"When it rains, it pours" is a very old saying that has MANY meanings out here on the edge of the world.
Obviously, in a coastal climate at the southern tip of a temperate rain forest, there is the actual, physical RAIN! There is ALOT of rain! (It rains sideways, upside down, in swirls, and, my very favorite, up my skirt while I am trying to get to work!)
Then there is the "everything goes wonkely at the same time" kind of rain. For example, we need a new roof, the deck has dry rot, the fridge died, the dishwasher has started making the most alarming sound, and the microwave....well, you get the idea. Which leads me to wonder, why does everything go all wonkely at once? Is there some rule in life that states that everything MUST become an emergency? Wouldn't it be okay with the Universe if my household could "line up" to break down in a budget friendly manner?
I can see that meeting in my head! The house calls the meeting to order and the minutes are read. Then the roof says, "I am really feeling out of sorts. I move that I will need replacing by September." and the deck seconds the motion, the house calls for a vote and the motion carries...
Now, before you call for medical intervention, I KNOW the house doesn't understand "Roberts Rules" and YES, there were signs that the roof was going. It's just the whole process of finding the amount of money needed at the time the money is needed. It is very frustrating to worry about money! In fact, I really dislike worrying about money! Money just shouldn't be that important!!! And it isn't, until I need money....
So, my nightly habit for shutting down the "Worries" so I can go to sleep is counting all our Blessings! We HAVE a roof, we HAVE beds, we HAVE appliances (for now), my children go to bed with food in their bellies, we are not cold, we are not threatened, we have education, and freedom and each other and...and...and...and...and...
And in the face of such an abundant list of BLESSINGS, I guess I have no problem with the rain after all. So, "Bring on the rain, I've a smile on my face!" It's all a matter of perspective!
I know that it is probably silly, but I love giving gifts to new babies! I traditionally give a quilt because I feel that it is important to be invested in the giving. I think of it as a blessing. I plan colors, and design something special for the child in question. Then I spend countless hours cutting, sewing, embroidering, applique-ing and finally binding. As I create this gift I think such things as: May you know comfort in a world that sometimes seems cruel or indifferent, may you know warmth in a world that is sometimes cold, and may you be welcomed joyfully in a world that sometimes forgets to say "hello".
I usually refrain from telling people my "faerie god-mother" wishes. Most people think I am rather eccentric already. But sometimes someone I really know well has a baby and THEN I spill the beans and let her in on the real gift....not "just" a handmade quilt, but the hope of a healthy and happy life for the child they are carrying. And the thought that maybe someday their darling child will be awakened by "true love's kiss" in true Faerie Tale fashion and I can make another blessing-quilt....
Congratulations Wendy and Kenny as you welcome your son into your life. May he be well and whole and happy!
On the evening of this last official day of Summer Vacation, I have a few confessions to make!
- I never did get the yard completed to my satisfaction!
- There is STILL laundry piled up in the Washroom! (My new system didn't work as well as I had hoped!)
- I didn't finish all of my UFOs (UnFinished Objects)
On the other hand....
- I read with my children for the sake of pleasure only!
- I studied some topics that I find facsinating!
- I knit some new patterns that I didn't know I would find!
- I visited with family and friends!
- I reconnected with a long lost childhood pal! (And couldn't be happier about it)
- I met many new people, both online and in the "real" world!
- I took several long naps just because I needed them!
I guess, all in all, that this summer has been a success! We are rested and ready to start again! We enjoyed our time together. And we didn't waste a minute regretting the things we didn't quite get to!
Thank goodness my "To Do List" doesn't have an expiration date. It will still be waiting for me on the weekends!
Happy Back to School Day!
The boys are growing up so fast! My "baby" is starting Jr. High next week. Somedays I miss the babies that I held in my arms, but I LOVE the men they are becoming! It can seem like a strange and unsettling mix of emotions.
The seasons are turning again, too. The long, lazy days of summer are giving way to the crisp, cool days of fall. We are getting ready to go back to school again. Me to teach, and my Little Britches to learn. (My Firstling is graduated, so he just laughs at our preparations)
My Great Grandmother used to look in the mirror and tell me that sometimes she was surprised by the old woman looking back at her. This was quite an alarming concept to a five-year-old girl. I was almost afraid that my dear Mimi was "losing it". Now I understand; the girl on the other-side of my mirror has aged quite a bit! Although she has developed a very striking white streak in her right temple.
Everything changes. I will not fear the changing. I will learn to embrace it as a lovely chance to try something just a little bit different....for a change.
