September Blessings ~ Counting It All Joy!

COUNTING IT ALL JOY!

Changing Seasons!

 Of Leafy Blooms Of Beauty!

Fields Of Beauty!

September 1~ Awwww.....slept in till seven. But now must rise to this first day of a new month with new adventures awaiting me. Good morning Friday! Time to get this day shaking with a little rock and roll. Lots of little errands to run this morning before heading to see the foot doctor. A beautiful drive down the Columbia Gorge to Hood River. Well....it looks like I will be having surgery. Something I'm not so excited about. But helping me to function better yes! Then down to the The Dalles to deliver honey. Then lunch with sister Rosie and Terrie Bariletti Dunn-Daggett. Thank you! Great to see you both. Glad you have a motor home and dog biscuits to toss me in my need. Laughing so hard! Love spending time with you. Home to load car for road trip with Katherine Fischer Huston. Colton for some fried pickles at Bailey's Pub. Yum! Then the adventure begins. What awaits in the miles ahead to our destination. Little stops along the way. An evening walk to the North Falls at Silver Falls. Peaceful beauty. Then to our home for the next three nights in Stayton. Katherine made a yummy elk dinner. Thank you! Lord this has been a good day with some bumps in the road. Thankful you hold us in the palm of your hand. Grateful for safe travels and adventures in nature. Thank you Lord for your provision and guidance in all that I do. Yes I am blessed. Blessings

September 2~ Tap tap tap! Time to wake up! Good morning Katherine Fischer Huston. Hello Saturday sunshine. Some coffee and a power drink to start this day. Gathering beach attire for road trip to the beach. A few stops along the way. A traffic jam to hold us up. A visit for Katherine in Falls City and Tillamook. Soon we will head to the beach. Lunch and business first then fun in the sun. So nice to meet you Aunt Mary. Time to find a beach. Oceanside it is. Treasure hunting, playing in the surf, water splashing, climb through a tunnel to the other side, long walk along the surf, lots of picture's. So much fun! Cape Meare's. WOW! So beautiful! Watched the sunset. Never watched from a lighthouse before. Amazing hand painted beauty by the hand of God for us to watch. Off to see the Octopus Tree. Must go back and see in day light. HUGE! Road trip home for the weekend in Stayton. Oh no! Night driving for me. Thank you Lord for taking the wheel and getting us home safely. Hot shower and some hydration. Thank you Lord for for this day. Feeling extremely blessed and tired. Thank you Lord for the ocean that washes away all my sorrows, and worries. For the treasures found, the new places found to go see. Most of all your provision and guidance in safe travels there and back. For the hand painted beauty of each day and the gifts found in each one. So very grateful. Blessings

September 3 ~ Good morning Sunday funday! Slept in and got a little more rest for the adventure that awaits. Smokey very smokey. Be with our firefighters fighting on the lines and those in areas of the fire danger Lord. Time to head to the state fair withKatherine Fischer Huston. So much to see. Where does one start......It's hot so to the exhibits we go where there is air conditioning. Lots and lots of walking. Didn't even see everything, not even close. Lord thank you for your provision today. For all the favor given throughout the day. Thank you for those we meet today that truly went the extra mile to bring smiles and blessings. Very thankful for the update on my beautiful granddaughter Rylee. So happy she is improving and getting better every day. Thank you for another fun filled day. Thank you to all who serve our country here and aboard. A wonderful day with Katherine as we push right into another. Grateful! Blessings

August 4~ Labor day Monday. Think I'll roll over and sleep in. Awww.....a few more shut eyes and I'll be ready to get this day started. Early lunch withKatherine Fischer Huston before we leave Stayton. Cleaned up and loaded up car. Thank you Paula and Tim for your hospitality. Enjoyed my stay in your lovely home. We have decided to have one more adventure before heading back to Portland. We aregoing to do a self guided tour of covered bridge's in the Stayton and Scio area. We saw six covered bridge's today. Missed three pf them plus some that weren't on the map we had. It was a very smokey day. Nut we had a grand time. Thank you for driving Katherine. As always had a wonderful time. Then we detoured home to stay off the freeway. Canby, Oregon City, Craver, then home. My favorite river road. Its been an amazing weekend filled with lots of adventures and experiences. Memories made. Thank you Lord for safe travels in all our adventures and home. Thank you for open doors of hospitality. Thank you for watching over Katherine and I in all we did this day and all weekend. Thank you to all those that serve. Thank you for the firefighters fighting fires this Labor day weekend and everyday. Thank you for another day that is stock full with adventures, fun, love, friendship, family and so much more. Blessings

August 5 ~ Sleep eludes me....must be that magical rest that has been escaping me. Good morning smoke and fire...now you can go away. HelloJennifer Merritt-Estep and Lori Bova. Thank you for breakfast and coffee. It was nice having you here and seeing Kenyan before he flew home. Time for my appointments, but not before so many wonderful friends and family check in with me. Feeling so loved. Thank you all. Doctor appointment a bit rough to take in. But we did! Drove by Lowe's and Geo Sutter was coming out with mouth covered. Honk honk get in car. I would love to visit and catch up with you on your lunch. Thank you so nice to do before next appointment. Yea for another wonderfulSherilynn Ganther as we talk before our class. Thank you for your wisdom and insight. Feeling not so alone in the loss of the Colombia Gorge to fire raging through this historic region and landmark. Knowing others feeling the senseless loss and devastation. Prayers to so many....and those fighting on the front lines. Home to more smoke and ash and loved ones checking. A dinner out and so grateful for the time spent with friends. Feeling like I'm in the twilight zone, or maybe a Stephen King book/movie. Or possibly its a bad nightmare I soon will wake from. Or is this a flash back to the eruption of Mt. St. Helen's. So surreal and very eerie with all the smoke and ash. Can't even imagine what being in the ravaged fire stormed areas could possibly be like. Watch over them all Lord, and bring the rain. Nice chat with several friends this evening. Lord thank you for health care, doctors that care. For hot showers and fans. For surprise visits that bring baring a facial mask to help me breathe more easily. For all my basic needs and more meet everyday. Even in a place of uneasiness, devastation, wonder and doubt there is your hand Lord reaching out to us. I thank you for this assurance I have in you. So extremely grateful. Blessings

September 6 ~ Early morning rise. Good morning Wednesday smiles of beauty! Coffee, prayers, mask to breathe the air outside. Yep! I'm ready to rock this day. Time to feed the car some fuel. Phone call to Epic. Yes! I will be in at 1:30. Okay I need to finish up work early. 13 on my books. This should be interesting....and more asking if they can come in today. Ummm...can we schedule you for next week. Thank you. Two cancels.....eleven happy smiling faces. One very tired and exhausted hairdresser. All done by one. I'd say that's a a good day. Lord blessed me ti get out in time to get to Epic. That was quick and painless. Quiet night at home as I do my laundry. Thankful that I was able to get into Epic. Thankful for the Lodge at Multnomah Falls was saved as were many other historical buildings. That as bad as the damage is in the Gorge the beauty that I love still stands tall even a raging fire cannot burn her beauty. Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace. For the firefighters and all those fighting the raging fires that still burn across our great nation. Thank you for food on my table and water to drink. For answered prayers, and friends and family that check to see how I'm doing. So grateful! Blessings

September 7~ Ring, ring, ring!!! Good morning mom what you doing? Sleeping.....good morning Webber Heather! What's up? I'm just checking in on you mom. Love hearing my daughter's voice and her love. Thank you Heather mom loves you so much. What a wonderful way to wake up. Now time to have some coffee and get ready for this day. A new class I'm checking out. Not to sure about. Yep! I like it! Hopeful I will be able go on Thursday's. Costco to pick up a few things and some water. Dang deposit cost double what the water cost. CRAZY!!! Sherilynn Ganther came by and we went to Troutdale and boy even two miles makes a difference. Heavier smoke over there. Ugh! Went and checked out the big thank you cards on the over pass for the firefights. WOW! Now that is a gift not only to them but the community. Thank you! Beautiful! Dinner out with friends is always a blessing. Means I don't have to cook and clean up; nor do I have to eat alone. Thank you so much! Home and fun with my Mary Kay this evening. Always fun to do something no one expects. The eyes that light up, the smile from ear to ear, the glow of delight. Yep that makes me happy! Thank you Lord for the firefighters, the new class, friends to have dinner with. Hearing my daughter's voice this morning and I love you! Being able to get some thing's organized. Thank you Lord for the simple gift another day to write another chapter in my journey of life. Blessings

September 8~ Toss and turn and more tossing and turning. Oh why is sleep eluding me? Finally asleep! Ring, ring, ring good morning mom! Good morningWebber Heather. How are you? Checking on you. Love you! Two more treasured beautiful voices and conversations of love from daughter's Amber Webber, and Racheal Perry. So blessed to have spoken with all three of them these morning and hear Iove you mom from all three of my daughter's. I love you all so much with every breathe and heart beat. Okay time to get ready for the gym. Knock, knock! Good morning Sherilynn Ganther. Sorry I'm not quite ready. Onward to gym....okay 549 days since I've visited the gym. And I wonder why I'm out of shape. Guess my body doesn't know how to take a joke. So a nice little work out, then we headed out to find a good hiking trail. Which was a bit more challenging due to fires and many parks and trails being closed for public safety. Though found other treasures to explore when open again, as well as places for seasonal fun through the holiday season. So the drive wasn't a total wash. Actually very relaxing. Really want to go for a good walk. Okay up to Walter's Road in Gresham. Yep! We will do the other part of Gresham Butte Saddle Drive Trail. A bit tougher than I thought. So well worth the pain to this old body. Found the brown box hidden treasure at the top. So fun! Home to water, leftovers, hot shower, feet up. Yep today was a great day. Thank you Lord for sustaining me and giving me strength to hike the Butte. Finding hidden treasures buried on the Butte. Thankful for water, and hot showers, and leftovers for dinner. Grateful to have another day filled with your grace and mercy. Blessings

September 9~ Another sleepless night. Thinking sleep is truly a gift that is eluding me. Just as I dose off its time for me to rise and shine. Thank youNancy Larsen and Steve for picking me up and taking me to the memorial. Mary McCormick Loomis, love you. Decided I needed to get car washed and filters checked. That went well. They blow and vacuumed filters, and washed and vacuumed car for me. As I waited I caught up with a dear friend. It was great to see her. Thank you! Then surprise another adventure out with another friend. Thank you! The blessings are rolling in one after another. God is so good. It seems the thorns in life are attached to beautiful roses. If you allow them to bloom from all the tears that you shed through the storms of life; you'll have a beautiful bouquet. As long as you don't hold on and dwell in the past and in the pain, and allow the growth and beauty to emerge. Embracing my new beginnings and life with an open heart and eyes to see the gifts before me. Thank you Lord as each day brings me hope that one day this pain and loneliness will totally subside. Each new day you fill with such amazing joys, today friendship. Thank you the moisture dripping from the sky damping the ground and prayerfully helping with the fires. For the blue skies and sun today. So grateful for your daily provision. Blessings