Monday, November 24, 2008

Life: Sweet and Sour

Sweet: My daughter surprised me with a small blue vase she had seen and thought I'd like...which I did. She bought it for no other reason but that

Sour: She's moved out this weekend, and we're not sure we'll have Thanksgiving this week together

Sweet: Jack has more work this week...HUGE yay!!

Sour: He and I won't have Thanksgiving together, since he'll be working. I'll pack him a bang-up meal, though!

Sweet: The air is springlike here...such wonderful, incredibly beautiful days!

Sour: We're losing a few plants either to the temp changes or to the fact we were over-eager in putting manure on some of them

Sweet: Our neighbor brought us a third trailer load of free manure!!

Sour: Jack's leg is preventing him from doing any work on the hardpan that we're trying to tun into garden beds for spring.

Sweet: Our bills are met as of today

Sour: Tomorrow's bills look bigger due to circumstances

Sweet: I'm feeling healthy, have gotten some outdoor things done, am working on the indoor ones, and am sleeping well at night most of the time

Sour: I'm missing my daughter and for some reason really really missing my family dog we had to give away 4 1/2 years ago. Very strange to feel that at the same time as missing my daughter, but sometimes you just need your dog. I need to GET a dog, but it wouldn't be responsible right now. Not that I'd be entirely responsible if I were the only person in this household, but I have a hubby who reminds me there'll be a right time, and he's right. Doggone it.

Sweet: I've loved looking at the Dogs Available for Rescue sites.

Sour: I'm in love with one of them and can't rescue him. Note to self: Do NOT look at rescue dogs right now...

Sweet: I'm glad my daughter has survived her teen years and is now a young adult. There are so many things I love about her!

Sour: Did I mention I'm missing her?

Sweet: We are well stocked now for most of our dry staple foods.

Sour: Jack was told he can have NO starches or dairy, except yogurt, oatmeal and maybe beans. Most sugars are out, too. NO bread, cornbread, desserts, breaded things, cheese, milk sour cream, etc etc. This is a GOOD thing for his health! It's a BAD thing for the pantry now stocked with so many starches.

Sweet: We did get the freezer, and stocked it with frozen turkeys on sale for $.79/lb. We're ecstatic about this!! There was enough budgeted for that to get a few bags of fish, too. Fish is our weekly "date meal" we usually have as a treat at a restaurant once a week, if finances allow. Now we can have it at home, deliciously, and if we want to get out of the house for a "date" instead of staying at home, we can just have a cup of tea out or some 2 for 1 coupon special, which we like just fine.

Sour: As we were almost done in the checkout line buying all those turkeys, the man in front of us told us of somewhere we could have gotten them for $.59/lb....whoa!! But it would have involved a pretty long drive, and all things considered, we went ahead and got the $.79 ones anyway. No problem :) I just wonder how much more $$ we could have squeezed out of the $.59 ones if I had just called around first...

In the end, the sweet wouldn't be nearly as sweet without the sour. And I'm grateful for the whole shebang. We're keeping a lot of things in prayer, namely our need to sell our vacant residential lots that are sitting in this stagnant market. And we're praying for others, too...friends and loved ones far and near. It's true that life's much bigger than just our little piece of it :) God is good, and I always think of that simple Robert Louis Stevenson line from A Child's Garden of Verses (something I always read to my daughter when she was younger)...

The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.

I wrestle with anxiety, sadness, and restlessness over many developments that have arisen as challenges in areas not on the above list. I also am beset with gratitude, gratitude, and more gratitude for all the things I'm blessed with. If I'll keep a child's-eye view, I WILL see so many things from a much more "royal" perspective...

:) Til later...

13 comments:

It's me said...

Missing your babies seems to be going around this week.

Last night I kept weeping over my little sweeties. It didn't help that I listed to songs like "He's my son" and "In my daughter's eyes" and "Stealing Cinderella". Crud... I was an emotional basket case! Luckily, BabyGirl still lives with us - we just don't see her very often - and YoungSon will be home Wednesday.

Perhaps it's the world situation that makes us want to gather in the flock and have our little chickies near us?

Anonymous said...

sorry about missing your daughter so much...but glad you are seeing some sweets!

Anonymous said...

I think this time of year is the worst for missing things and people. I heard a song on the radio yesterday (You're Gonna Miss This - Country song, Trace Adkins) and started the crying fest. Thinking about my kids...and they live here in the same town. But I don't see them enough,and I do miss so many things.

Robbyn, never, ever, ever look at rescue dogs unless you are ready to get one (you know that now, right?:-))

Our local PetSmart has dog adoption day on Saturdays, and have animals up for adooption outside on the sidewalk. We pass there going to the grocery sometimes, and I finally learned I have to turn my head the other way and not even see them.

Hang in there. :-/

Donna. W said...

I'm not in the market for a dog at all, but I can't resist going to the animal shelter websites and browsing. I, too, sometimes find a dog I love. I have Sadie, and one dog is enough!

Why do we do this?

Shelby said...

oohh I know you must be missing her.. hugs!

Mrs. K's Lemonade Stand said...

You really are on the emotional roller coaster ride, aren't you?

It's tough when kids leave the nest but it is also a reminder that you did a good enough job parenting so they are able to do so. :)

Try not to let life get you too down. Keep looking for those sweet sides.

Granny Sue said...

Robbyn, you're going through a tough time. Yet you manage to see what is good in your life at the same time you recognize what's not so great. Your honesty touches my heart. Bravery is not just the land of the famous.

jayedee said...

((((((robbyn))))))
i think you rock like kiss!

Gone2theDawgs said...

It's good that your sours are balanced out by your sweets! You know you don't HAVE to celebrate Thanksgiving on the "official" day have it on a different day when you can all be together!

renaerickson said...

Just a thought for when you are in the market for a dog--Craigslist has many, many free dogs. I've never been impressed with shelters. I think the folks love to play with animals but aren't very interested in placing them in homes. I enjoy reading your blog. We are six or seven years into our homesteading experience and are just starting over in a new state.

Country Girl said...

Great format for you post! I enjoyed reading all about your sweet and sours. I can imagine when my kids are grown and move out. I am working on brainwashing them to bulid out back on our land...they will probably both move away (I hope not)
Enjoy the holiday!

Unknown said...

My eldest left home at 16 to live with a family close to her school & later college (I was a single parent by then); my son ran away rather than come to Ireland with us & has lived in another country for the last 3 years. I dread to think in what state I'll be when my "baby" leaves home ~ I may celebrate as I won't find all her stuff in MY room because her 2 are messes & she can't find anything! I'm comforted by the thought that my elder 2 have been brought up to be independent & are doing well at looking after themselves & husband in the case of my elder daughter.

The stray dog is still with me, despite my saying that he is NOT staying! The dog warden never turned up to collect him & he's so sweet & adoring. I'm hardening my heart against Piri's pups, so I don't keep any of them ~mI am trying to persuade my mother that she would like another dog though & these pups are so sweet & tiny...

Robbyn said...

Meadowlark, Amanda, Paulette, Donna, Shelby, Mrs. K, Granny Sue, Jayedee, Wrensong, Rena, Kim, Killi...

I love you guys (well, gals!) so much... thank you for your great insights and words of wisdom, and your friendship! I hope you all have the very BEST thanksgiving this week!