Mid-May Faves

Friday.  This week was not great. 

So I'm trying to find five blessings anyways and give glory to God.

Actually there were a couple of good things about the past week....but much of it was challenging on an emotional level. Please join us with your own FIVE FAVES by linking up at Susanne's.

kayaking on Moreau Lake
foothills of the Adirondacks

• KAYAKS IN!  Saturday we woke up to a perfectly gorgeous day.  Dave put the kayaks on the car and off we went to register them at the state park about 35 min north of us so we can keep them locked there until Columbus Day weekend.  My friend Cheryl met us there, bought our oldest daughter's bike, and then stayed to kayak with me.  She used Dave's kayak while I used mine.  She took a nice photo of me on the lake.  It was such a great time.  Not many people were out on the lake yet either. I'm thankful I can dash up there a couple times a week and paddle. It's so relaxing and the time in nature, plus the upper body workout is win!

One of our cherry trees in the front yard

Pear tree in my backyard...a Mother's Day gift
from 2013ish

My front flower bed

one of my yellow tulips

• FLOWERS IN! It seems that overnight our flowers opened up with all this amazing color!  I have had tulips for years and I just love them.  Maybe it's the Dutch influence from my mom's side of the family or that we live where the Dutch settled (Albany County).  Either way, I love them.  My cherry blossoms have bloomed in the last 3 days and are almost at peak and the pear tree as well.  I just love my flowers.  Because they are perennials, I don't have to do a thing to them!  I planted yellow tiger lilies that my husband bought me and they look nice too.  The petunias I planted in deck containers aren't doing too well and Dave thinks a rabbit is getting to them.  I may have to get more.  I'm thankful the weather has been wonderful and that our corner of the world has this cheerful color!

My "new" Honda Civic!

• CALM WITH CAR ACCIDENT: no the car accident isn't a fave.  But the calm that pemeated my entire being really helped.(unusual...had to be God...because I normally have wicked road rage!) I was driving to work around 7:45 a.m. my normal time. Traffic was heavy as usual on the interstate I have to take south to then go east and all was like normal.  Then an accident far ahead of me happened so traffic slowed down. I usually stay in middle lane until a certain point so just before that point, I signaled and pulled into the right lane as usual. Traffic was only going about 35 mph due to the accident up ahead. BUT a young lady (first thought that went through my mind was ..."is she like 12?") tried to merge into my lane and came in too early, crashing into my drivers side rear. I motioned for her to pull in front of me and get off in the little strip of land that was there.  We put our hazards on, I went to her window, she admitted it was her fault and she was very sorry.  I was like omgosh she is YOUNG.  Found out she's my oldest daughter's age. This helped me to remain calm because I wouldn't want someone berating my own daughter so I tried to be helpful. Told her to call her insurance agent while I called 911.  We got the state police to write up the report and about 45 minutes later we were on our way to work.  I'm thankful neither one of us was hurt and I'm thankful for car insurance!!  Now my car which I JUST got the title for the day of the accident, is in the body shop. Hopefully it will be ready in a week. 

• EMPLOYED AGAIN!  Our oldest gal, Courtney, was offered a job she had 2 interviews for with in the last week. They hired her the afternoon of the 2nd interview and she didn't think she was getting it! She is now Administrative Assistant for the Regional Office of this place in a town just a little north of us.  She's thrilled because the salary is more than what she was first told!  In fact, she is making more than I am and I have a Masters degree!  Now she and her friend can get serious about apartment hunting.  This is a huge relief to her as the apartments in our area are quite pricey and she's still paying back her college loan.  She has about 7 years of payments left. The thing I am most thankful for though is that it was only 3 weeks of unemployment that she had to deal with.

off the road where I bike

• BIKING!  I really needed to do some kind of physical exercise on Wednesday evening.  I had dropped off my Honda to the body shop and ate dinner early with Dave before he left to go work with the youth group kids.  So I hopped on my bike and did a 5 mile ride heading northeast.  I loved it.  Traffic was late as everyone was home and rush hour was past.  I rode for about 35 minutes and it felt great! I'm thankful I have my bike for the evenings when the weather is nice.  It was a nice 72 degrees and it felt perfect!

That wraps up my week....it was a tiring one.  Later today, Dave and I will be heading to the south of Boston to spend the night with his folks and then driving up to UNH on Saturday morning to move our youngest gal home for the summer.  It's going to be a busy day tomorrow!

Enjoy the weekend everyone and HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY To all the moms out there!!