Playing Catch-up

Today makes the 3rd day in the last 15 that I'm home. That fact alone makes it terribly hard to be productive. At 8:45 a.m., after my eyelids became unglued, I saw daylight slipping through the blinds of the bedroom. Dragged body out of bed, ran hands through bed-hair to get rid of the biggest lumps. Headed downstairs to enjoy two cups of coffee on the  sun porch, watching the cats listen to the squirrels chattering while they gathered acorns.

I've come to realize / and, or admit - I can still do most everything I could 20 years ago - it just hurts more and takes more time to recover!

Daughter #2 is moved into her sweet house in Idaho - it's perfect for her family. Porch that wraps around three sides, room in the yard for a trampoline; there's a hot tub, a barn, a fire pit and a guest house in the backyard, which we plan to make use of this Thanksgiving (and for a month next summer.) I'm so thankful I got to see where they will be living. It's hard to love someone and not have a clear picture of what their life consists of.

Daughter #1 surprised us. Sarah Grace Elisabeth decided to make an early entry - 11 days early. While I was still in Idaho. Hasn't every mother felt those pangs of wanting to be in two places at the same time? And is there a harder day than when you know your daughter or DIL is spending the day bringing another grandchild into the world?  After 7 times I can say it feels a bit like pulling my fingernails off, one at a time.

DIL finished her two weeks of training in Boston, is trying, day by day, to figure out how to juggle marriage, two small children who tend to pick up every germ there is, housework, family, etc. After spending a bit of time there while she was in Boston, I feel tremendously blessed that I get to go in once a week to love on two of our grandkids. They've begun to call me 'Mammy' and I quite like it!

Which leads to my word of the year: CONSIDER. Consider how I spend my time, energy, resources - whose life do I want to invest in, whose life am I called to invest in. And if I'm going to do that, possibly I need to do a better job of taking care of myself.

I'm confident ANY mother, no matter her age, completely understands what it feels like to pour yourself out and out and out and not find time to refill.

So I'm dealing with a sore back again - third time in 14 months, and I'm off to the chiropractor, albeit a different one. One who takes x-rays and believes in wellness. Believes the patient needs to be proactive in restoring their health, and not just climb on the adjustment table 2 x a week forever.

Speaking of babies, mine will be 30 in late January. After my daughter #1 gave birth I realized that's the time when you are absolutely the most out of shape (unless you're a crazy runner or something). I ordered two copies of a DVD - Body after Baby - one for Sarah and one for me. My goal now is to be in good shape by my baby's 30th birthday. That's about the last time I saw anything that resembled a stomach muscle, had strong legs and arms that would hold up to leaning over a crib and lifting a 32 lb toddler out. Or pulling up carpet. Or washing baseboards. Or moving when our house sells.

House is showing some - we've had some good feedback, so we're encouraged. Don's scheduled a complete shoulder replacement right after Thanksgiving. Days are beautiful here now - vivid blue skies and crisp air, leaves beginning to turn just a little. Football on a few evenings a week, sweater-knitting is going on. Weekly chili and cornbread, and yearnings to bake pies, sew, read.

Oh yeah, Anna Karenina is coming out at the movies in November, so daughter #1 and I are reading it together. I told her she's spending a good chunk of her time sitting, nursing a baby so it should be easy to get through in time. My reading is being done in a scalding bath, soaking this body that's still a work in progress. That's about it for here right now. Hope everyone out there is enjoying fall as much as we are.