Little Things

 Before I leave the house in the morning I make a mental check-list of all the little things to make sure I didn't forget anything. Did I take out the garbage? Did I put my cards in the mailbox? Did I water the hanging flower baskets? Did I forget the dry cleaning? Although my husband has been gone for several years now and I no longer grieve his loss like the first year after he died, time still reminds me of all the little things he used to do, like:

take out the garbage...make the coffee...change the cat litter...feed the cat...buy stamps...pay the bills...change the oil...cut the grass....water the flowers...scrub the porch...call the cable guy...fill the bird feeders...take out the newspapers...order a pizza...wash the car...clean out the garage...balance the checkbook...make reservations...call the repairman...lift the heavy stuff...change light bulbs...reboot the computer...pick up my prescriptions...call the Vet...put up the Christmas tree...climb into the attic...find the right tool....shampoo the carpet...paint the bedroom...hang up pictures...put together anything with instructions...

 

 

And I especially miss the little things, like how he would:

buy me funny cards...say I love you...smell like English Leather...compliment my cooking...watch chick flicks with me...refill my morning coffee...tell jokes and stories with his brand of humor......meet me for lunch...sit on the front porch...grill out steaks...call our daughters everyday...help out the neighbors...go to Walmart with me on Saturday nights...watch his favorite basketball team or football team and beam with excitement....and a hundred other little things I probably took for granted.

The Joys of Motherhood

Mae-Mae sleeping

I spent the day with my grandchildren, while my daughter, Carrie, went to the doctor and got two shots for her respiratory infection. "Mae-Mae", my little 8-month old granddaughter, is also suffering from a cold, but she didn't let it stop her from crawling all over the house and standing up next to the CD player, dancing to Justin Bieber's "Baby, Baby." It was simply hilarious.

It's been a rough couple of weeks for the kids. First, my seven year old granddaughter, "Teka," had to have four teeth pulled. Her two front teeth had been loose for some time and we thought that surely they would fall out by Christmas. No such luck. Her two permanent teeth had already come up behind the baby teeth, so my daughter took her to the dentist. Because her baby teeth are so tiny, he recommended pulling all four of her  front teeth! Talk about traumatic...she cried and cried. After seeing the roots on those baby teeth, I wanted to cry, too! But all was better when the tooth fairy came and left her five dollars. Of course, she had to get sick then, and run a fever and that meant missing school, and  breaking her perfect attendance record.

The other children have been sick, too, with the usual coughs and runny noses. I talked to my daughter on the phone one day and she told me what her day had been like. One was running a fever, one had wet the bed, another one had had an accident and the baby was sitting under the kitchen table eating Cheerios off the floor. I laughed. Don't sweat the small stuff, was my sage advice. This, too, shall pass.

Changes

My daughter's house is almost finished. She talked to her Realtor and it looks like she may be ready to close within six weeks. We've been shopping for appliances and housewares. It's fun shopping for a new home, but there are things that I'm going to miss once she and my grandson move out.

No more little feet running to meet me at the door with a big grin and wrapping his little arms around me. "Maw-maw's home!" It makes me feel like a rock star to be given such treatment.

I'm going to miss having a little boy's room in my house, even with toys scattered about. And I'll miss folding his little jeans and screen-printed pajamas, which even a two-year old has favorites. I'll miss the beating of the drum set, stepping over the Legos, and  Buzz Light Year, "From here to infinity!" Can you say that I'll miss "Toy Story" (1,2, & 3). I'll miss playing hide-and-seek, but I can't say that I'll miss all the piggy back rides...there is a limit as to what this middle-aged body can do.

But I will miss my daughter's company and staying up late on a weekend, watching a movie and eating popcorn, even though most of the time we fall fast asleep on the sofa and loveseat.
I'll miss the smell of dinner already cooked when I come home, and groceries already picked up from the store.

Yes, my house has been a little crowded and a little messy with my daughter and her son living here, but I have survived. A new home will be exciting for her, and I'll have them come over on Friday nights, when we can stay up late and watch movies, eat popcorn and listen to Buzz Light Year, "From here to infinity!"

Procrastination

            Why should I do it now?

Why can't it wait?

I'm in no hurry

I won't be late

I put it off yesterday

Now today is here

Tomorrow sounds better

What is there to fear?

But what if tomorrow

 never comes?

What if I had the chance

and didn't take it?

What if I dressed for the dance

but didn't make it?

What if I looked at my watch,

but time slipped away?

What if I waited...and waited

for yet another day?

 What if that day

 never comes

to right a wrong,

 to hug someone,

to read a book,

to sing a song

to go some place,

and watch the setting sun

So today is all we have

There is no guarantee

Every second is a gift from God,

a gift for you and me

(c) 2010 Anita M. Ashworth

Ordinary Faith; Extraordinary God

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet."

I've been thinking a lot about God lately. Have you ever noticed how you can find God in the most ordinary way, and how he will make an appearance, out of the blue, and surprise you with a dose of grace when you least expected it? And then I remember how my faith can be as small as a mustard seed and it is enough for God. That gives me great comfort, because there have been times that my faith has dangled from a thin thread and yet God gave me the strength to hold on, and guess what, the longer I held on, the stronger that thread became.

I talked to a friend yesterday. She is going through a difficult time, and is scheduled for back surgery for the third time this upcoming week. Her husband is also having health problems and his position at work is at stake. He's worried that he'll lose his job and his health insurance, and possibly, their house. But after church yesterday, he felt renewed hope and felt his faith restored. "I can live without a job and without insurance, but I can't live without God," he said.

Children, too, think about God and surprise us with their innocent reflections. My granddaughter, Teka, saw a picture of 'The Last Supper" at her other grandparent's house and asked her mother, "Mommy, is that God and his friends?"

A few days later, Little Sister was playing with the miniature manger that she found in the bedroom. Teka scolded her, "No, you can't play with that. That belongs to Jesus."

My oldest daughter has been having severe neck and shoulder problems. On her way to the doctor she stopped at Burger King to grab a bite to eat. When she arrived for her doctor's appointment and checked her purse she realized that the cashier had given her too much money back, so on the way home she stopped and returned the cash. The manager stated that the cashier was short in her drawer and she'd already left work. She was genuinely surprised that someone would return the money.  My daughter thought that the employee might be in trouble, or she might be new and need her job, but now the employee can return to work tomorrow knowing that there are still honest people in this world. Little things do matter to God.

And one more...At work we gather in a huddle each morning to start our day on a positive note. This week we are discussing positive experiences we have had in the workplace. There are too many to list here. but I think of all the little things we do for one another to lift each other up. It may be a hug or a prayer when a co-worker is going through a rough time, or it may be simply sticking around to help a fellow employee during a busy time without looking at the clock. Ordinary faith; extraordinary God.

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

Blessings,

Yellow Days

"Do you get to take naps in 1st grade?" I asked my granddaughter, 'Teka.'

"No, you only take naps in Kindergarten. I think that's why I got on 'Yellow', because I was so-o-o tired."

"Oh," I said, "What other colors do you have?"

"There's green, of course, and orange and pink, because we don't have a red card."

"Does anyone ever get on Orange?"

"Not really. 'Orange' means you miss 10 minutes of Recess. 'Yellow 'means you miss 5 minutes of Recess."

"What happens when you get into trouble?"

"I have to pull my card."

"Would you get upset and cry?"

"No, then everyone would look at me and say, 'Look at that little girl...she's crying."

Do you ever have days when you stay on 'Yellow'? I do. Sometimes, like my granddaughter, I have 'Yellow' days. Days when I just can't seem to get going. Days when my brain is in a fog or when I just can't seem to get things right and I don't feel like reading the instructions, because even the instructions are hard to understand. Days when I can't seem to tackle that mental 'things to do' list. It's hard staying on 'Green' all the time, and occasionally I slip and have to pull my card and land on 'Yellow'. I just hope that no one is watching and says, "Look at her... I can't believe she did that....because I might be on 'Yellow.'

But fortunately we get to start fresh tomorrow. No marks against us. No unhappy faces. A clean slate. And if I stay on 'Green' all day, it's a good day:)

Cherry Pie

I made a pie,

a Cherry Pie

For the record,

I ate a few

Enough,

that my fingers turned blue

Now the crust was ready

and I filled it high

with the bowl of cherries

for my Cherry Pie

I put it in the oven

And watched the time

I couldn't wait to eat

My Cherry Pie

But, so ugly is my pie

Have you ever seen an ugly pie?

Not I.

I'm telling the truth

I would not lie

I ate a piece

of my ugly Cherry Pie

And it was good...so very good
My "Rustic Cherry Pie"

(photo from flickr - Dani 9-5 photostream)

(c) 2010 Anita M. Ashworth

Time to Slow Down

Things have been so busy lately

that my feet haven't touched the ground.

I'm running from morning until night,

with no end in sight.

I need a minute, or two, to collect my thoughts,

to hit the pause button on my life,

and breathe slowly.

I need to slow down;

there's so much cramming in my head,

and not enough time to savor the moments.

Get up, go to work, go to bed.

I want to stop and smell the flowers,

gaze at the moon and the stars,

take a drive down a dusty road

and forget the time on the clock.

I want to have long conversations with an old friend

over iced tea on the front porch

and we'll hug each other's necks

when it's time to leave and say good-bye.

because old friendships are a rare and beautiful thing

I want to browse to my heart's content in second- hand stores

finding lost treasures that someone slipped in a box

or the vintage find that reminds me of a childhood memory

now collecting dust in an antique store

I want to sip coffee, slowly,

with the newspaper spread all around

and time to clip recipes and coupons;

read the funnies and work the crossword puzzle.

I want to play with the children

and get down on the floor,

 read stories that make them laugh

and tickle their funny bone

I want to bake from scratch

the recipes my mother used to make

and pour me a cup of tea

from the teapot that I inherited.

I want to listen to soft music

that drowns out the noise

and latest headline news

I want to spend time talking to God

and listening to what he has to say

instead of always feeling rushed

and being on my way

And when I do,

He'll give me a moment, or two

To slow down 

and hit the pause button

So I can stop and breathe.

(c) Anita M. Ashworth 2010