Disappointed

I'm sure everyone has looked forward to something with great anticipation only to be disappointed. Well, I"m disappointed right now. I'm home sitting at this computer and not at our campsite on Fall's Lake. Oh, our stuff is there, but we're not because the rain won't stop. We had a beautiful day yesterday with temperatures climbing into the 80's, and the forecast was for a 30% chance of showers last night and a 50% chance today, so we thought we'd take a chance on going to the campsite and not cancelling our reservation made several weeks ago. So I took the day off, gathered all the gear and food, and we headed out mid-afternoon. After setting up camp, we were just about to eat dinner when the rain started falling; it had been sunny only an hour earlier. We quickly stretched a tarp over our screened tent over the picnic table or we would have gotten soaked while eating. The rain continued unabated through the night, tossing in one pretty good thunderstorm that woke us up. In the morning, our tent was sitting in about an inch of water. Thankfully, our air mattress was on top of 2 cots, so we were dry, but the water had made the soil under the tent mushy and had ponded at one end of the tent.
My disappointment doesn't some so much that we're not camping but that our grandsons won't get the experience. Two of them were going to join us today and spend tonight in another tent, which we thankfully had not yet set up. With a stream of showers heading in our direction, Bob and I decided to come home (the campsite is only 13 miles away) and take it easy in our dry house. I fixed bacon and eggs on our camp stove and brewed coffee for breakfast, but I was literally standing in an inch of mud as the rain continued to fall after a break in the wee hours of the morning. Those conditions were no place for a 10-year-old, a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old. The fishing and canoeing that we had planned aren't happening, and I'm bummed.
We'll be going to our son's house for dinner, and a tent will be erected in the play room over the garage for the kids to sleep in to ease their disappointment. The boys especially have been talking about nothing else for the last week - camping with Nana and sleeping in a tent. I'll leave the loaf of cinnamon raisin bread that I made so they can have French toast with it in the morning.
Bob and I will return to the campsite tomorrow morning; the rain is supposed to end tonight, but I don't want to sleep in a wet tent standing in mud. We may fix breakfast there if things have dried out enough, but we'll have to dismantle the campsite even if things are still wet. Our son and the boys will join us if the weather has broken, and maybe we'll get in some fishing, canoeing, and cooking over the campfire before we have to vacate the site.
No more long-range planning of camping trips for me. If it's a nice weekend, we'll simply go for one night on the spur of the moment. November in North Carolina can be quite nice temperature wise. In the meantime, Bob is napping, and I'm going to work on my Bible study of the Book of James.

I'm back - I'll be posting on both this blog and on www.AmandasHope.com - this blog allows me to keep track of my viewers.  Please keep reading!  You make it worthwhile! 

What a day! Today I've worked 7.75 hours (spent 1.5 hours of those looking for something that didn't exist but in the mind of an attorney in another office!); came home; scraped the mortar smoothe between the stones on the patio (don't ask me to explain); washed and dried 2 loads of laundry (well, the last load is now in the dryer); fixed dinner (fortunately, it was only for me so leftovers sufficed; Bob was at a meeting); watered the outdoor potted plants (we need rain again); did an aerobic workout, my first since my second back surgery a little over a year ago; paid a bill on-line; balanced the checkbook; and am now writing this blog. And what in all of this has eternal value? I'm not sure any of it does, but it's life.
As I was searched the file at work today, thumbing through correspondence and e-mails only to find out that it wasn't our problem if someone else couldn't find something in their file, I felt like I had been chasing the wind! Life is sometimes like that - chasing the wind. So many things need to get done, and when all's said and done, what has really been accomplished? Well, the patio looks better, the laundry basket is empty (but only for about 2 hours), I'm not hungry, the plants will survive another day, the power company won't shut off my power, and I know how much money we have in our checking account -- and to do aerobics for the first time in over a year simply made me feel good! Yet it all feels like chasing the wind! So much of life is necessary but seemingly pointless! Does anyone else feel that way?
I have 1082 days until I can retire at age 66, and I've got plans to do things that I can't find the time to do now -- writing more books will be one of them. Volunteering will be another, as will spending more time with our kids and grandkids. They are growing up too fast! More time in Bible study is also on the list. Traveling is not a priority for me; I haven't seen much of the State of North Carolina yet, so I would like to visit my back yard, so to speak. In the meantime, I'll have to keep chasing the wind and pray that God will bless the work of my hands in the doing of everyday life.

Moving!

This will be my last post on this website.  I now have a website for my book, and that's where I'll be doing my posting.  Please go to www.AmandasHope.com to continue to read my posts, as well as comment on those posts and learn about the book and how it was written.
I have yet to write about our wonderful vacation with five of our grandchildren (no, it was NOT a quiet week at the beach), about our financial crises (yes, more than 1), and about my aching foot (this is more than just tired feet)!  And through it all, God has been so good! 
I thoroughly enjoy writing and posting and, even though my readers are few in number, as long as what I write helps just one person, it's worth the time and effort.  So please pick things up at www.AmandasHope.com, and I hope you'll leave a comment or two to let me know you're still with me.
May God continue to bless all my readers.  I hope my written words have been an encouragement to all.

Busy Time of Year

Sorry about not posting for so long.  Life, as usual, is busy.  Last week my grandson Luke graduated from 8th grade, and the very next day my grandson Niland "graduated" from preschool.  These are major milestones in the kids' lives, and we were glad to be present even though it meant adjusting work hours for both me and my husband.
Luke was all dressed up in a suit and tie, a rare sight indeed.  The Catholic school he attended did not do the cap and gown thing, but Niland's preschool church did.  Well, sort of.  All of the 4 year olds wore men's white short-sleeved dress shirts, which they wore backwards, making them look like white gowns.  It was pretty clever.  Bob donated the shirt for Niland to wear, and the sleeves came down to Niland's wrists.  Some children wore long-sleeved shirts and had to have them rolled up.
We had dinner together as a family before going to Luke's graduation, and afterward, cake and punch were served.  It was hard to remember that the 8th-graders were only 13 or 14 years old; many of them, including girls, were taller than Luke, who is already 5'9" tall and still growing! 
After Niland's ceremony, where each child received a Bible, we went to the fellowship hall where the biggest cupcakes I've seen were served with juice and/or water.  Each child also received a colored metal bucket with a plastic shovel (beach equipment!) and a few other small gifts inside.  Little Julian, who turned 1 year old at the end of April, ate almost half cupcake!  That little boy loved it! 
On Memorial Day, which was last Monday, all of our family came over to our house for a cookout, which meant there were 21 people, including Bob and me.  I had expected only 17, but there was still plenty of food to go around.  The kids got to play in the sprinkler; it was a hot day, but showers in the area cooled things off.  We didn't see any rain at our house, but it did rain literally less than 1/4 mile away. 
Bob and I have removed a large portion of our deck and are replacing it with flagstone and plants.  The deck is huge, and most of it bakes in the sun all day, radiating heat.  The deck is only about 16 inches off the ground because we have a one-story home, so the ground under the deck never dries out, and the boards are starting to rot.  Many of the nails/screws are also rusted.  Now that the deck has been removed, we have been laying flagstone, which is backbreaking work.  Each stone has to be leveled while still sloping away from the house.  We currently have a little more than half the space done, but the rest of it will have to wait until we return from vacation.
We are heading off to Ocean Isle Beach close to the South Carolina state line this Saturday with my daughter and her family (4 people), and my son's family (5 people), as well as one other teenaged boy who is Luke's friend, so we will have a total of 12 people in a 5 bedroom 5.5 bathroom house.  My husband and I are looking forward to this time with family and each other, especially after this past year with both of us undergoing major medical issues.  Time like next week is precious. 
So we'll be soaking up some rays next week, and I'll actually be able to get in the water.  Last year I was 3 weeks out of back surgery and had to keep my incision at the small of my back dry.  It wasn't much fun!  So this year I'll be able to boogey board (yes, I do that, and rather well, I might add!) and walk on the beach without getting exhausted.  The beauty of God's creation never ceases to amaze me, and the shore is a place of tranquility and beauty where land-dwelling creatures meet those that live in the sea.  Two different spheres, yet one world.  Amazing! 

Sick!

You really don't want to know the details of how sick I've been with a flu bug this past week.  I'll spare you the personal details.  I missed a day of work Wednesday and have been back at work since then, but I probably should have stayed home; I need to stay very close to the bathroom! 
I've probably eaten in the past 3 days the same amout of food I usually eat in 1 day.  My intestines have sounded like a volcano erupting, but at least the pain, headache, and chills I experienced Wednesday have abated.  It could be much worse! 
Mothers' Day is Sunday, the day we honor our mothers in this country.  We usually have it at the houses of one of my children, but I decided to treat them this year and am hosting our meal together.  We are in the middle of our string of birthdays in my family; Julian turned 1 on April 27, my son-in-law John turned 43 on April 30, my granddaughter Cami turned 10 on May 5, my son turned 40 yesterday on May 10, and my daughter turns 43 on May 18.  So Mothers' Day is right in the thick of it! 
My daughter-in-law is taking my son, Nate, out for dinner tomorrow evening, so they'll be bringing their 3 small boys over to stay with us while they dine.  They will then be taking little Julian home with them, and Benny and Niland will spend the night.  This will be the first overnight for Benny, so it ought to be interesting.  I have to bake a cake and and muffins for Sunday before the boys arrive or I might not get it done.
Sunday we'll be off to church, then back home.  Bob will hurry to Raleigh to get his 89-year-old mother for the meal and afternoon, and I'll whip up some buttermilk buscuits and something else for lunch, along with some ham. 
The weather is supposed to be stellar.  We had record heat in March and April, and now we're a bit below normal, but not much.  Sunday should be a pleasant day with some clouds tossed in for good measure.
Even if you don't celebrate Mothers' Day, bless your mother Sunday -- if she's still living.  Without her you'd not have life. 

Goosed!

While coming home from work the other day, it landed upon me to protect the lives of 2 parent Canadian geese and their five gosslings -- at least I think there were five; it was hard to tell given the circumstances.
My subdivision is off a 4-lane, divided road that's almost like a highway because the speed limit is 55 mph.  Although it's very open, it's also curvy in one section right before the turnoff into the subdivision, and there's a divider of grass about 15-20 feet wide in the middle.  As I came around the curve the other day, I was in the left lane and was leading a "pack" of cars that had just gone through the light, and there, right in the divider and heading onto the roadway, were two geese with their little ones!  I was destined to hit them unless I stopped!  As I braked quickly, I turned on my car flashers and prayed that no one would rearend me or the car behind me!  The geese and gosslings were literally right in front of my bumper and heading into the right lane of traffic when I realized that the drivers in the other lane could not see why we were stopped, and my heart went into my throat as I feared that I'd witness the wipeout of an entire family of geese in a split second!
Fortunately, the driver of the first car in the right lane slowed down and stopped just as the geese waddled and squacked their way onto the other side of the road.  I watched them go as I tried to keep my eyes on the traffic backing up behind me, thankful that a pileup had not occurred and grateful that the goose family had successfully crossed the road.  Needless to say, I was a bit shaken by the event.  I just hope they don't try to go back where they came from!
There is a natural drainage area at the side of our property, and it runs the entire length of the subdivision and then goes under the 4-lane road, and as the water ponds there, it attracks all kinds of wildlife, including ducks and geese.  It's a natural area that invites them to nest and hatch their young, and since the geese don't have any reasoning capabilities, if they decide to cross the road -- well, they cross the road, and it's upon the drivers to not hit them.  I encountered this migration about two weeks ago when I was going to the bank and ended up behind a car that was protecting some geese as they crossed another road with their little ones.  Since I'm an animal lover, I'll stop and let them pass while I enjoy the sight. 
The black-capped chickadee babies in the nest in one of our birdhouses are finally gone.  Much quieter outside now!  Found a robin's nest the other day and are waiting for eggs to appear.  I love this time of year when nature reproduces and we're blessed with the cycle of life that God has established.  And today little Julian is one year old!  And I must remind myself that I'm a year older than I was when he was born!  Time passes, babies are born, children grow up, parents grow older, and grandparents grow old.  Grab every day with enthusiasm and thank God for it. 

New Readers!

I'm continually amazed at the internet.  For the first time, people in Brazil are reading this blog!  Welcome!  I hope you find truth and hope in my feeble attempts to convey God's love through my everyday activities.  Japan is also a newcomer, and Russian readers have been strong the last week.  I want you to know how much I appreciate your readership.  Without you I'd be sending these posts into cyberspace!
The internet is a powerful tool and can be used for good or evil, as every knows.  Technology has changed our world in the last two decades in ways that were only science fiction when I was a young girl.  I tell my grandkids about not having a television when I was very small, and when we got one, it had only 3 stations and everything was in black and white.  They smirk at me as they use their Droids to text their friends!  Satellite now brings so many stations into homes that it's ridiculous; we have satellite television and get a lot of stations, but we watch only a few that are our favorites.  Actually, we hardly watch television, probably not more than 10 hours a week, if that! 
Anyway, it would be great to hear from my old and new readers through posting a comment.  Again, thanks for reading and making my need to write rewarding and fulfilling.