Monday, September 11, 2017

Happy Homemaker Monday and My Daybook September 11, 2017


Dear Ladies, 

Hello again! I am honored that you are interested in my day books. Each week I wonder at the many ladies that come and visit my humble blog. I am thankful. 

Over the years, I've linked my day books with The Simple Woman, and later, I changed format and linked with Happy Homemaker Monday. Right now I feel I need simplicity, so I'm going to keep it simple and easy.

May God bring you strength, patience, hope, and perseverance during the days to come as many of us are still adjusting to preparing school lessons, sending our children to school, or even sending a child off to college or trade school. Still more difficult, many are facing the consequences of natural tragedies which have occurred or are currently unfolding.

My thoughts have been with my Cousin Gloria in Florida all weekend. I've prayed often. She's in northeastern Florida, and she and her husband decided to stay put. As of 3 a.m. this morning, she had lost power, but they are safe. My prayers are for those in the path of Hurricane Irma, those who are in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and with those of the northwest and west who are facing the wildfires. 

Sometimes it just all seems like too much, BUT GOD.


♥♥♥
Remembering 9/11
♥♥♥

Outside my window...
The sky is growing light, but I cannot yet see if it's going to be cloudy or clear. The grass is much greener, as are the trees, than they usually are for September. No doubt, that's because of our cooler summer.

I am thinking...
I will be so glad when I recover from this chemo. I wonder what the next step, surgery and recovery, will be like.

I am thankful...
I have a safe place to live.

In the kitchen...
I have leftover beans and rice that I made for lunch yesterday. It's one of Briana Thomas' recipes. Lowell and the girls were home for lunch. We added low-fat sour cream, Pace Picante Sauce, tomatoes, and green pepper on the side. I also added a small bit of cheddar cheese mixed in. The consensus was that it needed to be spicier. They suggested added Rotel type tomatoes or green chiles or maybe even taco seasoning.

I am wearing...
I'm still in my pink and white nightgown. My husband got up and left early for work. I've been having trouble sleeping, so I listed to Bible on YouVersion for awhile, then I got up to come and write to you.

I am creating...
I finished a chartreuse green dishcloth last night. I just need to sew in the ends. I'm not feeling very creative right now.

I am going...
I'm not doing much this week. My daughter was invited to a KC Royals baseball game, so I'm going to take her to her friend's house later this morning. This is one time that I'm thankful for the flexibility of homeschooling. She may not get another opportunity like this.

I am wondering...
what the rest of this year is going to look like for our family. I need surgery and radiation. My husband also needs knee replacement surgery. I don't know how it's all going to work out.

I am reading...
The Farmer's Bride Collection. It's a collection of short stories. I find that I wish the stories were developed into full length novels. 

I am hoping...
that Hurricane Irma continues to decrease in strength. I believe that all the prayers of the saints on Sunday made a big impact.

I am looking forward to...

I am learning...
I cannot power through this fatigue that I'm feeling. I don't have any choice but rest. 

Around the house...
I've got the general cleaning up that always needs to be done after a busy weekend. I also need to do some laundry. I can't say how much I'll get done, but I must make progress.

I am pondering...
not much right now truthfully.

A favorite quote for today...



Favorite post this week... 

One of my favorite things...

A few plans for the rest of the week... rest and assessment on Friday to see if my blood counts are up or down. If I get some energy, I may try to do a bit of decluttering and putting things away in preparation for minimal fall decorating. Truthfully, it will depend on how much help I get this year.  The kids are pretty busy these days.

A peek into my day...
My last chemo day with nurse Laura and
my faithful companion Rebecca of
Rebecca's Hearth and Home


 ~~~~~
May the God of Shalom peace, 
nothing missing, nothing broken, nothing lacking 
bless you as you seek to love Jesus 
with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Laura
Happy at Home
~~~~~


P.S. I am reading all of your comments. Your prayers and words of encouragement these last couple weeks have buoyed me up. 
Thank you for being patient with me. I'm still not replying unless someone asks a question or requests it. Right now it just seems to take too much energy. 

Hugs to you all!
Laura

♥♥♥

May I suggest?

Christmas Gifts for Children... Precedents, Disappointment, and Gratefulness


~~~~~
Join us at Happy Homemaker Monday


23 comments:

  1. You sweet girl, rest, rest, The cobwebs will wait plus they will look like Halloween decorations.

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  2. Good morning Laura, I'm so happy your done with chemo. Did you ring a bell after the last one? My brother and daughter in law both had radiation all summer for different cancers and they rang bells after their last treatments.
    You are just beaming with joy in your photo.

    I've had the Youversion app for years but didn't know it had audio. Thank you for mentioning it. It's a great app, isn't it?

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  3. I love to read your uplifting and thankful posts. You always leave me hopeful, thank you. Rest up Dear Laura. Praying for you.

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  4. You are in my prayers during this time of difficulty for you!

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  5. Sweet sweet Laura, sending prayers to our Father for you. May He bless you through this rough time in your life. I am praying the surgery and radiation will be as easy as possible..
    Take it easy... Know your energy is low..[Your body is telling you..rest,rest, rest...--- so very hard, hugs,hugs, hugs]
    Fall, I love fall ... Maybe just a pumpkin set out this year.. Dont try to over do.. hugs.

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  6. I love your Kringling!! What a cute word for a description of what you're doing. And much nicer than hollering, "Nevermind what I'm doing! JUST GET OUT!!!!"
    It reminds me of our girl code in junior high for dealing with our periods...."Oh, rats. That's the weekend my cousin, Scarlett is visiting."

    About your rice and beans....I add taco seasoning to the rice and it's great! We like a little spice, as well.

    My day has been annoying!! Or, at least my hour of bad luck!! First, I knocked my coffee over on my desk, my lap, and down my leg. Big mess and now my office smells like coffee! I changed clothes and went to make my lunch. Ants on the counter. Not a lot, but it took me about 30 minutes to deal with that. Finally, I was getting out a colander to clean my lettuce greens in. Another bowl fell out and landed right on my toenail...that has an broken & tender nail . That yelp you heard would've been me!! The good news is this: I was done filing so the only thing on my desk was my blotter...now coffee scented lol....the ants seem to be gone...and the bowl hitting my toe was plastic. But, it still hurt enough to make my eyes water!

    Since then, I've been doing okay! Sheesh. I was about ready to go lock myself in the closet!

    Keep on resting. Fall hasn't even officially started so don't rush. You've got plenty of time. Do some of the easy stuff on your Fall bucket list. Like make one, if you haven't already! Or have something pumpkin or maple flavored. And feel better!!

    Blessings to you, Laura!!

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  7. I enjoyed your daybook. This is probably how I first met you. I used to link with Peggy but now I just do my own thing. I hope you continue to rest and heal. My prayers are with you!

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  8. Sorry I have been missing here the last couple of posts. We had brain rehab last week and that always exhausts us both. Most all of our families are in Florida and we had a wakeful and prayerful night while we knew they were in the direct path. We are so happy that they all came through with only power outages and debris in their yards. The remnants are over us now with heavy winds and rain. I keep hearing things hitting the roof and windows. We are hoping to not lose power tonight but will be fine if we do. We live on a heavily wooded property so our concern is that our trees stay upright!

    My Dad had knee replacement in the spring. His surgeon did the replacement through the side of the knee and did not cut the main muscle which meant a much quicker and easier recovery. So that may be something to look for in a surgeon. He had it done in Orlando and there were patients there from all over the country to have that surgeon do their replacement. We were blessed that Mom and Dad live right there.

    I am so glad that you are finished with chemo and can heal. I continue to pray for you. Rest well my friend.

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  9. Hello beautiful Gal! Still holding you up in prayer as you face the other obstacles ahead. You are never alone and it's so important to get the rest you need. Listen to your body and do what you need to do. I hope you have a blessed rest of the week.
    xoxo

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  10. Sweetest Laura, what a blessing to visit with you this early evening. And oh, what a precious picture of you with your friend and nurse :) Your are such a beautiful lady!

    I am truly honored that you would include my post in your favorites...thank you, friend.

    Hugs to you!

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  11. This is such a sweet post. Hope you feel better with each passing day. I think about you. I've just read your last post. Your mother was beautiful and looks like she would be very sweet, like you.

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  12. Hello Laura, I enjoyed you post!

    Today was a mostly easy day.
    I did routine vacumning, emptied it out, it has a dirt cup. I do not pull out the big vac, it takes a toil on my back, so I use the stick quick
    .
    I cleaned out much the excess leftovers in the fridge, only a few lingering things, I need to freeze most of this, because truth telling, I just don't want them right now! & took out all the trash.

    Before I left I had a couple of strange experiences, the town had been working out side all day across the road, they shook the house so much things were falling out of the kitchen cabinets. The big tin lid bounced off the big glass sugar jar, just the lid, thankfully not the half filled jar itself, and a box of things sitting near. Just so happened I set those things there, and glanced at that lid,and jar, but had not touched it, less that an hour before that.

    I heard someone beating on the wall of the house. There was a very hard of hearing man looking for someone, he forgot his name he said, because the person had a bee swarm in his house, and this fellow apparently removes them. He told me three times, he used to work at the coal silo that used to exist here. He was looking for some unknown stranger at an address he did not know who he said drove an eighteen wheeler, and had called him from North Carolina to see if he would come to his house where he could see the town hall from. He said he didn't think he could save them, and if I'd been working where at? As if working at home is not work! I kid you not, he came to me! Needless to say I had no clue, but I did send him to my neighbors house, the only one I could think of that might be him. I had not seen him in weeks, the eighteen wheeler was no where in sight lately.

    Life at my house!

    I did go out awhile, to the library, my son's house, and the dollar store, and had to do a load of laundry when I came back.
    Those things are hanging on the clothes horse for tonight, rain is moving in.

    I had to wrangle the big dog at my son's , he knocks me down when he jumps, part St. Bernard, part Great Pyranees, pure baby, he is forever getting tangled in everything. I spent several minutes trying to maneuver him in the light rain, can't figure out how he got in that tangle today.
    I steppied in the maurading pig droppings, eek! That's why I had to wash my shoes after coming home! I did wash them outside with the hose, and soaked my jeans, before I left there, they had to get washed too!

    Oh, and I toted the baby around while feeding the three dogs, that pig that thinks it's a dog, and the six rabbits! Not life on a farm, but it does feel like it! My son says he's getting a goat next, oh help!
    I checked out the last of the flowers, gone to seed in the garden, thinking I should have gathered them Before the rain came! While they were still nice and dry!

    I also toted two straw bales for my son, part of the way, with him saying, They're not heavy!" Yes, they were! So I only took them part way through the jungle, I mean his yard! Oh, truthfully it was not a jungle, he had mowed the big section this weekend, only not the part you have to push mow to get to the pet forrest!

    Oh well,when I did come home, I sat outside, in the car, not smelly, but feeling like it, and read part of the beginning of a new library Amish book, by Wanda Brunstetter, 'The Beloved Christmas Quilt.' I was first on the list, and it came in while I was at the library. I also had my dinner in the car reading, picnic style, thankfully Not Smelly! And you know, I just sat there awhile watching the wind blow, and thinking about Irma, and just being grateful it had tamed down from what was originally projected.

    All this sounds like a bad movie, but that was my day. Just telling you something stupid and silly, but true, just to make you laugh. It made me laugh writing it out!

    Still praying for you, and hoping for good for you. No need to answer, at this point I don't know why or how you'd want too!

    Hugs!

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    Replies
    1. OH my goodness Annie!
      You not only made me laugh aloud, I read it to my husband, too! I cannot believe it all happened in one day! I've not been answering folks, just been tired, and it takes time to answer everyone then copy the answers on the blog, but I just had to answer this!

      You make my life seem rather calm. ~smile~

      God bless you dearie!
      Laura

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  13. Glad you've finished your chemo. Hope you get some rest and that you have a wonderful week!

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  14. Hello sweet lady. I love that quote. I loved taking a look at your day!! Do you live near or close to Branson? You can email me personally if you do not want to share. I am only asking because I coming there the last week of September. gotjoy4@hotmail.com

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  15. I am pleased this phase of treatment is done! My prayers are still always with you!

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  16. Sweet Laura, I can not even imagine what it feels like to go through chemo. I'll find out soon whether or not I will. I pray that you will feel stronger each and everyday. I love that you are looking forward to Christmas Kringling. We have to be positive and look forward to fun things that we love and that make us happy!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  17. You are an amazing woman. I appreciate that you take the time to keep us posted and to uplift us with your sweet posts. I am praying that the chemo was the worst part for you and that the next steps will be easier. I hope your daughter had a great time at the ball game!

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  18. Blessings to you and your family, thanks so much for sharing! I wish I had more time for more comments, but so many things are calling for me.

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  19. Praying for you Laura, your calm and trusting spirit is such an encouragement! Loved the picture of your nurse and sweet friend who has been there for you! So thankful that all we know in the path of Irma survived it all okay, and praying for continued safety in the cleanup, because that can be just as dangerous. Hoping that you get your strength back soon, and I will be praying about your husband's upcoming knee surgery too. It seems sometimes life just piles on! But then, there are more miracles along the way, the more the problems, the more the Lord shows up to take care of us, I've never seen His hand of Goodness forsake us in our hour of need! Will continue praying and believing for you dear friend! Love and hugs :)

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  20. Laura, you are a marvel! The way you keep enjoying the "little things" each day as you navigate this difficult journey you're on. Inspiring!

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  21. I enjoyed reading this. I hope that you are feeling better. Here's a little poem for you.

    God's Great Grace

    God's grace is great enough to meet the great things,
    The crashing waves that overwhelm the soul,
    The roaring winds that leave us stunned and breathless,
    The sudden storms beyond our life's control.

    His grace is great enough to meet the small things,
    The little pin-prick troubles that annoy,
    The insect worries, buzzing and persistent,
    The squeaking wheels that grate upon our joy.

    Annie Johnson Flint

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  22. What a great daybook post! This blessed me so much to read it today. Praying for you as you continue your fight. Be good to you as often as possible. May God be your strength each day in a way that gives you great peace as you lean hard into Him.

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Thank you so much for "talking back" to me!

I read all comments and appreciate them.
Please make sure I have your email if you want me to respond or pray for you.

God bless you! This life only works with Jesus. The next life is a continuation of this one—make sure you spend it with Jesus. Jesus is the only way to God the Father!

Your blog friend,
Laura Lane
5 Year Cancer Survivor