12 Years of Change and Growth

 It has been 12 years since I began this online journal. March 22, 2014 found me looking at retiring from teaching in a few months. I had spent 31 years teaching and quite honestly that had been my predominant hobby. From March to June that year I was juggling a lot of plates; winding down from managing a large DoD grant for 5 elementary schools, recovering after planning a wedding for my daughter, and spending my weekends and some weekdays traveling and taking care of my stepdad who would die of cancer that May and helping Mama with all which that entailed. ---I seem to never garner the quiet life!

Funny though when you read any of those months' posts you would not know any of that.

Those months were busy but I was so hopeful for what was to come. I was scheming of things to come post teaching.

As I was thinking about this anniversary, I decided to stroll down memory lane and look at all the posts from the first year of blogging. LIFE AND my focus in so many areas has changed. 

I mean really changed.

This post is going to be a little like those first posts. A reflection and some forward dreams too.

One of the most notable changes from the first year of blogging was the length of a post. I don't know when I decided to start writing such long posts. My guess is when life got so busy I could not blog often. I had recently decided I wasn't even going to try and write anything other than a monthly post. This stroll down memory lane has me thinking on that. By the way, this one is going to be long:)

The biggest life changing thing that we will get out of the way first is the Parkinson's diagnosis for Jeff. That came in September 2023 after I had worked hard to get Jeff to go to the doctor for what I had already self diagnosed. This was also the summer when Mama fell and I had to sell her home and move her to senior living. 

I spent that Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2023 doing 2 things which may seem at odds with each other. I realized life was going to change and that I would not be able to keep up...

Less decorating and more purging went through the set up for those holidays, BUT at the same time I realized how important those holidays were and my role in them. As a family, we were in shock and as the Mother Bear I needed to BE was a Mama Bear willing to lead the family.

Parkinson's entering our life alone may me want to quit blogging. I don't think God wanted that because trust me HE and I had lots of conversations about it!!! Have you ever experienced a rough patch and needed encouragement from those who have walked that road? I have felt Him whispering to me that very thing and I am going to be completely honest I have told Him - "I don't want to be that spokesperson."

Also throw in a little bladder cancer for him last April...yep, it has been a tough time.

I am still here ---so we will see ---

You see that title - change and growth. Not always fun, but they are part of life and our faith journey. He walks with me and He talks with me and tells me I am His own. And yes, there is JOY there. If you know the song ----

The other hard thing that we will get through and move on to the more interesting changes is -Mother. Mother was always so strong when I was growing up. My dad died young and she raised me well. However, in May of 2014 when my stepdad passed away, she just couldn't be strong anymore. One thing I had not put into my dreams about retirement was being in charge of so many things for her. She did her part for me, so now I reciprocate. She turned 91 yesterday. She has had some really good days since Thanksgiving. She does get very winded with any exertion now, but like I said, she has been doing well. I realize it could change anytime. I have had to do so much more than I realized I would be doing. It is very tiring, but it is a necessity and one I won't be sorry I did.

 NOW, let's move on to some lighter topics!!!

I have loved roses since I was in the 8th grade. I babysat for a couple that lived across the street from us and the man grew roses. He had a whole row on them down one side of his home. Think morning sun and richer soil in south Alabama than coastal sand. I always wanted to grow them. In the early 2000's just before we moved in our current house I had planted some at our old house. I was having fun with them and then we decided to move. 

As soon as I retired I set out to plant roses. Oh my goodness, what I didn't know was how hard they would be to grow in my environment. I was stubborn and never considered some varieties that might have worked here. I kept pursuing those that I had loved so many years ago. 

Change and growth with the growing of roses. I have decided I am truly tired of the struggle. Some years ago, I gave up trying to grow them in the ground in our sand. I changed out our beds and now those same beds that left roses with no leaves by July are lush and bring so much joy to me. Bottlebrush, day lilies, and amaryllis are much more fun to walk out and see than roses that aren't happy. I have 3 left in pots but they aren't happy and I am truly ready to give that struggle up and maybe just buy me some every now and then to enjoy.

While I am on the topic of growing things which I do love, I got over a house full of plants inside. Mostly because I got a good case of fungus gnats in my kitchen. Out went all of my houseplants except one and guess what I haven't missed them once! That surprised me. I kind of like the look of less clutter. I had way too many!!!

Sewing is next. Strolling through that first year of posts, I realized I did sew a good bit. I really thought that was something I wanted to do, but I really really didn't enjoy said sewing. I came to realize knowing how to do something and it being your hobby are really 2 different things. My mom was the seamstress and was amazing at it. I do a wee bit, but it is not something I am running in my little room to do. 

Oh and that room, the gift from Jeff that Lindsay is responsible for getting off the ground. I LOVE that room even if I don't sew as much as I thought I would. It is MY little space. 

Stitching was definitely on my mind. I had taken a break from it due to teaching and life being too busy for a season, but I was scheming in March of 2014. I had no idea how much the stitching world had changed, but I soon met many of you who inspired me and taught me all the new. It along with reading are 2 of my favorite things to do and keep me sane with all the growth and change going on in life.

Reading is one of those things that hasn't changed. I still love reading the same things...lots of nonfiction and happy fiction. Although, I read all types of things. I love learning. I will say I am very annoyed with publishers these days, as I see an agenda being added to all new releases that I don't approve of or agree with. I guess I am going to have to go back and read oldies but Goldies. 

Lots of decluttering and organizing have taken place in the last 12 years. I spent the first 6 months painting some rooms and finishing up that layer of my home. The one thing that the first year brought to light is that I broke ALL of MY OWN RULES for decorating that year. The stuff I bought to put in my home and blog about makes me shudder these days. Almost all of it ended up at Goodwill. I came back to myself after that first year. 

One thing I didn't have on my radar  was the growing family which has been my greatest gift. To keep the 4 munchkins that God has gifted me called GRANDchilren has been truly the most wonderful unexpected GIFT. He truly knows best!

I will be back later with updates on those grandchildren, my stitching, my gardens and so much more, but this post has been rolling around in the noggin for the past 2 weeks.

There are more chapters to write, more beach strolls, more flowers, more family moments, more stitches AND just more life.

Looking forward,

SANDY

P.S. What is a spring post without an azalea picture?