Being in the Moment

Charlie has been gone since Sunday afternoon.  I miss him.  I especially miss all the things he does for me now that he is not here to do them.  I miss having him make my coffee and bringing it to me all hot and steamy when I first wake up. We have a new coffee pot and it took a while for me to figure how to brew a fresh pot.
  
I actually had to walk across the street to get our mail.  It was the first time I have done that in the 2 and half years we have been here.  I don't like it but it's part of my to-do list now.  I am usually out of breath by the time I bring it in.

I'm not crazy about hauling the trash can to the driveway for weekly pick up either.  However, it is easier than actually having to take the garbage to the dump like we did in Virginia.  

Cleaning the cat litter box is not high on my list either.  Now that the cats are older they are not always able to make it to the box.  Needless to say, my kitchen floors are getting scrubbed regularly especially if I have stepped on a hot steaming pile in my socks!

I really do not like to go anywhere by myself.  So far the farthest I have traveled is to the mailbox across the street.  I didn't go to the Bible Study yesterday cause it was cold and I would have to go alone.  (Sigh) I don't do alone well.

So much for plans....

Today was my Mom's 92nd birthday and I wasn't there.  I had planned on being there.  We arranged our schedule so we could be there but....instead we both got the stomach flu so we stayed home so as not to give it to mom.

We struggled with it for several days but are finally back on the mend.  So the plans have been shifted.
We are planning on leaving Sunday morning and staying till Wednesday.  We will make our way home again just in time to rest up, do our laundry, pack again and head for Savannah.

We will be in Savannah for a week.  So tomorrow we need to celebrate Henry's 6th birthday and send out a newsletter to our Savannah people that we are coming to town.  It will be a busy day.

Thank you, Lord, that we are finally feeling better.  Help us to regain our energy.  When Charlie got sick we had eaten cheese and sausage quiche.  I don't think I will be able to ever fix it again without thinking about how sick we felt.   I feel nauseated just thinking about it.

Good News:  weight down 13 pounds  ....272

Epiphany House Blessing

The church has a custom of blessing homes on the Feast of Epiphany (January 6) and the weeks that follow to ask God's blessings on their homes and those who live in or visit the home.  It is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our home, our comings, and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows. 
   
The traditional way of doing this is to use chalk and write above the home's entryway (2+C =M=B + 19).  Marking the doorway to one's home is rooted in the Old Testament. Holy Scripture reminds us that God has at times commanded his people to mark their doors.  The Israelites marked their doors with the Lambs blood on the night of the Passover (Exodus 12:7).  The marking includes the first digits of the year, followed by the C, M, B ( the traditional names of the Magi ) f0llowed by the year. 

Happy Epiphany....may we still seek Him and find Him.

Hello 2019...What potential will you hold?

Hello, brand new year 2019.  Please forgive me if I forget your name for the first month or two.  It's just because you're new and I'm used to saying and writing 2018.

Your predecessor was very eventful and you hold unlimited promises.  How will I spend my time this year?  

I want to spend my time purposefully, with a plan, including adventure, reading, cooking new dishes, physical activities, trips, good friends, Bible Studies and visiting friends and family.


We have two trips scheduled for January:  We will leave next Wednesday (Jan. 9th) to go to Alabama to celebrate my mom's 92nd birthday.  We will be coming home Friday, Jan.11th so we can celebrate with grandson Henry at his 6th birthday celebration.  (Henry and Mom both have birthdays on January 10th.)

January 19th, we leave for Savannah, Georgia for a week to visit friends and    Compassion Christian Church.  We will be camping out in Sandy Wagoner's living room as they live in a small apartment and we invited ourselves.  They will be moving to Illinois in March so this may be the last time I get to see her in a very long time.  Our daughter Becky is planning on coming to Savannah later that week for a conference so we plan on getting to spend some time with her also.  It will be a busy fun filled week for us but tiring also.

I am starting a Bible reading app with my friend Sandy Irhig..(I collect "Sandy's") starting January 4th.  We will read through the Bible in one year.  I am hoping we can share what we are learning.

I am committed to losing weight on the Keto Diet which I am researching now.  We have are consciously making a commitment to not eating out so I am not tempted to eat things that are not on the diet plan.  I am purchasing some Keto Cookbooks and have a Keto app on my phone for tracking my food consumption.  I will also go back to water aerobics even though I hate cold water swims in the winter time.  We will go geocaching and go on walks. 

1. January 1st I weighed in at 285:  My measurements are:  Bust 50, Waist 48, Hips 65
2. Jan. 2nd...weight 283
3. Jan. 3rd....weight 280 

So far it is working.  I still need to work on getting to bed earlier and blogging as an outlet for my time.  I have picked up some accountability friends along the way so hopefully, I will have some cheerleaders.

I work better with a plan, prayers and a purpose.  Here I go again!