"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4

 It's been somber and quiet here these days after losing our sweet Nita.

Chandy sent her Granddad some roses to cheer him but told me that secretly - they were for me.

He and I have both enjoyed them and I've moved them from the dining room to the living room and next they will go to the guest room where he spends much of each day resting.

When I'm not crying over Nita, I'm fussing over Louis Dean.

Cats know when you need to be comforted and Tabitha is always right next to Louis Dean now.

Neither she nor Samantha are lap cats although Amber and Mike have done their dead level best to convince them that they ARE! It may be paying off now because Tabitha sat there on his lap as long as was there - which was nearly an hour!

We were at the doctor's office for a follow up visit after being released from the hospital.

It amazes me that we can smile.

I always take a selfie of us in the waiting room.

I think Louis Dean looks good - just tired.

We saw a different doctor since Maddox was on vacation.

It had been just 2 hours since I had the news about Nita so I was a mess and expressed my concern for Louis Dean. Doctor Stefanie Lee saw him and asked if I would like to have more blood work and x-rays done just for peace of mind. Yes, please.

Our sweet neighbor around the corner, Tamara, dropped off a bag of easy to open and eat snacks and I was surprised that we really did tend to forget to eat, so they came in so handy.

I think she must have traveled down this same road before herself.

After the sun went down Wednesday, we went over to water neighbor Stephanie's back year.

If you skip even a day, things start to die!

I had put a pot of pinto beans on to cook Tuesday night so I made company potatoes and put those in the fridge Wednesday night. I also made a double batch of cornbread Wednesday and even went to the store for milk and a few things.

I suppose all this was a therapy of some sort.

We didn't eat the beans or potatoes, but Louis Dean did have cornbread and milk.

As hard as Wednesday was, Thursday started out even worse.

I didn't get out of bed until after 3:00 and only because Summer and Rayne were coming over.

Jesse called and said he was coming over after work so I got dressed, brushed my hair and put on my eyebrows and lip gloss.

I wasn't sure I was up to being around people - even though they are family 'people.'

But it proved to be a good thing.

Rayne helped me in the kitchen and I made cherry chocolate bars and a meatloaf.

Amber and the kids arrived shortly after Jesse did so we had a houseful and with every passing minute, I seemed to come out of my funk and I started to feel more normal than I have since Saturday, June 18th. 

The house was full and busy with the girls all visiting together and then playing hide and seek IN the house! It is triple digits and not safe to be outside!

Amber put together a big fruit salad and we all ate a comfort food dinner Thursday night.

Family being here made my heart a little lighter.

Mike came by on his way to his hockey game and look what he found on the curb in his neighborhood!

A brood box and a super WITH the wax inserts!

We put them inside the truck and Jesse and I will be making a quick trip to the ranch to wrap up loose ends and tidy it up for when we next go down to visit, which will be once it cools off and back down to the 90's!

And then they were gone....Amber and the kids.

Jesse left as well and Summer and Rayne did, too.

I have not mentioned it publicly yet but Sabrina lost her mom on the 3rd of July....one day before Sabrina's birthday. This summer has held a lot of sadness for so many in our family.

Friday was quiet here.....

Louis Dean weighs less than he has in ever so long.

211 when he was in the hospital.

204 at the doctor's office on Wednesday and he's slightly anemic.

Plus he still has pneumonia.

So I am trying to feed him healthy foods.

One night I made him a really good steak and he loved that.

Yesterday he changed the strings on his guitar and twice he's brought in pots of dirt and planted seeds in them. They sit in his music room in front of the window and some of them already have green shoots coming up.

Benjamin, my youngest son, came over for a visit late Friday morning.

He is the son of my old age and has always been a comfort to me.

Today (Saturday) has been a dark one for me.

I guess I am emotionally spent.

It's so hot outside that I'm keeping it dark in the house and running our extra window units from time to time to keep the house cool....as well as our central AC is running non stop except at night and I can hear it shut off.

I've been sewing on the birthday quilt for Chandy - the one I meant to give her two years ago in January! And I have been watching seasons of Vera back to back. I'm trying something lighter this evening......Hotel Portofino. It has such pretty people and scenery in it!

A box of Love and Comfort came in the mail today.

As I picked the hymn book up, it fell open to Peace, Be Still.

How perfectly perfect.

I loved the beautiful things that came in the box....a honey jar, honey pot and some pretty papers.

A gorgeous faux fern that now lives in a basket in the foyer and two beautiful doilies.

The hymn book was published in 1948 - the year I was born.

I shall find comfort in singing these old songs for as I turned the pages, it just so happens that I know most of them already.

I have three different scripture card boxes and the verse on the one in our bedroom this morning was 

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

And I believe that to be true.

As hard as it is on all of us who loved Nita......

It's probably hardest for Mike.

God has blessed our family with beautiful people gifting us with your beautiful words of peace and comfort for our hearts and minds.

Thank you so much.....

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our tribulation,

that we may able to comfort those who are in any trouble, 

with the comfort that we ourselves are comforted by God."

II Corinthians 1:3-4