Endings and Beginnings

In some ways it’s been a very long year yet in others, a very short one. I guess they are all that way, especially as we grow older😁. I’m sitting here at my dining room table, which has been redecorated from Christmas to a wintery looking scene with a little sparkly snow and some mercury trees that have lights. It’s a very pretty scene for me to look at on those long, cold, possibly snowy winter days, hopefully to bring a bit of cheer!

Today, I’m cooking black eyed peas with spinach(which I learned from a little Greek that I met back in 1989😍)…a day early, but I had a hankering for some corn bread so decided I could eat it the last day and the first day of the year! Not sure who made all of these traditions that we think we have to follow…those of us who follow Christ should never feel we MUST do these things, because if we truly trust Him, we know our needs will be met. I love some traditions, but then again can't help but wonder…who thought that up😣??? Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that you must add lemon juice to the peas and spinach before you eat it! Yes, that's butter oozing out of the cornbread...

As I keep traveling through this journey of SMZL(a type of Non Hodgkins Lymphoma), I still have roller coaster days. Some days I am very strong, then again not so much, yet I always rely on God’s word to bring me through any of these days. He never breaks a promise, as some of us might do. He cares for every hair on our head and as I watch my birds throughout the day, I’m reminded of how he feeds them…they don’t worry…they have an instinct(God given) to find their food…even though I help them out a lot. All they have to do is come to my deck or my front porch!!! So I have to remind myself of God’s faithfulness throughout my life. I’ve given him a lot of stuff to work with during some seasons! He never left me nor did he ever forsake me and I know in my knower that he never will. I have 5 or 6 more treatments left in 2019. I will certainly be glad when this is over. So, enough about that journey...

Okay, those of you who have followed my blog know that it’s not only about a journey, but it’s also about the love of Tea. In some ways, I am a tea snob…self proclaimed! I pretty much stick with one Tea which is Ceylon, because it is so mild and doesn’t require milk or sugar. But every now and then I do love a cup of Red Rose Tea with Carnation milk and REAL sugar. It’s like a “comfort” tea to me, bringing memories of the lady who introduced me to tea when I was in the 1^stgrade. 

I hosted a Cream Tea(consists of scones and few other goodies) for some of my closest friends in December who have either driven me to treatment or a scan, prayed, called, text, visited, brought food, etc. Anyway, one of my friends who came brought me a box of Maple Tea. I had never seen or heard of this tea, but she said it was her favorite and I know she’s a tea lover as well, so I trust her judgment. I made a cup of the Maple Tea today so I could tell y’all about it. It is YUM! So if you are a tea lover like us and you like Maple Syrup, get yourself a box of this awesome tea. 

 

Another friend who was not at the Tea, but would have been if she didn’t live in Virginia, told me about this Tea she had found at an Amish store near her home. She said it is the BEST Tea!! When she told me the name of the Tea, I immediately had negative thoughts😐! Told ya I was a tea snob! It is Lemon Souffle Rooibos Tea!!! Well… Rooibos Tea is my worst tea nightmare! I ordered some Strawberry Rooibos from a well-respected tea purveyor up North…I trusted this lady too…but I have to tell you, it was horrific!  I was so excited about this new tea because Rooibos is supposed to have all these health benefits, so when it arrived I could hardly wait to make a cuppa. Well, I hope I never taste or smell the stuff again…shewee, it was awful!!! So you can understand why I was being a Negative Nellie about this new “wonderful” tasting tea that my friend was telling me about…and that she was going to send me some!!! I told her about my previous experience but she was determined for me to try this tea. WELL…I’m here to tell you…it is awesome!!! As the Greeks will tell you…lemon is good on anything…well it must have been an “Amish Greek” who mixed this tea flavor. It is SO tasty and refreshing. 

This is first time I have attempted a blog post in a good while, so I decided this morning that I needed to end 2018 with a post. My prayer is that anyone who reads this blog, even if it 

is just one person, is blessed… then I’m blessed. I hope in some way the blog has been an inspiration to anyone struggling to make sense of some season that is very difficult or that maybe even given some of you a chuckle. We know that laughter does the heart good like a medicine, so if I were to make a New Years resolution, it would be to laugh more in 2019. 

 

Happy New Year to ALL!!!

Few more pics...