Tuesday, April 29, 2025 - Day 259
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Good morning, friends and family! đ¤Š
Each morning I get up and look forward to the start of a new day. Lately, I find myself wondering what thoughts will spill out of my head. What do people want to know? How much ALS discussion is too much? Am I repeating myself? Is my ordinary life really interesting enough for a blog? When did I become a decent writer? Then I write âGood morning!ââand somehow, things come together, for better or worse.
Typing these journal entries on my iPhone is becoming more of a physical challenge, but I still enjoy writing this way. Thereâs something more intimate about tapping out these thoughts with my thumbs. I feel more connected, more honest, when I write like this. Whether that emotion comes through to anyone reading, well, thatâs for you to decide. As long as Iâve got working thumbs and keep my nails trimmed, I think Iâve still got a few months left before I need to find a new method. Honestly, Iâll probably run out of topics before I run out of thumb powerâthough both clocks are ticking toward an undated end.
On Sunday, all the local brothers met for dinner with their spouses. One might think thatâs a pretty normal occurrence, but for various reasons, itâs actually quite rare. We could blame the distance between our homes, hectic schedules, kidsâ activities (Tim still gets to use that one), packed social calendars, etc., etc. But if Iâm being honest, I donât think itâs any of those things. I think itâs because we just didnât make the commitment to stay involved in each otherâs lives. Iâm guilty of not reaching out, not taking the leadâso for that failure, Iâm sorry for my part.
Mary Jean got this started with a Sunday lunch back in February, and Jill picked up the baton and set up dinner this past Sunday. Thank you, MJ, for sparking this ideaâand thank you, Jill, for keeping it going. It may not sound like much to make a reservation for eight, but somebody still has to pick up the phone, find a place, and juggle everyoneâs calendars.
The dinner itself was filled with laughterâloud, joyful, full-bodied kind of laughter that felt so goodâcathartic, even. Nick brought props that kept us laughing most of the night, and it still felt like we werenât done. That just means weâve got more to laugh about next time. I had a great time and Iâm already looking forward to the next one.
To top it off, Cindy and I left with homemade meals for the next couple of weeksâand not a single salad among them! Thank you, everybody, for lightening Cindyâs load. I havenât done any cooking this year, and probably wonât be able to do much so this really eases the burden for Cindy. Maybe some grilling this summer is still an option for me.
Then there was the cherry on top of all the delicious meals: as Cindy unpacked everything, out popped three boxes of Do-si-dos. I thought the Girl Scouts had stopped selling those over a month ago! Somehow, Tom and his family had the willpower to hold onto them. Between these new boxes, the homemade Do-si-dos Carrie made, and the boxes Donna has rationed over the past month, I think you all managed to satisfy my craving until next year. I havenât opened these boxes, just yetâIâm going to try and savor them slowly this time instead of inhaling them. Thank you all for keeping me well-stocked this year!
On a different note, an Amazon package arrived over the weekendânot unusual around here, since those Prime envelopes show up like clockwork. But this one had a used paperback: Rules of Prey by John Sandford, written in 1989. Puzzling?? No note, nothing elseâjust a chilling crime thriller about a serial killer and a detective in Minneapolis. I sat down immediately and started reading. Itâs a fast-paced book, and I kept looking for hints as to why it was sent. I flipped through the pages, waiting for something to stand out⌠but I reached the end yesterday and still came up empty.
So Iâm stumped. If youâre the mystery sender, consider this my official request for a clueâI love a good puzzle, but this oneâs short on breadcrumbs. Until thenâŚthank you for the mystery book!
Have a great Tuesday!
Love you guys! â¤ď¸
