After the wonderfulness of the holidays with all the kids & Emma & Claire home, life got cold…bitter cold. We had a horribly freezing cold January. There was twice when Danny & I never left the house for days. We read, we rested, we healed, we had cocktails, we talked about the future.
We took a quick trip to Florida for Emmas birthday which was wonderful….to be around the girls, our visits with Sara, the warm sunshine & just a break from winter in Kansas.
We got back home from Florida & in a few days our home of 45 years was on the market. Such leaps & bounds of uncertainty, hopefulness, & courage. While so many might think that’s an exaggeration, for two people that have only bought one home in their life & then proceeded to live in it for most all of their adult lives, it feels like all of these things.
As January came to a close & the temps of February were warmer than normal, we moved outside to work. And, then the cleaning out & clearing out began. Within a couple of weeks, we’d gotten rid of 45 years of stuff that had been filling our barn, our field, & some places in our home. I’ve been getting rid of stuff in the house for years & stepped it up this summer finally getting rid of a piano, a three piece corner piece that had belonged to my Mother, a hide a bed, etc.
We’ve also been checking off our medical stuff in the mean time, knowing once we move it will be a long time before we get new systems set up (it takes so freaking long these days to even get an appointment & it’s even harder if you’re a new patient!) With that said, I finally got the boot off my foot after three months! Gee, what a hell of a last 10 months it’s been…the second worst & most scary time in my life. My BP seems to have stabilized, & I have very few symptoms that come back & when they do, they don’t stay long….all of which I am so very very grateful…many times a day I say thank you that I am healing.
With the nice temps & no boot, I joined my walking group again….so grateful for these wonderful women’s company & joyful to be back on dirt trails. As I type this, I’m up to 20-25 miles a week & I don’t take one step for granted. My foot is not quite back to normal, but pretty good. The woods are so good for my mental state…that if there’s pain in my foot, it’s all worth it.
Danny & I have managed to get out for a bit of fun here & there…I’m really enjoying him being around & his not having to only be around on the weekends…there are really no more weekends for us…everyday is like a weekend!
I was super stoked when my friend Sherry, the biker & professional traveler, asked me if I’d want to meet her & Carly (her recent Logistics Queen) in Salina (about 2 hours from my house) as they would pass through the small Kansas town on the their way home from Little Rock, AR to Denver, CO. I couldn’t say YES! fast enough. It was a fun evening with dinner at a local brewery, then a late night chat in the hotel over good beer. I love to visit with Sherry….she is so positive & has such a wonderful outlook on life & I love her views & opinions she shares with me. It was so nice to have some girlfriend time & see her again & get to know Carly better.
Yesterday was St Pats Day & Danny & I went to the big parade that’s hugely popular in downtown Lawrence. My favorite float is always the last & always created by the Sandbar…always the most creative, the most energetic group of paraders & the best music!
Barbie Float! It was great! And our friend Eddie, made a fantastic Barbie strutting behind the float.
Our temps had dropped again & it was a super chilly day, but Lawrence always puts on a fun parade & always good to run into friends…so many I haven’t seen in a long time!
I am looking towards travel season & how that’s going to work with our house on the market. We both feel like we're living in such a state of uncertainty & it seems each day has more questions than answers. But as late spring gets closer, I can hardly wait to leave to get back out on the road, the trails, shooting photos, meeting new people, eating amazing food, camping in gorgeous places, & seeing all the beauty our country offers. Particularly since I missed out on all last summer…it was a horrible time for me which makes getting out this year all the more important & needed.
So, here’s to deep breaths, trying to ‘go with the flow’ & as everyone in my life has reminded me, embrace patience (so not my super power) & be surprised by what life presents to me!
Wishing you all a wonderful spring & may you personally grow, bloom & find sunshine!