Oh-So Random Thoughts

 And be ye thankful...

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1.) Something I'll forever remember from our train trip? Sitting outside with Tom beside the canal in downtown Chicago, skyscrapers looming over us, on a windy early Monday evening while hurrying crowds crossed the bridge beside the train station. The energy felt electric and invigorating, brushing away my train weariness.

2.) Often the Sears Tower appears in scenes from Chicago Fire and now, while they rescue people, I sit here and ponder, "Hmm. They must be behind the tower and to the right, around 6 blocks from where we sat." (See? Travel does broaden your horizons.)  :)

3.) Our refrigerator's freezer is leaking again. Repair Guy just cleared the drain a few weeks ago and I have a feeling if we have him back out, he'll suggest we get a new fridge. Me? I'm asking, "What would Mike and Frankie Heck do?" and am keeping a bowl inside to catch the freezing water.  (I know. I know.)

4.) This week I walked around the block twice and then once down to the Salvation Army bin where I dropped off 2 bags of books (so to make room for more food storage). I actually survived all this activity. 

5.) Before Naomi moved back home, our house often smelled questionable (darn that basement and canned cat food scent). But now? Naomi's incessant coffee-making and incense-burning have our rooms smelling divine. 

6.) It is a joy having Naomi back home.

7.) Our city's once-yearly leaf sweepers actually came along after the vast majority of leaves fell down rather than before. This is cheer-worthy progress.

8.) Since October, we've experienced the most gloriously-golden autumn I ever recall since moving to New York in 1993. A few times I've stepped out the red door and swooned. No, really. It nearly feels like swimming within a clear glass of warm apple cider. 

9.) Tom and I love our weekends. Much. We eat dinner on Friday evenings while watching tv and one of us will smile and say, "Woo hoo! It's the weekend." Then the other repeats, "Woo hoo!" Every Friday night feels like the happiest party you could ever attend.

10.) No matter what happens in the future upon this Earth, I'll always thank God for the retro-feeling, day-to-day, ordinary-but-incredibly-lovely life He gave me. I wouldn't trade away a single hour of it.

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As for the river outside our 'new' picture window? A church group came along and, across the street from it, planted a vegetable garden over much of what had just been a gravel parking lot. You know, so to give vegetables and grapes away to the nearby needy. It looks more like a park there now.

That's the good news.

But there's something else. They also planted quite a few trees and where are three small evergreen trees now growing? Exactly across the opening where we have our best view of the river. They will get bushier and taller and will block our personal best-river-view-on-the-block.

Bad, Bad Debra wants to storm down there and yank those trees up. Godly Debra says, "Shame on you for even thinking of doing that, you naughty ol' thing, you."  :)

This is only a test. (But oh, sometimes don't you just want to be oh-so-bad?)


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