In case you were wondering, the new banner photo was taken in Fort Walton Beach with my iPhone, which I'm convinced takes better pictures than my DSLR. (If you weren't wondering, just ignore that last sentence.)
When I was a kid, my grandparents, who were farmers, used to come to our house on Sunday evenings for "tea." Sometimes that was a pan of lasagna, sometimes a burger or a sandwich, sometimes a pizza, but we always got together on Sunday nights for a family visit. Ben and I are trying to do more of that these days, whether it's going to see my parents or hanging out with some of our kids. Life goes by so quickly, and we never get these days back. We're trying to make them count.
Today Ben and I drove south to go to church with Mansquared and Abbey, but before we left, we checked Google Maps and Mapquest for directions. NEVER again. It was 112 miles, mostly on 2-lane roads with no lines and crumbling edges. And an abundance of dead skunks.
In Virginia, we don't use a groundhog to tell when spring is coming. We just start counting the roadkill.
After church we all drove to Lynchburg to have lunch at Abbey's house. Ben had smoked a Boston butt yesterday, so we brought pulled pork and buns, mop sauce, slaw, and broccoli/cauliflower salad. And potato chips and blond brownies. It was such a delightful day we sat out on the back deck enjoying the warm sunshine. And the neighbor's screeching peacock. It added such a nice touch of ambiance, especially since it made Pete a nervous wreck and he paced back and forth trying to jam his head between the bars for a better look.
After stuffing our faces and me forcing everyone to eat two (or three) brownies so I wouldn't have to bring any back, we made the two-and-a-half-hour drive home on blessedly wide, lined roads, which now seems amazingly tame after the harrowing trip down this morning. It's all about perspective.
And somehow it's Sunday night and tomorrow starts another week of work. It's amazing how fast it goes.
Be thankful ~
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Thoughts.
I have many, since I never take the time to write anymore.
1. I am having a hair crisis that won’t quit. Same style for more years than I can count except to say one of my children was an infant when I got it cut like this. And they’re all in their twenties. I’m afraid there’s going to have to be an intervention.
2. Watching other people train for half marathons and marathons makes me a teensy bit jealous, but I am nowhere near being ready for anything other than a quick two-miler. I attempted three this morning and wound up doing a lot of walking, and now my hip hurts. I’m sure forgetting breakfast didn’t help, that whole you-have-to-have-something-to-run-on thing being what it is.
3. There are dead skunks all over the roads lately, the first indication of spring in Virginia. But on the bright side, I’m getting good at turning off the heat and vent before I get to one, so I can minimize the smell in the car. It’s like the latest driving game.
4. I’ve been thinking lately about the whole aging thing. I think that’s normal when you’re 52 and daily confronted with the fact that you can’t do the things you once did with ease. I used to get frustrated with Ben because he refused to admit he couldn’t work as hard and/or long as he used to. But then I realized I do the same thing, only in different areas. He wants to be able to cut and split and stack firewood for ten hours with no break. I want to be able to run 12 miles in 2 hours and five minutes. I don’t think either one will ever happen again. And that’s sad. It’s like burying a part of yourself that you loved.
Well, that became much more depressing than I meant it to. I really am a happy person, really. I promise the next post will be positive!
Be thankful ~
1. I am having a hair crisis that won’t quit. Same style for more years than I can count except to say one of my children was an infant when I got it cut like this. And they’re all in their twenties. I’m afraid there’s going to have to be an intervention.
2. Watching other people train for half marathons and marathons makes me a teensy bit jealous, but I am nowhere near being ready for anything other than a quick two-miler. I attempted three this morning and wound up doing a lot of walking, and now my hip hurts. I’m sure forgetting breakfast didn’t help, that whole you-have-to-have-something-to-run-on thing being what it is.
3. There are dead skunks all over the roads lately, the first indication of spring in Virginia. But on the bright side, I’m getting good at turning off the heat and vent before I get to one, so I can minimize the smell in the car. It’s like the latest driving game.
4. I’ve been thinking lately about the whole aging thing. I think that’s normal when you’re 52 and daily confronted with the fact that you can’t do the things you once did with ease. I used to get frustrated with Ben because he refused to admit he couldn’t work as hard and/or long as he used to. But then I realized I do the same thing, only in different areas. He wants to be able to cut and split and stack firewood for ten hours with no break. I want to be able to run 12 miles in 2 hours and five minutes. I don’t think either one will ever happen again. And that’s sad. It’s like burying a part of yourself that you loved.
Well, that became much more depressing than I meant it to. I really am a happy person, really. I promise the next post will be positive!
Be thankful ~
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