Joy Abounds!

Life has been so busy and full that I did not take time to blog for the last few days. I’m realizing that I really like not having a “to do” list and tasks that have to be done in a given time.

As you can see from the pictures, I’m fulfilling my dream of having a little garden. At the development where we live there is a community garden and I have plot 15. It’s a late start, but I have tomatoes, three kinds that is, and two kinds of peppers. It was fun, getting my hands dirty and mixing the manure with the soil. (Yes I wore gloves!)

We are still awaiting our items from the moving company, which looks like it might arrive on Wednesday. Life has its own pace now though, and we were able to swim in the community pool yesterday and it was lovely. The people here are incredibly friendly and shopping is a totally different experience than Calaveras County.

Going to the grocery store or to pick up items at the hardware store is an Adventure all in itself. People are laughing, checking in how you’re doing and wanting to tell you about their latest grandchild. No one seems in a hurry.

Yes, as expected, people tell me their stories. Daryl patiently waits as I relish their journey. Daryl says he thinks I have a magnet across my forehead that says “talk to me.” It’s not a coincidence that two men shared with me that they are raising grandchildren. One man told me that he had just retired from 45 years working in the school district and now he has to take care of four young grandchildren. “This is not what I expected as a grandfather,” he said. “I thought that as a granddad, I would be laying sugar on the kids and doing all these marvelous things and sending them home to their parents. Instead, I’ve got a baby, two 3-year-olds and a seven-year-old.”

“It’s hard you know,” he said. “I have to be the parent and take care of all the discipline. And now I have to work again so if we have money to raise these kids.” “Not what I expected,” he said, “but you gotta do it.”

The other man is actually a neighbor from whom we borrowed jumping cables cause our battery in our car was dead. “I’m raising two grandchildren,” he said, “after our daughter died two years ago. This is not what I expected for retirement. We had to move here so we could have a bigger house to take care of these girls. One is seven and one is 16. It’s all good though.” He said, “it’s what God asked us to do.”

As most of you know this resonates deeply with me as Daryl and I raised a child after we had empty nested. I tried to encourage both men by saying what an incredible gift they are giving to their grandchildren and that I will pray for them for strength. It seems to me that God puts people in my path to keep me alert to the joys and the needs in our world. I used to pray through the church directory every morning and decided I would change that up as I retire. Seems like God has a prayer list all her own and so I’m back at it.

As for the home nesting, it’s going slowly. I have one frying pan and a few dishes, but I was able to make dinner last night since the refrigerator arrived. It was shrimp, corn on the cob and salad and we feasted. We still don’t have any chairs or a table so we are managing with two weary lawn chairs that are majorly uncomfortable. It didn’t matter though, as we sat outside and listened to the creatures around the pond.

There are many funny things that have happened. I think that I’m giving DARYL quite a comedy routine these days. Our new washer and dryer arrived and the person who installed them turned them on to make sure they worked. They’ll go for about 20 more minutes he said, and then you’ll know everything is fine and he left. Not long after that I heard some music.

“It’s the ice cream truck,” I yelled to DARYL. “It’s only 9:15 in the morning.” I was so excited. I can eat ice cream at any time. As I ran to the front of the house, he said to me, “Bonnie Lee, that’s the dryer. “ He was right. Our new washer and dryer have a song of their own when they’re finished and it is so delightful. I laughed so hard I had to sit down. All this music makes doing laundry, a blessing.

A barn swallow has set up residence in our door stoop. She is sitting avidly on eggs. Now, those of you who know Daryl, know that he does not like birds flying around in the house, garages or anywhere near him. He likes looking at them from a distance, but that is it. I explained to him that it is a blessing that the swallow has chosen us. She chose us because she feels safe here. We are blessed by her presence in a sacred way. She does make a terrible mess! When I told him how long it will take for the eggs to hatch and then for the young to fly away, he looked at me and shook his head. She is quite beautiful with her blue head and rust colored breast. I think she’s growing on him because I heard him talking to her the other day. I’m going to name her Bella, a feathery welcome to our new place.

I’m finding that every day is a new excursion into the unexpected. It’s all new unfamiliar territory and at the moment, even as we revel in it, we are comforted by the memories that we shared with you sweet people back in California.

Daryl and I feel very rich with the joys of friendships all around the world. As we connect on social media and other ways, please know that we are grateful for you. May your walk into the unexpected today give you laughter and peace. Discovering new joys, Bonnie Lee.