Blessings Because of the Brave

This is the last weekend in May but we have the heat typical of July. At 95 degrees today,  I can't help but wonder what summer's weather will bring. But with that said, I hasten to add that we are thankful to be spared the turbulence and destruction of Tornado Alley, where many of my family, friends, and blog readers live. The TV weather forecasts serve as a trigger to pray for their (your) safety and protection.

Continuing with thankful thoughts, Gary's POW/MIA flag is blowing in the wind this weekend. How grateful we are for the freedoms we enjoy at the expense of our military members, both deceased and alive. Their service makes an indelible mark on their lives that may be unrecognized (and misunderstood) by the public. 

Credit also goes to the close family members of our service members because they are often called into challenging circumstances away from their normal network of support, and in locations far from all that is familiar.

Along gratitude for the sacrificial service of the military, we are saddened to hear of the violent deaths of missionaries in Haiti. Aiding the helpless children caught in danger created by gangs, rebels, and all manner of danger, missionaries are in the army of  God. Persecution of Christians is happening all over the world but seldom reported in our media. These people, too, need our prayers, financial support and appreciation for all they do to promote true peace.

I donated, gave away, and sold a lot of my patriotic decor when I emptied my house to live here, but this table cloth is one item I kept.

When combining two households into a home with less square footage, hard choices have to be made as to what to keep. This is what quilters term a "table topper." These are quick to make and can easily transform a table with seasonal changes.

As the years have gone by, the habit of labeling the back of nearly all my projects has preserved pleasant memories.

Here is an antique table I kept when selling my furniture. It came from my late husband's family. A real treasure, isn't it?! 

My late husband's mother's first husband had a furniture store. That sounds like a riddle, doesn't it? You might get lost trying to figure out what I just said. 🤪 

Suffice it to mean that widows in my family (including me) have been blessed with wonderful keepsakes. 

The crocheted doily is from my mother's house. Although she could crochet, I am pretty sure she bought this one at an antique shop in the Chicago area.

The antique table is crowned with the silk floral arrangement I made for the celebration party with our neighbors that Gary and I hosted two years ago. 

(Since then I have added some peach and dark pink blooms.) It's hard to tell in the framed snapshot, but we were showing off our newly-exchanged rings.

Returning to the topic of furniture, this week we bid goodbye to a couple of pieces. 

Listing a couch and a recliner on our neighborhood Marketplace did not garner any interest after several weeks. Three or four consignment places turned us down as well. The lesson learned from that experience is although they want furniture to sell, if it's "dated" but not an antique, you may as well donate the items. 

Gary's love for dogs prompted him to donate to our local Humane Society, so their truck hauled off the furniture for us. We now have enough space to roller skate in the living room. In about three weeks the new furniture should be delivered.

Patti-across-the-street recommended a local plant nursery while she was updating her landscape design. We found it this week and came home with two colors of Pentas to replace the Christmas Poinsettias that finally wore out.

The pot is positioned under a trio of palms in our back yard, a pleasant location that gets generous amounts of both sunshine and shade every day. If this pot does well, I may go back to that nursery for some Vincas, which seem to thrive in our area.

A very pleasant surprise arrived on our doorstep yesterday in a large box. Gary told me it was an "I love you gift." Hmmm! ❤️

A couple of weeks ago we replaced my Schwinn bicycle for a used Townie (more comfortable and considered a "higher end" model).

Gary cleaned and polished the pretty purple frame, bought a new ka-ching! bell for the handlebars, and then came the surprise delivery of a new purple helmet! My aqua blue helmet has been serving me well, but Gary said I needed a purple helmet to go with my purple bike! It all rides very comfortably! 

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It's been an eye-opening week for me, literally. The first of my two cataract surgeries was on Monday morning. For years I've wanted to have this done. Doctors say everyone over the age of 60 has cataracts but the general consensus is you have to wait until they reach a certain stage of development to have them removed. I've also heard you should not wait too long or they are harder to remove.

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My goal has not been to rid myself of the need to wear glasses, which I've worn since the age of seventeen. With the cataracts, I was progressively looking through a foggy lens, or described another way, it was like looking through sheer curtains -- a haze, especially when outside. Daytime driving, in particular was becoming quite a problem due to the glare.

With the first of the two surgeries behind me, recovery has gone very well and I look forward to having the second one behind me. Gary has been of great help with the eye drops, as well as getting me to my appointments when my driving is restricted and patiently sitting in the waiting room. 

As I close out this post, it's easy to make a spiritual application to the eye surgery. 

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May this be the prayer of all of us as we watch the news, observe the hard events of our world, and look for solutions from Jesus Christ "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."(Colossians 2:3)

Until next time, grace and peace because of the brave.