barefootlilylady

Bump, bump, bumping along

I was doing a little blog post cleanup today and came across this one from four years ago. It’s hard to believe that it has been nearly four years since my sweet momma took up her heavenly home. This felt like “just yesterday” to me as I read through it once again.

I often use my mom’s study Bible when I spend time reading and reflecting. I enjoy discovering what she marked and underlined on almost every page. Her notes in the margins are a really valuable tool for my personal study.

This little story that follows is a page out of my experience and observations as mom neared the end of her life on earth. It’s also a reminder to me of the life lesson I am still learning.

Addressing Common Environmental Triggers in Dementia Care

I have three reasons why I would make this excellent article required reading for anyone even remotely involved in dementia care:

My mother had Alzheimer’s. I wish I would have been able to read this while I was caring for my mother with Alzheimer’s.
My mom lived in assisted living memory care for the last year of her life. She received fantastic care, but this would have been very helpful training for her caregivers.
My brother has vascular dementia and currently lives in a skilled nursing facility (a nursing home). I wish that everyone who works there would read this–it would be so helpful.

Environmental Triggers and Dementia

The Satisfied Soul

When my journey on earth is drawing to a close, I hope and pray that I will have the same attitude of heart as my friend Kathy. Even though she was going through immense physical trials, she exhibited what I believe should be the hallmark of every believer – a satisfied soul.

Kathy didn’t know why God allowed this painful trial, but she trusted He had a plan. Kathy didn’t beg for mercy from the trial. My sister in Christ implored God to show mercy to those she loved who were still without Christ. Her Jesus loving heart desired nothing more than for God to be glorified in her, by life or by death.

May I live my life as Kathy did – eager to know the Lord better today than I did yesterday. May I be as generous with the resources God has entrusted to my care, investing what I have in the kingdom.

Tonight happens to be my friend Kathy’s third anniversary in heaven, and I’m listening to the lovely music of Keith and Kristin Getty. One song in particular just washed over my soul and made me think about Kathy’s testimony.

Keith & Kristyn Getty – My Worth Is Not In What I Own featuring Fernando Ortega (Official Lyric Video)

“My soul is satisfied in Him alone.”

A Keto Peanut Butter Waffle!

I wrote about my enjoyable experience making (and eating) savory chaffles here. These small cheese and egg waffles turned out to be a good replacement for anything that usually needs a bun. I don’t make them very often, as I am getting used to (and enjoying) eating my hamburgers without a bun.

With that yummy experience as my inspiration, I decided to try a Peanut Butter Chaffle next.

Oh. My. Yum!

In the event that you’d like to try them too, here’s the recipe from Paula Kish at Low Carb Revelation. I put a dab of butter and a drizzle of sugar-free syrup on mine. They made for a very nice breakfast and will definitely be on my menu again in the future.

Protein Peanut Butter Waffles

Birthday Blessings

It’s January 17, 2024 and today would have been my sweet Momma’s 90th birthday. It’s nearly midnight and sleep has not yet come to my weary eyes, so I decided I would not let this day pass without taking a moment to acknowledge the great blessing God gave me in this lovely woman.

The last birthday I celebrated with her was her 86th. Mom didn’t participate much in the celebration. There was a delicious cake, a bouquet of flowers, a few gifts to unwrap, and cute birthday balloons. But Alzheimer’s had already taken away her ability to understand what the joyous fuss was about. She enjoyed eating the cake I made her, so that blessed my heart.

While I cannot bake her another cake today, I can stop and thank God for blessing this world with Charlotte Louise Peet Boyles–the woman I would call Momma.

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.”
Proverbs 31:30-31

2024: Year of the Lily

With a blogging handle like barefootlilylady, I think my readers can surmise I’m a barefoot gardener who is pretty enamored with lilies. I love them all–even the wannabe lilies like Hemerocallis (daylilies). I thought my gardening friends would enjoy this fantastic article written by the National Garden Bureau. Everything you need to know about lilies.

2024: Year of the Lily

Another Walk in the Park

It’s sometimes hard for me to study at home. There’s always something calling my name. It might be the washing machine telling me it’s time to throw in another load of dirty laundry…or transfer the clean laundry to the dryer. Sometimes it’s the voice of dust on the coffee table (or any other flat surface in my house) saying, “Dust me! Now!” And, more often than I’d like to admit, it’s something in the refrigerator calling my name and saying, “Eat me! Eat me!”

A Lovely U-Turn

Two days of putting one foot in front of another. Remember what I said in my last post?

“The local Rotary Club has created a fantastic walking trail near my workplace too. I have purposed in my heart to take a lap around that trail before work tomorrow.”
Cindie Winquist, budding walking enthusiast

Well, I did it, and here are the pictures to prove it.

The Oregon Rotary Trail has plenty of nice blacktop paths, but I decided to get off of the paved trail and follow this grassy path toward the setting sun. I walked 15 minutes in and 15 minutes out.

Loved every minute.

I should tell you that I almost skipped it. I left the house too late this morning to get a walk in before work. I know I had purposed it in my heart to walk that trail, but, after a busy day of baking, I was now tuckered out and ready to head home. As is my usual custom, I would swing by the nursing home and drop in for a quick visit with my brother (he expects me on Mondays and Thursdays and looks forward to me bringing him a fresh-baked cookie or two). The Oregon Rotary Trail is situated between my workplace and Brad’s place. I decided it was too late to get a walk in, so drove past the park. A few blocks later, I ended up making a U-turn.

I’m so glad I did.

P.S. Brad got his visit and his cookies afterward.

One Foot in Front of the Other

I went for a walk today. According to my pedometer app, it was just a 1.8 mile walk around my neighborhood. It was something I had been putting off. But I did it and it was . . .

Brisk. Refreshing. Enjoyable.

Why is that first step out of the door so hard to take? I’m not sure of the answer to that question, but I am glad I took that step today.

I’m not very good at following through on new year’s fitness goals, but recently decided it’s time to add some movement to my weight loss journey.

I really don’t have good excuses as to why I don’t walk more often. My beautiful neighborhood and a nearby park offer great walking opportunities.

Dozens of people walk or run past my home every morning on their way to this treasure of a park. I really need to stop finding excuses and just get out there and join them. One foot in front of the other.

The local Rotary Club has created a fantastic walking trail near my workplace too. I have purposed in my heart to take a lap around that trail before work tomorrow. There’s also a sweet little conservation area which is somehow connected with the trail system in Oregon. It’s kind of a hidden treasure which I should really explore at different times throughout the year.

So, here’s to a 2024 with lots of first steps out of my front door.
Cindie Winquist, budding walking enthusiast

My 2023 in Flowers

It seems to me that the year 2023 whooshed by in a hurry to 2024. The gardener in me is already plotting out what I’d like to see in my garden in the next growing season. I thought it might be fun to reflect upon some of that beauty of last year as I look forward to the growth and beauty in the year that lies ahead. Won’t you join me?