Ups and Downs

Time changes things, for better or for worse. This week things are better. My "down" is moving "up". I cannot take credit for that; it seems to simply be the cycle of things and the sweet intervention of happy circumstances and loving friends.

Layne created a match-making circumstance on Monday. We invited two single friends to dinner. It was a lovely evening. But you never know how the meeting of strangers is going to turn out. We chatted and laughed the evening away. I'm not convinced that matchmaking is our strength, but we'll see what comes of it.

Mom is caught up in books on tape. She spends her days, after exercising, in her easy chair listening to "The Work and the Glory" series. She loves it. I'm happy to see her mind engaged, for she has a very good one. I feel myself experimenting less with her care. She seems to have stabilized at a level that is not likely to improve, I'm thinking. So I am in maintenance mode. Every once in awhile, Mom says something insightful. This week she said, quite out of the blue, "this stroke has taken my enthusiasm." I can see that she is right. I miss her ideas and theories. She says very little now. Still, she is a pleasant presence in my life. Here you see her resting on a chair in the hall, in between walking exercises.

Our foster daughter Michelle, has a lovely daughter that loves to sing. Kelsey is performing in a high school musical and Michelle invited us to come and see her in it. It sometimes seems to me that little care is taken to choose dramas and musicals with a positive message for our youth in high school, so I worried about this production. We went on Friday and saw "Aida". The musical was well done and, even better, had an uplifting message! Kelsey was lovely as she joined a cast that put in a quality performance. I'm so glad we went!

Yesterday was deliciously empty of commitments. When a day opens before me I often anticipate it with all sorts of plans that excite me. But all too often I take my time getting to them. After all, when there is time it is an almost irresistible urge to let it pass leisurely by. I did that for part of the day. I quite enjoyed it.

The recent rain has fed the few flowers we have in our yard and,
what do you know, there are spots that look lovely! Isn't it
amazing what a little rain will do!