June... you're supposed to offer more than this.

It's already June. 

June is supposed to be a great month for closing the books, soaking up more sunshine, tending to seasonal yard clean up and gardening, basically just getting outdoors more often, especially to the water's edge to breathe in the sea air and recover from life's busyness. 

The weather lately though, doesn't seem to understand it's June. Some days have already been way too hot and horribly humid, resulting in sudden debilitating breathing issues. On other days, I'm running for my winter coat again. Crazy! 

June is supposed to be the month for slipping happily toward a summer mode for the months ahead. That's just not happening either. On top of weather issues, we've entered a timing for mental gymnastics with tug of war challenges, a push/shove overwhelming effort at times with health, and the uncomfortable feeling of being sucked dry in the process. I'm not enjoying the entire idea of spending this summer burned out, bummed out, and dusting myself off from being hammered to the ground.

I know for sure, it's tremendously difficult to even admit it, but I just can't seem to get the desire to wrap my head around those small calendar squares ahead, at least not yet. 

Instead, I've been mentally turning the monthly calendar pages over, remembering the little stuff to do, like make those dental and optometrist appointments for everyone, check the well water all three weeks in a row, freshen up a few rooms with a coat of paint, enjoy hobby and down time galore, and eagerly prepare to welcome out of town guests for the wedding ahead. The whole idea of having all eight of our children staying under our roof all together again is very exciting!

I'm convinced the year though is flying by way too quickly. We're battling mosquitoes later than usual, the ones that do damage while sucking on my husband's face in the night. I'm still hoping and praying this long standing sinus dryness and pain finally disappears for good, and wondering where my hubby's health issues are heading with two very poor overall stat drops. I'm wanting to close the school books for an overdue brain dump soon, just finding myself simply counting down our days, realizing too that in a mere few weeks, fall will already appear once again, and this upcoming summer will vanish forever. Now, that's just an awful thought. 

June. Please come to stay. Please offer us steady weather, a fitting month filled with refreshment to come. Please? 

Yesterday, I was able to get out for my usual hike with my ladies. I haven't been for a while, usually due to the poor weather and subsequent necessary hike cancellations. Those times like the past three weeks due to thunder, lightning, tornado threats and monsoon rains.  

When hustling to get out the door to meet the start timing this week, I almost returned inside and slammed it shut behind me. The skies opened up, and suddenly without warning, the rain came down, swiftly pelting the ground with its heaviness. 

Quickly, I grabbed my rain jacket while muttering frustrations to myself under my breath. The immense urge to get out and move was (for me) far greater than the inconvenience of getting wet, so in a split second, I was back out the door and driving out toward my destination. 

I'm so glad I did. Ten minutes later, the rain ceased as I entered our hiking area to join everyone else gathering there. We weren't canceled!

Halfway around our 7.7 km. hike, the sun briefly appeared. Walking at a fast clip, very soon we all tore our jackets off, and my body began thanking me for keeping pace in my usual spot at the head of the pack. 

Every footstep enabled me to pound my heavy heart of late into my forward action steps, and our group's conversations allowed for a lovely and spontaneous bunch of laughter, its lighter content welcomed into my already full head. 

 

As usual, our hike leader's choice of this day's natural environment offered an instant peaceful tranquility for our often fast paced cardio movements, even when that one steep gully grunt climb left me almost breathless along with the others for a few seconds. Cheering one another onward, no one allowed to stop, it all quickly ended up feeling so, so, so good! Yes, it did! 

It's been a season for me of; "Oh sure, I can do that", or "Okay, I'll help", or "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and more yesses".... so much giving, many times without so much as a thank you. Energy depleted, stupid me (!) as I tend to just keep on giving so much of myself. It comes disguised as something sacrificial at times. It does. I've even joked with my children on chaotic days to remember to write on my tombstone, something so simple as "She tried...".  

Seriously though, I've just so often found myself hoping that I can extend my hand, to help alleviate and respond to other's pressures, befriend and soothe a hurting soul, automatically trying to assist family, friends, and neighbors, realizing it's often been to the point of what Elizabeth wrote about yesterday, a lack of "self care". Yes, that's me, my hand is currently raised way up high, pointed to the dark rainy skies above... I truly have spent the past few months placing everyone's needs way ahead of my own. 

I've had to actually sit back and take a moment to figure out; "Wait a second, what is it that I really need myself right now?"

 

Eventually while out hiking, I realized a glorious adrenaline energy had sneaked in and washed over me. Thankful and happy tears welled up in my eyes for believing strongly enough that - rain or shine, this hike just HAD to be mine. I had to own it, determined to begin and then to absolutely complete it, to get through the rain and storms in my mind let alone outdoors, then to find the joy dancing inside my heart after congratulating myself, and wiping the sweat off my tomato red, overheated face at the end of it all.   

Encouraging, I loved finding my husband's text come in a bit later; "You went for your hike after all! Good for you!"

A few of us decided upon a hot beverage location, and while unwinding with my pleasant camaraderie over a cup of hot of tea, everything again felt more focused and right with my soul. 

June. Hard to believe you are actually already here.... It's been such a rough winter, and spring.
 

June... I pledge to you now, as well as to the upcoming months of July and August, that I will take way more time for "self care", to deflect all the life sucking issues being thrust forward towards me these days, to offer them all upward, and "I will" begin to find the courage and strength to use that two letter word - "No"

No, not today. No, sorry I can't. No, outside of my own vocational duties, I'm trying to take these months ahead while knee deep in wedding plans, to begin taking better care of myself, and until such a time as I feel rested, recovered, and at peace in my heart, I'm just not able to tack on many additional items at this time that could possibly take me away from this very necessary personal goal. 

I must get out for my daily walk, to my exercise class, for my weekly hike, keep checking in with my chiropractor for those headaches which have returned, have leisurely dates with my husband and family times in between. There is much to pray for, a roaring to-do list yet unchecked, plenty of activities in full swing, and portfolios to complete.

Nope, not today, but for today, I will think of my own (and that of my family's) health and mental welfare, being extra careful not to volunteer to change my plans as I am usually caught doing, those which tend to affect me in keeping that promise to myself this summer.  

Oh, and dear June, July and August.... I will never miss another hike again! 

You.Are.Mine.... 

I promise.

 P.S. I am having a plethora of trouble with my blog, so many errors upon posting, not tracking properly in readers anymore, and I'm too annoyed to try to figure it out anymore at this point in time. There's the reason for my absence, and when I'm able, I plan to get to the bottom of all of that. Eventually. When it fits life here. Meanwhile, I have a "Ten Things I'm Thankful For" post coming up shortly...

A little bit of foodie fun...

Serving crunchy, green salads has become a custom around here, and one often finds some sort of addition of chopped fruit, assorted nuts (this one has chopped up dry roasted almonds), asiago or some sort of shredded cheese, and lots of goodness for every body. 

I am not a dressing person, never really have been. But, with company coming to join us for Easter, well that was a cause for more celebration by complimenting all of our various salads with "Renee's" salad dressings. 

Favorites are;

Pear and blue cheese, Asian, and Italian herb. 

Many years ago I could not for the life of me find one thing bearing my own unique name. Now, it's everywhere, even in my grocery aisle. 

Loving it! 
 

An everlasting LOVE...

Yesterday we (like it or not) ushered in Ash Wednesday, the official beginning of Lent. 

 ...For I have loved you with an everlasting love...

~ Jeremiah 31:3

Along with its entry, one couldn't help notably sighting both adults and children, darkly crossed on their foreheads, with visible reminders of "ashes to ashes, and dust to dust". 

With Ash Wednesday falling where it has this year on our calendars, being able to have "St. Valentine's Day" love feasting in our midst the very day next day, make no mistake that (sacrificial) love reminders are warmly embracing us, both spiritually and emotionally, and have never occurred back to back this way, simply by coincidence.

 

"Teach us...

that we may feel the importance of every day,

of every hour, as it passes."  

 

~ Jane Austen

   Week 3 is steadily moving forward for my husband's respiratory rehabilitation. Once again, we have been offered an uncanny and timely reminder, on how this often crushing cross lung disease affects our family. With the timing too comes the occasional reminder to take a momentary step back, to grasp how fleeting our daily moments really are, and to begin taking the next necessary steps ahead - concentrating on keeping one foot pacing along in front of the other...go,go,go.

Perhaps, rather than thinking this cross as an unfathomable burden, I've been really pondering, why not make the attempt to slightly turn it around, and be grateful for this gift of timing instead.

 

It is a love offering option to try, no one said it would be easy, and of course it's lent for a double reminder of sacrifices being made, but think of it... if only we would choose instead to pray for eyes wide open, and for the courage to surrender to all of the wonderful possibilities life can offer us throughout the lenten season ahead.

 

Certainly every individual has their own personal crosses to carry, so may this early entry into Lent once again remind us to mindfully reflect on how we are honestly doing with that important task.  

The decision to re-enter into resp. rehab, wasn't something my hubby wanted to submit to when doctors insisted it to be so, especially the part about having to be away from his family as an inpatient in the confines of a hospital ward, along with some 28 others in his respiratory hospital wing, all of them also making the grueling attempt at working hard to continue battling various types of lung diseases like him. 

 

But, for the love (and begging pleas) of his wife and family, his affirming decision has consequently offered us all, an example of a very real and sacrificial kind of love.  

 

As St. Paul declared in Corinthians 28:19; 

"...real love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Love never fails." 

There are times when the weight of one's cross quickly becomes much lighter with the love and cheering of family and friends. 
 

Our children have all offered their father (sometimes daily) love within their cheery texting/emailing sentiments;

"Go, Dad, Go!"
"You're my hero"
"Keep up the great work!"
"You can do it!"
 "We love you!"

"You've got this!"

He has never been far from my own heart, and my spontaneous prayer offerings throughout the day, thoughts frequently visiting me over what he might be doing at that present timing, hoping he's breathing okay, praying yet another new round of medical tests don't produce further complications (like two did last week), and attempting all the while to keep up everyone's spirits around here.

 

 "You can't make up time; 
you can only use what's left, better." 

 

~ Oscar G. Darlington  

 

Today, and every day, I continue to cherish and celebrate the love I have for this man, still strong so many years later since that very first "Knights of Columbus" dance where we vividly noticed how cupid's arrows began darting at our hearts. 

 

I eagerly await and trust in the journey ahead, submitting totally to God's will for our lives...because "he loves us with an everlasting love".
 

  

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

"Keep a good heart.  That's the most important thing in life.

It's not how much money you make or what you can acquire.

The art of it is to keep a good heart."

  ~ Joni Mitchell      

All a flutter, quite literally... Lent is here

Week 3 - Respiratory Rehabilitation

all began yesterday..

 

 

While my husband was home attempting his weekend recovery from being an inpatient at the respiratory rehabilitation hospital, almost as suddenly as he arrived after his brutal drive through the highly cautioned winter storm of the year, the following day he was knocked under with some sort of a awful flu bug. 

Interesting to later learn upon his return to be an inpatient again for the third week in a row, two of his fellow roommates had also fallen with a similar bug, both placed into isolation for the weekend. I guess so! But who "irresponsibly" brought it in there in the first place?

What to do with roommates who have come from a far distance away and cannot return home for recovery time on the weekend? You got it, they are sent into isolation, like jail time. sigh...

While my husband's head and body gently weeped through his time of trial that threw him temporarily against the wall, I monitored and placed my own husband into a type of isolation.

 Although he felt so much better before noon on Sunday, he was instructed by everyone to lay low, and to hydrate and nibble back to better health. There were family plans for the weekend, and with or without him now, the show had to go on. But, happy to report by 5am. Monday, he felt just fine, and was given the go ahead to return to the hospital.

His weekend schedule for using his varied breathing apparatus was not attended to per his daily appointed timings, a slight bit distracted by life as it were, but how interesting to get to know a new (life saving) breathing device so simple, and yet so powerful that it can take the place of a percussion vest for lung disease mucus extraction and lung lining/gasping to breathe control. 

It was the best hundred dollars ever spent, and so much more convenient than having to wear, and perform instead within the confines of a percussion vest! 

I've been alerted and will be summoned to visit the hospital several times over the next few weeks to learn proper percussionist cupping, to be performed several times each day for at home care on my husband, one lung at a time as a gentle daily measure. To supplement his routine, this little helpful flutter device has also now become a part of my husband's required daily mucus clearing regime.

What a wonderful and instant-relief type of invention! He's very impressed with it! It works by taking a deep breath, then blowing through the pipe to move around the steel ball inside. Then sound waves begin rolling up and down from the pipe through the depths of the lungs, to loosen up mucus on their linings. It works instantaneously to offer huge relieve and some normalcy.

 The traditional mom/dad and birthday child happened...

 Did I mention we celebrated the traditional birthday breakfast here, just in time, before my hubby fell ill. We also hosted a birthday party on Sunday evening for a newly turned fourteen year old daughter with a few friends, plus, we brought a son's friend home overnight from church who lives quite a distance away, and all the rest who live here were on deck to help ensure the birthday party flew well. Concern for their father had kept their minds and hearts full all day, the party was a great distraction. Believe me!

Yesterday, we all spent the day decompressing. For real. 

I'm sure I won the "crazy neighbor award" again this past weekend, for being a weirdo who had all our doors open wide, fans on, freezing out rooms to kill germs and freshen all up again. 

I actually stood in the front doorway, just absorbing the fresh air for sport. It felt great just to stand there, frozen in my deepest thoughts.
 
Yesterday it began to warm up and rain. Then, it snowed. It squalled too. And we all could hardly care less. There was a little math, english, and animal care performed, then a few found themselves napping, and there was the survival fallout to fend off, from one more stressful wellness moment that could have been life changing and disastrous in every sense of the word.

Sleeping on a couch for two nights has no perks, unless all my aching bones, and foggy brain from hourly waking to check on my hubby possibly count.

Forget the official Ash Wednesday start to Lent tomorrow folks, for it's already been here for some time now in my mind, already so much to offer up toward the many prayer requests promised out there. There are so many we know with difficult health circumstances at this present time, that makes me feel wimpy even daring to complain about my weary body and escalating brain fuzz. 

For these, and all we can offer wholeheartedly at this time ~ we pray to the Lord.

...never was it known, that anyone that fled to thy protection was left unaided... Amen.  

And then, mail call! This arrived at a timing like no other, from my extremely thoughtful, dear sister in law who worked with her loving hands to needle craft and create this special gift just for us. 

Believe it or not, she apologized for having purchased the kits some six years ago, and hadn't had the time to actually complete it until recently. 

As we all know, often our timing is not dictated in our own schedules, and the actual timing of completing and sending this gift via parcel post became the PERFECT timing for us, humbled recipients of this lovely and unexpected personalized gift. 

It's so perfect, and the timing is too! It really is! Thank you! Thank you!

Those are our chairs folks, the water's edge always our preferred place to be, at least for a breathing reprieve on tough humid fallout days, the sand weaving in our toes, the wind gently tossing about our hair, and the cherished (way out there) horizon before us, always manages to represent our deepest desire to just calmly trust and pray for all that is to come.

Onward to Lent then, and keeping our hearts all a flutter for St. Valentine's Day and beyond.

May you be blessed this week folks, with the love of family, hearts filled with good and wonderful lenten intentions, and the grace to carry it all through. 

Hugs! 

Sometimes all you need is a little...

... cheerleading, and some prayerful support.

(photo courtesy of West Park)

I mentioned in yesterday's post, that my husband is currently in progress with week 2 of his respiratory rehabilitation this week, with another 3-4 (more or less) weeks until he steps over the finish line.  

Do you recall me mentioning quite a while back that my husband was a type of poster boy for the hospital's upcoming fundraising, where they will build a new addition onto the rehabilitation hospital for more respiratory and other types of rehabilitation?

"I Can Breathe"

... isn't that a great slogan, and for him - ain't that the truth.

These weeks ahead will continue to become more intense. They consist of 12 hour scheduled days, plus all the other health monitoring that usually goes along with being in a rehabilitation hospital. No one there can be ill, or appear to be getting unwell in any stage of their stay. Therefore, the monitoring exists because people depend on their neighbor to keep them well while there. 

Last week included an entire shopping list of grueling and often times ultra tough medical testing to update the staff and get recorded on his file at the hospital. 

Being an inpatient has its perks, sometimes not. Day one included a sleep test overnight, and really, does anyone sleep while having that? So, day two began with utter exhaustion, and the continuation of pulmonary testing to wear out any ordinary person who isn't plagued with lung issues at all. 

Lots and lots of test results will be rolling in over the course of the next few days, and weeks. The specialized sputum testing went to Winnipeg, Manitoba and can take up to three months! Patience helps when these types of tests are necessary, for the duration of the rehab. and beyond. 

If you can spare a prayer and some cheerleading, we would be very grateful. 

Candlemas

Candlemas - February 2nd

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another fight.
If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,
Winter won't come again.

If Candlemas Day be dry and fair,
The half o the winter's to come and mair;
If Candlemas Day be wet and foul,
The half o the winter's gane at Yule.

  

A daughter brought home another flu bug, this time the 24 hour throwing up kind. 

She was down yesterday, baby was whisked away and tended to, and then three more were down overnight, including our grandbaby.  Poor thing!

I love my new washer and dryer!

I'm serving my family, all those sickies quarantined to their bedrooms.

I'm wearing a surgical mask to protect my husband on his weekend pass from being an inpatient at respiratory rehabilitation. He "cannot" get sick! Cannot!

I'm disinfecting as fast and as often as I can.

I'm shoveling snow after several snow squalls, around walkways and decks.

I'm thankful that I'm not down yet, thanks to plenty of garlic, probiotics, homeopathics, and a great glass of red wine! 

Hoping your day was great, and all your candle supply has been renewed and blessed...
~ Renee
.............

All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle  
...Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.”

~ St. Francis of Assisi

Ten Things I'm Thankful For ~ Wintry Cold!

 

  

Country roads...
Yes, take me home, right to the bottom of this street. 

Isn't this the most gorgeous photo above?

The sky is the most beautiful shade of blue, snow has freshly fallen, and with this lovely landscape, one is always fooled over just HOW COLD it really is outdoors!

Wow, with temperatures of "feels like" -35C the past two weeks, baby it's been COLD outside!

It's pretty though, isn't it? 

 

 And, so pretty to gaze out our windows at the brightness of the wintry cold.

Maybe I'm the only one who really loves this stuff, maybe not. The wintry bitter cold can be awful some days, but the typical eastern saying of; "bundle up" takes on a new meaning for people living here. Get your winter woolens out everyone, and wear them well.

This edition of my "Ten Things I'm Thankful For" features a bit of our "wintry cold" weather, matching up with winter activities and warmer indoor assorted moments.

Here's to another "TEN" things.... right here; 

- 1 - I'm thankful for weekly ice skating sessions in our local indoor rink, the noon hour time slot was recently offered to local homeschool families to go ahead and use to their heart's desires. 

Yes, there are hockey sticks galore most days, a little bit of figure skating practice, and the bonus of a very shiny, well polished surface to greet us when arriving.

- 2 - I'm thankful for organizing all of our Christmas decorations once more, taking my sweet time in performing this activity, all now neatly placed away and stored until next year.

It's amazing how many seasonal decor items we tend to own, those over time which tend to evoke a certain depths of emotion. How often do we rarely even take a few minutes to observe them, devoting any acknowledgement at all? Like the angel above for instance, a staple traditional item that's been in our family for many, many years now. Always, the "youngest" child would handle with care and place atop of our Christmas tree, with daddy hoisting them upward to complete the task. Certain Christmas tree color themes gathered over the years can do that too, confirming for me, that it's most definitely the "little things" that matter the most.

- 3 - I'm thankful for this daughter choosing to purchase her very own horse, and witnessing just how wonderful it has been for her to secure her daily visits and riding, at the barn where this lovely horse lady is living/boarding.

I'm also thankful for visiting "Old Navy", because they are a horse rider's dream store for winter clothing wear. They just had a huge clearance sale on their winter vests, and both of our girls were lucky enough to sail away with the last of their offerings. At a sale price of only 12.00 each, many riders at our barn were laughing over having purchased four or five apiece, but we were just pleased with one each ourselves. 

And, another daughter is tacking up, preparing for her ride with her favorite new horse "Aussie". 

Check out her new bright orange tote tray on the floor, the one she asked for at Christmas time, the one also filled to the brim and organized well, with her horse brushes and grooming supplies.
 

 

Not to be undone, this little gal has her own horse to ride, just so she doesn't feel left out. Actually, her mommy has been a "Kijiji" browser these days, noting what's new and interesting for baby. She came home last week with a wonderful FREE wooden baby sled, a rocking chair, and this (nominal fee) bouncing horse. 

Our house is certainly becoming more and more filled with "baby activity items". This one takes the cake with the sounds of cowboy singsongs, galloping hooves,  and neighing horse sounds which are turned on for most of her time spent exercising within it. She's like a bucking bronco in that thing, so fun to watch.

- 4 - I'm so very thankful for the past two years at this barn, where our girls have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours there! 

It's been a time to mourn this past few days, specially after learning our beloved barn has been sold. The owners are having health issues, so the stage was set when one surprising day, a total stranger appeared and asked if they might be interested in selling their 100+ acre equestrian farm. 

It was a no-brainer for them, and surely all of the girls were taken into consideration in the sale process this past three short weeks since the man appeared on their property! Lots of emotion and floods of tears have spilled over, however, a new chapter filled with adventure is slowly, very slowly falling open before us. 

As other barns have already been secured for all the horse boarders to move to over the next two months, the "riding team" has been offered to stay until September. That left our daughter able to breathe well, due to now having a horse boarding there herself, an upcoming wedding and so many other things taking shape in her life ahead. She knows she'll have another barn to move to, complete with all the other riding team members along for the journey forward, plus the coach with her horses she'll be keeping, and a few other close friends with their own horses to board there as well. 

With fewer horse rider lessons (all will be gone next month who aren't part of the show team), and less horse boarders over time, all of the remaining show team gals have been asked to come as frequently as they are able, to ride and keep all of the horses exercised, tend to the barn's upkeep, and ensure the chores are done. The barn is located just 2 km. away from us, a bike ride away in good weather, so "can you say our girls are smiling" over that? It's a little bittersweet right now.

They'll be doubling up weekly riding lessons, complete with daily coaching and riding to train the horses for show season ahead. We'll be marching into the "Trillium" show levels this year, a bit higher division for our girls, so all of the preparations seem to be falling into place. 

Still, the heart pangs just a bit, for the wonderful community we have been blessed with, the incredible support they all have been to our family in welcoming our girls there, and the horse showing advancement our girls have been privy to with the best coach anyone could ask for. We hope and pray her health improves, and that this is the perfect page turner to something special. It's a blessing to know she is still interested in coaching the girls elsewhere once she moves. Bonus.

- 5 - I'm thankful for more counter top blessings, with cheery notes and creative attempts to bless her family.

She tried to perform "free hand" with a bit of lattice work practice, but the rest were spiral and icing topped. Yum

I noticed a sign up at our local "Bulk Barn", advertising cake decorating classes this spring, so someone may just be taking the four week class with her friend. Won't that be great?

 - 6 - I'm thankful for that bloody awful bug having finally left my body! I'm hoping anyway. 

I have not been bedridden in years and years, but somehow three of us in recent weeks, contracted the worst cold/flu within our health limits.

Diffusing essential oils day and night, moving it around the 

house to keep it disinfected and airborne germs from spreading.

First, the chills and fever, followed by sinus aches, head cold, drainage into the lungs to create a bronchial cough so forceful, and our energy levels flattened to keep us heaving with great fatigue when moving about. Bed was just the best decision, and with sore eye sockets, there wasn't much else taking place outside of laying there.

Surgical masks appeared on everyone, and mom had to sleep in the guest room to avoid my hubby from contact with this "thing".

Garlic! The absolute key to kicking us forward this week. 

15 cloves in our Caesar salad dressing recipe! 

Thankfully, he never caught the bug, but let me tell you - this one came from the sickest place in the area, our church family! Yes, everyone seemed to be ill one Sunday morning, so we all leaned over and insisted my husband leave before he became exposed to more.

We never thought we'd end up suffering so much with this bug, but wow, it's been years and years since we've had to have daily naps, preferring bed to rising for almost two weeks altogether. Ugh! 

So, here's my yearly winter plea to all;

If you are sick, and even though you may still feel it your moral duty to ensure your family gets transported to attend church on Sundays, please consider the option of performing the unusual, and just opt to remain at home instead. 

Keeping your hearth and sickness burning in your own home rather than thoughtlessly extending your illness forward, even when attempts are made with the best intentions for a moral good - please try to consider possible outcomes toward innocent victims who cannot medically come into contact with your state of unwell being.

When you have to be sick, why not enjoy the view?

Oftentimes, it's just best to keep our unwell children at home as well, mostly to avoid also making older folks, or that newest parish baby, or even someone with an autoimmune issue suffer afterward.

And when I say "unwell or sick, or ill", please know there is a difference between a few sniffles to popping a few pills for suppressing that fever, pretending all is well with you and yours, or, gulping back spoonfuls of cough syrup to suppress that telltale cough, or sneezing rather grossly and blowing your nose nonstop through mass. We all especially love it when someone obviously has no tissue, and end up wiping their noses on their sleeves, or worse yet, rubbing their fingers over their drippings to dry themselves. Where, oh where do those fingers go afterward?

Sometimes, a family's weekend health welfare is just best left to spending time recovering at home, and observing instead the Sunday privately together there. 

Please remember to take the higher road, and seriously decide if your family's wellness matches the efforts to ensure all will be able to sit in a pew next to another unassuming victim, and not infest him/her instead with something that might endanger their very lives.

The stress levels have been HIGHER than HIGH here, in our attempts to protect my husband from contracting this thing, knowing he was on his way into respiratory rehabilitation once more, and he cannot be a tiny bit unwell to enter through the front doors for this wonderful lifesaving bootcamp, that ultimately we hope and pray, will offer him more days with us from his continued lousy medical prognosis. 

After my own illness, when this mama never gets sick like this, I will never, ever, have the same view from my pew, not ever again after that horrible Sunday where everyone knew, but no one cared enough to refrain from spreading their love around that day.

There are many fellow parishioner regrets coming forward in the form of apologetic telephone calls, (they just didn't think they'd say), especially after one of our priests gave a talk from the pulpit about how dangerous it is for some folks trying to blend in their midst each week, to become exposed to such things. A five day old baby also contracted the illness, plus two others suffering from respiratory illness, not to mention entire families who were down the same time as ours. Never again! Oh my! 

The health status of an entire parish family seriously matters to us this time of year, so we must refrain from even attending when there is suspicion of illness within the church building. There's something to say about a permanent dispensation for being able to choose this option, that's for sure.

~ Amen. 

- 7 - I'm thankful for thoughts of spring ahead, after hearing many birds out and about hiding in the barn nesting while our girls were last riding. 

I sure do miss my resident birdies this time of year when few are around to watch and listen to, but from time to time I'm still able to spot a pileated woodpecker, a downy woodpecker, and a few pigeons roosting noisily in the barn.

 

- 8 - I'm thankful for the tidiest desk I've had in recent days. It's amazing how well it looked for the two weeks were were down with our illness! Nice.

I guess that's the key, huh? No one uses the books when they are ill? Uh, no! I'd rather trade being up and about though, having a messy desk any day, than have a spotless one like this all of the time due to illness in our family.

So, after pondering this whole idea for some time, I did what came naturally, took out my camera when deciding a bit of mess does indeed manage to breathe much life into a family's home, definitely marking a sign and letting everyone know there are other loving people alive and well, diligently working on their vocations from day to day in our home. Yes! Life abounds here, illnesses - just leave and go away.

- 9 - I'm thankful for a house filled with guitar players! This should be most interesting to have three electric and three acoustic guitars for our three men to play together at home. Yes, they are jamming quite regularly, and don't sound that bad considering the volumes used at times with the guitars plugged into the amplifier!

Music is filling the air waves here folks. It's rather fun to watch them all playing their stringed instruments. 

My husband has again requested I consider leaving my craft room so he can make a music studio in it instead. I'm still giggling, and scratching my head over that one. 

 

...and more thankfulness for another guitar, Canucks hockey reminders, and Hobbit movie materials left on a young man's bedside.  Such a man this one, hardly a spot available on his night table, but it's loaded with interesting (to him) things.

- 10 - I'm thankful for more "little things", for a son who has been well trained, and who knows well how to tape up new hockey sticks by himself now, preparing them well for game day.

Both his special and beloved composite sticks broke at the same time, and thankfully there was a sale on similar composite sticks the next day, so he could quickly prepare and tape new ones up to use at his next hockey game. We are bartering the purchase of these (not so cheap) sticks, for his action filled snow blowing driveway duties. That's actually working out quite well. 

I remember many times watching our older boys wrapping up their sticks, twirling the tape around to get their precision lines flowing, and then binding all over top well row by row. And then, there comes the handle, perfectly padded up with tape to get a grip once the hockey gloves are on hands.

It's been like a walk down memory lane for sure, mostly as I never completely knew for a long, long time how creative this process really was for the boys regarding taping their sticks. It really matters...

So, once game day came, a couple new sticks gave this son's confidence levels a big boost, when he became the boy in red in front of the goalie this day.

And, there you go! Ten things that rendered an entire blog post, and loads of words to roll along with the photos uploaded here. Yes, I apologize for becoming rather 'wordy', though there are times when a few things need to be shared, noted, and passed along.

Are you passing your important and thankful things along? Do you have ten things you can count in this week, perhaps every day instead of once a week? Come along, and join me in saluting yet another ten, ten, ten only, special things I'm thankful for, in no particular order whatsoever.

Have a beautiful week everyone!
Renee

Our "Tintin" and his sister holding their nephew...

P.S. 
I want to share a fun photo at the end of this post. I fell in love with this image of our son kindly loving his sweet little nephew last summer. With his haircut and whimsical facial expressions, he was nicknamed "Tintin". 

Every time I see this photo, it just breaks a smile from me, and my heart warms up all wonderful and lovingly for him. How sweet these years are!