Short Update on Rose

 Hi friends,

I've been absent from this space for long. I've been quite busy doing big household chores and since that tires me out a lot, I am generally resting in between. This might be delayed spring cleaning because I am getting to seldom cleaned areas and things I often don't have time to do. I have a lot I want to accomplish before the weather gets cold. 

I was also waiting for an update on Rose in Kenya; the mature woman (52 years old) who is pregnant and was in hospital with Covid 19.

Rose was able to be discharged from hospital less than a week ago. Her discharge had been delayed due to not having a place to quarantine. In Kenya, villagers live in small quarters and some arrangements had to be made before she could get out of hospital.

Sadly last night Rose was rushed to hospital with severe stomach pains. Private transport had to be hired as she lives in a rural place.

Please keep Rose, her  unborn child and the rest of her family in prayer for all the many needs. Thanks so much.

Prayers Needed & Update Regarding Pay Pal

 Hi friends,

 

This is just a quick update to let you know about the missions needs in Kenya and to ask for prayers.

Livingstone's crutches broke and needed to to be replaced. Jonah purchased some in Nakuru and shipped them to Kericho Town. This was an unforeseen expense but the crutches have gone through a lot of use as they have been used by two other patients we have helped. Cost for crutches and delivery was about $67 Canadian. I am not quite sure when he will go for followup and that always requires x-rays and usually plaster is redone. Please pray his bones will heal.

Rose, the older lady who is with child was discharged to home for recovery from Covid. To date we have spent about $400 Canadian on her medications but she is not doing well. At the moment she needs oxygen support and we are trying to provide that. Cost for one tank is usually around $50. Canadian.  There are oxygen shortages in Kenya right now so that is a bit concerning but we are trying to get oxygen to her. Update:  As of Monday evening Kenyan time, Rose was transported to hospital in Kericho. She was trying to get to the mission hospital in Tenwek but couldn't make it that far as her situation has deteriorated. We will do our best to help her.

Right now at home, we have a lot of wild fires burning and a number of them are not under control. One entire village burned to the ground and 2 people along with it. Firefighters have joined us from several provinces and today more firefighters arrived from Mexico. 

Update:  If anyone wishes to donate to the Kenyan missions, I've now created a direct link to Pay Pal for that purpose. I've also updated the blog page and references. Hopefully this will resolve any sending issues.  Here is the new link

paypal.me/snapthatpenny

Yah, it's Friday

 Happy Friday and happy weekend ahead.

It's been a busy week of errands and trying to find this and that for upcoming birthdays and projects so I'm a bit late with posting.

I captured these sky shots in early morning hours. I'm actually a night owl as that is when I seem to get more energy to do things but I do love to see the sky and feel the cool air in the very early morning hours before the city gets loud and busy.

 

 

 

 

My herb garden is overgrown. Too hot to cook. I guess I should freeze some.

I've slowed down reading but I have a number of books to keep me busy. I'm reading a little out of each one and hope I can finish them all before they are due at the library or unavailable for further renewals. I also picked up these magazines awhile ago. I seldom buy magazines any more but I'm sure I will enjoy them. I especially love looking at nicely decorated spaces and beautiful gardens. It relaxes me.

 

Last weekend I did a lot of meal preparation and batch cooking for the week. It was lovely since I've been feeling rather tired. It enabled me to focus on my errands and a few other things instead of cooking every day.

In the Kenyan mission field, Pastor Jonah has been kept busy with Livingstone's leg issues. Livingstone has been back to the doctor several times for follow up, had his cast redone numerous times and had multiple x-rays done. His leg is not healing very well but then again it's only been just over a month.  I have tried to insist that they stop redoing the cast and expecting Livingstone for such frequent follow-ups but that is how they do business at Kenyan hospitals. In the west that doesn't typically happen since it takes months for leg fractures to heal properly. We'll see how it goes moving forward.

There has been an outbreak of Covid 19 in various parts of Kenya due to mass political gatherings that were held weeks ago.  Certain communities have been hit hard including the one where we focus the missions work, the town of Kericho and surrounding villages.  It means curfews and restricted travel are again in place in much of the country.

Regular readers of this blog will already know that Livingstone has had Covid but was able to recuperate at home with prescribed medicines. Ernest, the other man that had a broken leg, had been hospitalized for weeks but is now okay. 

There is a woman I am concerned about. Her name is Rose. She is 52 years old and several months pregnant. She landed in hospital with Covid like symptoms and ultimately tested positive for Covid. She has been in a small hospital for almost 2 weeks and in need of a great many medicines (I have no information on how these might affect the unborn child).

Another younger woman named Joyce was admitted to hospital with pneumonia like symptoms and later tested positive for Covid.

All these needs at once are stretching my resources since I also try to help certain households with regular food and  helps, 

If any of you are so inclined to help out please feel free to reach out to me. I can be reached at kerichojoy[at]gmail[dot]com. Pay Pal donations can also be sent there. If you experience any problems kindly let me know. I've heard of two people now over several months who have had problems sending donations. They were ultimately successful after trying several times. I could also send you a payment request through Pay Pal if you send your email and how much you would like to donate. I thank you in advance for considering the needs.

~~~

I tired myself out this past week by going out almost every day for hours at a stretch. I'm not used to that at the best of times.  So this weekend I hope to catch up to some chores, some reading and some rest.

~~~

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your week ahead. 

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Tuesday 4 ~ Blogging

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 kept up in her memory.  This week the questions were supplied by Pamela Steiner.  Thanks Pamela and thank you Annie for keeping the meme going.

 

 

 1.  Tell us about your blog.  When did you start blogging?

My blog is about the simple things in life and later I also blogged about the charitable work I do in Kenya, East Africa. I started blogging in 2009 as a way to keep myself occupied with fruitful things, maintaining a simple life and sharing photos.  My brother set up my blog as it was all 'Greek to me'.  I started looking for simple and beautiful things to share and it also became like a diary of what was going on in my life. Mostly it was a way for me to keep focussing on joyful and happy things as a way to deal with  health issues that I am dealing with though I did not want the blog to be a daily journal of my illnesses. I was in fact trying to take my focus off of illness. At one point I deleted many blog posts (perhaps about 100 or more) though I can't remember the reason why. I think it had to do with the watermark on photos. I didn't like the look of them or something like that. I didn't delete them all.

 
2.  What prompted you to begin blogging?

I started blogging because I had time on my hands due to medical leave. I was looking for something constructive to do that would help me keep in the right frame of mind for healing.  I worked on keeping the blog positive and in those days blogged about simple things and beautiful things. I had a lot of trouble with concentration and I would publish a post only to discover many problems with my writing and grammar. I would then correct my errors and republish only to discover yet more errors and so on it went until I got it right. That still happens but not nearly so often.

3.  What was your first blog about and why did you choose that subject/title?

The first blog post published (April 2009) is a post about the beauty of nature. I created a short video and haiku verse to accompany it. I chose the subject because like I've already mentioned, I was focussed on beautiful things.  I wanted to use some beautiful, relaxing music in my short video. I'm not sure if the video and photos are still on the blog because so many of my posts are 'missing' photos (I'm embarrassed to look back over how the blog now looks in the earlier days). I'm unsure why but it probably has to do with photo storage issues and there are a number of things impacting on what I do going forward.
 
4.  How has your blog changed over time, and has it done for you what you hoped it would do in the first place?

My ability to concentrate has improved over time though my general health has not really improved.  I no longer feel that my original purpose for the blog has remained the same because over time it has expanded to include daily life, family, hobbies and philanthropy. I may ultimately stop this blog and start a new one. From time to time, I consider whether to continue with the blog. I feel everything has stagnated both with the reach of the blog and the things I blog about.  I should clarify that I do feel the blog served it's original purpose and that is one reason I may stop the blog and start another down the line. The blog isn't a legacy blog for family to look back on since I don't ever post photos, or very seldom have posted photos about myself and my family since this was never the focus.  The decision about what to do about the blog may be forced on me sooner than I care due to photo storage space nearing the limit. I don't want to pay Google storage but right now it is the easiest thing to do. The other options are not things I can do right now for various reasons.  There is so much in the air at the moment and when things are up in the air I tend to leave the decision until things are more clear.

Thank you for stopping by. Sorry I am late with the post. 

I somehow missed a day this week!

Linking up with Tuesday 4

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.

🙏🙏🙏