Mother in law's 80th party

 May Journaling

1.     Bible study. Having a few people over this evening for a meeting and refreshments.

2.     Went to H-town to help out. My mom came with me. She’s doing much better.

3.     Home day, laundry. Crocheted a faux wasps nest.

4.     Church.

5.     Home day, booking appointments, prepping pills. Crocheting a dark brown teddy bear.

6.     Pain clinic, nap, dinner. Setting up my mom’s meds because she’s been taking them wrong and has had too much of her bp med, so it was too low.

7.     Pedicures for me and my mom; her mother’s day gift. Then a mother’s day dinner at church and prayer for moms. I’m bringing the Caesar salad.

8.     Bible study. Guests for dinner; a family of four from church. We’re doing raclette again.

9.     To H-town with my mom again to help out. Our daughter gave my mom and I flowers.

10. Taking my mom to ultrasound and kidney test appointment.

11. Mother’s Day; I also got her a map of the world puzzle since she enjoyed doing one with her great-granddaughter.

12. My mom had an echo-cardiogram today.

13. Spring cleaning done today by our housekeeper and a friend of hers.

14. Bible study homework. Steaming the curtains I washed yesterday.

15.Bible study. Doctor’s appointment for me.

16. Pain clinic for my mom since last time her bp was too low.

17. Women’s breakfast.

18. Church, we’re taking the guest speaker out to a restaurant. Dinner and cards at our friends.

19. Yard work for my husband. Dinner at a young couple’s from church. We are mentoring them.

20. Crocheting two sets of three peas in a pod.

21. Our youngest granddaughter is already five today! Blood work.

22.Bible study. More blood work today. I forgot to fast yesterday.

23. Laundry day, since tomorrow is too busy. Went to Ribfest. Yum.

24. Baby shower; made an appearance and dropped off the gift, but then we had a photo shoot for my mother-in-law’s 80^th birthday. Still celebrating. Then a dinner at the Mandarin restaurant with 35 friends and family.

25. Church times two. Picked up more chicken and ribs from Ribfest to serve to our guests tomorrow.

26. Baked a cake and made macaroni and cheese as a side for the chicken and ribs. Also a southwest salad. Booking appointments for my mom.

27. Seeing a dietician this afternoon.

28. Chiro today.

29. Bible study. 3^rd John.

30. Home day.

31. Fifth birthday party for our youngest granddaughter.

Together for the Gospel Conference 2025

 

April Journaling

1.     Finishing up rearranging my library. Our daughter is still here waiting on her French visa and passport so she can start her new life abroad.

2.     Her visa arrived, flight to the US booked for Friday, where she’ll join her husband, awaiting his visa.

3.     Bible study, working on the library rearranging and cleaning. Then a nap, then dinner and our penultimate class on Hebrews.

4.     Making many colourful chicks. Finished 38 shelves of books, all dusted and arranged by subject or author. Also purged our cd’s and dvd’s since we have no way to play them anymore. Dropped off my daughter at the airport. There may have been tears.

5.     Preparing food for tomorrow evening at church; egg salad sandwiches, cucumber and smoked salmon bites, and banana cupcakes with brown butter icing.

6.     Busy day at church, a large group of us went out to a restaurant for lunch with our guest speaker for the evening. We had refreshments after the evening service; it was encouraging to see more people out, but then food is also a good draw. Made 12 colourful chicks so far, in pastel colours.

7.     Home day, working on my homework for Thursday’s class, and getting my lists ready for a pharmacy to make me a 7-day blister pack of meds for Indianapolis at the end of the month.

8.     Dropped off over 125 books and many cd’s at Value Village. Requested the blister packs, and went to pain clinic. My mom and aunt are still in London till Friday.

9.     My husband had a very late elders’ meeting yesterday so he’s working from home today. Working on my podcast. Judges chapter one.

10. Bible study. Sold some chicks and a bunny. Final class of Hebrews. I gifted our teacher with two copies of my book, The Legacy Project.

11. Botox, then I drove out to H-town to get my mom and aunt. Got to see my other aunt and two cousins. Took a group picture.

12. Went to a teppanyaki restaurant with my mom, aunt, and six other friends. So delicious. Made a black and white penguin and a squishy chicken.

13. Church, a dedication for a baby, then lunch at church.

14. Home day; doing homework. My aunt heads back to Finland this evening. She plans to return in two years, but we’re not sure if my mom and aunt will be around.

15. Dentist appointment. Made a purple floppy-eared bunny.

16. Finishing my homework. Prayer meeting.

17. My mom had chest pain again at 11 pm last night, thankfully it subsided after three nitro. I left her a few tracts. I’m concerned for her soul. Working on my podcast. No class today.

18. Good Friday service.

19. Packing for Indiannapolis.

20. Sunrise breakfast at church, then our Resurrection Sunday service. Off to Indiannapolis for the Gospel Coalition Conference. Dropped my mom off in London on our way.

21. We are at an Air B & B house with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It’s walking distance to the conference centre. Today is a touring/shopping day.

22. First day of the conference.

23. Second day of the conference. My mom was taken to hospital with GI bleeding. Sent home the same day. My cousin went with her.

24. Third day of the conference.

25. Travel home. My cousin turns 50 today. I arranged an appointment with my mom’s family doctor to follow up on Tuesday. No more bleeding.

26. Laundry and unpacking. Grocery shopping and prepping food for our guests tomorrow.

27. Church, and we served raclette for dinner today.

28.Last night my mom had more bleeding, but it was dark blood. Also an hour later at 1 am she had more chest pain, relieved with two nitro. This is my one day free this week. Doing a mini mental test on my mom as a baseline.

29. Doctor’s appointment with my mom; it was too much for her, plus her bp was very low. She ordered bloodwork and several tests but we’re not sure if they’ll do a colonoscopy because of her age.

30. It’s my birthday. I’m 61! Hard to believe. I had a chiro appointment, then drove out to H-town for grandparents’ day at the kids’ school. They put on a play about the little red hen. I made 44 crocheted items this month.

Giant Military Word Search Published

 

March Journaling

1.     Cooking and baking for the church potluck tomorrow.

2.     Busy day at church. Three testimonies of new members, then the sermon, then lunch, and a presentation of all the different ministries available to serve with. Then a quick nap and back for evening service.

3.     Working on my Bible study lesson for Thursday. Then chiro and massage in the afternoon. Made two leggy froggy keychains.

4.     Helping my husband prepare for an interview tomorrow. Going grocery shopping with my mom. Getting bloodwork.

5.     Answer to prayer, my husband’s interview went well and even though he has been coughing for a week, he didn’t cough once during the interview. Made more yellow chicks for Easter.

6.     Bible study in the morning, then stopped at my hair dresser’s to drop off some more amigurumi and to pick up the cash as she sells some of them for me for Uganda. Then to the grocery store. The trade war with the U.S. is on so we are watching the sourcing of all the products we by. Then a nap, then dinner downtown before our Hebrews course. It was really good, on Melchizedek.

7.     Yesterday I crocheted a multicoloured beanie and now will make a matching scarf out of variegated yarn. Finished my cat stich three colour scarf. Recording the introduction to Judges for my podcast, Bible Companion Series.

8.     Finally, the guy doing the formatting for my wordsearch fixed the problem and I was able to upload it. My husband had a men’s meeting at church this morning. Our daughter and son-in-law are in H-town to say good bye to the other daughter’s family, since they are moving to France, and then they are staying overnight before heading home to Ottawa to finish up some preparations for the move.

9.     My husband is preaching at Providence Baptist Church in Burlington today. Then we are having lunch there and stopping by to see the grandkids on our way home. Beginning another teddy bear. Made three colourful trinket dishes.

10. Repeat chiro appointment because I’m still dragging my leg around. Working on word searches.

11. Working on coupon books; this first one is for romancing your husband, so I’ll try them out. I think he’ll like that. VBS meeting today.

12. Made another teddy bear and bunny rabbit. So frustrated with the podcast app, so many of my recordings stop half-way. Prayer meeting tonight. Yay! My Giant Military Word Search book has been published! I ordered ten copies.

13. Our Hebrews course.

14. My word search book arrived. My newest book baby! Giant Military Word Search: Thompson, P H: 9798313630861: Books - Amazon.ca So nice to see. 

15. Women’s ministry breakfast. Baking for church tomorrow.

16. Church. My husband preached tonight and my mom came along. Crocheting a small white chick and a grey penguin, and beginning a hippo.

17. An appointment with my endocrinologist.

18. An appointment with my other hormone doctor. Found out I have Hashimoto’s Disease, an autoimmune thyroid disease which explains why my thyroid level is so low, and now I will have to take thyroid medicine for life. Annual General Meeting at church. Made an ear warmer.

19. Did my Bible study homework for Thursday. Getting my winter tires swapped off. Prayer meeting. Made two touques.

20. Bible study and lunch. Grocery shopping with my mom. Dinner at our usual restaurant and then our Hebrews course.

21. Drove to Hamilton to watch my granddaughter, then bring all three back to our place for the weekend. Sauna night, which they love.

22. Busy day preparing for guests, picked up our daughter from the train station. Six adults and six children for pizza dinner. I made Caesar salad and lemon meringue pie. Big clean up.

23. Church. The grandkids got to see our daughter again and say goodbye. The middle grandchild is especially close to her so there were tears.

24. My aunt arrived from Finland this evening. She’s here for three weeks.

25. Our daughter is coming here from Ottawa for a few days and then going to Wisconsin to be with her husband before they leave to France to live and work. Sad. I made two more bandanas and my first beret.

26. Making my first pair of crochet slippers; not a good pattern.

27. My mom is 85 today! Also dropped off our taxes to be done.

28. Drove my mom and aunt out to H-town to get picked up by my cousin to stay with my aunt for a while. Looked after my granddaughter and picked up the others after school. Drove home early because the rain may turn into an ice storm.

29. Doing my homework. Our daughter is still here, waiting on her visa for France. Lots of ice north and east of us. My brother-in-law lost power but he has a generator.

30. Still no power, told it won’t come on until April 2^nd. I made an orange and black large snake, a small brown chicken, and a small owl, total of 44 items this month.

31. I am taking all the books off the shelves, dusting them, purging at least 100 books out of my library and rearranging them so it makes sense.

 

Family Trip to Jamaica

 

 

February Journaling

1.     First day of our trip to Jamaica. It’s our grandson’s 10^th birthday.

2.     Beach day at the resort. The Riu is very nice and the buffet selection is incredible.

3.     Our family took a bus to Dunn’s River Falls. Most of the family climbed it, I only did the stairs and it was too much. I took pictures of them.

4.     Celebrating my mother-in-law’s 80^th birthday. I brought a copy of the book I published, The Legacy Project as a gift.

5.     The family went to Kingston to the Bob Marley museum. It was his birthday so there were a lot of people there. I stayed behind with my grandson because we’re both unwell.

6.     Seven of fourteen of us have caught some virus, with a cough, body aches and headache. The kids also have a fever. Our middle grandchild was well all week, she was sick before we arrived.

7.     Another beautiful day, on the beach. Drinking coconut water from the coconut. No appetite, surrounded by food.

8.     Final day in Jamaica. It’s our granddaughter’s 8^th birthday. The youngest is sick now. The hotel arranged a transfer that took three hours instead of an hour and a half, so when we arrived at the airport we scrambled, I am disabled so it was hard to get across the entire airport, and we were the last to board. Never again, we’ll arrange our own transport next time. Returned to winter.

9.     Laundry and unpacking. Watched church on line since we’re still sick.

10. Drove to London to pick up my mom.

11. Dr.’s appointment to fill out forms. Faxed appropriately.

12. Working on the legacy project with my mom.

13. Our daughter is returning to Ottawa, her husband went back to Wisconsin to work as a supply teacher.

14. Valentine’s Day. We’re still sick. Made 9 bandanas and six water bottle holders.

15. The AGAPE Gala was rescheduled to next Saturday because of the coming storm. Made another giant teddy bear.

16. Because of the snow storm, in person services were cancelled, so we watched online. Today would have been my dad’s 86^th birthday. Made a big sea turtle.

17. Going to support a table our church has at Winterfest.

18. Housekeeper and a consult appointment with my mom.

19. Prayer meeting.

20. Hebrews course.

21. Went to H-town to watch my youngest granddaughter and pick up the other two from school. Also made dinner and my mom folded their laundry.

22. AGAPE Gala. I made the seating plan. 67 people. Our church is represented by about 20 countries and ten language groups, so it is a microcosm of the world and a foretaste of heaven. So we had people read or recite John 3:16 in their language, then in English, then we said, no matter the language, God’s love is the same.

23. Church in the morning only. Working through the legacy project book with her.

24. Making five yellow chicks. Also red heart keychains and working on a cat stitch scarf in three colours.

25. Pain clinic then going for dinner at a new family at church to go over their testimonies for membership.

26. My giant military word search is ready but I’m having trouble uploading it to kdp on amazon.

27. Reading week so no class tonight. Our amigos are coming over for dinner and cards. Making Caesar salad, salmon, scalloped potatoes with pork chops, and Italian bread. Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and lemon meringue pie. Also a provincial election day; off to vote.

28. Bible study delayed by a day this week. So frustrated with the problem with uploading my wordsearch book.

Ready for Jamaica!

 

January Journaling

1.     Happy New Year! Began the morning with a mimosa for breakfast. Crocheting, and writing. Last year the significant events were our daughter’s wedding, a trip to Curacao, and a lot of crocheting. This year we are going to Jamaica, God willing, in February as a family to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 80^th birthday. There are 14 of us going. I also hope to publish more books this year through Amazon kdp, and to continue crocheting and hopefully have a few markets.

2.     Working on my podcast, the last chapter of Joshua.

3.     Out to run some errands.

4.     Working on my podcast, crocheting a mustard and white striped scarf for Esther, and undecorating from Christmas.

5.     Church. I was on coffee and forgot. But providentially I baked a coffee cake yesterday.

6.      Thyroid doctor appointment, picked up my mom’s meds, went to a physio appointment, then stopped for more meds. Exhausted, but this week is busy.

7.     Took my mom to her liver doctor appointment, then we both had a dental appointment, then an online meeting for this years’ VBS.

8.     Crocheted a platypus, a turtle, and an ear warmer. Now beginning another teddy bear, but this one is plush. I think it’s the cutest one yet.

9.     Physio, then dog sitting two dogs for friends. Then dinner at a new family’s house, I’m bringing dessert.

10. Dropped off my meds so they can make me a blister pack for travel. Picking up the grandkids for the weekend so they can unpack in peace.

11. Busy day with the kids, crafts, baking, outside, t.v. and my husband took our grandson with him to the men’s meeting.

12. Church with the grandkids.

13. Physio this morning. Sold a teddy bear to one of the nurses based on a picture. Made a baby yoda and some pop tart key chains.

14. Home day. Working on my Bible study homework; we start up again this week.

15. Pain clinic. Picked up my blister pack of meds for travel. Then tried to upload my book to amazon, but there is a problem with the size of the cover so I have to fix it.

16. Bible study, grocery shopping, nap, drive downtown, dinner at the Blake House, and beginning our course at TBS on the book of Hebrews. My husband is taking the course for credit but me and our amigos are auditing, so no exam or papers to write. Crocheting on the way there and back.

17. I submitted my journal The Legacy Project to amazon kdp. Hopefully I can get copies before we leave for Jamaica on the 1^st of February. Did some end of year paperwork totals.

18. Women’s ministry breakfast. Sold a plush teddy bear. They also asked us to bring some trash that may be someone else’s treasure. I brought a mirror, and came home with some Star Wars figurines for my grandson and a red and black wrap, and warm socks for my mom, and a cookbook. Beginning to pack.

19. Church.

20. Final physio appointment. Shopped at Walmart. Made a scarf for my aunt.

21. Pain clinic. Then chiro and massage, no nap today. Spaghetti carbonara for dinner.

22. Getting my hair highlighted and cut for our trip to Jamaica. Prayer meeting.

23. Bible study. Dinner at The Blake House, then our second class of our Hebrews course.

24. My book, The Legacy Project arrived today. I’m so excited to hold my second book baby. Made a giant teddy bear and a green and beige turtle.

25. Taking a trip to see our daughter’s new house. I’ve already seen it but my husband, mom, and mother-in-law have not.

26. Church. Making pink and red hearts for a Valentine’s Day garland. I gave my mom her copy of the book.

27. Took my mom to buy a new CPAP machine, then to get some U.S. cash for our trip, and some medications.

28. My one day at home this week, trying to get my Bible study homework done, and my final chapter of Joshua done for my podcast.

29. I taught a friend how to make little amigurumi birds so she can do a workshop in Zambia next month. Prayer meeting tonight. Our granddaughter is very sick with a fever and headache and nausea, hoping she will recover in time for the trip.

30. Bible study, packing for our trip, and then our course on Hebrews tonight. Our daughter arrives today in preparation for the trip.

31. Our son-in-law arrives today in preparation for the trip. Dropping my mom off in Hamilton. My friend is wanting to make turtles now instead, so she’s coming over. Checked in to our flight. Our granddaughter’s fever is down. Yay!