The Week

My coffee flavor of the week was Twin Sun Tiramisu from Bones Coffee Company.

Ever since I suggested this company to my youngest son, he's been buying it regularly. I'm not a fan of all the flavors he gets, but I do like a lot of them. My absolute favorites are Salty Siren, Crazelnut, and Crusader's Cup from the Indiana Jones collection that has been discontinued. Fortunately we have one bag left.

Coffee in my little travel cup works well on Sunday mornings because it fits in my Bible bag nicely and doesn't spill. 

Sunday was a drizzling rainy sort of day as I drove to church. I prayed that it wouldn't be raining that night because I don't like driving at night, especially in the rain. Thankfully church is only a few miles from my home and it's an easy drive. 

Women's Sunday School! Our church offers a women's Sunday school class and an adult class each Sunday morning. During the summer we combine. I just love this class and these women. It's always a good session. 

I didn't take any photos during the morning service because I couldn't find a shot that conveyed morning worship without violating people's privacy. If I sat in the back or had gone up to the balcony it may have changed things but I sit in front. In front means I'm not looking at everyone moving around or getting up to go to the bathroom. It means I'm paying attention to the message. At times, I'm easily distracted. 

Sundays are easier thanks to being a Crock Pot household. The hubby loves a hearty meal on Sundays especially when it's football season. Last Sunday I made Tuscan Chicken in the cooker because my man has been craving it. 

The Chiefs played at 4:25 PM. So I had 85 minutes of football before heading out to evening service for the Lord's Table (Communion). This Sunday I didn't stay for the fellowship meal, though I normally do that. Instead I zipped home. As I was leaving I called hubby to see if the Chiefs won and he said he'd pause the game because it got really good and he wanted me to see the plays. We watched the final minutes of the game together. The photo below shows what we thought would be the final score but the Raiders managed to score another touchdown and get the 2 point conversion. In the end, Chiefs won 30-27. We're 4-0 baby!!

Monday was a day of non-stop housework in the morning. By lunchtime I was done and hubby suggested we log in and play some Guild Wars 2. We always have a great time playing together. Our skillsets are completely different but compliment each other in game when working out strategies to accomplish things. 

Tuesday is a day I look forward to right now because the Women's Fall Bible Study group is underway and the focus of our study is the Holy Spirit. We're 2 weeks in and it's been SO good. Also, my dear friend Amy is attending!! We went to the WCF Fall Focus last Saturday and had a wonderful time. I wasn't sure if she'd make it to Bible study this week because she missed church on Sunday due to her health. But as I was getting a cup of tea I saw her in the parking lot and was overjoyed that she was able to make it. I just love her so much and our community of women has embraced her. How could they not? She's a ray of sunshine even though she deals with ongoing health issues every day. She surprised me with a gift from her recent shopping trip. 

It's the Trader Joe's tote that everyone is always nuts about when they appear in the store because it's so well made and only $3! And my girl hooked me up with the perfect size tote for Bible study. My gigantic John MacArthur Bible fits in there along with my wallet, phone, keys and a few bits and baubs I drag with me everywhere. The Bible alone weighs in at over 4 lbs. and it was also a gift from friends.  It has super large print and is so easy to read. It's been my study Bible for 3 years and it shows. There are so many sticky notes and highlighted sections and the index tabs are so worn. I have a smaller Bible I purchased when I started at Calvary. It's NKJV which is what most folks, including our Pastors and Elders use. It makes it easy for me to follow along during the service. 

Then on Monday and Tuesday, I use my study Bible when I rewatch the AM/PM services to take notes. I stopped taking notes during church service a little over a year ago choosing to just soak up the message as it's preached because I found that I was missing key points and moments because I was furiously trying to write notes. At home I can kick back with a cup of tea, turn on the stream (Praise God for streamed messages!!) and hit pause whenever I need in order to write down points, Scripture, or my thoughts as I'm going through the video. It's been a game changer. 

Wednesday and Thursday are a blur. My son came home sick from work, which I ended up catching by Thursday morning. We found a flea, then another flea on our little dog and that meant a whirlwind of cleaning. I love my dog but I detest fleas. I cleaned her condo bedding (she sleeps in a fancy "crate"), her beds in our offices and the living room, scrubbed the carpets, bathed the dog, then went over her with a flea comb. By Thursday afternoon I was exhausted and nursing a sore throat. I was done. 

That's when the mental downward spiral began...

but God. 

When the negative thoughts, or weight of situations hit me, I dive into the Word and I pray. God has never failed me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 comes to me whenever I feel inadequate or feel that I'm not doing enough. It's a constant reminder to rely solely on the Lord for everything. Sometimes, especially this past week, I get hit with feelings of inadequacy and failure. The Holy Spirit reminds me to stop looking back and stay focused on what's in front of me, Jesus Christ. 

Today the sun is shining and I've been puttering around the house, reading a few devotionals and making tomato soup for dinner tonight. The medication for our dog will be here shortly. The house has been cleaned, the carpets steamed and I've diligently combed Trinket with a flea comb to the point that she's hiding in hubby's office. I'm sure she'll forgive me when she's no longer scratching herself raw. 

And as we move into the weekend, we're celebrating my firstborn's 40th birthday. 

Give me a minute while I try to process that for the umpteenth time this week. The one that made me a mama when I was 24. I'd post photos but the internet is what the internet is. He's kind, intelligent, 3 steps ahead of most people in the room, detail oriented, creative and funny. He calls me every week just to shoot the breeze and check up on me even though we see each other regularly because he lives just a mile down the road. He's generous and caring and I'm so very proud of him. 

The week started on a high, dropped to a valley and I'm closing it out celebrating the kid God gave me 40 years ago. Through it all, my faith grows, my joy in the Lord makes every day good even when it feels heavy. 

Peace, 

B

Grace

Peace, 

B

From Click to Cart

 

Shopping at Walmart is not something I regularly do. It's been that way for well over a decade. It was okay in a pinch, but I wasn't happy with how the store had less and less of what I needed. Their lack of items that they used to sell was a consequence of the rise in online shopping. I understood it and I was one of those people that fell into the convenience of online shopping. 

We are Amazon Prime subscribers and have been for 20 years. That's not changing anytime soon because we use so many of the other benefits besides "free shipping." Since I'm retired from photography, I don't pay for a website to host my images. I use Amazon Photos. We're avid readers so we heavily use Prime Reading, as well as Amazon First Reads which gives us one free book (digital version) each month. As movie fans, we enjoy all that Prime Video offers. So two day shipping, and free shipping aren't the top reasons we subscribe to Amazon Prime. 

With that said however, we're actively trying to break the addiction to the convenience of ordering nearly everything from Amazon. Before Amazon, we made a list of things we needed and then planned a shopping trip to get it all. In 2026? Need it? Order it. Which creates the cycle of instant gratification. 

The cycle of instant gratification is a self-reinforcing loop where the brain seeks immediate pleasure or stress relief, leading to a temporary dopamine spike that quickly fades and leaves a person craving the next quick fix. - Boonmind YouTube

We shop once a month for groceries and sundries. The bulk of that is done at Costco. We renewed our membership last January and then I want to try Sam's Club for a year. My daughter-in-law shops there and loves it. I definitely want to compare the prices. My d-i-l said she'd take me anytime I want to I'll have to do that soon before we have to decide about renewing our Costco membership. 

That brings me to the surprise I had when shopping at Walmart in town. I was so surprised at how many new items are in the grocery area!  After a 3 month remodel/upgrade to the store this year, they did a grand reopening but I didn't go. Over the past few months I've zipped into Walmart to pick up vitamins, or medicine but didn't shop the entire store. I'm so excited to about the changes, even though I'm late to the party. This means being able to pick up all the things we use in a month, that Costco doesn't carry or what they carry isn't really the best deal available. 

It's good to see the new improved store, because there was a time when the company wanted to put a Super Walmart in our town, but it got voted down by the residents. Not this resident, I thought it was a great idea and would have brought shoppers into the area to check out the wonderful family run restaurants and small shops. 

I'm falling in love with our local Walmart again and breaking the cycle of online ordering that really exploded during the pandemic. 

Peace, 

B

Finally Got Around to Reading The Nightingale!

 

Eleven years. 

It's been eleven years since this book published and for eleven years I wanted to read it. But for whatever reason it didn't happen until now. 

I finished it a few days ago. By finished, I mean I sobbed my way through the final chapters and continued to sob as I thought about Vianne, Isabelle and their lives, the outcome and the end of the story. 

Sobbed. 

It took me a full two days to stop sniffling every time I thought about the book. The weight of what people went through during World War II hit me hard. It's part of history that I gravitate toward when reading or diving in to learn more. My parents were 15 and 14 when it all started. 

Dad served in the Navy after enlisting in 1942 once he'd turned 18 years old. It's hard sometimes to imagine my parents so young, let alone dealing with another world war. 

The characters in the story are fictional but some of their actions are based on real historical figures like Andrée de Jongh, who escorted 118 people from Nazi-occupied Belgium to neutral Spain. 

Reading about her inspired Hannah to do research where she found more stories about The French Resistance and how women risked their lives, and the lives of their own children to help hide Jewish families from the Nazis. 

The story at times is driven by deeply nostalgic emotion which feels like the seriousness of the topic becomes eroded BUT, it's a great story. The pacing, I'm all about pacing, was a little slower at times than I liked, but I stuck with it. 

The characters are well written and developed, even the minor characters are very memorable. Would I read it again? Yes. 

For me, this was a solid 4/5 

Happy reading, 
B

Living My Faith Outside the Walls

Last weekend, I decided not to attend church on Sunday.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love going to church, doing church things, and hanging out with my church family. It's easy to want to spend all my time with them because we share a relationship with the Lord. We speak the same spiritual language. We understand why faith matters, why prayer matters, and why being part of a church family matters.

But at home, I'm the only one living a life for Jesus.

My husband is an unbeliever. Two of my adult children are saved and baptized and believe, but aren't currently living their lives for Jesus. My youngest son is an unbeliever.

Being around other believers is comfortable. But Jesus never called us to a comfortable life.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
— John 16:33 NIV

My hubs works 10-hour shifts, so he gets three-day "weekend." This week, we decided to put everything else aside and spend that time together. No outside noise. No distractions. Just us. 

We talked. Really talked.

Talking has always been important to us. There are times when we don't seem to be on the same page, when we're not understanding each other very well. When that happens, we stop, reset, and spend some time getting back to who we are: best friends for life.

And we talk about the things that matter. Not just the everyday conversations about schedules, errands, dinner, and who's doing what. We talk about what's going on inside each of us. We make sure we're hearing each other. We make sure we're still on the same page.

It's been fundamental to our relationship and our marriage.

And sometimes, when we look at other relationships around us, we're amazed by how dysfunctional marriages can become. We often find ourselves wondering if we're not the norm when it comes to marriage.

So why did I choose not to go to church?

Because my husband had three days off, and I wanted to spend them with him.

Not because church isn't important to me. It is. Very much so.

But I had to remind myself that my faith isn't meant to be lived only inside the walls of my church. If anything, the people who don't know Jesus are the very people who need to see what His love looks like. And my husband is one of those people.

He may not share my faith, but he is the man I chose to spend my life with. He is my husband, my best friend, and one of the people God has placed directly in my life. Loving him well is part of living out my faith.

Jesus loved me when I didn't deserve it. He gave Himself for me on the cross, not because I had earned His love, but because He chose to love me. How can I accept that kind of love from Jesus and then turn around and withhold love from the people He has placed in my life?

Sometimes living out my faith looks like going to church, serving in ministry, studying my Bible, praying with other believers, and spending time with my church family. And sometimes it looks like sitting beside my husband on his day off, putting the phones away, listening to him, laughing with him, talking about the things that matter, and simply being his wife.

My family is my first ministry. Always.

That doesn't mean I have to preach at them. It doesn't mean I have to constantly try to convince them to believe what I believe. And it certainly doesn't mean I have to hide my faith. It means I get to show them what the love of Jesus looks like in the way I love them.

Maybe that's one of the hardest parts of following Jesus. Sometimes ministry doesn't look like ministry at all.

• Sometimes it looks like making coffee for your husband.
• Sometimes it looks like listening when you'd rather be doing something else.
• Sometimes it looks like putting your own plans aside because someone you love needs your time.
• And sometimes, it looks like missing church on Sunday.

The goal isn't to choose between church and family, or between serving God and loving the people He's given us.

It's learning to recognize that sometimes, loving the people He's given us is serving God.

And last Sunday, that meant staying home with my husband.

I think Jesus was okay with that.

Peace, 
B

Rag Rugs

They're done! 

I learned what I don't like and what I do like while crocheting these rag rugs from retired sheets. Both sets were 100% polyester and the thread shedding while creating the strips was insane. The carpet was covered, the recliner was covered and I was covered  head to toe with threads and bits of fluff. Fortunately, it's easy to clean up. 

Arts and crafts are messy kids. 

Marks were place every 1.5 inches and 1 inch cuts were made at every mark. Time to let the tearing begin!

That was an arm workout and a half! Also, for future rugs, I won't rip them. I couldn't control the width as I ripped from one end of the sheets to the other. Once I ripped the flat sheet and connected each strip to each other, I wanted to see if I could crochet at least a mat with the results.

The mat, which my dog Trinket has already claimed as her own, is 28 inches long and 21 inches wide. I love the texture and feel of this. The narrow strips made are easy to work with and made this a quick project. It took almost as much time to rip the sheet, connect the strips and roll the ball as it did to crochet this cute little rug. 

 

Next came the bathroom rug. For this rug I decided to cut the strips instead of ripping them, giving me more control on the width of each one. I also made them 3 inches wide to see how that would affect the results. With 2 fitted sheets, 1 flat sheet and 2 pillow cases, I managed to get a 4 1/2 pound ball of "yarn."

After frogging the rug twice and eyeballing the length at around 48 inches, I committed to the project hoping there would be enough "yarn" to make it at least 18 inches wide. Happily, the final rug is 52 inches long and 20 inches wide. It fits beautifully in my little master bath. At first I put it in the main bath but hubby decided he loved how it felt on his tootsies, so it's in our bathroom. 

The wider strips made the process much slower. I also took breaks frequently because of the strain on my hands. Long gone are the days when I could crochet for 4-6 hours straight. Overall, I'm really happy with the results and I can't wait to make more. That means perusing thrift stores for sheets and picking up a variety of colors and patterns. This will mean more creative and lively results with the rugs. 

Before I forget! I used a simple single crochet to make these and here's the crochet hook I used to make both rugs and worked well with both sizes of strips. Click on the image and it will take you to Amazon. 

Here's the YouTube video that inspired me to make my own rag rugs. 

Enjoy! I hope you try this project. It's a great way to upcycle old sheets and as I mentioned, I'll be making these again. 

Peace, 
B

It's Fall Premiere Season

See that tiny TV? That was the family television set, a 13-inch portable, black-and-white TV. 

This was 1970, so you can imagine the excitement in our house when Dad upgraded us to a COLOR Sony Trinitron 19-inch television set. Saturday morning cartoons were a lot more exciting to say the least. 

Eventually, that little black-and-white set would become the portal to the world of classic movies and television shows when Dad said I could have it in my room. He even connected it to the antenna in our attic so that I could get all seven local channels: 3 (NBC) 10 (CBS), 12 (PBS) and the UHF channels 17, 29, and 48. If you recognize the Philly-area lineup and you're thinking, Hey you missed 57! ... I didn't. Channel 57 started broadcasting in 1981. 

My little sister and me watching TV on a random Saturday morning.

Those seven channels gave me a pretty big world to explore from the little TV in my room. I fell in love with movies and television shows at an early age. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons I watched Shirley Temple Theater on Channel 48, along with the Blondie movies, The Little Rascals, Abbott & Costello, The Three Stooges, westerns and every musical or mystery movie they aired. Looking back those old movies were much more than something to watch on television. They were an escape. 

I was a lonely kid, quirky, creative, and never able to find where I fit in at school. Our household was strict so I didn't socialize as much as other teens my age did and high school isn't exactly a time of my life that I look back on with great fondness. So books and television became my portal to someplace beyond my little room and the world immediately around me. 

And what a portal it was.

Those movies fed an imagination that was already pretty well developed and gave me a place where being quirky wasn't a bad thing. I could disappear into another time, another place, another life for a couple hours and then come back to my own world with a little more to think about and imagine. I suppose that's why my love of movies has never really gone away. 

What started with a tiny black-and-white television and seven channels became a lifelong love affair with movies and television. And the best part is that it's a love I still get to share with my husband all these years later. 

And that little bit of nostalgia brings me to what we're watching and are excited to watch as the fall season gets underway on both big and small screens. 

Survivor Season 51

THE DETAILS:

• Premiere: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026
• Premiere Length: Two hours, 8-10 PM ET/PT
• Network/Streaming: CBS/Paramount+
• Number of Castaways: 21 first-time players

We are latecomers to this series and started watching it on Paramount+ just while season 48 was being aired. We watched seasons 1-48 finishing up just as season 49 premiered in September of 2025. From that point we watch weekly. 

We love this show and as we binged all the seasons, we wondered why we didn't watch it over the years. Our belief is that it was based on the snippets aired each week before a new episode where it seemed like people were always sniping at each other with a lot of unnecessary drama and name calling. That was a turn-off for us and we preferred The Amazing Race. But our views about the show quickly changed when we gave it a shot. Why did we suddenly start watching it? 

Boston Rob Mariano. 

We loved him and Amber on The Amazing Race Seasons 7 and 11 that we finally gave in and started watching the show 14 years later! Now we're hooked and can't wait to see what lies ahead for the castaways in Season 51. 

FBI - Season 9

   THE DETAILS

• Premiere date: Monday, Oct. 5, 2026
• Time: 8PM ET/PT - Note the time change
• Network/Streaming: CBS/Paramount+

I'm a crime drama junkie and FBI (along with all the spin-offs which have unfortunately been canceled) is one of my favorites. I'm especially looking forward to this season because in the season 8 finale OA was fired because he voiced his discontent with the covering up of the virus outbreak as well as the people who were left to die in a bus. From my couch, I made the decision to stop watching the show if OA was gone. Thankfully, he's just going undercover. This is going to be a great season. 

The Amazing Race - Season 39

THE DETAILS

• Premiere Date: Sept. 30, 2026, Oct. 1, 2026
• Time: 9:30-11 PM ET/PT both nights. 
• Teams: 13 teams of everyday Americans.

As I was getting the information about premiere dates and times, I was on the CBS site and ran across the title for episode 1 of the season...

Sorry Guys We Used the Express Pass

My first thought was Seriously?! Someone used it on the first leg? 

Then I did a bit more searching on the ole' Google. It looks like EVERY team this season gets an express pass. Talk about a twist! This is another show we started watching with the premiere of season 15 back in 2009. Then we caught up with the seasons we missed when they became available to stream. We've been hooked ever since.