5.28.2012

Memorial Day

A heartfelt thank you to all the troops, living here or in heaven, for your service.   

My husband, retired Air Force, 32 years ago.


The husband of a friend, returning home last year.



Every generation has its fight.   

Until we have all passed from this earth, let us not take for granted the sacrifice of our troops and their families. 

If not for them, our lives would be very different.  




5.27.2012

Going in Circles

Have you ever had one of those days when you had so many things in your head, it felt like tasks/errands/projects were spilling out of your ears?

I've had that feeling for the past three days.  Nothing profound had to be accomplished, just regular life stuff, but I kept zig-zagging from one thing to another, doing things haphazardly, until I finally just sat down to read a book I've been trying to finish since October.

Then, I fell sleep.   So, I didn't make any further progress.

It started on Friday when I sat down with the checkbook and the bills.  Two things were held up because I needed input from the husband.  While I waited for his input, I put in some laundry (to be hung on the line in twenty minutes.)

I started a sewing project and was twenty minutes in when the needle on my sewing machine broke.  I scrounged for a replacement, did not immediately find one, so went downstairs for a break and a drink.

While putting away clean dishes, I dropped a ladle behind the 'fridge.  My husband rolled it out, so I could retrieve it, and I spotted the broken shards of Pyrex (and dust bunnies the size of lemons) from last month's disaster in the kitchen.  I swept and mopped and ended up swabbing down the outside of the 'fridge.

Then, I got sidetracked rearranging some of the pictures on the 'fridge door.  Which, reminded me that I had to unload my camera and sort the recent pictures from my dad's 89th birthday.

I got on the computer and edited pictures for a while, realizing I was way behind on making copies for family members.  I checked email, blogs, dumped the upstairs trash, then returned to the sewing.

I found a new needle and completed what I could.  I discovered I needed more fabric and some buttons to continue.  I put that on my list for tomorrow, when I would be out grocery shopping.  Which took me back to the bill thing.  When was the guy coming to trim our huge tree, honey?  And, what are we doing about that magazine subscription? 

Oh, yeah, and here's the laundry still in the washer, but now the sun is down.  Into the dryer it goes, taking energy and money I hate to use when I have perfect Florida sunshine with which to dry our clothes.

Saturday, this was my list:  get to the grocery store, clean goop (from faulty, sticky pads on the chair legs) off the dining room floor, make our son's birthday gift, create a photo album for my parents of recent celebrations, send a promised item to a blogger buddy, burn and mail a CD to my sister, clean the guest room for the ex-clown (who's arriving Tuesday), make and send cookies to a friend in Afghanistan, finish paying the bills, finish the sewing project, and paint the new front door before the primer gets any more filthy.  

Of the eleven things, three got done.  

This morning, three more things got done.  The rest of the list will follow me into tomorrow, along with some new things.  I've been trying to get some of this stuff done for a month.  I start something, then get interrupted, or distracted.

I feel like I have ADD.  And, I wouldn't mind a few drugs.

I think I'll go read.

5.25.2012

80+ Years In Between

Our grand nephew was in town this week and met his great grandparents for the first time.  They have shared the planet for only eight months.


Have you ever seen such delighted faces?


There are nearly ninety years between my parents and this little sprout.   My parents couldn't get enough of him.





Neither could we.





Here he is with his great grands and his parents, our nephew and his beautiful wife.

The little guy was patient with all our smooching and cuddling.

But, it did wear him out.


When the ailments of aging wear us down and backyard gardens are withering, nothing lifts the spirits like a baby fresh from heaven.