My Favorite Things . . .

 

A few of the things in my life which make my heart go pitter pat over the past year. Since we are at the end of 2022, and this will be my last Favorite Things post for the year I thought it would be fun to share them! 

These two keeping me company all the year through. Helping me to fold laundry, making bread on my lap and next to me on the sofa.

They were my neighborhood watch. Nothing passed by without them noticing and letting me know about it! Such fun! 

Getting to study the Old Testament with David Freeman and Emily Butler on Don't Miss This. The Old Testament came to life for me like it never has done before. I learned so much and have come to love the Old Testament. They are such wonderful scriptorians and so enthusiastic in their teaching. I am really looking forward to studying the New Testament with them in 2023.

Sharing cooking, art, sewing and adventures with my sister Cindy. We really are best friends. I have love LOVED spending time with her and am really looking forward to spending more time with her in the coming year (s).  She is such a talented and caring individual, and a wonderful friend and example to me and to everyone around her.  We all love her.

 

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This year I found peace and joy in the simple things of the every day. I believe that the road to anyone's heaven is lined with the paving stones of simplicity with the small and  simple things of life, and I embraced that belief as never before. What a great blessing that has been.

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“Know the true value of time; 

snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it.” 

 ~Lord Chesterfield 

This year I have valued my time more than ever before.  I have embraced every moment and tried to make each count in a special way. I think as you get older time becomes more important. As the sands in our hour glasses begin to trickle down towards the end of our time here on earth, it becomes even more precious.  This year I have tried not to take anything or any blessing or any moment for granted. I have been especially cognizant of time spent with my father. Each minute of time spent with him is a treasure in my box of heart felt treasures.

"Nothing is too hard for my God."

~Jeremiah 32:17 

I have become well acquainted with pain, but within that pain I have been able to find peace and trust. I know the aching.  I know about the lowest of the low valleys and the struggle to climb back up the mountain . . .  three steps forward and two steps back. I know the tender mercy of what it feels like when grace and pain collide together . . . the tender mercy of feeling peace in the middle of my pain. 

I have felt the veracity of D&C 84:88 where the Lord said, "I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you to bear you up." 

I have felt His spirit in my heart, and I have been ministered to by His angels. Many of them in human form. I am so grateful for a heart that sees this and for the Grace of God which has encompassed and attended me all the way on my journey, even if I was not always aware of it at the time.

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I celebrated a year of being in my own home and in another few months it will be two years. (May) I have never lived on my own before, not really, or been completely responsible for keeping myself. This has been an amazing journey of growth for me and learning as well.  I am grateful at the same time to know that if I ever need any help Cindy and Dan are always willing to step up to the plate, whether it be helping me to get Nutmeg out from behind my washing machine, or put furniture together, replace the batteries in my smoke detector, sort and organize myself and my cupboards, etc. I am so appreciative of them, and all that they do for me.  I am also appreciative of the skills I did not know I had and which I have been able to exercise.  I was worried that I might feel lonely or alone, but I really haven't.   I am busier than ever it seems!  Busy is good!

I enjoyed doing my window boxes and growing my herbs, putting up my geraniums, etc.  I was thinking that next year I wouldn't do geraniums, but who am I kidding.  I love my red geraniums.  Anthony has plans to come over in the spring on his own and help me sort out my garden, etc. That will be nice.  I have such good sons and I do not take them for granted. I just have a great family.  They are a real blessing to me.

I really enjoyed the Hummingbirds this year and I look forward to their return next year.  Hummingbirds were something I really missed when I lived in the UK (they don't get them). I would love to be able to feed all the birds, but alas, as soon as I put out regular bird seeds, I get bluejays emptying my feeder before any other bird can come. I am not sure what the solution is for that.

I became even more acquainted with Chippy this year. He was a daily visitor and towards the end of the season quite tame. I make sure not to completely tame him as I want him to hold a healthy fear just in case the cats should ever get out and catch hold of him. That would break my heart. But he is fun to watch, and they enjoy watching him as well. As soon as they heard me shake my peanut bag, they knew he was about and scrambled up onto the windowsill so that they could watch him stuff his little cheeks.

Making Luna Lapins along with my sister. This has been a fun adventure. We need to do more in the coming year, make more clothes, etc. Mine still does not have a nose. I need to rectify that. I think I am afraid of ruining her. I need to reign in my perfectionism and just get it done. 

I so enjoyed the Platinum Jubilee this year, taking in all that I could via my television and BritBox. I am so glad that I did in retrospect.  This was the last year we had to enjoy her Majesty. She was such a fine example to us all.  Her service to her country and people were unbeatable. There will never be another Queen so dedicated as her I don't think.   I watched the carol service that was done in her honor at Westminster Abby over Christmas and enjoyed that also. It was a very fitting tribute to her and her legacy.  I think it was wonderful that she was able to enjoy the Platinum Celebrations and to know just how revered, loved, and appreciated she was.

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This year I have learned the art of patience in prayer.  Not all of our prayers are going to be answered immediately and some of them perhaps not even in this lifetime. I do know that they will be answered at some point and that the answers will be what's best for everyone concerned.  I have learned to trust more in God's will for me and for others. I have come to know that sometimes seemingly no answer at all is the answer. I have learned to be okay with that.

What good is it to believe in a God who only gives me exactly what I have asked for??  Maybe there is more value to be had from leaning into the times when I felt let down . . .  when the answers I wanted or was looking for never came . . . 

But maybe the answers that I thought never came were exactly the answers that I needed?? I know that a huge part of faith comes in believing that He will answer our prayers  . . .  but maybe an even bigger part comes in believing and having faith that the answer that doesn't come or that doesn't fit what we want, is the answer  . . .  is the thing that we needed most of all.  That its the lesson that matters most, especially in the hardest of things.

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Wednesday night suppers with Dad and his friends at the Big Scoop. The food is not all that great, but meh . . . we are making memories. Sunday dinners with the family.  Having them over here for dinner on occasion as well. Time spent together with family.  It's the best time of all.

The gift of bleeding hearts from my neighbor Sheila.  She is such a nice woman. She lost her dog this year and of course her friend Al across the road.  She has a new rescue dog now, named Hobo. He came to her from Ontario. She is always the first to call me to let me know if it is slippery outside, etc. I am grateful for good neighbors. 

My brother's and niece Alison's visit in July. It was so nice to see David and to spend time with them both.  I really enjoyed the trip David and I took up to Margaretville.   Basically, all I did was sit at a picnic table and enjoy the scenery while he took a walk along the beach, but it was so good to get out and into the fresh air. And it was good to spend the time together.

I also enjoyed many moments in the summer months sitting out under my sister's car port taking in the fresh air and the company of Cindy and Dan. Feeding the chipmunks, crows, pigeons, chickadees.

Again, time spent with family is never wasted and always a blessing.

 

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Another one of the highlights of this past summer was getting to spend some time in the company of my friend Ginny and her husband Tom, from New Hampshire.  We really enjoyed our visit so much and it was so good to meet up in person finally. Ginny is the friend who made my beautiful tea cozy and finally meeting her in person and putting a face to this wonderful person who has blessed my life was an extra special highlight of what has been a very good year.  They were both so charming and the time passed far too quickly.  We could have easily spent many more hours together and hopefully one day we will be able to do it again. It was a jewel in my 2022 crown of happiness.

Another jewel in my crown of happiness was getting to spend Thanksgiving with my son's family, along with dad, Cindy and Dan.  We had so much fun together and my son cooked a fabulous turkey!  It was great.

And then I got to do it again in November with Doug and his family.  Josh and I got to bake cookies together and I learned how to play Uno.  It was so nice seeing all the boys together and to finally get to spend some time with Jake in person as well.  Although we have always been well acquainted via facetime, it was really nice to be able to spend some real time together. 

And of course, being able to cap my year off with Anthony and family time again has been just the best!  When I think of all the times like this I have missed over the years because I was living so far away, it makes my heart sad, but we are making up for it now and that makes me very happy.

My 2022 year has been blessed with abundance in one way or another.  I am such a lucky person to have so many favorite things and experiences in my life.  And of course, each of you is also a part of that abundance and I want you to know that you are also one of my very favorite things and a much-valued presence in my life.  

I am excited to see what 2023 will bring to our tables. I think 2022 will be pretty hard to top!

A thought to carry with you . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

  ˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*Failure is not the opposite of success,
it is a part of success.•。★★ 。* 。 

I am sharing my pick of favorite recipes for 2022 in The English Kitchen today.  Check it out to see which ones I enjoyed the most!

I hope that you have a beautiful day. Be happy. Be blessed. Be safe.  Don't forget! 

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And I do too!