The last few days

Thursday was a very full day. Steve and I attended the funeral for a close friend of my parents. He passed away very suddenly last week, and although I didn't know him well personally, he had come to our wedding, and out of love for my parents we felt compelled to go.
We were so glad we did. Bruce had a very magnetic personality and I would estimate 400 people turned out. The eulogies given, and the tribute by the minister showed just what a hole he has left in so many lives. Even at the age of 76, he was extremely involved in many organizations and had contributed to a lot of causes throughout his entire life. His dedication and hard work, even until the day he died, was very inspirational. I felt challenged to do more to reach out to those around me, and to strive to do so for as long as I possibly can. I came away reminded that people will not care how clean or organized my house is if they have never been invited in to see the dust.
I can only pray that when it's my turn for the eulogies, people will say that I made a difference somehow. I will not forget that funeral for a long time.
That afternoon, Rebekah had her fourth riding lesson. She used her new brush set to groom the horse, "Happy", whom she had ridden at her first lesson. She also wore her new half-chaps, and looked so cute in them. Her lesson went really well. The teacher was so pleased with her, and Rebekah even mastered posting without holding on! I loved watching it, and the girl at the desk behind me commented on how quickly Rebekah is learning. She's doing great. (The blue line across the picture is the tether which ties the horse to the side of the stall while it is being brushed.)
I signed her up for four more lessons, also in the Learn to Ride package, and we discussed the idea of getting her a helmet. Rebekah would like to help pay for it, so we are going to choose one together and then talk about ways she can save up for it. I'm very proud of her!
Yesterday was a good day made up mostly of laundry and lunch with a friend, followed by work at the bank. Last night I began sorting in the basement... oh it feels good to sort out boxes and get organized. Rob and Mandy gave us their old couches for the basement, and I am so inspired!
Today I'm at work, the kids are at gymnastics and we have friends coming for dinner. Life is good.
Mommy

Easy to please?

When I was in grade one, my teacher wrote in my report card something to the effect of "Wendy is extremely disorganized...." My desk was always a disaster, and I was definitely one of those students whose parents were called because permission forms were not returned (because they never got home). Well, times have changed over the past thirty years. I LOVE to organize. In fact, I like cleaning up, putting things away, purging and labeling so much that I get stressed if I can't find my labeller and it only takes one "enduring" task to make me feel like I have had a successful day.
I have defined an "enduring" task as one which accomplishes something that lasts. Putting away laundry is not enduring. The clothes will need putting away another time. Something enduring is like putting up a picture, cleaning out a closet, even taking a bag of clothes to Goodwill. The picture will not need to go up again, the closet should stay straightened, and that bag of clothes is gone for good. I am really happy when I've gotten just one such task done. One of my favourite days of the week is garbage day! I so enjoy filling up the recycling bins and seeing them emptied after the garbage truck has gone by.
We tried to sell our house a few months ago. Listing your house is a great way to get cleaned out, but if the house doesn't sell, then you have to figure out what to do with all the stuff that you took down, packed away or relocated. We still have a storage unit to empty, but in the meantime, we also have quite a few things in the basement that need to go back on the walls. Tonight, it was a mirror in the bathroom. It finally went back up, and that was all it took to make today feel like a successful day! Yes, I did seven loads of laundry and unloaded four baskets into dresser drawers, but it's the mirror back on the wall that feels so good.
I know... I need therapy. I'm okay with that!

No gym today or yesterday, but next week is coming.

Mommy