Hearts in Service Blog

It's been cold and rainy the past few days here in the Northeast. Normally Memorial Day is the start of the summer season and a time for barbecues, picnics, parades and outdoor events. In fact, it's been so dreary that it even slipped my mind that it was a holiday weekend! I participated in our local farmer's market on Saturday and I was thankful it was indoors as it was a torential downpour when I first arrived. It was kind of a slow day there and I think the rain kept many people away. I haven't planted anything yet and really need to start thinking about making our yard look welcoming instead of bare and bleak. It's hard to be in the mood for flowers and gardening when it's cold and rainy. I have started some clippings indoors, but that's about it. I attended a memorial service along with my brother-in-law at the facility my father-in-law is living. It was to honor those who lost loved ones this past year and was a meaningful service. They planted a butte...

  Another Easter has come and gone and as I sit and reflect this morning I am happy because it really was a good day.  My sons went and picked up my father-in-law and brought him to church. Normally, I'm doing multiple things on a Sunday morning, but I didn't schedule anything and deliberately chose to sit and enjoy the service.  We had dinner together and then played a game and chatted. I kept dinner simple which made prep and clean-up easy.  After Dan left to take my father-in-law home, I was even able to get out for a walk. My daughter called me and I chatted with my sister by text. Overall, it was a fairly uneventful, but wonderful day.  I'm having lunch with someone today, but other than that, nothing else is on my schedule. Since the rest of the week is going to be very busy, I'm looking forward to a day of puttering around my house and doing my best to ignore my email which never goes away! Even yesterday, on Easter, I received emails asking que...

I recently went for a walk and took this photo. The funny thing was I really couldn't see well nor look directly at the tree while snapping the picture because the sun was so bright. Since having cataract surgery I notice that being outside is difficult because the brightness does hurt my eye. I know that will change as my eye heals. But when I got home I thought this was a neat shot with the tree standing alone, the sun shining through the branches and the shadows on the ground. There was beauty in the stark branches against the backdrop of the snow. I love taking nature pictures. I love getting out and hiking. I enjoy being creative. God has wired me to be able to do many different things, to be able to do them quickly and do them fairly well. And yet, so often, I keep trying to stick to one thing. I think, "I have to stop doing multiple things and only do this thing." And every single time I attempt that I find myself sinking into feelings of being down and depressed. ...

Homemade vanilla extract I took the vanilla beans that had been steeping in vodka for vanilla extract and let them dry out a bit.  I then added them to my sugar and let them sit in there for a few weeks. Now I have vanilla sugar that I can use in baked goods. I don't have anything inspirational to say today, but just thought I'd share a random happenings post.  Fall has always been my favorite season. I love the colors, scents and food. I love the cooler temperatures and falling leaves and I love the holidays that are coming up soon.  This past weekend we had a fall festival at our church for the community and it was a lot of fun. We ended up with a good turnout and the children who came enjoyed playing the different games, the crafts, face-painting and food. They got to take a goody bag home with them. I think the thing I liked the best was that it was a team effort and we had many helpers. The temperatures have dipped below freezing the past couple of nights and we've h...

I've been super organized this year and on Monday morning was able to get all of my fall decorating done. Usually it doesn't happen until sometime in mid-September. I think the cool temperatures have definitely put me in the mood for autumn decor. We had a family picnic at my sister and brother-in-law's home and had a wonderful time. It was the first time in a very long time when we all got together and just had fun. The past couple of years have been very hard as we dealt with things with my mother-in-law and father-in-law. So it was nice to just enjoy each other's company. I'm plugging away, canning tomatoes, and today's plan is to pick up another half bushel and do tomato sauce. I love this time of year and being able to preserve fresh food. I try and get out and walk each day and I've also been doing some crafting and sewing.  This morning I was wide awake at 3 a.m. (ugh) and made my way downstairs to have my quiet time. As I'm sitting in my recliner...

I started my walk this morning with a head full of buzzing worries and concerns. They were interspersed with swarms of thoughts about this thing that needs to get done and that issue that needs to be addressed. I asked myself, "How in the world will I be able to handle this all? Why is this life such a struggle?" However, as I kept up my brisk pace, my thoughts settled down. I started to pray, reflect and focus on what God was saying to me. As the raucousness inside my head started to settle down, I began to see things I would have otherwise missed.  I began to appreciate the beauty around me. As I was alone with God and creation, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. And as I peered at the beauty around me, I saw my problems in a new light. I gained clarity and insight into different situations.  I discovered hidden gems.  I received insight into how to come at something from a different direction. I saw beauty in little things and felt my creativity come alive.  W...