Here we are one day past Thanksgiving 2024. Little cold, little sloppy, little snowy. All right on time, as seasons come, and seasons go.

Today I went to see my new hairdresser. For the past several years I have had people to cut my hair, but it didn’t seem I could find anyone to stay long enough to get to know my hair. I have been told that I have thin, skinny hair. Now I have old, thin, skinny hair. 😊

I have worn my hair short for many years. After Jim, my husband passed away 4 days before Christmas in 2019 I really didn’t care a lot about how my hair looked. Then three months later COVID hit then nobody else cared. All this resulted in my hair being down passed shoulder length for the first time since right after we were married.

I like the fact that I can put it up fast and have it look OK. Even up it shows it’s thin, skinniness. 😊

My new hairdresser has become one of my newer friends in the past few years. She was telling me how much she enjoyed my blog. I shared with her that Autumn is gone, and the final chapter of my book The Top of the Falls has been posted, I am having to reimagine my blog. Not quite sure what to say or write about. At this point she looked at me and said. ” Then write about that!” Just be real and it will still speak to other people and we will all know better how to pray for you.

So, This is my THAT!

Yesterday was not only Thanksgiving Day, but I had been told only a Mom would know that 100 days have passed since her girl closed her eyes for the last time on this earth. I believe the scripture that says “Your last breath here, means your next one is there.” As the song says I Can Only Imagine!

My son and his wife are in Cozumel celebrating His birthday November 27th and Her birthday November 25^th.  He said he has not had a birthday in 28 years. After they got married it became their birthday.  My birthday and Jim’s were two weeks apart, so I understand the concept. I grew up with a lot of closely shared birthdays. But if you think about it, all of our events, birthdays, anniversaries, death days all have to share those same 365/366 days 😊 there are bound to be some overlaps.

I am one of those people that don’t feel like I celebrated my birthday if it wasn’t March 14^th. My anniversary is June 26, not in May when seasonal rates are cheaper. Probably why I remember things like yesterday was Autumn’s 100^th day in heaven.

Yesterday I finished memorizing The Lord’s Prayer in Spanish! I have been working on it for a bit. I am the First Impressions coordinator at church and decided learning some Spanish would be a good thing in that position. I humbly admit to my first (probably not my last) translation error. I was kind of at a loss as to what I should concentrate on first. Then I heard the Lord say, learn in Spanish the same greetings you use in English. Duolingo and I have a date every night. One of the things I say to visitors is to help yourself to doughnuts, coffee and water. Well so I said Cerveza dona, café y aqua. I was proud of me, as were those that spoke less Spanish than I. Actually, serve yourself is sirve.  cerveza is beer. So in reality I was inviting them to have beer, donuts, coffee or water😊😊😊, and then assuring them it was OK to take them to the church service. 😊   One thing about being 73 years old is no matter what I do from here on out, there is a real good chance it is not the dumbest thing I have ever done. 😊

One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is the ability to laugh at you!

I have joined an in-person Grief Share group at the Lord’s prompting. I still facilitate the Thursday night group. But this one is for Hope Bennett that lost her daughter 100 days ago. In less than a month the 5^th anniversary of my Mr. Jim’s passing will come and go.

Losing a husband is different than losing a daughter. (not to sound redundant) but losing a daughter is also different than losing a husband.

I am enjoying my weekly overnight visit with my great granddaughter Wren. The other day she was sitting on my lap and over her shoulder I caught a glimpse of Autumn’s photo, and I had a little meltdown.

The tears were running down my cheek and Wren was trying to pick them off, she could sense that grandma Hope was feeling some sort of way. She is such a blessing to me.

THE BITTER/SWEET Both girls are great gifts from God

One of the things I need to learn is it is OK in fact very healthy to be real.

You need to be real to heal. 

I am learning how to take care of me.

DON’T TRY TO PUT A PLASTIC SMILE ON A BROKEN HEART!!!

( this is a line from Grief Share)

Blessings!  Thanks for Reading!!!