Friday's Fave Five

Five good things from my week… 

1. Fresh air again

What a hot week we had here in the Netherlands! For days it was well over 35-37°C and by the end of it I was so ready for cooler weather. And then came the rain. Now I keep stepping outside at the back of the house just to breathe in the air. Cool, fresh, a little damp… lovely. After all that heat, it feels SO good to be outside again.

2. Watching the eclipse with my son

Ralph and I cycled out to see the eclipse together.

It was supposed to be about fifteen minutes away. It wasn’t. 😄 We had mosquitoes flying into us along the way and arrived without proper eclipse glasses. So there we were with two CDs and a box with a little hole in it.

Then a couple along the path let us use their eclipse glasses... and because they had an extra pair, they gave one to us!

I loved the whole evening. Families in the grass, couples together, everybody looking up at the sky. And I loved being there with my son.

3. My husband’s birthday

Jaap celebrated his birthday this week. It was his first birthday without his mother, so that was there too. But I’m thankful for him. For another birthday. Another year together.

 4. I finally finished that blog

Yesterday I finally finished a blog post from a walk I made at the end of June. I had written all my notes while sitting under my old beech tree, but the blog itself never got finished. Until now.

I posted it back on the date of that walk, which felt strangely satisfying. 

😄

💜 You can read: THE BLOG

5. The first little sign of autumn

I spotted my first spiderweb covered in tiny drops among the heather. That made me happy. Spiderwebs with dew always feel like one of those first little signs that autumn is on its way. And honestly, after all this heat, I am more than ready for it.

Bring on those cool mornings, damp air, golden leaves and beautiful autumn walks. 🍂

“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.”
— Henry Ward Beecher 

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Linking to Living to Tell the Story

Route

I don't mind driving. I just don't like driving somewhere when I am not completely sure of the route. Of course, I have a satnav. But because I had been to this holiday park before, I thought, I still remember the way. I didn't.

First, I turned off too early and ended up in an emergency stopping area beside the motorway. A little later, I missed another turn. Instead of turning around, I carried on and added fifteen minutes to my journey. The detour took me past a beautiful place, but also to a steep junction where I could hardly see to the left or the right. My hands were sweating.

After that, I watched the satnav very carefully.

When I finally reached the holiday park, it tried to send me to my cottage from the outside, where there was no entrance. So I had to drive around once more.

At last, I found the cottage. I sat down on the wooden bench and said, “Thank You, Lord. I made it safely... even though I had made the route much more complicated than it needed to be.”

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This photo was taken a few hours later by my husband and I am looking up at the swallows catching little flies.

Linked to: FMF Writing Prompt Link-up: Route

Friday’s Fave Five – Five Things I Am Thankful For

Today I am joining Friday’s Fave Five again, though it has not been an easy week. My mother-in-law passed away on Monday, and today was her funeral. 

Below is the beautiful condolence bouquet. My husband received it from his colleagues

When I look back, there are a few blessings that stand out.

1. Good conversations with my husband
This week my husband and I talked a lot. About everything that was happening, about how to find our way through it, and about the fact that grief can be complicated. Those conversations were precious. They helped us stay close to each other in a difficult week.

2. My sister’s faithful care
All through these weeks, my sister kept sending messages, voice notes and little signs of care. I felt so thankful for that steady attention.

3. Coffee with a dear friend
I had coffee with a friend who has known me for many years and knows something of our family history. It was good to sit with her in her garden, among the flowers, and speak freely for a while.

In this collage: my diamondpainting (wildflowers), morning coffeer, the stone/rock we received from te hospice, fries on the table, and the farewell at the open grave.

4. Sunshine on the day of the funeral
The evening before, and during the night, there had been thunder and heavy rain. But today, on the day of the funeral, the weather was bright and sunny. It was very hot, but I was so thankful there was no thunderstorm.

5. Diamond painting
I am thankful for my diamond painting. It helps me relax and gives my hands something to do when my mind is tired. Instead of staring ahead and getting stuck in difficult memories, I can let the good memories come too. The dark and the light, side by side.

A little extra blessing: ordering fries from the cafeteria. No cooking, no meal planning, just something simple and easy. On a week like this, that felt like a gift too.

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And a little clip of last night’s thunderstorm to end with. KNMI recorded more than 188,000 lightning discharges, so it really was an exceptional storm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many flashes behind the clouds... heavy, but spectacular.

Now I’m curious: what were the bright spots in your week?
I’d love to hear a few happy things. 😊

Join Friday’s Fave Five

Friday’s Fave Five – Five Things I Am Thankful For

Today I am joining Friday’s Fave Five again: a little pause to look back and gather five blessings from the week.

It wasn’t exactly a calm and cozy week... life clearly had other plans. But even in between the hard things, there were still small gifts to notice. So here I am 😊

1. A thunderstorm in the woods

On June 8, I went for a walk in the woods and was suddenly overwhelmed by a thunderstorm. It was frightening. 

Thankfully, I knew what to do and tried to sit as safely as possible until it passed. And while I was sitting there, rather wet and not exactly relaxed, I prayed, “Into Your hands I commit my spirit... and also my body.”

I also thought of someone we love, who is staying in a hospice, and quietly placed that too in God’s hands.

It was scary, but also strangely good. And then, as if the woods wanted to apologize, the sun came out again... and I could still enjoy the rest of my walk.

2. Herbs growing well

My herbs are growing beautifully. It is such a small thing, but I love seeing green life on my windowsill or in the garden. They remind me that life keeps unfolding, even on difficult days when life feels like it has been put on hold.

3. A short walk with flowers

June 11, I went for a very short walk. Even that little walk brought beauty. I saw many flowers, including this beautiful one. I always enjoy noticing wildflowers along the path. They make an ordinary walk feel like a small treasure hunt.

4. Coffee in pretty mugs

I also enjoyed drinking coffee from pretty mugs this week. Not a big blessing, maybe, but a real one. FOr me, a quiet moment, a mug that makes me smile... it is exactly what helps a day feel a little softer.

So here one of my mugs

5. A beautiful book to begin the day

I am reading a beautiful book by Stacey Pardoe. Every day there is something in it that gives me a good thought to begin the day with. That has meant a lot this week, as someone close to us is staying in a hospice. The days were not always easy, and I am thankful for words that help me begin the morning with a little more steadiness.

These were my five blessings of the week.
What was something that made you thankful this week?

Join Friday’s Fave Five

When Morning Is Coming

Everything becomes relative when someone you know well is in hospice.

Your view becomes smaller. It is no longer about the coming month, but about this week. Sometimes even about this day.

She is in hospice.

Not my mother. My husband’s mother. That makes a difference, I think. Sometimes I feel like a bystander. And that is okay.

Between her and me, it is good now. For a long time, it was not. And exactly now, things are happening that I did not expect, but that I did pray for. For thirty years. It does not need to be explained in my blog.

I only want to say: this is where we are.

Waiting while someone slowly grows quieter. Eating less. Drinking less. Sleeping more. Becoming more fragile.

And in that waiting, my word for this year keeps coming back to me: patience. Not as a nice idea, but as something very concrete. Waiting with what I cannot hurry. Watching what I cannot change. 

Waiting for the last goodbye here

Tomas Sjödin writes that life does not end when we turn out the light and say good night. After sleep, we wake to a new day. He connects this to the rhythm of Sabbath: evening first, then rest, then morning light. Dying is not the destruction of the light, he says. It is turning out the light because morning is coming.

That thought stays with me now.

I never expected that, at the end of someone’s life, there could still be so many glimmers of grace.

— ✦ —

 I write this as an encouragement for someone who has waited for many years, like me. We cannot change people. But God can. What is impossible with man is possible with God.

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Photo credits: Olenchic

Linked to: Paula's Sweet Tea June Link