Mental Health Morning

I took the morning off. I am desperately in need of a mental health break, and the children are delightfully OUT OF THE HOUSE at school.
Does that sound harsh? I do love my kids, but this return of peace and quiet is so so delicious.
I just need to sit and sigh, journal and putter. I feel better already!

My father spent two sets of three days, a week apart, in the hospital. End stage renal failure. He decided to go ahead with kidney dialysis, and is doing much better. He'll spend most of his Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays getting ready for, transporting to, and having dialysis (3.5 hours each time), but in exchange for that he will feel much better and live to enjoy the other 4 days each week. He'll be 83 two weeks from today. I thought we were going to lose him this last time...he was so so sick...but he is one tough old guy! A retired pastor, he spends his days at a reading machine (diabetes has greatly diminished his eyesight) keeping up with the sports news and reading God's Word. He is such a student, even 60 years after graduating from seminary. God bless him!

Four teenagers have really worn me out -- much for which to be thankful, but emotionally wearing all the same. They are supposed to be spreading their wings -- I keep reminding myself of that -- I just need to keep moving out of the way so I don't get smacked by the feathers. I tried recently to explain to our 15 year old daughter that even though her remarks may not seem like much to her, when you add them to three other kid's remarks, it is too much for a mother's heart. She looked at me like I've finally lost it and rolled her eyes. So much for a tender moment...

Work has been so full. I do work flexible hours, but with a big promotion and raise, it's hard to keep balanced... I want them to get their money's worth, and I want to stay on top of things...and ....well...

And so, my mental health morning. As the old song goes, time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping...into the future... It has been delicious though. I've purposefully not made a list, but have come upon small projects and conquered them, written a few emails, updated my journal, studied Isaiah 24 (read that to know why Global Climate Change is occuring...it's all in His plans), and puttered. I LOVE puttering. At home. Alone.

And to think I'm an extrovert...hmmmmmm...