Day 186: Easter 2019

My favorite holiday has been Easter for a very long time.  The day takes place in the spring, my favorite season. The joy of all the snow melting, the grass turning green, and tulips sprouting up from the warming earth fits so well with the promise of new life with Jesus.  This year, the day leading up to Easter killed my joy.

Excitement filled the air with some new flowers coming from Breaks along with a promising forecast of sunshine.  Thursday, I went out to dig a couple of areas in my beds, clean out some weeds, and prepare some pots. I successfully planted half the order, but my hip began aching.  I decided to rest. I worried about whether I could finish up on Friday.

I woke with energy.  I succeeded in doing the Easter shopping first thing in the morning.  Yay!!! With the temperature soaring into the high 60’s I tackled my new flower bed that I call the Memorial Garden.  I started the project three years ago. The first year I put in a sugar maple. Year two, I laid down plastic to kill grass.  This year, I am actually planting flowers. I rototilled, added compost, and planted five plants. I still felt good.

Yesterday, I paid the price for all the work.  However, the pain hit even harder because our nice desert area turned into Seattle on steroids.  Today has been more the same: rain and clouds. My RA kicks in on days like today. But I had to power on.  I cleaned the office for my work, the real work where I get paid. The rest of the day I made cookies, shopped again for a potential new bed, wrote a little, and spent a lovely evening with friends.  I limped as I walked to their house, two doors down. Not good. Last night, I didn’t sleep well.

So, today has been tough.  I just want to sleep. Instead, we of course went to Mass.  I hurt both sitting and standing. Once home, I started the heating pad.  I am so blessed. Jerry took over the dinner I prepared. Sure he usually does all the cooking, but he just got home from three weeks in Fort Lewis.  I wanted to do the meal. Oh well. I did make the bread pudding and half the pesto dip.

I have still enjoyed the day.  I played a game of cribbage with Clay.  All four of us have been visiting all day.  Madelle is enjoying the family gift of a new PS4.  Our XBox quite working in December. Now I finally have something to watch my movies on and her and her brother can play games long distance together.  Our day hasn’t been super spectacular. Instead, the day has been a pleasant ordinary day. These can be some of the best.