Thankful Thursday

 

Good morning:

Things I am thankful for today.

*  Hubby and I are both starting to feel better.  He's still pretty racked by coughing, but most other symptoms are gone.  I also still have the cough (not quite as bad as his). Yesterday, I had my 6 month oncologist appointment and while there she decided she wanted me to have a chest Xray as she thought she had heard some rattling in my lungs. So, I had an Xray before I left the bldg. Got the word back that my lungs are all clear...Thank you God.

*  We are spending time at home this morning and then may be going out to get some lunch later. 

*  Eating a bowl of cereal this morning with fresh blueberries added. I love getting fresh berries and adding them to my morning cereal or overnight oats.

*  Bible Study - we've had to cancel a couple of our Bible Study meetings. We've had a death and also storms one night. I felt like we had lost a lot of momentum, but we met Tuesday (and we were missing at least 5 of us due to sickness and other things). But God was faithful and we had an awesome time together. I hope everyone will be back next week.

*  Frndly App - I have really enjoyed watching a couple movies this week. One was "An Uncommon Grace" and another was "Blind Date Book Club". Both are very good. Jennifer is the one who shared about "Blind Date Book Club" and I'm so glad she did. Thanks Jennifer. She is also the host of Thankful Thursday.

*  Pink clouds - I took the dog out for a short walk last evening before the sun set and I had to run back and get my phone when I saw the pink clouds. God's artistry in the sky never ceases to amaze me.

*  Reading - I always enjoy reading on my Kindle, but right now it seems my eyes do better using the Kindle App on my iPad. I think the black background with white letters is a little easier on my eyes.

God, your mercies are new every morning and I am most thankful for that.

Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you have a great day.

Cathy

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. When did you last have cancelled plans? Were you happy about that or disappointed? Since I've had this cold or whatever it is, I've been missing out on our crochet group.  I really miss being there.

2. On a scale of 1-10 how much of a planner are you? I'm probably about a 4

3. Do you have a menu plan for the week? If so tell us one or two things that are on it. If not, what's your plan for not having a plan lol? I do not have a menu plan this week. We usually decide in the morning or the night before what we'll have for dinner.

4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Bucket List Day. Do you have a bucket list? Is it written down or just in your head? What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don't have a list, what is one thing you'd add to a list if you did? Yes I'm going to make you think about it. No, I do not have a bucket list. I would like to go to Disney World with my grandson some day.

5. Rain buckets, a drop in the bucket, couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, sweat buckets, cry buckets...which 'bucket' idiom applies to your life in some way currently? Rain buckets because it seems we have had a lot of rain this year.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Thanks for visiting.  Click on the button at the top if you'd like to join in with Joyce and the Wednesday Hodgepodge.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 Good Morning:

We've had an okay weekend. We both are still fighting whatever it is we have, but we are getting better. We spent the majority of the weekend at home. We've been allowing ourselves to rest, read, watch TV, do laundry, and just be home together. 

Little Lucy has been a little fearful for the last 2 weeks. Mostly she's been hiding out in the bedroom. Finally, she's come back out and spending time with us in the livingroom as we're watching TV or whatever. We think because we have both been coughing so much, that our loud coughs have scared her. We cannot think of any other reason why she was scared. I won't say she's completely over it, but she's much better. Lucy and I also spent time outside enjoying the beautiful weather.

Lucy out in the front yard.

I'm sitting on the front porch then this is the view across out front yard,

We did go out each day for a short time to run some errands and get something to eat. We also made it to all services on Sunday. I'm not sure how he did it (except through prayer) hubby was able to preach. I'll post Sunday's pre-recorded sermon below.

Thanks for visiting and I'd love to hear about your weekend.

Cathy

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. What's a skill you think everyone should have? I believe everyone should be able to read.  I've always believed that if you can read, you can accomplish anything

2. Do you have a special place or organizational system for gift wrapping? No, not really.   Do you still buy 'real' cards to send for birthdays, anniversaries, get-well, etc? Yes, I do.

3. It's National Banana Day...are you a fan? Yes, I love bananas.  What's your favorite thing to make with bananas or, if you're not a cook, your favorite thing to eat that contains banana? Banana Pudding.  I use Paula Deen's recipe.  But I rarely make it, and normally I just eat a banana as they are...hopefully, not too green nor too ripe. 

4. Do you believe in second chances? Yes.  Elaborate. I was talking to hubby about this and he was right when he said, that we like second chances when we need them, but not always when we need to give them to others.  That's so true.  I try not to hold grudges, but sometimes it takes me a bit to get all the way there.  I'm so glad God forgives me every time I ask.  

5. What is your idea of fun? Being with friends, reading a good book, completing a crochet project, watching TV or really doing or not doing anything but just being with my hubby.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  We've had 2 funerals this week. Both were ready to meet Jesus.  But this song was played at the funeral last night and it's a favorite, so I thought I'd share it here.  If you interested, just turn up your speakers and sit back and let's praise God!

Cathy

Tuesday 4 - Let's Talk about Animals Today!

 

Animal Friends

 

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

Let's talk about animals today!

1. What pets do you have or have you had? Do you have any now or if not, why not? Currently, we have one dog. She is ten years old. She is a lharkie which is half yorkie and half lhasa apso. Growing up, I know we had a german shepherd when I was born and then the first one I remember was named Poochie (we lived out in the country and she had free reign, when we moved to town she had to be pinned up, so dad gave her away to a neighbor that lived in the area we had lived in so she could be free again. At Christmas that year, dad brought home a miniature dachshund and that is the first dog we had inside. There were many other dogs in our lives growing up. Most of them were outside dogs. Since I've been married we have had 4 dogs (one at a time). We had a Lhasa Apso named Katie, and small mixed breed name Sophie, a larger mixed breed named Lily and then of course, Lucy.

2. How did you find names for your animal friends? What are their names? We just pick out a name that we like at the time. When we got Lucy she had a sister that was available too. I kind of wanted to get both of them and call them Lucy and Ethel. However, we ended up getting just Lucy. 

3. Any special or funny story concerning pets you would like to share?  It could be someone else's as well as your own. Lucy can be a real crazy girl even still at the age of 10. As I said above, she is half Lhaso Apso which are known for their stubbornness and she is half Yorkie which are known to be very hyper. And guess what! she brought both of those traits with her to our home. When she wants something, she can definitely out-stubborn even me. Hubby and I both know who the queen of our home is, and unfortunately, she knows too.  lol

4.   What benefit do you find having animals in your family? What are the cons of having them? The benefits are someone who loves you no matter what and is always excited to see you. Plus, she keeps me more active as I have to take her out many times a day. The con is they can also take a lot of work to take care of them and even if you are sick, they still need the care.

  

 

Thanks for visiting.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

Friday morning hubby and I went to Dayton to court to watch this little girl being adopted by her stepdad. She was so happy and excited. This is the little girl and her mom who lived with us for about a year when she was about 6 months old. We are nana and papa to her. Her new dad seems to be such a really nice guy. He has been part of her life since 2015 and it's so obvious they love each other. Unfortunately, I have not done very well in keeping up with her, but I hope to change that.  She is the sweetest 11 year old I know.  I intentionally did not show full on face photos as her mom does not put them out on social media too much.  I'm so glad I got to go and she was so happy to see me as I was her. 

Her mom took this as I was getting ready to leave. 
Unfortunately, I already had my coat on. 
I hate not being able to show her face,

The rest of our Friday and Saturday were very quiet and relaxing. On Sunday we had Sunday School, Church and Sunday evening Bible Study. Below is the pre-recorded Sunday morning sermon.

Thanks for visiting.

Cathy

Currently and Wednesday Hodgepodge

and

I'm linking up with Jennifer for the April Currently Post. I'm also linking up with Joyce for the Wednesday Hodgepodge. 

*Loving - The new purse I bought on Amazon. I've been searching for a new purse for months and finally made the decision and I love it.

*Looking Forward To - Hearing all about my daughter's trip to Italy.

*Buying - I just bought a new pair of shoes.  They are just like my old ones that I have absolutely worn out.  Here are the new ones.

*Planting - Nothing at the moment.  But I bought this at Home Goods on Monday and love the little pop of color in my house.

*Cleaning - I'm currently working in my craft room.  I accomplished quite a bit last night.  No photos.

1. What's a talent you wish you had? I would like to play some stringed instruments, such as guitar, harp, ukelele, etc.

2. In one word, what's your state of mind right now? Rested is what first comes to mind...I slept better last night than I have in a while.

3. What's the next major purchase you need to make? Will it happen this month? This year? We really don't have a major purchase to make that I'm aware of.

4. Tuesday (April 2nd) was National PB and J Day...did you celebrate? Is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich something you eat weekly or more? What's your favorite kind of jelly? No I didn't celebrate, however I do like a PB&J and the jelly would be strawberry.

5. Are you easily intimidated? Who or what intimidates you? Sometimes, I'm very easily intimidated, but I'm learning to forge ahead and do what I need to.

6. Insert your own random thought here. A month or so ago I decided to try making Overnight Oats and now I am hooked.  In fact, I'm finishing up my breakfast of Overnight Oats as I'm working on this post.  Below is a photo of the bottle I use to mix them in.  I made this last night before bed.  There are some fresh blueberries, sliced almonds, cranberries, chocolate chips, vanilla, and Stevia along with the oats and milk.  Yummy!  A different taste in every spoonful.

 Thanks for visiting and the link-ups are at the top of the page.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 

Good morning!

We had a very nice, quiet Easter weekend. It's been good. After church on Sunday, we picked up some lunch and brought it home and then relaxed and tracked Kelli flying to Milan, Italy with her husband and his mom and aunt. They left Tampa around 12:30-1:00 and arrived in Milan about 12 hours or so later. Hubby saw on the app that they had landed and then just a short time later, she texted and let us know they arrived safely. Mom and dad then went to sleep peacefully.

Gorgeous photo from their first day

Such a cute photo

What a beautiful place and a beautiful couple. 
I told Kelli I need a picture like this, but with no sunglasses. lol

Kerri and her family went to church with a friend and then they had lunch together and later a swim. 

Precious Family

My Cutie!

I think he likes his Easter basket!

Here is the pre-recorded sermon from Sunday morning.

Thanks for visiting.

Cathy

Share 4 Somethings - March 2024

Welcome to my Share 4 Somethings Post where the prompts for March are:

things I loved or disliked, 

things I accomplished, 

things I improved upon or something that needs improvement, and 

things I noticed this month. 

The Link-Up is here.  Now here I go.

*Loved:  One of my favorite things I loved in March this year was doing Bible Study with my daughter on FaceTime.  We would each watch the video and then do the homework on our own. Then we would FaceTime and talk about our thoughts about all that we were learning. My daughter brings so much insight when we talk which helps me to grow more in Christ and I think I sometimes I help her also. She is a great Bible Study companion. We're planning to do another sometime soon. She gets to pick the next one.

*Accomplished:  I finished a baby blanket I've been working on for a few months. I haven't taken a picture of the finished project yet. I'll try to do that sometime soon. Anyway, I always feel accomplished when I finish a crochet project.

*Improved:  I switched the furniture around in my little office at church and I really am enjoying the way it is now. I now face the door out to the sanctuary, so I see hubby most every time he leaves his office, and I can holler a hello or something similar to him throughout the day. I love that we are together so much since I retired.

*Noticed:  With the rain we have been having, our grass has greened up so much and it looks wonderful. I'm also seeing so many spring flowers and trees blooming in the neighborhood. I do love this time of year.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 

Good morning:

I hope everyone is well today.  We both are doing well and enjoyed our weekend.  So, I'll share a bit about the last few days.  

On Thursday we came to church for a bit so hubby could pre-record the Sunday morning sermon.  Then we went to his mom's, and he programmed her new house phone and got her set up there.  Then we went to Fazoli's for lunch.  The food was good and the conversations even better.

On Friday, we had Outback for lunch and then I ran in the grocery and picked up some stuff we needed.  

On Saturday we had lunch at our local Buffalo Wild Wings.  It's been several years since we've eaten there.  It was kind of fun being there during one of the March Madness games (Dayton vs Arizona).  Food was good and it was very loud, but it's always a fun place to people watch. 

On Sunday we went to church and had Sunday School and morning service...both were good.  Then we had a potluck lunch afterwards.  Good food and again good conversations.  After coming home, we took a nap and then Lucy and I went out for a walk, and I listened to a book while we were walking.  I definitely need to do this more often.  It feels less like exercise if I'm listening to a good book.  

All the evenings we watched some TV.  I think 2 of the nights we watched a Hallmark Mystery Movie and then some of our regular shows.  Some laundry was done, some housework, and just whatever else we felt like doing.

So, while not exciting, it was a very good weekend.  Tonight, I'm supposed to meet up with some former co-workers, which should be fun.

Thanks for visiting.  Tell me something you did over the weekend.

Cathy

Thankful Thursday

 

I'm linking up with Jennifer for Thankful Thursday.

I'm so thankful for the beautiful weather we had yesterday and for that matter, it's gorgeous this morning too.  Yesterday, my sister and I went to the cemetery and the park to put fresh flowers out.  It was so beautiful with bright blue skies and sunshine.

I think I've posted about this before.  Larry's ashes have been spread all over the place by his friends.  And some of his friends bought this marker and put it in one of our city parks in memory of him (also some of his ashes were spread here)

This is my aunt (mom's sister) and her husband.

This is my grandparents (mom's mom and dad)

This is my sister, Karen's spot.  Her stone has not been placed yet,

And this is my mom and dad.

I sure do miss all my family, But I am so thankful for all the years I had with them and I'm also thankful to know we'll be together in heaven some day.  All of them belong to Jesus!

While we were out, my sister called our Aunt Lou, who lives in Florida with her husband (he is one of the younger brothers of my dad).  He is 90 and I'm not sure how old she is.  She told us that if they both make it to the end of the month, they will have been married for 68 years!  I'm so thankful for them as they were absolutely always so fun to be around.  I've been very blessed to have such wonderful aunts and uncles in my life.

Well, that's it for now.

Cathy

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. Thursday is National Pi Day...are you good at math? I do okay.  What was the last thing you had to calculate? Probably a tip or a discount in a store.  Did you use your head or technology? Technology for the tip and my head for the discount.  Last slice of pie you ate? Probably a piece of pumpkin pie last fall.

2. What makes a house a home? Love and those who live in the home.

3. Your current favorite green thing? The grass and tree leaves turning green

4. How do you define achievement? Successfully reaching a goal you've set for yourself.  How does your personal definition look similar to, or different than, society's definition? No idea. What's something you think is worth achieving in life? First of all, a personal relationship with Jesus.  Financial security.

5. What song is a good soundtrack for your life right now? "It Is Well With My Soul".

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well with my soul,
     It is well, it is well with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
3. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
6. And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.

Thanks for visiting.  You can link up with Joyce here.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 

Good morning!

We had another nice weekend!  Obviously, I forgot to take pictures, because I've got nothing on my phone.  lol  Anyway, here are a few things we did.  

*  On Friday we picked up his mom and we went to McAlister's for lunch.  Junis and I both got a cup of soup and half sandwich and hubby got a bowl of soup and a side of mac & cheese.  His mouth was still a little tender from his dental appointment on Thursday, so he only wanted something soft.  After lunch, Junis didn't want to shop because her niece wanted her to go with them in the afternoon.  Though our time was short, we had lots of good conversation while we were together.  After that, I ran into Wal-mart and picked up a couple of things and then we went home for the rest of the day.  We watched a Hallmark movie called 3 Baths, 2 Beds. 1 Ghost.  This is now one of my favorite Hallmark movies.

*  On Saturday, we slept in a bit.  We each got a big salad at Outback for our lunch and it was delicious.  Hubby got their steak salad and I got their cobb salad with chicken. Yum!  After that I ran into Kroger and we got a Starbucks drink and home we went.  That evening we watched some TV and I did some laundry, and some reading.

*  On Sunday, we went to church and had a really good service.  We stopped and picked up some Gold Star Chili and spent the afternoon at home napping and reading.  We went back for the evening service and had an interesting discussion on "When Jesus Speaks in the Midst of Your Storm.  After that we went home and relaxed in front of the TV and I did some crocheting.  Here's a pre-recorded video of Sunday's Sermon from Hebrews.

It was a simple weekend, just the way we like it.  So how was your weekend?

Cathy

Thankful Thursday

 

Good morning:

Linking up with Jennifer for Thankful Thursday.  Here are a few things I'm thankful for today:

*  My little office at church.  I moved things around and I think I'm really going to like the change.  I'm very thankful to have this space in the church to come and spend some days with hubby as he is preparing his sermons and all the things he does.  I'm starting to do some of the stuff he has always done.  Like I print the bulletins and sermon notes, etc and whatever else that may help him.  Below I'm working on the Bible study I've talked about that I'm doing with Kelli, which is also the same one our ladies will be doing starting March 19th.  This space just makes me happy. I so love our church and our church family and I feel so blessed to be here.

This is quickly becoming my favorite place to study.

*Spring is coming.  Lucy and I were out walking the other day and I saw these little yellow flowers starting to bloom.  We've had some really beautiful skies and sunshine and it even got into the 70's one day.  Today, it's turned off cooler and it rained almost all day yesterday.  But that's okay, cause I still know spring is coming.

Flowers at a neighbor's mailbox.

I love our neighborhood.

*  Relaxation time.  Hubby had a dentist appointment first thing this morning, so I sat in the car and prepared a deposit to take to the bank (still working on getting my sister's accounts all closed down).  then I listened to my chapter from "Let's Read the Gospels".  Checked out an audio book from Libby and started listening to that and crocheted some on a baby blanket I'm making.  Such a great way to relax.  Had about an hour and loved every minute of it.

It's been a good week and it's been a good day so far and I have no reason to believe that will change.  But even if it does, God is still good!

So, what are you thankful for today?

Cathy