empty nest | AuburnChick's Adventures

Road Trip – Part 3

Posted on July 29, 2019 by auburnchick

Day 3 of our little road trip began with me getting up at 7 for another trek on the treadmill.

I knew that I’d be spending some time in the car, so getting my legs moving, while I could, was paramount.

Once the Mr. woke up, we packed our things and prepared to load up the car.

I had to chuckle when I compared my pile . . .

With his . . .

To be fair, that red laundry bag should have sat between the stacks of bags since both of our clothes were in it.

As we headed out, sans kids (boo), the weather wasn’t looking that great.

I was reminded, once again, of God’s grace the day before when the weather had been spectacular for the game.

When we were planning this trip, we had decided not to go straight home.

Our next destination: Auburn!

Atlanta sits less than two hours east of the prettiest town known to man, so we couldn’t allow the opportunity to visit pass us by.

We made a pit stop at a Chick fil A to potty, and I was struck by this dispenser in the rest room:

Something to fight the chicken biscuit bad breath, I guess. I wouldn’t know since I’m a vegan.

Anyhoo, it didn’t seem long before we entered Auburn’s city limits, and things just felt so good.

We headed into town to grab some lunch.

One of the kids had told us about a place called Pieology, which has similar pizzas to Blaze. Coincidentally, there was one right across from Toomer Drugs. Here’s what we saw when we went in . . .

When I first saw the crust advertised, I was excited. Then, I asked the girl working behind the counter if it was vegan. She told me that it had dairy in it. Dang! Their gluten-free crust is also vegan, though, so I opted for that.

There was also this sign . . .

Y’all, the world is slowly becoming a vegan-friendly place, let me tell you!

For the record, I am a vegan who doesn’t necessarily miss the taste of meat. I’d never been a huge fan of ground beef, and sausage was okay, but hey, I was up for trying new things, so I ordered my pizza with half “meatball” and half “sausage.” They were out of the “chicken.”

See that cheese? That’s Daiya – one of my favorite vegan cheeses. The gal had been extremely helpful when preparing this. She had a lot of knowledge of the products I could eat since she has to watch her diet as well.

I must have been hungry because I ate the entire thing!

Fueled by the delicious food, we were read to shop!

Now, if you’ve never been in Auburn on game day, you wouldn’t be able to compare the shopping experience we had during our road trip with a game day foray. There were some people out and about, but we were actually able to maneuver inside the stores fairly easily. We found several things on sale, and I tried on a few items.

I also purchased a few things because, well, when you’re in Auburn, you must buy all the things.

It’s tradition.

The Mr. and I did discover, after a long, hot walk, that the University Bookstore (my personal favorite because of its size) wasn’t open. Dang! Classes don’t start for another month, so they had no need for such silliness quite yet.

The Mr. was not happy.

As I said, it was hot, and our walk had been a long one.

We made our way back across campus, and he reluctantly posed with me for a selfie in front of Samford Hall.

We headed back towards Toomer’s Corner because of this . . .

This place is known for the VERY best lemonade you will ever have.

In fact, ESPN Game Day once did a story about this very special corner of lemonade heaven. I kid you not!

Of course a photo was in order – just to prove that the above pictures aren’t Google images. Ha!

What you don’t see in the picture above are the bottles I bought for later.

They’re labeled as being good up to four days post-purchase. I’m here to tell you that they can last up to a week (I drank the one above yesterday).

Ahem.

We rode around town, enjoying the scenery, talking of how much things have changed since we lived there almost thirty years ago, and enjoying the foliage, which we don’t have much of anymore because of stupid Hurricane Michael.

Then, we hit the road – destination home.

This was the hardest part of our road trip – returning to what we knew would be a house with one member missing.

I immersed myself in my knitting as a distraction and reflected on the wonderful trip.

I was thankful for its timing.

No, it hadn’t been great for Gambit, bless his heart.

For us, though, it had been a welcome respite from the stress we’d been under caring for an ailing pupper. Oh, we had enjoyed taking care of him and would have done it for years just to keep him with us, but if you’ve ever cared for a sick person or animal, you know that it wears on you.

The time away with family – especially after pretty much staying local since last October – had been a blessing as well.

Except for our trip to see family during Christmas and a couple of shopping trips to Destin after Thanksgiving, we had not left town since the hurricane.

The change of scenery and routine had suited us well.

A huge thanks goes out to the Mr. and Rooster for planning this, our children who worked the trip into their schedules, and those who prayed for us while we were gone.

Filed under: empty nest, Vacation, Vegan | Tagged: Auburn, empty nest, Vacation | 1 Comment »

Beach Day

Posted on July 6, 2018 by auburnchick

I thought I’d give you a recap of how the Mr. and I spent our 4th of July.

Being empty nesters allows us to march to our own beat, so to speak.

First, we both slept in. I started off the summer so well . . . getting up early each day to walk. Since getting back from California, I haven’t been able to, though. I was exhausted the first week and gave myself some grace. I hurt my back the second week and am still healing, so walking has been out.

I did manage to get dressed in my favorite workout shirt, an homage to my Rooster, and do Leg Day of the 80 Day Obsession program I’ve been making my way through.

Excuse the bed head. I had not even brushed it at this point. I knew I needed to get on the ball with my exercising before the Mr. started hollering.

A couple of hours later, we headed out to one of our favorite spots . . . the beach.

Parking was a bit of a nightmare with a bajillion other people taking advantage of the gloriously sunny day. Fortunately, we found a space on our second pass-through. We’d packed a little lighter because of my back and settled in for the afternoon.

The Mr. had ordered me a patriotic bikini, and the visor was the one I’d found at the BX during our visit to Rooster’s base.

Ahhh . . . toes in the sand (the prettiest sand I’ve ever seen).

Oh my word, but the beach was c-r-o-w-d-e-d.

People were almost sitting on top of one another. I can’t say that I like it when it’s that busy.

I’d read that the water had been clear for the past few days. Boy, was it ever. It was also freakishly hot, so many, many people stayed in the water.

A big gripe now. I really wish that smoking would be banned from the beach. Even though I grew up in a home where the adults smoked, I have become very sensitive to it. It seemed as though EVERYONE around us was smoking that day. It was so gross and gave me a headache.

Ugh.

One more grip: Why are people so rude and sit in front of you and then set up tents? We are very careful when we set up shop so that we won’t block others’ views of the water. Ugh.

All of my complaining aside, it was a glorious day. The forecast had called for rain. I’m glad we ignored it because we didn’t see anything.

People watching is something we enjoy doing at the beach. Take a look at this guy . . .

He was feeling the holiday.

We left around 4pm, sandy, tired, and hungry.

After feeding the dogs, who were extremely happy to see us, a shower, and a change of clothes, we headed out to dinner. Nobody felt like cooking, that was for sure.

We had a 50% coupon for Bonefish Grill, a reward we’d earned after three qualified visits. What can I say? We really like this place.

I had been wanting a beachy drink. This one hit the spot.

Dinner was wonderful, as it always is. I always get the House Salad. It’s light and hits the spot. A former student who works as a server came over and spoke to us for a few minutes. We see him almost every time we dine at Bonefish. It’s always fun to catch up with my kids once they’ve left high school. He’s turning out well, which does my heart good.

There was a long table beside us filled with some older folks. One cute-as-pie lady gave us sparklers, which she’d made, and told us to have fun. We assured her that as empty nesters, we were doing just that.

The Mr. suggested that we watch one of the many fireworks displays in town, but I said no. I’m a homebody at the core of my being and just wanted to be with my fur babies. Plus, I needed time to mourn for Molly (I didn’t say this to the Mr.). The sad stuff had been building all day and it just needed to come out, privately.

It turns out that this was the best decision because he didn’t feel too great later that evening. It had been a fun, albeit exhausting day.

Plus, we’re old like that.

Filed under: empty nest | Tagged: 4th of July, empty nest | 1 Comment »

Two Weeks Ago

Posted on June 27, 2018 by auburnchick

Two weeks ago, a little something-something began.

But first, my morning walk.

The sunrises I see each time I head out make getting up early . . . during summer break . . . so worth it.

I took a different route because I wanted to add more mileage. The second half mile was long and boring, although going back home, it was all downhill and not nearly as bad.

I was pleased with the distance I covered . . . the longest during my continued ankle recovery.

It was important that I stick to my routine because it wouldn’t be long until I’d be changing that up.

I’d packed the day before . . . a trip looming on the horizon.

Isn’t it funny how fur babies know when you’re getting ready to leave? The guilt they impart with their cute faces is always so hard to look at!

Chicky had been spending the summer around these here parts . . . visiting a friend . . . spending time with her grandparents. She drove over so she could pet / house sit, and she wound up giving us a ride to the airport.

Because we live in Podunk, USA, getting checked in was a breeze. The only thing left to do was wait.

And take silly selfies to send to Super Sis . . .

And not so-silly selfies with the Mr. to send to the children . . .

We should have been buying food because, as we’d later learn, we would, essentially, get no dinner since our flight was so late.

It wasn’t long before we got boarded and waited to take off. It was just enough time for another selfie because y’all, I am all about documenting every second of every adventure.

To distract me, I got out my knitting. I had started a new project a few days before, much to my happiness. I hadn’t knit much in months!

Of course, our first stop was Atlanta because every flight goes through this metropolis. I am usually a nervous flyer, but this time, I had a lot more peace, for some reason. I also had a window seat, and our placement on the plane was perfect for looking at the terrain we were passing over.

We got a little nervous because as we neared Atlanta, the pilot notified us that he would be circling around a few extra times because the stormy weather had delayed other flights from landing.

We had a SMALL time-frame for our connecting flight and watched the minutes tick down. We finally got on the ground and hopped out of our seats in the hopes that we would deplane quickly. We apologized to those around us as we explained that we were in a hurry.

The Atlanta airport is HUGE, so we knew that we would have to hustle. Fortunately, I’d installed the Trippie app (thanks for that tip, Megan). What a great app too! It showed our location in the airport and exactly where we needed to go to get on our next flight.

The only caveat was that the Mr. and I had to pee. Really, really bad. We were super worried about the time it would take on this pit stop, but when you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go.

Fortunately, we were able to hop on the train, which ran every minute and a half and was similar to riding the monorail at Disney. It was super fast, but we hustled off, past the delightful food courts and restaurants, and to our flight’s waiting area with about fifteen minutes to spare.

We were able to line up first for our assigned boarding section, but then we learned that the flight attendants who would be on our plane had also been delayed by their incoming flight, so we waited.

I sure wish we’d known how long we would have to wait because we could have grabbed food. By then, it was almost 9pm, and we were STARVING. We were afraid to leave our station, though, so we stayed put, and it wasn’t long before we were able to board.

During this trip, we were flying with Delta. I had downloaded the GogoEntertainment app to access in-flight videos, but it turned out that I didn’t need it because each seat had its own screen.

I was also super pleased to discover that I could charge my phone through the screen (something I figured out when I saw someone else do it). Yay!

Y’all, there were so many options on that screen! There were television shows, live TV, and recent movies!!!! I was psyched!

Hello Liam. You always make my heart go pitter-patter, even during a thriller like The Commuter.

Now, I had made a bit of a bonehead move and left my earbuds in my carry on bag, which I finally got the Mr. to get down from the overhead bin for me. Unfortunately, the new earbuds for the new iPhone don’t have the correct audio end to plug into devices, so I was screwed. Well, until the flight attendants passed out free ear buds. Yay! Except that mine didn’t work very well. I guess I could have asked for a different pair. Hindsight, y’all. Still, I made do the best I could.

Because it was late, I didn’t want to turn on my light to knit. I just didn’t want to bother anyone. During this leg of the journey, there were three seats on our side, and a nice man was sitting beside me (beside the window). He never said a word to me, but I didn’t want to disturb him.

After my movie, I played a word game. I finally won a game . . . minutes before we landed.

The view as we neared the airport was breathtaking.

So, are you wondering where we wound up?

Here’s a clue . . .

That was another neat thing we had access to on the screens in front of us – flight information. I loved playing with the map . . . zooming in . . .

To see that we were within spitting distance of our Rooster and his sweet wife.

Yay!

When Rooster was here in March, we had compared our calendars and booked our tickets. I’d been anticipating our visit for three months!!!

I think that I’ll end the post here. My plan (fingers crossed) is to blog about each day we spent in California, one post each.

Filed under: Vacation | Tagged: empty nest, Vacation | 2 Comments »

A Visit from Chicky

Posted on February 21, 2017 by auburnchick

This weekend, the Mr. and I were treated to a visit from our sweet Chicky.

When I found out that she had President’s Day off, I asked if she would consider coming home for the weekend. The Mr. has been very ill, so I thought he’d cheer up if he could spend time with her.

Now, let me tell you that I have amazing children. You’ve heard me wax poetic about them in the past.

Chicky has been especially attentive ever since I broke my ankle. She stayed with us for two weeks during Christmas vacation. We loved having her home.

She drove up on Saturday and completely surprised the Mr. when she walked in the door.

After she visited awhile, we decided to run some errands. She was considering upgrading her phone, so off we went to the Sprint store. She got her phone, and we drove out to the beach to do a bit of shopping. First, though, she wanted to go to the actual beach to take some pictures with her new phone. She wanted to try out the new camera on it.

I was a little nervous about walking on the sand but desperately needed to be in my happy place.

Y’all…the weather was perfect…the sand cool to the touch but not uncomfortably so…the water frigid.

Slipping my toes into the sand felt so very right. I carefully walked to the shore, avoiding as many holes as I could. My physical therapist told me it was good for me to walk on it (he said this after the fact, so at least I wasn’t in trouble!).

I snapped a few photos of her, and she even agreed to a selfie (forgive my face…I didn’t fix my hair or put on much makeup)…

Yes, I am posting her face for the FIRST TIME EVER! I asked, and she agreed.

Isn’t she just the cutest thing ever? ❤ ❤ ❤

Because traffic was a bear, it took us forever to do just a couple of things, so we headed home to cook a late dinner. The Mr. has been going to bed pretty early each night, so it was all he could do to hang on while we made up his fish and mashed potatoes.

She went to bed early because, heck, she’s a teacher and sleeps all the days when she’s not teaching.

We got up and went to church the next morning, and I got a good picture of her and the Mr. I won’t post that because the Mr. is blog-o-phobic. Ha!

Then, after lunch, Chicky and I headed out for an hour and a half drive. I was on the hunt for new sneakers (see yesterday’s post), and we needed to return something the Mr. had bought his mom for Christmas.

I sang and car danced on the way, much to her chagrin. It would seem that some things (or people) don’t change no matter how much time passes. 😀

Chicky couldn’t resist a little treat. She’s a healthy eater, so the splurge was a rare one.

Yes, she is adorable, is she not?

I heart her much.

I appreciated having her feedback on the shoes, although she made me chuckle when she told me not to limp while I was trying them on. I think she forgot that I’m recovering from a broken ankle. Actually, she hasn’t forgotten because it permeates all of my conversations.

Ahem.

We had a grand time shopping and found a couple of good deals. Overall, we didn’t spend much, though, despite the temptations we faced at World Market and Fresh Market.

Dinner was fish again for Chicky and the Mr. and a Tomato Basil Pasta recipe I’d made the day before (Oh She Glows has wonderful recipes) for me.

After dinner, she and I settled in for a movie…London Has Fallen…and then she headed to bed.

She and the Mr. left early yesterday morning. She needed to go back home, and she was dropping the Mr. off at his parents’ house. They are going to be taking him to his next doctor appointment so I can stay home and work.

Although I’m used to my life as an empty nester, it’s so easy to slip into the new-yet-familiar routine that having your children home brings. I sure do miss my kiddos when they aren’t here, which is why Chicky’s visit meant so much.

Don’t be a stranger, sweet girl. You are a blessing. ❤

Filed under: empty nest | Tagged: empty nest, parenting | 2 Comments »

Thursday Shenanigans

Posted on December 16, 2016 by auburnchick

Yesterday was a busy day at Chez Auburnchick.

But first, can I just mention the Survivor finale from Wednesday night?

The entire season was so emotional! What a bittersweet ending.

So, back to Thursday.

It was my Friday.

I worked so hard at school and cranked out some grading during my planning period, lunch, and my students’ silent reading times. I am down to two sets of class assignments…both from the seven total school days I was out with my ankle. I see light at the end of the tunnel.

When I got home from school, my focus shifted from school work to housework.

Yes, that’s right. Housework…as in the stuff I’ve been unable to do since breaking my ankle.

First up was the bathroom counter. I didn’t take a “before” picture. Trust me. It wasn’t pretty. Here’s what it looked like after I finished.

Next, I headed to the kitchen to do the second task the Mr. had requested…the stove.

Once again, there’s no before picture. Just admire the shiny gleam.

I was careful, I promise. I kept my knee on the scooter and didn’t reach out in crazy directions. Yes, it was slow-going, but I got both tasks done in plenty of time to wrap my first present of the season.

The Mr. has wrapped all of our other gifts.

After that, I fed the dogs for the first time since I got hurt and let them out to potty.

Go me!

By that time, the Mr. had gotten home from work, so I sat down, iced my ankle, and knit while I caught up on a few shows I had on the DVR.

Can we talk irony for a moment? I started a new sock project right after my surgery and, without realizing it, have been working on the right sock…which I can’t try on until I get my cast off. Sigh. I’ve modeled it on the left foot for now.

It was weird…watching TV while knowing that I didn’t have to go in to work the next day (Friday).

We were staying up later because we had special plans.

It got dark, and we got in the car and drove to the airport.

We sat and waited about 45 minutes…

I couldn’t keep the smile from my face…

Time quickly passed, and before I knew it, I was crutching my way toward my sweet boy and his girl…reunion in full-on mode.

Y’all, I’d anticipated this moment for weeks. In the last few days leading up to the evening, I’d gotten teary-eyed a few times just thinking about it.

Of course, my plans had originally included a tackle hug, but after my little “fall,” I had to reimagine the affair. It turned into a careful, step–by-step walk into my boy’s arms.

Cue the tears…for real this time.

I hugged his girl afterward, such a sweet young lady she is. The bonds are strong after having weathered basic training separation anxiety together this past spring.

Having them in the car with us as we drove them to the house was pure bliss. Going to sleep knowing that they were only a couple of rooms away…well, I don’t even know if I can describe the feeling.

They’ll be on this side of the states until after Christmas. You know that I’m going to enjoy every single second of it. More shenanigans are to be had, that’s for sure!

Filed under: children, empty nest | Tagged: empty nest | 2 Comments »

“I Don’t Do 6am”

Posted on December 3, 2016 by auburnchick

There’s nothing like being laid up…having to depend on your spouse for everything…to force you to deal with one another’s idiosyncrasies.

Y’all, this experience is marriage counseling on steroids.

Let me list the things that I depend on the Mr. for:

Getting me to the restroom when I wake up and am groggy.
Selecting my clothes each day (one of my students told me I looked “snappy” yesterday.
Getting a chair out so I can put makeup on each morning in front of the bathroom mirror
Getting my breakfast and cleaning up after me
Getting my vitamins
Fixing my lunchbox
Getting my stuff to the car each morning
Driving me to work
Escorting me to my classroom.
Pushing my wheelchair to the numerous before-school parent conferences that have coincided with my return to school. He makes sure I’m set up for the day before he leaves for his own job.
Picking me up from school (friends are helping too)
Keeping the house clean
Taking care of our dogs
Fixing my dinner
Icing my ankle
Helping me get bathed and into my pajamas
Washing my clothes
Decorating for Christmas, shopping, and wrapping presents
All other duties as required

This man, though.

He has rarely complained…except at 6am.

This guy, on my first day back to work on Wednesday, had a hard time dealing with an early wake-up call.

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

There I sat, proud as could be, of the fact that I’d straightened my hair and put on makeup, and he was like, “I’m not going to tell you, ‘Good job.’ I don’t do 6am.”

Ahem.

For a gal who has done 4:30-6:00am for the last 26 years, this was a little funny to hear.

He’s not a morning guy.

He’s a 9am, I-can-function-now, kind of man.

Even on the way to school yesterday, he grumbled. I jokingly said, “It’s because you don’t do 6am.”

He nodded in agreement.

Now, let him fuss a bit at 6pm, as he did yesterday on the way out to eat dinner, and he was all good.

Because while he doesn’t do “am,” he is very good at doing “pm.”

Ha!

Despite the many adjustments to our routine that this injury has forced upon us, there is still so much good.

When we get frustrated with each other, we talk it out.

I’m learning that I have to be careful how I comment about things that need to be done so that he doesn’t think I’m ordering him around. Merely commenting on something is sometimes too much for his already overburdened mind.

He’s tired. He’s functioning as two people right now. I get that.

I am recognizing his need to decompress between work and our night ritual. I respect that. He needs a bit of time just for him without running after me. Though he’s ready to jump up and do what I need, I’m letting him be for that time so he can recharge a little.

He’s learning that I’m going through some fears right now. Although I’ve always been pretty strong emotionally, this fracture did a bit of a number on my psyche. He’s being very tender toward me to help ease me through some things. He’s making accommodations for those fears to keep me placated, and he’s doing this in a very patient manner.

There’s a lot more give without fussing, because ain’t nobody got time (or tears) for that.

We are figuring out what is important and starting to ignore, or quickly let go of, what’s not.

I’d like to think that this process is cultivating an appreciation for one another’s roles in our marriage. I think that the Mr. realizes all of the extra things I did before, and I’m seeing what a tender heart lies under that crusty exterior.

“Thank you” is going a long way in our home. Mutual respect, which time had eroded, has returned.

He may not do 6am, but he’s my knight in shining armor, nonetheless.

#findingjoyinthejourney is alive and well in Chez Auburnchick.

Filed under: empty nest | Tagged: empty nest, marriage, trimalleolar fracture | 3 Comments »

Thanksgiving 2016

Posted on November 24, 2016 by auburnchick

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

I selected the graphic above because it resembled the Mr. and me.

This is the first time we are spending Thanksgiving alone.

In all of our married lives.

We were going to host our family for Thanksgiving lunch, but when I broke my ankle on the 13th, our plans had to change. I’m not exactly ready to cook yet.

We wouldn’t have had our kids at home. Chicky drove back to her apartment after spending a couple of days with me during my surgery. Rooster and his gal are all the way across the country celebrating their first Thanksgiving together as newlyweds. The Mr.’s parents and our own siblings and their family (remember that they are married to each other) are in Bigger City, Florida, where I had my surgery, and driving back over was definitely out given my recovery process.

And so it is that we find ourselves alone at home.

Rather than focusing on the negatives, I am going to, once again, find things to be happy about.

My Faith – God is my rock; He’s my stronghold. He is strong…especially now that I am exceptionally weak. I do not know what I would do if I couldn’t call on His name, both in praise and in desperation.
From a recent First5 devotion
My Husband – This man continues to impress me. I’ve cried a super lot since I broke my ankle and for a number of different reasons…pain, frustration, and gratefulness. I figured that he’d be super tired of all of this by now, but it seems as though he’s actually gotten energized with each day. Maybe part of this is because the shock of it has worn off. Maybe it’s that we’ve developed a new routine. I don’t know. What I do know is that he’s become even more thoughtful. Learning that my bones are brittle has given him a mission…something he can do, as opposed to being able to essentially do nothing about my ankle being broken. He has been researching how I can get more calcium into my diet, and he’s already gone out and bought specific food to help me fine tune my regimen. The man even bought turnip greens, and he’s going to cook them today! It’s incredible to watch him in action, and I can honestly say that I love him more today than even a week and a half ago.
Rice cake with almond butter
My Children – Chicky came home in time to sit with me before my surgery, and she took care of me the first night after my surgery. She also drove me home the next day. She has texted me every day that she hasn’t been with me just to see how I’m doing. Rooster has called me every day since I got hurt. He calls when he’s on his way home for lunch or when he’s finished work for the day. His girl has texted me too, so I’m getting even more love. These children of mine may not know how much their calls mean, but I try to tell them each time we talk how much I appreciate their thoughtfulness. I’m often in tears after speaking with them because my heart feels as though it’s going to burst from all of the love I feel.
The Rest of the Family – The Mr.’s parents opened up their home to me. They allowed me to disrupt their quiet lives so that I would be close to my surgeon and the surgery center and so I would have a comfortable place to both prepare for and later begin my recovery from my surgery. They’ve texted me every day that I’ve been home to check on how I’ve been doing. They’ve prayed for me and asked for prayer for me at their church. Super Sis made a pasta salad that was vegan-friendly, and I ate on that for dinner both nights I was at our in-laws’ house. She also came over for a sister sleepover the night before my surgery. She made sure that I made it to the bathroom without falling and even straightened my hair. There is always a lot of laughter involved when we are together.
Me…waiting in the bathroom…while Super Sis ran back home to get her straightener.

Goofy faces with my seester

Surgery hair is ready!

Chicky and I stopped by to say goodbye before we headed home on Tuesday. She’s a runner like me. ❤
Friends – So many people have been praying for me since I broke my ankle. Several have texted me every day; some have come by to bring meals, gift cards for meals, and even a book! One prayed for me before she left. You know what? They haven’t forgotten about me either! It would be easy to stop calling and texting now that I’ve had the surgery, but the contact has increased…just when I need it most. Until 1am yesterday morning, the pain was out of control. Knowing that I’m not alone…that I have people to lean on…has made this easier to bear.
Fur Babies – They don’t understand what’s happened. They only know that I’m not as accessible as I’ve been. They want their mama back to normal so I can curl up with them in bed and snuggle with them again.
Yarn – It takes my mind off of the world around me. It allows me to create fun things to gift to friends. It’s one of my escapes.
Notice the name of the colorway? I bought this in San Antonio when I went to Rooster’s Air Force graduation. My ball winder is broken. My swift is not, thank heavens. I hand-wound that skein of yarn. It took me awhile, but I did it the old fashioned way!
Humor – Imagine how much of a dull place this world would be without humor. My doctor displayed some humor when he put a smiley face on my big toe when he visited me in pre-op. Ha!
See the smiley face on my big toe?

I received the following card from my daughter-in-law’s parents. The cover is the inset picture. Her dad’s clever blurb is the bigger picture. It made me laugh out loud for real.

I found a bit of humor in the Charity Miles announcement that appeared on my phone Tuesday morning…the day after my surgery…

And then there was this…one of my bracelets that I got ready to cut off when I got home on Tuesday…

The Mr. said that I should have been wearing this BEFORE I actually fell!
Books – They take me away to other worlds. I received this book from one of my favorite young adult writers, Allison van Diepen, on Tuesday. She and I are friends on Twitter and Facebook. She’s great about sending me pre-released copies of her new books. I cannot wait to dig into this one!
TV – I know, I know. TV is bad. I don’t have it on during the day, unless it’s a Saturday and there’s football on, but at night…that’s a different story.
I vegged out to the Dancing With the Stars Finale (Monday night’s show) when I got home on Tuesday.

Did you watch Survivor‘s show last night? Oh my gosh!! It was a double episode, and the second tribal council packed a punch, let me tell you!!

And so that’s my list. It’s by no means all-inclusive. I’ve left so many things out. The point, though, was to think happy thoughts…to move beyond my temporal sadness to see the big big picture.

God has blessed me abundantly…far more than I could ever hope for and that which I would never ever deserve.

I pray that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!

Filed under: empty nest | Tagged: empty nest, Thanksgiving | 1 Comment »

Unsung Heroes

Posted on November 18, 2016 by auburnchick

Caregivers.

They do not get near the attention they deserve when caring for a loved one who’s down and out.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I have often overlooked them as well.

Until this week.

From the moment that I fell, my Mr. has gone into overdrive.

The Mr. has usually been in the background. He has always been a quiet, firm foundation for our family.

I’ve always been the one to take care of the day-to-day minutia. In other words, I’ve been the loud one.

Ahem.

His job is very demanding; he’s always on call. Hence, I’ve been the one to take care of bumps, bruises, and other emergencies and not-so-emergencies.

With both kids grown and out of the house, the Mr. and I are each other’s primary focus now.

There aren’t a whole lot of other people to fill in the gap.

The breaking of my ankle has been traumatic on both of us. Watching him handle it has given me pause to think.

All of a sudden, he has had to do everything.

He had to decide which hospital to take me to.

He had to figure out how to get me to the car…easier said than done when I was screaming out in pain the entire time (no exaggeration).

He held me over the bedpan in the ER…three times.

He might have gagged a bit, bless his heart.

He had to figure out how to get me out of the car when we got home after that long night.

He’s been behind me every time I’ve gotten up to use the restroom. Neither of us trust my ability to navigate on crutches. My clumsiness got me into this mess.

I am sleeping on the recliner in the den. He has gotten up almost every night…in the wee hours…to check on me…to ask if I need to use the restroom. If he hears me moan in pain, he’s there.

He called around for recommendations on surgeons and then made my doctor’s appointment.

He drove me two hours to the appointment, sat and listened to every word the doctors and nurses said, filled my new pain prescription before we left this city, and drove two hours home. He was exhausted but kept on trucking.

He’s planned every meal I’ve eaten, except for the dish brought by a sweet gal from our church.

He’s gone to the store just because I had a hankering for orange juice, and he got Mexican takeout because he knew it was my favorite.

He helped me figure out how to bathe and monitored me closely to make sure that I didn’t get any water in my cast.

He’s been the primary caregiver of the dogs as well, letting them out every single time they have had to go…feeding them…comforting them during this weird time when their mama cannot snuggle with them.

While keeping up with me, the dogs, and the house, he’s also worked from home.

He’s also working on rehearsal dinner preparations and thinking about Christmas.

He’s trying to figure out how to decorate for Christmas because our human babies will be here in a few weeks.

He hasn’t figured out how to scoop dog poop. I think he’s leaving that task to me.

Caregiving has its limits.

Ha!

This man is my hero.

He has completely put my needs in front of his own.

Y’all, marriage is tough.

There have been times when we didn’t know if we were going to make it.

Fortunately, we are past those days.

When I look at the Mr., I see a man who is exhausting himself in his attempt to be and do everything so that I can make a complete recovery.

I love him dearly and pray that I never take him for granted again…that when it’s my turn to be his caregiver, that I’ll be more patient (I’m not known to be), just as he has been.

When we look around at other caregivers, let us all remember that there is so much that we don’t see. They are putting on brave fronts, pretending like they’ve got things under control (most don’t), and that all is hunky-dory.

While we pray for those who need healing from whatever is ailing them, let us also pray for those who are providing the day-to-day triage care.

They are unsung heroes.

Filed under: empty nest | Tagged: empty nest, trimalleolar fracture | 2 Comments »

Weekending, the Auburnchick Way

Posted on November 7, 2016 by auburnchick

How I love, love, love my weekends.

Seriously, though.

I honestly cannot remember what I did on Friday night. My school’s football team had an away game, so I stayed home and relaxed.

I may have gone to bed early. In fact, I remember that I did…right in the middle of watching my DVR’d episode of The Blacklist.

I’d worked super-duper hard all week, and I was just worn out.

Saturday, I wasn’t feeling very well, so I stayed in my pajamas and hung out in front of the TV all day.

I do love college football season!!

I got out the stockings I’d knit over a year ago along with the fabric I’d had cut this past summer and proceeded to add liners.

The Mr. and I stressed over our beloved Auburn Tigers, but they pulled out the win, so we were exceptionally happy the rest of the day.

Later that evening, I whipped up a batch of Detoxinista’s Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal Cups.

Although mine turned out a little gummy on the bottoms, the flavor was divine! I made a double batch and am sharing them with my friend at school.

I ate the first one while reading up on the next Beachbody program I’m going to start soon.

It’s a three-month program that I may do twice. My plan? Beast abs by bikini season.

On Sunday, the Mr. and I attended church. Getting up was a lot easier after the extra hour of sleep we got from setting our clocks back.

I know a lot of people don’t like it getting dark earlier, but when you wake up at o’dark 30, seeing daylight makes it a little easier.

After church, we ran a few errands (more on those in a later post) and headed home.

I found a few minutes to indulge in a few selfies with the fur babies. They are just so danged cute, and the day was incredible!

A nap attack hit me hard that afternoon, and I crashed for a couple of hours before getting up to make a pot of black bean soup. The Mr. grilled out while I cleaned up the kitchen.

After watching a couple of television shows, I called it a night.

Weekends always seem to go by so quickly, don’t they?!

The good thing about this one is that it led into a four-day work week because of Veteran’s Day this Friday.

Silver linings, folks, silver linings.

Filed under: empty nest | Tagged: empty nest, Pets | 1 Comment »

Blast from the Past

Posted on November 1, 2016 by auburnchick

Last Friday, the Mr. took my car and traveled a few hours to eat lunch and spend time with his parents.

When he returned, I got ready to take the car out to my school’s football game.

“There’s a tent in the back,” he said. “I’ll get it out this weekend.”

Well, Sunday came, and the tent was still in there, so after grocery shopping, I went to get it out.

I had to stop and collect myself for a moment or two.

Y’all…the sight of this tent brought back so many memories.

We bought it eons ago when the kids were playing travel soccer.

It was the thing that parents did. They bought tents, bought big SUVs to hold such tents, and they traveled from one tournament to another with said tents.

Then, each dad loaded his tent on his shoulders and walked the forever distance from the parking lot to the field the team was playing on.

Sometimes, it took two or three dads to put up a tent. They weren’t super easy back in the day.

The sight resembled what I imagine to be a barn raising of old.

We got to be pros at this by the time the kids had graduated.

If those tent flaps could talk, boy would they have stories to tell.

They would tell of screams of joy and tears of sadness, depending on how the games were going.

They would speak of many shouted “Ohhhhhhhhhs” at good plays and the covering of faces at missed opportunities.

They might contain strands of pulled hair from stressful games when all we could do was grip our tendrils in desperation.

The tent would certainly tell of frigid days when prayers were offered up for the cessation of rain and, during the heat of summer, a lessening of the hotter-than-hell temperatures that rendered hair straighteners useless and wet, cold towels a blessing.

They might tell of muttered, multi-colored words spoken against horrible refs who either needed glasses or retirement papers.

Oh yes, our tent would be able to speak volumes, let me tell you.

We passed our tent down to Super Sis and her husband. Our youngest nephew had begun his baseball career, and they were living our lives all over again, with a different sport.

Nephew boy is now a senior. They have no need for the tent, so the Mr.’s mom gave it back.

I’ll be looking to either sell or donate it.

The memories, however, will stay.

Filed under: empty nest | Tagged: empty nest, parenting, sports | 1 Comment »

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Road Trip – Part 3

Beach Day

Two Weeks Ago

A Visit from Chicky

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“I Don’t Do 6am”

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Blast from the Past

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