Oh, My Goodness!

 

Thursday, April 16:  I was on my way out of the door this morning when I pulled the door shut and caught my shirt in the latch of the locked door.  I couldn't pull it loose.  It was held too tightly about my arms to allow me to shimmy out of it.  I couldn't turn to use my key to unlock the door.  I stood there for a moment rather put out but then called Bess back to help.  She'd just started towards her car.  Thank goodness she was still here!  

On my way down the highway, I was suddenly very unsure of exactly where I needed to turn when I got to the city where the lawyer's office is located...I pulled off the road into an empty lot and managed after numerous struggles to enter the address so I could follow the route accurately.  I realized then that I had a 52-minute journey ahead and only a half hour to arrive...

Rain on Sunny Days

 

April 1:  The past few mornings, I've gone out fairly early and sat on the back porch with my coffee.  It's so calm and quiet, so tender green and fresh, a little chilly so I wear a jacket.  This morning, I marveled how the droplets of dew had fallen into the serrated edge of the leaves of the rosebush.  

Amie and Ben, Lily, Ross, Rose were packing up this morning.  Amie was up early, earlier than any of the rest, anxious to get the journey homeward underway.  The rest of the family slept in a little.  It's been a busy week.  They never had a chance to catch up on themselves after that long journey.  They had a long journey ahead of them to face again.  I didn't blame them for lingering in bed and resting.  But I understood Amie's desire to get going and start the journey homeward.

Bess came over to have coffee with me before she left for work.  She's been doing that most weekday mornings.  This morning, Amie, Bess and I sat on the porch with our coffee and chatted until Bess had to leave for work.

And Then...

                                                                                                                           

March 23, 2026

Dear Friends,                                                                                                                 

My husband passed away yesterday, March 22, 2026, at 7:09 officially, but it was really about 7:00 pm.  It was unexpected and while the weekend behind is still fresh in my mind, I am writing this post.  It will stand alone for the final post of March and then I will go on with life as per usual, because that is what I need to do, what he would want me to do.  But life will be forever changed.  There is no denying that.

John didn't feel well Saturday.  Not well enough to go lead worship which he considered a privilege as well as a duty.  He didn't shun duty.  But he didn't feel well enough to go so he called and cancelled at the last minute which he loathed doing.  

John didn't believe in 'giving in' to being ill.  That was his approach for all of the years I knew him and it remained strong on Saturday.  But very quietly Saturday evening he asked me if I'd take him to the hospital.  "I think it's going to be a long night, and I might as well be there."

Daylight Savings and Other False Springs

 

March 1:  It's not spring by any means but this morning when we went outdoors the birds were fairly screeching their heads off in busy homemaking joy.  It made me smile to hear them.  I'd watched an especially eager bird begin the nest last week in the Faith tree.  He even caught Isaac's attention.  "What is that bird doing?"  

I looked at the weather app once we'd settled in the car.  Sure enough, the day and nighttime temperatures are far more in keeping with spring than with the last three weeks of winter.

Along with the warming weather, comes my impatience with the last of winter.  I want to plant flowers, and dress in lighter things and see a flush of green.  I'm completely unreasonable, because if I don't dress in layers I'll either burn up or freeze.  About the only flowers I'm going to see are the bouquets I'll buy.

The Rest of February Going by Fast

 

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.

February Follies and Fun

 

Sunday, February 1:  What a cold and blustery day it was on Saturday.  The kids came in half frozen from their fast run across the field to my house.

I'd planned a Waffle lunch.  I'd told the kids I was having a waffle lunch. I told Sam on Friday I was making a waffle lunch when he asked if it would mess up my plans if he took Isaac for a haircut on Saturday morning.  

When Millie came in the door about lunchtime yesterday, she had a full-sized family pack of chips and a bottled drink.  She proceeded to open the chips and I said, "Whoa...Hold on.  I'm making lunch right now."  "Dad said I could have them."  "But we're about to have lunch...."  "But I want my chips!"  "Then wait and have them with lunch."  "I don't want them with lunch.  I want them now.  Dad said..."  And then the boys came in with the same, a full-sized bag of chips and a soda each.  And then Isaac said, "Dad took me to Waffle House for breakfast."

January from Middle to End

 

January 16:  While I'm not much of one for perfection, I am one to want to do things nicely, even if I am just learning.  On Thursday, I'd played about with a new junk journal, as a practice piece.  It was incredibly sloppy.  It bothered me no end that it looked so messy even if it was meant for practice.  I realized that some things I need to analyze and if I'm not just being perfectionistic, give myself permission to start over, make it nicer...If only to know how I could do better.  

So, this afternoon, I tore down the original work I did and went back through, refining what I'd done, straightening lines, thinking carefully about what I wanted to accomplish with it.   In the end, I have nice, neat pages.  No decorations of any kind but the pages are nicer.  Now I can begin again, perhaps with more inspiration.