Third Week

Friday marked three weeks since the accident. Life moves on slowly. Days go by one by one, each brings its own pleasures and diversions. Flowers on the table make me happy.

We learn coping tricks and grow more accustomed to the helping routines that get me through this season of being "lame in both arms." (As opposed to Mephibosheth who was lame in both feet, 2 Samuel 9:3)

The Meal Train ended Friday as well, but we are well supplied with frozen extras for the future. Each contribution this week was special in its own way. We enjoy when the givers can also partake the meal with us.

Sunday, rather than delivering a meal to our house, our friends Dane and Laurie invited us to their home after the service (they live next door to the church). To our surprise, they had asked several other to join in "Rita's meal." We had a great time of fellwoship, wonderful food, and a fun game--Suspend.

Notice the Suspend challenge in the center

Monday, Leah took me to our local nail salon, Polished, andI chose a bold color for once.
And after we enjoyed our favorite foods at The Bridge Cafe across the street.

BLT sandwich (Leah), South African salad (Rita)

I continue to enjoy long walks, listening to books, observing nature, and exploring new spaces on the Taylor campus.

Tuesday, I hired three sisters who do landscaping to help restore order and beauty to our overwhelmingly overgrown surroundings. They worked wonders in four hours of steady hard effort even through a torrential cloudburst! "We loved it. I always wanted to play in the rain,"  one said.

That evening I attempted Sarah Cray's live tutorial, the weekly Paint Along, and was pleasantly surprised to be able to join in even with hand limitations.

Evenings we relax (and often fall asleep!) watching movies. This week a series of food-related ones: East Side Suchi, Tortilla Soup, Love's Kitchen; and a couple others, A Castle in the Sky, and I Dreamed of Africa.

Michael has been working steadily, bit by bit, on a major hardwood floor repair project, to replace a whole section damaged by our previous leaky refrigerator. He had to work some "magic" to fit the new-sized boards in old grooves. Friday he was able to say, "It is finished!"It is beautiful!

Friday afternoon we went to the our local Farmer's Market, always a fun commjnity event.

On this occasion, Matt and Kayla were there selling honey, always such a joy to interact with them.

A couple of Upland Farmer's Market vendors: Upland Honey, from Kern's bees; wreaths by friend Debbie Manganello

Skye and Destiny posted the big family news this week along with a first photo of our next great grandbaby due in 2020.

The weekend marked the end of the Logos Hope visit to Buenos Aires and also the closing of the Alumni retreat onboard. After the event, our Argentine Doulos shipmates, gave the leaders a replica of the Doulos as a token to represent the wonderful memories of our time involved in the ship ministry and the ongoing impact of the experience. View the moving response here.

So it is that life moves on and we find purpose in every day, every moment. "For in him we live and move and have our being ."  (Acts 17:28)