Saturday September 19, 2015  FLOGGING FOR MY BLOGGING

Well, as my mom would say, “you are in Dutch”.  Has anyone ever heard that saying before?  In today’s language it means I am in hot water.  To say it more bluntly, I am in trouble!  I bared my soul last night and my sister in California (who has not been to my home in probably 20 years or so) was absolutely HORRIFIED that my house is in the condition it is in.  I must have made it sound even worse than it is.  First off, we have quite a large home so I can have a mess and still have a very neat and organized living area without anyone ever seeing behind the scenes.  What she does not realize is how very busy every moment of my life has been for the last 15 years or so with my photography business.  When you own a business it seems like your life is no longer your own.  Once our home was reconstructed I never had the time to get into the rooms we stored everything in and sort it out and reorganized.  I used minimum supplies from what I stored and shut the door. 

Things are different now.  My business is over (almost), my studio is dismantled waiting to be priced for a sale I will have in the spring (everything in Wisconsin is predicated by the seasons), and slowly between mine and my husband’s health issues that must be addressed as they crop up, I am sorting and purging and cleaning.  And when I came home from my travels I had a professional come in and clean the entire floor we live on.  Is there still a lot to do?  Yes.  Is it going to be the end of the world if it is worked in around our living rather than stopping life and just tackling it?  No.  Would I like to have it done?  Yes.  Well then, what is stopping me?  Again, predicated by the season.  Garden season is almost over and later I won’t have the work that comes with harvest. 

My sister was so horrified that I think she actually became upset with me.  All said in an email but she has issued a decree that she wants to have a conference with the both Dave and I in the near future with her email printed out so she can go over it.  My sister is 9 years older than me and takes on the persona of a mother when it suits her.  I let her.  I just choose not to get upset about it.  I think her letter was written seriously but I could not help but chuckle all the way through it.  Like I said, “I AM IN HOT WATER WITH HER”!  We are about as opposite as you can get and still be sisters.  And more than likely according to her, she is the good opposite.  As I write this blog I am beginning to wonder if I will actually post it.  Dave is already in bed tonight so I won’t have a sounding board.  I’ll give it some thought.  In other words, I guess I better get my house organized!  But I still can’t help but chuckle.

So, now I will change my topic and go to today!  It was a wonderful day until I read her email.  Sister, I am truly sorry that my lifestyle has horrified you so.  Just so you know, I sit here in a clean and healthy environment.  A little cluttered? Maybe.  But, just so you know, I am totally happy, content and totally enjoying each and every day.  As I have said before, my interior world is a wonderful place to exist.  You are the one who told me to enjoy my life, and I took your advice very seriously.  Well, I do enjoy it very thoroughly.  So today we had a thoroughly, wonderful day.

My son is attending law school, works full time plus overtime, has a wife, two young sons, and very active with his boys.  I knew he had two law papers due, and had just worked a long overtime shift at work.  When I spoke with him yesterday he sounded exhausted.  So I suggested Dave and I pick up the boys today and take them on an outing and then to our church picnic.  They sounded very pleased.  So our day was packed from the time we got up until we arrived home from the picnic, showered the boys, had story time and tucked them into bed (actually a pallet on the floor).  The oldest one was asleep before Dave finished the stories.  The 3 year old was asleep before I could get down onto the floor to kiss him goodnight.  We had a blast.  Earlier in the afternoon we went to the Amish community because I needed to go to the Amish store there and buy some supplies before we left on our trip.  Both boys were intrigued by the horses and buggies, the clothes the Amish wore, the lines full of fresh wash blowing in the breeze, and the store without electricity.  We explained a lot about the differences in how the Amish live in comparison to modern day conveniences.  When I asked Zach (7 year old) which way would he like to live, he answered quite promptly, “like I live, not like they live”.  I think it was the lack of computers and T.V. that was quite the head turner.  

The Amish community is quite a ways out of town and we drove through back country roads most of the way.  Keeping the boys awake in the car is always an accomplishment so we had a little “school time” in the car.  Every event for me is a time to teach.  They learned about silos, crops of corn and soy beans, drying the corn, planting and harvesting.  We ended up playing “I spy” looking for all the silos.  Even the three year old had an eagle eye.  He found silos the rest of us missed.  The day was perfect with blue sky and puffy white clouds.  The temperature was in the 60’s with a high of 70.  The air was crystal clear from the last two nights of storms and lots of rain.  The fields were beautiful in the late summer day.  This week is the beginning of autumn.  I wish I could paint words to describe the beauty I breathed in today.  I have so been longing for a day such as this, when Dave drives and I just have the pleasure of beholding the beauty that God spreads out before us each day, if we but take the time to observe.  It was worth every moment of not being home organizing my house.

My grandsons are asleep in the living room floor (remember I have company coming and I already have the bedroom all spruced up for her), my husband is tucked in, the kitchen is clean, towels are washing and I am here doing what I love to do.  And all the boxes that need sorting and purging are sitting very peacefully in the two rooms downstairs awaiting my attention.  I would rather have the memories of this day with my grandsons than have a house that is perfectly put together.  I don’t think the kids will remember the mess (especially since they do not see it) but I think they will remember this picnic.  It was truly awesome.  If I have time I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow.  It was held at an old farm with the most amazing barn and out buildings.  It had lots of playground equipment for the kids, crafts to work on, and lots of other interesting games to play.  I even went down the slide.

AND SO I CHOOSE

By Kathleen Martens

September 19, 2015

What is the worth of a day set aside

When memories are created that will abide

In the hearts and souls of two little boys?

What else could be worth so much joy?

To be spontaneous is sometimes best

When you can pursue the latest quest.

Places to go and new things to see,

A time when your spirit is totally free.

Childhood is over all too soon,

And responsibility sings its tune.

And grandparents grow too soon old,

And grandsons grow too big to hold.

So celebrate life while you still have breath

All too soon will come our death.

And so I choose to enjoy each day,

While my grandsons still like to play.

REMEMBER:  THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE.  REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT.

(Even if your house is messy)!

Good night and God bless you.

P.S.  I have no one to help proof this blog tonight or to give me their opinion as to whether or not I sound disrespectful to my elder sister.  I would like to make a disclaimer here.  In no way do I mean to be disrespectful or hurt anyone’s feelings.  I wrote from my heart.  Nothing my sister could say would ever make me love her less.  Even though she is “HORRIFID” with me (her word used several times), I hope she feels the same.  I actually hope you are smiling.  I am.