What Have You Been Doing Lately?

Hi friends,

I hope you've had a chance to read an update about the progress of young Edwin from Kenya. If you haven't yet, I encourage you to read the short report and if you can, leave an encouraging comment for Jonah who I'm sure will pass it along. Words have an incredible capacity to heal and Edwin needs all the help he can get through healing words and prayers.

In other news, I have been very busy. My uncle too has recently been diagnosed with colon cancer.  At the same time, my aunt who has had breast cancer in the past, has seen a return of it.  I know that all this is in God's hands.  But as you can imagine, it has been a very busy and at times, tiring time. I am assessing whether I can make a visit to these dear ones soon. They live far away and there is a lot to do first.  But if it is possible, I will go and  I will try to blog photos of my journey.

I also wanted to share some books I've purchased and am reading.  I went out looking for one book called Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  A book club I will participate in is going to discuss this book in a month or so. I didn't find a used copy of it on the day I went to the local thrift stores so I ordered a copy on line. I should have it in a week or two.

I did end up buying a  lot of other books which you will see in the photo below.  This will add to my handy collection of reading materials for when I'm looking for something to read.  

I finished the book at the bottom of the pile, Heart and Soul by Mauve Binchy.  Ms. Binchy is one of my favourite authors and I've read every one of her books but none of her short stories.  

Heart and Soul, is a book about Dr. Clara Casey, a cardiologist who starts a Heart Clinic at a hospital in Dublin. It's about the life of the patients who are impacted in a positive way by the Heart Clinic and the lives of the workers who are all hand selected by Clare to work in the clinic. Ultimately it's about every day things that bind people's lives together; love and heartache.  It's all told in the heart warming way for which Mauve Binchy is well known. I enjoyed the book and now I am thinking of starting on Olive Kitteridge or Appetite for Life.  I think it might be the latter, as it's a story about the life of beloved chef, Julia Child.

In addition to reading, family and missions matters, I've been busy spending time cleaning up computer files, updating the software on my smart phone and playbook and sorting through and re-organizing my media centre (CDs of music and movies). I've also been attending to long delayed paperwork, like organizing receipts, doing taxes, submitting receipts for reimbursement and all those kind of little things that take time and concentration. I will continue sorting through old bills and paperwork over the next few months as part of my major decluttering project. Little steps add up to big gains.

In time, it will all get done. Lastly, the garden patch has been cleared but no veggies have been planted yet and it has been too wet to put out the new cushion covers on the patio chairs. Sadly too, a family member who was cleaning out the remainder of the garden for me accidentally pulled up my beloved poppies and wild flowers. I was devastated for a few moments. But I guess they can all be replanted or something else planted in their place.

And what about you dear reader. 
What has been taking up most of your time?