It Sure Feels Like Monday

 It's interesting, when I make an effort to focus on only the things to be thankful for life comes and throws me a curveball.  

This morning I decided to make myself some scrambled eggs.  I went to grab the pepper that we keep on top of the stove and the bottom of the shaker came off and pepper went everywhere.  

Then after eating I went to put the plate in the dishwasher and dropped it onto the floor.

After clean up I did run one mile on the treadmill while listening to the Bible app and then switching to a podcast.  

It's still a good day despite my clumsiness.

Matthew is at the end of his sickness and back to school.   He said a lot of people at school are sick.  Tis the season!  I'm so glad he's heading back to a healthier direction.   Now hopefully it stays away from the rest of us.  Thankful for medicine.  

Oh, I did make a new friend on Friday.  This ladybug hung out with me on the school van ride home.  

It's the little things that entertain me.  

I'm looking forward to the week ahead, regardless of what it brings.  God bless you, my friends.  I'm certainly thankful for YOU!  Thanks for reading.  

Thankful Even When I Shouldn't Be

It has been a tough week and it would be so easy to focus on all the chaos and throw in the towel to think of all I'm thankful for but I won't do that.  Because even in the toughest moments, there's still so many things to be thankful for.  On Tuesday I watched as two men from a funeral home brought the body of my neighbor out of the house.  In that moment I realized that no matter what we go through in this life none of us will get out of it alive.  Is it worth it to complain about the messes my kids leave around the house?  Is it worth it to make a fuss over the results of an election (either way you look at it)?  Absolutely not.  My son has been home from school very sick with a bad virus.  He feels miserable and was told by a doctor that it may last a while.  But he's home with me and he's safe and he's going to get better.  

This week I have been spending the mornings listening to my Bible app, as I am reading through a Bible in a year challenge.  Then I open up my Bible and read through Psalms.  If you are worried about the direction of things right now I suggest the first few chapters of Psalms.  It's comforting.  Last night we went to a concert that was held as my son's college.  Unfortunately, he was too sick to attend but the three of us went.  It was Patrick Mayberry and Josh Baldwin.  They are both Contemporary Christian artists and a night of worship was exactly what I needed.  I am thankful for that opportunity to watch them perform and I am most thankful to be able to worship as I want to.  

We made it to Friday and that's another reason to be thankful.  Even in the hard weeks I know I'll be waking up a little later tomorrow and have a chance to rest.  Thank you Jesus for giving me these little ordinary moments to be grateful for, even in the midst of some unsettling chaos.  

Thankful In the Ordinary 1

 

Here we are in the 11th month of the year.  Very close to saying goodbye to 2026, which moved by quicker than 2025.  This month is for celebrating my son's 19th birthday and for stuffing our faces with turkey but it's also a month that reminds us all to be thankful.  

I do tend to take life for granted sometimes, especially the ordinary, so for the month of November I'd love to turn this blog into a place where I can give thanks for most of those ordinary moments.  

This morning as I was scrubbing the toilet and cleaning other areas of the bathroom I thought of how grateful I am for this time I have at home.  My husband is at work, my daughter is at school and my son is miles away at college and here I am at home doing the monotonous, never-ending housework.  My husband works full-time to use the money earned to pay the bills for this house.  My kids are getting an education so that they, too, one day can work and earn a living.  There have been so many times when I feel like I am nothing, doing nothing, and lacking in succeeding in anything.  Then I remember, I am doing the most important work of all.  I am providing a space for my family that is clean and making sure their bellies are full.  If I knew then what I know now I probably would have worked a lot harder at it before.  I wouldn't have complained so much.  I wouldn't have thought so negatively about it.  Many women of today will look at homemaking as oppressive but I see it as a wonderful opportunity to be able to provide for my family in the most nurturing way.  I can't say I succeed at this, but what a joy I feel when my husband can come home from a long day of work to a clean home and a warm meal ready for him.  He worked hard and deserves to come home to that.  

I'm not only providing for my family but I am also doing the work the Lord has called me to do.  I do have a part-time job because in today's economy it would be tougher for us if I didn't work at all, but I am thankful to be a school van driver, which gives me the opportunity to be home in the middle of the afternoon.  I use this time to clean and even though it never gets all complete by the end of the day I know that there will be a chance to get more done tomorrow.  I am thankful for my role in this family, even when my effort goes unnoticed or may not seem like it matters much.  

It's The End of October ... Already?

 I know I write this a lot but the truth is time is flying by really fast.  How are we in the last week of October already and why does it feel like we didn't even have an October at all?  

The mornings have been chilly.  I had to crank up the heat in the school van this morning because the windows were icy but right now it's sunny and 53 degrees and will probably hit close to 70 degrees soon.  It's that time of year where I wish I could just snuggle up on the couch with this cutie and not get up until spring.  

But I can't do that!

So, instead I just wake up early and go about my day doing all the things my schedule requires me to do.  Work, never-ending house cleaning, figuring out what to make for dinner, and all that.  The good thing is that we are coming to a close on the high school football season.  I only go to watch my daughter perform in the band and as much fun as it is, by evening the weather is beginning to get too chilly.  I miss watching my son on that field and I know in a few years I'll miss watching my daughter too.  So, I'm soaking in every moment ... even when the moments are flying by in lightning speed.

Over the weekend was considered Super Band weekend.  Friday was band night at the football game where the high school band was also joined by the elementary and middle school bands, Saturday night was the band show here at home and Sunday was the Halloween parade.  The Halloween parade was on a Sunday and we prefer attending church on Sunday and not something related to something that reflects evilness so she skipped that.  Buuuuut, she did wake up feeling sick so she ended up missing church anyway and watched online.   Our congressman made a visit to our church and spoke about his faith and it was wonderful to hear.  He's up for reelection this November and so is our governor.  We'll see how it goes.  All I can do is pray and hold onto hope that the right ones are elected.