Family Visit

Happy November!!! Sure, it’s already 10 days into the month…LOL But since this is my first blog entry this month, why not celebrate the new month now?!

Life has been life’in lately. And I haven’t been writing at all about it…LOL You know how I have said that writing helps me process my thoughts? Yeah, I haven’t been processing things like I would prefer lately. That’s just how life has been. I’m doing well overall. I’m just in a season that I don’t like while at the same time being grateful for the growth it brings.

In the past, I would describe such a time as a spinning top that is starting to wobble a bit. While things aren’t quite as balanced as I would like them to be, I wouldn’t describe my current state quite like a wobbling spinning top. I’d describe it more like “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” Things out of my control are happening all around me while I continue to do what I’m supposed to do and going along on the adventures that comes with it. I have my moments of daydreaming. And then I step back into reality long enough to find out I raced into the path of an erupting volcano. After being saved from the volcano, I then find myself on the side of a mountain looking through a lens at a snow leopard without snapping a photograph just so I can live in the moment. Although one won’t find a photo of me on the cover Life magazine at the end of this season, I oddly find that movie relatable to what “now” feels like.

Anywho…LOL My parents came down for a visit last week. I’m grateful for their visit. We all seemed to have a good time. It could have just been me, but I also felt this weird vibe the entire time. I felt slightly out of place. But it’s probably just in my own head. Or at least, I highly doubt anyone else would admit that there was something “in the air” last week…LOL My family isn’t known for talking about things…

I worked 2 of the days last week. My sister and her husband had to work some as well. So, Mom and Dad also spent some time visiting with Dad’s Aunt and Uncle that live on the other side of the state. Sounds like they had a good time over there. Also, each night of the days I visited with everyone, I drove back home. They all wanted me to stay at my sister’s house. But I really wanted to be home each night. So, that’s what I did. It wasn’t anything really against any of them. It’s was just what I needed for me.

Some of the highlights from the week include mini golf, shopping, lots of food, and a short trip to Sunken Gardens. I think my favorite time was shopping with Mom on Monday. We used to spend a lot of one on one time together when I was young. Being with her that day brought back some warm feelings from years past. She asked if I was okay just shopping and I told her how much I loved it. I don’t know many men who love to shop…LOL I don’t always buy things. But I absolutely love to browse at least. And spending that time with Mom was the best!

I remember this one time when “Titanic” was coming out on VHS. Mom and I stood in line at a department store so we could purchase it at midnight…LOL It was one of those rare times when we wanted to do something like that. It was just her and I in that line. It was a wonderful mother/son moment. Although I was far from being a dad back then, I cracked one of my favorite dad jokes that night…”Is this the line for the bathroom?!” LOL Everyone around us laughed…HAHAHA

Mom and Dad made it home safely Sunday evening. Before they left to go home, I went out to breakfast with them on Saturday. It has become one of our traditions when they leave to go home. It was a bittersweet moment after a bittersweet visit. I’m grateful for my time with them and my sister’s new family. Some new and wonderful memories were made last week. I’m also grateful it is all just a memory now, though.

I made a little vlog of our time at Sunken Gardens.

Each weekend in October, I did some sketching. I loved doing that so much. I think I averaged 3 sketches each weekend for 5 weeks. I took a break from it this past weekend. In a way, I wish I hadn’t taken a break…hehehe But I do hope to continue sketching often. I loved doing it. Some of it was from tutorials while some of it was just random doodling.

I didn’t do much work with Claude Code in October, though. I have some things I’d like to work on for the Sproutscape apps I’ve been working on this year. But the entire month was full of things that kept me from being motivated to continue that endeavor. I’m hoping to get back into the groove of that here soon. I especially want to work on a camera app in preparation for my upcoming vacation with Cherie. I’ve enjoyed vlogging and want to work on a better camera app for that. I’ve found some pain points in the native camera app on that device…LOL

We took a break from Bible study last week because of my parents visiting. I really missed having that in my routine. So, I’m glad to be back to it this week. All of my other weekly traditions with Cherie were possible last week, though. I’m so glad to have all of those things to be little anchors or guides throughout the week. I can’t imagine my life without them now. Some of these things are recent additions this year. Yet, it all feels like it is a part of who I’ve always been…hehehe I feel incomplete without some of these things. So, I’m grateful that we have something that can continue each week regardless of everything else that is happening around us.

Seasons come and go. I’m finding the good in having seasons. I’m also glad to have things in life that are beyond seasons. Like breathing and food, there are some things in life that are good to have all the time. I’m also learning that it’s okay to not like everything. I’m finding the bad in some things as well. Not everything, everyday, and in every season is something that’s good. Acknowledging the bad stuff is helping me see where I need to be pruned or what I need to actively prune myself. “Let it Go” comes to mind…LOL As much as I haven’t liked this latest season of my life, I’m so glad that I’ve grown through it. There sure is a lot of bad stuff. And there is a lot of good stuff too. It’ll all work out okay.

It feels strange that my next vacation is only days away. And that Thanksgiving is a few days after that. Not to mention that Christmas and the new year is only weeks away now…

whoa---oooooooo---ho ho ho ho!!!