Sweet Smelling Flowers and Pretty Pink Tableware

I was so surprised to look out my kitchen window and discover roses blooming. When we first moved into this house there were rose bushes in the back, but one negative aspect of dog ownership is their ability to ruin the "flora" and landscaping. But today when I looked out I saw a very leggy rosebush and actually roses blooming! What a wonderful blessing from God this was today. Regardless of any ugliness elsewhere we find stolen moments of sweet fragrance and beauty.

A similar thing happened this morning before work when I took Joe for a walk. On another block I suddenly smelled a beautiful fragrance and looked around to discover the source. I never did locate it, but it put a smile on my face for the rest of my walk.

About smiles - yesterday at work I had my usual breakfast of instant oatmeal in a styrofoam cup, eaten with a hot pink plastic spoon. Some of the girls there teased me about the flashy spoon and I explained that Party City had their tableware on sale and I got several packages in pretty colors for only 87 cents for 25 spoons. I told them that eating oatmeal in the middle of the day with a spoon of a beautiful color brings a smile to my face and that is worth it.

And in the midst of all the smiling and sweet fragrances comes a huge disturbance in my friendships and personal life. I have always handled strife and confrontations in the same manner - I bury my head in the sand or take the Scarlet O'Hara approach (I'll think about it tomorrow). Perhaps that is wrong, but I firmly believe that words spoken in anger are the hardest words to take back. And it is not serving me well this time around.

Health-wise - the x-rays from last Friday have still not been "interpreted" and the nurse this morning said she'd call me as soon as they had the results. I've been doing searches on the internet for the new infusion therapy I might be facing and so far, other than the obvious frightening aspects, all the outcomes look very, very good. Perhaps I'll just have to remember to bring sweet smelling flowers and pretty pink tableware when I go the first time. :)

~ Elizabeth

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. - Ecclesiastes 3