2024-04-20 - 7:43 p.m.

I walked to my guitar lesson one lovely day this early Spring. The walk home was a bit brutal; as it was warmer out when I was leaving than it

OH WAIT

No wonder I only remember the walk home!

I have to correct this memory-

I took a LYFT to my guitar lesson and then walked home.

YES
I figured the one walk would not be bad.

It wasn't , at first. But I took a detour and walked over to check out the oldest African American church building in the area, which is being refurbished by a Community league non profit.

It is beautiful that the church is still standing, being restored, and there is a community center that folks can gather being designed as well. The actual black church I think still meets there in the one building on the grounds. I saw the sign of the current Deacon etc..

Ah as I sit at work I am listening to their live stream from last Sunday. Nothing like the music of a Black Baptist Southern Church on Sunday morning! Seriously it is all joy and praise, and very inspirational.
None of that BS fire and brimstone but thanking and praying for blessing

and Thanks and praise and Glory to God. Such a wonderful thing

That they focus on gratitude.

It is very grounding.

"Thank you for Bible study , that reminds you to move onto what you need to move on to...

then the bulbs arrived and I am reminded I need to get that done in a certain time.. so I am thankful I got those in the ground in time before they died...
then there is this thing called taxes...
and thank you Lord I am happy I pulled it all together and got that done on time"

Next...
" I am going to give God some praise and give God the Glory... each morning that I rise is a blessing,
I know my family may not think that,

BUT I know it, and I am grateful and blessed..""

" And Brother XXXX I am grateful to see you moving around, cause God is a healer... and I am grateful to see your smiling face, and you MIss X@U#R#"

* The Southern manners of calling ladies Miss, or Ms..
And Gentleman Mr. all the time! HA HA

ALthough I did notice that my friend had taught her boys to do the same. My boyfriend loved how polite they were in their conversations with adults. They wre so sweet and patienet and would say "Excuse me Mr. @@*# " , "Excuse me , @#W*) " before then saying. "Can I tell you about _______"
or would ask a question.

It was really sweet and thoughtful.

Her sons were fun to meet. Both are autistic and both had really good social skills and seemed pretty happy.

So on my walk home that day, after the visit to the little Black church and a walk around its graveyard; wondering if my kids ever saw this space and knew it was there at all-

Then I started feel the guitar on my back as I was walking home further. It started to get really heavy, a bit much-
and so as to not strain by back I had to actually raise it with both arms; as my arms were stronger and more comfortable supporting some of that weight than having it rest and be supported by my back. I needed to shift it to my arms and shoulders which were stronger.

So I was carrying it in this awkward looking manner and was very happy to take a rest from holding it by walking around the nursery in town.

The town my guitar teacher lives in has the best nursery with beautiful greenhouses full of amazing plants.

I so enjoyed wandering through-

and then saw the statues. There were some elves/ or gnomes- you know some love garden gnomes.

I would have thought them hokey
silly
not my thing

BUT the gnome I saw reminded me of my boyfriend !! HA HA HA

I can't help it!

ANd after he traveled to Iceland and brought back trinkets of the twelve , what are they called- ELVES that come down at Christmas Time ( the co-opted Pagen story... twist in Iceland interesting...)

https://yourfriendinreykjavik.com/elves-of-iceland/

Well I thought it funny then and I just LOVED the idea of bringing the garden gnome to him for his backyard and putting a little garden in.

So I bought it.
This little cement garden gnome made in a mold for sure.

It could use painting I think.

But maybe that will come or maybe not. Maybe it will remain the grey of the stone.

I just for some reason really thought it would be great in his yard! HA HA

So I bought it.
and told them I would come get it some other day- they held it for me.

So today before work I went back and picked it up; and then also bought some beautiful plants.

I was thinking of the garden in his backyard I wanted to put in. They did not have what I REALLY wanted-
I want lupine
Purple lupine, like the kind that grows prolifically in Iceland.

I did find one yellow lupine, which I bought.

After getting home however I realized the Bleeding Hearts I bought really were FOR ME-
and they had to go in my backyard garden in the dead zone where there is nothing growing.

They rounded out my backyard garden beautifully.

I have planted Bleeding Hearts twice before and they never did well. Not sure if I did not recognize them

WOW
Are you giving God your ATTENTION

or just INTENTION

Imagine.. what the church would look like if all sounded just like you
imagine what

Great question!
I am going to listen-- really enjoying this little church's service on line while working tonight.

It is also a birthday of three of the nursing staff! Another work party! Those gals are amazing. They just told me to go back and get some food and cake.

This job is OK!

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