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Master Puzzler

Posted by eph21920 on November 27, 2022 in Family, Grateful, Life

My mom had another good day today. She had good energy, got around well, and made it to church. She could even hear the homily somewhat. This afternoon after her nap, she sat down at the puzzle. There were about 30 pieces left to complete the picture. Usually when she starts working, she announces that she got a piece in, then another. Today she was very quiet, until all of a sudden she said she was done! I was amazed. It is such a blessing when she has a good day.

I Found God today as my mom had a good day.

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Magic Blazer

Posted by eph21920 on November 26, 2022 in Car, Creation, Family, Grateful, Joy, Life

I made a trip to the cabin today and brought my 19 year old grandson with me. He loves it up there so was happy to go along for the ride. On the way up, we stopped at the most amazing donut shop that has been there for decades. We bought half a dozen and saved them. Before we took the last road to the cabin, I wanted to show him where the development ended and the more back roads started. It was obvious where the road maintenance stopped as we immediately came to a snowy, one vehicle wide road. I drove in further than intended as there was a truck behind us that I was hoping would turn off. He didn’t. I finally came to a spot where 2 cars could fit and pulled over. The truck came up and rolled down his window. He was looking for a plot of land that was for sale. We chatted a bit and I tried to be helpful. Then he kept straight on while I turned around and went to the cabin. When we got there, we dug into the donuts and I took care of some things. I showed my grandson all the things he had not explored and explained a lot of details about the house. We perused my dad’s annual journals that he kept with even more detailed information. And we looked through the guest book that dated back to the 1980’s. My grandson thought it was pretty funny to come across his dad’s childhood signatures. He said the cabin is like a big time capsule with all the old things still in it. That was an interesting perspective. He also said that he has always seen deer there every time he goes. On our way out, there were two deer right next to the house so we watched for a while. Every now and again the small buck would nudge his doe to keep her moving along. It was too cute. On the drive out, we stopped at the top of the hill with a beautiful view so my grandson could take a couple pictures. I mentioned that I was glad he came along for the educational adventure. He said it was like the Magic School Bus, but in the magical Blazer. He said being at the cabin is his favorite place to be. When I told my mom that, she cried tears of a joyful heart. It was a blessing to spend the day with my grandson and see things through his eyes.

I Found God today in my grandson.

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Quiet Rest

Posted by eph21920 on November 25, 2022 in Family, Home, Peace, Rest

It has been a pretty busy week, even though we didn’t host Thanksgiving. Today we had no appointments, no visitors, no therapists. My mom was pretty happy about that. We sat out in the sunshine, worked the puzzle a bit, and enjoyed eating leftovers. We basically just took the day as it came. It was quiet, peaceful, and restful.

I Found God today in quiet rest.

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Short And Sweet

Posted by eph21920 on November 24, 2022 in Family, Food, Fun, Grateful, Joy, Life

I am so grateful my son hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year. They hung the banner that we made the other day over the long tables that stretched out from the dining room into the living room. Everyone pitched in with delicious food and brought home leftovers. I am grateful my mom took a good nap before we went and had enough energy to enjoy the time and the food. She will be sleeping well tonight I’m sure. It was a short visit, but filled with laughter, joy, and of course delicious food. I feel very blessed.

I Found God today enjoying Thanksgiving.

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Fruitful Day

Posted by eph21920 on November 23, 2022 in Family, Food, Grateful, Home, Life

It was a busy day as usual. But as I sat down tonight to write and went back over my day, I realized I accomplished an awful lot. Mom and I did our “normal” Wednesday tasks. And I even made a pumpkin cheesecake and apple pie for tomorrow. The house smells amazing. I’m looking forward to food, fun, and family.

I Found God today in a fruitful day.

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Thanksgiving Craft Day

Posted by eph21920 on November 22, 2022 in Children, Connected, Family, Fun, Happiness, Life, Relationship

Since my granddaughter is out of school, I thought it would be fun to have her over and make a Thanksgiving decoration. My mom was feeling ok so it worked out. First my granddaughter and mom had some time to hang out together while I made lunch. My granddaughter started out in the chair across from the sofa that my mom was sitting in. Then she sat on the other side of the sofa as they both played on their iPads. The next time I looked, she was laying on the sofa right next to my mom. It was sweet. Then they ate matching lunches – peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with applesauce and milk. After lunch, we got started on the craft. I had cut out letters that spelled “Thankful For You”. We decorated the letters, then strung them on a long string to make a banner. My son is hosting Thanksgiving at his house, so now they have a fun, homemade decoration for the event. Even though my mom was pretty tired afterwards, we really enjoyed the afternoon.

I Found God today in the interaction with my granddaughter and mom.

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A Good Day

Posted by eph21920 on November 21, 2022 in Family, Grateful, Life, Sick

My mom hasn’t been feeling well at all the past couple weeks. Today I could see the sparkle in her eye and she said she felt better. We went for a walk, sat outside, she exercised with the therapist, played the piano, had a good appetite… It was a good day and we were grateful for it.

I Found God today in a good day for my mom.

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Posted by eph21920 on November 20, 2022 in Creation, Grateful, Happiness, Life, Opportunity

I saw a quote that was shared today. It was attributed to Pope Francis. After some research, I discovered it had been travelling around from quite some time and believed to be from poet Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935), thought some disagree there too. No matter. It was a beautiful, encouraging sentiment that touched my heart and is worth sharing.

“You can have flaws, be anxious and even be angry, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world. Only you can stop it from failing. You are appreciated, admired and loved by so many. Remember that being happy is not having a sky without storm, a road without accidents, a job without effort, a relationship without disappointments.

“To be happy is to stop feeling like a victim and become the author of your own fate.” It’s walking through deserts, but being able to find an oasis deep in the soul. Is thanking God every morning for the miracle of life. It’s kissing your children, cuddling your parents, having poetic moments with your friends, even when they hurt us.

“Being happy is letting the creature that lives in each of us live, free, joyful and simple. You have the maturity to be able to say: “I’ve made mistakes”. It’s having the courage to say I’m sorry. It’s having the sense to say “I need you”. Is having the ability to say “I love you”. May your life become a garden of opportunities for happiness… that in spring he may be a lover of joy and in winter a lover of wisdom.

“And when you make a mistake, start over. Because only then will you be in love with life. You’ll discover that being happy isn’t having a perfect life. But use tears to irrigate tolerance. Use your defeats to train your patience.

“Use your mistakes with the serenity of the sculptor. Use pain to tune into pleasure. Use obstacles to open the windows of intelligence. Never give up … Above all never give up on the people that love you. Never give up on being happy, because life is an incredible spectacle. “.

I Found God today in encouraging words.

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Enduring Friendships

Posted by eph21920 on November 19, 2022 in Birthday, Connected, Friends, Grateful, Laughter, Life, Past, Present, Relationship

Tonight I was so happy to go to a birthday party for a friend I met some 30 years ago. We lived in a great neighborhood where all the kids played in each other’s houses and were welcomed to just walk in any time. The families would bowl together, go camping, or just hang out. Getting together now, our kids are older than we were when we met. That was a crazy realization. But, as good relationships go, we just picked up as if no time had passed. I don’t know how it can be like that, but I am grateful. It was a blessing to see people, celebrate, catch up, and laugh.

I Found God today in enduring friendships.

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Love Balloon

Posted by eph21920 on November 18, 2022 in Birthday, Connected, Fun, Happiness, Laughter, Love

Almost 2 weeks ago I received a big bouquet of big balloons for my birthday. When some of them ended up on the ground, it was time to do something with them. Many of them went into the trash. One pink heart shaped balloon still had a fair amount of helium, though it wasn’t enough to keep it afloat with the long string attached. So I cut the string down enough to let it roam freely. It has kept us entertained for a couple of days now. It floated around the kitchen for a while, then hung out with dad’s memorabilia. Mom was surprised by it in her room, so before she went to bed we brought it downstairs. The next day we hunted for it and found it way back in my dad’s photography closet. My sister then brought it back upstairs. Somehow, it immediately made it’s way back down. I went into my room and found it floating just above my bed, which made me smile. I left and when I returned, it was floating by my statues and prayer accessories of Our Lady of Lourdes. After that, it went into the living room and has been sitting there ever since. The places we found the heart balloon was funny, strange, and interesting and we felt we were getting love messages.

I Found God today in a balloon with love messages.

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