Time to chill

Will likely be missing from here for a couple of days.  I'm needing some 3-dimensional life, and we all know that the computer only serves in a 2-dimensional way.  Have spent some time lately at websites featuring tea parties and home decorating, and they make me yearn to putter and re-arrange things---to look through a pile of magazines and just do lots of nothing.  Needing to recharge my internal battery, I guess.

For so long I've had a knee-jerk reaction to my days.  Someone jumps and I respond.  My mom has a need and we answer it (not to sound too angelic, but we have been busy).  The kids require help and here I go again.  It's been a never-ending cycle of seeing to everyone's requirements and forgetting to take care of myself.  Again, not trying to sound like the great responder, but my brain has gotten used to being on a high alert mode.  Time to shift that.

Was wondering if it'd be beneficial to me if there was one day a week set aside for playing---mental rest and relaxation.  Likely a no-brainer, and something I just need to DO.  So easy to get side-tracked with chores and things that need tending to.

Mothers of many are so often put up on pedestals (not been accused of this lately!), and folks will look at them in wonder trying to figure out how they 'do it'.  How to manage all of those balls that need juggling and those plates that are spinning constantly.  Well, most of mine have hit the floor and rather than clean up the mess, I'm rather in a mood to walk around it.

I'm just going to be in a restful frame of mind for a couple of days.  Try to get into my own head again and re-acquaint myself with me.  To somebody this will make sense. 

See you soon! :)

On a fresh Monday morning

Blog re-decorating once again.  I used a teacup print from P.P. Cane for inspiration, this time, but am a tiny bit frustrated at the title sort of disappearing.  Oh well.  Not big shucks, is it?  Will likely fiddle with it later on, when I have more time.  Changing template and even background puts paid to that problem. :)

Had a sweet Mother's Day, and in the midst of it Gary took me to see the river.  We drove over on the bridge----and over---and over.  My goodness, it spread out so far I was thinking in ocean sorts of terms rather than a river.  Arkansas got the brunt of it from my viewpoint, with so many acres of farmland underwater.  From what I hear, river water is an excellent fertilizer, but with the frustration of having to wait a year to plant---well, I'd be pulling my hair out if I had a farm in Eastern Arkansas along the river about now.  But here, lots of folks are having to re-locate.  The rivers that spin off of the Mississippi are backing up and Memphis is getting hit in various ways.  Again thankful to have our house slap in the center of town, away from the madness.

Feeling a tad more myself today.  Praying and hoping that it lasts.  We only have two more weeks of school left, and am excited to see the end in sight.  Can't say much for my teaching methods this spring semester.  With my mom's (now healed) broken arm and all of the drama that that entailed, our schooling has been haphazard at best.  Fourth son joked that we learned all about taking a person to repeated doctor's visits, how to read an x-ray, how to help a person up out of a chair who has lost the use of one arm....etc.  Life studies, I guess.  Thankfully we've all survived it. :)  Mom included.

Now off to pick up where I left off with housewifely duties.  On the book pile am re-reading Robert Benson's 'Between the Dreaming and the Coming True', a book by Sheila Kohler called 'Becoming Jane Eyre' (which I'm not sure about yet) and have a book review to write for Sally John's new one (enjoyed it very much).

Hope your day is special.

Wishing you a joyous Mother's Day

Making memories

The flooding of the Mississippi River is big news here, and since we live in Memphis, it's a hot topic all over town.  I asked the girl who checked me out at the grocery today if her home was safe, and she said yes, then returned the favor. 

I remember a flood in the '70s and my dad driving us down to the river.  The Corp of Engineers hadn't worked on building up of the wharf then, and there were sandbags on the edge of Riverside Drive, the road that runs alongside the river.  I thought that was so cool to see the river within touching distance...lapping at the road we were driving on.  Well, now Riverside is flooded and the foot of Beale Street is underwater as well.  But fortunately, downtown is built on a bluff, so most businesses will likely be fine.  Well, they will be if you count out the storm sewers backing up.  We'll see, you know?

Tornadoes here in the South followed by flooding (thankfully in different areas).  Can we have some dull days, please?

Funny how local situations overwhelm the residents and folks in other parts of the country just go about their business.  Guess we all get tunnel-vision when it concerns us, don't we?

On Friday

This week has been one of the most difficult I've faced in a long time.  I'm not immune to hardship, but some things have been tougher than usual.  Pride's had to go, along with a few choice other traits that I needed to give up on.  But it's all for the best.  Seems the Lord is weeding out some stuff that I've needed be done with, and has forced me to rely on Him more and more.  I think that's the way it's supposed to be, yes?

In other news, oldest daughter was planning on a trip to SW Missouri to visit friends next weekend.  We were to take her 1/2 way into Arkansas and the friends would pick her up and take her the rest of the way.  With the Mississippi River royally spilling its banks, she'll likely have to cancel the trip.  Over twenty miles of I-40 is closed in the westbound lanes because of a smaller river that's overflowing.  Truckers and other folks are having to make a detour of about 120 miles to get around it, and that's highway driving, and not expressway as an alternate route.  Time consuming.  And the Mississippi hasn't even crested yet.  There's more flooding to come.  Anyway.  She's very philosophical about it, though.  Said she'd just as well stay home and chill before starting her new job in June.  Obviously she adjusts well.

Taking deep breaths and tending to kids with colds again.  Seems we just did this.  The windows are up, it's a sunny day and we're just taking it easy.  The bills are getting paid in a manner that's not my first choice, but can't complain too awfully much.  Dinner is soup made up from this and that from the freezer and it's pretty darn good if I do say so myself.  About to whip up a batch of batter bread, which will go down well with the soup.

A restful weekend.  Absotively. :)

Taking a mental breather

Lots of heart-felt conversation going on here at home, and in my head.  As a solution to my personal angst, my sweet husband has suggested that I focus on home alone.  Home alone.  To be a mom and wife and forget the world outside.  To drop it off of my shoulders for a change.

Think I'll take his advice.  Good quiet time with my reading in the morning, plans for a good dinner, some house tidying and yard puttering.  Settling sorts of activities.  I'll focus on *us* and let the Lord take care of everything else.

A good plan.

Playing catch up

Life is pinching badly just now and finding it hard to put some things into words.  Add to that one son mentioning that some yutz has predicted an earthquake to hit this area (the new madrid faultline) on May 11th of this year.  And on top of that an approved dynamiting of a levee north of here, ON the fault line.  Tell me it's wise to use explosives on a fault line.  Really.  Tell me it's okay.  Supposedly folks 50 miles away felt the vibrations from the explosion.  I'm not liking it.

Glad God is in control, because I'm not a huge fan of those who think they're in control.  I get the idea behind the dynamiting, but the logic overall?  Not so sure.

The weather and life in general has been a bit over the top as well (not news to anyone in the South), and my faith----well, we won't go there.  I do still hear His still, quiet voice, but am rankling at what He's whispering to me.  Must be He thinks I'm a tad stronger than I believe myself to be.  Can't remember ever feeling so much NOT in control as I do now.  And you know, I realize I'm where I'm supposed to be at this very minute, but would rather be elsewhere.