2018 Joy Journal

January 4, 2018 Woke up at 5:26. A kind of hopeful sign that my body clock has reset after DST. Angela is all right. She went into work early this morning, so I didn't get to see her.  Tori sent me a Marco Polo message this morning on her way to work. Beverly sent a text and a Marco Polo. She and JA were about to get underway on the third day of their trip. She said it is 24 degrees there and their hose froze. Tyler was almost through getting dressed at 6:18 a.m. so he seems like he is intending to have a good semester. Got to see John for a minute yesterday when he came to get Noah. He asked Tyler if they were going to see him this weekend. :-) Chris came to get some rent money, and Shawn was with him, so Tyler got to laugh and visit with them for a little bit.  Brittany had ankle surgery yesterday and when I talked to her last night, she said that Morgan had come over to have lunch with her.

February 16, 2018 Driving in to Daddy and Kathi's neighborhood and seeing two cranes walking down the street.

February 10, 2018 My favorite hotdogs, on buns warmed in the toaster with just the right amount of ketchup, mustard and pickle, the hotdogs grilled in the small skillet with cheese melted over them at the very last. Perfectly delicious. Followed by Breyer's vanilla ice cream topped with Coops hot fudge sauce. A favorite meal. All by my quiet, unobserved self. And when I got the date and time set up on my elliptical, and my user profile set up, and got my iPod hooked up to it so that it will stay charged up it made my heart race. I'm so excited!!!

February 28, 2018 Just starting off with a happy day. I got the bed made quickly, the laundry in, dressed and over here for a writing day. Not the full writing day of my dreams because I need about an hour for some little tasks, and I need to take care of some laundry, but nevertheless have the 12:30 - 6:00 period scheduled for writing, and I am happy about that.  Brittany sent me a text yesterday morning, "Thinking of you this morning as I listen to the birds sing."  It's kinda cool when the kids reach for you, or think of you all on their own.  I sent Morgan's post card via text instead of Facebook, and that worked, so I think I'll do that from now on. I feel better about not interrupting her while she's at work. She and I had talked about whether or not spring was really here, and since yesterday was cooler than recent days, she said she was calling it "a cool spring day."  Angela and I got to visit for a bit this morning, and Bella was w...

January 21 John told Noah about high school and friends. Tyler, Noah and I were on our way back from the park, talking about which high schools they would go to. Along the way, Noah said, "Yeah, my dad told me that you had told him something that stuck with him, that your high school friends won't be around when you're grown up." It made me feel good that I had said something to John that he had thought worth passing on to his own son, and I do remember the day in my early thirties when I realized my high school classmates were no where around me, and I really wished I could have back all the time I'd spent worrying about whether or not they liked me, or whether or not I was ever going to fit in. 

January 22 Sunday was just as restful as you would want a Sabbath to be. I  cooked breakfast and lunch, and cleaned the kitchen up some, but I also built a fire and set my card table up in the family room, and sat there for about an hour and a half and finished writing the quotes from the Sabbath book into my notebook. Just re-reading things was a good time, and there is something definite that happens when your hand takes the time to form the cursive words.  I made taco-dillas for the boys and Tyler said that was an interesting word, and that made me smile.  Tyler and Noah cleaned up the kitchen while I got Barry's results from his DNA test, and then we went to Cottage Hill Park to play disc golf. It was a beautiful day and there are some stunning trees along the path. After I brought one big tree to their attention, they started noticing interesting tree trunks, etc., and that was fun.  Beth called and we visited for a quick minute. She was on her way to t...

January 19 I'm really excited about where the office is. I have things to do, but nothing pressing, certainly nothing so pressing that I can't have my CAC hours this afternoon. They'll be interrupted by the mammogram I have scheduled this afternoon, but I have decided not to let that stress me out. It causes me too much angst to try to re-prioritize things. I'm just going to hold to the course and see what a year of that does for me.  Tyler and I visited on the porch this morning while we waited for the bus. I'm sending him down to the stop a little later than usual because it is so cold. He told me about an ant that has the most poisonous bite and a wasp that can sting you and make you scream and about a man who let himself be bitten by them all, working up from the least venomous to the most.  Heard back from Annette yesterday. We didn't have a big chat, just a kiss.  Amber said it snowed there Tuesday and was 14 degrees Wednesday and Thursday. Kath...

January 18 Kennedy stayed inside all day yesterday because it was just too cold to come out, but she came over to eat with us and then came out again later, running over to bring us some cookies she'd made.  The house is starting to feel good. Things are getting straight and organized, and I held to my plan, in a manner of speaking, yesterday. It feels like things are going to go better if I just let the interruptions be and not twist so much in trying to hold the line.  Cursive writing really seems to be good for me, even if it is just coping quotes out of a book.  Beverly sent me a Marco Polo yesterday. She had a job interview that she thinks went well, but everyone everywhere is wearing masks, and she's wondering if it wouldn't be better to wait until after flu season.  Got to hug Angela this morning. I told her I was hoping that since she went in yesterday, they'd make someone else come in today. She said she liked my plan better than their plan. If sh...

January 9 Well, we won the National Championship. In the three years that I have actually be watching football, we've come close, but never gotten it, at least I don't think so. Anyway, last night's game was stressful, but we came away with the prize, so that was good. Beth and Beverly and Morgan and I watched together in the sense that we were posting about what was going on at our house, so that was kind of fun. Saw Kim a little bit, too.  Brittany and I had a little text visit. She did start her classes back yesterday which was a little hard in the rain, and with her recent ankle surgery. She said that she has a scooter and that a friend helped her get out of her car, but that getting back in had been kind of difficult.  Beverly and I had a little phone visit. She still has some unpacking to do, JA started his first day of work, and she did some editing of her resume. She found an opening for a Resident NA in an oncology department. Neither one of us knew w...

January 6 I feel pretty good about the plan that I have for today. For starters, it is my writing day. Even though I have some unfinished Wonderland work, none of it really has to be done today, and it just can't come first all of the time. Besides which, I have become comfortable with having my writing day and the world has not come to an end because I do so. January 16 I'll have to break two and a half hours early to take Tyler to see Dr. Diane, but I am going to take my Sabbath book and notebook at work on that while I am in the waiting room. There isn't much I can do about drive time, or that the fact that we'll get back here about 30 minutes early. I won't want to recoup that time, because Angela and Kennedy are coming over for dinner, and I'll enjoy relaxing with them.  Had a nice little text conversation with Brittany last night. She's still having to take pain medicine at night so that she can sleep, mostly because the stitches itch and burn, ...

January 15 Erin.... thank you again for the Christmas. It was very much appreciated. ..   She was cleaning the hall bathroom, and I went to tell her that I was walking over here, and to give her her tip, in case she finished before I got back. She thanked me, and said so genuinely, "And thank you again for the Christmas. It was very much appreciated." It made me feel good.  Didn't talk to Beverly much over the weekend, but we did phone visit, etc., some last week. J.A. was off this weekend so they did a lot of exploring and hiking.  Angela came over yesterday afternoon and we play rumicube and sequence. She'd been to Books a Million to just wander among the books and see what interested her and came home with a book on history and book about the world's greatest books. We had fun talking about them. Kennedy came over late in the afternoon and played a couple of games of sequence with us. She is excited about some sculpture projects she's workin...

January 11 I didn't spend much time in the writing shack yesterday because it was Wednesday, which is supposed to be a day that Barry and I spend together, and we were scheduled to go to the gym by 8:00 a.m. We managed to pull that off, and had a good workout together.  I went to the CAC committee meeting, and I'm not really sure what I accomplished but I did get a good idea for asking for things to put in the raffle baskets.  And then I went to Ulta and got tweezers for my new purses and foot scrubbers, etc., Lollygagged a little bit.  And then I came home and went to work, and really had a productive afternoon. I made it almost all the way through my month ends. Today's a regularly scheduled Wonderland day, and I think I can finish month end, do the 1099's, and get ready for the WC audit.  I heard Derek telling Virginia that he wanted to put a memo out re: driver's needing money from Horizon, and snippets of that conversation. It was a positive sign, th...

January 3 Doug Jones is going to be sworn in today, and I get to feel like I was a part of that, and not just a tiny part. A kind of active part. Brittany's surgery was more complicated than they had anticipated, but was successful and she is with Andrew and Annette. I got to see Angela this morning. They're on call today and then she has to go the vet and then go get Bentley's medicines, so she has a long day ahead of her.  Got Marco Poloed with Tori a little bit last night. She said she'd had a good, regular day.  Shawn said he's going to start at Waffle House today.  Saw Evan for a few minutes yesterday. He's coming down with something.  The kids all sent in pictures so that Beverly could make me a picture book and it came in yesterday's mail. She said everyone sent pics and they had a whole nother chat about it in the Facebook group and I know that she put hours and hours into pulling it all together. It is beautiful. I spent time in m...

February 5, 2018 Well, for starters, last week went quite well, as far as hitting the mark on my objectives. I finished the donation request for Rouse's for the CAC and took it all the way to the store, and she said she would email it right then.  I got to take a walk in the Audubon Bird Sanctuary. I can see myself living on the island, taking walks in the woods and on the beach, except that I can't exactly see how that would work.  Brittany came out a couple of hours early yesterday afternoon, before Second Sunday Supper, and she and Papa sat at the kitchen table while I puttered around in the kitchen, and we just had a really relaxed visit. We got her to tell us about her thesis and the breach and the models she is running and she told us about Skyler doing this great kickboxing class.  When Beverly called Friday night, I asked to speak to J.A. and I can still hear the tone in his voice when he said, "Thank you for asking to speak to me."  Angela stayed ...

February 6, 2018 The MCEI meeting yesterday was just fun. Don, Caroline, Ashley and me. Caroline and Ashley were both friendly and welcoming and helpful and we got along well. Caroline, who is over the grant applications for the entire university, works with other volunteers so I'm sure she can guide me well.  I got to see Angela for a minute this morning. Tyler and I had a good talk last night, mostly him just sharing some of his feelings about things with me.  Brittany responded to my text and said she'd enjoyed our visit, too. Evan responded to the text I sent him and wished me a good night's sleep.  Beverly called and we got to visit for a minute. She said there are a lot of people there and when they told her about how they all visit after work she said to herself, "I really want this job to work out." ;-)

February 9, 2018 It is possible that I forgot to clock in for part of the time that I was in the office, but if I did, I don't think it was for a large amount of time. I have completed the regular weekly, and the real "I need to do somethings" in under four hours. That holds amazing potential for giving an afternoon a week to the Melton Center and an afternoon a week to the Child Advocacy Center. Annette has been checking on me every day, and I think that is so sweet.  Beverly called last night, and we had a good visit. She had a great day! She was able to irrigate patients ears, instead of just assisting. She said it is one of her favorite things to do because people who thought they were losing their hearing are so excited to discover that they are not. She said it is just immediate results. Not about medications. You start out having to stand in front of them so they can read your lips, and finish by them telling you that you need to quit talking so loudly. Then...

February 13, 2018 She said that she was going to smile so much brighter today. When I bought the elliptical, I paid for set up and delivery. The woman who called to collect my credit card info and set up the delivery was so incredibly gracious, so when we were finished, I said, "Before I let you go, I'd just like to say..." and expressed appreciation for her graciousness. She said that I had made her day, and that she was going to shine so much brighter today. 

March 12, 2018 I forgot to hit the record button on my phone, but Vivian recorded it on Morgan's phone --- the blessing --- and I turned to Annette, whose hand I was holding, and asked "Did you get that?" With, "that'd be too exciting to be true," on her face, she asked, "Is that for her," and with my nod rushed over to give Morgan and Brandon hugs, and the whole room was awash in handshakes and hugs and celebration.  Skyler said that she'll be driving in June, that she'd passed her Driver's Ed course but had to have her permit for 6 months before she could drive. I congratulated her and then said, "But you aren't sixteen," and she said, "I am sixteen!" and we hugged and laughed. The professor who is guiding Brittany through her thesis presented their project to the mayor of Dauphin Island who presented it the town council, and they have agreed to accept the findings of her project and follow her recommend...

March 13, 2018 Fed Barry, started laundry, cleaned up the bedroom, cleaned up the kitchen and headed to the writing shack at 6:44! Angela's laugh when Bella was all excited and snuggled into me.  Saw Andrew on Facebook for a minute --- pirate boat. Heard from Brittany and Tori and Kennedy. Tori is coming in this weekend, but will really on be here Saturday. Josh is coming with her. Kennedy asked to borrow one of my cameras to help take wedding photos for her friend/co-worker. 

March 15, 2018 Well, first of all, I was elected to the executive committee of the Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.  Don said that their bylaws allowed for other officers as needed and that we were at the place in our maturation where we needed a secretary. He invited nominations from the floor, but there weren't any, so we have a new president, a new vice-president, and a new secretary. ;-)  Josh came and spoke about fundraising, and I learned so much, and he mentioned a book, and I came home and ordered it immediately. I'm just so excited!!! Beverly called me yesterday and we visited for a bit. She said she thinks about when she's doing yoga and when she's not doing yoga.  Beth called around five. "I just got off the phone with Morgan." We laughed. Following in her daughter's footsteps. She's so excited about being a grandmother. She said there should be balloons outside that she could give to everyone and announce. She r...