Nice ending to a week filled with challenges.

Dear Family and Friends,
So there you are, still up huh, don't you people go to bed at night? Now take me I'm trying very hard to get more sleep in the new year and so far I'm doing better, not perfect, but better.
Today has been a day of feeling much better and getting things done. The sunshine was brilliant and even sort of warm for the little I was outside.
I've worked at my desk on the big one until finally emailing it off about 3 this afternoon. What a tremendous house and its one of three homes they own, must be nice, need new scenery well just travel to another of your houses! Must be really fun. Anyone who thinks money does not buy happiness must be smoking something. Of course it does, it buys adventure, travel, a wider range of opportunities, more chances to give your kids a good start, money buys lots of things. But it does not buy health although extreme poverty contributes to poor health, it does not buy eternity, ones needs the Saviours gift of salvation for that but having funds does buy lots of good things. I doubt it buys peace for when I look back on the times when the money was more plentiful our lives grew more complicated, a lot more. What I find most attractive is the person who has learned to live life in balance whether they are wealthy or not, but a balance between work and not work, a balance between eating in moderation and exercise that is a pleasure, between vacations and task solving. I know you know people you admire who seem to have figured out how to live meaningful lives that include helping others, caring for themselves, taking good care of relationships and all under the leadership of a loving Heavenly Father. Sylvia's recent sermon about the parenting love of our God was really thought invoking. Perhaps I can persuade her to write a guest blog some evening about that topic.
Tomorrow son Steve is have oral surgery and Nikki is going to be at his side. I get to take the little girls to Sabbath School while they are involved with his care. I can't wait, imagine Kallie and Keanna, what a blessing Pappa will have and I'm feeling much more healthy just in time. Did I mention the benefits from washing out the sinus cavity? Just kidding but for me its has been a tremendous help and so of course in the process of full disclosure I've got to share it with you. I'm ready for the future, any bout with allergies or a head cold and I'm flushing it out. I've got to share with you, the first time you really wonder if you are crazy. It seems so wrong to be pumping water into your nose and for someone who does not like water in his face that was a high threshold to surmount. Now it is just a good plan, one which works so well.
For lunch today I took out 3 large leafs of romaine lettuce and cut them into small pieces, then a took a whole tomato and diced it, then I added small chunks of tofu that I had braised in a pan with olive oil. After I stirred up the salad ingredients I applied some olive oil over the top. What a feast. It filled a large plate and tasted so good. I wanted to move away from iceberg lettuce as that stuff is pretty well worthless so I found a tub of romaine lettuce instead. Good choice, more taste, more texture and so good in the salad. I want to learn how to get the lettuce into even smaller pieces. When I go to Red Robin for a garden burger their salad has tortilla strings and chopped up lettuce. It is so good and tasty. That is my goal, also how does one cut up a tomato into small diced pieces without risking cutting ones fingers off at the same time? Ideas anyone. Do I have to watch the food channel and surrender CSI Miami just to learn these things?
I've noticed that when I start to feel better after a long illness that my mental facilities start to come alive, that I start to dream, imagine, hope, really live. It is such a pleasure to come out of the darkness of illness into the light of awareness.
This afternoon I even decided that my neighbors had probably had enough of my snow globe with the three snow people inside and the three pathetic deer that glowed 24 hours a day for the last three weeks. Tonight they are safely packed away in the garage for yet another year and the driveway is clear for the throngs of company that are always coming by!!
Its now official! My furnace is working well. For just a mere $440 Rob retrofitted it with new ignition parts and it works like new. At some point early in the morning it comes on and brings the house up to 67, at 8 am it drops back to 62 and then at 5:30 it comes up to 70 for the evening until 10 when it drops to freezing for the night. Now it actually does all the changes and puts out heat instead of very nice COLD air. Am I excited? You bet. This year is turning out pretty well so far, work is coming in, bills are getting paid, weight is coming off, health is returning, look out world here I come!
So my friends, lets just agree to be thankful tonight for something and at peace with everything.

love

Tim

ps enjoy your Sabbath whether it be Saturday or Sunday, let God rebuild your spirit as you remember Him in special ways.