Currently: May 2020

Well, hello May!  You came in with very little fanfare…especially as the days and weeks leading up to the turn of the calendar had all melded into one.  However, it is a new month.  Full of potential, possibility, and hope for, at least, a bit of return to life “as we knew it.”  It was announced just today that our state’s restrictions will begin to ease mid-month.  There are, no doubt, many mixed emotions with that announcement, but I am encouraged and hopeful.  I also want to remember those who are still hurting and/or very sick – I know of several.  I also want the influence of these past six weeks to be lasting.

I am also excited simply because it is May.  And spring!!  The windows have been open.  We’ve even had our first dinner al fresco – a favorite!  We have hiked, strolled, picnicked, and simply enjoyed being outside.  I do love you, May!  So, now, some things that I am currently “loving” during this wonderful time of the year.

MAKING – I am trying my hand at homemade elderberry juice.  Homemade bread is all the rage right now but, truthfully, yeast terrifies me.  It, at least, totally mystifies me and I never get it right.  But I am excited about homemade elderberry juice.  We have been buying it locally from someone who makes it in their home kitchen.  We love it and buy it often…which, of course, adds up.  So I started researching making it myself.  Turns out it is super easy – or so it seems.  The last of my ingredients just arrived in the mail – and I’m ready to start creating our own homemade, healthy goodness!

MISSING – My mom and my grandmas.  Yes, it is Mother’s Day weekend but the feelings really began when I did some rearranging last week.  I do not have many things that belonged to either of my grandmothers or even to my mother; however, I do have my grandmother’s china.  For years, it has stored away in an upper kitchen cabinet.  But, no more.  I moved it to our dining room hutch.  Not only can everyone see it but we plan to use it.  For birthdays.  Holidays.  And any other days that I am feeling sentimental.

I also moved some pictures around – including my mom’s wedding photo.  Goodness, she was a beauty.  I walk past the photo often and she has just been on my heart often lately.  I miss her.  I am grateful for her – and for my grandmas.  The love – and influence – of all three of them continue to influence who I am today.

LEARNING – sign language.  Well, I am giving it my best shot.  At this point, it is strictly by way of Youtube. (It is amazing what you can learn and practice through YouTube!)  I hope to take some online classes as well.  I very much enjoy it – but am really hoping that God will enable me to learn it well and then be able to use it one day.  Use it to minister to, encourage and/or witness to someone deaf one day.

LOVING – the weather…and all the outside weather activities.  See my first paragraph above:)  Spring is my happy season.  It does my heart, mind, and body good!!  I so enjoyed the picnic we had with several friends last weekend.  After being inside for literally weeks, it was a balm for my soul.  Not only people – friends! – but being outside!  My soul is smiling:)

READING – the prettiest magazine.  Whatever happened to magazines?  I used to have them around the house all the time.  I even included them whenever I took out a stack of reading from the library.  Now, I really only see them at the nail salon….whenever was the last time I was there!?!?  However, this magazine is lovely.  Oh Wondrous Grace magazine is written with “Christian Women Navigating Midlife with Purpose and Grace” in mind.  That’s me!  The back half of the magazine is an eight-week devotion and prayer journal.  The entire publication is beautifully done…and hooray for magazines again!

Currently….I am looking forward to returning to church.  So looking forward to that!  Looking forward to seeing friends and catching up – face to face.  I am looking forward to easing back into ministries and volunteer opportunities.  There has been much I have enjoyed while staying at home, but I am ready to be among people again!

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9 thoughts on “Currently: May 2020

  1. Your mom was beautiful! I’m sorry you’re hurting right now, I know this must be a hard weekend coming up. I paused to pray for you right after I wrote that sentence.

    I used to love magazines! They’re so expensive now, I remember being shocked when I looked at the price of one in my local grocery store. I love, love, love Southern Living Magazine. It’s always been my favorite. I have thought about subscribing to a couple of them again, that being one, and Architectural Digest. I love buildings and their lines. (I grew up as an architect’s daughter.)

    I pray you enjoy the rest of your week!

    1. Southern Living magazine – another reminder of Mom! She loved that magazine. They were always around the house…and we tried many a recipe from those magazines!:)

  2. Your mama was indeed a beauty. Glad you are enjoying her wedding photo and have plans to start using your grandmother’s china.

    I am not sure I’ve ever tasted elderberry. Hope your juice turns out to be delicious. We tried our hand at peach wine from our delicious peaches but the wine was horrible!! Our tree is full of fruit again this year, so maybe we will give it a try again.

    1. The elderberry juice is yummy….of course, it has plenty of honey in it, which always helps!:) Always glad when you stop by, Leslie!!

  3. Ah, spring really does do a body good. Thank goodness we’ve still been able to enjoy that. My state has restrictions going till almost the end of the month, and my family is going to be very careful even beyond that, because the reality is that the situation/testing capabilities really haven’t changed enough – if we all go back to “normal” life, people are just going to keep getting sick. And then that makes me sad, and I have to come back to looking at and appreciating the tulips 🙂 A picnic is a great idea!

    And I love this idea of using your grandmother’s china. How perfect for a Mother’s Day meal even! My grandma recently gave me my great-grandmother’s china and I haven’t used it yet. Now I’m inspired to pull out a few pieces this weekend.

    Hang in there!

    1. Thanks, Anne – wise words to take it slow when easing back into activities, etc. I hope you will be able to use a piece or two of that special china. Great-grandma’s china…wow! Have a wonderful Mother’s Day!!

  4. I am with you on SO many of these, Jennifer! When I lost my Gram, 20 years ago 8 weeks before my wedding, I tucked her perfume bottle into my purse. It was half-full. It’s the perfume she wore for decades. A true ‘signature.’ I keep that bottle, capped, in my top dresser drawer. When I’m struggling and missing her & needing her & wanting her advice (she was my Gram AND a best friend), I take it out and smell it. Which is hard and comforting at the same time. So I say use that china, no matter what. xo

  5. You being scared of yeast made me smile. We actually baked some bread last night! I have my grandma’s china too. I always miss her on Mother’s Day. I took sign language in high school and really liked it! My kids went to a camp where they learned some too!

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