Pruning My Head Instead of My Shrubs

Dear John,

 

It was an unsuccessful day as far as my plans for yard work went - it rained all day and is still raining. I need to mow, plant four plants that are in pots on the porch, trim the shrubs and roses, and put the homemade weed killer I'm trying in all the right places. Instead, I slept in, cleaned the kitchen, cooked a bunch of chicken thighs that I got for $1.19 a pound, and changed all the doorstops.

 

I forgot to tell you about the doorstops! You know the ones that came with the house are falling apart. I'd wanted to replace them with oil-rubbed bronze to match the light fixtures and the new door hardware, but the cheapest I could find was $20 each, and that's a bit much considering that we needed eight of them. Last week I was at Meijer and found them for $2 a piece. So I grabbed eight and got them changed today. It's good to have functioning doorstops, and even better that they look so nice. You'd like them.

 

Thanks again for listening to me last night. Talking things out with you helped. I tend to think of my limits in terms of life when you were here - if I pushed too hard I could spend two weeks in bed recovering. I have to take better care of myself now. And I expect other people to value me only in terms of my productivity. Some people do, but that is their problem and not mine, and I need to feel free to tell them to go jump in a lake. Everybody that matters, understands.

 

And I know you understand - you always did, sometimes better than I did. Now I'm balancing widowhood with fibromyalgia, and missing your wisdom. But some of it rubbed off on me. And Jen is here to rein me in, and to Gibbs-slap me whenever necessary. She has good judgment, especially when it comes to me - we're so much alike.

 

I'm off to bed now, to cuddle up with warm fur and listen to the rain. And miss you, but know that all is well with you. Love you always,

Joan.

 

PS - Even spellcheck doesn't know about fibromyalgia, so why should I expect otherwise from real people?  Love you! :)