More Highs and Lows

My new computer and monitor was installed yesterday and this in my first post written with it. It's so much faster than my old computer and I haven't found Windows 11 too challenging, but there are a few differences from Windows 10.

It was a busy day at The Whitney yesterday with two Weddings and a Baby Shower in addition to Mansion Tea.  All three floors were in full swing.  A lovely lady that I met thru tea acquaintances and is co-moderator of the Facebook group, Christian Tea Time & Hospitality, came to tea yesterday with her sister, niece and great-niece.  I didn't have a lot of time to visit,  but we did get a couple of pictures and Edwina took some outside when they arrived.

No, I'm not wearing excessive rouge, sunburned or blushing in the photo below. ;-) When I'm busy working I get so warm and my face gets very red.  I always tell everyone, all's well and no worries because my blood pressure's normal.  My Dr. says my red face is no cause for alarm.  

According to my new scale, I've lost almost 15 lbs. since July 8th.  I see my Dr. this Wednesday and always like to get weighed on their scale because I think it's more accurate than home scales.

Now for the low...  I received a phone as I was getting ready for church today telling me my brother passed away this morning.  He's older than me [84] and has had frail health since May when he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.  He's been in and out of the hospital [for long stays] three times since his diagnosis so his passing shouldn't have come as a shock, but it did.  The last text I received from his daughter she said he was doing much better and looked the best he's looked in years.  

His wife passed away in 2014 so he moved to Atlanta, Georgia area in 2017 to be near his daughter and her family.  Below is a photo taken in 2017 just before he moved, and was the last time I saw him.  There's no details yet, but his body will be brought back to Michigan for burial next to his wife.  I pray he made his peace with Jesus so he was ready to go into eternity.  It's the most important decision any of us will ever make.

These are probably the last pictures we have of Dan taken this past May when his daughter took him to Dollywood because it was on his bucket list.  She was so very good to him.

After prayer time at church this morning, a sweet lady brought this hankie to me.  It's lovely and so true.  

I recently posted that sunflowers are my favorite flower and when I went into my local supermarket on Friday I saw a huge sunflower display that bought a smile to my face and I couldn't resist taking a picture.

When I looked at the photo today of the sunny, cheerful flowers, it reminded me of a line in an old hymn we used to sing [back in the days of hymnals before screens with contemporary songs replaced them] 'When Jesus shows His smiling face, there is sunshine in the soul'.

And then another song came to mind:   "You can have a melody down in your heart when it’s aching, almost breaking. Even tho’ the sorrow makes the teardrop start. You can have a melody down in your heart.

Chorus:  You can have a song in your heart in the night.  After every trial, after every mile. Anyone can sing when the sun's shining bright, but you need a song in your heart at night."

I'm so thankful for God's sunshine in my soul and the song He's put in my heart during this 'nighttime' of grief.