This was another busy week for us here in our home. We had so many obligations yet I also had times of just reading good books, drinking great coffee, and curling up with hot mugs of tea in the evening to discuss Scripture with my small group study ladies.
Today? A day to pause and find the week's blessings. There were many. I'm sharing FIVE of my FAVES and linking up with others who do the same. Susanne is our gracious host.
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| my sister Joy, my oldest girl Courtney and youngest girl Claire Stamford, NY Catskills |
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| Joy and I 5 October 2024 |
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| a collection of coffee pots Stamford Coffee |
- ANNUAL AUTUMN GIRLS DAY AWAY: Last Saturday was our annual girls day away we have done every Autumn since 2011 when my oldest was in college and my youngest was a freshman in high school. How she missed her sister! Thus, the girls day away was born. We have carried the tradition on since then and we look forward to somewhere new to us to visit every year, either here in NYS or MA/VT. This year we chose per Courtney's suggestion, Hobart, the village with the most bookstores. What fun we had browsing in three vintage/antique and more modern bookshops before heading to Delhi for lunch at this place which Claire chose. On the way to the restaurant, we passed by SUNY/Delhi where my girls grandmother (my mom) went to college for 2 years. It was beautiful! We had never been to any of these towns in the Catskills. Food was fantastic, bookstore owners were super friendly, and on the way home, we stopped at another bookstore and then had coffee at Stamford Coffee. I bought amazing Ethiopian coffee and had it ground for my French Press and the coffee I bought to drink on the way home was Smoky Maple. It was fantastic!! I'm so thankful we had an awesome day, even though we got lost on the way home (no service!) and were an hour out of our way! God kept us safe and we were thankful to finally find the interstate.
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| One of the bookshop signs in Hobart Delaware County, NY |
- SOULSTEPS SUNDAY HIKE: Sunday afternoon, after church, I had 9 people signed up to hike in the Galway Nature Preserve, in a town just 35 min northwest of here. It's farmland up there with pockets of forest and small hills. You're in the "foothills" of the ADK up there. We all had a marvelous time and agreed the trails were easy and too short in length. We hiked 1.8 miles and then the women who rode with me (Pat, and my oldest girl Courtney) wanted to stop and get soft serve ice cream so we enjoyed a cold treat compliments of Pat who wanted to treat us for giving her a ride. I'm so thankful for this group of people who have joined my hiking group! Here are a few of my fave pics from the hike:
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| Courtney with Pat ahead of her lead the way Galway Nature Preserve 6 October.....you can see we are not at peak color yet |
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| Historic Cabin on the pond/trail |
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| Leaves are down.....from last year! Still mostly green here in the Capital Region of NY |
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| Some of the SoulSteps Members who went on the Sunday hike l-r: Steven, E---, Vicki, I-- (hiding behind mom Vicki), Pat, me with Courtney behind me, Xiying, Ping |
- PHONE CALL: I talked for over an hour on the phone with my dear friend Cheryl. It was just what I needed. We made plans for Saturday to head north to Indian Lake and do some exploring near Lake Abanaki and the Jessup River. Dave is going to come, too! I'm so thankful for good friends who like to plan trips and adventures! She also gave me some good advice regarding some issues with an extended family member situation. She's one of my oldest friends. I'm looking forward to having the day with her and my husband this weekend.
- POSITIVE FEEDBACK: Every Tuesday evening I lead a small group of ladies from church in a book study. This past week, after our discussion and prayer time, one of the women said she was so thankful to have joined the group and that it's the best small group she's ever been in. I was very touched, and thanked her. Then another woman chimed in and said how much she's loving this book and that she wishes we could meet more often....hahah..I said well if you want to, once this book is done, you can stay in the group and join the next study. This positive feedback brought a smile to my face. It's totally God. I just lead how He directs. I'm very thankful to serve as a small group leader with my church.
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| Tuesday about 10 AM |
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| finally seeing some red foliage! |
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| The Mohawk River/Erie Canal at River Road bike path |
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| Blue Jay Beauty |
- NATURE! I love my walks this time of year in different areas of my town. Actually, I enjoy my walks in all seasons but especially in the Autumn months because I have to work really hard with the cardio level to get a sweat going. The air was crisp and clear every day this week so some days I just walked in the late afternoons in my neighborhood but on Tuesday I popped over to my fave part of the bike path in town and walked 1 mile east, stopped and took in the beauty that God blessed us with, and then turned around and walked the mile back. WHile I was walking, my friend Darlene called so I did have to slow my pace while we chatted but I quickly got it back up again and enjoyed some quiet time in nature. The blessings of God's handiwork is something I'm super thankful for.
Those are the five things that really stood out to me this week!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend....for those of you who work outside the home, enjoy the extra day off!
10 comments:
That is nice that you meet up yearly with your girls. I would love to be in a town that has bookstores. When I went with my friends to Oregon, we found a bookstore and I love it! I wish I could be in your hiking group. Our small group is going through a Joyce Meyers book too. I love all the fall pictures!
I love autumn here in Ohio too! All the beautiful colored leaves falling on the ground and wonderfully cool weather. It's perfect for walks, hikes and just sitting and enjoying nature.
Oh! Bookstores! And coffee! A perfect Saturday.
Have another great Saturday this weekend!
Autumn is just the best time of year! How wonderful to have a girls time away! We do something similar with my sister and our three cousins who are also sisters. It's so fun and relaxing to spend time together.
I love your idea of Annual Autumn's Girl Day. A wonderful tradition!
Such a nice photo of your hiking group. And your day hikes! Yes, there is nothing like friendship and walking together.
I would certainly choose spending my day at a book store and then coffee. You can find such treasures at used book stores. I have a stack of books to take into our McKay's Books here in Knoxville. They buy back books for money or credits and have a fantastic array of used books.
Have a great weekend, Faith.
The girls' day out sounds like such a fun tradition. Glad you had some nice hikes and times with friends and good feedback from the small group.
We are having the most gorgeous Autumn weather! I'm currently sitting outside and soaking up every minute of it. It's sunny, blue skies, low humidity, and temps in the low 70's - it doesn't get much better. It looks like you had a wonderful time with your sister and daughters! Love all the pictures! Have a great weekend! Oh, and phone calls with a good friend really are the best! I'm not a fan of texting and really dislike how texting has replaced actual phone conversations. I had a great catch-up for over an hour with a dear friend earlier this week and it was exactly what I needed.
This is so awesome, Faith!!!! And you know I love seeing the change in season, smiles. I do miss the Catskills. Have a beautiful weekend, smiles.
You had a very nice week ! and the yearly get together is an excellent idea ! Our trees are still green, for me it can last until spring ! I don't like autumn very much !
A girls day out to somewhere that has bookshops and cafes - bliss! You had a great week. Hope the weekend was good too.
The color of the skies in that river picture is gorgeous!! And all the fall colors with it are lovely. I'll have to look up that study book. Good friends are indeed a blessing and to be able to have one that you've had for a very long time is a rarity. The Autumn Girls Day sounds fun!!
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