Yay...it's Friday! 

Wednesday I had my annual Dr. appointment, I've never had high blood pressure, it's always been quite low, but now it's up. I think it's because I haven't been exercising as consistently as I used to when I had the blessing of Curves to attend. I really need to step up my game here. I also had my mammogram and I must admit I'm a bit concerned there...I saw something on the picture and the tech took another picture to get a different angle. Please pray this is nothing.

Yesterday, Praise the Lord, we got paid. I was able to go grocery shopping and pay all the bills. I don't know when we'll get another paycheck, so I have to be very careful with what remains.

Today I plan to stay home and clean house...I actually want to clean house today. It won't be a deep cleaning, but it will be of the entire house. I also need to cut up some tomatoes I had ripening inside and bake a loaf of bread. I'll put some Swiss Steak in the crock-pot for supper. 
 


I hope the rain clears out tomorrow, I need to finish preparing the yard for winter, and I'd love to take another walk.

IF there is any time left, I have letters to write and cards to make.

I'm still concerned about Daughter #2, she still has not passed her kidney stone. It's like waiting for a bomb to drop...she goes about her day of classes and work and never knows when the pain will hit again. 

I woke up this morning very thankful for my soft, warm bed, my comfortable home and the gorgeous view out my window. 

Scrpapbooks, Flying Squirrels and Organ Practice

I need to do a quick lick and a promise cleaning this morning because I didn't do anything yesterday except scrapbook! I haven't been able to sit down and finish several pages in one sitting in ages! I completed a section of pages for my 3X great-grandfather. I don't have any pictures of him, just information which made planning pages a new challenge. I would take a picture and send it, but it's just too complicated here. I'll have to catch up on all that when I get my new computer...I'm thinking positive!

Also today I am planning my afternoon around organ practice and I have a student coming at 6 p.m. tonight.

For supper tonight I'll cut up some left-over pork chops and toss them in with some stir-fry vegetables.

Heavy on my heart this morning is still Daughter#2. She is feeling somewhat better but to her knowledge she still has not passed the kidney stone and it looks like she'll need to make an appointment to see the Dr. soon. Also, funny but not so funny...she sent me a text this morning: "We have a flying squirrel in the house! It ran over my sleeping body this morning, then it joined me in the bathroom! Tay and I tried to chase it out, but we lost it...it's still somewhere in the house!" Hubby told her to watch out for for the moose, then with a Russian accent, he told her to call Boris and Natasha because they have been trying to get rid of flying squirrel for years! She didn't find him too funny at the moment, but...got to find the humor somewhere!

Daughter#1 called me last night. She wants me to intercept Daughter#2's hospital bill from her ER visit on Friday and let her know how much it is so she can pay it for her!

An Absolutely Gorgeous Day...The Better Version

A good share of this post is a duplicate of an early entry. There is some added text and all the pictures have finally been uploaded. I hope you enjoy your walk with me.

October 3rd, 2012...I am absolutely amazed at how beautiful that day was! 

   
The fresh air, sunshine and temperatures in the low 70's literally beckoned to me. I got my housework done and after lunch planned to go on a walk around the lake for about 45 minutes or so. 
   
With Suki in tow and my camera along, I took off! This is a favorite spot in the area where we walk our dogs every day. 
 
 I have been fascinated by this old building since we moved here. My son and I have often dreamed of restoring it and making it into a fabulous home decorated in an industrial style combined with a pop of warmth. It would have an open concept main floor with the bedrooms upstairs. All the floors would be wood and I'd keep as much of the natural stone as I could without it being too dark. Keep your eyes open, I had some fun with this old place.
 
  The sun was warm but not hot, and the sights, sounds and smells immediately lifted my spirits.
   
 I wanted to somehow scoop up and bottle the scents of pine, dry leaves, moist earth and moss to open again on some dark winter day when the The Little Turquoise House is full of stale air from being closed up. I found them intoxicating!
  The water sparkled, the birds flitted from tree top to tree top and the leaves delicately swirled to the ground. My creativity was renewed and I wanted to take photos, write, scrapbook and compose all at once. My mind was full of ideas and thoughts and plans. Days like today are truly gifts and blessings from God!   I dawdled and soaked up every bit of natural vitamin D I could get to shine on my face.
   

Suki and I enjoyed the view from this bench for quite some time. 

   

Here is another glimpse of the old building.

   
 I absolutely did not want to come home and so I dawdled some more and nearly didn't make it back in time for my student that afternoon. Instead of 45 minutes, we had been gone 2 hours! Before going in, I stopped by the garden and found these Johnny Jump Ups still in bloom. They popped up right next to the vegetable garden this summer. A bit of a story here, these flowers and the larger version, the pansy have always been my mother's favorite flower. We bought this house right around the same time my mom passed away and she was more heavy on my heart than the furniture we were moving. With all the doubts and fears and stresses we were experiencing, I found peace and comfort when these flowers started blooming all over our new front yard. Call me crazy, but I took it as a nod of approval from my mother, that we had done the right thing in buying the house and that she was pleased with it and happy for us.  Now this year we planted our first ever vegetable garden and this little patch of flowers showed up only here and no where else in the yard! October 3rd is a day very near and dear to my heart because it's her birthday and this was the perfect way to celebrate it. 

I hope you enjoyed your stroll with us. Welcome back to the Little Turquoise House!

Friday October 12, 2012...For Lack of a Better Title ;)

Light general cleaning today and three students coming for lessons. I have lots of office/computer work to catch up on. I think I've figured out a way to post the pictures I wanted to share of my walk the other day...I'll let ya know if it works. 

I went to the chiropractor yesterday, she's still working on my shoulders and upper back and also my hips had begun to rotate again. Today I'll find some time to do a yoga work-out to help stretch and strengthen those areas she worked on.

I'm thinking I'll make a stuffed veggie loaf for supper and a batch of chili since I cooked up too many beans this week and I need to use them. 

God's Word: still in Numbers

I'm still praying for a pay-day, but the Lord is showing me meals I can make with what I already have in the pantry.

Hubby gave one of our broken down laptops to a kid he knows working out of one of the colleges IT departments. He's hoping this guy can get it functioning so I can have a laptop again. 

I know that was dry and boring, but I'm tired, headachy and need to get my day started.

Yesterday and Today

The week has begun on the stressful side. Sunday night after our last walk with the dogs we noticed something was wrong with Suki she was up pacing and crying all night. She was obviously in pain, even to go potty. I canceled my practice time yesterday and took her to the vet, it seems her spine is loaded with arthritis. She is now on an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxer but still not doing very well.

Yesterday morning, Daughter number two's room mate called us; Daughter woke in so much pain she was crying and sweating and nauseous so Hubby ran to Houghton to run her to the E.R. Once he arrived though, she was much better. Hubby did some research and he's thinking kidney stones.

Piano tuner came yesterday...$80.00 for that, $145.00 for Suki's visit to the vet and another $65.00 for some essentials at the Co-op. We now have an empty checkbook and I had to put some of that on the Visa card which I hate doing. Praying for a pay-day soon.

Today I have a lesson from 1:30-3:00 and another at 7:00 - 7:45. I need to bake a loaf of bread, reconcile the checkbook...more like slight of hand LOL, light cleaning, work-out, start work on my Christmas cards. 

From God's Word: Numbers 25

I need to get my day started, but will try and come back later to catch up with all of you. 

 

Slippery Roads!!!

We were up at 4:30 this morning and out the door by 5:45...wanted to be gone by 5:30. It had started to snow and the further down the highway we traveled, the more slippery it became. It's early in the season yet and we don't have our winter tires on the car. It all happened so fast. Hubby knew the situation was getting dangerous, so he took his foot off the gas to allow the car to slow down, but it was too little too late. He tried his best to keep the car on the road, but at that point it was out of his control and in God's hands. Would we collide with another car coming in the opposing lane...would the car roll...will one, or both of us be injured...will the car become damaged?  I remember shooting up one of those "help us God" kind of prayers as we swapped ends and sides of the road. Fortunately, it was early and there was no on-coming traffic. We finally came to a stop - funny how it happens so fast and yet the brain can think of so much in that split second - and we took inventory...we were fine, and the car seemed fine, but there was no getting out on our own, we were too far off the road. While we waited for a tow, several good Samaritans stopped to see if they could help as well as an ambulance driver and an EMT on his way to work. Good to know if we were in real trouble, we wouldn't have had to wait long for a caring individual. One reason I do enjoy living in a small town. Once we were out, the tow-truck driver had another call so he would stop by the shop next week sometime to settle Hubby's account. Someone else had slid off the road and hit a guard-rail - we had been blessed and led to safety.

It was too late after all that for Hubby to make his meeting in time, so we came home. I am missing my boy today as I had so looked forward to spending the day with him. My plans now are somewhat up in the air. I have done my floors and at some point today will try to make some soup for after church tomorrow. Mother Hubbard's cupboard is bare and it is a challenge trying to come up with something from the pantry. I may pull out my scrapbook supplies and see about working on that. And/Or, Daughter's friend is getting married today...we weren't planning on attending since we were going to be out of town, but I'll see if Hubby wants to go to the ceremony only. I also think a nap is in order.  

I have something wrong with my right eye. It is blood shot and I have a headache on that side. It doesn't have any other symptoms of pink-eye as I have had that before. I don't know what it is and I cannot make an appointment until Monday morning.

From God's Word, Psalm 46...perfect for today.

Psalm 46

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

God the Refuge of His People.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to Alamoth. A Song.

46 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
³ Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her ^]when morning dawns.
⁶ The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
⁹ He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰ “Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

 

Blustery Friday

Cleaning and scrubbing for two days over the weekend was worth it to be able to get out and enjoy the day on Wednesday. Also, it made for a light cleaning today. This morning I ran the feather duster over the entire house, vacuumed it all, wiped up the bathroom and mopped the kitchen/dinning room. After Hubby left after lunch, I had to go over the kitchen again with the steam mop...I don't know what he had on his feet, but...grrrrrrrrr. 

Yesterday at the chiropractor I found out I have a rib out of place. It's causing all kinds of problems, but today it's better than it was, but not as good as it should be. She wants to see me again in a week, so I have another appointment for next Thursday.

No students today. This afternoon I took Suki to the vet to get her anal gland expressed ...yeah...gross, but it had to be done.  It has been rain/snowing off and on all day with wind gusts around 40 mph. Fortunately, the ground is still warm enough that the snow melts the second it hits. I had to stop at Walmart too. I started a loaf of bread this morning only to discover I was out of yeast.

This evening I have to get ready to leave with Hubby for the city in the morning, he has a clinic to attend and I will spend the day with my son. He wants to be out the door by 5:30 a.m.!!! I just wish the weather was going to be better! 

 

My reading today was Psalm 37:3-11, a favorite passage that was good for me to see again.

 

Thought for today: 

Have faith in God, the sun will shine

Though dark the clouds may be today; 

His heart has planned your path and mine, 

Have faith in God, have faith alway. 

~Agnew

An Amazing, Gorgeous Day!

I am absolutely amazed at how beautiful today was! The fresh air, sunshine and temperatures in the low 70's literally beckoned to me. I got my housework done and after lunch planned to go on a walk around the lake for about 45 minutes or so. With Suki in tow and my camera along, I took off! The sun was warm but not hot, and the sights, sounds and smells immediately lifted my spirits. I wanted to somehow scoop up and bottle the scents of pine, dry leaves, moist earth and moss to open again on some dark winter day when the The Little Turquoise House is full of stale air from being closed up. I found them intoxicating! The water sparkled, the birds flitted from tree top to tree top and the leaves delicately swirled to the ground. My creativity was renewed and I wanted to take photos, write, scrapbook and compose all at once. My mind was full of ideas and thoughts and plans. Days like today are truly gifts and blessings from God! I dawdled and soaked up every bit of natural vitamin D I could get to shine on my face. I absolutely did not want to come home and so I dawdled some more and nearly didn't make it back in time for my student this afternoon. Instead of 45 minutes, we had been gone 2 hours! October 3rd is a day very near and dear to my heart, and this was the perfect way to celebrate it. 

I took pictures...lots of pictures! It's killing me not being able to share them right now, but I want to put them on my external hard drive instead of on Hubby's computer, but he says he has to show me how to properly disconnect it and so I don't want to connect it until I have that instruction. Of course, he's gone for the evening. I was going to wait to tell you about my day, but I wanted to get it down while it was all so fresh in my mind. I may have to copy some of this post again when I have the pictures ready. You can just skip the text then and just look at the pictures if you want.

The temperature dropped much earlier than I had anticipated and shortly after our early supper I had to close the front door and the windows. 

I know we are expecting a rain/snow mix this weekend, but if tomorrow is nice at all, I'm considering going out again. 

I'm very tired tonight, but it's that exercise, fresh air and sunshine kind of tired so it's good. I should sleep well tonight.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So I'll go on Enjoying every lovely day Because I'm sure You would've wanted it that way. And when there's sorrow it's no more than I can bear Because you are, and always were, and always will be there

Monday, Monday

 

 

I am happy to report that Hubby made it home safely and though quite sore and tired, is still in one piece. We had a nice evening just relaxing and catching each other up on our prospective weekends. 

Our final walk with the dogs last night afforded us a spectacular view of the Northern Lights. I don't think I have ever seen a display quite that colorful and active. No, this is not a picture I took, my camera is not good enough for something like that to show up, but I did find a picture that was pretty close to what I saw. The lights reached up and were right over the Little Turquoise House...how I wanted to get a picture of that! 

Hubby and I did a very unusual thing this morning, we went back to bed after taking the dogs out! Unheard of!! I must admit though, it did feel good to catch up on a little sleep. I really didn't think I'd be able to drop off again, once I'm up, I'm usually up...but I did fall back to sleep for an hour or so. 

Plans for the day include a practice session on my favorite organ, a few small projects at my desk and one student this evening. I do so look forward to my favorite TV show tonight. 

Have a great Monday!