My Boys are Home Safe

I wanted to update everyone on my family. They are my everything, so those of you who know me well know. Joe was released from his guard duty in St. Louis, MO and is now back at home in Kansas City. Praise God. He got home just in time to help move his best friend into his new home in Lee’s Summit. Congratulations Zac and Megan! Joe actually facetimed me last night as they were all in Zac and Megan’s new back yard relaxing after a long day’s work of lifting and moving and lifting again. Joe and Michelle have surrounded themselves with some really great people. As they passed around the phone, each of them said hello to me, asked me how I was, and joked with me. What a blessing. It makes me feel so reassured that they are surrounded by good people who will support them when needed.

Tim is now settled into his new apartment in Fort Collins, Colorado. He drove out early Friday morning. Rich and Lily left Friday afternoon and arrived around 10 p.m. They all have fallen in love with where Tim is now living. His roommates are seniors at CSU and won’t arrive until August, so he’ll have the place to himself for about 2 months. They went to Rocky Mountain National Park to walk around and hike on Saturday. They got to see several moose and elk. There are quite a few geese and ducks in the small stream behind Tim’s apartment building. Rich and Lily are on their way back today. Hopefully we’ll be able to go and visit him for a longer visit soon. Tim has been “interviewing” weightlifting gyms in the area and is going to visit the top one today. Anyone who knows him knows this is his big step into making this town his home. Now he just needs to find a good Jiu Jitsu gym. I am happy for him finding his way in a new place all alone. It isn’t easy. I have done it before, and it took awhile to settle in and find my new inner circle. His boss from Lincoln is going to visit him on Wednesday, so that will be good to start the work he moved there to do in opening the new kickboxing gym. I can’t wait for Rich and Lily to come home and tell me all about Fort Collins.

My Church, St. Gerald in Ralson, has reopened and although they are meeting daily for Mass, I am not able to go yet. I am so very thankful for the live stream video that allows me to worship with them from home. Today, the RCIA candidates were welcomed into full communion with the Catholic Church. This should have happened at the Easter Vigil service. These people, wanting to join the Church and having attended classes for 9 months, have been waiting to be welcomed into the Church. Today they were…with masks and 6 feet apart. Congratulations and welcome!

As for me, all is well. I have 3 large blisters on my feet that are painful but not debilitating. I sometimes start out our early morning walk with a bit of a limp as they are sore, but by the time I am a block or two away, the pain has eased. The raging rash under my arms is back and in the painful stage…but at least I know it won’t last too long. It was really only painful and raw for about a week or week and a half last time, so I can handle it. My hands are very wrinkly….as my kids when they were little and in the pool or tub too long, would get “raisin fingers”. I drink at least 2 liters of water each day, so I am staying hydrated, but my hands are now very wrinkly. It doesn’t hurt…just a little weird and my phone doesn’t want to recognize my fingerprint readily, which becomes a bit frustrating as it is how I unlock my phone quickly. Again, just a minor inconvenience. Otherwise, I am feeling really good. I am able to do all the housework, some yard work, walk Tallinn about 5 miles daily, and keep up with work on the computer. I am reorganizing my kitchen cabinets…as I am going stir crazy and organizing things puts me in my comfort zone. Envision labeled containers with all my spices….and all my baking goods. Ah, things that make me happy.