a pair of brown jeans, topped by a favorite casual button-down shirt. So far, I’m in slippers, but I’ll soon step into boots to run a few errands and catch a routine medical appointment later.

I am creating...

Every time I duck into the stables to visit and ride our horse, I create a horse-sized tumbleweed of the hair she sheds. This is surely a sign of balmier days to come!

LAN photo. All rights reserved.

I am watching... 

Yes, I have heard this show is kind of coarse and violent, but I’ve also heard it’s worth the watch. So I am giving Hunters a try. It’s on Amazon Prime.

Promo image. Fair use.

I am reading...

My running/training partner gave me First Marathons as a birthday gift. Every time I have a few minutes to sit still, I read a short chapter or two. I find these stories from inspiring runners motivating and intriguing.

Cover/promo image. Fair use.

When I ran my first full marathon, I said I would be one-and-done. Then I did a second marathon. Now I am looking at my 2020 race calendar and considering another one.

I am listening to...

I always have a few current favorite songs. Here’s one I’m loving. It’s “Edge of My Seat” by Toby Mac. I love when he says, “Behold, I am doin' a new thing in the land. / It's springin' forth. / Do you perceive it?” (That’s from Isaiah 43:19.) 

I am hoping...

My hope is in the Lord. That’s the whole story.

Image created by this user with online generator.

I am learning... 

My latest fitness addiction is TRX suspension training. I’m feeling it more than a little in my shoulders this morning, but I can’t get enough of TRX.

Public domain image.

In the kitchen...

My crockpot is creating a delicious atmosphere in my whole house, cooking up another batch of one of my best soups. It’s Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup. Here’s the recipe.

Shared Quote

“Even if I knew that

tomorrow the world would go to pieces,

I would still plant my apple tree.”
Martin Luther (1483-1546)

A moment from my day...

I just received a text from my kid, asking if I’d be willing to babysit the little guy later this week. Let me think about … uh, sure!

Post Script

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2019 holiday highlights for better or worse

How was your holiday season?

Every Christmas season has its own highlights. These may be ups or downs, but they are definitely memorable.

Here are some of my 2019 holiday highlights (in approximate chronological order). They are highlights for all kinds of reasons, from heartwarming to humorous to … well, you’ll see. First, let me be clear. I am thankful we can even celebrate Christmas. I love that God sent Jesus, the King of Kings, as a humble baby, born in a stable (more like a cave) to save the world. I enjoy all of the festivities, both faith-focused and family- or friend-oriented (or all of those things).

It's just that this Christmas season was more than a little quirky around here. So please read this list in the playful spirit in which it is intended.

1. Attending a women’s Christmas brunch at our church and receiving a newcomer’s welcome mug, although I’ve been a member of that church for almost six years. “How long have you been coming here?” our table hostess asked me. Fortunately, my mouth was full of apple kringle at that point, so I didn’t have to answer that sticky question.

2. Playing the Yankee Swap Christmas gift game with my hilarious Bible study friends. I’m not even gonna tell about the wackiest gifts, but they were crazy-funny. Things got a little crazy over a tiny pair of painted Dutch wooden shoes and a stack of festive gift boxes.

3. Enjoying a pre-Christmas lunch with my sister. The waiter returned to our table five or six times after we paid the bill to see if we still needed anything. That’s how long we lingered and visited – well after we finished our salads.

4. Making Christmas cookies at my daughter’s house, while her plentiful pets frolicked around us. This has become something of a tradition. She teaches me something new about cookie baking every time.

5. Scratching off $5 lotto tickets with the in-laws on Christmas Eve (in lieu of the traditional gift swap). Because nothing says “Christmas” like scratch-off lottery tickets. After all, what did the magi bring? Was it gold, frankincense, myrrh and lotto tickets? (BTW, nobody won. Not one bit.) When can we do this again?

6. Receiving comfy matching Gamma and Grampa bathrobes from my stepdaughter on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, I discovered that Grampa had taken it upon himself to wash and dry his dark green one with my white one. Now mine (not yet worn) is a splotchy pale pistachio green with dark green fuzzies all over it.

7. Watching my 10-year-old grandson (He’s actually my step-grandson, but who’s counting?) open his presents and having him look up with an ear-to-ear smile and say, “Wow. You really know me!” Count that as a win.

8. Unwrapping my Christmas present from The Retired One and finding a scanner. He said, “Now you can do my paperwork faster.” I’m not sure I responded at all. As it turns out, it doesn’t even work with my computer. His next gift was a plug-in egg cooker. He told me it makes eggs the way he likes them, but that I could use it too, if I wanted. Then he read the instructions and decided it seemed too complex. So he returned it to the store. It’s the thought that counts … if anyone’s thinking. The third and final gift was a bottle of wine with a sketch of a runner on the label. Maybe that one contained some thought. At any rate, I was ready for a glass by then.

9. Celebrating Christmas with a brand-new baby grandson. Just a few months old, he’s all giggles and grins. (It was fun to see his parents too.) A few weeks before Christmas, I established an unofficial circle of accountability friends, charging them with the task of steering me clear of baby departments in stores. The sleigh was already stacked.

10. Going for a trail run in 50-degree weather on Christmas afternoon. Chalk it up to one more day’s entry in the Thanksgiving-to-New-Years Holiday Season Running Streak. It was a gloriously sunny and warm day. Can’t beat that.

So now I’m a little confused. Did I make Santa’s nice list in 2019 … or his naughty one? Either way, I dismantled and stowed the Christmas tree and all the decorations by the 27^th of December. I love Christmas, but this one was a little strange for sure.

I wonder what will happen next time the holiday season rolls around.

What were your holiday highlights?

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