Just Share It: The Tate's

                                                             Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                             everyday is a journey.




This is the gospel of labor—ring it,
Ye bells of the kirk—
The Lord of Love came down from above
To live with the men who work.
This is the rose he planted, here
In the thorn-cursed soil;
Heaven is blest with perfect rest, but
The blessing of earth is toil.

—Henry van Dyke

The following is another one of my favorites and I wanted to share it with all of you. Sometimes, we just need a good laugh, so why not today? I hope you enjoy. 

Culbertson: The Tate Family

   Adam and Eve's last name may have been Tate. I say that because churches are filled with members of the Tate family. Here's a humorous look at the Tate family members that may go to your church:

There's old man Dic Tate. He wants to run everything.

Poten Tate wants to be a big shot.

Uncle Ro Tate tries to change everything. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is not one of his favorite proverbs.

Miss Tate is a single cousin who always trips over her tongue.

Mu Tate is a strange person.

Sister Agi Tate is always stirring up trouble, helped along by her husband, Irri Tate.

Decapi Tate is even worse. It doesn't matter who's leading the church or one of its programs. He's always after whoever is in charge.

Debili Tate seems to cripple every good move the pastor makes.

Whenever someone proposes a new project or event, it's impossible to get Hesi Tate or his wife, Vege Tate, interested. They always want to wait at least until next year.

Regurgi Tate always wants to bring something up again for a new vote.

Resusci Tate breathes new life into the church.

The twins Anno and No Tate keep copious records of business meetings.

There's Aunt Imi Tate who thinks her pastor ought to preach like her favorite TV preacher. She's also like for our music to be like that at a church she visited.

Devas Tate provides the voice of doom. He thinks he has the gift of prophecy.

No one has seen Apos Tate for a while. She just dropped out of sight.

Gravi Tate transferred her membership in from a neighboring church because she likes our preacher better. When a pastoral change comes along, she'll probably start looking around for another church.

Fortunately, there's Brother Facili Tate who is always helpful.

One happy, delightful member is Miss Felici Tate.

While cousins Cogi Tate and Medi Tate always need to think things over; they are sure to lend helpful, steady hands.

Mili Tate always jumps in, ready to work.

Rehabili Tate helps run the church's activities.

One member of the family introduces himself like this: "My name is PO TATE. I have all daughters.What more do you need to know? I am married to my SWEET TATEr. My oldest daughter is my Spud. My youngest daughter is my TATER TOT."

The family even has a black sheep: Ampu Tate. He has completely cut himself off from the church because of some relatively minor (in terms of Kingdom values) dispute.

Have a blessed day everyone.

An Early Riser . . . Once

                                                                  Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                    everyday is a journey.




I cannot say,
Beneath the pressure of life's cares to-day,
I joy in these;
But I can say
That I had rather walk this rugged way,
If Him it please.
S. G. BROWNING



I remember getting up very early in the morning before the sunrise and I would just write. Just spend the next couple of hours writing as the apartment building sat silent. Oh, those were the days. Why can't I do that now?

Since then, I think I'm at least two years older and another treatment gone by. It certainly has taken it's toll on me. I am still recovering from my "bug" from the weekend. I don't have the same stamina that I once had. It seems I was more disciplined and efficient in everything. I didn't run back and forth to the stores or for errands throughout the week. I had a schedule that I followed. 

The reason for it I think is that we lived farther away from these things. Here we are ten minutes from work and stores all around us. We can go anytime. When something is farther away, we tend to make it count when we go there.

Honestly, I don't feel like I can write here as I did back in the old place. There is no scenery here to look at with the windows being higher up and not really at desk level. Emily jokes that perhaps God is making sure I mind my own business. There is truth in that.

Besides all that, there is a restlessness in me. Things haven't been right or seem right. I don't care for uncertainty or the not knowing of how things will turn out. I long for something different. There is a road that I'm on now that isn't comfortable nor easy, but it's one I need to go on. 

Psalm 139:23-24 New International Version (NIV)

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Last Few Days

                                                           Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



Father, let our faithful mind
  Rest, on Thee alone inclined;
  Every anxious thought repress,
  Keep our souls in perfect peace.
C. WESLEY.

I had such big plans for the past weekend. In fact, it seems that every weekend is a time I look forward to with a list mile long. It doesn't always work out the way I want it to, but at least, I do get some rest before starting the next work week. 

Not this weekend. It started out well with my usual trip to the Farmers Market. Emily has been working the morning shift, so we were looking forward to a nice Supper in the evening with our usual movie afterwards. I've been craving a chicken noodle soup all week and bought all fresh ingredients for it. I was really looking forward to it, even buying freshly baked rolls to go with it. 

The soup came out a little over seasoned on the salty side. I added more water to mine, but I didn't finish it. Now, I'm not sure if it was the soup or perhaps I already had a bug in me, but my tummy expanded as if I was pregnant nine months. I ended up being sick for the remainder of the weekend. I was nauseous, had a fever and was throwing up all night. Finally, Emily made me some singer tea, I threw up for the last time and fell asleep for the rest of the morning. 

I'm feeling a little better, well enough to go into work, but still a bit queasy. I think I had a bug, because Emily was not sick at all, just me. It just shows you how quickly one's day or weekend can change in a flicker. Stay well everyone and rest when needed.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

An Epic Fail

                                                             Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.





In busy mart and crowded street,
  No less than in the still retreat,
  Thou, Lord, art near, our souls to bless,
  With all a Father's tenderness.
I. WILLIAMS.


The other night, coming home and turning into our parking lot, I saw a skunk sniffing someone's car tires. So I say to Emily: "Hey, when we pull into our spot, let's make a run for the door in case we run into a skunk." 

We pull in right in front of the door, because we have a handicap parking placard. We get out and I almost trip over myself. My purse drops and spills over. Emily makes it to the door, but can't find the right key. We finally hobble in and Emily is wearing a chain around her neck with her key chain. It catches on the doorknob. 

We burst out laughing. I said, "Talk about an epic fail. If there was a skunk out there, he would have sprayed us three times over." 

We really had a good laugh over it and maybe, that's exactly what we needed most. Work, for both of us, has been very trying. We definitely could use a mini vacation or perhaps, something good come out of all this stress we have been under. I've also learned that one cannot truly prepare for what is coming. We cannot control the future or the outcomes, we can only control how we handle and process it. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Mania Of Coffee

                                                            Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.

Thy sinless mind in us reveal,

    Thy spirit's plenitude impart!

  Till all my spotless life shall tell

    The abundance of a loving heart.

C. WESLEY.

Can I have a large mocha latte with almond milk, steamed to 180 with an extra shot no foam, but only half the amount of mocha, double the cup with no sleeve with extra, extra whip cream. 

Good Lord, whatever happened to a regular cup of coffee? There was a time where we ordered a simple black or with cream coffee. If we wanted to be a bit bold, we would ask for an expresso! Try going into any coffee shoppe or even ice cream parlor and look at their menu. Simplicity has left the building.

I am amazed at the Baristas in these shops. It really does take skill for them to make some of these coffees or at least a great memory! It is way too much for me. Whenever I have to meet up with someone at one of these places, I always ask Emily what can I drink there? I'm just a plain cream and sugar cup of coffee woman. Kind of boring compared to the rest of them.

This is a perfect example of our world today. Everything to the extreme, that's why this generation is called the #MeToo movement. Don't mind me, I've just become too old for it. It's no wonder that so many people are leaving the cities for a simpler way of life. This has become too much for all of us in one way or another.

Watching YouTube, one can see many people reverting back to nature, buying old farms and beginning new homesteads. These same people are home schooling and raising chickens. I guess they prefer an ordinary cup of coffee instead of all this fancy gluttony. 

In our last Church. Emily was volunteering at the Resource Desk and right beside her was the coffee machine with all it's samplings. One day, one of her co-volunteers poured herself a cup, added several tbsp. of flavored creamer and several packets of sugar. She took a sip, grimaced and added more of each. I guess it wasn't sweet enough. It was just an ordinary sized styrofoam cup. I think that speaks for itself. The mania is certainly here.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Living A Christ-Filled Life

                                                          Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



Be trustful, be steadfast, whatever betide thee,
    Only one thing do thou ask of the Lord,--
  Grace to go forward wherever He guide thee,
    Simply believing the truth of His word.
ANON.


Living a Christ-filled life is something that almost every Christian out there is trying to achieve.What does that mean to you? The average person goes to work five days a week. Saturday is spent running errands and chores. Sunday morning begins with Church and a family supper in the afternoon. That's the average Christian household. 

What if we focused our daily lives around living a certain way. A way where we are defined by the one that is living inside of us. If you are anything like me, you are searching for a closer, deeper and fulfilling relationship with my Savior. Sunday morning may be the start we need, but I have no desire to leave Jesus inside the Church when I walk through the doors into the world. I came across this the other day and it literally took my breath away.

Empty me of myself
And fill me up 
with all of you.

That's how I see myself living the Christ filled life. We live in a world where every social outlet is drenched in anti-Christian behavior. Negativity, political warfare, nudity, violence and slander are everywhere. Can we honestly turn on a television show that has no swearing or taking God's name in vain? Why should I be exposed to any of it? My time is precious and I wish to spend it in a more productive and family oriented way. 

I find that it's almost impossible to be living the life of Christ without being attacked daily with the World. My life seems to consist of daily turning off the television, the social media, even my yahoo news. The older I get, the more I run toward the Word of God. I immerse myself in Christian radio, movies, songs and everything else that can drench me with all of Him. 

Empty me of myself
And fill me up 

with all of you.

The world is mean and so are the people in it. I have no desire to become either of them. Cleanse me, O Lord, cleanse me.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

When All Else Fails

  

                                                                  Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.




The trivial round, the common task,
  Would furnish all we ought to ask;
  Room to deny ourselves; a road
  To bring us, daily, nearer God.
J. KEBLE.

I'm such a big talker. On my Chronic Illness Group, I try different home remedies to ease my discomfort. They do work, when the pain is tolerable. When the pain becomes too much to handle, I could spend remedy after remedy, rub everything I could find in a drug store to no avail. Nothing.

When all else fails, I'm on my knees praying for God's mercy on me. I'm waiting out the weather spell. I'm waiting out the pain to become tolerable once again. I'm still and I wait upon the Lord. 

Whenever we feel like we can handle things just fine, we become bold in our complacency to prayer, to Church, to our devotions. You name it. Just wait, once we fall and crumble, we certainly see just how incapable we truly are in running our own lives. We need Him. We need Him. 

When the situation in our life doesn't happen according to our will, we push and push for things to move faster. We manipulate and threaten in our own way to make it happen. We call, we send e-mails trying to maneuver things in our direction. When they don't, we fall into a sulking depression of why not, Lord?

When all else fails, when none of the above works, we fall into a quiet reverence of who God truly is and who we are compared to Him. We find out who truly is in charge of this life, our life. We have no control whatsoever. We finally surrender to Him. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The World As We Knew It

                                                             Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                             everyday is a journey.




Thy love shall chant its own beatitudes
After its own life working. 
A child's kiss
Set on thy sighing lips shall make thee glad.
A poor man served by thee shall make thee rich;
A sick man helped by thee shall make thee strong;
Thou shalt be served thyself by every sense
Of service which thou renderest.

--Elizabeth B. Browning.

After reading Richard Proennetke's book, I noticed that he wrote letters regularly to people and they corresponded back with him. That's how he kept in contact with people in his life. He didn't need Facebook or social media. All he needed was some paper and a pen. Sadly, we don't do that anymore.

In fact, social media has taken the place of going out with people. This is how we communicate nowadays, by texting or Selfing or Facetime. No need to go out with friends for coffee or to a show or to the park. 

In fact, the world as we knew it is basically gone. I've read an article the other day how robots are asking if we are robots. How absolutely true. Pretty soon, we won't have to leave the house for anything. We can already shop on-line, talk on-line, work from home, pay our bills on-line, even finish our education via the computer. 

I look at old pictures of my friends and family at various functions. We held tea parties, birthday parties, ladies nights and even Bible study at our homes. There was always an occasion to actually leave the house for and socialize with others. I can remember in the olden days of my childhood (smile) where we went to housewarming parties whenever someone bought a house. Everyone would bring a small gift for the home. How many remember that, I wonder?

Believe me, I'm guilty of all the above. I've stopped entertaining. I've stopped inviting people over for an ice cream social or dinner. After awhile, it feels like you're the only one doing the inviting. Why? Why are people so afraid to host anything? I know it's a lot of work, but there is a great time involved here. A get together benefits everyone. Next time, it will be someone else's turn to host. 

I'm afraid that we will forget how to interact with one another. We will forget how to share, how to love and definitely how to comfort others in need. So start inviting. Start welcoming people into your home and into your lives. 

Have a blessed day everyone.

Living On A Budget

                                              Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



who plants a tree, 
he plants love;
Tents of coolness 
spreading out above
Wayfarers, he may not live to see.
Gifts that grow are best;
Hands that bless are blest;
Plant-life does the rest!
Heaven and earth help him who plants a tree,
And his work his own reward shall be.

--Lucy Larcom.

We've set a goal for ourselves for the upcoming months/year. A goal of paying off any debts that we may have and becoming totally debt free. Slate wiped clean and keeping it that way. Since it is a very bold and adventurous goal, it requires exactly the same in dedication. Recently, I've sat down to see if there is an area that we could perhaps reduce our costs to make this goal a reality faster.

How do I reduce costs?

That is easier said than done. When one already lives as simply as possible, how can one go even a step further? We live in a very low income area for a reason, we want to save on rent. We have a set of rules for when we go shopping.
1. We make a list and only buy what is on it.
2. Any large items are only replaced if damaged.
Let's not forget that we tithe 10% to our local Church. That's a big deal when it comes to finances.


What about food?

Well, we make our own meals and we buy in bulk. Any leftovers, I use for lunches for work. Although, I have noticed we order a lot more since moving here than we did before. By that I mean, every few weeks. In the past, we've only gone out for special occasions like birthdays. I guess , we could do better in this area.

What about entertainment?

Here, I think we need to do more entertainment. We probably go to the movies once a year. Since moving here, we hardly had any visitors or parties of any kind. Now, we could definitely improve on our cable bill. Cable fees have skyrocketed everywhere! They always offer a great deal for about six months and then boom! They keep raising them. Internet, we really have no choice. In this area, there is only one type of network. That's a problem when it comes to service, it's not available everywhere. 

What about utilities?

Living in an apartment, we really don't have utility bills. Maybe electric and that's about it. We really don't leave lights on, preferring for a more dim look, not bright lights. We do, however, have a lot of gadgets and most of them draw much amps. We're also babies when it comes to the heat and use the air conditioner often. We could improve in this area, but I have a golden rule. When it comes to air conditioner in the Summer and heat in the Winter, I'm all for comfort. I will not be cheap on these two things. We both work here for our money, so we do deserve some comforts. 

I guess, in the end, we all can improve in many of these areas. As long as we don't go crazy spending unnecessary money, we will be okay. I know we will reach that goal, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

A Cat Named Diamond

                                                             Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                             everyday is a journey.


Look in my face;
 my name is 
Might-have-been;
I am also called No-more, 
oo-late, Farewell;
Unto thine ear I hold the dead sea-shell
Cast up thy Life's foam-fretted feet between;
Unto thine eyes the glass where that is seen
Which had Life's form and Love's,
 but by my spells now a shaken shadow intolerable,
Of ultimate things unuttered the frail screen.

--Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

Our cat Diamond does whatever Diamond wants in our apartment. Always has and always will. I came home the other day to the picture below.

That's what she does just about everywhere. She sleeps on the couch, under the couch, the arm chair, the rocking chair, the carpet and just about any place that has some sort of padding. I'm constantly tripping over her toys, especially at night. Then there are the toys she hides under the rug and no one knows it's there until we go flying forward after almost killing ourselves tripping over it. 

Diamond is definitely a character. She meows incessantly if you don't show her what groceries you have bought. She needs to sniff them and I guess, approve the food. She goes crazy for grape vines and pineapple's spiky head leaves. 

The other day, when I ordered the chicken wings, she almost fainted from wanting them. She practically licked the tablecloth where they were placed upon. She went totally crazy as if in heat! At night, there was a huge crash where I thought the ceiling fan collapsed. No, it was just the trash can and Diamond's butt was sticking out of it. She was looking for those darn chicken wing bones. Even days later, she still was knocking that trash can after it has been emptied a few days earlier. 

All in all, she has her good points. She catches and eats flies. We have no mice or any kind of rodents since we have had cats in our home. Besides, she's so darn cute! Except when she's on the hunt for chicken wings!

Have a blessed day everyone. 

A Happy Friday

                                                  Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


And methought that beauty 
and terror are only one, not two;
And the world has room for love,
 and death, and thunder and dew;
And all the sinews of hell slumber 
in the summer air;
And the face of God is a rock,
 but the face of the rock is fair.
Beneficent streams of tears flow 
at the finger of pain;
And out of the cloud that smites, 
beneficent rivers of rain.

--Robert Louis Stevenson.

Friday is not my favorite day of the week. That may seem odd to many of you since we supposedly wish it was Friday sooner than later. TIGF has never been one of my sayings and I didn't quite understand why it became so popular. 

For as long as I can remember, Friday has been an extremely hectic kind of day. The streets are filled with other cars going somewhere other than just work, creating more traffic than normal. At work, all the orders have to be filled or we will short customers for that week. A sort of frenzy exists at work on Friday. Hurry, hurry, hurry becomes the theme for the day. Mistakes and frustrations occur on this day more than any other. At least for me. 

Not today. Today, there was no pressures of work to be had at all. We were all off. Today, I calmly headed out early to do my errands. Yup, in the midst of all that traffic. In the midst of rain. In the midst of a day called Friday, I headed out the door. 

First stop, the emission test and plate stickers. I think I was there a total of ten to fifteen minutes for both. I spent more time parking the vehicle than in either the office or testing area. I love this new idea of being able to do both at the same place. It might not be new for you, but this wasn't the case two years ago. 

Next stop, Costco and gas. Another twofer. I wish I could say that these two stops were close together, but unfortunately, it was more like across town from one another. All in all, all stops made today were quick, professional and successful. 

Driving back home, I realized what made the difference in my enjoying this particular Friday. There was no work today. It didn't matter if there were road constructions or traffic, I didn't have to rush back to make it to work on time. I had all the time in the world. Even at home, there was laundry, cleaning and bills to sort out. There was no tension or the hurry, hurry theme that exists at my workplace. Everything could be done in leisure. That makes all the difference. 

So yes, my Friday isn't quite over yet, but I know it will end well no matter what is placed in front of me. Calm, peaceful and serene are the themes I'm looking at here. Nothing will take that away from me.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Life After Treatment

                                                           Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey. 





Dost thou ask when comes His hour?
    Then, when it shall aid thee best.
  Trust His faithfulness and power,
    Trust in Him, and quiet rest.
ANON.

My last treatment ended in the Fall of 2016. It is hard to believe that it will be almost two years since my last bout with cancer. It certainly has gone by real fast. Even though, it has been two years, my body is still recovering. That's why it's hard to believe the length of time gone by. 

It never ceases to amaze me how long it takes for the body to come back to normal. Take my veins, for instance. It's been eleven years since my cancer and these poor veins are still missing! By missing, I mean difficult to draw blood. Believe me, the nurse has to work overtime on plumping up my veins!

The fatigue never really goes away. In fact, doing any kind of physical work brings on severe fatigue. It seems those days are over where we can do very laborious work like painting. I still try to do some things like that, but find there is a price to pay. When I finished painting the kitchen, I was completely drained for almost three days! And it took me that many days to complete the kitchen!

Then there are those minor, but irksome type of side effects. My nails, especially toenails, are very brittle. I have placed myself on vitamins to take care of this problem. So far, my hands look pretty good, but I still have brittle toenails. Not very pretty. After every bout with cancer, I develop this crustiness behind my ears. Again, not very pretty. This I usually can get rid by wiping them down with alcohol twice a day. Sometimes, I even get these skin pigmentation discoloration  on certain areas of my body. My doctor usually will prescribe a cream for that. I think the problem lies, according to her, with the fact that my immune system is affected by the treatment. It is weakened. 

Now for my favorite part, my legs. Chemotherapy and radiation work great to stop your cancer, but they also weaken your bones/joints. What began as some arthritis in my left knee, has escalated to both legs beginning from my hips down. There is also my right arm that has begun hurting. That also could be from the crocheting or maybe it just irritates it even more.

 I can see a major difference in my body's reaction after each treatment. I worry about the next time and what it will be like afterwards. For now, we are taking each day as it comes dealing with whatever ache or pain that it may bring. My illness is no different than someone else who may be dealing with heart problems, diabetes or chronic pain of any kind. There are different levels of pain. Today it may be bearable, but tomorrow may be unbearable. One can never tell. 

Have a blessed day everyone.

Those Darn Chicken Wings

                                              Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God who is our home.

--William Wordsworth

Once in awhile, we actually order in and have some unhealthy food. Yes, yes we do. We consider days like that a real treat, but lately it seems to have the opposite effect on our bodies. What began as a treat can quickly turn into an assault.

We ordered in a vegetarian pizza and some plain chicken wings with ranch dipping sauce. The wings were for me. I just had this craving for some chicken. Nothing fancy, just plain roasted chicken. Well, good luck finding some in a pizza joint. I don't know how many places we had tried and finally, I just decided on some wings. 

They were good and I happily dug into them. The problem is that my body no longer eats food like that. I'm not sure how they make wings, but they didn't look roasted. I'm not very familiar with chicken wings, this being only the second time eating them. All I do know is that they were delicious. 

Well, it wasn't too long after that when my body began to reject this delicious meal that I had. Lord, for the rest of the night I believe I drank gallons of water to purge my system of these darn chicken wings! I burped, I belched and everything else these darn wings for the next 24 hours! 

It seems that I cannot eat like this anymore. My body definitely has become free of any impurities that certain food can inflict. It was good, though. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Loss Of Time

                                                                       Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                        everyday is a journey.


One holy Church, one army strong,
    One steadfast high intent,
  One working band, one harvest-song,
    One King omnipotent.
S. JOHNSON.



I've always loved criminal shows, mysteries or basically a good detective story. The criminal mind has always interested me and when I was a little girl, becoming a lawyer was a dream. We had a family friend with whom I've confided this dream to and he said to me that I didn't have what it took to be a lawyer. I was the type who believed in my defendant's innocence. It wasn't about the win, but the truth. That is not how it is out there. He knew that morally I wouldn't be able to do it. 

I am very glad that I didn't follow that dream. I would have been burnt out and disillusioned many times over. In fact, it seems to be more political than anything else. Today, I settle for a good detective series or a good book on that subject. 

Recently, I've been watching a series on death row inmates. It saddens me to find that all of them were incarcerated for their crime between the ages of 17 and 20. They have spent their entire life in prison on death row for murder. That's all they know are those four walls. Everyone of them (on the series) have admitted their part in the murders. They are also very sorry and wish they could have gone back in time. Their decisions would have been different. 

How many of us look back on our lives and wish we have had made different choices? Perhaps not said the words that we have? Or gone a different path? These inmates are the perfect example of people who have lost their time here on Earth. A total loss. At least, we can always get back on track when we mess up. Not them though, they took a life and have to pay the consequences. 

Sin has real consequences. Thank heavens that we have a loving and forgiving God. We may have lost time on this Earth, but because of Jesus we can start fresh up in Heaven. We are a forgiven people. A Holy nation of God's chosen people. We are His people. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

A Walking Tour

                                                                          Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                          everyday is a journey.


When we in darkness walk,
    Nor feel the heavenly flame,
  Then is the time to trust our God,
    And rest upon His name.
A. M. TOPLADY.

Not too long ago,.I've looked up what kind of tourism the Land of Lincoln has available. Emily and I Have had such conflicting work schedules that it seems almost impossible to get some time off at the same time. Or at least, only a day or two, but hardly a week or more. Certainly, not enough for a proper vacation.

Having said that, I knew that there had to be weekend getaways or even landmarks in my state to visit for a day. A nice day trip away from home is sometimes all we need to refresh ourselves. So I got to clicking away on-line searching for such trips of tourism. What exactly does Illinois have to offer? 

Mind you, I have visited downtown area several times, especially with Joey. When he was still living here, he loved downtown! The same goes with Springfield area, so I was searching in the opposite directions. 

Eureka! Who knew that the movie Groundhog Day was filmed right here in Woodstock, Illinois? I mean, just look at the chart of the Walking Tour available in that small town. We made the decision to travel there on the next available day off for a mini adventure. It wasn't far, only an hour away. Perfect. 

It was a beautiful Saturday when we headed out to Woodstock, Illinois. Our plans included the Walking Tour and then we would have lunch out there. The sky was magnificent with huge billowing white clouds and crystal clear blue background. I even tested out the cabbage theory for swollen joints while driving there and it seemed to be working. My knees were doing just fine. 

My disappointment came when we arrived. The downtown was in the shape of a circle and it was pretty darn small. In the movie, everything appeared large as if it covered several streets. Not true. In fact, the entire tour was in the form of a circle and a very small one. The magic of the cinema world. 

There were absolutely no markers of any kind. Not one thing to refer to what this map I printed out stated and boasted. Maybe, just maybe, during February there is a great celebration and this small town comes to life. Please don't get me wrong, I love small towns, but it wasn't anything that I expected. I wanted a Walking Tour with placards about the movie. Oh well.

The drive back, we couldn't get enough of that sky! I wish we could have pulled over somewhere and laid down on a blanket to view God's beautiful creation. There are no skyscrapers out there or tall buildings. The sky is exposed for all to admire. I love the secluded country towns where open fields still exist. All in all, the time we spent together was wonderful. Emily said that it was an adventure, disappointing or not. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Uncertain Times

                                                                        Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                        everyday is a journey.

Whate'er events betide,
    Thy will they all perform;
  Safe in Thy breast my head I hide,
    Nor fear the coming storm.
H. F. LYTE.

The week began with extremely humid temperatures that finally exploded in a thunderstorm. It rained alright, all day long. As I watched the lightening and darkening clouds, all energy left my body, fatigue slowly seeping in. I had two heaping cups of coffee and still I felt exhausted. I could see that nothing would get done today.

I've been feeling tired and not just physically, but also mentally. A lot has been going on all around me, some things affecting me directly and others just by association. Times are changing, one could feel it in the air, hopefully all good. 

There is so much uncertainty. Uncertainty at work, at home, in personal relationships, within the Church and definitely in the World. We become troubled and overwhelmed by everything. Where does one begin? There's only one thing to do and that's to be still. 

Maybe that's why I'm so tired? So drained? I look at other people going by living their own lives. Everything seems so calm and orderly. Their lives look so perfect and yet, I know it's not true. I think all of us have mastered the art of looking good amidst the trials. We have these small little troubles that we face every single day. They may not be the huge trials of our life, but they are there testing our Faith. Testing us. 

We keep going. We keep holding on to our Faith. Our hope. We are still, allowing God to do His work in us. Ugh, sometimes it takes so l-o-n-g! We become stronger each day. We persevere. We keep believing that one day we will arrive at the spot that we have been working towards. We believe. We hope. We know. 

Have a blessed day everyone.