Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words?

A picture may be worth a thousand words BUT only if the story-teller who took the picture is around! This has become so very real to me the past couple of days as I've sorted through pictures trying to find ones to put in my boys' memory books. I've got plenty of pictures of our early marriage years (and post-kid years) - a few of our dating years and even less of Mike's growing up years. And those few that I do have don't have meaning to me because I don't know the stories behind them. I do, for example, know that his family took a trip to Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore and Disney - but I have no idea of when or how they travelled or what was special about the trip. There are no stories - funny or otherwise - associated with those pictures. It makes it really hard for me to make the childhood portion of the books/albums anything more than a static boring display of school pictures and other professional portraits. What I really want to include is some idea of who my husband was and what made him that way. On the other hand, this reality makes me realize the importance of journalling - the every day stuff not just the big events. And not necessarily to have all of it read by "everyone" but for the sake of leaving a legacy that is understood and has meaning.

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On a different note, Thursday night's track meet was cancelled so we all got to go to Grief Group. The meet was not cancelled until one of the drivers for it had actually shown up at the middle school and I was already on my afternoon bus route. It made for interesting radio chatter as drivers adjusted schedules and made new arrangements for their children. I even had to get on and ask someone to get ahold of Son1 to let him know that I knew it was cancelled so he would stop trying to reach me by phone. A good portion of this area was under a tornado watch so even though it was trying to be sunny out there was still weather concerns. And Grief Group was crowded! It seemed that since "everyone's" events were cancelled they all showed up. I just think it really shows how much it's needed and helpful to so many - but I was glad it wasn't my first time there because I likely wouldn't have gone back - too many strange people.

Last night Son1 and I went to the visitation for his classmate/teammate's mom. It was a 30 minute drive there and back and we were likely only at the funeral home for about 15 minutes. However I think it was important for Son1 that he was able to show support for his friend no matter how short a time we were there. We did not have a visitation for Mike - sometimes I question the wisdom of that for both myself and the boys. However after last night, Son1 at least says he's glad we didn't do that. He found it "creepy" to have the open casket in the room and I wasn't able to comfortably explain any reasons for a visitation. I left Son2 with friends as he didn't have any need to be there.

Son2 and I have a good part of the day to ourselves today. It's beautiful and sunny outside so we should be able to do some much needed mowing abit later. However Son2 is upset that he's home alone without Son1 and is not eager or willing to help wiht chores. So that could be a challenge as Saturday chores are requred anyway.

I've been on the computer for enough time for now - it's time to close off and get going on stuff.

Landscaping

Well it looks like my roses survived the hard freezes we had at the beginning of this month. I spent time outside today clearing away winter debris - leaves, branches, left-over dead growth from last year that needed clipping out. Under all that garbage I could see the beginnings of new growth on the roses - some that had frozen but some that had come on since our last freeze and looked healthy. In the same flowerbed there's another plant - I don't know what it was called but it's a silvery foliage plant - that I put in last summer. I clipped off the old dead stuff from the winter, cleared away the leaves and found new growth coming up. I'm really excited - I love plants like that - that are perennials and come back every year. There's still work to be done in that flowerbed and more in others. However it was so neat to see the new growth and realize the roses had survived. (that's actually a big deal because I'm not one to heavily mulch and "winterize" plants - I tend to just let leaves and stuff accumulate to keep them warm which I then clear out the following spring). I'm sure there's a spiritual analogy to make from that but right now I can't express it.

I also put in 6 cherry shrubs that I'm hoping will produce fruit in a couple of years - and a forsythia. I have 3 more forsythia's to plant - just need to decide exactly where to put them. The cherry shrubs (which right now just look like twigs) are near my full-grown cherry tree - I'm hoping they will help to pollinate it so that I will get fruit off that as well. The boys dug the holes for what I planted today. Son1 still wants to get a garden in also but the tiller's not working well enough to till it up yet. We also burned branches that we picked up out of the yard and mowed a good portion of it. There's still another hour's worth of mowing to do I'm sure.

My peach trees are blooming, the plum trees have been - maybe I'll see some fruit off them as well. We'll have to wait and see - the weather might have killed them off. I'm seeing bumble bees around - around the dandelions and the lilacs - the latter have not bloomed this spring so far.

One Finished Project

Ok....the floor is "finished" - in that all the carpet is out (unless you count the closet - which I don't). It looks good for not having been refinished yet and I'm satisfied with what we accomplished. When Son2 and I go out tonight for our movie I am planning on stopping into a home improvement place to get shelf supports to put some additional shelves up for Son1's airplane collection. I know he's already purchased himself a couple of new ones on this trip he's on - and his current shelf is full. I also intend to get a couple of bins for some of his stuff - our dining room table is still mostly covered with stuff I took off his dresser and bookshelves. Maybe if he ends up with a place for all his treasures the room itself will stay neater. I can only hope. Son2 also needs more shelves but not as badly - he's much better about not keeping all his school papers in his bedroom.

Son2 is currently happily playing outside with 2 younger girls - they are running around riding scooters, bikes, jumping....I'm thankful because it gives me some time to take care of some other stuff like paying bills and getting the back room cleaned for Mom and Dad's arrival. I would like to finish at least one more box of slides but am not sure if that will happen or not. I have also arranged to have a dumpster delivered on Thursday so that we can get the barn cleaned out. There's now carpet from 2 bedrooms nad the hallway, bathroom remodel stuff, boxes, stuff that should have been given away that has now become trash.....I'll be glad to see it gone - at least mostly gone.

I've still got laundry to do and fold, some sweeping and vacuuming to do....but overall the house looks much better than it did two days ago. I'm pleased.

Must go pay bills and get off the computer.

A change in Plans

Change of plans for today - I was going to pull carpet in Son1's room with Son2's assistance. However Son2 spent the night at a friend's last night so I'm going to clean! (hopefully) I got a start on the kitchen late last night so I'm going to finish that, then work on the family room and bathrooms. Tomorrow Son2 has a haircut scheduled - it was supposed to be both boys but since Son1 is not going to be home yet....it can't be. Then we will also pull carpet - hopefully finishing Son1's room. For dinner tomorrow night we are supposed to be going to see a movie that just came out this past weekend - paying full prices. However this time we are going to try something very different and go to Cinema Grill to see the movie.

On a different note - I'm doing much better emotionally than I was last time I posted. I was very very down - not just because of Rachel's situation though that contributed muchly. Sleep, sunshine and the encouraging words of friends have helped alot - I will continue to plug along - thankful for my blessings, trusting for the other issues.

My first cup of coffee is done so it's time to head into my day. Have a lot to accomplish today.