LEAP day!

Well, thank goodness February has an extra day this year! Gives me a chance to post an update  - - seems it's been 2 months since I last wrote in this space. Thanks to those friends and family who have reached out to double-check that we are still alive. haha! Yes. We are...

IN JANUARY : One sunny day we went for roughly a 2 mile trek on the open prairie north of town. It's home to another branch of Texas Tech museums (a free excursion if you're ever here visiting us) where they discovered wooly mammoth bones. 

IN JANUARY: I read several books. Why Do I Do What I Don't Want To Do? by JP Pokluda was pretty good. I had not read anything from this author before. It was a quick read. Easy to understand. Included some scripture. Laid out well. In the first half of the book, he goes over some ancient vices (pride, anger, greed, apathy, lust) and presents a cure for each (humility, forgiveness, generosity, diligence, self-control). They're only ancient in the sense they have been around for all time. I struggle with many of these...both ancient and modern. In the second half he tackles more modern wars (perception management, entitlement, busyness, drunkenness, cynicism) and thankfully gives the remedy for these as well (authenticity, gratitude, rest, sobriety, optimism). 

Started this book in December and finished in January. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. This one was also interesting! I had no idea that it takes so long to hike/backpack from Georgia to Maine. Mr. Bryson did not hike the entire trail in one trip. But he and a buddy hiked a lot of it. Humorously and (it seems) accurately describing the hike as sort of a how-to and how-not-to. Enjoyable read. I did not realize that when we were in Gatlinburg last May we were so close to a portion of the trail. We have done some day hikes, but nothing of this magnitude. Hats off to these trekkers!

Here's another book I completed in January. Fiction. Christian. Mystery/Suspense. What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson. This story follows a popular podcaster as she heads back to her childhood summertime home (where her grandma used to live) to unravel the mystery of her childhood best friend's disappearance. I'm not sure where I got this recommendation. But it was a good read. I like mystery and it was clean. A sweet little romance, a-la-Hallmark, is also brewing on the side.

Final book in January. The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden. I actually know this author personally. I like her a lot. I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It's a little kitschy and has a few curse words. I mean it's not overwhelming with the curse words; I just wasn't expecting that from Rachel. The story is quaint and a little mystical. So if that's your thing, go for it.

How did I have time to read so much when my January was so busy?? Well, I have to get off the computer after so many hours or I lose my mind. That said, work-wise I got through January unscathed. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I think that a couple of strategic new hires with clients who took over some of the work made it much easier for me to focus on year-end tax prep instead of the year-end AND the day-to-day. So yay!

IN FEBRUARY: Cole finished his Lego Osprey project. Very cool model of the half-helo, half-plane that he just created on his own. Not an official Lego item.

My bulbs started coming up. Very exciting! This photo was taken 2.1.24

IN FEBRUARY: We also tried to go on a vacation. However, when we left town to drive south, Keaton was already feeling lousy. Feverish. Lethargic. He slept like this in the car for basically the whole 5 hour drive. And then we got there and Cole started coughing, had a fever, lethargy. 2 days later I succumbed as well. We were supposed to meet up with the Evans clan, but they judiciously steered clear. They had some other day trips planned to see Ellen's family in Houston and Austin anyway, so it all worked out. Keaton, Cole and I just laid around and tried to sleep.

 

We did try to go outside each day...safe distance away from other humans. The resort had a huge chess set. I beat Cole, but not on purpose. My chess strategy is totally defensive. I didn't even realize I had put him in checkmate until he told me. Ahhh well.

 

Around the resort there were lots of stray kitties. (Above) Keaton is petting one that came around our condo every day. (Below) we spent a few minutes the afternoon of Keaton's birthday visiting a nearby scripture garden. The walkways are covered with verses that tell the Gospel story, culminating at the empty cross at the top of the hill. There's also the "rider on the white horse" from Revelation among other sculptures. If you're ever near Kerrville on I-10, this is something to see: https://thecomingkingfoundation.org/

ALSO IN FEBRUARY: Keaton got his first job! Thanks to Uncle Dusty for that lead and the introduction to the owner. Ironically, he is working at a pizza place. Ironic because, as you may or may not know, Keaton has always been allergic to both wheat and dairy. Pizza is just not his thing. haha! However, the menu (LINK HERE) goes much deeper than just pizza, so we definitely need to go there and check it out some time when he's not working. So far, he's washed dishes, "fondled" pizza dough (ahem, I corrected him - the word is "kneaded") to make the crusts, and prepared jalapeno poppers. He likes working there overall, but currently is only scheduled on weekends when they are the most busy. 

FINAL FEBRUARY NOTES: I got a craving for crab melts. Funny how the seafood craving comes when you are completely landlocked. So Cole and I went to Costco, bought some lump crab (soooooo pricey!), gouda cheese, and a loaf of garlic parmesan bread. It was soooooo yummy! Problem was the bread had whole cloves of garlic which kinda grossed Cole out. Let's just say I have been eating crab melts for the better part of a week! Crab craving sufficiently satisfied. 

With some recent temps in the 70s and 80s, the boys and I also got some yard cleanup started. We were collecting sticks from around the yard and one night Cole and I lit them up in the chiminea. Fire is fun. Fire is great. UNTIL FIRE is wild. In the last couple of days there were brushfires raging about 2-3 hours north of us. Some places it was bad. The smoke was in the air for sure. Hoping today things calmed down because, this morning it snowed here briefly. As one of my friends (also a Washington transplant) quipped, "I guess only in TX!"

I've been reading in Jeremiah the last few mornings. And while the prophets are not always my cup of tea (lots of doom and gloom in their prophesies!) I tried looking at it from a different lens. That is, one of hope. I did finally make it to Jeremiah 29. There are so many promises throughout the Bible. God is with us. God is for us. Let us hold fast to this.

Jeremiah 29:10-14a This is what the Lord says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity."