Lots of stuff

This morning I rode to Church with my son-in-law, Cliff, and my three grandchildren. I sat between Allegra and Isaiah in the back seat. On the way Isaiah pulled out a piece of gum and very carefully opened the stick and divided it into as close to three perfect pieces as he could do. Then he carefully refolded the foil wrapping to look like brand new. Would you call his exactness overkill? Would you say he is a bit over the top in the structured department? Perhaps I would agree. But I am so much like him! Yesterday, as I worked in the kitchen, I took open joy in having everything there organized just the way I want it to be. Almost the whole house is organized to meet my internal need for structure and order. Am I becoming an extremist do you think?

This week has been all about stuff as I pursued my non-people goals. I sewed, washed, worked in the yard and on the computer. I relished not calling or visiting anyone (with one very pleasant exception). I pushed my people goals out of this week and into the next. It was a nice change. As I grow older I find that my normally social preferences are being modified by a growing enjoyment of solitude. Now if I could just clear my head and use my meditating time to thoroughly ponder the deeper things of life without allowing it to become distracted by my tendency for multi-tasking and multi-thinking!

Saturday was the main exception to my week of stuff. We celebrated grandson Chase's actual birthday with a dinner of ribs with our Adams-Hart family. Chase turned 18. Today he was ordained an Elder by his father, Cliff. So now he is Elder Adams-Hart. He is a good-sized Elder, standing at least 6 feet 3 inches and growing! To his delight, he towers over his father and can look his grandfather in the eye. He has become a young man of integrity with the purest of hearts. I'm thankful for him. You can see him here opening his gifts from his other grandmother, who specializes in giving gifts of snacks. In the background, you can see our front yard, with some plants attempting to grow. With luck, if they take hold, we can plant more and, at last, have a yard of growing things. Life of all sorts enriches the soul!