Collating Recent Days

When I moved to Jacksonville, Florida from Colorado in 2017, our back yard had two Bottle Brush trees. They were kinda scraggly but the flowers fascinated me. Not knowing the name of the tree, I called it a 'bottle brush" because of the flowers.

It was when a landscaper came to give us an estimate for some yard improvements that I realized I had called it right -- it was, indeed, a Bottle Brush tree! 

I no longer live in Jacksonville, but I have seen many of these trees since leaving Colorado and they always delight me. There was a healthy one outside the kitchen window of my house from 2019-2022. While standing at the sink I could watch hummingbirds slurping up nectar from the bright red flowers!

Changing the subject and referring to my post title today, what does it mean to "collate recent days"? 🤨

Using a fancy word is just the writer in me wanting to show off with clever usage of words and phrases to avoid saying the same thing the same way all the time. 

My well-worn copy of Roget's College Thesaurus is essential as I compose these blog posts, helping me to expand my vocabulary and to make my writing more interesting as well as to better hold the attention of my readers. So, the title of this post is just another way of saying, "what went on with me this past week." 🥴

Since mention has been made of a thesaurus, I'll share the stack of books that have been holding my attention of late. Some I've read, some I'm in the process of reading, and some are waiting their turn. 

As I've said before, I'm not much of a 'beach read' kind of gal. If there are too many characters, I get lost in all of that. If the book has enough interest for me, I've been known to write out a list of the personalities, noting their significance in the story, to help me keep them straight. But sometimes that gets tiresome and then the book is put aside and forgotten.

I like the category of "self help" because I need all the help I can get!!! Put biographies in there, too, along with historical fiction, and then the book is more likely to get read and appreciated for the life lessons included therein.

If you are viewing my blog on a computer screen (as opposed to a mobile device) you can probably see just below my header that there is a section titled, "Book Reports." I haven't updated that in a few months, but if you click on those words, you'll see my impressions of books I've read.

My most recent completion was Holy Living in an Unholy World. (click on the title for purchase information) Not a very long book with 196 pages, Dr. Robert Jeffress has written to Christ-followers who are feeling disheartened with the increasing evil in today's world. He takes the reader through the New Testament book of Ephesians to remind us of the benefits we have as Christians and then to instruct how we are to face the problems confronting us. A couple of the chapter titles really describe the book well:

How to Dress for Spiritual Success

Order in the House

Preparing for War

One of his statements that grabbed and held my attention was this one in the chapter titled, "Soaring with Eagles When You're Surrounded by Turkeys" (not meaning any disrespect here; we all have at one time or another had to struggle with difficult people):

"God's will is to make us like Christ,

and that sometimes includes hard things."

This was a good book that both encouraged and instructed me with truth I need to mature in both life and faith.

Speaking of "hard things," this past week began with a list of issues needing resolution, matters that have been hanging over me for weeks. For the most part, they had to do with social media, apps, the failure of business mail to arrive in a timely manner, questioning how to rectify that, and dealing with people over the phone who do not share my birth language. 

To be fair, these people seem to definitely know what they are talking about but their ability to connect with my senior state of mind, as well as some hearing loss on my part, and with their difficult articulation of English -- well, many of you know what I mean. It is often this enigma that results in my procrastination to address the problems. 

One note I will add, however, is that for the irritation of being kept "on hold" on the phone for long periods of time, I have learned to grab those coloring books of mine so I can do something creative and calming during the wait. (see my last post about coloring books)

But with all of that said, virtually all of the difficulties were resolved and/or I finished this week with a much greater sense of assurance that all is working out as it should. Whew!

Moving on to less-irritating thoughts, at the top of that stack of books in the earlier snapshot is my Sudoku puzzle book. I bought this for myself while standing in a long line at Kohl's at Christmastime in 2023. Having never tried Sudoku before and knowing I should challenge myself more with brainy things (and the fact that the book cover said there is no math required), I bought it for myself. There are 216 puzzles in this particular book. I'm currently working on number 186. 

I generally finish one or two a week only working on them in short spurts of time before moving on to something else needing my attention. I Googled a question about how to do the puzzles. Short Youtube videos were the most helpful to me. It's fun.

Take note of the blue clip-on light in the above snapshot.

I found this nifty accessory at Barnes and Noble bookstore and I love it! It's an LED light with a flexible arm, bright, and re-chargeable. We tend to not turn on lights in our house until it's really dark, so I use this little light for my puzzle book and don't need to switch on the lamp beside my recliner. It works great! I think I spent something like $32 on it, which may sound spendy, but it's so convenient and well-made that the money is worth it. 

There is more I want to share before leaving the topic of books in my house. Gary is reading Henry Winkler's book, Being Henry. 

Although I've not read it yet, at the end of each afternoon session of reading and blogging here on the lanai, I ask Gary, "What's Henry doing now?" (what is going on in the chapter you're reading) and he talks about that. 

We have talked about a lot of the books we read. Like me, Gary leans into biographies and history. He especially appreciates the war stories that have taken place in our lifetime. In one of the trips to our public library, Gary came home with this:

Blaze of Light

It is the true story of Gary Beikirch, a Green Beret Medic and Medal of Honor Recipient from the Vietnam War. During that same time, my Gary was serving in the Air Force military police in both Japan and Thailand.

I was in junior high and high school while these men's lives were in daily danger. For the most part I was oblivious to what was happening on the other side of the world. Teen magazines, orthodontia, acne, teasing my hair, and discovering boys made up much of my world. 

The book validated much of what my husband had already heard, seen, or experienced; while my reading of its pages humbled me greatly. Even as an adult in my seventies,  I matured with the reading of every chapter.

After he got back to the States, this man struggled greatly with PTSD, lived alone in a cave while a student in a Bible college, and then entered Christian ministry with his wife. 

photo source

Closing out this blog post, which has had a lot more verbiage and fewer photos than my normal habit, Isaiah 43:1,2,3 comes to mind. 

Do not fear for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

In 'collating' (that word again! 😏) the events of this past week, I see that necessary things were accomplished and my ability to cope with problems has improved. It is also a good idea to submit to the lessons of humility.

Until next time, grace and peace.