A Simple Woman's Daybook~May 30, 2014

Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember

the everyday moments and my thoughts about them.  

That is what this Daybook is all about.

Focusing on the little things that become my life.

One entry at a time.

Just for today~Saturday, May 31, 2014 

Outside my window...It is pitch black out right now.  It is 2:30 am and I just woke up.  I had slept just enough for it to feel like a good nap. So now I am awake.   If there is a moon tonight it alludes me.  It is just dark, very dark.  And now already it is Saturday morning at sunrise.  The last day of May in 2014. May has been a blur, as was April.  There has not been a normal day really since Jim's surgery.  He is having a rough go of it.  It went well at first but then an injury occurred and back to square two or three.  I find it difficult to blog when things are not going well.  For me writing requires a positive flow of energy that dissipates under too much stress.  Caregiving is exhausting and necessary and a blessing not always recognized in the moment when you are worried and tired and fearful.

I am thankful for....the fact that we know that trials are a part of our lives for a reason.  I am grateful that with faith and prayer the Lord will broaden our shoulders to bear the burdens of earth life.  We have not been brought here for a carefree, always lovely experience, even though man is that he might have joy.  That joy could never be recognized without the opposition of sorrow.  Nor could we fully appreciate pleasure without the knowledge and experience of pain.  We are not necessarily given the trials we can handle but we are always given the trials we need, to be sanctified and purified in Christ.  It is not our job to handle it but to recognize we cannot handle it without Him.  Then we humble ourselves and come unto Christ and are healed.

From the learning room...that difficulties are often sacred experiences.  That there are some roads that must be traveled alone and how important it is to have support in those times.  That sounds contradictory but it's not.  That is where compassion is learned.  When we have known our own suffering we can then reach out to others in ways that lift them and cheer them and allow them to feel love when they are down.  Some people get this, many do not. 

I think the thought is not that they don't feel love for someone who suffers but they assume that others are doing the work of compassion.  I have learned this should never be assumed.  In fact, I have the dearest of friends that has taught me that one should never assume.  Those friends that have drawn close to us during this time have been so instrumental in our getting through it.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  So yes, I have learned a lot during this time about how I want to move forward in my life with my eye open wide to what is needed by people around me.  I have learned that being too busy for that is really missing the point all together.  It is ministering to the one that matters the most.

I am reading...so many things everyday.  Things that uplift and educate and things that are spiritual, sometimes entertaining and sometimes sobering.  I cannot imagine a day without a lot of reading.  I am studying for a new class I am developing for the fall on family history research methodology.

From the kitchen...I need to go shopping, per usual.  I think I'll get into my Pinterest account and find some new salad recipes and some crockpot ideas.  Needing some variety again.  And I am thrilled that the Farmer's Market is in full swing now.

Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...I have had some thoughts about unconditional love lately.  I have thought about how when we learn to love the Savior completely and unconditionally it helps us see what real love actually is.  He demonstrates it to us all the time.  It is not about forcing people to change for us. It is about being unconditional in our respect and caring for them.  It is about showing that we love them no matter what.  When we love like the world loves we spend a lot of time trying to get people to channel us and be like us.  When we love as He loves we want to be more like those we respect and admire.  Not the other way around.  We want to improve ourselves and love them as they are. 

I am hearing...The Keeper of The Stars, a sweet country song sung at Laura and Robert's wedding reception.  I can still see the two of them dancing to it and thinking how appropriate the lyrics are for them.

One of my pleasures...hot chocolate in the mornings when I get up early and it is nippy even in the summer.

Pet Peeves...insects that seem to want to come to all our outdoor picnics, what a nuisance!  I don't much like them in the house either but they are a part of country like living.

I am quoting...pinterest

If I could change one thing it would be...Jim would turn the corner to healing a little faster for his sake.  It is hard to watch the pain.

An enjoyable movie/ TV show we have watched lately...Mrs. Brown.  A beautiful movie. Judi Dench, ah, love that woman.  She has had some great roles, this on is one of the very best.

I am curious about...how much better familysearch.org can possibly get?

Plans for the rest of the week...today when Jim wakes up if he is feeling better we are going to drive over to Oakland to the Temple.  They are making some major changes over there to the entrance and he wants to see what's up.  He has really missed his two days per week on Temple hill.  The rest of the day cleaning up and getting ready for Sunday.  Monday pay bills, prepare for work on Tuesday. After that I am not too sure what will be happening.  All depends on James.

One of my favorite things...texting back and forth with my friend, Carol, each evening.  We really have a good thing going.  Friends are just so important to me in this time of my life.  I am so blessed to have such good ones.

One thing that made me so happy this past week..the x-rays for Jim indicated that he does not have a fracture or an infection.  Yay!  Time is his best friend right now (except for Dave of course) and being careful not to overdo anything. Also I got an unexpected letter from a friend that was cheering this week.

The most surprising thing this past week...All the great new photos I found in a forsaken box amongst our things.  The most beautiful picture of my mom..it made me weep.  It is already framed so I can see it everyday.  I had never seen it before and I found one of my aunt too.  And even one of me I had never seen before either.

A photo I am sharing this week...The photo I found.

My Mom in 1940

She was 21 years old.

I love these old photos with the coloration. 

 So ethereal and lovely.

This is truly one of my treasures.

UNTIL THE NEXT DAYBOOK,

 BE HAPPY AND CARRY ON!

❤♡♥♡❤♡♥♡❤♡♥s, Bon