Oh my. It has been so long since I’ve been with you all. So much has happened and life has just been, well, life. I have missed two things through this past couple of years. First is writing. Sometimes my brain just doesn’t want to shut down. I have had the desire but not the time. Second is painting. I began watercolor painting several years ago. Each Saturday I would meet up with a couple of friends and we would paint, laugh, cry, discuss Scripture and pray. It has been two years now since I picked up a paint brush and palette.

You may be asking what I have been doing. My last post was June 8, 2020. Wow. Over 3 years! Well let me give you an overview today. As time allows, I will dig into each of these events and share more of the reasons behind the events and how God showed up while all of this was happening.

June 2020 – changed jobs.

April 2021 – visited Ohio family for the first time in 14 months.

April 2021 – we decided to move to Ohio.

June 2021 – home in Colorado was put on the market…sold in one day.

June 2021 – I moved to Ohio and Mason stayed in Colorado to finish packing.

June 2021 – started new job in Ohio…quit said job.

June 2021 – started looking for home in Ohio.

July 2021 – back to Colorado to finalize packing and move.

August 2021 – moved into home in Ohio.

August 2021 – started new (better) job in Ohio.

December 2021 – Mom passed away. 🙁

February 2022 – Mason in hospital with chronic congestive heart failure.

April 2022 – quit better job.

June 2022 – bought a business with my sister…Costume Castle!

July 2022 – remodeled Costume Castle.

August 2022-February 2023 – worked like crazy at the Castle…Mason continued to have health issues (hospital stays and diagnoses).

May 2023 – Mason began dialysis 4 days a week…I began training to do his dialysis at home.

June-July 2023 – home dialysis 5 days a week.

So, here’s the thing. I am at home 5 days a week while Mason is on dialysis. His treatments last between 3 to 3 1/2 hours. I need to be in the house to hear alarms, but now I have flexibility and time. As I thought of what I would want to do with these hours, I knew I wanted to get back to writing. You will be hearing from me more often. And I will be painting! I can’t wait to share some of my artwork with you.

As I look back at this timeline, I can only say “phew”. A lot has happened in 3 years. I have said it before and I will say it again, I have only been able to do what I’ve done with God’s help and provision. I have been weak. I have been weary. I have failed. I have struggled. But through it all, God’s grace has been sufficient. The Apostle Paul knew of God’s grace and said it so eloquently. “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10 – NIV)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna PS – I forgot how much I loved my blog design! Thank you Maria Hauser