Warp Speed

Life continues to move along at warp speed much to my dismay. Here we are - almost at the end of 2019! How in the world did that happen so fast?!? 

I continue with so much to do around the house to straighten, discard, save, merge Mom and Daddy's things. They kept everything! I have a couple Farmer's Almanacs back to 1891, ration books from World War II in the 1940s, all the cards and well-wishes Mom was sent in celebration of my birth 60+ years ago, Daddy's reading certificates from grade school in the 1930s, the hospital bill from when my Mom's younger brother was born, etc. etc. While tedious to go through every single thing, it has been fun. Reuniting my memory with my dance recital pictures, all my school pictures, and pictures of relatives no longer with us. A treasured history in things. 

I have to be realistic when dealing with all these things. I will no doubt keep too much but must realize that my children will probably want none of it. So, if there's a better place for any of these life bits, it's up to me to see to it that it gets there. For example, I have my grandfather's diploma, yearbooks, his sword, pictures, newspaper articles, and more from his time at Danville Military Institute from 1922-1924. The Institute is now Danville Community College and they are interested in having this memorabilia to add to their archives. So, I will make a trip back home sometime to make sure these items get to where they belong - where they can be treasured and enjoyed. 

To help deal with the stress of life, I've picked up my pencil, pen, and paintbrushes. While my love for knitting hasn't dimmed, painting is a different kind of zen for me. It's very meditative. I've found so many wonderful YouTube watercolor videos, Facebook art groups, and online classes to inspire me. I'm also taking a class at Plaza Art in Cincinnati. I've dabbled for years in watercolor but never made the time to practice. It truly, absolutely, and certainly makes a difference! I'm trying to do a little something on a daily basis. Keeping a Sketch Journal has helped with my daily practice and has been lots of fun. What I have learned - the most important lesson - is that what I do doesn't have to be perfect. That's an important life lesson, as well. 

I got away to Emerald Isle in August with Taylor, Rachael, Landen, and Raleigh. Such a long drive from Ohio to North Carolina but totally worth it! I swear, at one point, I began to wonder if they'd moved the east coast since last time I made the trip! We had an awesome time!!!!!! Vitamin Sea - just what I needed.

A couple weeks after returning from the beach, I had to say good-bye to one of my best furry friends ever. Earl Gray's health had been declining for a while but it was painfully obvious it was time to send him on his journey over the rainbow bridge. Sixteen years old and such a wonderful cat. I still miss and look for him daily. That just leaves me with one kitty - Gracie. I can't remember ever having just one cat. Maybe if and when the time is right, she and I will add another. We'll see.

Mom and Daddy have settled into their new digs at Otterbein as well as can be expected. Daddy turned 91 years old in early October and is hanging in there. Suffering with back pain and dementia, his days, as he might say, are "fair to middling". Mom, who is 89 years of age, will quickly tell you that getting old is not for sissies! It's tough on her dealing with Daddy - the change in roles, abilities, etc. - after almost 75 years of being together. They will celebrate their 69th wedding anniversary this December. WOW! She has met a lot
of new friends and really enjoys the concerts, classes, activities, and more that Otterbein offers. I'm very thankful that she is able to adapt so well to yet another life change.

Both sons, Brian and Taylor, came for a visit the end of September. I didn't tell Mom and Daddy because I wanted it to be a surprise and it was! We were able to take Daddy out for a 91st birthday dinner all together. It was so great having them. Once your children marry and have families of their own, it's rare that you get to spend time with just your children. I don't know about you - although I love the wives and children and time with them - time with just my boys is super special. Seeing them interact with each other brings back so many precious memories of when they were little. I loved every single second of their visit and hope it will become a regular occurrence. I think they really enjoyed seeing each other, too. It doesn't happen often. They had a great time - fished and fished and fished some more! They also brought their old Nintendo and it was just liking watching them all those many years ago - playing and laughing like crazy! 

Andy and I took the old pontoon out on the lake (Caesar Creek Lake) to catch some autumn color. I didn't think we'd have any color - it's been so dry that I thought the leaves might just dry up and fall off the trees without changing. We ended up having a decent bit of fall color but during the lake cruise, the sky was much more impressive. The clouds were stunning!

Thanksgiving is upon us and Brian and family will be making their annual quick trip from Virginia to see us. I can hardly wait to see the granddaughters! It's been a year. So many changes at their ages of 5 and 8. Thank goodness for FaceTime! At least, I have been able to lay eyes on them since last seeing them in person. I wish I could travel to see them but with all that's been going on this year, that's been tough. Maybe in 2020. 

Here in Ohio, the evergreens are loaded with cones and avoiding the Woolly Worms on the roads has been close kin to driving on an obstacle course. Does this mean a hard cold winter could be on the horizon? I certainly hope so! I LOVE cold weather and lots of snow. Seeing my world covered in white just quiets my soul. I know I'm one of a few but so what! I embrace it and love to be out in it! Invigorating and peaceful all at the same time. Actually, we've already had our first serious (covered all the grass) snowfall here -- about 3 inches November 11th-12th. It was beautiful!!!

So, I leave you now to go continue cleaning and merging households. As the holiday season fast approaches, I'm putting a reminder out there for both you and me to REMEMBER TO BREATHE! Gracie also wants to throw her kitty two cents worth in and remind us to take care during these stressful but joyful next few weeks.  

Thanks so much for visiting me and reading For the Love of Fiber!

Comments

[Lorette]

I’m so sorry about your kitty. You have been awfully busy! I’ve never tried watercolor, I don’t feel like I have much artistic talent, but it looks fun.