June Days

It's been warm, humid, and well, June weather. Lots of rain. Lots of heat. The wheat is ripening well and cutting should begin in a couple of weeks. I've had a good time helping a brother celebrate a 50th birthday milestone and today, I enjoyed being with Rebekah as we waited on the one-hour optical place to finish her glasses. Tonight I spent time with some women in a Bible study group, and had dinner with a friend at IHOP - I had a pretty good spinach-veggie omelet.

Tomorrow I'm heading back to Curves for the first time since "the fall" on Thursday, May 26. I hope I can begin to feel better soon - maybe moderate exercise will help with that. I know Lyd misses our walks - Josh hasn't had time to take her either. Maybe I'll get brave and do that also this week. She'll be grateful. I'll be careful. Maybe it will all work out.

A few thoughts from Dave Barry:

Have you noticed that whatever sport you are trying to learn, some earnest person is always there telling you to keep your knees bent?

Guys are simple - women are not simple and they always assume that men must be just as complicated as they are, only way more mysterious. The whole point is, guys are not thinking much. They are just what they appear to be. Tragically.

If you had to identify in one word , the reason why the human race has not achieved, and will never achieve its full potential, that word would be "meetings".

My problem with chess was that all my pieces wanted to end the game as soon as possible.

Never under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

The problem with winter sports is that - follow me closely here - they generally take place in winter.

Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing.

Simple Pleasures

Warm sand between bare toes
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A smiling dog
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The first green shoot in a garden
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Good iced tea
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A toasted marshmallow
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A tug on a fishing line
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Shooting stars
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Hearing someone else's belly laugh
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Sleeping, peaceful babies
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A quiet church sanctuary
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Breeze through my front porch screens
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Cold watermelon
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An unexpected encounter with a friend
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Towels flapping on a clothesline
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A bill paid in full
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A game of Mexican Dominoes
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Simple things of life

To look for the simple things in life that help you pause to give thanks - what an awesome thing that can be! For example, Rebekah and I took Rachel and Gabe to the park yesterday - not just any park, but one built especially for toddlers and kids with special needs. These two saw the water and sand play area and that was all they did except Rachel did swing some. We helped them take their shoes and socks off and for the next hour, they played right there. Before we left, they got their clothes changed so that mom wouldn't have a heart attack. They had just a little sand in their hair - and probably more than that tracked into their van, but oh well...it's only sand. It's only dirt. It'll wash off. We stopped at Sonic and got them PURPLE slushes and then took two urchins home to momma. (!)

Back

School is out and I now have time to ruminate about things - maybe that's good, or maybe that's not so good - oh well, I shouldn't spend time ruminating about how I ruminate about things. Yeah. Whatever she said.

Lots has happened since I wrote last. I've had an adult child move in with us - not a bad experience, just "different". Same adult child had his vehicle stolen last Sunday while it was parked at church, so now he is making plans daily for his transportation to and from work. When he works days we figured out he can take the bus - an hour to and from, but better than walking. When we works nights, he has to make other arrangements.

The other significant thing is that I fell last Thursday, almost a week ago, when walking Lydia. I injured my right knee and left hand (what I used to catch myself), but also somehow bruised my ribs, shoulder, and back on the right side as well. Since Thursday, I have lived with this chronic pain and I'm not sure I'm made of the kind of stuff that can tolerate this without complaining. I know there are people who live day in and day out with chronic unrelenting pain in their physical bodies and still manage to live life abundantly - and I don't know how they do it. I'm living in the fog of pain relievers during the day and stronger medicine at night to help me sleep as no position - sitting, standing, laying, or reclining - can be accomplished without hurting. It does no good to talk about it, complain about it, or whine about it. It is what it is. There's no treatment to expediate healing. It just is until it is healed.

Many folks suffer daily with much more than what I carry and it reminds me to be grateful for the blessing of a body that will eventually heal. My heart is stirred by those who are not so blessed but yet continue on with life in spite of how they feel - I'm humbled by your example.