Status Report: December

Sitting…on the couch in the living room.

Eating…a pear for my bedtime snack. 

Waiting…to turn in for the night. The phone woke me this morning at 5:20AM. It was a long distance number I didn’t recognize. My youngest son left yesterday, traveling the Alaska highway with friends, and they planned to drive through the night last night, so I answered, afraid of bad news, only to hear the click of someone hanging up. I got up and searched online for info on the phone number. Turns out it was the famous fake Microsoft phone scam. Yes, I was actually relieved to learn I’d been awakened at 5:20AM by a scammer. 

I tried to go back to sleep, but couldn’t, so I’ve been fighting sleep all evening. My goal is to stay awake until 10pm. Only 30 minutes to go. Yawn.

Feeling…happy to finally receive a text from my son telling me he’d arrived in Prince George. (Cell phone coverage is mostly non-existent on the Alaska highway, so it can be 900 miles or more of no-contact when a loved one travels it.)

Anticipating…the arrival of my fourth grandchild on Friday.

Not liking…cold weather, and it’s not been really cold yet. And it’s only the first of December. When did I become such a weather wimp?

Wishing…we had more snow. Because if it’s going to be cold, there might as well be enough snow to tromp through.

Not planning...to put up the Christmas tree until the 14th or 15th of December. I like love the decorated tree … for about a week. If I put it up in early December, I’d be taking it down before the big day.

Thanking…God for new opportunities for my youngest son.

Taking…the dog out for his before bed potty trip. Putting on a big, long parka that makes me look like Mole from The Wind in the Willows.  

Wishing…you a December full of worship and fellowship.

Status Report: June

Sitting … on the couch in the living room.

Enjoying … the late night sun. It’s less than three weeks from the summer solstice. (Do you think of it as the longest day or the shortest night?)

Thinking … about what a difference a month makes, weather-wise. In last month’s status report, I was complaining about the snow that was still on the ground. Today, it’s definitely summer. We skipped right over spring, I guess, and went straight from snowstorms to thunderstorms.

Noticing … that my May Day tree began blooming sometime this afternoon. It is the showpiece of my yard, and the week each year when it’s in bloom is my favorite week of the year. 

Feeling … tired and sore from a weekend of marathon gardening. I’m relieved that it’s done—mostly. The veggies are planted: peas, potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, swiss chard, spinach, romaine, red and green leaf lettuce, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and brussels sprouts. And I’ve got tomatoes and herbs in pots on the deck.

I considered not doing a garden this year. It is a lot of work, and I’ve got the kitchen project, too. But in the end, I imagined my summer without a garden and I missed it. Some year, maybe, I’ll take a garden break so I can sit on the front porch in my rocker and watch the world go by. But not just yet.

Also feeling … excited that my youngest granddaughter took her first steps today. A week ago, I’d have predicted that she was at least a month away from walking. This afternoon, she walked aroung the yard holding only one of my hands, and when she went home, she decided to go it alone. And just like that, she’s a walker.

Using … some of my new kitchen cabinets. One set of bottom cupboards is installed, and the sink and dishwasher are in, too.  

I finally settled on Benjamin Moore Horizon Gray for the cabinet paint color—and I have no regrets.  

Celebrating … no more dishwashing in the bathroom! 

Reading … 40 Questions About the End Times by Eckhard Schnabel. I have high hopes for it, because I’ve liked the other two 40 Questions books I’ve read. I need some lighter summer reading, too. Something fun and easy, with no sad endings and only a tiny bit of suspense. (Real life has enough trouble. I don’t need any in the stories I read.) Any suggestions?

Wishing … you a joyous June surrounded by growing plants and loving people.

Status Report: April

Sitting…on the couch, enjoying the evening sunshine through my livingroom windows.

Feeling…a little stuffed from the chicken salad stuffed pita I ate for supper.

Also feeling…sorry for my son and his wife. Especially his wife. My oldest granddaughter just came down with a nasty stomach bug, her third illness since her little brother was born mid-February. I think having a 18-month-old and a six-week-old is enough to handle without a series of late-winter illnesses.

Waiting…for a loaf of bread to rise so I can bake it. It’s whole wheat sourdough with sunflower seeds, sweetened with dark molasses. My son says it’s his favorite of the different sourdough bread variations I’m made.

Preparing…for the kitchen project. The plans are drawn; the supplies ordered; the big project starts next week. I think. I’m dreading living without a kitchen during the process, but also looking forward to having a new and better kitchen.

Still deciding…which paint colours to use on the new kitchen cupboards. I want to paint the upper cupboards white and the lower cupboards a neutralish colour of some sort. Like grey, maybe, or a greyed green. 

Thinking…I should take down the white mini-lights I have strung across the fireplace mantle. I left them up after Christmas to curse the winter darkness, but they’ve served their purpose and become a waste of space and electricity.

Enjoying…Easter lilies. It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve not had a cat living with me, so I can have lilies. (Lilies, you know, are quite poisonous for cats, and if you have them, your cat will eat them.)

Getting…my gum boots out. (That’d be rubber boots to most of you.) There are big puddles to cross on my daily dog walks. I love walking through puddles. And gooey mud, too, when the gooey mud comes. I’ve never outgrown my love for mud and puddles.

Reading…Ephesians and an interesting Ephesians commentary. I plan to post a quote from the commentary soon so you can see what I mean by that.

Thanking…God that spring always comes eventually. And for the place where I live.