Getting what you ask for

I received a love letter. An honest to BY GOD love letter. It just makes me giggle and tingle all in one fell swoop.
Now let me back up. My husband writes a weekly column for 5 small newspapers. Every Sunday afternoon he sits down to write. Prior to that, the ritual is for George to ask what I think he should write about. This week with Valentine's coming up I said he needed to write me a love letter for the papers.
I was kidding.
Well, maybe not completely....
What I received was wonderful. It won't be in the papers. Kinda glad about that one.
Another actual column was written and sent on.
But my letter, all wives should get one just like it. So should the husbands.
Every day. Not just Valentine's. Let'em know they are loved.

I have my morning coffee beside me, dogs at my feet and the house is beautifully quiet. The papers are read and no real demand for the day has started. One of the best times of the day.
George and I occasionally get a whole day just like this. Usually the weather is not conducive to being outs.ide but the kids have other places to be and we are not a part of the plan. Those are the days we plan. Plan to paint, plan to expand the garden (growing more peppers than we could ever hope to eat), plan to cook and plan to go - anywhere. Not that some of these plans will come to fruition or that we are setting ourselves up for disappointment if we don't do all that is set out. Not the case at all. It is just out loud thinking between the two of us.
If just one thing transpires because of these talks, well that is icing on the cake. For now, plans are painting the kitchen, new types of squash in the garden. New petunias and geraniums out front. Santa Fe in June.
A lovely way to start the day.

Start Writing

Start writing now. I like blogs and I like writing when I get the time. The time does not come as easily as I would like, but when it does, writing can be a joy.
For the life of me, after reading this morning's Great Bend Tribune, it becomes painfully clear the writing for some is not joyful at all. It is bigoted, harmful and detrimental to the public it is intended for in Midwest Kansas.
So, my request to any who might read this. Write what you believe. Send it in to any local papers. Please encourage tolerance, compassion and reason.
Please.

The thing you can't have

I wrote that our stove needs help. In this house, that kind of event can cause life altering trauma. Really.
I love to cook. It helps me relax. It helps me focus. The first thing I thought of when George said, yup, we need a repairman (6:00 in the evening when one is not available), was all the food I wanted to make that I had not even considered 15 minutes before. In fact, our oldest was in the process of cutting up veggies to use in a chili she was making for the family. I wasn't even doing dinner.
Didn't matter. The stove was sick. "Oh no! What are we going to do? Oh the humanity!"
The repairman will be here this afternoon. I work during the day. All should be well. I will even eat lunch at school. I won't have to look at the wounded and feel its pain.
Perhaps I need therapy for this?

It is February. Traditionally known as the "F" month in our household. Tradition held true to form today.
Our stove, only 1 year plus a couple months old, blew a connection, leaving a charred place on the wall behind and a melted connection at the back of the stove itself. Lovely.
The only thing to do is have the stove fixed.
I don't mean to be pessimistic, but what is next?

Budgets

Our USD is facing budget cuts, again. Along with all the other school districts in the state, we are having to cut because of mismanagement at a state level and an ongoing face of the country right now. Staff will be cut and duties shifted to others with no additional remuneration.
Lovely.
Is this a bit of a rant? Yup.
But, I have a job. Some can't say that. And I can see my kids every day. I can see my husband at lunch. I can be with my family when they need me and it is ok. When my father died, my coworkers picked up when I could not. I have had kids (not my own) rely on me to be there when they are having a bad day.
Hmm.
The perks still out weigh the cons.

Stubborn

A little over a week ago we had a fog and frost all rolled up into one. I warned our son as he walked out the door to school to be careful, it was slick. I warned my husband, too. Thirty minutes after doing so, Fiona and I walked out the door, down the block and just enjoying a little mother/daughter chit chat.
So, it is pretty obvious at this point what happened. Yup, down I went and yes, the first thing I did after moving was to look around to see who might have seen. Then I realized that I HURT!!. Man! I have fallen before but this hurt. But, more importantly, I needed to get to the house and change out of dirty clothes. I shelved the hurt and got dressed and then went to work. Then I realized that parts of my body really smarted. Everything moved so I thought I was good to go.
Now, I am not so sure. Ther are places left still hurting, lumps still in existance that should have gone down by this time.
Do I go to a doctor? Do I have an injury that should have been looked at to begin with but was too stubborn to spend the money?
Maybe things will disappear by tomorrow, or maybe Tuesday. Yeah, I can wait another day. No problem.