A wonderful summer surprise

Our public pool opened!

Masks when not swimming,

(don't wear a mask while swimming you could drown!)

social distancing/limited capacity. 

We can do the adult swim and did so today it was really nice.

***

We've had AC/HVAC out 2x last week,

this week we had Internet guy out (waste of time sadly) one day,

fridge guy out today (fridge is a bit off) (we have a worry free contract as it were,

where we pay a monthly fee so that if there is trouble we don't get billed for 

a person coming out and fixing it, though I think we pay for parts).  

Lots of extra things. 

I am tired.

We are tired. 

***

I made chicken via crockpot yesterday...

Over half of a head of garlic, mostly in the chicken, one onion

in the chicken (would have added a second for the pot but was out of onions!),

carrots (did 3 should have done more), potatoes, in large chunks,

lots of oregano, a good amount of parsley and some thyme ground. 

1 small bottle of white wine at the end, salt and pepper.

Oh and I added a dusting of cayenne pepper, 

that did add some heat to it... 

***

I made Marion Cunningham's Rescue Biscuits again, 

so delicious! And easy, quick to make

and I never knead, roll out, measure or smoosh in anyway.

Nope, mix it till all the flour is mixed in 

and make old fashion Drop Biscuits with them,

just drop the batter in clumps and bake for 12 minutes.

Perfect every time!

I never worry about the biscuits touching,

they break off into pieces with absolutely no effort once baked! 

We had one each warm with jam when fresh out of the (toaster) oven

I made gravy with half of the chicken juice

from the crockpot chicken meal I made

and with the gravy and biscuit, this meal was so tasty!

***

Well... 

I am doing my best to focus on nice things this summer.

But WOW we are all in grief really.

The whole wish we had our life back to normal

and nothing is normal.

Yeah, that's grief. 

Think about it...

if someone was suddenly a widow, for instance,

part of her grief would be wishing for her old life,

with her husband.

Yep. Grief. 

Our whole world, I think a lot of the anger about the Dread Virus,

a lot of the impatience, it's in part because of grief.

It's the 'we want our life back the way it was' even though

the way it was, for now, is not exactly possible. 

And it's hard, it hurts, it's lonely, it's grief.

It's really hard to understand and everyone is hurting.

From elderly to children.

***

Once I knew an authority figure

(I was young and under this person as were others)

who would say things, sadly, that hurt, but if you read them 

on paper maybe it would not sound so bad

but when you heard it said and the way it was said,

it was cut-to-the-quick knife-in-gut hurt. 

Especially when you are young, like I was.

***

This grief in part feels like that.

Like my day itself was really quite fine.

The on paper it looks good.

I went swimming at the adult swim 

(i.e. only adults can be there, 7 to 9 AM) with my Husband,

we enjoyed meals together, I watched Murder She Wrote; 

I read Psalms and a bit more of the Elder Macarius book (wonderful!).

We ran into a friend, made tentative lunch plans, 

have lots of good.

***

But even though on paper it is fine,

I too, am in grief.

And I am feeling it again this week.

Seeing family feels like less and less a possibility.

It's hard.  

Lots of waiting and praying.  Hoping but yet seeing no immediate

reason to keep hoping.  

It's a roller coaster.

And in grief and in this pandemic, I think it is fair to say that 

there is a lot of confusion about what to do,

as nations, as cities, as people.

I sure don't know.

***

But I do know reading the Psalms helped.

Saying "Thank You" to God helps.

Doing what needs done is a help, laundry, meals.

It's part of our purpose.

***

Well.... that's today's report...and a bit of what 

I have been thinking about.

***

Lots of adjusting

and lots of calls for thanksgiving

in the midst of this world-wide-hard.

***

May God have mercy on us!

Lord save and help us!