Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where summer is showing it's beauty.  So many shades of green, so many colorful flowers and blooming bushes.  So many of nature's critters roaming about.  We still enjoy the bunnies, squirrels, deer, and the variety of birds that grace our neighborhood.  For several hours we had rain again last night and what I call "gentle thunder" rumbling as the storms passed by.  I do enjoy a good ol fashioned rain with thunder. 

We had to delay shopping for plants this year due to covid, so when we did go to the garden center we were able to purchase hanging baskets for only $5-10 !  They were a bit picked over, but we have plenty of color now to brighten up the garden up front and the back deck.  The past couple of weeks, the sounds, the smells, the sights.....all a good thing!

Speaking of good things, last weekend we were up north for a grand's graduation and "mini" reunion.  Most of us who traveled a distance stayed in a local hotel.  It was extremely hot and windy...like sustained 30 mph in the country type winds with gusts that made it hard to hold your ground. The temp was in the 90's Sat. and hit 100 on Sunday.  In the north country?!  We still had a great time and enjoyed the celebration Saturday and Sunday morning.  One thing noted by us and others.....we have aged a bit since the last reunion nearly a decade ago.....most of the aunts and uncles and grandparents pooped out and headed back to the hotel early in the evening.    I figured we were the only ones tired, but one family member texted me that she was too tired to say good-bye to everyone when they left so would I tell them.....to which I replied, "I am already in the hotel in my p.j.'s!  We had a good laugh over that!  

Another good thing was my hubby celebrating his 76th birthday.  This number gave him just a bit of pause before he leaped into another year!  We celebrated with grilled pork chops, and a homemade rhubarb pie, Facebook messages, a few texts and a couple phone calls from family.  Happy 76th Joel!  May you have many many many more years ahead to celebrate.

Another "good thing" is that we have recovered well from  Covid, although Joel is noticing a bit of fatigue residue as he calls it. I am draggier too, but traveling was in the mix also.   His brother still has no taste or smell and is dealing with fatigue.   Another "good thing" was my check-up with the oncologist.  Good report and good bone density results.  We are pondering the oncologist's desire for me to take a drug for the bones that has extreme side effects in some and just "bad" side effects in others.  A person needs to way the pro's and con's of taking yet another drug that affects the quality of life.  We will be spending time in prayer over this and doing some research.  I was told I would need to stay on the aromatose inhibitor for 10 years....which is discouraging except for the fact that looking ahead 10 years to age 84 seems a bit silly.  I am taking it now and doing okay with the daily challenges, some days better than others.  And all I have is today.........just today.....

Speaking of critters, one we are not enjoying?  We came home to an infestation of what we think are tiny grease ants.  ALL over our stove and counters which gives me the "willies".  Gross!!  I know they are just ants but we have spent the last 6 days trying to get rid of them!  We cannot, no matter how much we look, find where they are getting in.  Right now a few Tarro ant traps are keeping them at bay, but we sure would like to get to the root of the problem.  Those buggers are persistent, but so are we.  Getting rid of what we see is good, but getting to the root of the problem ~ the entrance point and colony?  That will take care of the issue.  It's a bit like life's habits we are trying to change.  We can take care of what we see but until we get to the root of the issue......the hows and whys, we will only see it rise up again.  Get to the root!  We have learned to pray for that too......God reveal the root cause..........so we can pray over the source of the "mountain" to be removed.  Oh yeah.

Speaking of prayer, there is so much going on in our country that we could be on our knees in prayer 24/7.  We seldom watch the news anymore, it is too disturbing no matter what channel you tune in to.  In the late 70's we watched the movie, "The Wilderness Family" about a family that leaves L.A. for the Alaskan mountains to live in nature.  Of course they ran into a lot of nature that did not want them around, as they had to make the movie exciting........but for many years after watching that movie, when things seemed to be overwhelming I would say, "Where is that cabin in Alaska?  I am ready for it"! (The kids still groan when I bring up that movie).  Lately I have felt the same feelings.  I am weary of doctors and medications that do harm.  I am weary of our country's violence and hatred.  The "Great Divide" among Americans.  Just where is that cabin in Alaska (or the woods)??  Where is that little oasis from our crazy world!  Now where did I put that movie???

Today I am giving thanks for Joel and his 76 years here!  Grateful for good reports, for family gatherings, celebrations,  for rain and gentle thunder, for nature, for rhubarb pie for Joel, for safe travel once again, for God to turn to when we are weary, for ants that remind us to never give up, for that old movie, "The Wilderness Family", for flowers that brighten our landscape, for texts, phone calls, and so much more...........

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from Iowa where the humidity is high and the sun is in hiding.  "They" are "promising" temps in the 90's with dewpoints in the 70's next week.  Oh goodie.  The birds seem happy, with our resident wren serenading us throughout the day.  We have grackles and their babies entertaining us when we porch sit.  Our resident ducks are so domesticated, they are fun to watch.  

As I sit here today I can smell the homemade bread rising.  Joel is outside putzing.  The past week seems to be a blur with all our traveling, seeing family, attending a funeral and a graduation, and then coming home to Covid.  We left last Wednesday to stay at Joel's brother's cabin in the woods.  It is surrounded on two sides by state forest and a lake can be viewed from the cabin.  It's a long bumpy road of sorts that gets you to a beautiful, isolated, serene place.  The cabin is a very nice house really.  No TV, no internet, and 1 radio station if you work at it, made for a lot of silence.....that was a bit of an adjustment for me, but very relaxing at the same time.  Thursday we attended the funeral for Joel's Aunt Harriet, who was 3 weeks away from turning 110 years old!  Her sister lived to 108.   The funeral was packed with people....many of her former students as she was a teacher until age 65! We spent eight hours at the funeral, burial site, and on the home place of Joel's grandpa, where his cousin and her hubby live.  Friday I stayed at the cabin alone for 4 hours...........and I confess that was a challenge for me~ but I met it and survived.  Ha....as Joel went biking with his cousins kids and one of their spouses.  They rode 24 miles together on one of his favorite trails.  Friday evening we went over to Joel's brother and his wife's home...on the original farm where Joel grew up.  Saturday morning we left by 7:15 am to leave from North central MN to the Twin Cities to attend our great-niece's graduation party.  It was outside at their lake home which turned out to be a blessing because by Sunday afternoon Joel was getting sick with Covid.  We drove home Sat. getting back by 6 pm and got unpacked before crashing.  It was good to be back, but hard to leave all of the family.  We saw three of our kids and 5 grands for the first time in 6 months.  Had not been with extended family for a year and I hadn't been to Joel's home territory for five years.  

We knew things were not right for Joel by Sunday night and Monday brought out a rapid Covid test as Joel was soooooo sick.  Yep.  Positive.  He contacted all his family and I contacted mine.  By Tuesday I was feeling crummy and we tested me on both Tuesday and Thursday and both were negative.  Instructions are to keep testing if you have symptoms but we ran out of tests so are just treating it like it is Covid. If it is not, it will show up soon enough!  We learned Joel's brother D. got sick the same day as Joel, and a couple other family members and friends got sick to.  All were at the funeral and most had gathered to visit after.  

Today, I have pondered how worried we were about me getting covid.  Joel was sicker than me.  Interesting.  He's the super healthy one.  There is no formula for how this virus hits people.  That is what makes it confusing and worry some.  Who knows?  

Getting back to our time in West central MN, we always forget that the sun sets later in the summer....there would still be some light when we went to bed.  The hills and valleys are so familiar and the many many many lakes and forests are so beautiful.  We. miss. it.  I was so happy Joel got to be with his family.  We never get to see everyone, but enjoy the visits we do have.  He got to see his two brothers and three of his cousins.  He grew up going to his Aunt Harriet's farm where he and two brothers played with Harriet's three boys.  SO many great memories of his childhood come up when we are able to go and visit.  I remember inner tubing down the river that ran in front of their house when we had been married six years.  That swift river is where Joel learned to swim as a six year old!   Joel is one of those blessed with a "Waltons" childhood.  If you don't remember the Waltons you are just a kid!  Ha.....Going back in time is not always a good place to be, but for Joel it is a journey of joy.   

Today we are grateful for vaccinations and boosters that got us through this week.  Grateful for family who were sick, all getting better.  Grateful most everyone stayed well so far.  Grateful for being able to go back to Joel's home territory and see the church his great grandfather gave the land for and aunts and uncles are buried by, see Joel's home church and the farm her grew up on. Grateful for connecting with his family and for being able to stay at his brother's cabin.  Grateful for so many good memories and the beauty of the area.  Grateful for safe travel and seeing so much of my family.  Grateful for being able to celebrate a life well lived and a graduation and new beginning for a young lady.  Grateful for a home to come back to.  For our neighbor Kim who offered to pick up what we needed at the store.  Grateful for the concern and prayers.  Grateful for phone calls, texts, photos, laughter, tears, and the many prayers of family and friends and our Facebook friends too.  So grateful for it all and so much more...........

Enjoy your weekend!