Thoughts from This Weeks Journey...

Been thinking about my Blog this week. I have gotten into the habit of listing the days, then posting the pictures and happenings for each of the days. This is a good way to record ones life. It is how my mother did it but her journal was pencil and paper, she did not have the blessing of computers and phones that took pictures. However, this week, I feel I want to share more of my feelings about the happenings in my life. It will still fit in the order things happened. 

Great Grandmonsters: I LOVE them. I am forever grateful for cellphones that take pictures and media that allows us to send those pictures immediately. I love seeing these little nuggets in our life and how they are growing and what they are doing. Memories of my kids flood back. Memories of my grandmonsters flood back. 

I remember writing letters on paper, putting them in the mail and knowing in a few days my parents would know what was happening in our lives and with their grandchildren. I remember have a roll of film in a camera. You really wanted to take all the pictures before you developed them. That might take months. Film and developing were expensive. Then you had to be sure you ordered the right amount of copies for the right person to receive them. It was all a process. It felt very good to be able to do things that way. Now, I take pictures of everything. EVERYTHING. When my podiatrist cut part of my toenail away to prevent the constant problem with an ingrown toenail. I took pictures through the entire process. My poor doctor was verklempt to say the least. But it was my toe and my dollar and I wanted a photographic history. I am also very intrigued by the things people do that I don't know how to do. Like laying carpet in our home. Photographed every bit of the process. Putting in a tank in our back yard. Photographed the entire process. Cutting down trees in the back yard. Photographed the entire process. 

Katelyn posted this picture of our Raelyn. First grade and she had perfect attendance. How cool is that. She was able to get a book for this honor. Love that she is having some good experiences in school. These are the foundation years. Make them good so she will continue to enjoy learning throughout her life. I love to learn things. Don't want to go to school. But I love to watch documentaries and read about places to which we will travel. I love to learn in my own way at 72 years of age. My hope is Raelyn will find her groove in the learning process and keep it up throughout all the years of her life. 

I woke up on Wednesday, June 7th, of this week and got in the shower. When I got out of the shower, I went to the mirror to brush my teeth and blow dry my hair. I was very surprised to find my eye was extremely red. Yes, I took a picture! For a couple of reasons. First, to have a history. Second, if it turned out to be a problem, I could show this picture to my doctor. It was not a problem for me. It didn't hurt. I really didn't know it was there until I looked in the mirror. In fact, I went to Walmart and didn't remember my eye was that red. I always smile and say hi to people, even if I don't know them. I believe the world can use all the cheer we can throw at it. Several people smiled back. When I got home and looked in the mirror again, there was that red eye. Now I wondered, were they smiling back at me because I smiled or because I had a big red eye looking at them. 

Gramma Hands: When my mother had full-blown Alzheimer's, my father sold their home in Louisiana and they moved to Kentucky in order for me to help with her care. I went to Louisiana and spent time cleaning out their home. My sister came for a few days and helped. We carefully divided up my mother's handmade Christmas ornaments so each of her three daughters and all of her 14 grandchildren would have some things made by Mimi's hands. There were crewel pictures on her walls and quilts she made or crocheted. All the treasures were carefully spread among her girls and grandchildren. Some were set aside for her to enjoy in what would remain of her life and for Papa to have for the remainder of his life. When my father moved from his apartment to the nursing home, I went through his possessions and divided them among family. One request was for pillows made from his shirts for each of the my kids and grandmonsters. I did that for them. When Claude's mother passed, his sisters, Tami and Lynette in particular, went through all her things and, again, carefully put them in boxes with each of her six children's names on them. We were each given things from Bonnie's life that would remind us of her and the love she had for her family. That is what these things are really. A reminder of the love of that family member for the rest of their family, the impact their life had on another family members life.

While we were in Michigan for the blessing of Kennedi, Katelyn asked me how to make a tooth fairy pillow. When my kids were at the tooth-pulling age, I made each of them a tooth fairy pillow. It has a little pocket on the front into which the child puts their tooth. They lay it by their pillow when they go to bed. It makes it easy for the tooth fairy (in our family's case Erma Bederma) to take the tooth and leave a quarter in its place. When my grandmonsters came along, I made each of them a tooth fairy pillow. Katelyn has a fond memory of that and wants her kids to each have that memory. She wanted to know now to make them so she could provide them with that memory. I tried to explain it to her. She doesn't have a sewing machine and would need to do all of this by hand. I have a sewing machine and much more discretionary time than Katelyn. I offered to make it for her. I came home and purchase a fat quarter of quilting material. There were five colors of fabric. I sat down on Thursday, July 8th, and made five little tooth fairy pillows. I had bits of trim for each one is my things. I also had all the stuffing and thread needed. Now, each of my great grandmonsters will have a tooth fairy pillow made by their great gramma's hands. Hopefully, it will build a memory for them and they will feel the love this great gramma has for these precious little ones. (Purple for Raelyn, Green for Nelson, Pink for Emelia, Blue for Joel, Yellow for Kennedi). Now, if something happens to me, I have left a little Gramma love with each of my great grandmonsters.

Achievement: We all have to work to achieve next levels. They don't just happen usually without some effort on our part. Depending on the thing we are trying to achieve, the struggle to get there can be very real. Katelyn sent this picture of our Kennedi sitting up. On my goodness. She is so very tiny. Look at those little arms and legs. But she was sitting up, I'm sure Katelyn put her there, Kennedi is looking to her mother for encouragement, approval and all that mother love. This is a picture of Achievement! What a lesson for me as my body starts to ache with every move. I can still achieve. I must be willing to make the effort!

Friendship: Thursday evening we invited Brad and Ali Manwaring over to dinner. He is going to work with Claude on the Communications Committee at Church. They needed to do a little talking about that and answering questions as Brad learns what to do. A great excuse for dinner together. We made tacos and sat on the patio to eat. Our back yard is such a perfect place to be on a nice evening. No humidity. A nice breeze. Loved every minute with these good people. Conversation was easy. We caught up on our families. They have five children and I have taught several of them at church. It is important to have friends in this life. I am grateful for good friends and getting to spend time with them. 

Ups and Downs of Life: Friday, June 9th, was another of those Blue Days for me. They come and I have learned to just ride them out and know that a better day is ahead. They help me to appreciate all the days when I feel good and enjoy life. Those blue days make thinking of the blessings in my life a little harder. Every evening I write at least three things I am grateful for during that day. Blue days, you must dig a little deeper and you find those blessings. You realize, even in the struggles, there are blessings, things to be grateful for. I was able to practice the organ. I will get to do that one other Sunday this month. I entered the church alone. It is quiet except for me and the organ. I played through the hymns for each of the two Sundays. I sang all the verses for each hymn as I played through them. The words spoke peace to my weary soul. Then I practiced through an entire book of prelude music. I was probably sitting at the organ practicing for about and hour and a half. As I finished, I put my music in my bag of church music. Put on my shoes and started to walk from the organ to the back of the chapel. I'm still alone in that building. I paused in the aisle and said a prayer of gratitude to my Heavenly Father. My parents sacrificed a lot for me and my sisters to take piano lessons. It was important enough to them that we had music in our lives that they gave up many things they wanted, and probably needed, so that we could take piano lessons from Mrs. Arlene Herring. I love that they acted on something they knew was important, not easy, but important. I thanked my Heavenly Father for loving, giving parents. I thanked him for the ability to play and the opportunity to play. I asked him to make me better than I can be on my own at playing so the spirit can teach those in sacrament meeting through the words and the music. I felt his love and that my prayer was heard, appreciated and would be answered. It was a blue day. But it was also full of goodness.

Friday evening, I suggested to Claude that we go to dinner. He was happy with that idea. He understands and is patient when I have these days. We went to McAlister's and had a lovely dinner together. It was the perfect ending to my blue day. Time with the person I love most in this world. Yes, I am richly blessed.

Time Together Takes Many Forms: Saturday Claude and I would work the yard together. I had not done a thorough weeding since April. I had pulled weeds when I was outside and saw them, but not a good fill-a-bucket with weeds kind of thing. While I weeded, Claude cut the grass and blew the trim off the sidewalks and driveway. He loves that part best. He is great friends with the leaf blower. It is like dessert at the end of a meal for him. When we finished, we sat on our patio and rehydrated. I love when we are both out working the yard at the same time. I loved it when we were in Sadieville. I love it now that we are in Georgetown. 

We would shower and then go to the Tropical Smoothie Café for a smoothie in the afternoon. These are so very refreshing. We took them home and sat on that lovely patio and listened to a cacophony of birds in the trees. They were really chattering away. So grateful for quiet time in our back yard. It is like a garden and feeds our souls. Lots of work to get it there, but the rewards are well worth that effort. 

In the evening, Claude purchased tickets for us to go see the Florence Yall's play baseball. We enjoyed this so much. Claude loves a burger and hot dog at the ball park. I enjoy the nachos. Our team won. It was a good game. We enjoyed a pretzel during the 8th inning. I took pictures of the field (first two pictures), the kids running the field with the mascot cheering them on, and Claude was amused at the measurement for centerfield being in inches! Great date night for us. 

This day was important to us. We enjoyed an entire day working and playing together. Claude will have surgery on the 19th and will be out of commission for a bit. It was fun to get these things in before he has to spend his time and energy recuperating. How grateful for a good man in my life. We are neither perfect, but we are willing to work at this marriage for eternity. So grateful that after 53 years, we still really enjoy being together best.

Goodbyes: The Roper family has had Julia Carvalho living with them for this entire school year. Julia is from Brazil. This was her senior year. She has fit right in with this family. Raelyn and Emelia have had a big sister. Julia has done all the things seniors in the United States do their senior year. She has been a part of the Roper family and that makes her a part of all our family. I know there will be a hole in this home for a bit that will fill up with those four kids. But, the experience of having someone from another part of the world, share their way of life and traditions and learn your way of life and traditions will have a lasting influence of each of the Ropers. It may be a goodbye. But it will not be a forgotten. 

Single Moms: Our Aubrey is a single mother. She loves Nelson with all her heart. Aubrey has had a lot of struggles in her life. She is trying really hard to get it all together. She has a new job and is working hard to build that career. She has achieved some really good goals in this process and in her personal life. Very proud of her hard work. She posted this picture of her and Nelson. I love it. Their expressions are priceless. Keep up that hard work and achieve your goals, Aubrey. 

Today is Sunday, June 11th. It has been a good Sunday. I played the organ and loved every minutes of that opportunity. Austin Holt reported on his mission. Richard Risher gave a wonderful talk about violins and the Touch of the Master's Hand in our lives. I played the piano for Primary. Claude and I enjoyed a nice meal at Fazoli's. Claude has had a good nap. I am finishing my Blog. We are waiting for a severe thunderstorm that is supposed to come through this evening. Right now the sun is shining brightly. In preparation for this rain, I put on my baggy jeans and a big sweatshirt and flowery socks. I'm ready to snuggle into our home for the evening.