A Beautiful Friday

It is very early in the morning around 4:45 a.m.

It feels so nice and fresh after the intense heat of the past week and some days.

 Joining in with Skywatch Friday. 

Thank you for stopping by.

Tuesday 4 - That's Entertainment

 Here is to another week of Tuesday 4 in memory of Toni Taddeo.

1. Do you have an actor or actress whose movies you hate to miss?

I have a few actors and actresses whose movies I try to see when they make a new one. Here they are in no particular order:  Meryl Streep, Meg Ryan, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench, Helen Mirren,  Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pine, Viola Davis, Regina King, Denzel Washington, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Octavia Spencer, the late Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Kaluuya. Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton. That's a lot.

2. Is there a movie or TV program you could watch over and over again?

I can only think of two movies I did like to watch more than once and both of them featured Angelina Jolie though I would not say she is my favourite actress.  The first movie is called Salt, an action-adventure-spy movie.  I found the story line very thrilling and it held my interest throughout.  I also enjoyed The Tourist, a romantic-spy-mystery.  The scenery and the acting in The Tourist were superb as the story was mainly set in Venice.

 

I don't usually go out of my way to watch something over and again but I would choose movies like Out of Africa and  Sleepless in Seattle as the kind of movies I would watch on more than one occasion.  I also like to watch some classic movies like The Sound of Music.  During appropriate holidays like Christmas and Easter, I also watch some movie favourites like It's a Wonderful Life and The Ten Commandments. If a movie I've already liked and watched happens to be showing on television and I'm "free" I'm usually open to watching it again. 

I never really used to watch movies on television or on computer as I far prefer them on the big screen. But then the movies got to be so expensive and combined with the fact that the movies run are sometimes very short, I will now watch on TV or on line.  These days we have so many movie options and watching at home is very convenient. 

I usually make a cup of decaf tea and some other snack (fruits, chips, popcorn, etc.). The snack depends on what I have on hand and what I may be craving.  I never go out to buy snacks specifically for eating while watching movies.

3. Do you have a list of books or magazines you are hoping to read over the summer? Would you share it with us?  Bonus: do you make a cuppa something or a snack when you read?

I purchased two magazines which I haven't read yet:  Small Space Decorating (Better Homes & Gardens) and Flowers and Gardens (Victoria Classics). I simply love looking at pretty photos of beautiful homes and gardens and I also like watching You Tube videos and looking at magazines to get ideas for small space decor and organization.  

My tastes are very eclectic so it is hard to decide on what I really, really love for the purposes of living. I think  probably a home that is more rustic and comfortable because that seems to be what I gravitate to most since I like wood things and tribal rugs and artifacts or anything hand made.  I also love lots of greenery and flowers.

I have about 6 books on the go at the moment, several are sewing books, one is about heaven and who will meet us at the gates, another is a compilation of news articles written for the Irish Times by the late Maeve Binchy and the last two are novels.  I have a very long list of books to read and I'm always adding to it. Once I finish what I have on hand I will see what else I can get from the library that may be on my list. 

A few weeks ago I  reached my quite modest reading goal for the year.  Now I'm just taking time and not reading much each day especially because it is sweltering heat right now where I live and we've been shattering temperature records all week. When I have a good novel though it is hard to put it down until it's done.I find it's also more enjoyable when you read a novel each day so you don't lose the thread of the story.

I make the same snacks and refreshments for book reading as I do for when I watch movies.

4.  What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?

Joan Baez & Bob Dylan Photo by:  Getty Images & Printed in the Guardian News

My tastes in music are also super eclectic. I enjoy almost everything except for crude lyrics.  The music I'm drawn to most often is the classical music (especially Mozart), the music of the 60s and 70s (Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Joni Mitchell, Ian & Sylvia, Buffy Ste. Marie, Simon and Garfunkel, Motown, Jim Croce, The Beatles, Elvis) light rock of the 70s  & Dicso (James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers, Doctor Hook, KC & The Sunshine Band, Donna Summer) and spiritual or gospel music of almost any era and any style.  I also like country and western music as it was the music I grew up hearing most. The odd thing is I love music but hardly make time to listen to anything but gospel.

Linking up with Tuesday 4.

Tuesday 4

 Welcome to Tuesday 4 in honor of Toni Taddeo...

1. Do you have a favorite movie to recommend? 

Hmm, I don't think I have a favourite amongst favourites as far as movies go but there are a few I can remember fondly.  On the romantic front:  Out of Africa with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford & The Way We Were with Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford. On the action/adventure front all the Bourne movies with Matt Damon and the James Bond movies with Daniel Craig. On the murder/mystery/thriller front: The Two Faces of January with Kirsten Dunst and Viggo Mortenson and The Talented Mr. Ripley with Matt Damon. I also enjoy a lot of the faith based movies of long ago:  The Ten Commandments (Charlton Heston and Yul Brenner) & Ben Hur (Charlton Heston), The Chronicles of Narnia movies, The Gospel of Luke, The Mission (Robert DeNiro & Jeremy Irons, Silence (Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver), The Inn of Sixth Happiness (Ingrid Bergman and  and many of the old B & W dramas, too many to mention.

2. Do you have a schedule for your day or do you wing it?

I have a loose schedule for my day but I wing it a lot depending on my energy levels and outside appointments.

3. What are you  eating/cooking  lately?

Lately I've been cooking a host of foods that have good memories for me:  

 

(Top left to right: Korean Ground Beef, Kenyan Matoke and Beef Stew, Indian Red Lentil Dahl and Naan, beef and veggie stir fry over spaghettini, Kale/Romaine Salad with baked French fries and chicken wings, Moroccan Beef Kebabs with salad and roasted cauliflower, Boiled Pork Hocks and onions with mashed potatoes.

The Korean Beef if a newer dish that I really like and it has become a new staple. I've cooked a lot of beef this past two weeks. Usually I use a lot of chicken.

4.  Do you surf on your computer? Tell us about it, won't you?

Daily I begin the computer time by checking email and blogs. Then I spend time checking out and watching vlogs and news, participate in webinars on interesting or useful topics and then research some items I've come across during the day. 

 I seldom buy fresh flowers but here is one I bought last week.

Thank you for stopping by. I'm linking up with Tuesday 4.

A Peek at the Garden

To date the spring season has been quite cool and a lot of rain. I haven't had to do much in the garden as a result and I find it isn't growing as fast as usual. The seeds I sowed directly must have drowned because they are not coming up. 

In the next few days the weather is expected to get much warmer and I'm sure the garden will suddenly sprout. In the meantime I went out to capture a few raindrops on leaves. One of my absolute favourite things to do in the garden believe or not. I captured these photos in the very early morning hours and just used my phone camera.

  Hosta leaves #1

 

Hosta leaves #2

Solomon's Seal #1

Solomon's Seal #2

The herb container

Trying to capture the rain as it drops in the bird bath.

When it dried out a little I captured a few more photos. 

I like to capture and compare garden photos from year to year. I can see that last year my garden was more mature in May than it is this year in June.  I think it's due to the cool weather and abundant rain. I'm hoping it means the garden will remain fresh for longer this summer if the very hot weather is delayed. July is typically our hottest month.

I'm almost finished reading a murder mystery called Moonflower Murders. It is the 2nd book in a series but I didn't realize it when I picked it up on a whim at the library. I am enjoying it quite a lot.

 

I have a friend who has been under a lot of stress because he was very close to becoming homeless. Right now he is living in a hotel room. Fortunately he found a place and so the stress is relieved.  He will need to purchase or gather a lot of items to begin in the new apartment so I'm now putting together some items that I want to declutter and which will be useful (bowls, plates, cutlery, draining pads, dishcloths,dishtowels, dutch oven, baking pans, possibly hangers. bedding and shower curtain, etc.).

In other news I was able to get my 2nd Covid vaccine.  I got the Pfizer vaccine and was told that after one week it is 95% effective in protecting me.

 How is your garden growing?

Rainy Sky in June

Hi friends and fellow bloggers. I hope you are all doing well. I am keeping very busy.

Early this week I finally completed the digital project I've been working on and now I'm turning to a few other things like reading, sewing and crafts. I've also got a lot to catch up on with lab tests, medical and dental appointments. I also go in for my 2nd Covid jab next week. I'll be glad when that is done though I hardly think that will be the end of it all. We will all hear more in time but I'm thankful that the country's Covid numbers are now getting under control. It will only help us if all other countries can also get their numbers under control before the world wide travel restrictions are lifted. I'm hopeful that I can visit with two different family members before the end of the summer.

I don't think I've shared here yet but I finally was able to have my late mom's power wheelchair picked up for assessment and repair. This has been on hold for a very long time due to Covid restrictions. But at last it went out the door and the good news is that the things I thought needed repair were the exact things that needed repair (new batteries, charger and air for the 2 Roho cushions). My friend and the organization she belongs to raised the funds for the repairs and the chair will now be gifted to a woman who is a paraplegic. I am very happy for her as it will make her life that much easier. To date she has been trying to get by in a manual wheelchair that she propels herself. This is just not working out and is very exhausting as you can imagine. Now she will be able to drive around in comfort.

 

Alvin, the young man in Kenya is now in his first phase of seminary training called Postulancy.  He is at the halfway mark of a 2 month period of introductory studies. Once that finishes he will return home to Nairobi for a brief break before commencing full time study in August. He is going through a period of adjustment but I think overall he will enjoy it.

Livingstone was recovering at home from Covid 19 and has been out of quarantine now for just over a week. He has also returned to the hospital for what we thought was removal of his leg cast.  Instead the hospital has asked him to start on a vitamin regime, removed his old cast and put a new cast on.  Many villagers do not get adequate nutrition and this makes it difficult for them to heal in the normal way. I hope next time he goes to the doctor they will find that his leg has properly healed.

 

 

I hope all is well in your part of the world. Keep safe.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday.

 

 

A Life

It's time for Tuesday 4 started by Toni Taddeo and kept up in her memory by Annie of the blog, Cottage by the Sea.

This week's topic is about spending time

1.  Are you currently reading a book you'd like to tell us about? Maybe a TV program you can recommend to us?

 I just finished reading the late Cecily Tyson's memoir Just As I am. A few weeks after I heard about her book she passed on at the ripe age of 97. I didn't really know much about this actress only that she seemed to be a powerhouse in her field. I immediately got the book from my local library and was looking forward to it. Her life's story held many revelations for me and in that sense I enjoyed it though I cannot really say I was a fan of the writing style. Given Ms. Tyson's longevity and accomplishments as an actor, I would highly recommend her book.

2.  Are you a Jane Austen fan? So many seem to be. If you are what is your favorite book and who is your favorite character.  If you aren't a fan, is there an author you especially like to read? Favorite character, etc.?

I am absolutely a Jane Austen fan and it is hard to pick favourites as I've enjoyed each and every one of her books. If I really had to pick a favourite I would choose Mansfield Park though I cannot remember now if I read this book first, or whether I read Pride and Prejudice first. You can watch Mansfield Park as a movie right now on YouTube for free. I don't really have a favourite character in any of Jane Austen's books. I love each and every one because together they all add to the wonderful stories she writes.  I will say that most of the television adaptations of Jane Austen's books do not give me the same enjoyment as reading the books though some of the big screen movies do.  For example I really loved Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.

3.  How do you spend your time during the day?  Do you set apart time to read, watch TV, study?

Yes I do all of the above. I very much enjoy reading and watching good television or YouTube videos. I also enjoy crafting (knitting, crochet, sewing, and from time to time a few other handcrafts) during quiet times. 

Here is the last large crochet project I made. It is a crochet blanket large enough to cover a tall man in a twin, hospital bed. I made it for one of my uncles. He just passed on today. I pray he is enjoying his reunion with loved ones in glory.

 

 

The green items are knitted dishcloths I recently completed. I really enjoy making these because they are quick and also very practical for personal use and as gifts.

 

 

Spending time almost daily, with my charitable mission to Kenyans, a grassroots effort to bring humanitarian helps and hope to a number of destitute Kenyans, is also something that occupies my time. It is my belief that it isn't enough to say we believe in God as Christians. I believe we must show our belief through actions.  Though actions and works won't save our souls, actions and works are a demonstration of the fact that God's Holy Spirit lives in us and that it is alive and real, not dead. 

God is love so we too must be examples of love to others. Not because people deserve it but because God is love and he loves each and every one of us. If we say we love God but have no demonstration of it especially to the very needy, yet we make sure we meet all of our own needs, I don't think that is love. Love demands a sacrifice from us. Not so we can become martyrs through sacrifice but so that we truly understand what God has given to us and how he has sacrificed so that we might have salvation and a hope of a wonderful eternal future.

These few thoughts don't capture the totality of my beliefs in this area but they will at least give a glimpse. Often when I share these thoughts people will jump to defend themselves and say that giving is not only about money or that there are people in our own backyards that need help too. I agree with both of these statements. God doesn't limit us to helping here or there. Each of us has opportunities to stretch ourselves both at home and abroad especially in this present day and age. We just need to be open and alert to those opportunities and also willing to use the creativity through the ideas that God gives to each of us to find ways to do what he wants. We also need to be open to hearing him when he is speaking to us in that often still and small voice.

4. Have your beliefs changed in your life time? New religion.. new politics? Or are they the same as they were growing up? Do you spend time thinking over the important things of life to take stock in your life?

Neither my political nor my religious beliefs have changed in my life time. I have always been a Liberal (in USA that would be a Democrat). Though I know many Christians support Conservatism (Republicanism) I am of the belief that God made every one of us a free agent to live and choose how we will live and whom we will serve. I do not believe in penalizing people for how they live unless they willfully harm others or disobey laws that are there for the protection of all . One day each one of us will be judged by a power much greater than a human being.  

I grew up believing in God long before I ever went to church (my parents were not Christian or church goers until much later) and learned about him in a formal way.  I did not always go to church as for a time. In my late teens and early twenties,  I did my own thing.  But God always called me back to him and in my adult life I have not strayed from the path.  I have to say that being a believer in God and casting my cares upon him has really helped me in every way. Some of my old friends called my belief in God a crutch but I don't care. " I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able. To keep that which I've committed, unto Him against that day" (from the song I Know Whom I have Believed). I am a strong person so I do not need a crutch. 

 

 

My faith is in God because I know he loves me and has saved me from a life of ruin.  Those are not just words but have great meaning and I'm writing them in humble gratitude for how he gave me a hope and future from the background in which I grew up.  It was not an easy life for me or any of the generations before me in my family, but praise God, he made a way for me and for many others in my family.  I am truly grateful for that.  A life with God brings me a lot of contentment and inner joy. I want to use my life and whatever I have left of it to bring glory to God and as thanks for everything he has given to me.

I do spend a lot of time thinking about the big issues in life and also spend a lot of time taking stock of my life. I do this and try to improve myself here and there and make sure I am on the right path for me. When I was younger I spent an awful lot of mental energy on these activities.  We go through various stages of growth and now that I am older I still do a lot of deep thinking.  But I probably spend more time doing and acting. As we age, we have the sense and awareness that time goes by so quickly. I don't want to waste too much of the time I have left and ask God to help me to make the best use of my time, to even extend my time and to open doors that he wants me to enter.

 

 Thank you for visiting my blog and for taking time to read my thoughts.

I'm joining in at Tuesday 4.

May God truly bless you in unimaginable ways.

🙏🙏🙏

Slow Return

Hi friends,

I haven't been posting for awhile.

I have been quite busy with the needs in Kenya. The one friend I posted about last time has now been released from hospital and is recovering at home.

In the meantime, another Kenyan man I'm acquainted with through other contacts fell off a boda boda (motorbike taxi) and fractured his leg. These boda bodas can be quite dangerous.  I've known at least 4 people over the course of time who have had accidents and ended up in hospital.  This latest accident involved a man named Livingstone.  He spent a few days in hospital and has now been discharged with a cast on his leg to recover at home.

In Kenya if you go to hospital they will also check you for Covid.  If you test positive they will keep you in hospital or send you home with a prescription for medicines if you are not showing signs of medical distress.  Unfortunately Livingstone tested positive and so he needs help with the cost of the medications.  Thankfully he is not hospitalized for Covid treatment and we hope it remains that.  Truthfully though I am concerned about the possible exposure of his other family members. These are humble villagers and they live in very small homes.  Given he has a cast on his leg, someone has to take care of him.

We hope he can continue being treated at home and get better. He needs a variety of medications for a total of 10 days. As of the time of this post he will be going into his 3rd day of medications.

 

If you can help at all please donate to the Pay Pal account on the side bar.  If you make a donation and you have any problems sending it through please let me know as it happens from time to time.  I do not really like asking for funds.  On the other hand, as Christians who try and help others, we ought to let people know about the needs so they can help too if they are felt led to do it.  Some kind and generous people will never have an opportunity to help someone if no one ever brings the needs their notice.  This is, after all, a ministry we are doing in Kenya. It is not formalized through a registered organization though some day it may be.  It is ad hoc and really focussed on helping the very destitute who are not able to access help through organizations.  There are so many who fall between the cracks.  

I do as much as I can on my own with helpers in Kenya and I fund most of it myself. When the needs that come to my attention are too much for me on my own I post about the needs.  We could do so much more if we had more helpers but we do what we can. If  you feel led to help these people, you will know who you are.  If God is speaking to you, please be in touch. Thank you.

I've written from time to time about another young man, Alvin whom we assisted through the final years of  engineering degree.  He graduated with wonderful grades but it is next to near impossible to find work in Kenya.  He has been praying for open doors and God's leading his life. He has now moved on to what may be his life's calling and is now on the path to becoming a priest in the Catholic faith. He left a few days ago for the first phase of his multi-year training.  Though it isn't a job in engineering there may be opportunities to serve in his church with his background. Up to now we (mainly he) have been involved in getting him ready and getting all his needs in place (special clothing and other necessary items). He has been in seminary before as a high school student so the early part of studies will not be new to him. I wish him every happiness and success in life and in the ministry to come.

From time to time, I've mentioned a digital project I've been working on. It has eaten up a lot of time and energy but soon the main part will be done. Then I won't look at it again for a very long time. I'm so glad!

I've used the time in between the above activities to read a few books. Here is a collage of 4 books I'm currently reading or have read recently.  

My modest goal for the year was to read  25 book and I've now surpassed that goal.  I have several other books on the go and on hold at my local library but I will slow down a bit. I need to focus now on enjoying the summer ahead and doing some household projects and making more time in prayer and study.  There so many people in great need for a great many things, not just material needs but physical, emotional and spiritual needs as well.

Thursday night I bought a big ball of cotton yarn to make a few dish cloths. I rather like the multi-green colour. It reminds me of the spring season we are in. It feels good to pick up the needles again.

I'm not sure how often I'll be on line over the summer but I expect to pop in to various blogs and visit with you. I have already started doing it.  Hopefully I will have a chance to pop into my own blog too in between activities but I expect to resume normal blogging in the fall.  I don't even want to think about fall right now though it is one of my favourite seasons due to the crisp air and the beautiful, seasonal colours.  I am looking forward to enjoying the spring sunshine and beautiful colours as we move into the summer months.  Along that line, I have finally started working in my patio garden and once it starts blooming that is something I will post on this blog. I can't wait to see what it will look like in a few weeks.  The photo below is a before photo taken on Friday, May 14, 2021.

Stay safe