January- February Reflections

Tania Marie Wordpress.com

January was an uneventful month for me. The sun was on vacation. (That’s what I say to Hubby when he asks,” Where is that sun?”) Because of the uncertainty of the weather, as a rule, neither the ecumenical women’s group nor the women’s circle at church meets.

Ecumenical Women’ Group

This month, I was able to go to the ecumenical women’s meeting. My friend Martha talked to me about my picking up a lady that lives near me to take to the meeting. She had some others to pick up. In the process of trying to find out how to contact the lady, I called someone I had met at the first meeting I attended. She told me she couldn’t be there because her husband had just gotten out of the hospital after about a month. I told her I understood that, and I went through something similar in December. She reacted with,” You know, I hear a lot of people are going through that very same thing.” She is so right. A lot of my friends are going through health issues of their own or those of their loved ones.

Women’s Circle

Our women’s circle only meets monthly from April through December because of the possibility of bad weather. Due to the ages of some of the ladies, we meet from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p. m. Weather permitting, the circle will meet in March.

Son’s Birthday

Our son’s birthday was early in January. He chooses not to come home for it, partly because he has been home for Christmas and partly because the weather is so unpredictable. We sent him a card with gift cards we had purchased. Because of the contents of the greeting card, I had it marked non-machinable. He didn’t get it until the middle of the month.

Non-Machinable Mail

A cousin had sent me a Christmas card that folded out into a three-dimensional picture and it had been stamped “non-machinable.” My cousin’s card to me took about 10 days to get here. When our son received his card, it took the same amount of time. I joked that it may have been better if I put that stuff in a box and sent it UPS.

Hubby and I are continuing to stay on our strict diets, mine is gluten-free, his diet is low-sodium. He is making our salad dressing.

Change of Plans

I chose not to go to the nursing home in early January. Hubby had a scheduled doctor’s appointment during that exact time I was to be there. I let the activity director know so she wouldn’t put me on the calendar. Then I asked him if he expected me to go with him that day. He didn’t. I only go to that nursing home two times a month. In January, I didn’t make it at all. The second time, I had a reaction to a medication I had been taking.

Writing Group

Last month, our writing group chose not to meet. Life got in the way. This month, we did get to meet. I showed them what I had worked on in December. I am not certain what my idea will become. One lady read us a piece that she will incorporate into the new book she is writing. The other lady spoke of having difficulty finding the time to write on a regular basis.

We also discussed expanding our membership to include more local writers.

Church Lenten Meditations

A discussion between a dear friend, one of the others in my writing group, had a discussion with our new pastor and then with his wife, Cheryl. Out of those two talks, the church will have a book of meditations for Lent. I had not told Cheryl, that I write. But my friend had. I found out that Cheryl had me down for two days. I came home and worked on finding something from years before. She had that project done in nine days.

Mid-month, Hubby decided it was time to alter our health insurance plan. Our new coverage goes into effect on April 1^st. With the new coverage, we will be eligible to go to a local gym for exercise.

February 14^th was our son’s work anniversary. He’s been with the VA for nine years.

One more thing, I have started reviewing books again.