March Fave Fives

It's March and our youngest daughter arrives home tonight for a week of Spring Break from the university in NH, and my husband's been away all week to help out his parents at their home in the south of MA, and it's been one of the coldest first weeks of March on record for our area of eastern NY.

  BUT...there's always blessings if we just look around and I'm sharing FIVE of them today and then joining other women by linking up at Susanne's site.  What made you smile this week?

a touch of Spring in the living room

• TOUCHES OF SPRING:  Over the weekend, I decided that even though it's technically still winter for a couple more weeks, I just had to put away my winter themed pillows and decor. I bought this bird pillow at Home Goods over the weekend for less than $20! I love it!  In fact, the colors are so pretty (the photo doesn't do it justice) that I'm probably going to leave it up into the summer.  It really perks up the grey chair in the corner of the living room.  I also hung my spring wreath on the living room wall where the Christmas one has been hanging since early December.  And I put out my spring candle...a lovely "white tea verbena" scented candle in a pretty spring green color.  It sits on top of my piano.  I'm thankful for these little touches of spring.

our backyard from the family room doors
Monday 4 March

• A TOUCH OF SNOW  Yes, as predicted we got 4 inches of snow overnight Sunday into Monday.  The preschool agency where I teach had a 2 hour delay because for special education preschools, we have private contracted buses and they have to work to clear them, wait for the roads to be plowed, etc.  And many of our students live in outlying rural areas so it takes the buses even longer to get there.  The snow was pretty in the early dawn light and honestly, that was probably the last of it for 2019 but.....I'm thankful Spring is coming soon and I'm thankful for a warm gas furnace that works with just a push of a button. Because with this snow came some deep cold! I'm thankful that I get to experience this pure white beauty.  

• HELPFUL NEIGHBOR:  During the two hour delay, I went upstairs after breakfast to get ready to shovel the snow from the driveway and help my daughter clean off her car as she had to leave a half hour before I did.  By the time I came downstairs to get my boots on, our across the street neighbor had already started snowblowing our driveway.  I figured he'd just do the end of it where the road plow pushed the snow but he did the entire driveway for us!  I'm very thankful for that. It's a blessing to have nice neighbors who help especially as my husband was away all week.

image courtesy of  T Swirl Crepe website
I had this Veggie Crepe (vegan) with the tofu and minus the raisins.

• DINNER DATE!  My best girl friend Lynn and I (we are also prayer partners) have been friends since 2005 when both of our families transitioned to our church the same time.  We met in the membership class and we became good friends as did our daughters. It was wonderful to have good food together at the new crepe place in town, and get caught up on what's going on in our lives, our husbands' lives and with her adopted daughter and my youngest (they have been friends since 1st grade).  It's always a blessing to get together with friends and the unity we share in Christ makes it even more special.

• GOOD REPORT!  In January, at my routine physical with my new doctor, she saw some traces of blood in my urine sample.  Sent me to a uro/gyno where the quick sample still showed traces of blood under the microscope. Because we weren't seeing it with the naked eye, he wasn't too worried but said he had to run tests anyway to be safe.  Long story short, after a urine sample was sent to lab and after a cystoscopy, the bladder and urine all looked perfectly normal!  Praise God.  The uro/gyno is a Christian and he actually knows my pastor and my husband's small group leader!  Small world.  That knowledge put me at ease.  Yesterday after the procedure, he said I don't have anything to worry about....sometimes traces of blood are normal and since the sterile sample was negative I don't need further testing.  Praise the Lord!! I'm thankful for good reports and thorough doctors, not to mention good health insurance coverage.

That wraps up this very cold week.  I hope you have a restful, peaceful weekend doing the things you love.  If you live where it's cold, think SPRING!!