February 17: All that smoke that hung in the air on Friday afternoon and Saturday, was washed away on Sunday with heavy rains. No complaints from us. The smoky smell was still in our house ductwork and every time the heat came on it smelled like woodsmoke. John was experiencing some dizziness, so we stayed home from church. Later, I turned my head to speak to him and felt the world spin. I think now it might have been allergies, but we thought we'd picked up a virus.
Not that I complained over staying home. As I said, the rain was heavy and it was nice to be home out of the weather, but it did rather spoil my plans for the week ahead, because I'd meant to go grocery shopping after church.
I'd promised the children across the way that we'd go to Massee Lane on Monday... A wilder crew of children, more anxious to whoop, holler, and screech there never was. They took off running when we got to the garden. Their volume buttons are naturally stuck on loud, but this day they were extra loud! They ran, but I found it necessary to go much slower. The brick paths had heaved a bit with the freezing weather which came on the heels of rain earlier in the month. Every time I took my eyes off the path, the toe of my shoe would catch a lifted edge of brick and I'd stumble.
I wanted to admire all the pretty camellias. The morning warmed quickly. Geese honked their way northward, flying in deep vees overhead. Bees buzzed and buried their heads in the midst of the stamens of the camellias. The flowers are in their peak season just now. It was worth going more slowly than the children had. They got to the garden more quickly, but I got more out of the journey
In the Japanese Garden, I happily sat on the bench and gently fussed at the kids who clambered over the rocks and dipped their hands, and sometimes their shoes, in the pond and ran around the little path that meanders around one section of the walled garden. It's a lovely peaceful spot, even with wild children loose in it. Somehow the sound of the water dribbling down between rocks into the pond, the slow lazy movement of the koi fish in the pond just bring a great sense of quiet. And the children did quiet down. They just weren't still.
Two other moms showed up with kids in tow who also clambered on rocks, slipped on the moss-covered millstones that cross the pond, dropped blossoms into the water, tried to climb the frail trees. I felt better about my wild lot. I also noted that all of the children seemed to love the Japanese Garden.
One little girl had dark short hair like Millie's, which she'd styled quite prettily with braids in the long bangs. I pointed that out to Millie, whose hair has chronically fallen in her face since she was about 2. Millie was unimpressed. The little girl proved to be a super friendly sort and talked to me a good deal while her siblings and friends clambered around.
I'd told Josh repeatedly to stop jumping from a big rock over to a millstone, fearing that Isaac or Millie would attempt to do the same. He would wait a bit and then he just had to do it all over again. I'd fuss, he'd say he was sorry and then there he was jumping off a big rock across the smaller pond to the mossy millstones in the middle. My heart would pause as I watched his arms flail as he attempted to regain his balance after his slippery landing. And he always did. The anticipated splash into the pond never came, though I was sure it would.
Josh also had insistently kept hanging from things. Not from the Camellias but upright supports, beams, and now and then from a sturdy branch. By the time we'd left the garden I'd been fully tested, and I'll show you just how much so...
When we left the Japanese garden, I chose to walk slowly back. I could hear my grandkids shouting and screeching, so I knew about where they were. However, I couldn't quite hear Josh. I saw a figure in the midst of the Camellias. I peered closely through the trees and noted that the jacket was the color of Josh's and the pants the color of Josh's and the height the same as Josh and the hair about his length. So, I rounded the corner fussing. I said loudly and bossily, "Get OUT of the trees! They are not meant for you to traipse around in! Come on out of there, right now!"
And then I found myself facing a petite Asian woman photographer...
I was sooooo embarrassed and apologized profusely. I explained that I had my grandchildren with me and pointed out, "You can hear them yelling over there right now..." and she nodded. She just went on about her photography, as well she ought. My goodness! I could feel my face burning hot.
I took the kids to Burger King, and we went out to the play space to eat our meal. Remember Sunday's heavy rain? Add that to a playground with an overload of mulch and you've got one marshy springy feeling ground to walk on that is uneven and unstable. I was half across it with my food when the bag ripped in half and all the fries poured out on the ground. I went in to the cashier and explained the bag had torn and he charged me for four more orders of fries. When the girl filling my order heard that I'd dropped them when the bag ripped open, she made him give me my money back.
I got outside, set the food out, and the kids immediately ran off to play, because there's nothing better than cold fries and cheeseburgers apparently. Josh's fries promptly blew off the table in the stiff breeze, and we were down another serving of fries. Millie and I gathered up those and threw them away and then I pieced out enough for Josh from everyone else's container.
I admit that I particularly dislike the location of this Burger King because it is at a place called Five Points where there are four lanes each at a five-point stoplight section and the traffic noise and diesel aroma is pretty bad. Add to that the noise of souped up vehicles, air brakes, children screaming (not just my own lot), and the aroma of 'skunk' which is not skunk at all but some mixture of drugs that too many folks apparently smoke these days, etc. I soon started to feel very stressed and anything but relaxed. I stuck it out until 1:30, then told the kids it was time to go home.
I dropped them off at home and pulled into my own yard at 2pm on the nose. I'd told John I'd be home then and to be ready, because I really needed to grocery shop. John had promised me and Katie a box of Valentine's chocolates and I was worried if we didn't go ahead and get them there would be none left anywhere. He's messed around before and not gotten any. I had Caleb coming to spend the night with me and all day Tuesday. So, I had to restock on eggs and cheese, milk, mandarins and berries.
We went to a Publix store that I typically don't shop at. It's a perfectly nice, well lit, well placed, smaller store in a town with less traffic than the area we typically shop. I picked up the items on my list, and we hunted and hunted for marked down chocolates. Finally, we stumbled on two shopping carts full to overflowing hidden in an unused cashier's aisle at the back of the store. Obviously not put out for sale. We asked around and were told that they were to be marked down but hadn't been done yet. Now mind you this is two days beyond Valentine's Day...But no, not yet marked down.
I told John we'd take a chance and ask at the customer service desk if they could mark them down. That involved wending our way around the whole back of the store because the front of the store was packed and every register clogged with people. After we'd gotten to the other side of the store and the cashier's desk, I explained to the clerk at the desk that we wanted to buy the chocolates and asked if they would mark them down. "No. I don't mark things down. That is the grocery department and until they get to it, they won't be marked down!"
I do not think I have ever in my life had a clerk at Publix be so brusque and unhelpful...Could she not have called someone from grocery for us? John said, "Just leave them," and I did. We checked out and went to the car.
Now silly as it sounds, I was terribly disappointed. I knew we wouldn't be going out again this week. I was admittedly tired and stressed, knowing I had to hurry home to greet the family coming over in about an hour, putting away groceries and making dinner and all such. John took one look at my face when he got in the car and I guess he could see the attempt to mask my feelings and be more grown-up about the situation, because he drove uptown to the drugstore, which was totally out of our way and said, "Just wait here." He went in and bought the last two boxes of candy left on their shelves. It made me ridiculously happy, honestly it did. The odds that we were going to find any candy at all was slim and for him to get the last two boxes...Well. It pleased me and him both!
Cody brought Caleb over about 5pm. Cody left around 6pm and we settled in for the evening with Caleb. We had a late supper. Caleb ate well and went back for seconds. Then he got ready for bed. He didn't have Monkey George or his blanket with him and that proved to be a testing ground for Caleb. "I think I need my Mama..." he came to tell me, after I'd heard him moving restlessly around and whimpering a little bit. I called Katie on Messenger. She video chatted with Caleb for a few minutes. He went back to bed and tried to settle and got up twice more. The fourth time he got up, I hugged him and rubbed his back, and I could see his eyes drooping. I said, "Why don't you try to sleep now?" He didn't make another peep after that.
Today he was up early, before 7am. He sneaked into our room, woke John up and asked for French Toast. John got up and made it for him. When I finally got up, I made breakfast for John and I and just as he used to do, Caleb ate again. Then he needed a snack, lol. This child is really a Hobbit.
Caleb pretty much spent all day outdoors.
I happened to be looking out the window when he discovered the squirrel. He didn't touch it, but he looked it over very well. When I stepped went to the door, Caleb said, "I think it's dead..." 'It looks like it is.' "Why?" I explained that it must have been caught by the cat. "Or Rufus..." he told me. I think he mislaid the credit. I don't think old Rufus could move anywhere near fast enough to catch a squirrel, lol. John showed Caleb how to dispose of it.
Then Caleb found Sassy around back with a mole...So, he had his first country boy experiences with dead critters. Since Grampa had shown him what to do with the squirrel, Caleb got the little shovel and disposed of the mole by himself.
I skipped making Caleb have a 'quiet time' today. I know that he doesn't have a required quiet time at school, but I also noted he came indoors and played quietly in 'his room' aka my workroom for a good hour. He crafted a bit, helping himself to glue, scissors and construction paper. He cleaned up his messes very nicely, too. Honestly, I was so surprised at how grown-up he is these days.
But for all his grown-up-ness, he's still a little boy who missed his Mama and he asked me several times if she'd be coming to get him this afternoon. I assured him she'd come as soon as she got off work.
Henry came this evening, too, and ran free, which he loved. He was so happy. He'd grin at me and then come running across the room to give me a big hug and then run off again. At one point, Caleb came to get a hug and Henry ran up and threw his arms around Caleb. I put my arms around both of the boys and Henry laughed and laughed. He liked that I was hugging both of them at once.
As usual, once they went home, the house seemed abnormally quiet. But we were more tired than we'd thought and by 8:30 we were pretty quiet ourselves!
February 22: Where did the week go? Between tutoring Isaac, catching up on housework after last weekend, then prepping to go into this weekend, housework and writing...It went and it went fast!
Yesterday John and I went to Homeless Outreach. Someone took a picture of John giving his guitar lesson at the end of the day. Again, my heart swells. He and Grace both are so focused in on what they are doing it's not at all like they are in a room with 98 other people!
On our way home, we had heavy rain to drive through. We stopped to pick up pizza, and I got well soaked going in and out...I think they ought to make pizza places with drive-thru windows! I got chilled to the bone on the way home. I'm glad I had a dry jacket to put on over my soaking shirt.
Once home, we had a hot meal and then I sat in my chair, snuggled under a light blanket, and picked up my book to read. Not one word got read. I think I went right to sleep! I woke about half an hour later.
I am reading The Month of Borrowed Dreams by Felicity Hayes-McCoy. I bought the book at the Dollar Tree of all places, and I chose it because the title appealed to me first and then the description on the back sounded good. I'll be looking for more of Hayes-McCoy's books.
This is technically my first book of 2026. I never finished the book I started in January. I've since completed An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott which I started last month.
I'm going to start to log what I read. I read a lot of books from the library last year, many of them new to me authors and there were books that absolutely wowed me and made me want to read more of those authors works...but I can only recall two or three now. I'm going to rate the books somehow so that I know which authors to look for in the future.
Today we had a long day out as well. We went to church (fairly blown in by the heavy wind!). Then I went into Kroger and picked up eggs, lemons, half and half. I found a couple of really good deals that I took time to stock up on like Progresso Soups (I bought a variety) and sugar free gelatins and puddings. I got a couple of things Katie requested I bring her. I found things I had on my list that I hadn't planned to necessarily buy today but I got them anyway. I added a couple of produce items, too. I didn't buy splurge-y sorts of things except for a new orchid. I'd been lamenting that I didn't have a pink orchid (notions I get sometimes...I have four orchids, and don't need another but none of mine are pink) so I found a small one that looked very healthy and got it. That was my big splurge today. I walked all over that store and then John parked at the backside of the parking lot. It is quite unlike him to park anywhere near the front, even if there are spaces available. So, I got a good long walk in today!
Then we went over to Katie's. Henry was standing in his playpen staring hard at the door. I came in smiling and went right to him. He immediately shifted himself to see around me to look for Grampa. When I blocked his view, he moved again to look around me on the other side. Gramma is dispensable when Grampa is about...
We visited with the 'other family', Cody's best friend and former brother-in-law, his wife and Liam, whom I've mentioned before that is cousin to Bella. Katie and Tina are close friends, too. We three were chatting and suddenly Katie said, "Do you want to go to BJ's?" "Oh no, I've just come from Kroger, and I don't want to spend more money." We talked a bit more and then Katie said, "I want to go to BJ's...come go with Tina and me!" So, I went with them to BJ's and minded myself quite well. I did pick up toilet paper and maple syrup and cream cheese. I can sincerely say what I picked up was on my restock list and very well priced, too.
I didn't even get a chance to pay for any of it because Katie ran from her register over to mine as I was fishing out my debit card and scanned her own! What a sweet girl she is.
I enjoyed that little outing, but my legs ached. Between walking from the backside of the parking lot into church and back this morning, then a long trek about Kroger and finally walking all over BJ's Wholesale...I was pooped.
Bless Henry's little heart, he came running to me, absolutely delighted to see me when we returned. He'd had his fill of Grampa, lol, so now I was the favored one. We played and talked a little and then he took his cup of milk and snuggled in my lap.
We didn't get home tonight until 6pm. It's been another long day and we've an early start and another long day tomorrow. I expect that come Tuesday we're going to be quite happy to be at home!
February 23: Another early day to start and plenty to do in it. We had a distant appointment today to attend to but made it fun. On the way home we stopped in the area where we used to live and went to the hole in the wall diner that everyone who goes through the area stops at. It's busy, but they are super-efficient. They open for breakfast and serve through lunch and then close for the day.
I first ate there when I was about 24 years old and here, I am at 67 still stopping by when we're in town. You can get three items: hamburgers (slider sized and most everyone always gets at least two), fried chicken (choose white or dark pieces) and hot dogs. Well, that's the lunch menu. I know they have fries and slaw, but I don't know what they serve for breakfast. If we ever stopped for breakfast, we ordered burgers and fries.
Anyway, we stopped today and I laughed when John got in the car. I told him, "I swear the onions they use have smelled the same way for the past 40 odd years." It's a good smell, a fresh cut onion on hot meat sort of smell. We thoroughly enjoyed our treat. We haven't had one of their burgers in nearly 2 years. We took Lily and Emma there when they came to visit in June of 2023.
Once home, I made bread and pie dough and put together a beef pot pie for supper. Then I felt sort of all gone and ended up lying down for half an hour. Then I got up and went to keep the kids next door and coax them through homework and chores.
This morning, I meant to sleep late. I woke about 7 which is getting to be routine, at least until that first full weekend next month when time changes and 'springs' ahead for us. I may be sleeping late once more when that happens, but who knows. Maybe I might be getting up at 6am instead!
I haven't done much today. You all will say I've done plenty, as you so sweetly always do, but I've purposely been very slow and leisurely with all that I've done today. I'm tired from the long busy weekend and I decided I would not bust myself if I didn't get too many things done. I've found I'm quite short tempered if things haven't gone the way I thought they might...and you know they haven't gone my way at all! Nothing major, just minor technological frustrations and attempts to clean up a mess that ends being a bigger mess, that sort of thing. But my attitude speaks more of my tiredness than what I've left undone.
I divided the piece of ham I cooked last Friday for supper. I wanted to be sure to get it into the freezer before it sat too long in the fridge. I purposed packets of meat. I set aside a certain amount of various dices or slices and marked them as enough for this or that recipe that I planned I'd make as I cut it up. So, I know that I have Spoonbread Ham Supper meat and meat for sandwiches, and meat for an omelet, or twice baked potatoes. That sort of thing.
I also cut a whole boneless pork loin into boneless chops and two smaller roasts for future uses.
And then I stopped right there and came back after lunch to prep our supper for tonight. That will be Barbecue Cheddar Meatballs. I'll serve them for supper tonight with rice and Brussels Sprouts. I'll have extra meatballs and sauce to go into the freezer for future meals. When I made that beef pot pie yesterday, I put pastry and a container of pot pie filling in the freezer for future meals as well. And this is how I keep my freezer full! I take out food to make one thing and then I put meals back into the freezer which somehow more than fills the spaces I've emptied.
I try not to get too many ready prepared meals ahead because I am fickle. I'll let them sit in the freezer for months and then I'll have to make myself take them out to heat and eat because they are getting to be old. I'll have determined that it's not what I want again. But those meals have come in
Isaac came over this afternoon for help with homework. We sailed through math and slogged through English. Today were prepositions and prepositional objects. What I don't know is epic. Apparently, I need to go to third grade and start over!
February 28: Here we are at the end of this month. I think we've experienced every sort of weather there is to experience. That's perfectly normal. Daffodils, muscari and forsythia have bloomed, as well as hen bit.
I've journaled the month in my Junk Journal and am ready to begin a new month.
I've worked my way through the pantry and freezer for the past two months and now I'm ready to restock afresh. I'm assured I've used the older items that kept being pushed back.
I paid off one credit card and am well on my way to paying off the second.
I've spent time with my family in various ways. We've celebrated birthdays and gone places together and had grandchildren come to the house.
I've written and read and worked and rested.
It's been a lovely month, from start to finish. I've enjoyed it all.
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