Making An Appearance

It’s been well over a month since I last shared a blog post.  A lot has happened and, at times, life seemed to run over me big time!  Not long after Christmas the flu hit me with a vengeance.  I was down for the count for nearly two weeks and coughing hard for what seemed forever afterwards.  During much of that time I couldn’t have any personal contact with my dear, little mother.  That nasty ‘bug’ would have been the undoing of her.  I honestly don’t know what I would have done if my sweetheart had been down, too.  He was my Rock of Gibraltar.  My anchor in the storm.  The only one I knew could take care of my dear mother’s needs with the same care I would have given her.  He called her, checked on her, sat and visited with her, took her to church, took her shopping and took her to an appointment with her eye doctor.  During that time I was absolutely amazed how much information is stored in my head related to her history and her care – information I shared in depth with him, as needed.Life in general was cancelled for me until I was on my feet again – and when I stopped coughing enough to return to some kind of ‘normal’.  We celebrated our wedding anniversary not long after I was out of bed with the flu.  We went to the Oregon coast for a few days.  I was moving slowly and we didn’t do some of the things we love to do at the coast, but it was a good time away.  Time together.  Time to relax and not be in charge of anything.  Time to rest and enjoy a place that’s dear to my heart.
We made another trip to a different part of the Oregon coast last month for a very special reason.  I met a dear blog friend from far away.  I’ll share that day with you soon.  It was a day I treasure.  I knew were kindred spirits from the moment we met but I already knew that from her blog, the emails between us and a precious phone call from her when my dear mother was so ill last year.
My sweetheart and I have also been very busy following what we believe we need to do.  I shared here that my word for this year is ‘Prepare’.  That’s what we’re doing.  We don’t know exactly what we’re preparing for but we are diligently downsizing our ‘stuff’, our lives and our involvements.  We are rethinking many things and it’s a good thing!  In the process I think we’ve become friends with the man at our local Goodwill donation truck!

There has even been some progress with my vintage trailer.  Miss Daffodil has a new coating on her little roof.  My sweetheart painted a bit of the outside to test a paint color.  It was way too bright and there has been much discussion – and a bit of running around to find the perfect shade of yellow.  That’s another story I’ll share on her blog soon.  It will have to wait for a bit, though, because we are waiting for paint that has been ordered.  Plans to complete her interior have been made.  There are so many decisions that need to be made for such a tiny, little trailer! You will see it all, I promise.  When it starts happening I’ll let you be part of the fun.

Over the past weeks there have been times to laugh and share good times together.  And there have been times to let a tear or two slip down my cheeks when life brings struggle.  One thing remains true – in the middle of it all, God is there.  He sees the tears, feels the heaviness of heart, understands when our bodies and our minds are weary.  And He sees our laughter, our joy and those moments that fill us with so much delight we think our hearts can’t contain it.  So, my friends, you may ask where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing.  The answer is simple.  I’ve just been living life – with a very grateful heart!