Changes

 Life is a constant source of change. I’ve changed, our family has changed. Donald and I have been married for 47 years now. We have five amazing children, two wonderful sons in law, a gorgeous amazing daughter in law, a beautiful granddaughter and five rambunctious grandsons. Well almost, the youngest is getting there! 

We lost our mom, Mema, and mother in law in January of this year. She was 98 and had lived in the same house for 90 years. Losing her has been the deepest grief I’ve ever felt. I was blessed to have her 68 years and she was absolutely the best mom a girl could have. I’ll see her in heaven, but I miss her in this life which is only temporary. The old house has been torn down (which was the right thing), but it’s a loss for me as well. God and my brother kept it together for as long as she needed it. She was able to live there till the end, minus a couple of months last summer after she had a health scare and my brother told her it was his house or rehab. He and my wonderful sister in law live up the street so she would sit by the window so she could see her house. She loved her family and those we chose so well. She prayed for us and her great grandchildren everyday. 

I’ll always love you mom and I miss you so much. 

 So many things have happened since I was last here. I finished my 26 year career of teaching our five children at home. I went back to college and finished my bachelor’s degree. I love Sociology! I had a short lived 4 month stint of substitute teaching (whew!) and was hired as assistant archivist in June of 2016 at our local junior college. Then a few short weeks later I started working afternoons for Dr.  Gatlin at her new veterinary clinic. C-vid in March 2020 ended my job as they closed archives and never reopened it. I personally think this is a sad move as archives contains so much local history and for several other counties as well. But no one asked my opinion. (Grin)

My husband had to take an early retirement due to several surgeries and no longer being able to lift. As a radiation therapist, it was a requirement. We went through a stressful time with Met Life insurance, but as always God was faithful. Why do I doubt when things are hard? 

Dr. Gatlin is allowing me to work from home since my job is strictly online. I love the medical jargon and typing her notes on our client’s pets. Working from home started during C-vid as I have respiratory issues and she told me I needed to. I have the most awesome boss who cares about her employees!  I went back and the second wave hit so back home again. I’m strictly working from home now which I love. It gives me time to work around important things like husband, children, grandchildren and doctor appointments. Part of the aging process it seems. I am taking weekly allergy shots which appear to be helping me! 

It was definitely a transition, at least for me, with us both home most of the time. I have to be honest and admit I love some “me time.” That was the heart of the matter. Donald is loving retirement and being free of so much work related stress. Now I just stress him out. 😉

I’m not even sure this is going to post so it all may be for naught  I’m going to see if I can get it to post and maybe I can figure it out again later. 

don't try to talk me out of it

I have been to two weddings in the past 8 days. Both were at the same place and at the same time...different days of course. I have worn a skirt and blouse both times. That means that I've worn something other than jeans twice in eight days. This may make the Guinness Book of World Records. At least for jean lovin' girls *ahem* like me.

I absolutely love jeans. I have my favorite pair of work jeans that I counted 11 patches on the other day. One of the iron on patches is coming off and I had to decide whether to trash them or iron on another patch. Now the whole seat of these jeans are ripped out and patched. They are perfect other than the fact that they are totally worn out. I decided on the trash and then promptly changed my mind and put them in my clothes hamper. Now they are clean and in my ironing basket so when I do the ironing I can put another patch on. It's so good to have made up my mind and stuck with my decision~!

Now if I could only make up my mind to do the ironing~!

bountiful

I'm sitting in our garage and the rain has stopped. It's dripping from the tree splattering on top of my van. The birds are singing, the cats are close by, and I'm perfectly content. I am so grateful for the break in temperature. You don't get many days like this in July in Texas. The northeast is blistering though, at least according to CNN.

Now it's raining again and I love the sound. People, don't take your hearing for granted. I've always had a hearing loss and the older I get the more I suffer with it. One of my hearing aids has decided to quit working and since it's over 7 years old and already been repaired several times, we've decided to get new ones. $4600 and that is with insurance paying $1,000. I am trying some demos and I can hear so much better with these. It's amazing how technology changes and improves. These "talk" to each other and I must say they are pretty amazing. When we get the part to fit right that goes inside my ear we'll be purchasing them.

My hearing loss was inherited from my dad and his side of the family. I saw an ear specialist in Dallas and there's not anything they can do for my type of loss. Sometimes they can do surgery, so if you have a hearing loss it might be worth your while to get it checked out. Who knows? Maybe you're a candidate for surgery. I would have it in a heartbeat if I could.

The rain seems to make everything so clean looking and the breeze is still blowing on my face. I'm looking out at the blooms on my squash and okra and still am amazed at how God grows my garden. The wheat seed has to "die" to grow. I guess it's the same for the vegetable seeds. I really don't know.

I love days like today. I do have to admit when I saw the temperature online and got excited about working in my yard I was more than a little disappointed when I saw the rain. But it has turned into the perfect day despite my disappointment. I just found some projects to do in the garage and I'm enjoying the outdoors also.

We make our plans and God directs our steps.

there's a reason the text is blue

For some reason this has been one of those days. I had absolutely no reason to be out of sorts, but out of sorts was I. I have been struggling with allergies the past several days and haven't felt very well, but that's not a reason not to have a good day. I've just been annoyed at things that shouldn't annoy me and not as kind as I should of been several times today. I hate days like today; not so much the day itself, but the way I responded to situations.

After dinner Donald and I went to get a cherry diet coke from Taco Delite and then I watered outside. There was a nice breeze so I cleaned the area by the front door and cut some runners, little trees that keep cropping up, and washed some brick that had turned black on the ground. I really need a power washer....really~! I think I've just not had enough outdoor time lately. It's been too hot and humid, and when it gets a bit cooler later before sunset the mosquitoes want to feast on me. I'm not a fan of hot, humid weather, or mosquitoes. Not that anyone else is either; at least it's their right to like either, but I just don't get it.

Okay, I'm changing the subject about my lousy attitude. I'm glad God's mercies are new every morning, because I need a new start and a clean slate. I'm already feeling more optimistic about tomorrow.

it's time to get over it

It's a rainy Saturday morning on a holiday weekend. I slept late and am now watching soccer with Ben and Donald. I love sports; I'm not sure why though. Let me explain.

When I was in school I was never very athletic. Nor am I now, unless you call ripping up vinyl, tearing up carpet, hauling bricks, laying bricks, gardening, and doing tons of laundry being athletic. I always.....WHOA, Germany just scored again and the dude did a BACKFLIP after he scored!!!!!! Sorry, I tend to get sidetracked easily. But Germany just won the game people~!

As I was saying, when I was in school I always hated PE and standing there knowing I was not going to be chosen till the end. It was always the same and I was always embarrassed. There's something about standing alone or with one other person knowing that no one wants you on their team, but will have to take whoever is left standing. I always said if I ever taught I would never let kids choose sides. I would find another way to do it.

It was humiliating, and I still remember the feeling. On a more positive note ONE time in softball I actually HIT the ball and made it to FIRST BASE~! I still remember the elation I felt upon my success~! Still... and I'm 55 years old. See, I am definitely scarred.

I played basketball for six years. Well, maybe I should say I was on the team for six years. I went to a very small school and the only thing outside of schoolwork was basketball. When I was in seventh grade they were one person short of having enough to have a team. So the girls in eighth grade talked me into playing. I touched the ball occasionally, but that was about it. Why I continued playing I don't know. But I'm glad I did, cause in the eighth grade we had a fantastic coach and I enjoyed it much more. I still wasn't very good, but practiced often at home. I mostly threw up air balls in the gym, but I was so good at home. I was perplexed about this for years and after I started dating Donald I was telling him about it. He asked if I practiced on the goal that was in our front yard. I told him yes and he started laughing. He said it wasn't regulation height~! I never knew it because it looked totally different having nothing but space behind the goal versus a wall about three feet behind the goal in the gym. I would of been SO GOOD if they had lowered the goal the in the gym~!

When Donald started traveling about ten years ago I started watching basketball again with Ben. It was a bonding experience and he taught me lots about it. He knows players, statistics, rules, etc. If I like a player I grow quite attached to him. I fell in love with Steve Nash because he looked so little and cute. This was back when he played with the Dallas Mavericks. I affectionately called him "Little Stevie" and later found out he was 6'3" and taller than Donald. Wow, those other guys make him look sooo short.

When Donald was home on weekends he would watch with us. He didn't appreciate the fact that I talked throughout the game and screamed and hollered and jumped up and down. He wanted me to sit there and watch the game "quietly." Those of you who know me well knows darn well that "quietly" isn't part of my vocabulary, much less my makeup. He eventually gave up and I scream and holler all I want. Our kids' friends would come over to watch me watch the game. I had quite a reputation going there for a while.

Basketball is my favorite. I will watch college football (I don't care for pro), baseball, and soccer.

I can't stand golf. For the life of me I can't see what's so exciting about it. I mean, they don't even get exercise, they ride around in those little carts. Maybe that's the fun of it though. Sorry if you love golf. I don't mean to offend and obviously I don't understand.

I loved it when the kids played soccer. Donald had to strongly reprimand me once and tell me I was going to get thrown off the field if I didn't shut up. But hey, someone was messing with my kid and that's something you DON'T do. Play by the rules and be nice; is that so hard??? Obviously it was for this guy and the refs didn't see it or call it....so I did. What's so wrong about that???

The soccer game is over and Germany won and the only sad thing is that Dirk wasn't playing. Yeah, I know, he plays basketball not soccer. But he's from Germany and one of my favorite players. He would have been great~! :)

Penguins

Sometimes I forget how blessed I am. I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and wants only the best for me. I have a wonderful husband who is faithful and has always worked so hard for our family. I have five wonderful children here on earth and one waiting in heaven for me. I have a wonderful mother and an awesome brother who takes care of her since my daddy died. I have a wonderful church family and a terrific pastor. My kids are blessed with wonderful friends. We have a wonderful home and enough cars to look like we are running a used car lot when everyone is home. And there's usually some of their friends here so that makes for more cars. We have very tolerant neighbors, also. :)

We have food to eat and clothes to wear. Our kids are all responsible young adults who work hard and are loyal to each other. We have four wonderful cats and a brilliant dog. Now Ben will argue about my cat, Yoda, being wonderful, but that's beside the point. That's his viewpoint and not mine at all. I love how each of our children have their own personalities and so do each of our pets. And I am grateful how Donald tolerates all our pets even though he's not a pet lover like some of us.

I love how God is faithful to work in our children's lives. I love how he has blessed them in spite of very imperfect parents who have made tons of mistakes. I am grateful for his mercy and grace. I love how I can trust Him when I am concerned and I love how He always comes through. Not necessarily in my time frame and definitely not how I think or desire, but it's always perfect in the end. He does have our best interests at heart.

There are things I desire for our children that I don't see happening in the physical. But I know that God is their All in All and I can trust Him with their lives.

I love how this is my blog and I can ramble on and on and not have to make sense or worry about anyone disagreeing with me. It is, after all, my opinions and viewpoints and you may or may not agree with them. But that's okay. I'll still be your friend if you want to be my friend.

I am grateful for the many friends in my life. I am grateful for old friends who have chosen to no longer be a part of my life. They helped shape who I am today. I am grateful for the ones who have remained my friends through the years, and love me and accept me for who I am, even when I'm stinky with a rotten attitude. And I am grateful for the ones I am just beginning to get to know and love.

And I think it's totally great that I can title this entry "Penguins" and put a picture of them up when this has absolutely nothing at all to do with even one penguin~!