First of March Favorites and Gratitude

It's the beginning of March and the end of another week, so that means it's time once again to look at the positive things that happened in my world during the past week.   I am joining again with Susanne and friends over at Living to Tell the Story for Fridays Fave Five.

😊 Next week, we will "spring ahead" into Daylight Savings Time.  That will mean I will be driving to work in the dark again for a while, but this past week, it was light when I drove to work.  I am so grateful when it gets light earlier and I don't have to drive to work in the dark. 

😊 Tuesday morning, I took a sick day and had an early morning medical appointment.  I was a little worried because our weather forecast was for early morning snow and icy roads.  I am grateful that the predicted snow stayed mainly in the mountains and the roads weren't bad at all.  I made it to my appointment and back home without any problems at all. 

😊 My appointment on Tuesday was for my annual blood work and biometric screening.  I completed the screening and my bloodwork results were even better than they were last year.  I had also lost a few pounds.  I am grateful to have this annual screening done, and to have received good results.

😊 Tuesday afternoon we signed the paperwork to close on our condo.  The condo is sold and the proceeds from the sale are in the bank.  I am so grateful that the condo is sold and that it turned out to be a pretty good investment for us. 

😊 With the condo sold, we decided to go forward with the purchase of a new car.  We closed the car deal on Thursday afternoon.  We were going to get a white Honda CRV, but when the dealership got a brand new blue one, we decided to get that one.   Blue, afterall, is my favorite color!  I am grateful that we were able to get a new car so that we can pass our old Honda on to our son Josh, and his old car on to our grandson.

Those are my favorites and gratitude for this week. What are you most grateful for? Thanks for visiting, and have a good weekend!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

“No duty is more urgent than giving thanks.”

~James Allen

February Reading Roundup

Almost unbelievably, it is already the end of February!  After taking January off from a Reading Roundup, I am trying something new with my Reading Roundup monthly book reviews.  I will have a brief, one-paragraph review of each book, along with the genre and number of stars I gave the books.  This month, I read five books - two were fiction, two were audiobook format, two were electronic/Kindle.  I borrowed three books (one audiobook, one Kindle app, and one hardbound) from the library.  I gave two of the books 3/5 stars, one 4/5 stars and two 5/5 stars.  Let's take a closer look at what I thought of each one. 

Divine Quietness:  Finding Meaning When Heaven is Silent ***

by Emily Robison Adams

Genre:  Religious/Christian

Format:  Audiobook - Deseret Bookshelf Plus

This book is about CHOOSING to follow Christ even in times of doubt when the heavens seem silent.  The author admits to being in a faith crisis or sorts where she isn't sure if God is really there or not, but she decides to live her life as if she is completely certain of God's existence. Some parts of this book really spoke to me, others not so much. The author shares her personal faith crisis experiences which may resonate with some and not with others. This book was a selection for a Christian book club I am in, otherwise I probably would not have read it.  I gave it 3/5 stars on Goodreads.  

God Spare the Girls ***

by Kelsey McKinney

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Format:  Kindle format borrowed from local library

This is the story of two sisters trying to deal with the revelation that their father, the head pastor of a Texas Evangelical Mega Church, has committed adultery.  The sisters realize that their dad has not repented and changed, even though he is retained as head pastor of the church.  One sister loses her faith as a result of his father's lies and adultery, moves away and distances herself from her parents. The other sister seems to do exactly what has always been expected for her.  She stays in the local area, marries a man she doesn't really love, and takes up the mantle of a "good," Christian wife. There is some good writing and description in the book, but ultimately, the plot was slow moving and the ending and theme were unclear.   This book did not appeal to me, but because of the writing, I gave it 3/5 stars on Goodreads. 

The Law of Happiness:  How Spiritual Wisdom and Modern Science Can Change Your Life ****

by Henry Cloud

Genre:  Christian Self-Help

Format: Audiobook from local library app

In this book, Dr. Henry Cloud, a Christian psychologist and therapist draws on scientific and psychological research as well as Bible truths to illuminate the road to happiness and mental wellness that God's word has already outlined and that science now confirms.  I have read other books by Dr. Cloud and have found them all to contain easily accessible, important, life-changing information that is written from a Christian/Biblical perspective. I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads and will no doubt look for and read more books by Dr. Cloud.

Saints #2 - No UnHallowed Hand *****

Genre:  Narrative nonfiction history

Format:  Electronic

This is a long and detailed, yet extremely interesting history book which deals mainly with the settlement of the American West - especially Utah - including the politics of the time and place. There are detailed stories from the journals and letters of early settlers and the immigrants who came from many parts of the world to settle here.  The book contains literally hundreds of first hand accounts, including journals, letters, family and institutional records, newspaper accounts, meeting minutes, and other historical sources.  The book is long (over 600 pages), very detailed, and for me, immensely fascinating.  This is the second of three volumes in this set that I have finished and I plan to begin volume three soon.  I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads. 

Maybe Next Time *****

by Cesca Major

Genre:  Contemporary Lit. 

Format:  Hardbound book from the library

Emma and Dan are a busy dual career couple, deeply in love, but somewhat disconnected from each other by the busyness of their careers and parenting their two children.  One stressful night, after a disagreement, Dan leaves their home to take the dog for a walk and is killed when he is hit by a car.  Emma and the children are completely shocked and devastated, but the next morning, Emma wakes up and Dan is alive and well and there in bed next to her. If she does everything right, can she save her husband from the certain death she knows he faces? I always liked the movie Groundhog Day and I thought this book would be a literary rehash of the movie, but it was so much more.  This was that rare book that brought tears to my eyes more than once and made me truly want to make changes in my life and relationships.  It is deeply poignant and thought-provoking, yet has likeable, albeit humanly flawed characters. The plotline kept me turning pages and wanting to stay up reading past my bedtime.  I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads and highly recommend it.  I am sure this will probably be one of my favorite books from 2024. 

That's all for my February reading.  I am starting March with a couple of nonfiction books, which I will review at the end of the month. Do you have any reading recommendations?  Please share in the comments!  Thanks for visiting!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

Final February Weekend

Here's a bit about how our weekend went.

Saturday was nice, sunny day.  It was fairly warm for this time of year, with temperatures in the 40s and low 50s.  

On Saturday morning, we went to our church to help clean our building.  In our church, members volunteer to clean the building. This Saturday it was our turn.  Charly and I had the task of cleaning the glass on all of the entry doors, like those pictured above.  It wasn't a hard job, and we are always happy to help clean our house of worship. 

After cleaning the church, I had a quick appointment with my dentist to have the mold for my custom mouth guard taken.  It literally took five minutes, then I was on my way. 

After the dentist, we went back to Utah County to go to an open house at a condominium we are considering buying as a income property.  We liked the condo, but haven't put an offer in. If we did buy it, we wouldn't live here, but rent it out.  It is near two large universities so it could be a good income generator as we retire.  We are still thinking about it.

Sunday morning, we went to church.  Our worship service starts at 9 a.m.. We stayed for the second hour meeting which this week was separate classes for women and men. 

Sunday was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. The temperature in the afternoon was over 60 degrees.  I decided to go out for an afternoon walk.  It was nice to be out in the sun.  

We had a "Plan B" Sunday dinner after I burned the salmon I was fixing.  I didn't realize how quickly the olive oil that I was frying the salmon patties in was heating up.  By the time I did realize it, the salmon patties were burned and I put them directly into the garbage can.  We had fish sticks instead, so at least we had fish. 

After watching our weekly scripture study class on Youtube Sunday evening, I finished this book, Maybe Next Time, by Cesca Major.  It's an excellent book - well-written, poignant, thought-provoking, and a little tear-provoking as well.  Be sure to have some tissues handy if you read this one.  I'll do a brief review in my end-of-the-month reading roundup, but spoiler alert - I'm giving it 5/5 stars.  

Weekend gratitude:

• Lovely, sunny weather
• Time with my husband
• Good conversations with Josh

That's all for this weekend.  Thanks for stopping by.  Have a good week. 

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Sometimes we may think, 

'I need to fix my life before I come to Jesus,'

but the truth is that we come to Jesus 

to fix our lives through Him."

~ Joaquin E. Costa

 

Almost the End of February Favorites

As yet another month in this year comes to an end, it's time to think about all the things I am grateful for.  To do that, I am joining again with Susanne over at Living to Tell the Story for Friday's Fave Five. 

😊 This week, I had a long weekend with Monday off, and I am always grateful for an extra day to rest, regroup and get caught up on stuff.

😊 Since I had Monday off, we decided to do some more car shopping.  By the end of the day, we had decided to put a deposit on this Ford Bronco Sport.  We were excited until Charly talked to a mechanic friend of his who told us about a problem with the fuel injectors in the Bronco Sport.  With further research, we found out that the fuel injection problems had caused engine fires, and that Ford has actually been sued over the problem.  That was a deal breaker, so I am grateful that we found out the information before the deal was closed, and I am also grateful that we were able to get our deposit back. 

😊 After getting our deposit on the Ford Bronco Sport back, we decided to go with a brand new 2024 Honda CRV.  We haven't taken delivery of the car yet (still waiting for our condo to close), but I am grateful that we are getting a deal we are happy with on a car we know is reliable since we have had a 2015 Honda CRV since 2016. 

😊 One day this week, I really wasn't feeling at all well.  Not sure what was up - probably stress and fatigue - but I certainly was grateful for an evening in my jammies, reading on the couch.  I went to bed early and felt much better the next morning, another thing for which I am grateful. 

😊 Charly made another delicious dinner for us on Thursday night.  This is Beef Stroganoff made with Impossible Beef and it was really good.  I am so grateful for Charly's help with dinner and many other things. 

😊 We have had a rainy week here. The surrounding mountains got about two feet of snow.  Once again, I am grateful that most of the snow is staying in the mountains where it is most needed for our Utah ski resorts and water supply.  

I hope you have had a good week. Thanks for stopping by to share my favorites and gratitude.  Enjoy the weekend ahead! 

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Gratitude helps you see what's there

instead of what isn't."

~anon.

A Little About Our Weekend

Here are some of the highlights of our mid-February weekend. 

Friday was a teacher meeting/training/work day with no students at school.  I was all caught up with grading and lesson planning, so I was able to leave and come home about an hour early, which was nice.  Our church was having a "movie night' activity Friday evening and because Charly and I serve on the Activities Committee, we went to the church to help set up lat Friday afternoon.  

I wanted to get a walk in, so instead of going to the church movie night and watching a Disney cartoon, we went up to the rec center.  We forgot that it closes early on Friday nights, so we just barely had time to get our walk in before closing. 

Saturday morning, we went back to the rec center to get our walks finished before we headed back down to Utah County for the day. 

While I walked, I finished listening to this audiobook, The Law of Happiness by Dr. Henry Cloud.  It was very good. 

We got to Springville, Utah, our first destination, just before noon.  I love the Utah County mountains!  The day was cool with mostly blue skies.  

Our first stop in Springville was an open house at this property.  If you have been reading my blog for any period of time, you probably know that we plan to move out of our present home once I retire in 18 to 24 months.  We are considering moving to either Springville in Utah County, or St. George, which is Washington County at the southern end of the state.  We've seen great houses in our price range in both places. We really liked this house.  Springville is a great place and just a few miles from where our Utah grandchildren live, which is a real plus. 

While we were in Utah County, we went to this used bookstore in Provo. They were having a 40% off sale for all of their fiction books. Charly found several, but I didn't find any books on my list. 

We went to couple of other stores we like and then had a late lunch at our favorite Asian restaurant which is in American Fork, Utah

Sunday morning, we went to church.  We came home after the main worship service because I had quite a bad headache.  Charly and I watched the scripture study master class we are watching on Youtube.  

We got some rain on Sunday, but by late afternoon, the skies were blue and the sun was shining.   The forecast is for more rain in the valleys and snow in the mountains Monday and Tuesday. 

This picture was taken about 6 p.m.  I love that we have light a little later in the day.  You can see the moon in the upper center part of the picture.   

Sunday dinner was a slow cooker meal - eggs, ham and hash browns. It was pretty good. 

Here's the recipe.  I think this one would be good for Christmas morning, because you can put it in the slow cooker at night and it's ready the next morning.  Today, however, I put it in the slow cooker this morning and by late afternoon, it was ready for dinner.  

As the new week begins, I am reading these three books - Emptying the Nest by Brad E. Sachs, Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major and Saints - No Unhallowed Hand.  I hope to finish at least two of these by the end of the month. 

Weekend Gratitude:

• Coming home from school a little early on Friday.
• Having a good Saturday in Utah County.
• Eating at our favorite Asian restaurant.
• Going to church on Sunday. 
• Learning from the online scripture master class. 
• Talking to Josh about some challenges he is facing at college.
• Enjoying Marco Polo messages from my blogging friend Faith.

Coming up this week:

Monday - President's Day - off from work!

Tuesday - Appointment after school.

Wednesday - Estimate for a new side door.  Ours is 70 years old and needs to be replaced. 

Saturday - Help clean our church building.

Saturday - Quick dentist appointment for custom mouth guard.

That's all for this weekend. Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy the Monday holiday and have a good week!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; 

he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, 

neither forsake thee: 

fear not, neither be dismayed."

~ Deuteronomy 31:8 KJV

Valentine's Week Favorites and Gratitude

As another week draws to a close, I am grateful that I have this weekly practice of looking back at some of the best part of my week.  I am grateful for Susanne over at Living to Tell the Story who hosts the link up for Friday's Faves on her blog.  Let's look back now at some of my favorite things about this week. 

😊 We had rain quite a bit of the day on Thursday, but by noon, the rain moved out and this is the view I had from the parking lot as I left the school in the afternoon. I am grateful that we are getting needed moisture and also that most of the snow is staying up in the mountains, leaving us with rain in the valleys.  I'm also grateful to live in a place which offers beauty like this on a daily basis.  

😊 Charly has been helping with dinner quite a bit lately. This is the delicious dinner he made this past Monday night. I am grateful for this healthy and yummy dinner and for all of the many things Charly does around the house. 

😊 I had a dental check-up Wednesday afternoon.  I was a little nervous because I had been experiencing some sensitivity in a back molar and I was afraid that maybe I had cracked a tooth or crown, but a thorough examination (including x-rays) showed that my teeth are all fine and healthy.  I am grinding my teeth at night though, probably due to stress,  so I am getting a custom mouth guard to wear while I sleep.  I am grateful for good dental care and that my teeth checked out OK.  

😊 Charly and I don't make a super big deal for Valentine's Day, but we do exchange cards and Charly usually gives me some kind of little Valentine's bear.  I have quite a collection of various little bears Charly has given me over the years, but the one shown above is the one he gave me this year. I am so grateful for a good husband.  No marriage is perfect, but I am grateful to be in good relationship with a guy I love and who loves me. 

😊 A friend from church brought over this treat for us on Valentine's.  It is a Pavlova-Meringue with Berries and Cream and it was delicious. Charly and I shared it as a Valentine treat.  I am grateful for the kindness of this woman who is in my ministering group at church. 

😊 I am grateful when I am able to relax and read for a few minutes some afternoons when I get home from school.  My weekdays are busy and it is nice to take a few minutes to kick back on our reclining couch with a book to recover from the day before starting on evening chores and activities. 

😊 In the past, I haven't used our local library a lot simply because it was a pain to go there.  Now, however, I am grateful that there is a large, well-stocked county library adjacent to the rec center where we go to work out almost every night.  I love to read and have been making good use of the library which is super convenient - literally a few indoor steps away from the rec center. 

😊 My youngest granddaughter will be starting kindergarten later this year and she will be starting to read.  I had been looking to order some "beginning reader" books for her when I found these like-brand-new Pinkalicious books at a thrift store for only 75 cents each!  I am grateful to find such a bargain on books for my sweet granddaughter who is the most sweet Pinkalicious girl I know! 

That's all for now.  Have a great weekend!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Love wholeheartedly,

be surprised,

give thanks and praise-

then you will discover 

the fullness of your life."

~David Steindl-Rast

 

Valentines Daybook

 

Outside my window it's dark, but earlier, the blue skies of morning and midday turned gray and cloudy in the late afternoon.

I'm reading this novel I got form the library, Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major.  It's good so far.  I'm also still reading, but making progress in a 600+ page history book, Saints, No Unhallowed Hand.  I recently finished the novel God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney.  I wasn't crazy about that one.

I've been listening to Law of Happiness by Dr. Henry Cloud.  I've read other books by this author and have found them valuable.  I'm about halfway finished with this short book and it has not disappointed. 

I'm grateful that we finally seem to be nearing the finish line on the sale of our condo.  Closing is set for Tuesday, February 27.   The buyer loves the place and is excited to move in.  It will be a great place for her - an older single woman with a disabled son.  I'm thankful that we also have a "back-up" offer just in case things go awry at the last minute.

In the kitchen tonight was a frozen pizza and salad kind of night after Charly made a delicious and very healthy casserole that we enjoyed last night.  

I'm loving the LED lights in our front windows. They were red and green for Christmas, blue in January and now pink for Valentine's Day.  

I'm learning a little about real estate and contract law with our realtor as a tutor, as we navigate having two offers on our condo.  I'm glad we aren't trying to go the "sell-it-yourself" route. 

I'm thinking that I need to end this post here and do a little home work-out before I wind down for the evening. 

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Valentine's Day to all!  See you again soon!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"...the greatest of these is love."

~I Corinthians 13:13