First of July Faves

 Here we are into the third week of Summer and another Friday to share our five fave blessings from the past week! Join in with us over at Susanne's, our host for the FFF!!

 I'm also sharing one of my fave quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt. 

image courtesy of ABCN*ws

• Hanging Out:  Last Saturday in the early evening, Dave had something going on, so I dashed over to oldest daughter's apartment with some coconut milk ice cream to watch the 2nd episode of the final season of 'Handmaid's Tale'. (if you've never read the book, I highly recommend it. Margaret Atwood is a phenomenal author). I'm so thankful she was free and that we could spend a couple of hours together. And then yesterday, our youngest daughter popped in mid-day and brought some laundry.  I never say no to their request to do laundry here because 1. it's cheaper than at their apt complexes and they bring their own detergent 2. I get to see them and hang out a bit!  I'm thankful both  daughters live in the Capital Region so that we can see them regularly. I hope it lasts!!

Sunday evening brush burn 

•  BONFIRE Sunday was a perfect summer day. No high heat, no humidity and bright blue skies with lots of sunshine. We had church at 9, followed by some time at home, lunch and then back to church by 1 pm for choir rehearsal which got out a half hour early.  I went for a nice walk in the afternoon and then we had dinner on the deck. After dinner, around 7 pm, I decided to burn the brush that was piled up in our firepit since November. This was our first fire of the year (we have burn bans from March 15-May 15) and I spent the entire evening out there. I'm thankful I got that chore done (we have more brush piled up next to the kayaks that we will burn tonight or Sunday night...it will probably take another 2-3 fires to burn it all). 

• ANNIVERSARY!  Monday, 30 June, was our 35th wedding anniversary.  Dave had to work all day but he works from home on Mondays/Fridays so he was around.  I had PT and other errands but once he was done from work, we decided to go to our fave Italian place here in town as our fave "fancier" restaurants are closed on Mondays.  We shared an appetizer of grilled naan and marinara dipping sauce.  I ordered a mini pizza (Margherita) and a Caesar salad. Dave had the Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad and BBQ Chicken Bites.  We talked and talked and then came home to just hang out. After 35 years together, and two Spring trips, we didn't need anything fancy like in years past. I'm so thankful for this Christ-centered husband who works hard, has been a great dad to our daughters, and is always up for an adventure. 

• EASY FIX:  At my dental check up/cleaning before we went to Maine, the dentist discovered that my front tooth had a chip in it. I told him his son had bonded it in October and it fell off around Christmas. He said he could fix it when we returned from our trip so Wednesday was that day. It only took 20 minutes and he used a new bonding material that is supposed to be much stronger. I love easy fixes that don't involve Novocaine or drilling! I'm thankful for our good family dentist!

• MOVIE NIGHTS:  Last Friday night, Dave asked me to watch "The Intern" (now on Netflix) with him as he was mentally tired from a hard day at work.  He said his brain was "fried" and his back was aching from all the hours over the computer. So I made a picnic style dinner of BLT's with farm fresh tomatoes and fresh lettuce and crispy turkey bacon on rye bread and we had some pretzels and fruit to complete the meal. Super simple. The movie was very good!  Not too much swearing and no explicit scenes.  Just a really good movie with laughs but also some drama. Highly recommend if you like Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro.  There was also a good message in it for working moms/stay at home dads. Then Dave had a commitment at church on Tuesday evening and it was rather humid that night, so I didn't spend any time outdoors opting to watch  a faith based movie centered around the Beam family from Texas.  This is a true story and at the end of the movie, each Beam family member, including the little girl who was healed, was shown.  This was a top notch Christian movie with actors that may or may not be Christian (I have no idea) but ones whom I have liked for  a long time (Jennifer Garner and Martin Henderson (whom I just love from Virgin River).  I highly recommend Miracles from Heaven if you have children older than aged 6.  It's a touching story that just made me say "thank You God that there are still some good movies out there that don't include violence and s*x).  

BONUS FAVE:  For the freedoms we enjoy!  Dave and I, right after we built our home in 1994, when our oldest was 1, went to this place and bought the Four Freedoms (prints of the original paintings).  I framed them in blue to match our decor and they've hung in our family room ever since. They are 4 of Norman Rockwell's most famous paintings:  Freedom of Speech (depicted in top left); Freedom of Religion (top right); Freedom from Want (bottom left) and Freedom from Fear (bottom right). 

the four freedoms by Norman Rockwell

This country, in my opinion, is not being run well by the current leader.We are a mess. BUT....we are still a democracy, we still have freedoms and rights based on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution which we celebrate today.  We are 249 years old today.  Next year will be a huge celebration I am sure. I still remember the BiCentennial Celebration in 1976.  I was 16.  My parents were so happy with what they had accomplished and the home and church they were a part of. We weren't poor but we weren't rich by any means. Dad was a Remington Arms employee working in the factory in central NY from 7 AM until 3 PM every single day except weekends and his 2 weeks of vacation. Mom was a part time cashier until we were older and then she was a secretary at an insurance company, full time. Our nation had issues then I'm sure, but it didn't seem as bad then as it is now. Gerald Ford was president. My parents were staunch Republicans but they always showed respect when talking about any president, even the ones they opposed. The respected the office. Me? People have to earn my respect. When I was 16, I was more into the Jesus Movement, being a Jesus hippie, reading The Way, practicing French and classical piano, doing music and theater, and youth group, and  running around with friends on our bikes all over the valley, and trying to earn money babysitting so I could escape small town USA and head to a bigger city to go to college.  I couldn't care less about politics when I was a teen although my mom has always said that if I was a teen in the 1960s I would have been protesting the Vietnam War (she's right). But when we entered that war I was just 5 years old! 

However, I do remember always loving "the fourth of July" and the parades, the fireworks, the music, the bands, the food, the amusement park, our camp, my grandpa proudly riding in the army truck down the streets of the mountain village where we would gather and scoop up candy from the firefighters tossing it from the floats. 

And now? America seems different. That feeling of kinship in a small village is gone. Maybe because I live in suburbia between 3 cities. And  I suspect it is more than that....

But... I still celebrate. I still love our American flag.  I love when I have been to Europe or Canada and touch back down on American soil. There's no feeling like it!  I'm on my earthly  home. 

A few of my fave quotes:

zoom in to read it!

May we find some peace in the chaos and may we remember we're the land of the free and the home of the brave........

and our citizenship is in Heaven where we will be truly free. 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!