Life

I’ve had a blog or website for 21 years now. WOW. That’s a long time.  When I started I had a nursing baby and was educating a passel of children at home.  We’ve had a bakery, moved a couple of times and are now back in the house we started in when I first started a website.

These days I think more about grandchildren, Church and gardening than curriculum and weekly menus.  Life has certainly slowed down. There are ups and downs to this. I’ve also been thinking about the changes in our life from when we had children at home and now that we’re just the two of us.

My house stays clean longer.  I have to admit I don’t miss the daily scrub and clean that I felt compelled to do when all the children were here nor do I miss the loads and loads of daily laundry. I don’t miss the marathon room cleanings. I do miss having people to talk to all day.  This is a conundrum. I am very comfortable by myself in my own company but I got used to having someone to talk to all day. So being alone all day has been a new thing.

My children are marvelous adults. We have 5 and the youngest one just got engaged.  I am really blessed to see them all as adults.  They come to see us regularly and if you have adult children you know how welcome this is. They call, text, visit, and they do things around the house and yard that we’re not able to do any more. They share their children and just come hang out sometimes. they take me for coffee and come chat with their dad. Now this is one of the perks of raising children who like you and whom you like and enjoy being around. They keep coming back and they bring others with them. And I mean that in a great way!

So life is taking a new turn and I’m along for the ride.  Its mostly changing for me because my husband still works. I’m thankful for his education and his job. At our age, we’re blessed to have an income and not need much to live and live well.

I am able to spend more time in prayer and Bible study these days and I like that too. We’re still very busy at Church, serving here and there and enjoying it. I take an active roll in the ladies group and that is very enriching for me. I still lead worship, its been 20 years in this particular Church.  I am teaching a young person how to do it, so hopefully I will have someone to hand it to one day.

We haven’t had a garden in a couple of years, mostly because my husband isn’t able to work outside like he once was. But this year I plan to put out a small one.  I was thinking of putting out tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, onions, green beans and okra. Maybe some squash. I’ve got a fellow coming to break a 10×20 foot space in May. This is a far cry from growing and canning 150 quarts of tomatoes and another 150 quarts of green beans every year!

Life is so slow these days.  I do like it but its just so different!  I have my family around me and I have purpose in life. But its way different than it once was. I guess the whole point of this rambling are these things: Raise your children with love and care, be sure you are good to them and be sure you figuratively and literally let them go so that they want to come see you when they’re out of the house. Find something or somethings that you really enjoy doing and do it. Be at peace with your spouse and family. Have a strong bond with your Church family.

Use my life as described here to help you sort of look into the future. You can change things now.