8 more work Mondays in 2017

10/16/17
8 more Mondays in 2017

Praying for our neighbors and my friend.  My neighbors' daughter (J) is my age and has stage four colon cancer.  She moved to another state to marry and raise her 2 children (both young adults).  It is about a 6 or 8 hour drive from here to her city.  My neighbors are my parents' (if they were both still alive) age.  For the last year, I have seen my neighbors run themselves ragged coming and going on this trip trying to help their daughter.  I really empathise with them.

My friend (R) is someone I have known since I was 4 years old.  She is suffering from mental illness and has left the home twice to go for stays in psychiatric hospital.  She is suffering and so is her family.  I have told her that I love her unconditionally and that I am here.  I have attempted to support her husband, at least in spirit.  I don't know what else to do.  Her 2 children are also young adults.  One just graduated, the other is a junior in high school. 

I feel helpless faced with such situations.  I just try to let the people know I care.  There is nothing else really I can do.  I did deliver a jar of home canned apple butter to my neighbors yesterday.  I got a text this morning saying they were enjoying it with toast and it was a nice start to their day.  I have been processing 2/3 of those apples I picked 2 weeks ago since Thursday night.  Wooooo weeeee, my back is sore!  I canned 18 quarts of applesauce and made 3 pies yesterday.  I delivered a quart of the apple butter and a pie to my work friend (B) whose farm we pick apples from.  He said next year we are welcomed to come back and pick more.  As far as I am concerned, it will be worth the 5 hour drive annually to do this.  We can visit with him and get apples, stay in touch.  More about him later, he is an interesting person!

I sold a jacket over the weekend and got ride of a couple bags of clothes/shoes.  But I also bought a new pair of walking shoes for myself and my husband, so I actually brought more in!  Plus, i must confess the store i found my walking shoes at had buy one get one half off, so i also bought a winter pair of casual walking-around sneakers.  They were not impulse buy, so that helps me keep in check.  At any rate, that is the wrong thing - bringing more in, but I got rid of my old pair and 2 pair of boots. My husband broke his in with a walk with me Sunday- worth the price!  One donated, one to sell.  I also washed sheets and towels and got a pie (froze) ready for this upcoming girls weekend.  Too busy for projects with all the apples!  But I have given out 13 jars already and have fun all winter giving and enjoying the apple butter! 

I went to see my Dear Grandmother (DG) Sat and took her and my aunt (PA) a jar.  My DG exclaimed "it is still warm!" and I barely had walked in the door when she was trying to open it and give it a sample.  I ran an errand at the store for her and so that made me feel good to help her feel good.  I won't get to see her for 2 weeks.  I have celebrated a couple of meaningful meetings with a couple of special women friends in my life and my gratitude cup is full.  I am happy for the present moment.  And then I come up with a title like today's post. Progress, not perfection.  Have a great week!

Week Day Grind

Week day grind
Still doing overtime, which is good for pocket book but making me feel a bit stretched.  I was able to sell couple items on ebay so that is good, more clearing out.  Took a couple things to thrift store donation.  Last night I cut up approx. 1/3 to 1/4 of the apples I got from my friend's farm couple weekends ago.  Wooo weeeee, my hand and back were tired when I went to bed at 9:30!  These are totally organic, so lots of holes to cut out.  I have 3 crockpots of apples cooking apple butter overnight and today.  I will prob buy another crockpot and get another one going tonight.  I picked out some of the best prospects for apple pie filling which I will do while the apple butter is cooking.  I will can apple pie filling Sat. I will can the applebutter Sunday.  It is a big job, but is nice to get it finished.  Makes great gifts!

I went on a nice walk after work Thursday and am almost finished with my latest audiobook.  It is about a woman who lost her husband and her life as she is dealing with that and deciding whether to date again in her 70's.  I did not even know what it was about when I checked it out of the library and downloaded it.  I just happenstance chose it.  But, I am enjoying her intellect and candid honesty.  She writes simply and effectively.  The subject matter just happens to resonate with me.  There was a passage I heard last night that made me stop on my walk and make note of it.  It was about how as the months have gone by and she is dealing with her loss, there are moments that she feels are almost intolerable, but just fleeting moments and then she is back from the floating feeling.  It was moving and beautiful.  I will write more on this later.  Another story for another day.  Maybe a rainy cold Sunday, writing from my office at home instead of a quick break at work, where I must be functional.  Have a great weekend!