Thursday Encouragement-on a Friday

I used to do Thursday encouragement posts weekly...but my last one was in 2021! I am not sure what got me derailed, but I need all the encouragement I can get. So, I am going to try to resurrect this practice in the hopes that I can offer you some encouragement, or if no one reads it, a place to put things that have encouraged me, or that I am thankful for, or that made me laugh. So, it's probably going to be more of a catchall post.

Tourist for a day-Wallace Lake

In June, I did a google search looking for the beach closest to our house. Imagine my surprise when it is only 15 minutes away!!!  It's called Wallace Lake-so obviously not a beach with an ocean, but a beach with a lake, no matter, I will take it! It is in Berea.

The Columbus Book Festival

I was pretty excited about being able to go to the Columbus Book Festival this year. Granted, there were only seven authors I was familiar with, but I planned to try and meet a few of them, and attend the Summer Big Book Sale that was going on at the same time, in the same place! (I only realized they were in the same location the day before, LOL!) We (me and Matt) had planned to leave our house at 7:30 so we would hopefully be there in plenty of time to park at the library. We got started a little later than planned because we had a showing scheduled for that afternoon, so had to leave the house show worthy.

Book Blanket Update (crochet)

 As I mentioned in February I am doing a book blanket with classic granny squares. Instead of doing a classic granny square with five or six rounds, I am choosing to do mine with four rounds. In the post I shared last month, I had pictures from seven squares that I had completed. 

Bookshelf Quilt and Ohio quilt

I have been wanting to do a bookshelf quilt for a year and a half (ever since I saw the idea in a quilting magazine!). But, with running our own sewing business I always had things to prep for that and didn't have time to start it. As we have gotten better organized (and decided not to do camps this summer), I have had more free time. Once I finished my Ohio Quilt, I couldn't wait to dive into my bookshelf quilt. It's been up a few weeks, so I am glad to finally get around to finishing this post!

Share Four Somethings-March 2025

March usually feels like the longest month for me, but this month flew by. I am still struggle to believe the month is basically over!! Our prompts for the Share Four Somethings link-up are some things we loved, some things we learned, some things that went well, and some things we let go of. While the prompts may be new, our host is not, we are still linking up with Jennifer! 

Share Four Somethings-February 2025

I have no idea how we are already at the last weekend of February! It was a weird month for us with lots of sickness and doctors appointments. Once we have some answers, I will expound upon that further. Our prompts for the Share Four Somethings link-up are some things we loved, some things we learned, some things that went well, and some things we let go of. While the prompts may be new, our host is not, we are still linking up with Jennifer! 

Book blanket

Have you heard of the temperature blanket? It's a blanket that you crochet using different shades of yarn for each temperature. I believe a color represents ten numbers, like blue for temps in the 30's or yellow for temps in the 70's.

Share Four Somethings January 2025

It is the first Share Four Somethings post of the new year! I am DETERMINED to be close to time with these posts, LOL, but we'll see how the year goes. If only determination equaled success, right?! Well, new year, new things to share. Our monthly prompts have been tweaked a bit. For 2025 they are some things we loved, some things we learned, some things that went well, and some things we let go of. While the prompts may be new, our host is not, we are still linking up with Jennifer! 

Rendezvous update 2

 So, part two of the JustRead Rendezvous 2024 reader event. You can read part one here. After lunch was another reader panel. Kimberley Woodhouse was the moderator of this one. Each author had to pick one of their characters to be and only answer as that character. It was hilarious. Several authors on the panel were suspense writers, and a couple were fantasy. Sara Ella was one of the authors and I loved her answers. She was in character as Alice in Wonderland from her book The Wonderland Trials. While I had read several authors books who were on the different panels throughout the day, hearing all the authors talk and interact made me want to read their books, even though several are genres I don't read. 

 

Rendezvous Update Part 1

 

Okay, you never realize how socially awkward you are until you get in a room with 200+ people! I didn't know where to sit, I just knew I wanted to sit near a door so I could make a quick exit if I needed to. I didn't know what to say to anyone I talked to and I could literally feel me closing in on myself. As the day went on I relaxed a bit more, but something about being around that many people brings out ALL my insecurities! I also don't think I used to be as socially awkward as I am now before C-vid hit. If I was, it was not as noticeable, LOL! If you are a reader I hope you get an opportunity to go to a reader's event at some point in your life. There is nothing like being with like-minded readers. It was truly an amazing experience.

Finding Jesus + Giveaway

 

Title: Finding Jesus: A Fun and Meaningful Countdown to Christmas

Author: Lillian Richey

Illustrator: Lauren Cox

Publisher: Finding Jesus, LLC

Genre: Christian, children

Source: Front Gate Media

My Review:

I wish Finding Jesus existed when my children were little. We love to celebrate the Christmas season with an Advent calendar, picture books, and a Jesse tree where we had ornaments that represented each scripture that was in the Jesse Tree book. For a few years we even did Elf on the Shelf.  I would have much rather my children found Jesus than Elf on the Shelf 😂!

Share Four Somethings June 2024

Not too many updates in this section this time. Basically, not much has changed.

25th Anniversary Trip

Hi Friends, this past week, Matt and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary!! It does not feel like it has been that many years!! To which we are both very thankful for 😂😂 Anyway, we decided we would not let another anniversary go by without doing anything for it. And, as this was a "big" one, we decided to go to Michigan to get away for a bit (we chose Michigan because it is a state we had not been to yet, and it was closer to home). We left Saturday afternoon, and came home Wednesday afternoon. This will be a mostly pictorial post without a lot of dialogue of what we did! We stayed in Kalamazoo and traveled from there. By the way, each time you get to a coffee picture you have entered a new day 😂.

3 Year Book Blogging Anniversary

Today is my 3rd book blogging anniversary! I can't believe how fast it has gone.

Favorite Picture from December 2023

I am sure I am not the only one who feels like time is getting away from me. I am also sure it surprises no one that December was another busy month. Show of hands for those out there who did NOT have a busy month... There are so many things I want to do, yet I can't find the time to get them done. We are not so far into January that I can't share my favorite picture from December.

Share Four Somethings November/December 2023

Happy New Year's Eve! Can you believe we will wake up tomorrow to a whole new year? I can't. I don't know where this year went, but in a lot of ways I am glad for it to
be over. Anyway, I am happy to be able to look back over the month and link up with Jennifer to share my Four Somethings. I will be sharing things I've loved, learned, read, and ate!

 Something Loved

I have loved traveling over the past few months. I went to Tennessee, taking my mom with me, and got to meet my great-niece. We also traveled to VA to see our friends who are like family for Thanksgiving, which was wonderful! You can see some pictures and details here.

Something Learned 

So much about my health. I am still working on getting my body back in whack, and my functional medicine doctor said it would take at least 6-months. (Cindy says probably longer if she doesn't stop the stress eating!)

Something Read

I did not have any five star reads in November, but I have had a few in December. You can click on the cover to see my reviews.

Something I Ate Personal Updates

You may or may not have noticed that I did not post in November. These past few months have been HARD. Elijah's surprise surgery in October was supposed to have a very quick recovery, long story short, it did not. He had his final follow-up visit in December, 10 weeks after the surgery. He is still not 100% healed, but is doing great. I ended up getting sick with bronchitis and fought it for 5 weeks. In the midst of these things a family member had a cancer diagnosis, has had surgery, and begins radiation in January (prayers appreciated, this is all I can say about this on a public forum). Also, in November, coming back from Indiana to get my mom, to take her with me on my trip to TN, my car broke down an hour from home. IT IS STILL in the shop. It has been weeks of rental cars (until Kayla come home from college), and sharing cars. My car is supposed to be fixed by the end of this week (January 5th), which will be 8 full weeks of it being in the shop. They have told us several times it would be done, but we are pretty confident this time it will be. There has been quite a bit of travel over the past few weeks, transition to a new job, working Monday and Tuesday from 8-5, and with my health the way it is, that has been beyond exhausting. So much so that I have debated quitting multiple times (which is hard because I am not a quitter). I also had my previous employer reach out to me and wanted to me to start a small preschool, so I could teach her son and a few other kids. We have been back and forth on that for two months, and it is on hold for now. I like the idea, but there is so much with that, and yeah, just so much. I am hoping that things get easier. We are still trying to get our sewing business to grow. We are adding two new students next week, which is exciting. I was asked recently if it was a full-time business, and the answer is yes/no. Yes, because I work on it EVERY SINGLE day, and no, because we do not have enough business for it to be full-time. We have not recouped the start up costs this year, which for a new business, is not surprising. We will see how 2024 does for us. We celebrated Christmas at home and it was a wonderfully, relaxing day. Kayla's boyfriend came mid-day, we had a fabulous meal, played a bunch of games, and just had a nice time. Anyway, we are still in a season of high stress, but we have Kayla home for another week and a half, so the holidays don't quite feel like they are over yet 😉 I hope you and yours are doing well. Happy New Year!

"To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Philippians 4:20

 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

 

What is something you have loved, learned, read, or ate this month?? To see what other bloggers are sharing this month head over to Jennifer's blog.

Share Four Somethings-October 2023

October has been a weird, hard, crazy month. Long story short, Elijah ended up having surgery at the beginning of the month, and is still recovering. He was off work most of the month, and went back this past week for 3 half days. He has 3 more follow up appointments lined up.

Share Four Somethings-September 2023

 I feel like I should start with a confessional, forgive me, Father, for I have sinned...I am not Catholic, nor do I have sins I need to confess here. I had INTENTIONS of posting here more frequently, even started posts, but alas, I failed again. Anyway, I am happy to be able to look back over the month and link up with Jennifer to share my Four Somethings. I will be sharing things I've loved, learned, read, and ate!

Share Four Somethings-July 2023

Well, it looks like I might get this post out in the month of July, yay! This month has gone quickly and I can't believe Tuesday is August. This has been a weird summer and it's also weird that I am not preparing for the school year. Anyway, I am happy to be able to look back over the month and link up with Jennifer to share my Four Somethings. I will be sharing things I've loved, learned, read, and ate!