06 June 2025

First of June Faves

 

June is one of my favorite months.  The days are longer, Summer begins in mid-June and the black flies in the mountains begin to die down.  

I also love all of the outdoor activities and other blessings  that begin in June.  

I'm sharing FIVE of those  blessings that make my "faves" list from the past week and  linking up with Susanne at her blog to join others in giving thanks. 

image courtesy of P*peyes website

  • JUNK FOOD AND A MOVIE:  Saturday was one long, rainy, dreary day. I had to cancel a hike I had people signed up for which was hugely disappointing. There were going to be 10 of us hiking a deep woods trail to a lake in the foothills of the Adirondacks.  Instead, I did some housework, did a lot of reading, planned our Maine vacation with Dave, and then we decided, since we ate super healthy all week long, that we would dash through the drive through and get classic chicken sandwiches. We ate picnic style in the family room and added some fruit to the meal to make it somewhat healthier and watched this movie  which we had never seen as we were both busy being students/starting careers when it came out in 1983. Now keep in mind that today, this movie would not be politically  correct, however the underlying theme is an important one even today and although a bit crass, it was hilarious. The main theme was the important piece and as a Christian this rings true even today. I'm thankful we had an easy "in home date night". (and I didn't have to cook dinner!) 

  • PT:  I had three good PT appointments this past week and my upper back pain is gone. The cervicogenic headaches are back though, intermittently, and so the appointments continue. He explained to me yesterday that after he works on the soft tissue via the stretches and massage it can trigger the headaches again but that is normal. He is 90% sure he can get me mostly pain free. I'm thankful for a good PT and the power of prayer. I'm also thankful I went 8 weeks with NO headache or neck tightness. I'm also thankful I have had three totally pain free days this week. First time since March 2022!!

Breakfast al fresco

peonies by the mailbox

petunias on the deck steps
  • BREAKFAST AND BLOOMS:  This past week, I was able to eat breakfast on the deck almost every day after my morning walk and it was wonderful to sit in the morning sun.  I also have been thankful my peonies are opening (I have 2 large bushes in the front yard) and the petunias are blooming well despite the rain saturation.  My hanging gardenias are also doing well although I didn't get a pic of those for this post.  I'm thankful for sunshine, flowers, and being able to eat outdoors!
our friend
and a most beloved Orchestra teacher

the ending of the 1812 Overture
performed by Shaker High School 11th/12th grade Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Mr B Austin 
The overture was an arrangement for HS students





  • FINAL CONCERT:  When our oldest daughter entered junior high school (grades 7-8), now a Middle School (6th-8th), she continued with studying the violin and being in the orchestra.  Her teacher was a friend of ours from church and his wife was in my small group. When she texted me that he would be conducting his very last Shaker High concert on June 2, we cleared our calendar!  This is a beloved teacher of many strings players in our district.  When Courtney was in her 2nd year of high school, Mr A moved up to lead the Symphony Orchestra as the previous teacher was retiring.  When our youngest daughter entered high school, she only took violin and orchestra for the first 2 years, but also loved having Mr A.  Well, after 34 years of serving our public high school, he raised his baton one more time.. (if you look closely at the top pic you'll see he only conducts with his left hand due to a medical issue with his right)  We surprised him by showing up and sitting behind his family.  (his youngest...a daughter...plays cello and is a senior...I hadn't seen her since she was kindergarten age!). The entire evening was made up of the 11th and 12th graders (Chorus, Band, Wind Ensemble and then the Symphony Orchestra). When Courtney and Claire were in HS, it was 9th-12th graders but the strings program became so popular due to his hard work, that 2 orchestras had to be formed. They are considered to be one of the best in the state! He had always wanted to end a concert with an arrangement of the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky which, if you know anything about classical music, you know this is an extremely daunting piece of music.  Of course we cannot have cannons in school, so some of the band members appeared towwards the end with Xmas poppers filled with confetti!  It was just outstanding and yes, we gave him a standing ovation.  He was very choked up of course during his final speech, but we (Dave, Courtney and I...Claire couldn't make it) were very thankful we went to support of one of our most beloved teachers.  There was not an empty seat in the entire auditorium. 

Moreau Lake State Park
along the nature trail 

enjoying some beach time at the lake

  • RETREAT DAY:  I took Tuesday to have a retreat day by my self at my fave state park just to the north of us. It only takes me about 35 min to get there and the beach was relatively empty. I hiked just the beginning of the nature trail and then did some praying, reading, thinking, and dozing in the sun.  It was a gorgeous day. The lake water was still pretty cold so I didn't swim but just being next to it all day was  a wonderful treat and my first time all year! I'm  thankful that God gave me some direction regarding a couple of situations which I wrote about here.  Part of the perks of being retired, is you can just have an entire day to your self if wanted/needed!!  I'm thankful I had time at the lake. 
What were some blessings from your week?





7 comments:

Willow said...

I absolutely love your fave about the beloved band teacher! So glad you were able to be there to celebrate with him. (1812 Overture + confetti = perfect combo!)
Your solo day at the lake-- I knew it would be on your list :) The beach was my happy place in CA; I've yet to find my best spot here. That could be my summer project ...
Have a good pain free week!!

Wendy said...

It sounds as if your PT guy knows his stuff. I'm glad you've had some pain free days and hopefully everything will improve over time. That final concert sounds amazing and I'm sure it was very special for you. Glad you had that day for yourself and yep that's a great movie. And we all need a little junk food now and again. Have a great weekend.

Susan said...

Hi Faith, enjoyed your post. Especially the story of the teacher. Your day at the beach sounds great too. I hope your headaches go away soon!

Barbara H. said...

Sometimes fast food hits the spot. I love not having to think about or make dinner or clean up.

Yay for pain-free days. I'm glad PT is going well.

The peonies are so pretty! I got some for Mother's Day that we've planted, but I wonder if we missed its blooming. The tag said it blooms here in spring. I hope we see some flowers from it, but if not, hopefully next year.

What a wonderful story about your daughters' band teacher.

Glad you had a nice retreat day!

Karen said...

I'm glad your PT is going well! And I love the idea of your retreat day at the beach.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Glad your PT is going well. That's very important. Sounds like you have been very busy. Hope your weekend goes well.

Susanne said...

I love Popeye's spicy chicken and now you have me craving a chicken sandwich. Your peony bush and petunia pot look lovely. I don't think I've seen that type of petunia here yet. Praise God your PT appts are going well. Praying that he can indeed get you to a place of being pain free. How fun to celebrate with a favorite teacher in such a way.