It began with a bottle of spilled NH3

Can you believe I still remember the formula for ammonia?
Spilled on floor the week before Christmas - resulting in the need to strip 27 layers of wax and redo floor.
Sister broker her leg.
Oldest grand child broke - arm - surgery - now better.
Youngest grandbaby - only one year old - broke arm.

BRIGHT SPOT: 40th wedding anniversary celebrated in grand style..thanks for the great surprise kids. It was just perfect in every way.

Christmas up - celebrated - down.
Food bought - prepared - family events.
RR is now Retired Rick
Sister in law critically ill - ICU for 15 days.
Funeral was Saturday.
Much company - much cooking - as we live close by but all the other family members do not.
Uncle Merrill - Von and now Uncle Owen have died.
Worried about Mom - losing three brothers so close together - sad - lonely.
Dishwasher not working.
MIce discovered in storage room of basement.
Much food thrown away.
Wipe off every shelf and jar and can.
Organize - clean - sanitize  and re-organize.
Twenty batches of wash (stored bedding etc)
Washing machine now leaking.
Bladder infection - come - gone.
RR facing heart surgery Feb 12th.
Dear friend diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Sorting out the decision of helping-encouraging-deciding about RR's Mom and a retirement center verses staying alone in her home.
Wrestling with decision about 'doing shows' this year.
Other than that....
Well - to be honest there just hasn't been much - other than that.
RR just came in to office...has sore throat and feels yuck..oh my, we certainly don't want to have to postpone his surgery.
I guess we need something else to worry about.

Thank you for your sweet emails and online hugs.
I don't know if I can really 'talk' about all that is in my head and heart.

But - I do have some great ideas - stirring around in my head amongst all the other things - and I am pretty sure I still have a magic room - someplace.

We have seen many 'tender mercies' from our loving Heavenly Father over the past couple months.
We fully expect and plan on many more as we fumble through the next month or so.

How are we, you ask?
Honestly - good.
We are doing good.
We have laughed and cried and laughed.
We look forward to each day.
I love having RR round about all day.
I look forward to  - after surgery..when he won't be short of breath, and will feel better.
We are grateful for technology and doctors that can 'fix a broken heart'.

And we pray for those who have broken hearts of another kind.

Did you catch the phrase  - "Our power to carry burdens can be more than enough."
This I know to be true.
I'd still pick up MY trouble pile.