Don't let worries ruin your day

I don't know what tomorrow holds for us.  I love my life here on Woodhaven Acres and dislike changes, but change is part of life.  This morning I stepped outside with a troubled mind, and the Universe spoke to me:  "Look around you," it said.  "Is the sun still in it's place in the sky?  Are the trees still green?  Is your husband still alive and able to enjoy life with you?  What is wrong with this day?  If all is well right now, why are you wasting this good day worrying about what might or might not happen in a month or a year?"

So I took a slow look in all directions and saw the grass and trees, heard the birds singing and a neighbor's rooster crowing in the distance.  Other than the fact that the day is going to be a scorcher, I realized it was a fine one; and who cares how hot it gets when we have air conditioning?  My husband is sitting on the other end of the couch as we surf the Internet; he'll go to the pulmonologist this afternoon to see if his breathing is improved.  As I type this, I thank God for doctors.  Doctors have saved his life twice that I know of:  Once when he had a four-way heart bypass, and once after his gall bladder exploded... that doctor actually told me, "He could have died."

My dog is a good companion in spite of the fact he sometimes strays from home.  He and Blue the cat keep me entertained.  One never has to be bored these days, with television and music always handy and free books galore to read from the public library.  

So I've stopped thinking about what might happen later on and have seized this day.  I pushed away thoughts of all the things I've lost with age and started counting all the things I am still able to do.  My steps are slower, but I can walk.  Some days my knees hurt pretty bad, but Tylenol eases the pain.  I can't lift my largest cast-iron skillet to pour gravy into a bowl, but I have other skillets I can handle just fine.  

This day is truly all I have, so I refuse to throw it away worrying.  

One of my blog-followers, Margie, left a comment saying she hoped we were careful while our family was here for the Fourth:  I felt pretty safe, really; but since the experts have told us we have to settle in for the long haul with this covid-19, I made up my mind that life really isn't worth living if you can't see your loved ones.  So we hugged.  We kissed the babies.  We laughed and shared memories of family members who are no longer with us... and I felt alive again!  We also had a fellow doing some work in one of the bathrooms, but I didn't hug him... although I almost felt like it, when I saw the result of his hard work.

I wear a mask in stores.  I don't go into crowded places unless it's absolutely necessary, so I surely won't be going to country music shows any time soon.  But family is what life is all about, and if we have to live with Covid, I'll have to take my chances, hugging and kissing every great-grandbaby.  It really bothers me we can't go visit my sister in Oklahoma, simply because she's past 90 years old; she's in good health, but at 90, you just don't know how long she might have... although she's so healthy, she'll probably outlive me.

We each have to make our own decisions, and my choices may not be the same as yours.  I am not one of these people who make fun of others for wearing masks.  We have enough of those:  they've taken over Facebook with their selfish rants about their "rights" to walk into a store and possible infect others.  I'll never understand why they have to tell the world about it... if that's your decision, just shut up and do as you please, because it doesn't impress me.

These past few days

Our son, who lives near Columbus, Georgia, arrived Wednesday night for his annual Fourth of July visit.  His wife is care-giver for her mother, who lives in their home, so she hasn't made the trip for awhile.  However, he brought a car-load of people with him.  It's a small car, so that amounts to four people total:  Jim, his daughter Lyndsay with her daughter, Mae, and another granddaughter, Morgan.  I tend to go on a cooking marathon when Jim's here, trying to make his old favorites... none of them actually good for anybody, but I try to forget our health for this period of time each year.  Just visualize us living on flour, sugar, chocolate, Cool Whip, rice, and potatoes, with some eggs and sausage thrown in:  It's a dieter's nightmare! Nothing but carbs.  

There are three great-grandbabies in the family right now, and that makes things more fun.

This is Brynn, who is past three months old.  She is at the stage of making cute sounds and faces, smiling a lot.  

Can you believe this is the only shot I took of my newest grand-baby, Ivan?  Keep in mind I was doing a lot of cooking that day, as well as keeping my eye on a small bathroom remodel that was going on; we finally found someone reliable who will do that sort of thing, and we hope to avail ourselves of his services a lot.  That's Morgan, one of the Georgia guests, holding Ivan.  Yes, Morgan IS as pretty as this pictures suggests she is.

This is two-year-old Amara.

Here's Mae, from Georgia; that's a doll's bottle she's chewing on.  I just didn't get enough pictures taken, but so it goes.  She is around 18 months, and at such a fun age!  She doesn't know a stranger and is talking a lot, although I don't understand everything she says.  She is a real day-brightener.  What would the world be without babies?  

We had a nice Independence Day with family.  No fireworks were purchased, but a neighbor had some pretty fireworks, so we enjoyed those.  Gabe did NOT enjoy them.  Actually, I can't remember a better Fourth of July here at Woodhaven Acres.  

Now that everybody is gone home, I have a small case of the blues.  There is a cloud hanging over us right now that I can't seem to shake, but it will pass.  Those of you who pray, please remember our family.

The cat is growing like crazy and has made acquaintance with both barn cats.  The chickens are settled in the chicken house and I give them free run most of the day.  The garden?  Not much to brag about.  There are some huge green tomatoes that we will likely get to eat before blight consumes the plants, but blight got our sweet peppers.  It looks as though I'll get some green beans, though.  Every year I say it's my last for planting any garden at all, then spring hits and false optimism makes me think things will be different.  

And that's it for today.  Have a great one... we only live once on this earth.

Sincerely,
Donna