592.

On the other side of the fence, there is this:

Nothing kills good ole pre-date euphoria like an extended date that gives you the gift of seeing your date drop his mask and realizing you're just not that interested in him.

But ya gotta love good ole (Mother) Nature. She doth abhor a vacuum, as do I.

Another potential suitor has invited me out for an all-day date on Sunday and I have accepted.

No grass growing under my feet because ya sure can't meet him sitting on the sofa.

Amen?

Amen.

591.

We've had family in town for the past few days: my great aunt and her daughter, my cousin.

I picked up my auntie Thursday afternoon and took her to my grandma's for their first ever sisters' sleepover. A bunch of family members went to dinner that night. My daughter and I had other plans and couldn't attend.

Friday afternoon my daughter and I picked up my cousin, had lunch with her, then took her to my grandma's where her mom was hanging out.

My other cousin and aunt came over too. I enjoyed the visit immensely.

The older I get, the more I want to know our extended family. (So many kin folk we don't know!) However, it's a difficult endeavor because of the circumstances of my grandmother's birth and rearing.

Heck, when I was growing up, we didn't know that my grandma had a sister. She also had three brothers (that we know of) via my maternal great-grandmother. Only one of them is still alive. We met him many years ago at the funeral of one of the other brothers.

I also learned several years ago that my maternal great-grandfather had another daughter and son. Ironically, I met their mom (my step-great-grandmother) one day as I was taking a walk with my daughter who was maybe two at the time.

We were strolling the neighborhood we lived in, possibly walking to my grandma's who lived a few miles away (but maybe not because I recall the street we were on and my grandma's house was in the other direction).

Any way, we came across a woman in the front yard of a house. The woman bore a strong resemblance to my grandmother. She came to the gate to greet us and we began to talk. I told her she looked like my grandmother and she told me my daughter looked like one of her grandchildren.

This part is vague but I believe she told me her name and I told her ours. We talked for a bit then my daughter and I continued our walk.

Later I told a family member (probably my mother) and got one of the biggest surprises of my life when I learned who the woman was. Her two children, my great-aunt and great-uncle, were my grandmother's younger siblings.

Apparently my mother and her siblings knew them but my cousins and I had never met them or even heard tell of them. At the time I learned the story, I also learned that difference of religious beliefs was what led my family to cut themselves off from them.

I was floored and a bit angry.

My daughter and I walked that street again, hoping to see my newly-found relative but to no avail. I couldn't remember which house and I didn't feel comfortable knocking on the doors of possible strangers.

A few years later I just happened to be browsing the obituary section of the Washington Post and I came across my step-great-grandmother's obituary. I shared it with my family and I was saddened that I'd never gotten to see her again. There was so much I'd wanted to ask her.

*sigh*

So now I take every opportunity to reach out to people I suspect are relatives, even if I don't know how we're related.

Digression complete.

So, today's agenda calls for more family members in the area to visit auntie and cousin at my other auntie's house. My daughter and I won't be there but it's okay. We had yesterday.

There were a lot of smiles, a lot of laughter, a lot of love.

And we took lots of photos.

I'm so thankful for being able to make those memories.

Amen.

590.

A second date last night.

More kisses; no rain.

He wants me to go fishing with him later today.

I'll be the one crocheting and taking pictures while he baits his hook.

Yah...

589.

Yes, I know I'm supposed to get back to details on my most recent trip north but I've been busy.

Specifically, I've been dating.

More to the point, I've had three (3) "first dates" since I returned home.

The first one lasted several hours and involved three locations. No cigar but we both agreed it was a good date and wished each other luck in our continued quest(s).

The second date was... interesting. He drove an hour and a half to take me to dinner. Nice dinner and conversation until we hit a snag: he was a homophobe.

Game over.

The third date was interesting in a different way. There was lots of laughter, good conversation, a good meal. He and I had a lot in common.

Another kiss in the rain too. A really good kiss in the rain, one that caught me totally off guard.

We have tentative plans to see each other again before the weekend. The plans are "tentative" because if it rains Wednesday and/or Thursday, I will be staying warm and dry right here.

We're seeing each other "before the weekend" because the plans I have for the weekend existed before he and I met.

My Friday plans will happen rain or shine. Saturday's plans require dry skies for the remainder of the week, including Saturday.

Fingers crossed!

A special "thank you" to the universe for keeping my schedule just busy enough.

I'm looking forward to the rest of my week.

Amen.


p.s. Yes, I am aware that I used a lot of quotation marks in this post. Keep calm and put away your red pens.

588.

The past week has been a whirlwind of exertion.

So much has happened in such a short time. So much more to come.

Thursday I headed to my hometown for a long-ish weekend. Plans for parties and cavorting with friends and family were on the schedule.

On the way up north, I stopped at my dad's for a visit. While there, I received notice that a senior family member up north had died and the funeral would be on Monday.

Saddening and surprising but not shocking because she had been ill.

Since I was already headed that way, I only needed to adjust my schedule slightly to include the Monday morning funeral. It meant my return would be hours later than I'd planned but no big deal.

What it meant even more was that I'd likely get to see many family members I hadn't seen since the family reunions of 2008 and 2010.

I dreaded the circumstances but looked forward to the hugs and love.

At my dad's, he and my stepmom fed me: baked chicken, rice, green beans, rolls, mixed fruit for dessert. Sleep-deprivation has become a staple in my life so I was already tired when I got there. No way could I get back on the road after lunch. My intention of staying two hours stretched into a five-hour visit.

No complaints because I don't see my daddy often enough and my stepmom really needed my company during the visit.

Getting back into traffic (rush hour traffic!) set my teeth and nerves on edge. Horrible traffic for two hours traveling through Virginia, DC, and into Maryland.

I arrived at my Airbnb accommodations late and exhausted.

A few minor missteps getting in (similar street names in close proximity that befuddled the GPS, small numbers on a lockbox, a stuck lock) but all worked out well in the end and I was settled less than an hour later.

My hostesses were a newlywed couple. Wonderful people as was their roommate. Plus a few felines. I enjoyed hanging out with the occupants of the house as much as I enjoyed all the activities I had planned for the weekend.

Oh phooey!

I've run out of time to complete this post. And it really should be broken down into manageable bites.

Back later for more...

Amen.

587.

Indeed.

586.

I've probably been on the phone at least 10 hours out of the last 24.

My stomach muscles are hurting from all the shared laughter.

Thanks God.

Amen.

585.

Nothing like a five-hour phone call to remind me that I'm no longer 17.

But for five hours, it sure felt like I was.

Now it's either coffee or pillows.

Amen.

584.

I got kissed in the rain. *blush*

583.

What is for me is already mine.

Thank you God for the gift. I graciously accept.

Amen.

582.

Lots of Pisces energy flowing my way for the past several months...

581.

After several days of hibernation (mostly) due to the weather, today I ventured out to run errands and take my daughter to work.

We stopped at one of our new favorite eateries for a late lunch before I dropped her off.

As we were ordering our food, a guy came to the register beside us. I saw him hand the owner (who was taking our order) what I thought was money to pay his bill.

Then the guy disappeared without his change, which I thought was unusual but I thought maybe he would get it before he left the place.

The owner thanked the guy then waited about half a minute and told us that the guy had just paid for our meal.

Astonished, I turned to look behind us just in time to see the guy walking out the door. My mouth fell open in shock. As I said "thank you" he waved but never looked back. I hope he heard me.

These are the kinds of stories I read about on the internet and hear on the news daily. The things that happen to other people. I was so overwhelmed that I cried.

I don't know what he looked like. Definitely not who he was.

But I do know that God put us there with him, at the same place and time. Maybe I'll never know why but what I took from it is a reminder.

Good people are like angels, all around us, appearing at unexpected moments when we're busy doing every day stuff.

So who ever you are, thank you sir. I wish you many blessings as you continue to bless those around you.

Amen. 

580.

Thankfully, the light at the end of the tunnel has appeared. Almost time to move the box of tissue from my bedside to its former home atop my bureau.

Almost.

Nothing pressing on my calendar so I'm being patient.

On a more pleasant note, one of the "side effects" of this involuntary detox has been weight loss. At least five (5) pounds but probably closer to 10.

My clothes are loose(r) and a few pieces I could barely squeeze into glide on with ease.

The proverbial silver lining.

 Thanks God. I'll take it.

Amen.

579.

Inclement weather brings interesting suppositions.

What ever did we do for fun before the inter webs were a thing?  *chuckle*

578.

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies (Jumanji):

Judy Shepherd: There is a lesson you will learn/Sometimes you must go back a turn.

Totally appropriate for Mercury moving retrograde.

And yes God, I am listening.

Amen.