Psalm 13:6, Fiber Fun, Literary Living, Finding Joy

 Hello There,

Thank you for stopping in! I'm taking things a bit easy as I continue to recover from surgery, which turned out to be the perfect opportunity to bond with my air fryer. I’ve been experimentingwith a few recipes and love how everything is turning out!

So far, I've successfully adapted a Stuffed Bell Pepper recipe from Dinner at the Zoo by air-frying it instead of baking it, much to the delight of my husband and son. I also bookmarked a great recipe from Urban Farmie that I'll try next with a mix of ground beef and black beans.

From cod and salmon to chicken thighs—and the absolute magic of reheated pizza—this machine does it all. Plus, the internet is filled with recipes for whatever I'm making!  Do you have an air fryer? I’d love to hear your favorite things to make in the comments!

Take good care and, as Daddy used to say, 

"Make memories; it's later than you think."

HERE'S A WORD

As I prepped for this study, I simply highlight all the words that describe what God does for us in my Bible and make a list of them in my journal.  I'll follow the same format here. 

How Long, O LORD?

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 How long, O LORD?
Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?

2How long must I wrestle in my soul,

with sorrow in my heart each day?

How long will my enemy dominate me?

3Consider me and respond, O LORD my God.

Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death,

4lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,”

and my foes rejoice when I fall.

5But I have trusted in Your loving devotion;

my heart will rejoice in Your salvation.

6I will sing to the LORD,

for He has been good to me.

Psalm 13

• He remembers us.
• He considers us.
• He responds to us.
• He gives light to our eyes.
• He's trustworthy.
• He's devoted to us.
• He saves us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
• He is good to us.

As David rremembers all God has done foir him, he sings this praise.  Yes, He is good to us - more than we can ever diserve.  But...well, as time goes on in serving the LORD, we also leaarn to praise Him even when we feel lost, forgotten or forsaken.  Feelings are not fact.  

A youth pastor once told us to remember this mantra:

God is good all the time.  

All the time, God is good.

There are seasons in our lives when we may question our God.  When we may question our faith.  I have been in those seasons - in fact I was there.  Here's my first post in a series of posts about brokeness/broken faith.  Remember, sing praise to Him for He has been good.  We may not remember those good times or even recognize them, but He has been good.

But, friend, like the song says, seasons change, but God is still the same.  Meanwhile, even if it's through a waterfall of tears, praise Him.

My God is Still the Same

Sanctus Real

Written during the Pandemic

Please know this:  

You are loved.  You are not alone.  You are being lovingly prayed for.

FIBER FUN

I broke down my "To Dos" into three categories:  Finish, Focus, Prep/make a kit, and Be Kind = Soft Deadlines.  FoF represents the Fields of Fancy BOM, which I'm doing with Liberty of London Tana Lawn fabrics.  FBF represents the Flower Box Friends BOM

Last Week's List was simply to focus on recovery.  I am amazed that I still tire easily, so that will be the bulk of my goals for next week.  As promised, here is the red, white and blue afghan I finished for Grandchild #4.  It's pretty much a twin size.  

I also finished this mesh cowl.  

This Week's List is a bit more ambitious.

1.  Finish - No finishes planned

2.  Focus - stitch these EPP petals together 

3. Prepare/make a kit - Remember this quilt?  I've pulled it out to prepare it for binding.  

4. Be kind = Soft Deadlines - which are good for my mental health!

15 MINUTES TO STICH

I’m joining the Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch' challenge at Life in Pieces  helps us to develop the habit of daily creativity.  I've stitched 6/7 days.  

LITERARY LIFE   

MAILBOX MONDAY - is a gathering place for readers to share books that they added to their shelves or eBook readers the previous week.  Some of these books were recommended by you!  Do you see your reads below?  Thank all of you for sharing!

Here's what I've picked up this week.

ereaderiq.com Someetimes I remember to post these titles on Instagram on the day I acquire them as the deals are short-term.  I've added the links to the information page in case you're interested.    

L.C. Chu's debut novel, The Library of Flowers, is a wonderfully complex tale filled with Hua family angst, identity, and a passed-down familial tradition of creating herbal perfumes. Luling "Lucy" is our confused, fearful protagonist whose legacy is to create perfumes that will lead the wearer to finding true love. After a perceived failure, she runs fast and hard into a future of creating perfumes while stifling her true gift. She keeps her distance from her mother, who can be demanding and insists Lucy develop her gift as legacy demands. Add to the mix a childhood friend who might be more than that, as well as a new friend who serves as Lucy's wise cheerleader.

As an extra bonus, Chu skillfully opens each chapter with fascinating journal entries from Luling's ancestors, fellow gifted perfumers. This feature adds wonderful context to Luling's history and explains the importance of her heritage as a gifted healer whose medicines are custom-made perfumes that bring true love to each recipient.

This was one of those rare occasions where I took a few days to process a wonderful tale before writing my review. Chu wove this entire story with such skill, respect, and insight that, truth be told, I am already missing the Hua family. Surely there is room for a sequel, Ms. Chu? Highly Recommend.

I express my gratitude to L.C. Chu, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for providing the opportunity to review the wonderful book, The Library of Flowers.

Estranged sisters. One granddaughter. Decades of secrets.

In The Secret Thread, Eve Chase weaves together the lives of two families—one wealthy, one employed to maintain their estate's gardens—forever changed by a tragic summer in 1969. When the extremely private Mini decides to auction her personal mementos, she hires Jo to organize the event. But as Jo peels back the layers of Mini’s history, secrets emerge, raising questions about whether Mini's sister, Pamela, can ever forgive the past, and how Mini will react to Jo's own hidden truths.

I was completely captivated by the emotional depth of the characters, the gripping plot, and the beautiful finale. Chase takes her time unfolding the mystery, exploring the profound ripple effects of family secrets. Reading this book felt like slowly exploring a grand mansion, filled with the exquisite anticipation of what might be waiting around the next corner. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballatine publisher, and author Eve Chase for the gift of this ebook ARC. All opinions are my own.

FINDING JOY

LeeAnna's I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color helps me consistently find the joy in every life.  Here is this week's prompt:  How do you make potatoe salad?  What do you put in it?  I've never made potatoe salad.  My mama and mother-in-law made the best one, so I never had to.  But, I love fresh vegetable salads using a variety of ingredients.  

On her last trip to San Diego, my daughter reminded me that many restaraunts line the salad dishes with hummus.  I've started doing that and not only is it delicious, we get extra protein!  

I use this recipe from The Wholesome Dish as my base for hummus without tahini.  

Your comments are so appreciated! 

I read each one and will respond by email.

You can also expect a visit from me as well!

 🎶Here is a list of many of the songs🎶

I've shared on this blog.

Here are the parties I sometimes link up with:  

Sundays

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz

Stitching Stuff at Kate's Life in Pieces

Mondays

Mailbox Monday @ I'd Rather Be At the Beach

Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps

What Are You Reading at The Book Date

Tuesdays

To Do Tuesday posts at Quilt Schmilt

Thursdays

I Like on Thursdays at Not Afraid of Color