This day has been filled with multiple surprises thus far. All of them have been pleasant thus far especially since I’m a lot like  Marilyn Monroe at times. “I’m impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” Vic and my children will tell you I can be a handful at times but I also have a heart of gold.

We rose early to do the grocery store run during the senior citizen allotted time.  There are pros and cons to this hour time frame. Yes,  we are the first ones in the store and have access to the product first but that also means we’re in the way of the clerks trying to actually get the product on the shelf. Many slots are empty from the day before so the selection isn’t always what one may think. Sometimes, it’s just easier to go a bit later in the morning. I’m not looking forward to doing it once the summer’s heat takes hold. Anyway for this morning, it was more convenient to go before my lab appointment to keep my mind off the tests and not having breakfast yet. I didn’t stray from the list too far and were able to be in and out in forty-five minutes. Woohoo.

The technician that drew my blood did an excellent job drawing the four vials. No bruising at all. I typically have deep purple bruises. Thank you Genevieve for your getnle touch.. So the first step of this process is now completed. The MRI is on the 14th, yup a Sunday.

My son, John called this morning before I left for the lab appointment to tell me he was thinking of me and that he loved me. I reminded him that I wouldn’t have the results back for a couple more days. He said, “I’ll call you back then and tell you I love you again.” He has no idea how much that phone call mattered today. He’s the reason for my song choice today as well. I chose “The Dance.” We’ve experienced a lot of good and bad times together.

When my babies were young, John, Chris and Amanda, I used to waltz with them in the living room after I fed them their bottles. That snuggle time was priceless to me.  As you know, children grow and dancing with their Mom isn’t high on their priority. The next time John and I danced together was at his wedding. I chose the Dance for our song because I knew with all my heart that he was making the biggest mistake of his life but there was nothing I could say that would deter him from rushing into this marriage. It’s the only time since he became an adult that we’ve danced together. I’ll never forget how handsome he looked in his tux. My oldest son all grown up. We had lots of rocky times but through it all.  I just wanted him to be happy and he wasn’t. Thankfully, in spite of all the crap in between and the heartbreaking loss of his son July 1st, 2019 there have been times when I see genuine happiness on his face. Thank you Debbie, for loving my son. I’m very aware how much he is like his Mom out of control at times but also with a heart of gold.

This warms my heart and reminds me often of the song we shared together.

“Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared beneath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known you’d ever say goodbye
And now I’m glad I didn’t know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I’d have to miss the dance
Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn’t I the king
But if I’d only known how the king would fall
Hey who’s to say you know I might have changed it all
And now I’m glad I didn’t know
The way it all…” ~ Garth

I wish we could have missed all the pain. I would give anything for my grandson, his baby boy to be with us again but I’m eternally grateful that we were together through the difficult times. I hope my son, John knows how very much I love him.

I’m truly blessed to have two sons and two daughters, they’re my world. I love them so much. The song has special meaning for each child in different ways though I’ve only waltzed with John. I hope all my children, the three that lived with me and the one that didn’t know how very much they’re loved. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ― Lao Tzu

Mother Nature added some action to my day. We had a thunderstorm with strong winds which took out the power in our town but luckily we were on a different grid. It also took a tree down in our development. Thankfully, no injuries just a mess. Unfortunately, the rain and wind did a number on my rose blooms. There are petals scattered everywhere in the driveway and in the backyard.

I virtually babysat my granddaughter for a couple hours this afternoon while my daughter did some cleaning which is why I’m so late blogging. Olyvia and I talked about her Pokemon cards, her Barbie house that has dogs inside while Barbie lives in the closet and her mom’s upcoming 40th birthday.  We played Banana-grams and did some of the apps in Facebook chat together. She’s at the fun age of 7, where you never know what is going to come out of her.

I’ve finished the main panel of my healing shawl while talking with Olyvia. I am now introducing the other colors in the what is referred to as a panel shawl in the pattern book. The next sections use a granny square stitch, clusters of three double crochet and chain ones. I keep leaning to a silver color with pink to compliment the dusty purple. I definitely want the pink, it’s the same shade as my first healing shawl and I had excellent results.

I have mixed feelings about a group I’m in on Facebook. I understand completely why the owner feels she needs to archive the group until her own health recovers but I dread losing some of the connections that I’ve made there. If you’re the praying type please add Linda to your prayers. Yup, another Linda. In my world, I know four Linda’s with an i, three Lynda’s with a y like me cept I prefer Lyn versus Lynda or even worse my full first name I was given two names Lynda Lee. Yuck!  There’s even a Lyn Crain on Facebook too!  At one time, it was a popular name.

“When biotechnologist David Taylor analyzed names using the Social Security database, he found that Linda enjoyed the longest peak of popularity of any “trendy” name in the country since 1880, followed by Brittany, Debra and Shirley.names using the Social Security database, he found that Linda enjoyed the longest peak of popularity of any “trendy” name in the country since 1880, followed by Brittany, Debra and Shirley. Taylor found the peak of Linda as a trendy name lasted from 1938-1969, including an explosion of Linda’s in 1947 when 5.48 percent of all girls born in the U.S. were given that name. Unfortunately, in recent years it has lost it’s steam.”

Tonight, is my writing group meeting on Zoom. I did write a short story about my Gramma and Missus Albright as I mentioned yesterday. I’m not sure it’s ready for critique but at least I wrote. I also did a blog entry on Writing.com in response to a prompt by Joy.  The prompt was about staying in the moment. Something I know all too well because it has been challenging staying in the moment. My conflicted mind bounces all over the place since the doctor said the c-word. I’m really glad last night I mastered concentration for awhile in this considerably stressful time without drinking more coffee to write 1473 words that flow coherently. Woohoo.. Progress. “You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.” ― Octavia E. Butler

Here’s to another productive evening of writing critiques with some awesome people.