It's so good to be out of school for a bit. As usual, I have several irons in the fire this summer, but it's good not to have assignments due and all that stuff for a bit.
I got a call this week out of the blue from a job prospect that I thought had died on the vine. We chatted for a bit and I told them I'd entertain the prospect of coming to work for them. However, I've since decided to stay with what I've already got going. I started work at the library at school recently, and it's the most satisfying job I've had in years. I'm doing a lot of filing and moving around the library, so I'm not glued to a seat for whole days at a time. I also get to set my own hours, so that's great, and the gravy on the sundae is that my boss is a swell guy.
I went to Dallas yesterday to see my folks. Mom's recovering well from her surgery, and seems to feel better than she has in years, although she still has some soreness from the surgery. I spent the night there, and slept well. Dad's having a back issue. Dad's a very active person, so "slow down" is not in his vocabulary! I'm planning another trip to Dallas to stay more than one night in probably a couple weeks.
Yesterday my sister and her family moved from the Dallas area to a house in Big Bend, and it was bittersweet for them to be so far away. They bought an old adobe house in a smallish town, so they're looking forward to a quieter, slower pace of life after ridiculous hours spent commuting daily for years and years. I hope they'll be very happy. They have splendid gardens established on the property, and a sky-deck over one of the structures, so they can watch fabulous sunsets. They also get dive-bombed by a dependent-class horde of hummingbirds. This sounds like a version of heaven to me. Her pups were delighted and larking about in the contained yard, off-leash and exploring. I hope I can mosey down there to visit this summer and see it all first-hand. Niece and Nephew graduated from high school and 6th grade, respectively, and it's amazing how fast they are growing up. She is going into the Navy in August.
The drive to Dallas yesterday was interesting. The stock tanks all along the way were full, and everything was lush and green, the water mostly having receded where the floods washed through. One large pond had a notch eaten away in an elevated side, so that pond was not the full-to-brimming thing all the others were. It was interesting to see how the water chewed through the side of the earthen dam, leaving a jagged V-shaped wedge down the side. Signs of the flooding are all over the region.
I'll post a photo soon of some of the aftermath of flooding in my immediate area. One lesson learned from the flood zone: if you're having insomnia, don't start watching Japan tsunami videos on YouTube - it won't help you sleep. I'm sorry for the loss of property, livestock, and human lives that have happened here, but we so desperately needed the rain, too. And compared to what happened in Japan, what happened here is barely a blip on the map. The floods are also a reminder of hubris, of the folly of thinking you live utterly removed from sudden, inescapable horrors. (I'm a ray of sunshine today, aren't I?) My point is actually not to be grim, but to say I'm thankful it wasn't worse. As long as you and your people and your critters get out of something alive, you got out with everything that was important. They're making new stuff every day of the year. Stuff can always be replaced.
Before I left DFW today, I met AE Pilot Jim, and Scribbler and his fiancee at a favorite Indian restaurant in Irving. It was great to share a fun, laughter-filled meal before hitting the road for Greater Redneckia.
This summer I'm trying to take time daily to give my pups attention and affection. They know I love them, and we get lots of snuggle time, of course, but they are so sweet and so dedicated, and I want to make time for them to know how important they are to me. I love them so. I'm sure this comes as a surprise to you.
Looking forward to seeing dear friends tomorrow night in Denton to celebrate lovely Holly's birthday. I'll write again soon, and I promise not to be so scarce through the summer. I have lots of lovely plans I'll want to share with you, and my flowers and herbs are going gangbusters, so there'll be lots of pictures to post here.
Have a great weekend!
2 comments:
Good to hear things are going so well for you!
I have a notecard taped to my desk that says, "That's what rivers do." It is a quote from an oral history interview I did with a gent in the Midwest who grew up along one of the Great Plains rivers. he was talking about floods and how every spring the "spring rise" would inundate some of the fields. He shrugged and said, "But it's a river. That's what rivers do." It's a good reminder.
TXRed
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