After the Storm

#616 - Every cloud really DOES have a silver lining!

#617 -Velvet green blanket spread across the hills.

Gifts from the past 12 hours...

#610. Road signs that bring a smile.

#611. Mysterious midnight moonlight wash over a darkened world.

#612. Tummy dropping undulating country road taken at speed!

#613. Meadowlark's melodic song ringing in the stillness of late summer grasses.

#614. Velvet nose kisses and sweet grass breath.

#615. Treasure hunt, gifts recognized in the moment--skin-splitting joy embraced!

Still Counting

#601. The Voice found and singing! Words on the page...relief!

#602. Honest people who turn in lost wallets of worried 18 year olds.

#603. Fur free floors and carpets.

#604. Less dust now that "Mr. French" does the vacuuming each day.

#605. Writing space and time and the dependence it causes on God.

#606. Friends' and family members' status updates on Facebook.

#607. Hooded sweatshirts and warm ears.

#608. Soft nickers, a request for a horsie back rub.

#609. Predictability of seasons.

Continuing to Build...

#595. Whisker stubble in the sink.

#596. Bubbles scrubbling my throat and tongue.

#597. Dog cuddles.

#598. Guitar strings singing.

#599. Paths winding around our home--carved by repeated use of so many deer.

#600. Down comforter comforting.

With An Act of My Will ... Continued...

#589. Clean dish towels. They are no longer are all over the floor left to "blot up" imagined drips. LOL!

#590. Music playing throughout the house whenever I want. Nanner nanner MOO MOO!

#591. Space in the kitchen for making dinner. No need to negotiate around someone else making his dinner (since he rarely ate the one I prepared).

Now...in all honesty, even though yesterday and today I have been choosing to give thanks to God for things that I can experience now that the "nest" is "empty," I also have to fill in the gaps left... so I do all the laundry now (there is less of it, true), empty the trash, and do all the horse chores. I do miss those things that the kids did to chip in as members of our family. I miss the DLF lunches we enjoyed, too.

But I am definitely learning to enjoy these other things and I think it is ... ok!

#592. Twilight drives with hubby with the convertible.

#593. Texts from baby-dre.

#594. Activity of "D" man visible on Facebook. :-)

With An Act of my Will...

Note: Since I am struggling so much with this "empty nest" thing, I am choosing today to thank God for any blessings that I possibly can that might be a result of the kids no longer being here. This is one of the hardest things for me to do, as I would love the noise and mess of having the kids here if I didn't have confidence that they are right where they are supposed to be. So, with an act of my will, I choose to give thanks:

#581. Quiet in my home. No TV, games, or YouTube videos playing on laptops.

#582. Counters clean...all day, even!

#583. Empty sink...no new dishes!

#584. Washer and dryer available any time I need them.

#585. Cabinet devoid of numerous almost-empty Hershey Syrup bottles.

#586. No more almost-empty ketchup bottles in the fridge. (There is a theme here!)

#587. Solicitousness  of two canines who wonder where everybody is!

#588. Meals eaten at home.

Continuing the Count...

#574. White egret, regal bird, atop a pine in a Chicago suburb--tenacity!

#575. Baby's sticky waves and smiles: Reminder of young parent joy.

#576. Silken tresses falling over arms: Embracing my woman-child.

#577. "Mommy"--a precious word from the lips of a young adult.

#578. Pipe organ crescendo in Edman Memorial Chapel.

#579. 1000 voices lifted in harmony, asking God to "Be Thou My Vision."

#580. Prayers of Loved-One-For-Life for me and for our children.