Focus on the Good Things

Focus on the Good Things

That's the best way to describe the last few weeks.

#1 - A new baby granddaughter.  What can be better than a healthy baby girl, brought into this world on a sunny Wednesday morning.  Loving parents.  Proud grandparents.  Auntie with camera in hand to capture the moments.  Not-sure-how-to-act new big brother.  Cousin who wants to hold the baby. Just joy.  Pure joy.

 


#2 - Harvest.  Sunshine. Blue skies.  Gary in the combine with Landon.  Tessa in the combine for a couple of rounds but mostly in the truck with Daddy.  Blaine hauling the corn to town, one truck after another as Gary made his way through the fields.  Owen with Hilary and me, wanting to take his turn riding in the cab of the combine with Papaw.  The kids finding treats at the elevator - popcorn, apples, suckers from Vanessa.  No equipment breakdowns.  A day and a half and the harvest was done.  Best yield from that field - ever.  170 bushels an acre.

 

#3 - Time with the kiddos   Two weeks ago Landon, Tessa, and Owen spent the weekend with us.  It was a hectic weekend, one that found Papaw and Landon in the camper, Hilary doing a photo shoot in the Region, a dead raccoon in the backyard, and not much sleep for many of us.  But it was fun.  Then last weekend Cooper stayed with us while Mommy, Daddy, and Lynnlee were in the hospital.  We went to Shelby and Caleb's wedding and he made a new friend.  This weekend we spent one-on-one time with Owen while Hilary, Blaine, and the older kids went to Great Wolf Lodge near Cincinnati.  Watching Owen in his house is a plus because he has HIS toys and can nap in HIS bed, plus he knows HIS house and doesn't have to explore every nook and cranny of ours. We often say that we spend SO much time on the road and either in Pyrmont or near Frankfort, but we wouldn't trade this time with them for anything.  Memories are being made for them and for us.  Later on we want them to remember fun times with Mamaw and Papaw rather than just think of us as people who stopped by once in a while or just gave them gifts for their birthdays and Christmas.  Precious time - wondeful memories.







 

#4 - Knees   I wrote about my knee issues in another post. When I saw Dr. Page a week ago he didn't think there was anything wrong with my knee replacement (THANK YOU, GOD!).  He dismissed my suggestion that it might be gout.  He thought I had bruised the bursa or pulled some muscles, somehow injuring the area above the knee.  A prescription for antibiotic, just in case there was infection somewhere, and three x-rays, plus much poking, prodding, and pushing, plus inserting a needle to remove fluid.  He said "Give it some time and it will get better. Do the exercises on this sheet and it will get better."  In the meantime I could barely climb the stairs to the church where Shelby and Caleb were married.  I couldn't get up from the table at the reception without Gary pulling me.  And I was nearly stuck in a stall in the women's bathroom because I couldn't push myself up with my sore and weak knees. But miraculously on Sunday morning I could get out of bed without pain shooting up my leg.  By Monday I could roll over in bed and use the bathroom more easily.  By Tuesday I was using both feet to push myself up the stairs.  And by today, the pain is nearly gone, but while the strength isn't totally back, but it is returning slowly.  I am sitting at the table in Hilary's kitchen, on a pub chair swinging my legs, and it doesn't hurt!

#5 - Closing on the house at 1330 Barnes Drive   Yes, it is not ours anymore.  When we left there on September 13, I had a feeling that it was the last time I would be in that house.  I locked the door, got into the car, and we pulled out of the drive.  I didn't look back.  It didn't really hit me until we were nearly to Niagara Falls later that day that it was probably the last time I would be there as the owner, or even as a house that was part of our family history.  The new owners will put life back into that house.  There will be children living there for the first time in over 45 years.  The bus will stop and pick up those girls for school.  There will be birthday parties and Christmas trees in the front window.  The lights will be on and the windows will be open.  Flowers will bloom there again and cars will come and go.  Mail will fill the mailbox.  The sound of  laughter and love will flow out of the windows and doors and into the backyard.  This makes me happy.

 

#6 - Gary  The love of my life. My partner for 42 years.  The one I share my home with, the father of my children, the Papaw of our grandchildren.  He loves me, and I love him - more than he could ever know.  He takes such good care of me and our family.  From providing for us through the years to the daily chores, he does his part and more.  Laundry?  He takes care of the washer, the dryer, hanging up the clothes, and folding.  Cooking?  He has his favorites that he makes, but he never fusses about putting together a meal.  Dishes? Washing dishes is part of his routine.  Feeding the cats.  Taking the mail to the mailbox. Taking care of the vehicles.   Plus he is my favorite farmer.  Just watching him out in the field makes my heart swell.  He loves being outdoors. He likes the harvest.  Even if he says he doesn't miss any of it, every time we are driving back and forth to Pyrmont or Frankfort or even driving to church or to Krogers, he comments on the state of the crops, whether someone has been in the field or not, or how one particular field looks over another. Farming is part of him and always will be, just like teaching is part of me and always will be.

 

which brings me to.....

#7 Teaching for Trine   I did jump into this adventure and there have been a few bumps in the road so far, even though the class hasn't started yet, but I am determined to enjoy teaching this class. Why not?  I love to teach. I am not teaching anything I haven't taught before. I have all of the materials - I just need to adjust them a little.  The pay is good, I am doing something I enjoy, and I will feel like I have a purpose again (and I know I do have a purpose but this is different).  It is probably going to be a One Shot Deal, but I want to have fun with it and not take it too seriously.

And with that...I have focused on the Good Things.  No grumbling.  No complaining.  No Negative Nellie.  Just the good.