It's going to be a long walk...

A friend family lost their eldest son last Saturday night. Mr C and I had only been friends with the Z's for about 10 years, though our children have known them longer than that. The Z's are the family that our kids have gone with on their annual hiking Trek for at least the past decade. Our kids are much closer to them than Tom and I... but that said- the Z's are family.
Their son's death has hit us quite hard, stirring up our thoughts of losing Bill.

When Bill died, I wanted to know a lot of things about grief. There are a few books out there- most are about losing your spouse, and a few on dealing with losing a parent. Not so many on losing a child, especially an adult child. I was in constant tears, calling my sister in law who had lost a grown son ten years before.

It was a comfort to have a person tell me that the things I was feeling were normal, that I wasn't alone on the island of despair. You can KNOW your child is with our Heavenly Father, and still miss them so terribly that you don't want to draw another breath yourself. To feel torn in two with grief, and with wanting your other children to know that yes, you love them THIS much as well.

Joshua Z's death has brought back so much of the emotional chaos we went through, losing Bill Joe. Our hearts ache in empathy for the Z family, because we know. We have been there.

It came about that I am home alone for several days. It was the least disruptive solution to having other family members where they needed to be during this period of time. I pretty much insisted that Mr C would go to his Mom's house as planned for Thanksgiving.

Me, the person who is all about being with Family for the Thanksgiving holiday, thought the circumstances had fallen together for a purpose. A book is being born. It's not even a full outline yet, as I don't work well with outlines. Right now, it is an outpouring of emotion and observations. It is maybe four pages so far- the merest seed of book sprouting.

Unless the title is already taken, I believe the title is going to be "Through The Valley".

Please keep the Z. family in your prayers, as well as my daughter Becky and son in law Stephen.

I suppose I better get back to writing that book. Thanks for reading.

The best laid plans of Cowgrannies

It is mid- November.
MID November.
As in, the middle of the month of November.
Where did the year go?
Sam did, indeed, have an awesome trip to Germany. I think he enjoyed it, but any future trips would be better shared with a loved one.
Daniel passed the polygraph. He got a call today to set up the face-to-face interview. He's pretty excited.
Dan got his first deer. I get to process it today. (Which I ought to already be started on, but I am one of the best Crastinators around. In fact, I am pretty sure I am a Pro Crastinator. (ba dum tiss!)
We are waiting to hear when Arlene's surgery can be scheduled.
Becky and I have been discussing Stephen's idea for Camp CowGranny Summer 2019.
Stephen suggests we hold it at their house. They are in the Big House now. The littlest Grands can participate, and not be separated from their Mommies. We could visit the Bat Cave at Mason, the Paint Rock (Hieroglyphic / Runestone). There are several rivers around, as well as numerous areas we might camp. Museums, the Abilene zoo...
CCG would NEED to be as early after school is out as we can make it, because I will have garden to attend to before the end of June. Also... the later it gets, the hotter West Texas is going to be.  Jennifer, Glynna, Seneca, Paula, Becky... let me know what the "black out" dates are, as well as when the kids are out of school for the summer. I hope to be better planned this next year!
I was just thinking, I have one birthday left to figure out this year... and then "face palm". There are at LEAST four more before the end of the year. (I already got Althea a gift, so was counting her as 'done'.)
*sigh* How do people deal with Christmas, when it's so hard to keep up with just birthdays?

I guess Bambi isn't going to package himself. I best get on it! Have a blessed day!

Comings and Goings

Sam has been in Germany for a couple of weeks. He gets home late tonight. While he has been able to speak to his siblings on "WhatsApp" and video chat with them, I have had very little communications with him. I am sure it will be a fun ride back from Tulsa, unless he is just too tired to tell us about it.

Daniel and Sam

In the morning, Daniel is headed to West Texas. He has the latest step in the SAFD journey to handle on Monday: The Polygraph.  I had failed to count it as a step in the hiring process, thinking all that remained was the Face to Face interview. The interview will be conducted SOON, pending the outcome of the polygraph. The SAFD hire/ start Date will be Dec. 18. That means, in another month our nest could be down another birdy.
This is a turbulent time for me! Yeah. Get over it... the twins are already 22 years old.
So far, Tom and I have no solid Thanksgiving plans. We are having to  keep our options open, based on events in other people's lives. I am thinking we may be going to Ohio.
We did just get back from Ohio this past Sunday.
There are many things going on in the lives of Mr C's family. His Mom can use prayers, as she is having pain in her hip and may need surgery. This would necessitate someone staying with her as she recovers... actually BEING with her daily. At the moment, all the available family members are working, or have obligations that preclude their being there more than a day or two at a time. I am the logical person to be there.
Mr C and the twins can handle the house here, and our wee amount of critters without me. Garden season is past. We are just trying to take small steps at a time right now, to be sure of our direction.

Lower Falls at Old Man's Cave, Hocking  Hills State Park, Ohio

Tommy is planning a Thanksgiving dinner in Dallas, with friends an a couple of siblings. My folks (Mom and Ralph, Dad and Kathie) are getting together. Ben and Paula are going to Paula's folks, I think. We ought to know in another week or so about whether we are going to Ohio or not. But for the moment, I am just counting us out everywhere.
We had a good visit with Arlene and with Bob. We got to see Joyce for a short while on Saturday, and even spend an hour or so with Luke, and with Eric. Luke's daughter Leigha gave me a birthday card!

It would be nice to take a trip sometime, to be able to stop and actually SEE the sights along the way. I have been by the St. Louis Arch probably more than 30 times. I have never got to stop and see it, though I think most of my kids have at one time or another. We are always so focused on the destination that we seldom stop to enjoy the journey. (Heck, we hardly even stop to potty!) I'd like to see the Creation Museum at Glenrose, Texas. The Ark Encounter in Kentucky. Someday, the Grand Canyon.

Our seasons are changing. (I mean that both naturally and metaphorically.) The trees here have been going quickly from green, to brilliant colors, to raining their leaves down in a smothering cover on the ground.  So far, we haven't had a frost, and a few plants are hurrying to ripen their last fruits. Our own circumstances are changing, and we will have to adjust to the new landscapes we encounter.
Thanks for reading. May your day be blessed.