Unbelievable!

by Anna Arnett

I still can't quite believe it. With all the discussion on email about to blog or not to blog, I eagerly looked forward to this week's posting, with two or three great topics in mind. On Tuesday I reminded myself with "Tomorrow, I blog."

The next day my brain still repeated, "Tomorrow, I blog." So I took a garbage bag full of sox to Caryn Shoemaker at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Chandler, and helped count, pair and pinn sox for about fifty minutes. Then I checked out half a dozen good books at the library, and did a bit of shopping.

My youngest daughter is preparing a tribute booklet for our oldest son's birthday, which was today, December 20. Fortunately, we're celebrating with lunch tomorrow. I took a couple of hours talking with her, wrote up tributes from myself, transcribed and edited my husband's, and before long the day was over.

To understand the next, you need to know Kat decided at about Thanksgiving time to paint and redecorate the living room and change the dining area to a library, since nobody dines there any more. It has taken a couple of weeks to remove the popcorn ceiling, strip the wallpaper, and paint the walls. It still needs fine-tuned touchups at edges. We have furniture on the back patio, a hutch in the kitchen, and a piano blocking the pantry. The drapes are down, and need replacing, the Christmas decorations are still in the barn. From about nine to midnight, Kat and I discussed samples of new curtains, drapes, valances, debated about carpeting, furniture, picture frames and decoration, put together a new floor lamp which we tipped over and broke the glass shade within the first three minutes, and counseled how to get rid of the ever-deepening feeling of frustration. I did check the blogsite on my way to bed to see what was new, but somehow still didn't check the day or the date. My turn was still, "tomorrow."

Today I knew I had to blog, at least before midnight. My daughter's requests take precedence, so in the morning I polished up tributes to Wayne, after which I read a little about Beatrix Potter for the book club meeting tonight, worked a tiny bit more on Christmas cards, and then set everything aside to go with my husband over to the VA hospital dental clinic to have one of his teeth extracted. He probably didn't need me, but who knows how an 88 year old man will respond to having a tooth pulled? Charles comes first, at least sometimes. Besides, I took along my knitting. There was only time to lug a small forest of trees and one nativity into the house and fix some soup and soft foods for my husband before the book club meeting.

Just a while ago (well, by now it's been two or three hours) on my way to retire, I took a last look at my e-mail and the blogsite. "Hey, wait a minute," I told myself, "Kari jumped the gun and blogged already. Her turn is the day after me." THEN, I looked at the day and date. My 'tomorrow' was yesterday, not today. Suddenly, all coherent thoughts left me. My great ideas evaporated. I could only post what dregs are left over.

All I can say is that I'm sorry. Oh yes, and one more thing. It's fantastic that you and I can forgive even me and move on. With renewed determination, then, I'm still posting, which means you get double one day; feast after famine; but please feel fed, even if this cooking is 'not so hot'.