PIECES OF MY TIME

We had some snow. I love it. January should have snow where I live. While it fluttered down to the ground, I got a fire going in the fireplace. Ahhhh. I have no intention of putting it out until the temperatures rise outside and the snow disappears. The hubby's eyebrows will most likely lift when he receives the gas bill, but I do not care. And he knows I do not.

Mom is having her surgery on February 6. It is not a difficult procedure. A common one, in fact. It is not without risk, and it is those risks that make me squirm and fret. But, maybe it will be enough to see to it that her heart no longer plunges to dangerously infrequent beats while she is asleep. And do not ever let anyone tell you that losing someone you love does not cause a heart to break. Her heart was fine until Daddy passed away. Then, it broke. How could I be convinced otherwise? Do not even try. Emotions can wreak their destruction on our bodies as surely as they can also bring us tremendous joy and glowing health.

My big mouth and my always-present big ideas may have done me in. Last quarter, I took a watercolor class. I have taken classes from this same gentleman numerous times. At the end of the quarter, I said to him, "Hey, how about for winter quarter having one of our assignments be painting a doorway?" He thought that was a good idea. Tuesday nite was the first nite of the winter session. What is one of our painting projects? A DOORWAY! At first I was excited that he recalled my wish. Now that I have been scouring the Internet and my own photographs to find a doorway I want to paint, I am thinking I should have kept my mouth shut. ::long sigh:: I cannot find what I want. I have looked at thousands of doors. None are catching my fancy. As of this moment, I am leaning toward one of the following two: my own front door or the door of a chapel on E. Delaware Street in Chicago. I am perched on the steps in front of it, but I can easily get rid of THAT image. ::laugh:: Class was fun, and two of my three sisters take it with me. We went out afterward and had our usual good time.

Speaking of my sisters. Today I ordered them Christmas presents. Uh huh. CHRISTMAS. We always give something as a "side gift" to each other...strictly a personal item, in addition to the regular gifts. Well, I fell in love with a Waterford Crystal Lismore square ring holder. I need something like that for myself. Instead of ordering just one, I ordered four. I know all of them could use one, too. Smart money says that once I receive the package in February, my sisters will get their Christmas gift right then. I get too excited to wait. And to wait for ten months to give it to them? Not gonna happen.

I had a chance to exercise some measure of skill writing the words that will go on a permanent bronze wall plaque honoring my father. I am the family's designated writer, so I was put in charge of that task. It took me some time to think just what I thought should be on there and how it should be worded. I am happy with the results. Instead of having it only be a recitation of facts easily found in other places, I made sure to include the parts of the man that do not go into record books. His kindness. Compassion. Intelligence. Humor. Loyalty. Integrity. And those are the most important parts of a life lived. He would be pleased with my words. My family is.

I got to see how red my daughter's boyfriend's face can turn. I think it might have been ALMOST as red as my own. I did not know he was here at the house, and I came out of a room wearing only a tank top and string bikini panties. Guess who I bumped into? Enough said.

Have I ever mentioned that being in my forties is probably one of the best and worst times of my life?

"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same." ~Anne Frank