I WILL BE GRATEFUL FOR TODAY

Just as the title says, if there is anything Braedan and I are learning recently, it's that we need to be grateful for today and the gift we have been given.  It's so easy to get worried about the future, about all the grown up things that can bog us down, about things that need to get done....but that is so minimal.  We've been given a gift and that's plan and simple.

"To me, every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle."
-- WALT WHITMAN

Alarm

Braedan and I were jolted out of bed this morning at 1:19 a.m. (I looked at the clock) and it wasn't fun.  As we both came out of the fog of deep sleep, we realized the fire alarms in our apartment were blaring!  My first thought was that we had left a candle burning and in my daze I grabbed my pillow and immediately started fanning the alarm in case there was smoke.  However, we soon both realized that there was no smoke in our bedroom, but not only were the alarms going off in our apartment but in the entire building
After quickly pulling on clothes, we stumbled into the hallway and only saw one couple just as confused as we were about why the alarms going off.  We live in a very quiet apartment, I have only seen a handful of our neighbors a handful of times.  So what a way to meet the neighbors right?!
Well, we went outside, and couldn't see any fire or smoke in our building.  We decided to go back in the building (bad idea?) because we were so confused when we couldn't smell smoke or see any fire.  On our way back into the building, we heard pounding on doors on our floor and there was a guy saying there was really a fire in an apartment and we needed to get out.  Then, if the adrenaline hadn't kicked in already, it did then.  We ran back to our apartment and then we could really smell the smoke in the hallway.  All these thoughts ran through our heads as to what to grab.  B said he thought we needed to grab our financial stuff (what a good husband) and all I thought to grab was my oboe, purse, and car keys.
Well, long story short, we made it out obviously and while there was a small fire, it wasn't big, thank goodness!  We did stand outside with all our neighbors for about 40 minutes while the fire trucks came, police, management, the works.  I was so glad it wasn't freezing outside, that was a plus.  While that is not the way I wanted to meet neighbors, at least I kind of know who we live with.  I felt like I had gone back to my college days with the fire alarm going off so early.  While I finally was able to go back to sleep, B unfortunately wasn't able to get any more sleep.  Just pray that tonight we can finally have a full night of sleep and that we or any of you will never have to go through a real fire situation.  It was scary enough being in that one last night, I can't even begin to imagine losing your loved ones or home to a fire.  Sends shivers through me as I type.
Have a good night all!

Death Is Nothing At All

On January 29th, our family lost a very important family member and it has been tough on all of us.  Even though I love to write and keep a journal often, I've been struggling with words about Gramps because there are so many and I've had a hard time consolidating my thoughts.  I love quotes and poems, so I found this poem by Henry Scott Holland, (who ironically died in 1918--the year Grandpa Bob was born) and I thought it made up for my lack of words at the moment.

Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
That, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.

All is well.

It's beginning to look a lot like...spring?!

 Happy Valentine's day everyone, though you wouldn't think it is by looking out the window. Temperatures in the 40's have melted what was a week and a half ago mountains of snow. Not that we're complaining. It's nice not having to crank up the heat, or wading through snow just to get to our cars. You can definitely tell that spring is on its way and Miriam and I are both very excited to see more and more green as the days go by.
 Miriam is still subbing and she's getting quite a lot of calls from one school in particular. I think she really likes that school and hopes that something permanent will open up soon. On my end, another opening for a commercial production producer has come around and I had an interview for that today. Now comes the unenviable task of waiting and waiting to hear back. As is often the case, I'm a little nervous as to how things will work out. But Miriam is always there to remind me of all the positives we've got going for us now, and that if it doesn't work out this time, there's something better waiting around the corner.
 We hope you're having a wonderful Valentine's holiday with your loved one. We sure are!