I have had quite a variety of activity the past few days. We have had so much rain everything is growing out of bounds. The front half of our property is maintained but the back half is left to go natural. In Missouri that means lots of undergrowth.

Virginia Creeper is climbing up everything back there and a constant irritation to me. I take issue with it as much as I can. Because of the rain we have lots of ticks and mosquitoes…..even in the part that we mow. Every time I walk Mandy I have to look for ticks when I come in. Poison Ivy is flourishing and I have to wear long pants and long sleeved shirts when I work in back.

It’s just smart to avoid all of the “itchy” things that ruin a good day. I won’t even mention snakes. I know they are there but I wear closed up shoes and leather gloves. I see them occasionally but I don’t let them spook me. They are usually the garter snake or some non-poisonous kind.

While I’ve been recuperating from the allergic reaction I had I’ve been working in the garage while it is cool in the mornings. Becky and I filled it up with furniture and collectibles to the point I couldn’t get the car in anymore. I have been burning boxes and clearing out…..getting ready to take a bunch of stuff to our booths here and in Arkansas.

When I come in to rest between jumps I work on another afghan in the making. I like to have one in progress as it’s the only way I can sit still for a while. I much prefer being busy doing things but my energy level is not the best right now. When I rest from one job I’m working on another. It keeps me going.

I have resumed my old pass-time of working crossword puzzles. It helps keep my brain on target and still offers something when I get tired of crocheting. It’s true I’m busy with a lot of things but yet nothing interesting enough for reporting.

Today is my aunt Inabelle’s birthday. She is one of my mother’s sisters and no longer with us. She was very good to me as a child when she was still living at home with grandma. I stayed with grandma a lot growing up so I have many happy memories of her, aunt Sally and uncle Buster……all living at home at the time.

Memories and hope for the future combine to make life worth living. It is a journey of where we’ve been and where we hope to go. Living today worthwhile will give us more good memories and closer to the future we hope for.

And thus……today is the most important day of our life……

Essentially Esther