In these upside-down days, the wonder of words is that they can keep me anchored in ways that everyday jobs, errands, and tasks once did. Therefore, keeping a journal and “blogging” is a good use of my time. Arranging and re-arranging twenty-six letters into sentences that speak truth and comfort, that edifies thee and me . . . Try it!

“It took me years to understand that words are often as important as experience, because words make experience last.” ~ William Morris

Dear reader, write down what you are thinking! These days are filled with experiences that will make memories to teach life lessons others will need.

Help your kids to record their thoughts, too. Ask yourself and them questions that can’t be answered with only a word or phrase!

• How are you?
• FINE . . . freaked out, insecure, neurotic and exhausted!

No, Heather Hollerman wrote about asking better questions of each other.(A Loving Question During a Pandemic)

Good writing prompts!   So are good pictures; I took a few today, documenting the good day today has been.

So, dear reader: What challenged you today? What did you do about it?

For what challenged me today was not a trial but pleasure – twin pleasures: gardening and painting.  I took pictures to illustrate my words.

First, April began clear, breezy and oh so sunny. Good weather is a grand thing! And things got better when our yardmen arrived to help clean up the flowerbeds. They were looking as unkempt as my hair! But we did more than weed and mulch; we planted a small crepe myrtle; fingers crossed it flourishes.

Maybe in August, Lord willing, we’ll post before and after?

I have missed having crepe myrtles.

In Dallas we had several mature trees lining our back yard; trees that the former owner planted. In the time we were there, the trees offered colorful shade in the heat, and lovely silhouettes in the cold.  So, I hope this little addition to our  flowerbed might bring comfort and pleasure to those come after us.

For all the downsides of the pandemic, the upside is that just for today I have had wonderful conversations, emails, and text messages . . . each using words that have created memories as colorful as my acrylics and canvases.

Here’s an example:

Who knew names could feel almost as good as hugs?

Second, another challenging pleasure  of this first day of April, was the prospect of beginning another painting . . .

Painting is our way of communicating our thoughts; it may not always be understood by others, but we know what we mean. (Marion Boddy-Evans)

A third pleasure — the best stabilizer of this grand day has been prayer. In the evening we began  30 Days of Prayer for the Church, the Nation and the World.Maybe you would join? 

I’ll close with a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer — These words helped when I had none:

In Time of Great Sickness and Mortality. 

O MOST mighty and merciful God, in this time of grievous sickness, we flee unto thee for succour. Deliver us, we beseech thee, from our peril; give strength and skill to all those who minister to the sick; prosper the means made use of for their cure; and grant that, perceiving how frail and uncertain our life is, we may apply our hearts unto that heavenly wisdom which leadeth to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 1928 BCP