Giving thanks for - Simple things that don’t seem so simple when it all boils down to what’s most important. Faith, family, friends, freedom, good food, a place to call home, good neighbors, FaceTime (still). Perhaps I will open up a notebook and start a new gratitude list. Gratitude never fails to displace discontentment.
Outside my window - Rain, and people in the distance mowing in the rain? I turned the AC off so I can enjoy the bird song for a while. The humidity will be the reason I close the door and turn it on again even though the temperature is low. The patio is nearly complete. Only final details are left to be done and they will have to wait until tomorrow when it, hopefully, will have dried out a bit. Pavers are all in place and the concrete pad for a future hot tub is done. How long in the future is a guess. If we are not allowed to enjoy our annual beach vacation next month, the hot tub will come sooner rather than later. I really am okay either way.
Clothing myself in - stretch pants and a t-shirt, house slippers. It’s nice to stay in them a bit longer when I know I won’t be chasing littles all day.
Keeping house - Dear husband is battling the ever-present odor that resulted from one very skittish cat doing her business in response to a very rambunctious boy kitty being abruptly introduced to the household - several years ago…
Everything else is status quo. Covid put a halt to my dreams of hiring a cleaning service, and full time childcare put a halt to any attempts I made at keeping up with it all myself. The decade of de-cluttering continues to pay off though. Nothing takes too long to return to order.
I do have a couple of bedrooms to restore at the end of the month. Some things will change in the schedule with our littles and they will be spending less time here. I’ll be on the lookout for another full size bed so I can return one the littles currently use to the guest room.
After considering whether or not to convert the guest room into a shared office for hubby and me, I have decided it's more practical to keep my workspace in the landing and have said guest room available for when we are able to welcome visitors once again.
Keeping it simple - this has, indeed, become my motto. The older I get, the more simple everything becomes.
To be fit and healthy - I suppose the fact that yesterday was the first day in weeks that I realized, while climbing into bed, that I had no back or knee pain is something for which I am thankful. I hope to continue to heal and strengthen them so I can eventually find my way back to regular walking... Pondering - the way this time feels like a child sitting in her Father’s lap, waiting to be told it's okay to get down and go play again. Like children riding bikes when a car is coming, we are brought safely beside our Father to wait for it to pass, or when we are busy doing what children do and He knows we need a moment away from the raucous activity to settle down before returning to our adventures. It’s just a pause. An opportunity for us to enjoy a moment quietly resting with Him, to be comforted and protected by him, or to wrestle and squirm in His arms, complaining about the pause and wasting an opportunity to welcome His embrace, waiting patiently for what comes next. Peace. I know I am experiencing a peace that can only come from trusting that God is in control. That’s it, it’s that simple really.
Listening to - bird song, clock ticking, traffic in the distance, blessed quiet.
Reading - It’s been nearly 20 years since our youngest child was born. I apparently need a refresher course for parenting LOL. Who knew that as grandparents we would need these tools again? These books were recommended to me by my kindred spirit, and one was already on my bookshelf. A quick click of a button on Amazon got the other here in a day or two. Don’t we all have a love-hate relationship with technology and our modern advances?
Oh, I am so ready to dig into some good fiction! I’m tired of watching tv and I can sense the time is drawing near when I will be able to enjoy long reading sessions, God willing.
Watching - Reruns. We have rewatched several series and another has been chosen to begin now that we finished GOT - Blacklist. I will happily sit nearby and read while they feast on Elizabeth Keen and Raymond “Red” Reddington.
Loving the moments - Hopeful anticipation of time spent together gathering our family and friends in the space we are creating in our backyard.
Planning for the week ahead - Planning is overrated. I’m doing less and less of that these days. But I suppose the farmer still has to plow the field and plant the seed in hope that the sun will shine and the rains will come. So I will do the same. Perhaps I will work on a meal plan for the week... (maybe that would be a good category to add...)
Words worth sharing - It’s a sure sign that I have not been reading enough when I struggle to find words worth sharing. I’ll choose a slogan I often heard in program - “This too shall pass”. Whether we’re glad for the place and circumstances we are experiencing now or not, we know that this too shall pass. Mountain tops or valleys, we are not alone.