Monday, June 30, 2008

Monday afternoon

Just checking in! I do love receiving your comments and e-mails but I realized today that I have both (comments with corresponding e-mail addresses when available and actual e-mails to the Coffee Tea Books & Me address) that I haven't answered in a long time. I have been so busy.

I continue to be "under the weather" even though we have lovely temperatures outside for a couple of days. I would much rather be on the porch reading than under the covers reading, as I have been all afternoon. I recently agreed to review a charming kid's book and I hope to take pen to paper (mouse to keyboard) later this evening. I get requests all the time to review books and this one was the first I've agreed to in many months. I could tell by the description it would be one I'd want to tell others about.

Pictures have been taken to share my "pantry" in the garage and a couple storage areas in the kitchen. I hope to start writing more about stocking up and recession planning tomorrow. We won't be able to do any stocking up this month, we'll be using our pantry! Our mechanic called today and told us the car will be $500 since we had him do one other bit of work we knew had to be fixed while he had the car taken apart, anyway. That is our complete grocery budget for the month! How grateful I am that we have food in the freezer and pantry.

So... hopefully I can write the review this evening but if not, tomorrow. I could use some prayers! I don't know if these symptoms are just a "bug" or related to the diabetes. I'm hoping it is the former and will be over with soon. In the meantime, I've been re-reading Inklings and Expectations. They are such wonderful novels about Oxford and Cambridge in the mid-1960s (beginning with the day of C.S. Lewis' funeral). I don't read romance novels as such but these are different. One feels they are walking through the English mist and taking tea with the Tolkiens (which is where I left off in Expectations).

I was thinking of yesterday's Sunday Afternoon Tea with the realization that I'd have a lot more readers if this blog was not quite so, ummm... Christian. I know there are readers who are not religious (I do not like that word but it is the only one I can think of right now) and who definitely would not see God's handiwork in all of creation. However, that is who I am so that is what I write. We "get it" when we look at the world around us and realize there is an Artist.

I will return to reading now, having crawled out of bed to make a meatloaf (I am so thankful that was on the menu for tonight's dinner, I can make them in my sleep... well, almost) and type a quick post. I have instant potatoes in the pantry and frozen peas in the freezer. Both will take only minutes to fix and the guys will have a "real" dinner. Christopher has been gone since yesterday so I know he is looking forward to a home cooked meal when he gets off of work.

See ya' later!

Photo: Daniel Garber; allposters.com

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brenda,
Thank you for taking the time to write even though you aren't feeling well. I appreciate hearing from you as often as you can.
I hope you feel better soon.
I'll say a prayer for you right after I send this post.
Love you-
joanna

Karen Anne said...

I noticed that you mentioned you were reading Valley of Vision as a devotional.
You might be interested in Sovereign Grace Ministries' album, "Valley of Vision." They compiled an album of those Puritan prayers set to music and it is really beautiful! I think you can listen to the album online.

Peggy Jo said...

Sending my prayers for everything, Brenda. I love you!

Anita said...

You can count on my prayers, too. You do well to write even when you're not feeling well. God bless.

Susan B said...

Brenda,

I hope you are soon feeling better. Praying for you and your family. God bless you.

Debbie in CA : ) said...

My Dear Brenda,
Count not the number of readers, but the depth that your message reaches in the hearts of those that come by. Like bees to a blossom, readers sip and flit away, carrying those grains of truth to embed elsewhere when they enter the next blossom of conversation. Take care, you are in my prayers. : )

Sharon Goemaere said...

I hope you are better real soon Brenda.The number of readers don't matter dear Brenda.Sharing His message in the way He has blessed you to share it is the most important thing!All of us,saint and sinner alike will stand before Him one day.On that day there will be no doubt as to Who created all the beauty that still blesses us on this earth!Much Love~Sharon

nanatrish said...

Brenda, I have told you before that your blog is a ministry to me. I love it that you share your faith. In the good times and the bad He is there and I love how you stay focused on Him. I am sorry you are not feeling well. I pray that goes away fast. I am praying you will be better soon. Your meatloaf sounded yummy.

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

Dear Brenda, I love reading your blog. I am a Christian, but probably not exactly of your theology, but your honesty, thoughtfulness, the Grace within you, your closeness to our Father are very clear. I really don't think anything could draw readers more than these things.I'm praying for you to feel better and regain your health.

Carrot Top said...

Praying for you and trusting you will "bounce back" quickly! Love and Hugs,
Carrot Top

dreamsbookstea said...

I sincerely hope you feel better soon!
Thank you for keeping such a wonderful blog. I would rather read a blog written from the heart, than one that is a fake refection on the writer. Please don't change a thing.
I've been pulling a lot from my pantry as well lately. It seems my friends are all falling on hard times, so I am helping them out with what I can from the pantry. It feels so good to be able to do so. I'm so thankful that I keep myself stocked up and I can help others.

Firefly Nights said...

Hope you're feeling better.

DebD said...

I'm behind on my blog reading, but I hope you are better by now. We've been stricken with something here too.

Robin in New Jersey said...

Don't change a thing. I like you just the way you are. I enjoy the peacefulness that your blog imparts.