Mulling Over the Days

 Every week for this year I have posted a list of the joys I find each day. Some days the joys are huge and some days the joys are small, but there is something joyful every single day if I just look for it. I will be sitting on the couch on New Years Eve to read all of the Wednesday posts so I can reflect on each day. Today makes the beginning of the 48th week of the year. I can't believe this much time has passed since 2020 began. Then again, it has been a difficult year for everyone so I guess I am happy to see it nearly over.

Wednesday: My class met but I understood we were going to be packing the non-perishable food for Thanksgiving boxes. I was wrong. I arrived with no book, wearing packing clothes. One of my joys is technology. I have a hard copy book that I take to class, but I also downloaded it because I like to read at night on my tablet. Since Kindle is synched to my phone it was easy to pull up the book and have it with me anyway. If you had told me this would be possible 20 years ago I would have laughed  and called you a liar.

Thursday: There is a certain joy in being able to give back to the community. I was able to help with a project our church does every Thanksgiving.

Later in the day it was my honor to be able to watch the participants of Independence Place of Alabama in their first live stream talent show. I was at my house watching it all alone and found myself grinning, tearing up, and applauding. I am putting the link to it here, though it might no longer be available. If it is and you are having a bout with the Covid doldrums give it a look. 

Independence Place Talent Show  The actual show starts at about 7:40

Friday: I waited all morning until the early afternoon for the painter to call me. He was supposed to be at Mom's house to do a little painting but was a no show. Hmmm. After calling him he said it would be  Monday. I guess I will see. Meanwhile, I got a lot of little jobs finished, but I would not start on the laundry room/freezer defrosting because I did not want to be in the middle of that project, then get called away to Mom's house. See how skillfully I managed to avoid that task!

Saturday: TheHub and I ran a couple of errands. The Peanut man was out in the parking lot on the bluff so we had to get some for game day (Roll Tide). Then we stopped at The Pig for a couple of game day essentials and headed home for a day of SEC football. Bama won so all was right with the world. And of course FaceTime with Pip  makes every day wonderful!

Sunday:  We had our usual streaming church service, followed by our Webex Sunday school class.  Afterward we had an argument that escalated. We both went to neutral corners (different levels of the house) and cooled our jets until we could apologize and move on. There is a joy in being able to disagree, mull it over and then apologize and let it go.

Monday: The painters finally came to Mom's house, but not early like I was expecting. Instead they came in the afternoon, worked a couple of hours and left. That would have been seriously irritating if my sister had not been there also. We went into her old bedroom which is our holding station for all those things we have to go through piece by piece. Mom had saved every single piece of correspondence she ever received. We went through boxes and boxes of cards, letters, notes, poems, and clippings. It was both bittersweet and hilarious. I found cards to Mom from Elizabeth Anne, which would have been before kindergarten when I dropped the Elizabeth permanently. We found notes we wrote to Mom, and school assignments for Mother's Days (lots of Mother's Day assignments). My favorite was one I wrote in the first grade: "My mother is sweet, My mother is beautiful, My mother can sing. Mother you're fat." Funny thing is Mom was never overweight, but I guess kids see things a little differently.

Tuesday: I waited on the painters until 2:30 when they called to tell me they were on their way. I had been showered and dressed since 7:15, and did have some big chores to do, but having no clue what time I would have to leave to meet them, I did not get them started. No way I could leave the freezer half defrosted. Again they worked a couple of hours then left and plan on finishing tomorrow!?! I suppose the true joy is the places where Mom snuck out of bed unassisted, lost her balance and dinged the sheetrock (including when her head went through it and another place her shoulder punched a hole in it) are now repaired and repainted. And we are now one day closer to having it on the market!

I also got a picture from one of my cousins who had come to Mom's and gotten some things she wanted. She sent me a picture labeled "Aunt N's. wreaths" which were hanging on the stair rail in her house. There were about five wreaths and a smiling grin on her grandson's face. The wreaths were cute, he was cuter!

Hope you all have a wonderful joy filled week and, for those in the U.S., lots of turkey and good things to eat.

And remember, time is getting close for the Christmas Card exchange. You send 3 cards to bloggers who join in, and receive 3 cards from others. It has been a great way to connect with those we read and have come to know through blogging. If you would like to join in we would love to have you. Email be your name and address : haljam27@gmail.com