Mid-Week

• Went to a class yesterday - on Social Security.  How sad that my body is getting that old, but my mind isn't (except apparently my memory).  The teacher gave us an assignment:  to go home and call each of our children and tell them to save, save, save.  He said,"all the generations after ours are pitiful at saving, but they have nice stuff.  Unfortunately it won't help them when they are finished working." I wish someone had told us to save.  Wonder if it would (could) have made any difference?

• Have received Christmas gift "thank you's" from two of the four people I expected them from.  How lovely to have received those two.  I haven't written any.  Sent a couple by text, does that count?  I usually am right on that thank-you-writing-thing.  I know I shouldn't let my sorry mental state affect my manners (what few I have) but it gets hard.  I spend a lot of time and energy on gifts for all the various relatives (including birthdays, valentines on valentine's day, Christmas and other special occasions).  I can generally correctly predict who will thank us.  Maybe those gifts loom larger in my mind than they do in the minds of the recipients.  They all have plenty, perhaps the things I give don't matter. Whatever...I've decided that an acknowledgement (at the very least) warms my old-cold heart like nothing else.

The gifts are chosen/purchased/given out of love.  It would be so delightful to have that love recognized and returned.  Like those that sent a thank you.  Or picked up the phone and called.

• Went to the church to practice for Sunday.  The sister brought her cute pig-tailed-glasses-wearing 5 year old with.  So cute to watch her unaffectedly dance around to the music as her mother sang. Made me happy.  Miss the grandchilluns.

• Heard the delightful news last week that our son is engaged.  We have so prayed that he would find someone to be happy with/share his life with.  She seems quite lovely and we wish them all the best.

• How fabulous to be once again out on the trail in the early hours.  By the time I return the sun is up and bringing happiness to the day.  The air is clear (so far) and I love being up with the early birdies.

• Watched a guy take his garbage cans to the curb for the garbage truck.  By attaching them to the back of his pick-up truck, one at a time, then driving them up the driveway to the curb.  Hmmm.  Struck me as odd.  The driveway wasn't that long.

And today I'm grateful for repentance (of all my bad behaviors and attitudes) and forgiveness which I hope will always surely be mine.  And hopefully for the learning so that I don't continue to do those objectionable things.