There have been lots of emotions and feelings surfacing the last couple of days. Love, fear, compassion, fury, annoyance, happiness, joy, giddiness, relief, worry, gratitude, and hope, to name a few. It isn't natural to watch your child lay in a hospital bed. Every instinct is to want to make it better, and your hands are tied. You have to trust others to know what is best for your baby. Can they possibly know how to take care of your baby?

Though there have been some scary moments, things are looking up, and gratitude is the over-riding emotion of the day. God is in His heaven. He knows our needs. He knows.

Sorry if this is dramatic. But the situation has been a little dramatic. There have been some silver linings, though. I've spent about 15 hours of quality one-on-one time with my daughter in the last 2 days, during which time we have managed to laugh and have some hysterical moments. Life is good.

{And P.S. the fury and annoyance were not directed at my sweet patient. Inefficiencies and incompetence are just not acceptable when so much hangs in the balance. Grr.}

Day of Typing

It doesn't seem like
it should take
so much
time.
Really, it is just a folder
with info in it.
Problem:
Info is hard
to track
down
sometimes. And
I wanted the
best info for
my peeps.
And decisions are hard
{for me}
to make. Like
really, really hard.
I think about
how they
are going to affect
everyone, and
what might be
better, and what will
be worse,
and who will
get mad.
Ha Ha.
What were
they thinking
when they
asked me
to be
Stake Camp
Director?
I'm decision challenged.
I'm not a camper.
I don't really relish the spotlight.
I'm not the rah-rah type.
BUT
I love Young Women.
I have a testimony
of their worth.
And their goodness.
So I will try not to whine.
And I will type away.
I'm a Believer!

Day of Love

On this, the day o' love, I thought it would be appropriate to return to the blogging world to express some of the love o' my heart. In no particular order:

I love that when I open my blog, it isn't horrifically purple. Thanks, Holly, for the re-design.
I love her.
I love living.
I love my family.
I love Valentine's Day.
I especially love my Valentine.
I love flowers.
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I love late night/after date chats.
I love random acts of kindness.
I love Sunday dinner.
I love 70 degree weather.
I love 80 degree weather.
I even love 90 degree weather.
I love rain.
I love light.
I love cute shoes.
I love digging around in the dirt.
I love wandering around in the plant nursery.
I love babies.
I love old people.
I love smiles.
I love hugs.
I love orderliness.
I love reading.
I love having grandchildren.
I love pie.
I love music.
I love hooded sweatshirts.
I love the scriptures.
I love my sisters.
I love my parents.
I love all my relatives, come to think of it!
I love blue skies & sunshine.
I love mountains & canyons.
I love sitting around a fire.
I love birthdays.
I love my neighbors.
I love freedom.
I love having friends.
I love going out to lunch (oh, and dinner and breakfast.)
I love having a plan.
I love hot soup on a cold day.
I love cookies.
I love color.

I love thinking about the things I love. It makes me grateful for my life just how it is. How could I be so lucky? With all the ups and downs and knowns and unknowns, I have a lot to love. Happy Valentine's Day! Have a LOVE-ly one.

Letters

Dear Honest/Nice/Beloved Lady at Michael's,

Thank you for turning in my wallet today when you found it in the shopping cart. You restored/strengthened my confidence in the human race.

Grateful Airhead

Dear Monk,

Even though you are no longer making new episodes, I just ran into a re-run of you on TV. Even though I didn't watch you faithfully, I kinda miss your quirky self. You remind me of a very exaggerated me. I can relate just enough to make me laugh. And hyper-ventilate a little.

An Anxious Fan

Dear Garbage Man,

You came just a little too early this morning. I was in the process of depositing all of the debris from the big storm earlier in the week into the black barrel when you showed up. I put out what I had finished. I continued cleaning up and nearly filled the barrel again. Realizing you hadn't come to the houses across the street, I rolled it over there and in a few minutes you picked up my garbage again. That is what I call getting my taxpayer's money's worth. Much obliged.

Citizen Clod

Dear Vogue Pattern,

You are kind of making me crazy. I approached you with confidence, but you are not nice. Who on earth designed you, anyway? An overachiever with way too much creative energy who was trying too hard, that's who. Seriously. Get a grip. Be normal.

Frustrated

Dear Pumpkin on My Porch,

Your twinkling goodness pretty much makes my Halloween.

Forever Yours

Dear Valley Fever,

We've had quite a ride, you and I. It is time to be done. Take your scars, pack your little fungi, and get out of town. K? K. I want me back.

Clodhopper

Underwear for the House

I hate buying underwear for my house. You know, those items that nobody really sees, but they sustain and support the workings of the house. Things like appliances, roofs, water heaters, hoses, sprinkler repair parts, mattresses, plumbing, electrical, lawnmowers, trimmers, printers, computers, air conditioners, etc. etc. The list is endless. Endless, I tell you.

Today my washer died. RIP washer. You have washed about a million thousand bazillion loads for me over the last 12 years. Your almond colored goodness doesn't owe me a single penny. And yet, you are underwear. Now dead underwear. And you failed me. And I had to go buy more underwear tonight.

We had to replace your helpmate (dryer) several months ago. At least you can go to laundry heaven and be together. And my underwear will at least match again! It's been bugging me, a white dryer and an almond washer. Bugging. Hardcore. But that's how much I hate buying underwear. I waited till you made that unearthly noise this morning so as to avoid buying more underwear than I absolutely needed.

You served me well, you little almond beauty. If my new underwear serves me as well as you did, I'll be almost 70 when I have to toddle down to the store and buy more.

Now THAT is a horrid thought.

Just Sayin'

A few random facts about the last several weeks:

I love when family visits. I have a really hard time washing the finger prints off the french doors when they are gone. It is like a little part of them is still here.

Eric is married. Is this possible? Apparently it is, because...he is! I feel so blessed to have such a son and that he chose such a wife! Here's to happily ever after!

After a 34 year break from academia, I entered the arena to finish the degree I started many.many.moons.ago. I shared this information with very few people as I was terrified I would not succeed. I never was a good test taker, and let's just say I haven't improved much, and that my *forgetter* is much healthier than my *rememberer*. BUT......I got an A, I got an A, I got an A!

It mystifies me why I still care about grades. Seriously, am I headed for grad school? Are my parents going to get mad if I don't get a good grade? Um, no. I just need to pass. Could someone remind me of this when I'm stressing about the next one?

Speaking of stress, the most stressful section of my class was the section on stress management.
Is there something wrong with this picture (or this one-credit-hour, way-too-much-work class?)

I loved conference. So much. Can't wait to re-listen and re-read. I needed it.

We were sitting in the rocking chairs on the porch tonight and it was that perfect temperature where you can't even feel the air. So peaceful. There were two huge bumblebees in the flowers in front of us. One black and one yellow. They didn't seem to like each other, and the yellow one liked the snapdragons and the black one liked the petunias. Is this odd? I want to know why.

I love eating on the patio.

I still don't like cats.

I do, however, really kind of like lizards. They are sort of my backyard buddies. But I don't touch them. Ick.

I want to work a puzzle. I was going to this afternoon but alas, I cooked dinner. Apparently the need to feed was more pressing.

I screamed out loud the other day when I walked into a room and the cardboard cutout we got of Ryan for the wedding was staring at me. To say I was startled is, well, an understatement.

I soaked my fingers in bleach the morning of Eric's wedding. Hahahah. True statement.

I have 738 hairs on my head. If one of them isn't doing its job, I'm having a bad hair day. Is it really true that every hair of our head will be restored? I do hope so, I really do.

My computer turns itself off every little while. Annoying, but true. I think I shall publish before I lose this priceless gem.

Spring Has Sprung

Last week this adorable child
had a *sleep-over*
at Granny's house.
We spent some time out
on the swings and running around
in the lush, green grass.
We discovered
that Spring has Sprung!

We found that popcorn is indeed
popping on the apple tree!

Eve learned that these are
petunias...and that soon
{if Mr. Sunshine ever lingers long enough}
they will be covered with many
more blossoms. She also
learned how to
deadhead.
She learned how the dead
blooms look only a little different
than the blooms that
are getting ready
to unfold.

She learned that pansies
have faces and evoke
special memories of
*my* grandparents
...and my mom.


She thinks that snapdragons
have silly names.
{She should hear Maggie, our
GPS navigator voice, pronounce
snapdragon. She says it
snap drag on with
great emphasis on
the "on." We know this
because there is a
street in Colorado Springs
named Snapdragon. Isn't that
a lovely street name?}

And she learned that my personal
favorite pot at the moment
would have to be
these violas.
Spring personified.

Love you Eve.
Thanks for playing
in my garden.

Love,
Granny