Confusion rules!

 As time passes, I realize that I am gradually getter more and more confused. I'm not nearly as smart as I used to be. Common sense and reasonable answers are becoming more scarce. I don't seem to know as much as I used to think I knew. Currently, these things are messing with my normally organized mind:

•  How does a giant, skyscraper sized ship, get crossways in a canal? What happened there?
•  How can you order stuff from Walmart, via the Net, and sometimes it arrives before you get up from your computer?
• Where in the world is Sevastopol?
• With all of the products available for purchase, why do I keep seeing the same seven commercials, over and over? Don't advertisers want me to buy something new and different?
• Is it possible to defund politicians? They don't seem to be making wise choices and frankly, they are of no use to me.
• Have they stopped selling mirrors at Walmart? If they do, why do some folks leave their homes looking the way they do? And, OMG, who invented leggings?

Dear Lord. We never stop questioning. Grant me peace.

        

"Rover crossed Over"

 In this time of uncertainty and chaos, it seems like now is a good time to focus our thoughts on the things for which we are truly thankful.  Because we normally just plow through life, getting irritated when things don't go as planned, we tend to focus on what causes our road blocks and stops our progress. So, reverse that and start enjoying the blessings in our lives.

• Isn't it great to be alive and experience the changing of the seasons? The Red bud trees are starting to bloom and the daffodils are brilliantly yellow. But, even the first snowfalls of winter , autumn colors and summer showers are beautiful!
• Aren't grandkids wonderful? We love it, when we get to see them. They always have something new and exciting happening to them and they can't wait to share with us. 
• Taking a ride or walk, through new or even old territory, is always an eye opener. It's great when you observe familiar surroundings in a new light.
• Getting a phone call from an old friend or making a call to a friend that you haven't talked to in a long time. What a great feeling! 
• Learning something new. Yesterday, a NYT Crossword clue was "Rudy Vallee song that rhymes Cuba and Tuba". What? Well, I worked on it and the answer was "YUBA", from the song "Yuba does the Rhumba down in Cuba". What a surprise! Ridiculously marvelous.  

Now, it's your turn........ 

Dear Lord. We are so blessed. We know that, but most of the time it is so much easier to focus on our woes and complaints, than it is to be thankful. Don't let us forget that we have what we truly need, in You.

      

"ON THE ROAD AGAIN....."

 Last night, while briskly walking through a restaurant parking lot, trying to remember where I parked my car, I looked to my left and spotted a very odd, yet familiar automobile trunk. I stepped closer and, low and behold, the car was a Chevy Corvair coupe......a 1963 model, to be exact. Parked next to it, in a row, were 4 other Corvairs, most of them of the same year, I think. How, you're asking yourself, did I know this????? Well, in the summer of 1963, my Much Older Sister (MOS) and I , along with our parents and Grandpa (in a much less cooler car), embarked on a road trip, to far off California. And, the two of us took turns driving her brand new gold, Chevy Corvair. That was our first Road Trip.

Over the years, my MOS and I have had quite a few Road Trips. They have all been memorable. On one, we left our trusty Road Atlas (that was before GPS), at the very first stop. Together, we have navigated the hazards of numerous metropolitan road mazes, including Chicago, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and D.C. 

We called these our "Thelma and Louise" trips". Along the way we sang a lot of camp songs, harmonizing and giggling. We bought funny hats and wore them. We got lost, a few times, but we always managed to get to our targeted destination and back home.

I'm ready to go again! All of this proves, without a doubt, that Sisters Are the Perfect Best Friends.

Dear Lord. Thank you for family.

PERSPECTIVE

We all have done a lot of complaining in the last year. Since March of 2020, we have whined about having to wear masks. (I discovered that I do a lot of lip-reading, and that's not possible, with masks) We can't visit our favorite restaurants......and now, some of them are now closed, forever. Shopping has been a no-no. Go out and get what you need, don't linger, and go right home! Oh, and let's not forget about the "toilet paper and Kleenex shortage". That was awful. We've really have had a lot to complain about. 

Now that some of the restrictions are finally being lifted, I was recently able to attend an outdoor Memorial Service for persons, in our retirement community, who had died in the past year. Everyone wore masks and social distancing was practiced, but just being able to gather, as a group, was so wonderful. 

Sixty-seven names were read. Sixty-seven out of less than three hundred residents. That put things in perspective, for all of us who were there. Most of those folks who died, in the past twelve months, did not die of Covid, but of loneliness and sadness. All of them were seniors, and most with some medical issues, but what they had in common was the horrible isolation. Most of them died without the comforting arms and hands of their families. That's tragic. 

Our complaints seem pretty insignificant, compared to tears of those sixty-seven families, mourning their loved ones. My heart goes out to them.  

Dear Lord. We are blessed. We live in the comfort that you are always with us. Show us how to show sympathy and honor for all of Your children.