Striving for Normal

 

Or

Striving for OUR Normal.

Whatever that might be.

 

The last few months have not been normal.

Well, actually the last few years have not been normal,

although

we came to think of them as "our" normal.

 

January was wild,

out of control,

not normal at all.

JWS made the comment,

"What if this is the NEW normal?"

 

It can't be!!!

 

I need some calm in my life. 

 

Our son-in-law, Travis

gave us prophetic words that we re quote often,

we just embellish them a little.

 

He had just purchased his first house

 

I thought that the garage was  

incredibly spotless and pristine.

 

I remember saying to him,

"Well at least you shouldn't have to clean the garage."

 

He said,

"Well, every body's clean is different."

 

To paraphrase that to our life,

"Well every body's normal is different."

 

So,

in an effort to make things back to our normal,

I set my alarm for five

and planned on walking.

Extremely high winds prevented that this morning.

However,

I took JWS his coffee in bed at 6:30.

 

All things that have not happened here in several months.

 

 

And so this morning,

I basecoated.

I haven't even picked up a paintbrush

for the entire month of January.

 

Time to get back to normal.

 

So all that being said,

I am going to tell you about yesterday.

I had Kendall.

I love that little girl,

she is so good,

she listens,

she behaves,

she sleeps good,

but,

she is three

and

I am 54

and while she doesn't tire me out

as much as some of the other grandchildren,

she

never

shuts

up.

 

I am talking

constant chatter

and

not just

"nod your head and say uh huh"

chatter

but

"90,000

questions

that require an answer "

chatter.

 

Anyway, I get the call to take her home.

I leave her at work,

because Logan is just arriving on the bus

and I know that they will want to talk.

 

I drive my car home

to gather her belongings.

The car that has been smelling hot

and making funny noises

for the last three

non-normal months.

 

The car that I have mentioned to JWS

might have an issue.

The noise and smell

that JWS

 (and a lot of other people)

just roll their eyes

and attribute to my driving skills.

I get back to the shop and once again

complain that now the noise

is getting worse.

 

JWS,

apparently in some

light bulb,

aha

moment

says,

"Have you checked the oil?"

 

Really?

Why in the world do you even have a husband

if not to

check the oil,

change the furnace filters,

start the weed eater,

drain the water hose for winter,

well,

you get the picture?

 

Of course I have not checked the oil.

A panicked look at the oil change sticker

tells me that

I am more than slightly overdue

for an oil change.

Well, actually I should have had two oil

changes in that time

and heading rapidly for the third one.

 

How do you keep track of all this stuff?

 

So,

I take my car to the service station,

since John has an appointment

and needs his truck,

I borrow my friend's vehicle.

 

Reload

car seat,

suitcase,

various art projects,

winter coat,

and

all the "stuff"

that everyone gave Kendall

into that vehicle and

head to

Shelby's house.

 

Kendall is delivered,

I get a little hold time on that

adorable little boy,

head home.

 

As I am heading home,

I am trying to figure out which side the gas cap is on

on the vehicle.

I might have been a little distracted as I pulled into the

gas station

and

I drove through

a

huge pile of wet, messy horse poop

spreading it

with every roll of the tire

in front of the gas pumps.

 

I get out,

get chastised

by the station attendant

who is holding the shovel

asking if I didn't see him or the horse poop,

which of course I didn't,

realize that I am on the wrong side of the pumps,

pull forward,

out into the street,

in front of another vehicle,

back up into the correct side of the pumps,

further spreading the

above mentioned

wet,

messy

horse poop.

 

All I can say is this,

if the

service station attendant

would keep track of my oil changes,

none of this would have happened.

 

One more day of January....

I am shooting for

normal

in

February!