The trees in my view are glowing this morning! A vivid reddish orange against a blue sky with green, green grass below. I smile as I welcome the day and the gift God has given me. I see Him in the beautiful colors outside my office window. I soak in the warmth of the colors His hands have created.
Some might ask where God is in this chaotic world. I don’t question. I see Him wherever I look. In the beauty of colors of autumn, the beauty in colors of skin, the beauty in the smiles and laughter of children, in the smile of the couple (the husband pushing his wife in a wheelchair) as I assist them into the elevator, the light-hearted conversation we share on the two floor ride upward. I see God in the birth of new babies, and in the deaths of those who are suffering when God calls them to heaven. God is beside me, inside me, behind me, in front of me. He is with me.
And so I bask in the beauty of God’s gifts this morning. I am warmed. I am blessed.
It has been a rather busy week, but one that included a nice lunch with good conversation and laughter with two of my favorite friends. I have to explain that my eyes are ultra sensitive to light, so in bright sunshine, I cannot see or even open my eyes. Thus the completely ridiculous expression on my face! LOL!
And now here are the colors I used to create picures this week!
And now I lift my cup of tea with a smile and wish you all a beautiful day and a beautiful week. Please remember to be kind to yourself and to others. God bless! Until next time…
This week has been a busy one for me. On Tuesday, I decided to venture to the BMV to get my driver’s license renewed. With a tote on my arm holding all the documents I thought I needed for the enhanced license, I stepped into the parking lot filled with people standing socially distanced and holding clipboards. I wasn’t sure what to do at first, then I heard them call a number. Hmm. How in the world would I get a number?
I asked a man near me and he told me to go to the door and a woman would come out and instruct me. Okay, not so bad. I stood in front of the door until a woman opened it slightly and asked how she could help me. “I need a number to get my driver’s license renewed.” She ushered me inside to a table right next to the door. She looked through my documents and said, “I’m sorry. I can’t accept this.” What she held was my divorce decree. “This doesn’t have your maiden name on it. You will need to provide your marriage license.”
Let me say, my first husband was a man who took care of everything, not letting me handle any personal documents or bank account information. He took care of the license after we received it and drove me and my grandmother to another county to get married. I didn’t know why he was always so secretive, but I was young and naive. Making a long story short, I had no idea where we were married and how to get a copy of the marriage license. So I opted for a regular driver’s license.
Two hours later, I finally received my paper documentation and was able to come home. As a sidenote, I did see the county where we’d been married in the divorce papers and was able to contact the clerk’s office there. I can get a copy if I decide to go that way. However, since I do not plan to fly anywhere, I may not do it. I have until next year to decide.
That afternoon, I planned to go to my small group, and just minutes before I planned to leave, my heart monitor beeped at me saying it was critically low and needed to be charged. Sigh. So, I missed my small group.
Wednesday was a bit brighter. I met my close friend for lunch. We wanted to do Cracker Barrel, but seeing so many people sitting distanced outside waiting to be called, we turned and headed for our normal mexican restaurant across the street. Great conversations, lots of laughs, and back home. Wednesday afternoon and evening I was a little nervous because I had to wake on Thursday morning two hours earlier than normal in order to be at the hospital at 6:30 for a coronary CTA scan (computed tomography angiography).
Yay! I woke in time to take a shower, make my cats happy with fresh water and food, and get to the hospital. The most difficult part for me was walking from the back of the parking lot to the main entrance (a slight incline) because I am so used to walking fast. I struggled for breath and contemplated resting on one of the benches along the way. The test itself went smoothly. Not a good test for anyone who is claustrophobic. I just remained still, with my eyes closed, and breathed slowly like I was trying to go to sleep. About halfway through the scan, a nurse put a nitroglycerin tablet under my tongue to make the arteries appear larger. Near the end, they injected an idoine contrast dye intravenously. The hot sensation abated shortly after the test was finished. The rest of the day I spent at home trying to get warm.
Not sure why I have those episodes where my body is completely chilled, but when it happens all I can do is curl up on the sofa with a warm blanket and watch television! So I did. Ha! Good excuse to relax, right?
Friday I always Skype with my daughter in Wisconsin. The internet gremlins made that impossible, so we talked on the phone (speaker on) while we crafted for our 2 hour session.
Even with this not so perfect week, I didn’t get frazzled. After all, the little things don’t matter. What matters is God continues to look after me and I’m so blessed with family, friends, and a cozy home.
Here are the pictures I colored this week. Again, I used markers a lot. On the portrait picture with the wolf, I used colored pencils over a marker base. I really love the final result. So that is my update for the week on my colorful life. I hope you all have a good week ahead and stay safe and healthy! Love and hugs until next time!
My adventure into coloring this week has been stress-free pictures done with markers and glitter gel pens. I spent one day working on a diamond painting for Christmas. It’s a peaceful scene of a room complete with a fireplace, hanging stockings, a Christmas tree, presents, and a comfy chair. A wreath is hanging above the fireplace. I can’t wait to show you the completed picture! Can you believe Christmas is only a little over 2 months away? Yikes!
It’s been a busy week for me. I made cards for two sisters of the heart for their birthdays. I’ve been learning but not doing anything elaborate. I’ve found the more heavily decorated cards are not good for mailing. But I have fun creating cards for different occasions instead of shopping for them. With the pandemic, I’m still cautious about shopping in stores. I only go to the grocery store when I need to stock up.
The reason I haven’t been coloring with pencils is mostly because I’m feeling more tired due to a medication change. Hopefully, this will change once my body adjusts to it.
I ordered a new coloring book by Jade Summer (a business name with a number of different artists). This one is Chibi Girls grayscale. These pictures are adorable! There are a few Halloween themed ones which I’ve already colored. I use markers in this book instead of pencils. The pictures are on one side of the paper only and I don’t like using colored pencils on this paper.
Honestly, my coloring book stash is quite large. I have 34 books!! I also have 5 sets of colored pencils, glitter gel pens, and 3 sets of markers. Can we say I’m really hooked on my coloring hobby?!? My daughter got me started coloring the year after my hubby passed and I’ve been loving it ever since. My coloring style has changed over the years as well as the type of pics I like to color.
As for diamond painting, the same daughter bought me my first kit for Christmas 2019. I immediately became a fan. Since then I have completed 6 diamond paintings, have one in progress, and three in my stash. I used to have huge stash of yarn when my hobby of choice was crocheting and knitting. My hands cramp too much now to enjoy working with yarn.
And now, for the pictures I’ve colored this week. Looking forward to doing at least one portrait picture with pencils this coming week. Wishing you all a peaceful Sunday and a happy week ahead!
Carol Ann Erhardt, Author 