Finally, all the pictures, I hope.

Bird Bush

Close up of bird on top branch

 

Free sandwich

Beautiful sky!

Fox!

So Lovely!

Yum!!

Lots of Pictures

So, I think I'll just say why I took these pictures and then try to get them on here without making this space too messy.  I've always been tech averse, in spite of The Husband being involved in the computer industry our entire marriage.  It's not how my brain naturally works so it's harder than I think it ought to be and I am w-a-y too easily frustrated.  So this little corner of the world where I keep my thoughts and things to remember often looks "less than".  I do my best and that's good enough because this is mostly for me.  

On our morning walks, we have several different routes we take.  I've noticed that on this one particular route, at one specific spot, there's always a small bird of some kind - maybe a finch - that sits on the topmost branch and sings its little heart out.  And just as we walk past, it belts out a good morning.  Of course, I'm sure I'm reading more into this than is the reality.  I just know that every time we walk past that particular bush there's a bird singing.  It truly brightens our walk. (The one picture is of the bush, the second one zoomed in on the birdie.  So fun!).

Yesterday was the promotion at our local Firehouse Subs.  Any one with a certain name or recognizable variations of that name that could prove it with an acceptable ID received a free steak and cheese sandwich.  So off we went.  I ordered one of the same and it was really good.  Very unusual for us to receive anything free from a retailer. Fun to have a lunch out.

The iris that were gifted us are blooming so lovely (and still have some that are just buds).  I am glad I've become so fond of the iris.  They are plentiful around here and so pretty.  Especially when they thrive in spite of our clumsy attempts at gardening.

The skies this morning were stunning.  We saw more deer - been seeing them most days and I love that. They don't come in our yard so much so I don't mind that these urban mule deer are hanging around. This morning's bonus sighting (which I just loved) was a fox.  We haven't seen one of those for several years.  Yay for us. 

Were also gifted a couple yummy luxuries from our favorite doughnut place - a little local shop called "Donut Star".  The cronuts are absolutely luscious, the crullers a perennial top favorite of mine.  Why, oh, why, does sugar and fat captivate our tastebuds so much?!?!

Ten o'clock the other night - lights are visible from the street so it's obvious we are at home.  A horrendous banging on our front door- it's full glass.  No one was actually at the door when we opened it, but we could hear the teens / kids laughing at us from where we couldn't see them.  I figured it was one of the latest TikTok challenges where they are trying to kick in doors and usually causing quite some damage.  Can I just say I despise TikTok? Anyway, we decided that meant the time has come for some security cameras.  Waiting for the proposal bid to come in so we can figure out if we can afford them. A friend yesterday said that she thinks the reason we keep getting targeted is because we don't currently have a doorbell camera.  I think it's just the neighbors kids being somewhat "gentle parented" -  in other words little to no discipline, guidance or boundaries, just encouraged to do whatever they want. But whatever, we'll be spending some money for our own safety and boundaries. 

Don't recall if I mentioned we received the results of our CAC tests.  My score was so high I'm not telling anyone what it is.  It's been a couple weeks and I haven't heard anything from the dr. - figure if I don't hear anything in the next few days I better call and find out if he wants to do any medical treatment.  I am constantly praying to not have any attacks or problems with my heart.  I have lots to do still - I'd rather not be having heart trouble.

I think I've been in "complaint" mode lately.  Was reminded how detrimental that is in so many ways.  I've always kept a lot of things to myself - but these past weeks I've found myself vocalizing hurts and frustrations and concerns in a more negative way and I don't like that.  I think that's a black hole of emotion that just spins and gets bigger and sucks more and more happy and optimism into it leaving more and more negativity and pain.  So I'm on a personal campaign to not complain.  I'm working hard at it.  I don't think complaining is something I should be doing, nor something that Heavenly Father wants me to do.  I hope - am actually determined - to watch my words and remove the complaining part completely from them.

I'm grateful today for a lunch with my friend - it'll be quicker today because we've got stuff going on.  I'm grateful to think there might be a new iPad in my future.  (The memory is so full it won't update anything and the battery is apparently shot.  And here I am justifying my need for a new one which is totally unnecessary.)  Grateful for prayer.  I don't often get the strong sense that they are being answered, but I still am grateful that I can have a heart filled with prayer, it helps me get through stuff.  And grateful that all the music folders from the church building are all filled with the latest new hymns release and back at the church.  It was a busy afternoon taking care of all of those.  (I've already tried to add the pictures and after only one addition things are already mucked up so I'll just do a separate post with nothing but the pictures.  Sheesh, I'm such a dufus. 😂)

Walked in the rain this morning.....

 

Oh, My Aching Back

After our morning walk and breakfast I headed out to the yard.  Spent some very peaceful time pulling out dead weeds.  Only a couple cars drove past, no one was on the street, it was like I had the place to myself.  Perfect temp, not in the direct sunshine and yes, it was lovely.  And I even found a ladybug.  Haven't seen one of those in ages. Yay for me.

The previously chemically killed weeds came up easily.  Yay for me.  The hollyhocks still sent up new leaves after the chemical treatment.  The roots are so huge and deep I couldn't get them up.  So, I just cut them down as close as I could to the ground and will hope if I keep doing that and the plants don't have to have a chance to seed that eventually they might just give up and never sprout again.  They were pretty - the first year.  Now they're a nuisance.  

We had to run an errand and as we left the house I was so pleased with how the garden beds look without all the dead weeds and errant grass.  Yay for me.

But not yay for me?  My back.  I've had some small improvement in my back pain doing the exercises The Husband was prescribed when he had a bad episode with his degenerative disc.  Felt a teeny bit hopeful that I'd be able to manage the incessant pain.  And probably would have had I not spent all
that time bent over in the yard cleaning everything up. We're supposed to go to the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference tonight but I'm thinking I'll take a pass.  It has never been my favorite meeting and a couple hours sitting either on one of those miserably uncomfortable chairs or even in the pews would not be good for me.  So maybe it is yay for me that I get to stay home tonight.  😬

Yesterday afternoon we came home to find the mower here (yes, it's a luxury but so very needed to have someone mow our yard) getting our grass looking so nice.  Had to wait to pull in the driveway because he'd stopped and was taking a picture of our pretty hawthorne tree.  I am constantly surprised at how tall it has gotten.  A couple weeks ago when the berries were all fresh the tree was constantly alive with dozens of waxwing birds feasting.  They were so pretty.  I tried and tried to get a picture but all I managed was a blurry fluttering of feathered wings, so those pictures were deleted.

And I wanted to link to this article.  Found it very, very interesting.  Connections are complicated, right?

True Friends Needed

Today I am again grateful for repentance.  Why, oh why, do I need so much repentance?  (Though seriously, I know that "why" questions like this rarely have an answer.) Life is a struggle for sure.  I'm trying hard.  Failing often. Repenting more often.  Sigh.