2019 Joy Journal

March 27, 2019 I have delivered our Wyatt personal tax paperwork to Taylor's office.  Walked with Bertice.  Did a little writing that I found fulfilling. Got a text from Kennedy --- she said she has some good news. Heard from Morgan. She is going to be off on Fridays from now on and is going to come volunteer with me on Friday.  Noah's team won yesterday.  Evan and Chelsea and Jaden and James came over last night. James gave big smiles and is holding his head up strongly. Jaden just enjoyed running around in the back yard, throwing the ball. He loves jumping down from the fireplace and looking at each one of us to make sure that we are each clapping. At one point, he came and got each one of us by the hand and took us back to the family room so that we could play the game again.  Evan starts as Assistant Manager next week. 

April 17, 2019 Had a really nice chat yesterday with a lady that works for Amazon. I was appreciative and it made her happy.  Went and had my hair done. Stopped in at the Flour Girl bakery and thanked them for the cupcakes they donated to the tennis tournament.  Had a nice email visit with Adele Brown. Brittany started her first day at HDR today! When they were here for Second Sunday Supper I said, and "Jon Marc's going to take a picture of you." When she sent me the picture, she siad, "Jon Marc said, 'My job is done. I did the one thing Grannie told me to do."  Beverly and JA made it safely to San Diego and have their new address. She's not sure they'll stay in that RV park, but it is less than ten miles from the jobs that most excite her, so they're going to give it a try.  Got to hug Kennedy. She's getting ready for her pop up show tomorrow night.  Little text visit with Tori. She's still fighting her cough, so we laugh...

June 27, 2019 Amber sent me a text to let me know she received her birthday cards. She said, "Thank you so much for my bday cards. It made my day getting them, especially the one from second Sunday. I have been homesick since I can't be home for my birthday. I love you, Grannie!"  Heard from Andrew and Skyler and Tori and Kennedy. Tori and Josh were getting ready to play an online game with Josh's brother. Kennedy said they had a little hiccup in their presentation, but that they got through it. 

December 9, 2019 I have ordered some reusable straws that I think will work --- they are metal, but have a silicone tip. Since Barry and I usually just drink water, I don't think they'll require that much cleaning.  I also found some reasonably priced non-styrofoam "to go" boxes and have ordered them. We can use them for SSS, and I can just take my own when we go out to eat. I ordered some plates as well. Paper may be disposed of significantly easier than the Styrofoam, but producing it has some negative effects. I'm going to think about getting some Melamine plates for Second Sunday Supper.  So, I feel happy about those things. The house has been neatened. The laundry is almost back in order. If I get Monday's laundry done today, I will be back on even keel.  Angela and Kennedy came over yesterday afternoon for a little visit. Angela said the Synergy party went well --- her boss and all of the guests seemed happy. Kennedy is winding up her BFA --- f...

December 3, 2019 I just got to have the nicest visit with Angela last night. Just a few minutes, out here in the writing shack. When I told her that I wanted to ask about the ornament for Logan, she seemed really happy about the idea. Got Kennedy's paper graduation announcements yesterday. I asked Angela if she had seen her envelope on the doggy bookshelf. She said, "Yes! My mama's handwriting."  Heard from Brittany and Faith. I think Faith is going to call me today. I'm going to get her to help with Willo's passaround present. Heard from Tyler. He said he was good, and that he was at school. 

November 29, 2019 The house is straightened back up, although I still have the little box of Thanksgiving decorations to put away. The white holiday plates are put away, along with the coffee cups that belonged to Grandmother and that I used for dessert cups for the Heavenly Chocolate Mousse. The cranberry sauce dish was out and is back up again.  I forgot to kick the oven up to 350 when I took the ham out and put the vegetable casseroles in. The dressing from Neighbors wasn't all that good. But my cranberry sauce was delicious and the rolls from Fresh Market were good, and the turkey from Neighbors was ok.  Angela was happier than I have seen her in a long, long time. Maybe it was the time she spent on the phone with Beverly the day before. Maybe because Logan came to Second Saturday Supper and she feels good about that relationship. Maybe she was just enjoying Thanksgiving dinner --- I don't know, but it was fun to see. Kennedy brought Guillermo, so we got to meet ...

November 25, 2019 The wifi is giving me a hard time this morning, and I hope that isn't going to be an all-morning thing. So frustrating. Barry and I drove down to Firefly yesterday afternoon. I think he wanted to show me what was going on with his oyster baskets. We took our lists and planners and spent a few minutes at the kitchen table working with them. It wasn't quite enough for me, and i had to get back up in the middle of the night to finish it, but it was a pleasant time. We had Second Sunday Supper on Saturday so that it would be easier for Tori to be here. It turned out that, at least on this particular Saturday night, it also meant that the older grandbabies could stay and finish their game of Nines. And so, with the house mostly empty except that table full, they gathered up in the dining room and played and talked and laughed. It was like an impromptu Goodtimes, and I loved it. Barry was talking about it the next day.  We got to meet Logan, Angela's f...

November 18, 2019 I got my elliptical today! A Monday! It hurt, but I stayed on. I'm struggling with some frustrations, but I stayed on. I'm looking forward to Becky saying, "Dr. Webster said your cholesterol levels look go Barry and I were up in time to see the sun rise this morning. I got to spend all day Sunday down at Firefly. He came back to work on his projects, but I was able to take enough down there that I didn't have to come back.  We went to Kennedy's Mini Makers Faire Saturday. Angela rode with us, so we got to visit with her. We got to meet Val, the professor that Kennedy will be interning with next semester and Thomas, the professor that got her into the electrical art. When I told Thomas that Kennedy had talked about how hard he had worked to put the faire together, he talked about how much help he had gotten from the students, like her. She had to work at her table starting at twelve, and when we went to tell her bye we got to stand for a few...

November 14, 2019 Barry and I had a good meeting with Derek yesterday afternoon and we are well on our way to making the changes complete and finalized. I feel a huge sense of relief. Annette sent me a cute text emoji yesterday. And, oh! When I weighed this morning, I was down 6 more pounds! I'm thinking that has to be good news for my cholesterol, and that I am closer to hearing Becky say, "Dr. Webster said your cholesterol levels are normal."  Heard from Beverly yesterday. --- A good morning text while I was on the elliptical. Got to have a nice little text conversation with Tori. She said that she and Josh had veggie burgers for dinner, and that they had been good. They took the Zoey and Shiloah to the vet to get the second part of their flu vaccine. Kennedy just sent me our tickets to the Maker Faire which is going to be Saturday. Little phone visit with Beth. 

November 11, 2019 I had a good weekend! Saturday was really productive. I got both freezers organized, did my weekly Saturday chores, finished the weekly round of household bookkeeping and made it to the grocery store. So, I gave myself Sunday off, and I spent that day exploring the Commit 30 planner and the DragonTree planner and printing the 108 day Rituals for Transformation and getting ready to do it. Just spent a lot of time on myself.  Angela and Kennedy came over for a little while on Saturday, and we got to visit. Kennedy came back on Sunday and so she and Papa got to visit. I talked to Beverly for a few minutes last night.  Barry and I spent Friday night and Saturday night down at Firefly.  JA got the little gifts I sent him, and called to thank me. Had a little text visit with Kim. Jaden can count to ten in Spanish. Chelsea said he learned it from watching YouTube.

November 4, 2019 Had a nice long Facebook chat with Shawn this weekend. Ashlyn texting with Tyler. Andrew and Annette and Brittany and Skyler pulling together for Tyler. Angela and Kennedy came over and visited with us for a little while yesterday. Morgan and Angela took Kennedy to Bellingrath to take her graduation photos. Morgan told Angela that they have about 400 shots. ;-)  Got to have a voice visit with Beverly. They have settled in to their new park for the 30 days that they will be there --- or rather, have successfully set up the RV. They left some things, including their cable, in place at the other park, and are leaving a lot of things packed up in their car and truck. 

October 30, 2019 It is a pretty morning. Mild temperature. Little breeze. Bella is on her pillow. Bentley was out here for a while, but has gone back to his bed in the house. My house is straight, lunch is ready, laundry is rolling. I'm on the verge of being done with the washing and drying part.  Shawn was here yesterday and looked good. He's going to let us know when it would be a good time for him and Ashlon to have supper with us.  Heard from Brittany this morning. She said she was sorry she hadn't responded Monday, that she'd been sick and really busy at work. It was fun that she remembered me, and I know how those days can go. Heard from Kennedy. She said that she might be coming over today. She's supposed to go graduation dress shopping with Angela because Angela and Morgan are going to take her graduation pictures.  Barry fixed the hall toilet yesterday, and said, "I think I set a world record today." When I asked about that, he said, ...

October 2, 2019 Angela sent me a "good morning" text. Annette sent me a "love you," text last night. Heard from Brittany Monday night. She's excited about planning her wedding. Angela and Tori playing their online game together. I sent Kennedy a meme about a pilot identifying their place in the sky by the shape of a cloud (like a lion) and she knew immediately that I was remembering when she was little and wanted to be someone who watches the clouds when she grew up.  Touched base with Beth this morning. She is expecting a busy day. Morgan and Angela came to the house for lunch yesterday and that was so much fun. Davis spent yesterday with me. All kinds of smiles and happiness ---- crawled over to me, stood up and put his hands on my legs. I said, "hug?" and he held up his arms and when I picked him up, he put his head on my shoulder.  Zak called yesterday. Amber posted about missing her siblings. Sent Evan a text and heard back f...

September 30, 2019 When Morgan was here last week, as I hugged her bye I was making a little poem/song and ended with "You are the best, you just need some rest." She used those words as a tag in a post she put in the joy journal, about Davis sleeping through the night for three nights in a row. Makes me feel so good and useful.  Angela is home. She is at Phew! and I am so content with the state of the house. It is clean and finished and pretty --- I'm really tickled with my decorating choices --- and while it has some little oddities that might get in the way of being a perfect forever home, those oddities aren't going to get in the way of it being a good, comforting, pleasant shelter while she takes this next step and starts what she is calling her "first big girl job." I feel at peace. Kennedy drove over from Pensacola yesterday and so we got to visit with her a little bit. She helped Angela unload some things from her car, etc.  Most of the exp...

August 22, 2019 I sent Andrew a birthday message, and heard back from him. Heard from Brittany --- she and Jon Marc should be at Second Sunday Supper.  Heard from Skyler --- she is excited about her turtle things that Nana sent for her.  Heard from Angela and Kennedy. Ken's planning on being here for Second Sunday Supper. Angela was spending some time today in a department she hadn't spent much time in before.  I went to my first handbuilding class with Juli Day today, and had a good time. She's a kind of encouraging presences and seemed mostly happy. That's always fun to be around.  Barry took Tyler to his class, so I was able to get some good licks out in the office. Not a full afternoon, but didn't fall behind either. 

August 15, 2019 Barry and I spent last night at Firefly. I'm at my little writing desk in the bedroom. He and Mike and Jerry Wigfield are working on finishing up getting the electricity out to the deck. It is taking a little bit for that peaceful feeling to settle back in, but I got to see the moonlight on the bay last night. I slept too late to see the sun make its first peek over the horizon, but was up before I moved from orange to yellow.  Zak posted last night that he is in a relationship with Gabby, and Beth said he seems really happy.  Angela, Tori and Kennedy made it safely to San Diego, although their flight was delayed a couple of hours because of rain in Houston. Beverly and I got to have a phone visit. She said there is a lady at work who is about 68 who is really, really sweet to everyone. She said that one day when she was stressed out, the lady took Beverly's face in her hands and said, "Don't forget, you are very pretty."  Heard from Beth....

August 14, 2019 Got to text visit with Brittany last night. She was in Jackson, Mississippi where her company sent her to get some training on scour and learn counter measures and how to predict it.  FB chatted with Annette a little bit this morning. Heard from Kennedy --- she'd just gotten off work and was about to head to Tampa. She got there late last night. She and Angela and Tori fly out for California tonight.  Little visit with Morgan. I walked again this morning, so I'm happy about that. I cut back on my eating some yesterday --- I didn't cut it in half, but I didn't eat any more ice cream, and I had carrots with my lunch time sandwich. I'm almost done with the laundry --- at least the part that has to be done for me to be able to pack. I switched up a little because it is easy to do the linens when I drive in from Firefly in the mornings.  I made fairly good progress with Wonderland yesterday. Got to talk to Daddy yesterday morning. 

June 24, 2019 Angela sent me a text this morning. She's going to try to call tonight. Kennedy came over to see us yesterday afternoon. We went down to Firefly and she and Papa did a little fishing.  Annette got my text about Mama Cat and the blanket. I worked a lot this weekend, but made progress on important things. If it weren't for the fridge, I'd be good to go for days at Firefly. 

June 19, 2019 It wasn't perfect --- wasn't unrushed or unpressured the way I would like for things to be, but we still got to watch the sun rise over the bay, and he got back to the yard before he was antsy. Some of the pressure is just about adjusting the schedule and getting things figured out. The coffee part worked this morning, so that was progress. We still didn't get to have coffee because the pot wasn't in position correctly and it made a mess, but still --- progress. I swam this morning. I don't have anywhere I have to be today so my hair doesn't have to be dry. It takes longer to swim than it does to walk, when you throw in the changing and the showering, but I feel so much better, and I think that I really do have the time.  J.A. sent a text and thanked me for his Father's Day card. Zak and Kennedy and Evan and Chelsea are all coming over for supper tonight! 

June 7, 2019 Barry and I drove down to Firefly after work and just set out on the deck for a minute ...he picked up his fishing rod. Time just flies by when we're down there. We went to Bailey's for supper.  Heard from  Skyler. Enjoyed visiting with Tyler on the way to and from his class. Got a text from Angela this morning, with a video. A turtle is laying eggs just outside her office! Got to have a little phone visit with Beverly. She should be getting the schedule she expected, starting next week, and she was signed off on some things that she had to get through, even though they didn't give her much time to prepare.  Heard from Kennedy. She may be over this weekend. I shared a fish article on Zak's timeline and he responded.  Beth will get her CT results one day next week. Heard from Amber. She said she got in a two mile run along the lake!