Wednesday, March 27, 2019

The More It Snows

Back home we enjoyed two March blizzards before it began to warm up enough to start the long process of spring thaw.


Our Christmas tree was as beautiful as ever in this "Narnian" winter.


What a contrast with my mornings just a couple weeks prior.

This was perfect timing to enjoy an audio-book version of 
A.A. Milne's The House at Pooh Corner 
and one of Pooh's delightful "hums."

"The more it snows
(Tiddely pom),


The more it goes
(Tiddely pom),


The more it goes
(Tiddely pom),


On snowing.


And nobody knows
(Tiddely pom),


How cold my toes
(Tiddely pom),


How cold my toes
(Tiddely pom),


Are growing."
- Winnie-the-Pooh -


Yes, a snowbank just like those in my snowy childhood beckoned me to a bit of fort-building for the first time in decades. I focused on the fun it had been and the progress it showed in my health during the following week of intense shoulder and back pain!


Even with missing three weeks of the winter, Dad got more use out of the snowblower than usual this year. One morning he cleared out our neighbor's driveway and blew more than a mile to provide access in case of emergency in our neighborhood. Good thing we know where the roads should be under all that white!


As a couple feet of new snow piled on already white rooftops and rain was in the forecast, it sounded like just the combination which had felled our barn some years back. So two of my cousins came and helped with the heavy work that is too much for Dad since his heart attack - especially without the help he used to get from his three girls on the roof.


  The guys even harnessed themselves to the tractor bucket and lightened the heavy load on our canvas shed. What a blessing!


Jason thinks we should plant "iceburg lettuce" in our garden when it looks like this!

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Where and Why

Now to begin to clear up the mystery I recently introduced:


Where did we go?


South - to get a break from increasing symptoms mid-winter...


... and find some sunshine, ocean breezes...


... and warmth. 

100 degrees (Fahrenheit) warmer than home, to be precise.
We even searched for shade some days!


Where was this to be found?


On the Atlantic coast of Florida for a couple of weeks, at our doctor's suggestion. That wasn't a hard "pill" to want to swallow, though it took several years to become even a possibility. 


Even now when the way was opened and our strength increasing, we simply didn't know if all the extra work and stress would be outweighed by the benefits. Since each day at home is challenging enough, it could hardly be otherwise when spending days on the road, fitting four adults into a camper that is "perfect for two," and keeping up with grocery shopping and cooking for our special diets without all the fridge and freezer space that help us save much time and energy at home.


So, was it worth it??


Yes! It was a huge, perfectly timed gift from our loving Father in Heaven as well as our amazingly caring and generous earthly parents. We are still seeing the benefits in little ways back at home. But more about that later...

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Spring!

On the first day of spring, I waded around to the deck with a shovel and cleared a corner to set up my camp chair (still sandy from the beach!) to knit in the sunshine and breathe some fresh air. 



Meanwhile, my brother-in-law is shoveling around his greenhouses to be able to open up the sides and save tiny, tender plants from too much heat on a sunny day like this. It doesn't look much like spring here, so maybe I'll still have time to wear my kofte before wool is too warm again!

P.S. I'm still sorting photos from the past weeks when I find time, so I'll clear up the mystery later.

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Recently

Here is a pictorial sneak-preview to show why I've been offline these weeks. More pictures and stories to follow...







Friday, March 1, 2019

He is Still Good

Are you going through hard times?


Does your life seem out of control?


Do you have just 10 minutes to get some encouragement?
Watch Katie's story here: If Not, He is Still Good


I am blessed and challenged each time I hear Katie. 

While her journey with Lyme disease is not the same as mine, there are so many familiar points.

And no matter what we are going through, we all need to work at telling ourselves the life-giving truth.


It's NOT all about me. It's all about HIM!

[All photos are screenshots from the Revive Our Hearts YouTube video at the link above.]