When I was last heard from, I was in a very sad place. An update to the tragic situation, the family has asked for any further donations and fundraisers to go to their city's summer recreation program to sponsor children who cannot afford to participate in the summer activities. Mom is staying home for the rest of the school year and the family is still praying for clear results for the bluebird's sisters.
I accepted a position on a temporary committee with our city which means I have to do homework and dress up every other Monday to meet with adults.
I continue to volunteer with a sister church on a 501c3 committee that provides financial help with housing and utilities. I had one client that required me to pray for 24 hours for a solution. It was such a tough situation. My solution, after all that reflection and prayer, was that she needed more help than we could provide, financially, spiritually, physically, and more. Before I could call her to try to refer her to maybe a residential facility or at least a trained counselor, she lost contact with us. Two weeks later, a family member has stepped up to assist her and we were able to help provide some financial support to get her on track. Whew. That was a tough one. Then the diocese announced new changes and I am not sure if our group will be able to continue, how it will be configured and if we are going to find ourselves "homeless" because our office space is being taken over. I have served on this group for more than 15 years and, honestly, if we are required to merge with anyone, I'm out.
In our state, public school spring break is up to each individual school district so that every grandchild and teacher mom is off at a different time. Week one was spent on an elaborate schedule designed by my six year old granddaughter and three year old grandson. We had lunch at Olive Garden, Taco Tuesday at a Mexican restaurant, an overnight at Mimi's house, a trip to a children's play museum, dinner in a railroad car, a sunny afternoon at an all accessible park. There was probably more, but I am too tired to remember. Someone taught her to read and write and she made a calendar.
Week two was spent with three boys whose house is in one school district and mom teaches in the adjoining district. She did not have the same week off. We had more overnights, more playground visits, some fast food instead of restaurants, and ended the week with cases of strep throat. Fortunately not for Mimi and Grampa.
I went to lunch one afternoon during week 2 with two friends from high school. It was fun to catch up, but the next day one of them tested positive for covid. She had zero symptoms but had to test with her husband since he was having surgery. He continued to test negative and was able to have his surgery. She moved upstairs in their house. I tested for several days, never had symptoms and never tested positive. She used several brands since she thought it was a false positive, but tested positive on every test she took. She never had a symptom.
For week three I was planning on an hour and 45 minute drive to pick up my teen granddaughter and come home. When I was 15 minutes from her house on a four lane highway, trucks pulled up with signs and closed the road! I guess work on an overpass weakened something ahead. We all had to funnel on an access exit onto single lane city streets in the middle of nowhere. I just followed the slow moving start and stop line. It only took one hour and fifty minutes to reach her house after exiting the highway. We had planned to be sitting in a restaurant in my town at that time. We did chart a different way back home and spent the week visiting thrift shops in several neighboring communities, every Goodwill I could find, yarn shops since she is teaching herself to crochet, cute health food type cafes, coffee shops and staying up late to watch marathons of Project Runway.
No one is on spring break this week but next week the two we feed breakfast and put on the school bus every day are on break.
This weekend I was meeting with former work friends for our monthly brunch. I stopped to pick up a friend who suffered a stroke a few years ago. We exited her house and were headed to the driveway. She said "I hope this wind doesn't knock me over" - like people say . . . And the wind knocked her over. Her yard has an incline and she rolled down a hill. I was unable to pick her up and it started to rain. I called my husband, who got caught in a funeral procession for a retired sheriff, and he arrived to get her up and in the house before a huge thunderstorm hit. I sat with her and made her tea (she was more embarrassed than hurt) until my daughter called to see why I wasn't at her house which is 45 minutes away, for a play we were attending that started in 30 minutes. I dashed out and made it to the play 3 minutes after the start while they were still telling us to silence our phones. We went out to dinner after so I had breakfast at 5:30 pm. I called my friend last night and she was fine, her brother was there and she was taking a Tylenol and headed to bed.
Okay, I think I'm caught up. I'm sure more was going on but I can't remember ( a few genealogy zooms and I am going to a 3 day state conference this month), trouble with my goofy neighbors, had taxes done and the three year old had to go along, helped switch three rooms of furniture at my daughters).
I hope to do an update on my guest room where people are booking their spring break stays. I never did finish my series on my Christmas Bed and Breakfast - Falalala Llama suite - which turned out just adorable. At the end of February I completely redecorated with items I already owned. I only had to purchase two inexpensive coverlets from Amazon for under $25 for both. I have decided to update you on the llama room next year when I decorate in November.
I do read blogs every morning as part of my coffee break routine and comment when possible. Thank you all for being my friends!
