How wonderfully God fills our days with joy. I think of the black daybook here on the floor beside me--what a bare skeleton that it is! I know the week ahead will probably bring Bed Baxter& roommates for dinner, our first week without Jon Cordes [our carpenter who was remodeling our "historic district" house with great skill] in a month, schoolwork, lawn mowing, & perhaps the Rutledges & Arnolds for supper on Saturday. But all the little spaces & many graces abounding in His love & joy & mercy. And now I've forgotten just what made me start out this way.

It's been a wonderful day in many ways. The best was probably this: At lunch with Duhms, Lili, Sisi, Mallie & Craig, Craig asked if I would to to St. Barnabas with her to visit Frances Byrd. We left after a game of "Family" with everyone--David Duhm reading to the little ones on the couch, Lili helping the girls with dinner dishes. I took Grace with us & a few marigold blossoms (again). Craig & I had good conversations there and back. Mrs. Byrd looked much better and was more alert than she was when I saw her a month ago. She was clearly delighted with our visit. At one point I carried Grace over to the desk in Mrs. Byrd's room to show her some other flowers. Then my eye was drawn to a pair of sunglasses. Mrs. Byrd's. Perhaps too large for little Mrs. Byrd. Why, they look like my ones for which I've been praying for weeks to find! I tried them on after looking at them more closely & fairly jumped around the room praising God, sharing the story of them with Craig & Frances. Thank you, Lord, for keeping me praying so faithfully for them. I feel now that you were encouraging me all along to believe you'd restore them to me.