After taking the entire year of 2025 off to catch up on family medical issues , I'm hoping that soon after New Year 2026, I can get back to work. About the only thing I have had time to do outside of doctor's visits is plan. I am contemplating getting a part-time job outside of my work-from-home ideas. I should know by March or April if that will be necessary. Image courtesy of  BoliviaInteligente  via unsplash Because soon after New Year 2026 begins, I plan to get back to creating and selling on Etsy. And finishing the book that I started studying and researching for in 2015. I have a final proofread and edit to go through for that book (or likely, those books). I think it may become a series of three or four books now since it is so long.  I'm also going to start new longer series of  books on two different topics. These series have been on my mind for a few years now. And 2026 feels like the right year to get started since I'm nearing the end of the main book, and...

I have been thinking a lot about time lately, because another year is almost gone. Each year seems to go by faster and faster. And although, I feel as if I have spent my time wisely this year helping my family members on their individual health journeys, it has gone by much faster than I like. Most of them are probably glad the year has gone by quickly though, because soon they will be able to move forward with their lives. Sadly, for others, they're nearing the end of their life journey. Whatever the individual outcomes or how fast time seemed to pass, I'm glad I took the time to spend with my family this year. And I do cherish this year and what it has meant to my family and me. My calendars are full and so is my heart. There will be time later on for Etsy and eBay listings, quilting, cross stitching, other arts and crafts, digital creations, and earning money. My family is much more valuable to me than any of those things, and thankfully, my circumstances make it possible f...

This is another one of my 2025 morning devotions , from A Treasury of Wisdom: a Daily Devotional Journal, that touched my heart, and I wanted to share it with you. Mrs. Cowman actually had gotten this beautiful piece from something (pastor) Dr. A. B. Simpson had written. But I think if we keep this in mind every day, we will never look at God's name "I am that I am" the same way again. Once more, I will break this down so you can see, more easily, how beautiful this is. Mrs. Charles E. Cowman Quote from Dr. A. B. Simpson: God gave Moses a blank check, and as life went forward for the next forty years, Moses kept filling in the blank with his special need. He filled in fearlessness before Pharaoh. He filled in guidance across the Red Sea. He filled in manna for the whole population. He filled in water from the rock. He filled in guidance through the wilderness. He filled in victory over the Amalek. He filled in clear revelation in Sinai. And so Moses, for the rest of his ...

Charles Dickens Summary Below is a passage from the Holy Bible and another passage written by Charles Dickens that was used to follow up the Bible scripture in my morning devotional book. As I read from this book, A Treasure of Wisdom: a Daily Devotional Journal , the short section by Mr. Dickens struck me as nearly a complete summary of the entire Bible , especially Jesus' teachings. It reflects a lot of Jesus' Beatitudes , which sums up how we should treat others so we will have peace. I would like to mention that Mr. Dickens is only one of several quoted authors in this book. And many of them are quoted via book excerpts more than once throughout the book.😊 image courtesy of Amazon So, I wanted to share this devotion with you today. Jesus, who is God, of course, is quoted in Matthew 5:16. He was saying that our good works should be seen to glorify God - to show how good God is, not how good we are. And I broke down each sentence from Charles Dickens into a new paragraph so ...

 If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit. I love this quote by Maya Angelou. Her words have inspired millions of people around the world. At the age of 60, I have finally realized that rest is an option I have in life. I don't have to finish today. I don't have to start something new today. I just know that rest is part of the process. I'm at a place in life that I feel as if I have quit doing some of the things I enjoy such as quilting, cross stitching, and learning how to use Canva and Printify. But I have other work that I feel to be more important at the moment. And that type of work - changing email addresses for the family's login locations and moving each of our YouTube channels into new channels for each of us because we've changed our internet provider, deep cleaning, removing clutter, writing my book, helping my younger son overcome his struggles  - are high-profile projects for me. So, I haven't quit the type of work I enjoy. There just isn'...

Today, I want to let you in on a little secret . I recently bought a new four-pack of  Bounty paper towels - full sheets. I am not a select-a-size fan at all, for the record. Anyway, the newer package didn't look as thick as the last several packages I had bought over the last several years. I happened to have an older package in storage (and I actually noticed not long ago that the rolls seemed to be smaller in more recent packages, as well, based on the way they fit more loosely in my paper towel holder; not too long ago, they were very snug in my holder until I had used four or five paper towels), so I compared the two when I brought the newer package home. Lo and behold, I was correct. So, I think the decrease in sheets actually started happening gradually over the last year or so. But this time, the reduction was very noticeable. And I hope Bounty won't decrease the size anymore. As you can see in the pictures below, the older package of paper towels shows 58 sheets per r...

This summer, I increased the numbers of containers and the types of things I'm growing, as you saw in my previous backyard post  in April. It has been very relaxing to watch everything grow. Lots of my flowers had to be moved into larger pots, which I also purchased from the Dollar Tree .  We have already eaten several of the tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. The corn is just now starting to come onto the stalks.  We have also had lots of our normal backyard visitors. And a few new ones! First, is the Great Spangled Fritillary that visits the butterfly bush and occasionally the roses. This is the first time I have seen one of these. Next, everyone's favorite backyard visitor and pollinator - the adored honeybee. I actually hadn't seen a honeybee in our yard for a few years, so I hope this is a sign that their population is recovering. Next is the tiger bee fly that had landed on one of the gnome's beard. New to our backyard. It is about three times larger than the housefly ...