A Way of Escape

I have been tempted to despair as of late.
My back has become so crooked and painful while I am sitting due to lack of muscle control that I am not able to stay up for long. I canceled a trip to Oregon because I couldn't imagine sitting in the car for the long drive and my impinged shoulder was causing me lots of grief.
Now both of my shoulders are in considerable pain due to?? changing posture?? new exercises?!
My left thumb somehow got badly sprained and my left elbow is intermittently giving out on me.

It's pathetic.  I'm trying to figure out how to do life right now with so many important parts not working.

Very slowly.
With lots of down time.
Lots and lots.
While taking notice of how incredibly wonderful my life really is.
Like my dear daughter laying on my bed with me, just being her.
We laugh about the dogs and chameleons and lots of other things.
That is beyond wonderful.  She is a very, very dear daughter & friend.

My son came up tonight with his sweet wife and brought me some earrings he has been working on for a long time.  Hours of carving and sanding and layers of staining to create these precious little walnut masterpieces that mean the world to me.
Because they were made for me by him.

Friends in my kitchen, gathered around my table.
Saturday night.
Sharing a meal and sharing life.

A visit to my auntie's with my mama and sister.
Singing hymns.
Talking about God.
Being thankful together.
Praying.
God has surrounded me with a cloud of witnesses in the air and with strong warriors here on earth.

I have one powerful heritage.
God knew what I would need.

In allowing the suffering HE HAS MADE A WAY OF ESCAPE.
Escape from self pity and bitterness.
Escape from the plans of the enemy.
A way out of the darkness and into His glorious light.

"When we walk with the Lord
In the Light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way...'

Yes, He sheds glory on my way.

Through family.
Through friends who call and pray because God has laid me on their heart.
Through lovely surroundings that minister to my heart and soul.
Through amazing provision.  Daily bread.
Through dreams that I still carry in my heart, even though some of them seem to be getting smaller and harder to imagine.
With Him nothing is impossible.

So I go to bed with a full heart.
Grateful.
Content.
Living in this moment.

Crunchy & Delicious

 Would you just look at this?!  What kind of miracle is it that these juicy orbs of crunchy deliciousness are hanging off trees all over the place around here?  Right in my backyard!!  And the flavour?  JUST OUTRAGEOUS!!

 And the sunshine, the color, the snell, the richness of the season.  Wowsers!!  I love fall...

And the wonderful big wooden bins waiting to collect the harvest...

 And if it's this beautiful and amazing down here, heaven is truly going to be something none of us is going to want to miss.

 It's wise to be aware of the seasons... for him who has eyes to see and ears to hear...

Better keep our eyes open cause there's going to be a big wonderful surprise arriving shortly...

Unbearably Precious

My sweet little Tante Hilda has been in the hospital for the past two and a half weeks due to broken vertebrae in her back.  She (at age 81) was delivering food to a 90 year old in her apartment when she fell.  What a little trooper she is.

I think this picture of her and my dear mama is about as precious as life gets...

Seriously.
Overcomers Extraordinaire.
Aren't they beautiful?

Sweet September

As much as I dread the coming of winter and cold, there is something very tantalizing about fall.
The evenings have come alive with cool breezes and the moon has been brilliant and beautiful, lighting up the clouds.
I'm still so grateful for hot days, clothes drying on the line,
my sweet flowers and the rich beauty that comes with this season of harvest.

The apples hang thick on the branches.
Grapes are ripening on the vines.
Tomatoes and corn, zucchinis galore!!
Not a season I'd want to miss even if I'm feeling the weather change.
Plus summer is still technically here for another few weeks and I don't have to start teaching till the end of the month so I will continue to seize the days and ENJOY!!

Have had some lovely evenings filled with food and friends and family and fun.

Yesterday my dear friend of many years invited a bunch of us moms and our grown daughters for a multi course Italian dinner and it was absolutely amazing!!

We sat up above the city, looking out over the gorgeous hills bathed in that incredible evening light.
I looked at those faces around the table that I have grown to love so passionately....
Women that I have laughed and cried with, their lovely daughters whom I have watched grow and play and learn along with my sweet girl.
Such precious history.

We laughed and talked and ate the evening away, realizing again that these moments are passing so quickly, they will soon be a memory, a snapshot in time.
Time marches relentlessly on and we are no longer the moms of young ones. One daughter will soon be on the East Coast continuing her education, one is pursuing possible flight school and my dear girl is balancing school and work.
All of them are incredibly beautiful inside and out.
So mature now, these girls just moments ago were sitting on our laps and suddenly they are multidimensional, intelligent, loving, creative, beautiful young women that have become our friends.
My circle broadens beautifully...


And tonight another marvelous milestone.
Mom and Dad celebrated their 62nd ANNIVERSARY and we had a glorious evening out on the patio - all the generations together from 3 to 86.  How fun is that?

Incredible blessings.
It is certainly something to celebrate and I am so grateful for their stable continuing love.  That safe place that launched me and continues to provide grounding.
My girl helped me to prepare a steak and salmon bbq with roast potatoes and her signature beet salad.  mmhmmm.

So September is off to a sweet start and I'm just going to embrace the fall in all its beauty.

I'll think about the MRI results another day and keep working on my shoulder exercises so I can roll triumphantly through another season!
So much to celebrate.
Every single day.