Oops, Rejuvenation, and Reading

Oops

Oops. I kind of boo-booed this weekend. It was so beautiful yesterday here we spent all afternoon outside doing yard work. The leaves desperately needed to be raked off my flowers. The tulips had come up a good eight inches through the leave and my peonies were almost a foot high through the leaves. Thank goodness they were the only two who got that carried away. The trouble is that we still had a bunch of snow on the ground from the snowstorm last week. We didn’t have much of a chance to unbury anything before yesterday. So we did. Except I woke up rather achy today after having used multiple muscles I’ve not used much in a while. Not smart planning as I had to play handbells for all three Easter services at church this morning. Oh well. I lived, and the services were beautiful. Happy Easter and chag sameach!

Rejuvenation

It’s interesting how things work sometimes. This last week I’ve been so tired. Not just the “I need a nap” variety of tired, but that was there as well. I’m talking more of a mental health type thing bordering on a soul weary tired, though not quite to that point. But, over the weekend, I played music for several services, not just Easter, at church. I spent quality time with my family doing the Scouting for Food event, and I spent quite a bit of time outside as I mentioned. The food went to a local women’s shelter. The time outside was work, but felt good to get done, and I always appreciate the time with my family. What amazes me is how much better I feel now. I know it shouldn’t; after all this is some of what I teach at work. But it does. It amazes me how consistently it works and how I don’t always remember this. What helps you feel better when you’re pushing weary like this?

Reading

I am having so much fun watching and helping my son learn to read. At his last conferences for school, his teacher said his reading skills are a definite strength for him. Now, that also is true only as long as he can sit still and focus to do it, which is a challenge for him many days. But he loves stories. We’re reading The Chronicles of Narnia and the Percy Jackson series at night before bed. I love those times, snuggling up and reading a chapter or three of the current book. What I love even more, though, is watching him realize all of a sudden he can read something on his own. Sometimes it’s just a label on a box of food on the counter or a random street sign. Other times he’s reading me a book he got from the school library. The sheer joy and delight in his face when he connects he is doing the reading all on his own is so incredible. I hope he keeps this love of reading the rest of his life.