Missing Keys

     I don't function the best when I get only a little over four hours of sleep in a night.

     The latest reason for my loss of sleep started when we were getting ready for bed, at a reasonable hour, but first had to run out to the vehicle to retrieve something. It was at that moment when the discovery was made that the car keys were not in the purse where they should be.

     No need to panic though, they should be nearby. But after a few minutes of searching with no keys being found, it was time for the rest of the family to step in and help search.

     The purse was emptied of all its contents: a wallet, coin purse, receipts, a small bag of Butterfinger bites, and various other things that seem to end up in a big purse. The keys weren't there.

     The trash can was carefully emptied, piece by piece, into Walmart bags, but no keys.

     The ground under the porch steps was searched. The big beautiful rhododendron bush that grows around the porch steps seemed a lot less beautiful in the freezing cold darkness, It made it quite difficult to get under the stairs to see if the keys accidentally fell there on the way inside earlier in the day.

     The couches were moved forward, the cushions removed, and then relieved of the pens and other things that had been hiding underneath.

     Drawers were rummaged through and put back in order, but the keys remained missing.

     Time kept ticking by, the good will of all involved was starting to become less good, and the owner of said keys was beginning to panic.

     The purse was searched again and for some reason we looked inside the bag of Butterfinger bites, and there they were. They had been in that purse the entire two plus hours we spent looking for them.

     We went to bed in a mix of disgruntled relief. Morning came long before I was ready. That is the story behind the sleepy fog I'm wading through now.

Carolers / Singing

     "Have you ever gone caroling?" Sharon wanted to know this morning.
     "No, I haven't," I told her, "but we've had carolers come to our house. All of which happened at extremely inconvenient times. Providing memories I don't cherish."
     "I may never have gone caroling, but I had been part of a group that goes singing for 'shut-ins' when I was a teenager," I told her, "and also had roles reversed when I was the 'shut-in'."
     She wanted to hear all about it
     It was the spring before we got married, and I was recovering from a broken ankle.
     My days were spent reading, which helped time fly by quite swiftly. I had other options to occupy my time, but I had always despised hand sewing and needlework projects, so I didn't do much of that at all.
     One afternoon I was yanked back to reality from the book I had been engrossed in when I heard voices outside the window. I craned my neck to see what was happening, and saw to my dismay Teacher Sadie and all the students from our little school.
      They marched single file up unto our porch and then stood there waiting as Sadie knocked on the door. Mom went to welcome them in. They came and stood around me where I was sitting and belted out three songs, presented me with a 'get well' scrapbook they had made, and then turned and marched out the door, continuing single file over our hayfield back towards the school.
     It took me a minute to recover from that. I had felt intensely awkward being sung to. Not knowing where to look or what to do.
    It was a sweet gesture, but I still suppress a shudder when ever I relive it.

Bits and Pieces

    For some reason birds have begun flying into one of our windows semi regularly.
    They're not simply attacking their reflection, but instead flying full speed into the window with a sickening thump, falling on the porch seriously dazed, and sometimes injured.
    I feel so sorry for them.
    Last week there was another thump, bump, followed by silence.
    Not long afterwards Sharon went out to get the mail and came dashing back inside. "There's a bird's heart laying on the porch!" she exclaimed.
     Everyone else had to go see this, and mourn over the poor bird who had been found by our cats before it had been able to gather its wits together and fly off to safety.
     This morning there was another thump, bump, a scared squeak, and then silence. I peered out the window to see if there was a bird in need of protection. I couldn't see anything, so I opened the window to stick my head out to take a better look and promptly thrust it through a spider web. I spluttered and tried wiping it off my face and then there it was. One of our cats having another bird.
    Maybe I'm too sensitive, but I find that it's a horrible feeling seeing this side of nature do its thing.

~~~~~

     Steven organized his drawer of "treasures" and discovered he still has a few coupons he hadn't redeemed.
     One of them was an 'anything' coupon from Sharon. He sat pondering what he could redeem it for when he had an aha moment. "I'll get her to buy me a hotwheel car," he said.
     It was time for Mama to intervene. "Those are meant only for things that don't cost money," I told him. Would you like her to fix your bed, do one of your chores, or play a game with you?"
     He settled on a game, and they're happily playing as I write this.

~~~~~

     For years winter has been my favorite season. The beauty of snow. The coziness of the house as the cold winds blow outside. All the fun winter projects we got to enjoy; sewing, crafts, and things along that line. The long happy evenings of reading, puzzles, and board games. The cooking and baking ... ah, I loved it all.
     It's snowing right now. The house is cozy, the projects are there, and everything I've always loved about winter. But having three family members in three different vehicles, at work saps some of the joy out of winter until they're all back home safely.
    I think fall is now officially my favorite season.

~~~~~

     Homemade bread and taco soup is on the menu for supper tonight. It seems appropriate given the weather.

In Which I Trample Toes

     Saturday morning dawned with a heavy frost covering everything outside.

     Both girls and Steven were sick which meant I wouldn't have my usual helpers with the Saturday cleaning.

      I had to run in to the bank before it closed at noon. I decided to arrive just as it opened so my day would remain on a more comfortable schedule.

     I arrived a few minutes after 9:00, but they were still closed. And then I noticed their clock stated it was only 8:00 AM and 22 degrees. Somehow they decided to make the time change early.

      Several other disgruntled people stood there trying to decide what they were going to do.

     I didn't want to drive the twenty plus minutes home and then back, but what to do with an hour of time?

     I went to Sheetz to get a hot drink to help me stay warm during my wait. I paid for it and as I turned to leave the checkout I accidently trampled on the toes of the person who had been standing much closer to me than I had realized.

     I apologized, and scurried back out to my vehicle.

     It was late before I got home to all the work that had patiently waited my return. 

     And that's how my Saturday was not at all how I had planned, but a bit more interesting than anticipated.