August 2020

August Is About to Adios

August 27, 2020August 27, 2020by amysaxons2 Comments

August has provided us several opportunities to enjoy time outdoors, as the pictures below document. We had a few unseasonably cool days for this time of year that allowed me to get out of the house and explore a few outdoor spaces close to our house. I ramped up my own self-isolation the past couple of weeks in anticipation of my next Ocrevus infusion. Matter of fact, I am writing this in the hospital while the O-juice goes in. The drug was supposed to start dripping at 8:00 but it got held up in the pharmacy until a little after 11:00 😖. It takes about five hours to infuse then I have to wait an hour before I can leave, so it’s going to be a long day. Even so, I’m thankful to be getting it at all since so many others with MS don’t have any options this late in the game (#30yearsofMS).

Hubby had a couple of weeks off between semesters so he tackled restoring the fence around our backyard. The days he worked on it were boiling!

It took three days to rehab but it sure looks pretty spiffy now. He had to trim back a sizable portion of our lilac tree to get to the part of the fence in one corner of the yard 😢.

We always keep cookies in the freezer for a sweet treat. I love baking days because any time you get to eat a warm chocolate chip cookie is a good day.

In no particular order, Pip and Laudy have become my favorite muses. I am still enjoying my new hobby.

Yellow is my favorite color and these flowers look so happy in the sun. All of them were growing wild along the river bank.

This bee probably thinks the center of the daisy is as big as the moon.

I think this is a strawberry clearwing. I found all the following insects around the lake park in our neighborhood.

I can’t believe how good the pictures turn out in sports mode, very clear images in motion.

Buckeye butterflies are plentiful around the water and are a personal favorite.

Dragonflies come in a multitude of colors and sizes and these are everywhere near the water in our neck of the woods.

I especially loved finding these amberwings ❤️.

Ugh, I stepped off the path to get a good shot of a flower and ended up being covered in these little burrs 😖. It took 30 minutes to pick them all out of my hair and off my clothes. How they got in my hair I have no idea!

Mind you take the narrow path in life, it’s the only one going anywhere real and eternal ❤️.

The road back home from the river.

I have had a lot of things floating around in my mind to write about, but I haven’t decided if I want to share them or not. Writing is very pleasurable and cathartic for me and I want to guard it so it remains that way.

May God be with you. ❤️, Amy

August 2020

A Peaceful Day at the Park 📸

August 13, 2020August 13, 2020by amysaxonsLeave a Comment

❤ Amy

August 2020

Seven Current Things God is Greater Than

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020by amysaxons1 Comment

God is greater than all things. But, since the number seven indicates completeness and perfection within the Bible, I chose it to represent current issues we can pray about with confidence that He is in control.

Dear Heavenly Father, with humbled hearts we pray You will fill us with joy and peace as we remember You are the great I AM. You are in control of all things and are greater than…

…the Corona Virus with all it’s ensuing unemployment, bankruptcy, evictions and foreclosures, businesses failing, schools resuming, and our anxiety for both the physical and mental health of ourselves and loved ones. You are even greater than death by Christ’s victory over the grave!

Father, please help us remember you are greater than Nations and Politics, especially amidst the barrage of divisive and aggressive rhetoric, fear mongering, looming elections, and potential civic fallout.

Lord our God, we may rest assured that You are greater than the Media that constantly fills our ears. You are greater than bias and intolerance on all sides, as well as our well-intentioned friends who’s social media posts break our hearts with aggressive, divisive, or judgmental words.

Holy One, we need Your presence to comfort and restore our weary minds with the knowledge that You have always been and will always be mightier than the Social Issues that have surrounded Your children through the ages. You are greater than the current cancel culture, ANTIFA, riots, lootings, hate and intolerance, racism, and movements that plan destructive uprisings of any kind.

Loving, compassionate Father, please restore us from the fatigue of living in a different and difficult new reality that seems to have no end in sight. You are greater than the Weariness of the past several months.

All-knowing Lord, we pray You will reassure our hearts that You are greater than all the Unknowns that surround our lives. We rejoice in knowing You will never leave us or forsake us through the trials, sorrows, or temptations of our journey here below.

And lastly, Almighty God, help us to remember You are greater than all our Fears. When we trust You hold us in Your mighty hands, fear dies and You are glorified.

Thank You, God our Father, for loving us with Your perfect love and for caring about each and every one of us. We ask and pray this prayer through Christ, our Savior’s name. Amen.

August 2020

Nature Nurturing

August 4, 2020August 4, 2020by amysaxonsLeave a Comment

We’ve seen the perfect blend of summery sun and rain here in Southwest Missouri this past week. We’re usually roasting in nearly 100*F/38*C by this time in August, but we’ve had gorgeous 77-80*F/21-27*C days. Thanks to the recent weather, nature is lush and bursting with color all over the place around us! The forecast says it will only last another day or two, but it has been a delicious treat while it lasts and a balm for these many months during Covid-19.

A large forested area lies both north and south of our neighborhood with a good sized river about a mile down the road. It has both a well-maintained river access spot and, a little further down the road, an old, reallocated bridge that serves as the entrance for a greenways trail that winds through and circles our city. Additionally, our neighborhood has a little landscaped lake with a walking path, bridge, water feature, bird houses, and a bench along the shore. On Wednesday of this last week MS kindly lent me a decent enough day that I drove to the river in the morning and spent some time soaking in the views from the bridge at the trail’s head. After lunch, I headed off for a lovely, cane-assisted stroll around the lake. There were butterflies everywhere in both places! They somehow managed to lift my spirits on their tiny little wings and carry them about as they soared around and flitted and fluttered here and there. Similarly, as I rested a couple of times on my way around the lake in the afternoon, I found myself smiling as I tried to follow the dizzying courses of dozens of dragonflies going nowhere and everywhere at once. What funny little creatures! Oh, and don’t worry, there are plenty of bird and cat photos below too😻!

This past Friday was an exciting day when…my new camera arrived!!! As you peruse the photos below, see if you can guess which ones I took with my point-and-shoot and which ones were with my new DSLR. The new camera inspired me to branch out and find a new photo editing app to play around with. It’s pretty safe to say I have a lot to learn. As an example, I hadn’t been messing around with the camera for more than five minutes before I realized I needed to invest in a more versatile lens. Some lessons are pricey 😉! No worries though, I am having fun and can’t wait to learn and grow my skills (and lens collection!). It was time for the upgrade because I needed another sit-down hobby to add to my arsenal of things to do when the MS monster has me lashed to the couch.

Speaking of MS, my next Ocrevus infusion is at the end of this month. Let’s see, this will be my second full dose which means I’ve been on it for 18 months. For the first time since starting it I think I’m experiencing the “crap gap” I’ve heard other MSers describe just before their next dose. My already ridiculous fatigue intermixed with poor balance, endurance, gait, bladder issues, clumsiness, sluggish word finding, and occasional cog-fog have all ratcheted up to the next level over the last few days. I hope topping the tank with more O-juice knocks my symptoms back down to the previous notch.

Part I: Riparian and Lakeside Entertainment

Female house finch with Niger all over her beak; steady rain.

I NEVER pass up the opportunity to snap pics of this skittish Red-bellied woodpecker. BONUS: Carolina chickadee 🙂

Suet on the tip of this chickadee’s beak.

Our resident nuthatch. This little thing fascinates me.

Her eyes! Her little whiskers!! Her white undercarriage (as hubby likes to call it)!!!

Her fur feels like crushed velvet and she insists on being held nearly all the time. What’s not to love?!

Not to be outdone, Pip is our resident lap and shoulder snuggler. He has the sweetest disposition and is an absolute riot to play fetch with. He has gorgeous golden eyes and perfectly preposterous ears!!

There’s a reason hubby calls Pip “a tender little guy.” He gives the best snuggles and makes me smile.

Here we are at the end of another blog. I looked back and realized I have been posting weekly lately. I didn’t mean to, or not mean to, it just happened. Will there be another blog next week? Maybe, I guess we will both have to wait and see😁. Either way, I’m glad you stopped by for a look-see. May God be with you! Amy