Uneventful. That’s how I would describe April 2022 – not because I didn’t do anything, but because it was a pretty low-key month.
On April 1st I turned 59. So strange how time flies faster and faster as you age… except winters. Winters definitely don’t go by quickly. Winters, in fact, get longer and longer, and summers get shorter and shorter. It’s a fact.
I spent April catching up with people I hadn’t seen for a while, and missed a LOT over the past two years. Since the snow and rain stuck around nearly every day, I was able to enjoy my see-through bubble umbrella, which I think is soooo fun! I enjoyed some lengthy phone dates with Annie and Sharon, I exchanged several pen-pal-like emails with my friend Mary, and Edna cooked me a birthday meal after work one day, and we did NOT run outa things to talk about! We never, ever do. She even sent me some wisdom to add to the wisdom box! I got the oil changed in my car (told you it was an uneventful month), attended Owen and Lyla’s opening day of softball (Lyla was sick, and sweet little Owen wouldn’t play without her), had dinner on Good Friday with Joyce (and enjoyed some old-fashioned Necco’s), and got to catch up with old friends Joan and Russ one night. I enjoyed catching up on a little journal I keep for all my grandkids, and filling out the Grandma book the kids got me for Christmas. I hope some day they’ll cherish it when I’m gone. (Grandparents – If you don’t have one, get one! It will take you back in time, and give you a fresh new appreciation, coupled with some tears and some laughs all over again from your childhood, to the years of raising your own! It’s seriously been one of the best gifts I’ve ever received).
I took a trip to Saginaw with a couple of friends, and bought a little metal mouse that reminded me of a childhood story Dad told, spent a lot of time on the phone trying to find an ophthalmologist because if I don’t get new glasses soon, I might need to learn Braille in the near future. (Thankfully, I know someone who can teach me). I did physical therapy twice weekly for my back all month making my days gone from home a little longer than I’d prefer, but learned almost right away that my physical therapist is also my good friend Emily’s niece! Small world… I bought a ticket to Denver to visit Ian, sorted out some things in my basement, made some hard decisions that needed to be made, scrubbed a few floors, and booked a few other short trips for summer as well. I RSVP’d to a wedding I cannot WAIT to attend in October – a weekend campground wedding! Doesn’t that sound fun?
The most exciting thing I did all month was visit a family and have dinner at their dining room table that was 120 years old. It’s fun to get to know new friends, but getting to do it at a table where so many generations’ worth of LIFE happened was really neat.
I learned (and re-learned) a few things in April too. I learned that when you turn 59, sneakers go really well with EVERY outfit. I learned that if I do just a little bit of housework during the week each day, my weekends won’t feel like I’m just catching my breath enough to be back at the grind on Monday morning. And if you get that inkling to give someone a call, don’t wait a week to do it. Listen to your gut. I found a few fun places just a couple of miles north of me, finally managed to memorize the way to Rory’s house without using Maps (but I will still use Maps), and I also learned how much I think out loud – probably because I live alone. That doesn’t go over so well in a group setting. Ouch. Oh, and I learned that I love sweet potato fries! I never knew!
I have a stack of books I want to read that never seems to go down, but that’s okay. It doesn’t need to. “Now I lay My Isaac Down” is the newest I’m starting this week with a dear friend.
Life’s pretty sweet these days, and I’m trying to soak in all the good stuff, and say no to the yuck!
Adios, April 2022! You were sweet, but May is about to get eventful!
!
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