Just Stuff

Man has it been rough in the entertainment field this week. We lost Ed Mcmahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. That was a pretty big hit, famous people wise I'd say.
Here at our house the big news is that I taught Haleigh how to play the card game rummy and she is now obsessed with it and has learned it so well that she is beating the heck out of me almost every time!
Amy got interested in the Twilight story and is now finishing up the last of the books. There were four of them I think.
And Matthew is working a second job as security at a Rodeo. He left not too long ago in his cowboy garb looking like a true cowboy!
Amy and I decided since there was not a man to feed tonight we wouldn't cook, just eat what we wanted of what we already have. Women can do that you know.
And that is about all that is going on around here at the moment.
Haleigh has a spend the night guest so I'm off the hook as far as rummy is concerned at the moment.
Amy is reading, Haleigh is entertaining and I'm watching TV, all is well in our world.

I'm Still Here

I'm not so in to blogging lately. You know how that goes. Sometimes you have lots to say and sometimes you just don't.

Nothing too exciting going on with me lately. Haleigh is out of school and two days a week it is just the two of us until her parents come home from work. We've had fun so far.

Yesterday the tide was way out and we donned our rubber boots and beached combed. We found huge star fish and what maybe was jelly fish and big crabs and crab parts and big sheets of green slimy sea weed.

Also I've been making muffins. I'm glad this family shares my love of muffins. Today we have Raspberry Lemon muffins and Orange muffins.

In a few weeks Amy and Haleigh will leave for their visit to Georgia. They'll be gone for two weeks. Man will I miss them.

All is well. I am not missing those hot days in Georgia. I still have days when I just want to cry and cry and Jonathan's birthday is Sunday. For a year I've not allowed my brain to concentrate on the moment when that trigger was pulled. Lately that's what I tend to go to. I worry that he felt it and hurt, I worry that he regretted it the moment he did it. I try to stay away from those thoughts but it occurred to me that maybe I need to think it all through to be able to move forward but it hurts too badly.

ANYHOW......enough of that. My life is full of laughter and sunshine and salt water and ocean smells and is filled with love from the people I live with. WHO could ask for anything more? I do wish to find a friend though, someone my age, another woman to talk to. Guess I have to get out in to the world for that to happen huh? ALL in good time.

Hope you are all well.
Love,
Robbin

I got to do some more exploring yesterday and take a look at this gate we saw going to some
one's house. I think I'd really like these people. Very unique for sure!

Beauty Surrounds Me

Yesterday I got to go to a little town called Port Townsend. We had lunch at Fins and this was our view while we ate outside. It was a pretty day and I had a wonderful time.

I love the drive to almost anywhere we go because you never know what you'll see. Maybe you will come around a corner and there will be mountains! Or there are rolling green pastures with cattle, sheep, buffalo, or alpacas. And always there is water, maybe the canal, maybe the sound, maybe a river, you never know, but it is a constant.

When I was a little girl and we'd get new calendars for the new year I'd look at the pictures of places that didn't look real to me. Now I'm living in those pictures!

The Garden is Growing

BEFORE>.........NOW.........

Tomatoes and Squash coming soon!

Pure Love

Today I got to attend my first ever dance recital. It occurred to me that I'd never ever seen a dance recital before, let alone a ballet. Raising little boys didn't take me to things like that. We mostly attended baseball games and football games. I did get to go to a few spelling B's.

The program was Peter Pan. Every age group was included from the tiny little toddlers to the teens. Haleigh was one of the parrots and I am truly not being bias when I tell you that in her little group of five girls she stood out as the best. Really! I promise.

My love for this little girl just gets stronger and stronger. If for no other reason this big move of mine has been worth it just to be with her. She is so amazing and though I've missed a lot, I'm entering her life at such a wonderful time. A time when she is still a fun loving, silly little girl but at the same time she is learning who she is going to be. The love I receive in return is as pure and beautiful as anything I've ever known.

I lived alone for a long time and missed the human touch. Only recently have I realized this. It is so natural for this wild child to ease her wiry body on to my lap, to give me a hug for no reason or to crawl in bed with me just to cuddle and giggle.

Sometimes on the weekends she and her parents go a few houses down to the neighbors to socialize and eat with their friends. I choose to stay home but that concerns Haleigh. Each time they go she'll ask me if I am sure I'm Ok with staying home alone and I'll say "Yes, Grandma likes to be by herself sometimes." and she'll say "I completely understand" but it is not unusual for her to come back home a few times to check on me. It makes me smile.

The other day she had worked on building her own bird's nest. Her father and I were sitting on the deck, her father reading something when she came to him and asked him if he wanted to come and see the nest. He told her he couldn't right then so she asked me and I said "Sure I want to see it." Without missing a beat she turned to her father and said, "SEE! That's why I have a Grandma!" And so it's true, that is why she has a grandma! I don't won't to miss another thing!

Sunday on the Run

Every one's pretty busy today. Matthew is playing a double header baseball game and Haleigh has a dance recital. I'm excited about the recital, it is Peter Pan and Haleigh is one of the parrots.
We are going to put a turkey breast in the crock pot and make some potato salad before we go and hopefully meet up for supper together. We'll see how that goes.
So, happy Sunday to you. Hope you have a good day.
Love,
Robbin

Grateful Thoughts

This is the tree I spoke of yesterday, so yes, Shirley, it is blooming and it smells wonderful which is what caused us to notice it more probably.
It is nice and I am so fortunate to be able to notice trees blooming, and spring smells and to bird watch. It is this time in my life I do not take for granted. I am lucky as not everyone, I know, would be able to take this sabbatical.
Each day I grow a little stronger and a little more like myself. And though life will never be the same, there is a life for me.
The chemo left me with no feeling in my feet or hands. Now it is only in the tip of my toes and fingers. The death of my child left me dull to the feelings of passion toward things I'd loved before. I feel that lifting some and I have faith that will continue to improve.
I do know had I not been able to be where I am at this point things would be not so good. So for this I am grateful.

Just Checking In

I can't believe I've not posted since Saturday but nothing blog worthy has happened and the week is half over. I've been reading out on the deck, we've bird watched in the afternoons and just enjoyed what feels like summer weather although it's not yet.

We did spend over an hour last night trying to research and idenify a tree in the backyard. That was fun and when we finally did figure out what it was we had to read all about it. Turns out it is an Acacia tree.

I need to do my laundry today, it could wait until tomorrow, so we'll see.
Hope your day is a good one.
Love,
Robbin