Saturday, October 1, 2022

Another Truly Good Day


The pine cone lilies are doing their fall scarlet magic trick, sending up these beautiful cones. I just learned from my plant app that these gingers are also called "bitter ginger". I knew that some people call them "shampoo lilies" because the liquid in the cones can be used as a shampoo. The cones are not dense, but somewhat smushy and hold a lot of the liquid in them. And after years of growing these, I just learned another fact- the roots can indeed be used in cooking. 

I'll be darned. 

A lot has happened here since last night! Well, you know- for me. 

With the impetus of the article I posted last night and the courage born of two martinis, I emailed the owner of the pool house with the pink stove to ask if he had any dates available in the next week or two and he did and so Mr. Moon and I are leaving on Tuesday to go stay for almost a week. My husband has been pushing me to do this because he's about to begin his yearly hunting adventures in various and distant places and I think it will relieve his guilt immensely if he takes me somewhere I love before leaving me to travel which is silly because I do not mind at all being alone but I love him for wanting to take me away for a little trip. 

He had suggested that we go last month but I, facing that doctor's appointment, told him that I could not enjoy myself until I had gotten through it and knew that all was well. This of course is crazy-thinking but he knows me and he understands that this is how I am. I think the whole experience of anticipatory anxiety kicked off a bout of extremely uncomfortable regular anxiety for me which has not been fun at all. And the idea of leaving my home, my routine, has been almost more than I could bear. But, I had a talk with myself and, knowing it was exactly what I needed to do, I wrote that email. Of course I woke up at 2:30 in the morning thinking, "WHAT HAVE I DONE?" but eventually I went back to sleep and all day I have been glad I made the plan. Glen says, "Let's GO!" and so we shall. 

And to make it all even better, I got a text this morning from our friend Mark who is an amazing house sitter, entirely out of the blue that said, "I love you," and I wrote him back, "I love you too! Want to come and stay here next week while Glen and I go off?" 
He did! He does! 
And so I have not had to worry about that for a second. 

If I was a believing (in anything) woman I would say, "It is meant to be!" but I'm not so I will just say- wow. I am so lucky. 

Another thing that happened yesterday was that I texted back and forth with our beloved Billy almost all day and we ended up agreeing that he and his wife, Shayla, and son, Waylon, should come out for a little visit today. And that happened! 

Those of you who have been here forever know of Darling Billy and Beautiful Shayla and their boy Waylon. Billy and Shayla got married here in our back yard quite awhile ago. In fact, I performed the ceremony which was one of the biggest honors of my life. I met Billy through Hank back when Billy was in high school, and when he started bringing Shayla around, we were all so happy. 
She is the real-deal person. 
And I have not laid physical eyes on them for a very long time. Billy works from home now, as a crisis-line intervention counselor, and Shayla is a first grade teacher. Probably the best first grade teacher in the world. Definitely in Florida. We sat on the back porch this afternoon and ate roasted peanuts and talked and talked and talked about all the things that matter in life. Waylon hung out on the periphery, seemingly pretty content. 
Before they left I asked if I could take a picture of them for the blog and Waylon, who was already in the car, said, "Just one! One picture!" I promised just one picture. 


I will always keep my promises to Waylon. He is almost thirteen and I swear he is going to be as tall as Glen. He's 1/4 inch short of being 6'. 
And then, because Billy and Shayla allowed me, I took another picture of the two of them. 


As Jessie said when I sent her these pictures, "Oh my gosh. Those people are just love in human form."
And they are. 

So. That is what has happened in my tiny world today. I got two darling pictures of August and Levon with Cherry from Jessie. 



This morning on Facebook, a memory showed up from August's first birthday party. I had linked to THIS POST from blessourhearts and when I went back and read it, I remembered for sure why I keep this blog. I have a record of so much of my life and my family and if my grandbabies want to know what they did and how they looked from the earliest years of their life, they will be able to see. 


The Cuteness is Overwhelming.


Magnolia looks at Owen, her big brother, with eyes of love and adoration.


And then, Magnolia June demonstrates her dominance of the world at an early age, much to August's consternation. 

And one more picture from that post. 


Some things never really change. 

Love...Ms. Moon

33 comments:

  1. I'm so happy that you sound so happy! The trip is a VERY good idea and I know you'll have a wonderful time. And your friends and their son just shine in those photos...the love really does show. Your whole extended family (both blood and chosen) is a beautiful thing. You are so lucky.

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    1. I AM so lucky. And I know that with every fiber of my being.

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  2. SO happy you are going to your heart place, Roseland! With the spitting lions and lovely sunsets and tranquility. SO glad for you! And nice to see Billy and Shayla and Waylon......having followed your blog for so many years, I feel I know your *family* well, and have missed seeing them.
    Happy evening to you, dear Mary!
    Susan M

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    1. Don't Billy and Shayla look great? And isn't Waylon just getting so big? I love those three with all my heart.

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  3. I know what you mean about a blog becoming a reference store for memories. "Bless Our Hearts" has been running for fifteen years and a lot can happen in that amount of time as indeed your blog reveals. I hope you have a refreshing time in Roseland with none of those pesky hurricanes disturbing the peace.

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    1. Me too, Mr. P.! I feel a little guilty about driving through some parts of the state that are no doubt storm-damaged to go on a vacation. Well, since you've been reading my blog for so long, you probably know I feel VERY guilty.
      My default emotion.

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  4. Such a happy post, beautiful people. I'm very glad you got your nerve up for the trip.

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    1. Me too! I'll be cooking on that pink stove and watching the sunset in two days.

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  5. Now that is a good day all 'round! You have some truly fine people in your life. I enjoyed the article on Roseland. It still looks like a very sweet place. Is still sort of off the beaten path, or has it been "found"? I need a report!

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    1. It's so interesting, Wilma. The very small part of what I knew as Roseland, where we lived and where we stay now, looks essentially the same as it did sixty years ago. Still sand roads in parts and same houses, mostly. But everything surrounding it has exploded. There's very little in tiny Roseland though, to draw attention.

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  6. I am thrilled you are going away. I nearly told you to book that place in my comments but didn't want to appear pushy. Our non-existent psycho babble communication must be working! Combined with every other reader who would have been thinking the same thing. You had no chance!

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    1. Well, I do appreciate the very positive energy sent my way. Reading that article sure helped push me too.

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  7. This is the best news of all. Please don't get light as a balloon and float away!

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    1. Well now, that wouldn't be SO bad, would it? To float over the river?

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  8. Pine cone lilies, I've never seen them, how interesting. And all the lovely people, you've had a most wonderful day. Enjoy your trip to Roseland.

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  9. You are a truly fortunate woman despite all the crap you had to endure as a kid...I hope you enjoy all you can now and have a wonderful time on that trip!

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    1. It is bewildering to me that I have managed to live this long and have such an amazingly beautiful family and life. I am gobsmacked daily.

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  10. I actually clicked back and read the birthday post before discovering you put the photos here too. I'm so glad you are going to have a little getaway, you'll have a great time.

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    1. Thank you, River. I think we will have a very good time.

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  11. I love the photos and it's so nice that you got to catch up with friends. Waylon is so tall, for some reason I was expecting a little boy. I love the photos of August and Levon in bed with Cherry. Too cute.

    Mostly I'm so glad you're going to Roseland for some R&R.

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    1. Waylon will be thirteen next month. But he is very tall, even for his age.
      Are those pictures the cutest?

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  12. I love that you start and end with the pine cone lilies, now and then. Those old pics are great. And I love the ones of Billy and family. I can't believe how big Waylon is now!

    Bravo for going to Roseland. You will be so glad you did, as you already know.

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    1. You can tell the season in Lloyd by what I have in a vase on that little vanity in the hallway, can't you?
      Waylon is super tall. And cute.
      I am very, very much looking forward to Roseland.

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  13. Glad you are going to have a fun getaway in Roseland!

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  14. Darling Mary I love this post so much. What darling photos of your grandbabies, then and now, what precious memories, and yes, that is why I keep a blog too, as a record for myself, and hopefully one day, if they desire to look into it, for my children and future grandchildren. And how thrilling that you called and book that getaway for yourself and your love! I'm so happy for you, going to one of the places in this world that always helps restore you to yourself. Enjoy, enjoy.

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    1. Yes- Roseland restores me to myself! Exactly!
      And your blog will be there for your kids and their kids and you have put so much history in it that they will feel as if they know the folks who came before them. Which is beautiful.

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  15. Also Billy and Shayla and Waylon, what a bundle of lovingness they are. Thank you for sharing them with us here.

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    1. I would share those people with the world if I could. The world needs them.

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  16. Lucky you! Roseland for a week. No better place to let go the anxiety of the past week+.

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  17. God, it's been such a GIFT to have read your blog for so long -- a gift for all of us!

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.