Oh Hail!

Oh hail!

One of our concerns about home ownership was hail. Last summer our house was hit by a hailstorm that severely pock-marked the fence, tore up the screens, dented the gutters, and required a new roof. 

When our house went on the market, each time it rained we held our breath. A few weekends ago as we slept soundly on the bottom floor of our four story apartment complex, our house was once again pelted with hail. Except this time it wasn't your run of the mill pea-sized hail, no it was golf ball size!

As our neighbors began to alert us through text messages and Face Book our hearts sunk as we began to pray that everything was alright. Even though, the house was under contract we were still officially its owners, and would be responsible for its repair. 

We had lived in the Frisco area for thirty-two years, and had never remembered hail so large. What were the chances? As it turned out after having the roof checked by a professional, it had sustained no damage. 

We were quite grateful, and just prayed the weather would hold for another two weeks. Of course, this was Texas, and it was spring, so again what were we thinking? We were supposed to close today, but as luck would have it we closed last Friday. Apparently, there was another hailstorm in Frisco yesterday. Luckily, it was relatively mild as hailstorms go, but I was quite relieved that the responsibility for the house was no longer ours. Haillelujah!

Reflection

Reflection.

The other evening as Chuck and I rounded the bend of our lakeside walk we came upon a beautiful sight. The reflection of the building was shimmering upon the water. Always on the lookout for a picture for my blog I began snapping away, and later posted it on Face Book. 

That weekend when I was visiting my grandson I showed him the photo. His inquisitive sixteen-month old mind attempted to make sense out of what he was seeing. He kept turning his head upside down to try to right the building's reflection. We all got a good laugh out of his sweet gesture. 

Later that day while checking my notifications I noticed my high school friend, Marsha, had made the comment, "Reflection of the day." I thought it was appropriate due to all the reflection that had been going on recently in my life. It seemed to be a metaphor for the many changes I have been reflecting on for the last few months. 

As awe inspiring as the reflection upon the water was, watching my sweet grandson's reaction to the photo was priceless. I'm sure glad that we got to spend time with him again this past weekend. 

Nine Years Too Long

Nine years too long. 

I ran into a woman the other day when I was getting my new library card,  and she was curious about my move away from Frisco. She was twenty years my junior, and our conversation lasted for several minutes. As we continued our discussion she pointed out that she could not believe that she had lived in the same place for nine years. 

I could relate to the passage of time, because I'll be starting my ninth year of retirement next fall. The impression I got from her was that time had marched on without her really even  paying attention because she had never planned to be at the same place nine years later. 

I couldn't help but think about the idea of life not being a dress rehearsal, and although she did not sound particularly unhappy with her nine years, I could tell she was surprised how time had gotten away from her. 

Sometimes we think we have all the time in the world, and it doesn't matter that we let nine years get away. I've let time slip by, and the reality is it's impossible to go back and relive that time period. When you are younger, and take time as an unlimited resource you don't really see it that way. You just assume that there will always be enough time. 

As I make decisions about my days I want to be more intune to time, and guard against staying too long, when it is time to move on. 

Rightsizing

Rightsizing. 

I came across this term the other day, and thought it explained where we are in our life right now. While there was nothing wrong with our beautiful home, it just became more and more apparent that it wasn't the right fit anymore. 

As we spent our final hours there the other night making sure the house was ready for its new owners, we couldn't help but fight back a few tears. And yet, we could justify our move with an ever growing list of why it was the right thing. 

Rather than thinking of our move to a much smaller apartment as downsizing, I like to think of it as rightsizing. Eighteen years ago our new home seemed to be the perfect size as Brittany entered her tweens. As we walked from room to room we remembered all the family get togethers over the years, and how happy we were to have enough space for everyone. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, graduation parties, milestone birthdays, to even a gender reveal we sure lived a lot of life in that house. 

But as the community grew, and both us and the house aged we found ourself looking for a different fit. Apartment life is definitely different, but we feel very blessed to be living where we do now. We are embracing this new life, finding it to be just the right size. 

Good Shoes

Good shoes. 

On one of our first days at the apartment we made the mistake of walking around the entire lake. It was probably several miles, and unfortunately I had not walked on a regular basis since summer. Once again the whole, "What were we thinking?" thing came into play. 

To be honest I questioned whether I would be able to make it back to where we started, and to say the least my dogs were definitely barking. I knew that a better pair of shoes would be in my near future. 

Now ever since my stint in shoe business back in the seventies at The Wild Pair, I learned that standing on your feet for eight hours straight required a good pair of shoes. Ironically, I never once purchased a shoe from my place of employment. I'm thinking they must have been too wild for my sensible side. 

Although, I've found myself sometimes overly frugal throughout the years, I've always managed to buy good shoes. Running after kids for thirty years will do that for you. So the next day I was off to the mall to invest in a decent pair of walking shoes. 

I ended up purchasing a pair of Brooks athletic shoes, which the salesman assured me were some of the best. If their price was any indication I would have to agree that he was right. 

Basically, I've been walking on a cloud for the last two weeks. Although, I've not attempted the whole lake again, I've found my more manageable walks with Cooper to be quite enjoyable. These shoes are making all the difference in the world, and were certainly worth every dime, or should I say dollar. 

Often times it's worth the investment to purchase the correct equipment, and hopefully soon that walk around the lake will be a piece of cake. 

A Life of Crime

A life of crime. 

Well apparently Cooper is a thief. Yesterday we made a little trip down to the dog park, and for the first time he showed some real interest in playing with a tennis ball. 

I threw it several times as he raced after it, returning ít to me, and dropping it on command. Smart little guy. However, when it was time to leave, unbeknown to me, he still had the ball in his mouth. 

We continued on our walk as we enjoyed the lakeside view, and the momma duck with her ducklings passing by. Right about then we met a woman, and her two Cooper-sized dogs, and stopped to visit. It was then I noticed the yellow tennis ball at my feet. The woman affirmed that indeed Cooper had just dropped it.  

I couldn't believe that he had scooped up the tennis ball without me noticing it, and had carried it a fairly long distance without dropping it. I'm hoping the judge gives him liency, as this is his first offense. I guess from now on I'll have to frisk him when we leave the dog park. 

The New Girl

The new girl. 

I came across a posting from (In) Courage the other day about being the new girl. I couldn't help, but be reminded as to how difficult this can be. Most people like the comfort of belonging, and when we don't quite fit in it can be akward.

As a child I experienced being the new girl quite often as my father was in the military, and we moved frequently during my first eleven years. I never quite got used to standing in front of a class full of strangers being introduced as the new girl. 

Even though, I'm no longer a girl, I find myself returning to those old feelings at times. It is hard to walk into a room full of strangers and feel completely at ease. Maybe rather than convince myself to feel differently, I should just accept the fact that when approaching new situations there will probably be some level 
of discomfort. I think that is probably more normal than not. Perhaps I should extend myself a little more grace in this area, and just see what happens. I don't have to be in control of all situations at all times.