A Smackerel of Spring

 It was simply the most glorious day that ever was today.

Thank you, today, for being you.

It was 76 degrees here in the Heartland today. 76 degrees on January 28th. It was like a little gift from heaven! (Side note: you may be interested to know that I never worry about global warming, though I am very interested in treating our beautiful planet with love and kindness and great wisdom. But history students know that every couple of hundred years the planet warms up or cools down by a few degrees. So rest peacefully tonight. I know I will. Because it was the BEST DAY EVER!!!) Katelyn and I spent some high quality time on the deck after all our chores were done and waiting for the bread to rise. That's right. You heard me. I make bread now. Missouri has turned me into Donna Reed. Or... something. I won't worry about K.J. questioning at dinner if he'd ever eat white bread again. His voice was pretty sad, too. I cheerfully informed him that this was the new normal. Motherhood... bliss.

Katelyn loved the glorious time on the deck, especially since she has learned to open doors (tragic). So she'd come out and talk to me for a minute and then go back to the screen door: "Okay! Bye, Momma! See you. See you, Momma! Bye!" and she'd go back inside for a minute to gather a few more things -- most importantly her Ariel doll and her "blankley." We had a great time. After she headed in for her nap I went back out with my beautiful golden copy of 'Little Women' -- it's been a few years since I've taken the time to read that one, and it's pretty near and dear to my heart (even though I have no sisters. This is, perhaps, the draw...). I totally cried when they surprised Marmee with her Christmas gifts, because I have reached a whole new level of sappy. It's inspiring, really. And then I talked to my Mom on the phone for about an hour, all while chillaxin' in the sun and the delicious breeze.  

When Katelyn woke up, she and I headed off into the wild blue, walking for the first time to pick up the kids. We both loved it. K.J. took this picture of my girls, which I adore. That is Katee's natural smile of adoration for her big "Buh-Buh."

Livi pretty much ran the whole way home. It was super impressive. She said it was her exercise afternoon, and she MEANT it! When we got home she pulled out her bike and K.J. grabbed his scooter and I sat on the steps while Katelyn wandered around. It felt so... normal. And in these parts, normal = awesome!

This is Olivia's own invention. She needed to borrow the step-ladder so she could do some stepper-cising. And she was attacking that baby! Up, down, up, down! Look at that hair fly! Katelyn so kindly decided to do some snow shoveling for us.

Just before it was time to head in, and soon after a jack rabbit randomly came whizzing across the cul-de-sac (this is true -- a factual event), I got to chase Katelyn around the back of the house, and this is the sight that met me. Lovely. In real life, you could see the round shape of the sun clearly through the trees. It was a great ending to a great outdoor adventure. Naturally, tomorrow is supposed to be a big thunder and lightning storm and then it's back to the twenties and thirties. But who cares? We had today. And today is all I needed.

Before I send you off into who knows what (you do. You know what.), let me share a good read with you, if you are interested: it's an essay written by a friend of mine about feminism -- or more to my line of thinking, why it's okay to be a woman and it's okay to be a man. Both are winners! Her thoughts are clear and are very similar to my own on the matter -- just written in a more superior fashion.

It's certainly a subject I have written about before, and certainly a subject that vexed me for nearly thirty years, but I am thankful to say -- the day has finally come when I no longer feel the need to prove (or justify) my value to anyone. I know my worth as a daughter of God. I know God knows my worth as His daughter. That knowledge was a LONG time comin'! But it came. So I no longer feel angst over the subject of male/female for myself... PHEW! (The Double B heaves a sigh of relief with me!) But will I always be concerned and interested and invested that women (and men, for that matter) be treated for the great creatures they are? Absolutely. Here are Jenny's thoughts: They are awesome.

 

Thank heavens for today.

Amen.