Starting the Day With Humor

Let's start out the day with humor, shall we?:

Did you ever have one of those mornings where, when you try to put your underwear on, you end up playing jump rope with them and almost fall on your face?

Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to bidness....

My day started with an early morning walk with Miss Gabriella Fontini (better known as Gabbers or affectionately as Stinky) to Kiwanis Park. The snow has mostly melted off, and the roads were slick with a skin of ice. We slipped and slid our way to the park, walking on the grass where we could. I turned her loose and we crossed over the wood bridge into the woods, coming out at the river. The sheets of ice were thick and blue like tiny glaciers, sitting as leftover remnants on the pebbled shore, with fingers extending to the water. We walked across their crackled surface, crunching our prints into the powdery snow on top. The river was down quite a bit, the current running fast from runoff. We listened to the water rushing for a few minutes, then headed north along the river's edge. As we twisted and turned along the trail, we came upon a large tree, half eaten through. The beavers have been busy, as there were wood chips and gnawed stumps everywhere. I stopped to touch the large tree, wondering how an animal's teeth could be so sharp and tough against such a surface. I looked up, realizing the tree was better than 60 feet tall, and wondered if it would be considered a widow-maker. I hadn't heard that expression since mushroom hunting after the fires of 2000. I guess if it fell on me, it would be a Widower-maker....? Oh, well.

We started moving along the trail again, and I realized I might be stuck and have to turn back, since the river had branched and most likely met again ahead of us. I kept going anyway, thinking of the times in the near past when I wanted to give up because the way didn't seem clear. I had come this way for a reason, although the reason was still unknown to me. It reminded me of things with Todd. I had come together with him for a reason, and although that reason is still unknown to me, I take comfort in the fact that God will show it to me when he is ready. I moved forward with faith. I will have to keep doing this over and over again until it becomes completely natural for me, as I am so used to second-guessing everything.

As we broke through where it looked like the river met again, I realized that a small foot path, no more than a few inches wide, separated the fork from the rest of the river. In the small pond that had been created, several mallard ducks were lazily paddling away from us. They seemed unconcerned about Gabby's presence, and we watched them move gracefully across the water. I saw that a path led up the rocks back to the paved trail, so we climbed back up through the screen of trees and were in the park proper once again. Being at the river always feels like an adventure to me, with the sound of moving water and the view of the moutain ranges stretching through wide open spaces. I feel the same way when I climb up the trail at Roaring Lion, except the sound of rushing water is much louder and the view is more vertical and rugged. There isn't a single place here in Montana that I'm not absolutely in love with.

We came home and I got to work on the shower again. I itemized the materials and repairs I would need to make so that I could tell the insurance adjuster, and set about pulling things apart. I am kind of excited about having a new shower, although there are bound to be challenges along the way. I had hoped to have help with this project, but I am just thankful that Clay let me borrow his Sawzall, otherwise the going would be much tougher and slower. I am very lucky to have family. That reminds me of more humor: Singing in the shower is dangerous...cuz it leads to dancing. Can you imagine doing either with a Sawzall....ouch.

We finally got Jessie's fine taken care of, and he is ready to enlist when his birth certificate comes in next week. I asked him when I got back from my walk if he was excited and ready, and he said yes. His only concern is getting more information about the jobs available, but I told him that he could talk to his jobs counselor about that when he goes in for his physical and paperwork. He is asked to pick five job titles, so it isn't like he has to choose only one. Until the day comes, he doesn't have to make up his mind, so why worry...? Anway, I got him to call the job service and make an appointment for career testing. This type of testing will determine his personality, what he wants to do, and where his aptitude lies. I hope it will make his choices clearer and easier when the time comes. During the time between when he enlists and when he leaves for basic training (sometime between April and June, most likely in May), I hope that family and friends will do all they can to encourage him. He taking a huge step here, and making a real commitment to his future. I am very proud of him, and hope everyone else is, too.

As for my Dani, well she is having a tough go of it. Jon is being rather self-centered and immature in his dealings with her, and is hurting her in the process. He is adamant that she come up to Missoula on his last night in the state before heading home for the Christmas holiday break from school. Dani says it will be two months before he comes back, and I can tell she is going to miss him. However, she doesn't want to go to Missoula, and I don't want her to go either. Jon hasn't committed to her a single bit, and keeps using his history with Cass as an excuse not to. She has given him quite a bit since they started spending time together, and I think he owes her more than just his time now and again when it is convenient for him. I think he owes her honesty and fair treatment, like every other human being. The fact that he hides his relationship with her is very hurtful to her, and he doesn't seem to want to change it. She is much too smart and beautiful to waster her time on a dead-end relationship like this, and I think she knows it. But, the heart wants what it wants, and sometimes you can tell your heart all day that it shouldn't want someone, and yet it still does, against all your best efforts. I pray that she finds some way to come to terms with this relationship, whatever that might mean. I just know I can't stand to see her hurting, and would give all I have to see her happy and smiling instead.

Kat and Josh are doing well. She was writing something this morning, supposedly for school, but it seemed way too personal to be something she would turn in. I think she is having regrets about the past, and I know how she feels. I hope that she can find a way to move through it, and if not, that she feels she can talk to me about what is going on. I am glad that she has Josh, and they have been spending a lot of time with Mom. Mom is doing rather well herself, what with the rest of the family being here to focus on. We spend a lot of time talking to her, laughing, playing games, and working on things. The Christmas break starts for the kids this weekend and lasts two weeks, so we will all be here together for the holidays. It would be nice to spend some of it with our extended family, and hope that we get an invitation to do so. If not, I guess we will have put out invitations for others to come here, as we don't want to miss out on being with family if it can be helped.

Ok, everybody....til we meet again....rock on!