One of the primary tasks that has consumed all my spare time over the last 5 or so days has been setting up several blogs for my beloved daughters. I am completely intuitive when it comes to tech, so it surprises me greatly that I have been able to figure out as much as I have about organizing and putting together a blog. It does take me a while though, and sometimes there are false starts and do-overs – but in the end, all three girls have gotten a good start on adding their own creative voice to the blogiverse. Laurent, at Mission, Quest, Thing; Geneva, at And Then There Was Nun, and Megan at The Last Moomzy.
Today, after finally finishing all that, I was tentatively planning that, after returning from taking Jacob to the orthodontist for his monthly checkup, we would be able to accomplish a full day of school. However, I decided that since I would be that far north anyway, I had better take the opportunity to drive up to Sprouts while I was out and about, and pick up a few bulk items. (Always combine trips, always save gas. It’s the Heidmann Way.) Then, while sitting in the ortho office, I got a text from my honey, asking if I’d like to meet him for lunch. I was gapingly puzzled by such a suggestion from the man who is infamous for “not wasting gas” – until he explained that he’d run out of his epilepsy medication and needed me to bring him a supply, so we might as well meet in the middle and do lunch. He decided Pei Wei would be perfect, and we planned to meet there at 11 a.m. That suddenly put a bit of a crimp in my morning school plans!
One of my favorite aspects of car riding with Jacob is that there is absolutely never a lack of conversation. Unless it’s a LONG ride, like to the ranch, he simply never runs out of topics to discuss. Therefore, we had a most scintillating time, both on the drive, and in the store, and I let him push the cart around Sprouts while I looked at various teas and spices and supplements, before finally getting down to business with the millet, popping corn, cornmeal, wheat bran, nutritional yeast flakes, sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds.
On the way home we were stopped by a train, and were at the front of the line, and I discovered as we watched the cars whizzing past, the both of us attempting to read what was written on each one, that it’s possible to get motion sickness while sitting still. I finally had to close my eyes and told Jacob to let me know when the train was finished. Whew! Just thinking about it is making me woozy again…
So — back at home, I just had time for a quick freshening up and instructions for Laurent to prepare lunch for Oma and the kids and get the kitchen clean, and then I was off to meet my husband for a fancy lunch, with a bag of pills in my purse. I smirked as I drove, imagining meeting in the parking lot, casting furtive glances in every direction before quickly handing the ziplock bag through his car window…. or perhaps, buying a newspaper before going inside and sitting down across from him in a booth, slipping the pills into the folded paper and sliding it across the table to him while casually sipping my diet soda. 😀 It was a fun little 40 minute mid-day date, and my sushi (second day in a row!! WIN!!) was exceptionally tasty.
On the way back home, I got a phone call from Lisa, wanting to know if she could come over for the afternoon. I quickly calculated that it would work if I combined picking her up with yet another errand I had forgotten, that needed to be done A.S.A.P. — namely, going with Laurent up to GCC to purchase her books for fall semester. I called to let Laurent know I was a few minutes out so she would be ready when I got there. I had 15 minutes at home, and then three of us were off – Megan wanted to come along as well, since she craves every opportunity to visit the campus (the girl is DYING to start college, which ought to work to my advantage in motivating her this school year). We picked up Lisa, then had to stop for gas as I was below a quarter tank, and finally were off to GCC. Books are expensive. It’s ridiculous. Just ridiculous. But, at least we got several of them used, and she is now prepared to start the year.
Back home again. Oh my goodness. I was tired! I wanted to nap. But I needed to fix something on somebody’s blog; and then I needed to help Lisa with some math she was practicing; and then if it wasn’t one thing it was another, and I can’t even remember what, and before I could blink, Jeff had come over after work, and it was time to take Lisa home, which we combined with going on to the church, where Laurent and Geneva were to spend an hour working in the St. Vincent de Paul pantry helping box up food for clients, while Megan and I went to the beautiful new adoration chapel for an hour of peace and contemplation and prayer and quietness. Oh how I wished I could have stayed for a couple more hours, the minutes flew by so quickly. What a grace, what a blessing, to be able to put all the hurry and running and hustle and bustle out of my mind and focus on nothing but communication with Jesus! I know I will be going back often.
At the end of such a full day, I am thankful, blessed, and ready to rest. Amen.
