Diary of a Homemaker's Week: Pleasant Happy Days

 

Saturday:  This is our 'busy' weekend of the month.  Last night we went to Coffee House.  One of the original group members came to share her testimony about the role of worship in her life via song and writing.  She did so very well and we were deeply moved by her sharing.

We always have finger foods and coffee at this meeting.  Angie was setting up food and all of the men there last night were lined up and waiting patiently for her to finish setting up food.  I looked at them all in line and said: "Angie...one gets the impression that these men are hungry tonight."  She laughed.  The moment she was finished setting up they began filling their plates.

Up early this morning for John's outreach ministry work.  It was a beautiful ride to the church where the event is held each month.  The forecast said rain and we both wondered if the wedding set up we'd passed at another church could enjoy their outdoor wedding before the rain arrived.  

We have been getting pizza on the third Saturday of each month, but we had pizza at a coffee house last night, and we had pizza delivery while we were at the wedding.  John and I decided to stop at the Mexican restaurant we like so well, which is on our way home.  The food is always fresh, generously served, delicious, and inexpensive.  John brought home half his entree.  

We passed the church where the wedding was held and were glad to see that the event had gone off as planned with no sign of rain!  We were so glad for the couple.   

Once home, I made up a pan of brownies.  We had a hot brownie slice with coffee for our afternoon treat.  And then I went to sleep and slept hard for an hour.  

Rain came in later in the afternoon about 5pm.  We agreed at 7pm that we weren't really hungry so John had a sandwich, and I ate strawberries.  From there the whole of our evening was incredibly relaxed and easy.  

Sunday:  Drizzly rain and much cooler temperatures greeted us this morning.  Just as I think it's finally going to be consistently warm, we have these last little hurrahs of cooler weather so the sweaters stay put in the closet.  

After church today we came home and I went right to work cleaning our bathroom and neatening up the house.  I typically wait until Monday to do housework but I know that Millie will be here tomorrow and I will not have quite the usual amount of time to get things done as I'd like.  Much easier to do bits of it today and be ready for Millie.  

Millie is not a demanding child, and she doesn't expect us to play with her constantly, but a four-year-old is four, and sure as shooting if you plan to do much, that will be the very time you will find you get the least done, because even undemanding children need time and attention at times.

This evening we're going back to church for Senior Supper.  We will be leaving shortly since they now start at 5pm.  I hope you all had a pleasant day!

Monday:  Millie was here this morning.  I often wonder what sort of Gramma I am to her.  Truth is that as a nursing baby, I seldom kept her and because we were smack dab in pandemic stuff, I would refuse to visit any of the babies for fear I'd carry something to harm them.  Yes, that time frame included Caleb.  Katie wasn't as reticent about keeping him home as Bess and Sam were with Millie.  

Here she is four and while I do feel she knows I love her dearly I don't have that relationship with her that I had with Daniel, Josh, Isaac, and Caleb.  Hailey and Zach were both standoffish as babies, not ones to be forced into intimacy.  And while Taylor was a dear, Katie was going through her own mental hell that often involved NOT having visitors.  It is Katie who has helped to foster that loving relationship with Taylor that I now enjoy.  She's made a big effort to ensure that we are included in her weekend visits and formed rituals (Gramma's Fried Chicken Sundays) with her.  But Millie was caught in pandemic days and somewhat protected by all of us.  So I hadn't spent as much time with her as I had with the others.

If there has been a blessing with Bess and Sam's split, it has been that Sam has asked me more and more often to keep Millie for a few hours here and there.  

Over time, I realized that Papa was the 'chosen one' where Millie was concerned and that's fine.  John adores his granddaughters especially.  I'm glad that there is something special between them.  I did feel a little left out though, and have often wondered if I'll have any impact on her at all.  I know that I have with the boys. But as that lovely little girl was here today I realized we are slowly building a special relationship.  The ONE consistent thing is that she asks me every time she is here to do her nails.  She chooses the colors, tells me how she wants them to look, and then climbs on my bed and I do them for her.  Sometimes, I'll take time to do my own nails and she'll sit patiently with me and watch as I do mine.   

Another thing that we share is the Barbies and paper dolls.  Right now she's iffy about playing with paper dolls but the Barbies are almost always out.  She doesn't ask John about them.  She asks only me.  She knows just where they are kept, separate from all the other toys, and she puts them back when she's done.  

I'm looking forward to getting to know her better as time goes on.

Tuesday:  I was rushing out of the door this morning when Sam and Millie stopped in to visit.  I kissed everyone goodbye and went on to the chiropractor.  Gracious but I felt I'd been wrestled hard when she was done.  Glad I thought to take along water and Tylenol to take following that session.  

I went out to the discount grocery and found they'd put out the spring plants.  Oh my goodness!  My heart sang because everything must have gone out just this week so it was looking very good and freshly watered.  I had a wonderful time just walking around among the plants choosing several to bring home to plant.  I am well pleased with what I got and hope to get it all planted tomorrow.

I found no bargains at the discount store, so I headed on to Warner Robins.  I always plan to do far more than I'll actually do while I'm out.  The truth is grocery shopping is rigorous work both physically and mentally.  I don't know about you all, but I have to stretch hard to reach things on the shelves, especially the sales items that are nearly sold out, and a fully loaded shopping cart is heavy.  Unloaded from cart to car and from car to porch and then hauling them in from porch to house is a lot of lifting and then unloading the bags and putting things away (more stretching and bending).  

After I'd finished at Publix, I sat in the parking lot and had a snack while I waited for replies from Katie on a couple of sales items I thought would help her out.   It was so pleasant with the car windows down.  I went over my lists to be sure I wasn't missing something important, like eggs.  I cut out two stores right then and there, lol.  All I need is a good dose of spending to make me aware of budget limits and the physicality of shopping itself.

At Kroger, I stood in the floral department and just appreciated the aroma.  It smelled so good there today. I don't know if the flowers were especially fresh or if some type of bloom had aroma but it was just lovely.     A woman offered me coupons, asking if I'd purchased this or that (I hadn't but thanked her for her generosity) and the bag boy was especially thoughtful.  I bought a cold drink there and that hit the spot when I got in the car. I  had water with me but it had gotten warm by then.  The cold drink was so refreshing.

I drove home with the windows down just because it was so pleasant outdoors.  

I didn't finish putting away groceries, because I'd forgotten it was Josh's late school day.  Had Sam not called to remind me of it I'd have failed to show up to keep Millie and wait for Isaac.  Millie wanted to play outdoors.  I couldn't blame her a bit. The wind was blowing but it was warm, the sun shining, the grass green, and the air so fragrant with privet, honeysuckle, and chinaberry that you could almost taste it.  

When I returned home John was trimming and mowing and the yard looked lovely.  I have yellow and pale lilac iris blooming, spiderwort is in bloom and the old-fashioned roses are so heavily laden with blooms that the canes are bent to the ground with their weight.

But the best part of the day wasn't when we were all finished, because that never happened today.  The best part was when we both decided we'd worked enough and went to lie down on the bed for 20 minutes.  Oh, the blessed relief to my aching back.  I think we both fully relaxed for that little bit and we lay there and talked.  I told John that once we ate supper tonight I was done.  I wasn't going to do a thing more.  I think he thought I was kidding but I've kept my word.  It's been a lovely day.

Wednesday:  This morning we took a break from our labors and sat on the front porch.  The sun was warm, the breeze just the right temperature of cool to offset the heat of the sun.  We sat quietly, looking out over the green yard, and the pretty flowers, pausing to listen to the birds sing.   There are moments here on this land when I feel these acres to be ancient places and the peace that has been and always shall be is instilled so deeply upon them that no thought of worry may come and disturb our minds.  We know beyond a doubt that there is safety,  tranquility, and a never-ending covenant of peace in this place.

Given that the news is rife with wars, pastors now preach of end days and screenwriters fantasize of post-apocalyptic worlds where the good is isolated and contained behind locked doors and the evil is rampant and ruling the world outside it is hard not to be fearful, to not feel insecure, to not find oneself convinced of their views.

But then there are mornings like this.  The bank account hasn't risen noticeably, the children's cares are still uppermost in our lives, but here we are.  The two of us sitting peacefully on our porch and we know that despite everything we're being forced to see and hear, to become aware of in this life, there is something deeper that says quietly, "All is well..."   And that quiet voice takes precedence over the fear and the trouble and the heartache and our body relaxes and says "Yes.  All is well.  It is still good."

Thursday:  Oh I let my mood get away from me today.  I had a low moment that turned into a low episode...Not good.  Everything I looked at about the house and yard took on that sorry viewpoint of mine.  It all looked so drear and needed so much more than I could possibly accomplish on my own.  I was near tears and then Sam walked out on the porch and observed that this and that needed to be done and I am sorry to say that I whined my way through a litany of reasons why I couldn't get them done as I desired.  Ugh.  

Sam's visit was unexpected.  He'd brought Millie's "Tittle" a tiny little unicorn that had a split down its back.  I had a threaded needle handy and repaired her unicorn in minutes.  I apologized to Sam before he left for my complaints.  That is not the person I want to be.  

Did I stop?  Oh no.  When John came outdoors to find me working, I whined to him.  He walked about the yard with me for a few minutes and we both felt better for it.  I told him I thought I really needed a day out.  I don't know what we will do tomorrow, but once our housework is done, we're leaving home.  Really it doesn't matter where.  I just need to be away from the house!

John went to mow Sam's yard this afternoon.  I set myself the task of working on a few items from my goals for the month.  I'm happy with the number of things I've done this month, truly happy.  And yes, my outlook improved considerably. 

Friday:  Another beautifully sunny day.  I've been hurrying through my work today hoping I can entice John to leave the house and go somewhere.  I'm pretty sure he knows where he is going, but he hasn't asked me where I want to go...I'm looking for a ride while the weather is nice enough to ride with the windows down.   

It's been a lovely month.  I'm looking forward to May and starting to plan my goals.  And in the meantime, I've five lovely April days to enjoy between now and then.  

Have a terrific weekend.

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