The week ahead

Sanctity of Life Sunday is approaching later this month. In a previous post, I mentioned that the churches in my area had raised a million dollars in cash to purchase a new building for the Pregnancy Center and cover expenses for the first year.

My husband is currently volunteering at the center, so yesterday he went in to help with construction, which involved tearing down some walls to create larger rooms and removing old carpet. After the work was done, each volunteer was given a scarf as a thank-you gift. 

Do you see what I see? 💓

The building used to be a doctor's practice, so they had to tear out the lead-lined walls from the former X-ray room. 

Sometime after May, I plan to join up and volunteer as well. I am not sure in what capacity I would be serving. 

I believe they will work diligently to have it open as soon as humanly possible. 

They had over 40 workers there. 

I wanted to get this Sunday-afternoon post out as I approach the start of the Winter Semester at BSF. Our class is this Wednesday, and it's time for me to dive in and prepare. So I most likely won't be posting/commenting until later this week. While I cherished the time off, there’s still work ahead. Thankfully, I have a solid understanding of the book of Esther, but as we all know, the more you study the Bible, the more you get out of it and find new things. 

I picked this up at the store to try; it tastes similar to my peach cobbler, but much sweeter. I won't be buying it again, because I can make it myself, but it did inspire me to make my own. My favorite part is when the biscuit part caramelizes the sugar, and there is that crunchy top. Yum. 

UPDATE on BRENDA's House

Today at church, I talked with Brenda and her husband about their house. They had a construction crew come in to remove the drywall and insulation and to apply a mold-preventive spray. They had heaters and fans to dry out the house.  Since then, she has become very anxious when it rains hard and the wind blows. It's hard for her to sleep, especially since the flash flood intruded into her bedroom while they were asleep. It will take some time to get over this. But they count themselves blessed knowing it could have been worse. 

Enjoy the week ahead! It's the first full work week of 2026, and while I don't have a traditional paying job,

I do have commitments. It is one of the best things about retirement. I can finally do the things I always wanted to do, but didn't have time for. 

Until Next Time,

Debby

 

The Gift of Family and Friends

I always cherish our Christmas Eve gatherings. Foodie decided to stay home after a tough week, battling strong winds on his bike commute and helping at a care facility during Sunday's flooding. We all understood his need for rest, and I respect his dedication and commitment to serving others.

He just wanted to go to bed, and instead, he came over on Christmas Day for leftovers, with just the three of us. We watched Home Alone. We had a nice time. 

I think the BIG Christmas Gift for 2025 was these! 

My friend Brenda and her family were putting in a lot of effort on the 23rd. Her husband, Wayne, couldn't do anything because he was still healing from a significant back surgery. They had some members of our church there, digging French drains away from their home and preparing for the upcoming storm. I wanted to be there to assist in any way I could, and I felt selfish for prioritizing my own family's preparations. I was really grateful that the younger folks stepped up to help them with the digging and clean-up. I still felt like a bad person for not being able to show up and lend a hand. That's part of what Christmas is about, too. Helping our fellow man. And there I was, too occupied with my Christmas Eve dinner. 

I ordered five large pepperoni pizzas for them and those who were working hard in the rain, and that was my contribution. Frustrating when you reach a point where you can no longer physically assist others as you once did.

An Hour up the Mountains -

 It's snow. 

I can't wait to get up there! 

At this writing, it is pouring rain - 

Earlier, we had some strong winds. 

Our sump pump works well, installed in a hole below ground. It stays in place year-round because of the runoff from uphill homes irrigation. A functional pump is crucial to keep from having a marshy area in our yard. We also have a backup pump if needed.

We noticed moisture in the drywall of our garage ceiling, likely caused by the strong winds. However, since Sunday, there haven't been any new water stains. We will have our roofers take a look. It may take a while, as some clients may require their services more urgently than we do, and that's perfectly okay. We do have a warranty with them, though I have a feeling it might not cover natural disasters. I'm not going to stress over it.

It's time for dinner, and we're returning to our usual selection of ordinary meals. I prepared a large pot of chili. We truly enjoyed our deli spread, which included a variety of cheeses, prawns, chicken wings, pasta salad, mini bagel dogs, and other treats.

I want to remove the tree before New Year's Eve. I'm someone who prefers to move on once Christmas is over, embracing a fresh start. I really enjoy welcoming a new year.

Until Next Time, 

Debby