A Prayer for a Challenging Time

This has been a bad week for the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Colorado.  Our infection rates were holding steady in the hundreds per day all summer into early fall, but by October 15th, the numbers surged to a thousand, and then by early November into many thousands with an all-time high of almost 6,500 cases in one day this past week! Sadly, our state is not alone in this dramatic rise in positive cases.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment devised a graphic dial to use as a gauge for each of our 64 counties to help us ascertain our risks. You can see that graph on this link.  My county is now in level orange--high risk--which came with new restrictions that can be seen on this graph. Many sources feel the increase of cases is due to these reasons: more time being spent indoors as our weather cools, increased small social gatherings of friends, neighbors, and families from different households.

Although schools were open for in-person instruction in most districts in Colorado since September, there were hardly any outbreaks at the primary grade level and just a few at the middle school, as strict mask-wearing precautions and social distancing methods were in adherence. High Schools and Colleges were not as fortunate, however, but it was felt that the reason was that students socialized in groups after school without wearing masks, etc.  As our Covid-19 infection numbers rise, most school districts at an orange level have now decided to close the schools and have all students learn remotely.

Our Thanksgiving buffet 2019

My family has made the decision not to gather together for Thanksgiving this year.  We will each have our own celebration in our own homes. We felt the only way to safely gather from other households would be for everyone to quarantine completely for two weeks, and, unfortunately, none of us can accomplish that. I have researched the possibility of all of us getting "rapid" Covid tests, but I found that the reliability of these tests for both false positives and negative results is too high to be reliable. It's very hard to think that we can't all be together this year but health is a priority. No one wants to believe that they could be infected by a family member but it happens, and often by someone who is asymptomatic. 

 Last November, our daughter had open-heart surgery to repair a heart valve a week before Thanksgiving and she stayed at our house for a while post-op after she was released from the hospital, as I am an RN and could monitor her progress. It would have been wonderful to celebrate the anniversary of her surgery and the fact that she is doing so well a year later.  We never could have dreamed of the challenges this year brought to us all!

But, although there are disappointments and changes in the usual routines and traditions, the most important thing right now is that we all stay healthy.  These days of staying home, and staying safe, are not without their positives aspects.  Slowing down and appreciating the smaller pleasures and gifts of each day, with a new focus on gratitude, can also be looked upon as an unexpected gift.

This poem was written long ago but is perfect for this time of worry about SARS-CoV-2 and the need to slow down and be careful, yet still savor all the social little moments in our days. I hope it will also bring peace to you, dear reader, as it has to me...

"Slow me down, Lord!

Ease the pounding of my heart

By the quieting of my mind.

Steady my harried pace

With a vision of the eternal reach of time.

Give me, amidst the confusions of my day,

The calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tensions of my nerves

With the soothing music of the sighing streams

That live in my memory.

Help me to know

The magical restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art

Of taking minute vacations of slowing down to look at a flower;

To chat with an old friend or to make a new one;

To pat a stray dog,

To watch a spider build a web;

To smile at a child;

Or to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me each day

That the race is not always to the swift;

That there is more to life than increasing its speed.

Let me look upward

Into the branches of the towering oak

And know that it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down, Lord,

And inspire me to send my roots deep

Into the soil of life’s enduring values

That I may grow toward the stars

Of my great destiny."

~ prayer by Wilferd A. Peterson

Stay happy, safe, and healthy!

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Happy Thanksgiving from Colorado!

The table is set. 

The turkey is ready. 

The family is gathered.  

It is Thanksgiving once again! 

Offer unto God thanksgiving;

and pay thy vows unto the most High.

~ Psalms 50:14

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving.

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

~ Psalms 95:2

Some scenes from my house Thanksgiving Day last year.  

We have much to be thankful for!

Enjoy the parade! 

Enjoy the pumpkin pie!

A Prayer for you today...

Lord, behold our family

here assembled. We thank Thee

for this place in which we dwell;

for the love that unites us;

for the peace accorded to us this day;

for the hope with which

we expect the morrow;

for the health, the work;

the food and the bright skies

that make our lives delightful;

for our friends in all parts of the

earth, and our friendly helpers.

~Robert Lewis Stevenson

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you, one and all, for reading my blog, leaving nice comments and being friends! I count you all among my blessings.

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Have a Very Blessed and Happy Easter!

Christ is Risen!  He has Truly Risen!

A stained glass window in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York City

I will be sharing more about the magnificent Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan, that I visited on a  recent trip to New York City, on a future post. It is full of gorgeous stained glass windows and architectural splendor! 

I am always drawn to images of the Risen Christ when I see them, as I find them very inspirational. I decided to share a few of those windows in this post with hopes that they also will bring you joy this Easter weekend.

Lamb of God, You who take away the 

sins of the world, have mercy upon us!

Stained glass window of  St Rose of Lima RC Church, Carbondale Pennsylvania

Lamb of God, You who take away 

the sins of the world, grant us Peace!

Stained glass window Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph's RC Church, Brooklyn, New York

May you, and your family, 

have a very Blessed and Happy Easter! 

God Bless Our Granddaughter on her Christening

 We had a busy weekend as my baby granddaughter received baptism on Sunday.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above...." 

James 1:17

My husband and I stood in proxy for the chosen Godparents 

"May the Lord give His angels charge over you, to guide you in all your ways." 

Psalm 91:11

Our granddaughter "JP" is warmly welcomed by our church!

"Jesus said, "Let the little children come unto Me'...and he took them in His arms and blessed them."

Mark 10:14-16

We were blessed that some of our family were able to visit from New York for the happy occasion and we had a celebratory party back at our home that afternoon. After an unusual amount of rain for a few days prior, the weather cooperated very pleasantly with us that day and we enjoyed a very sweet day.

May God bless our granddaughter and keep her in ways of the Lord.  

"Those who have hope in the Lord...will soar on wings like eagles." 

Isaiah 4:30-31

Spring Skies and Catch Up News

I saw this magnificent rainbow in the sky early last evening while I was out running errands. I don't think I've ever seen a rainbow with such intense colors before!

 Spring storms bring very dramatic cloud formations to the area, and our open skies give us a big view of them.

All the moisture has been a Godsend to this section of Colorado, as it has reduced the fire risk from lightning strikes. 

Of course, spring weather can also bring terrible tornadoes, and Colorado is not exempt from that danger. I hope to never experience a tornado, and my thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the horrific, massive tornado that passed through Moore, Oklahoma. The devastation there is hard to fathom, and my heart breaks for those that lost loved ones. 

BlogHer has a special page devoted to communications and news about the Oklahoma tornado, and different ways to donate money to help the victims on this link.  One of the easiest ways to give is to donate $10.00 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by texting REDCROSS to 90999. 

Meanwhile, spring also means the elk are beginning to wander back to our area...

...and so are the bears! I hope never to run into one of them!

Catching up........I have been fortunate to win two wonderful blog giveaways recently...

Teresa L. Perin of the blog "Edenhills," has written her first novel, "Consent," and I won an autographed copy! The blurb from the book's website says it all:

"In medieval England daughters meant dowries-land and money leaving the family. Richard is determined to have a male heir to keep the castle Havenhoerte in their family and forces his daughter, Emma, to marry at the age of consent, just twelve years old. This is the beginning of two families entanglement. Kidnappings, knights, battles, weddings, and witchcraft spanning three generations follow. Sometimes the most dangerous enemy comes from within your own family. Can love and chivalry overcome evil?"

Thank you, Teresa -- I was certainly spellbound as I read your novel, and I found the ending such a surprise!  Please visit Teresa's blog where she writes about her fascinating life on a 75-acre farm in Iowa. Her animals, especially her goats, have such fun personalities!

I also won another wonderful give away by Riet of the blog Riet's Photoblog in honor of her new blog called "My Life, Quilting and Stitching Again." Riet lives in the Netherlands -- a country I've always dreamed about visiting, and she shares her beautiful photos and her very talented creations on her blogs.

Riet sent this very pretty French demitasse coffee set to me, along with two doilies, a heart ornament she made and the most remarkable handmade card!

The card design on the left is stitching, and the hand stamped windmill image is multi-layered to give it depth. Isn't it gorgeous?  Thank you so much, Riet! I will think of you every time my husband and I drink our espresso from these pretty cups, and I will treasure your card!

It has been busy times here this week--my husband and I have been getting our lawn and garden in order and we celebrated the first wedding anniversary of our daughter and son-in-law! I made a chocolate heart shaped bundt cake for the two love birds, and my husband and I babysat so they could go out and celebrate.

Rocking my baby granddaughter to sleep.

I am now watching my granddaughter during the day, Monday through Friday, as my daughter returned to work two weeks ago.  I am getting into tip-top shape as my granddaughter and I take a stroller walk around the neighborhood every afternoon. It's a busy time in my life again, and I'm loving every minute of it!

If I am tardy in visiting your blogs or responding to your comments, it is because my computer time is very limited right now, but as we settle into a routine I hope that improves. I hope that Spring has brought beautiful skies your way and that any dangerous weather will stay away!

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Prayers for Colorado

 Photo source: Colorado Springs Gazette.

If you are a regular reader of my blog you know my children live in the beautiful state of Colorado, in the Denver area. Many areas of Colorado have been besieged by wildfires of epic proportions this past month, most caused by lightning hitting extremely dry trees and brush. One of the latest fires of concern is in the foothill areas of Colorado Springs, the second largest city of Colorado, about an hour driving distance from Denver. As you can see by the photo above, this raging fire is extensive, and out of control!

 Photo source: Colorado Springs Gazette

Tens of thousands of residents have had to flee their homes, and many neighborhoods are being destroyed by the flames.

Photo Source: Colorado Springs Gazette

The United States Air Force Academy is located in Colorado Springs, and as you can see by the photo above of the Air Force Chapel surrounded by smoke wafting across the canyon, it may also be in danger if the fires are not quickly put under control.







If you watch the heartbreaking CBS video above (it begins with a brief commercial) you will see that one fleeing resident of Boulder County took only one possession--the American Flag that was his son's. His son lost his life in the military in Iraq.

There are more than eight large wildfires burning across the state, the latest in Boulder County, north of Denver, which was also caused by a lightning strike. Record high temperatures above 100 degrees and extreme drought and high winds have been fueling all the fires and smoke, exhausting the thousands of firefighters on duty, and hindering the more than 100 airplanes and helicopters that are trying to dump water and fire retardant on the flames.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people and state of Colorado, for their safety, that a good long soaking rain will help quench these fires and prevent new ones I am worried about my children and grandchildren, that they also may face the danger of fires in their area. Please keep them all in your prayers!

Thank you.

Wedding Day Bliss!

We gathered on a beautiful day in May under sunny skies, light breezes and spectacular views of Manhattan from our location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. On the right, we saw the span of the Williamsburg Bridge, mid-town and the Empire State Building.....

...on the left, we saw the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges and Lower Manhattan in the distance.

Straight ahead was the wedding arbor full of flowers and the chairs waiting for guests.

The wedding was about to begin and the string quartet began to play.

My handsome son escorted me to my seat.

My soon to be son-in-law Joseph's stepmother and uncle entered, representing his parents who are sadly deceased.  We know they were with us in spirit that day!

...followed by my soon to be son-in-law and the minister.

Then my son, the bridesmaids, matrons, and groomsmen processed in, one by one as the music played. Except for my son and one friend of the groom, all the groomsmen were all brothers of my son-in-law.

We then waited for this special moment...

...when my proud and happy husband and my sweet daughter began their walk down the aisle....

...towards her waiting groom.

They listened to the beautiful and sacred words of Corinthians 13:4-8:

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  And now these three remain faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

They also read their own vows that were written from their heart.

My eyes teared with joy as they proclaimed their love and devotion.

They exchanged wedding rings...

...again expressing their love for each other.

And they were pronounced before God and family and friends as husband and wife!

My husband embraced his new son...

...and Lisa and Joseph began their walk down the aisle as Mr. & Mrs.!

Of course, I have much more to show, as we had a wonderful celebratory reception afterward that I know you will enjoy seeing.  I will blog more about the wedding soon, as many photos are coming my way that were so graciously taken by family and friends. It has been so wonderful to re-live these happy moments through these photos as we wait for the professional shots.  I was so relieved that those who traveled far for the wedding -- one of whom was a Navy buddy of my son-in-law who traveled all the way from a Navy base in Italy -- all arrived home safely. Honestly, the many months of planning and the build-up of excitement and anticipation for this wedding was so worth it to ultimately give our daughter the wedding of her dreams. Thank you for being a part of the journey and for all your best wishes!  We could not be happier and more excited to see her marry a man who will love, honor and cherish her forever!