Sandra Heska King

daring to open doors

  • Home
  • About
  • DISCLOSURES
    • Amazon Affiliate
    • Book Reviews
  • Published
  • Contact
  • Blog
    • Commit Poetry
    • Dared

31 Days on Coming to Grips with my Age ~ Days 6-10: I Never Imagined

October 10, 2012 By Sandra Heska King

Day 10

It’s still dark. I kiss Dennis goodbye. Inhale his cologne.

I throw back the covers, feel around for bathrobe.

Find my slippers that Lillee carried around last night.

Turn up heat.

Wake up Grace.

Make some oatmeal.

Think hard. Do I need to make a lunch? No, not today. They’re having taco bar. What time is her doctor’s appointment? Not today–tomorrow.

Wash a snack apple.

Wake up Grace. Again.

Must hurry. It’s MEAP day. Can’t be late.

Get Lillee up. Change her diaper.

Tighten Grace’s splint. (To support her fractured clavicle. She might shed it tomorrow.) Remind her to hurry.

Make toast.

Pour Cheerios for Lillee who refuses oatmeal. Dish up oatmeal for Grace.

Throw on ratty clothes tossed on couch last night and hope we don’t have an accident.

Grace’s chain has snapped, and she must have the card it holds for her test. Look for replacement.

Locate keys. Can’t find purse. Grab scissors. Rush girls to car. Strap Lillee in. Browse drawers in garage for narrow ribbon. Find some burgundy. Toss on front seat.

Heave open garage door because opener is broken.

We’ve got less than 10 minutes.

I steer with left hand and hold ribbon between fingers. With right hand, I cut a length of ribbon. At the stop sign, I thread ribbon through hole in card, tie knot, and reach it back to Grace.

“Grace! We forgot your medicine!”

It’s too late. But not today of all days.

She says she’ll be okay.

Once home, Lil wants more to eat. She offers one of her mom’s My Little Ponys on a book platter for my breakfast. I replace the batteries in her piggy flashlight.

I try to write.

I wonder what time her mom will pick her up. Will I need to feed her lunch? Will Grace be here for dinner? What can I make that she won’t refuse? Will she want to cook it again? Must. Do. Laundry. 

I shuffle through the bills. I’m sure something is late.

I never imagined this.

That life would still be such a frazzle at my age and stage. In my mind Dennis and I would be sitting together in a spic-and-span kitchen at a white-linen-draped table, drinking fresh juice from stemmed glasses, munching homemade granola or muffins from white china, watching birds at the feeder. Then we’d go for a long walk hand-in-hand, stopping often to take pictures. Later we’d go play a little tennis, poke around in some museum, read, share memories. I’d write more.

I guess there’s still time for that.

But today I’ll take some time to be still. And know.

Day 9

“The present is the ever-moving shadow that divides yesterday from tomorrow. In that lies hope.” ~Frank Lloyd Wright

Day 8

“All is pattern, all life, but we can’t always see the pattern when we are part of it.” ~Writer Belva Plain

Day 7

“The older one gets, the more one feels that the present must be enjoyed; it is a precious gift, comparable to a state of grace.” ~Marie Curie

Day 6

Live your life and forget your age. ~Norman Vincent Peale

There. Now I’m caught up.

Share this:

  • Email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Filed Under: 31 days 2012, stories and reflections

Comments

  1. Sheila Seiler Lagrand says

    October 10, 2012 at 12:07 pm

    I’m exhausted just reading about your morning! Love this. Funny how life goes in directions we never could have guessed.

  2. Sharon O says

    October 10, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    I can hear your busy day and I also can hear your desire to slow down and be centered on what is important.
    Breathe, have a cup of hot tea and just know “this time will pass”… and enjoy today.

  3. Shelly Miller says

    October 10, 2012 at 12:18 pm

    The whole time I’m reading this I’m wondering why you are so busy with your grandgirls. But I think there is perhaps more of a story here that I’ve missed. All I know is that your selflessness is dripping grace and love onto so many for eternity. And that’s actually better than drinking OJ from stemmed glasses. 🙂 Love you Sandy.

  4. Carol J. Garvin says

    October 10, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    You’ve expressed it so well, Sandy! During an earlier time when there were similar mornings with our four children, when preacher hubby had meetings and emergency calls and the calendar was always full of appointments, I thought about days in retirement when the two of us would share the kind of quiet bliss you mention. Now retirement is a reality and I’m still pressured by too much to do and not enough time. These days I look for the blessings entangled with the chaos, because I know they’re there. I savour isolated moments and “choose joy”. Like you, I know it’s important to “be still and know”.

  5. Diana Trautwein says

    October 10, 2012 at 5:52 pm

    Sandy. I want you, please, to take a really deep breath. Now read over this post. Do you see how much you are giving of yourself? So, then. Do NOT apologize for this life when you read these posts from Haiti. Yes, you will be there soon. And yes, you will be overwhelmed by everything there that is JUST TOO MUCH. But…what you are doing? With these girls? For your daughter? This is good work, this is the work of reconciliation. This is the work of Jesus. For YOU. Where you are. And I hope and pray you will have an occasional day of uninterrupted writing, musing, reflecting. We all need those days. Even the Haiti bloggers. :>)

  6. Linda Stoll says

    October 10, 2012 at 9:27 pm

    I love how you ‘caught up!’ Please take a few moments to rest well …

  7. Megan Willome says

    October 11, 2012 at 6:03 pm

    You’re doing hard work, Sandy. Good work, but it’s not work that you expected. And you’re not 25. I’m so amazed by you.

  8. Lynn Mosher says

    October 11, 2012 at 10:10 pm

    I’m worn out reading this! How do you do it? Now, if someone doesn’t need to be picked up or dropped off, go out on the porch, sit in your rocker, and breath in deep breaths of fresh air! Norman said it right!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Meet Sandra

I’m Sandra, a camera-toting, recovering doer who’s learning to be. still. Read more…

Get updates from the stillness by email

Your personal information is safe and will never be shared.

Archives

Categories

Instagram Inspiration

sandraheskaking

Happy first day of fall from my backyard to yours. Happy first day of fall from my backyard to yours.
Just another backyard photo… Just another backyard photo…
From my backyard tonight. From my backyard tonight.
Just another sunset. Just another sunset.
“I would like people to remember of me, how inex “I would like people to remember of me, how inexhaustible was her mindfulness.” ~ Mary Oliver in “ A Little Ado About This and That.”
Current situation. Current situation.
“This spark of life that wavest wings of gold” “This spark of life that wavest wings of gold” ~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson in “Ode to a Butterfly”
🦋
We pulled all the milkweed because it just could not support all the caterpillars. They were eating it bare and most of them died because they ran out of food. This one butterfly found this one lone volunteer.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright futur "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." ~ E.B. White (as quoted on today's page in my Franklin Planner)
"May you experience each day as a sacred gift wove "May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder." ~ John O'Donohue in "For Presence" from To Bless the Space Between Us
🌴
Tri-colored heron stalking breakfast in my backyard.
“. . neighbor’s tree hangs heavy with mangoes “. .  neighbor’s tree hangs heavy with mangoes. They are moving in a week. They say a family from Belarus bought the house. I hope they don’t care much for mangoes.”
**
“Beautiful Sweet Things” at https://sandraheskaking.substack.com/
"People do not grow old. When they cease to grow t "People do not grow old. When they cease to grow they become old.” ~ Emerson

It's been a while since I've written anything on my blog. Like 3 years. But I just wrote my first post on Substack. Come see?

https://sandraheskaking.substack.com/p/ten-years-ten-things
Spent a couple hours this morning with friends fro Spent a couple hours this morning with friends from @spanishriverchurch picking up beach trash. Little bits of colored and clear plastic, big bits of plastic, bottle caps, broken glass, strings, ropes, straws, socks, fast food containers, paper, cigarette holders and filters—and a couple unmentionables. Took extra care around the turtle nests. Last count was about 70 pounds, but there were also some bigger things like an abandoned chair and a plastic tent. And a big piece of burlap or something with a fishing lure and giant hook attached. D found a Macy’s gift card that he almost tossed in his bucket. But we brought it home to check the balance—$24.60! We should be able to turn that into something useful for someone. 😊
H Already dead, I am living my afterlife here in t H
Already dead, I am
living my afterlife
here
in the form of a human.
~ Xueyan from Time Peels All to Original White

Thanks to @tspoetry for introducing me to this beautiful collection via an Every Day Poems selection.
The cats attacked the window all night. The dog wo The cats attacked the window all night. The dog woofed all night. This morning we discovered the would-be burglar imprisoned between the screen and the glass on our bedroom slider. 

When I stepped out to release it (no bail), I was surprised by this brief bit of backyard beauty.
For most of us, knowledge of our world comes large For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?" ~ Rachel Carson in The Sense of Wonder
#prayformsu #spartanstrong #spartannurse #michigan #prayformsu #spartanstrong #spartannurse #michiganstateuniversity
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faith Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. ~ Psalm 136:1
A tale of two iguanas... I did not see the iguana A tale of two iguanas... I did not see the iguana in the background until I downloaded the photos. That, I believe, is the one that got caught in one of the openings in the neighbor's chain link fence. We tried in several (safe) ways to dislodge it without luck and could think of no other option but to leave it. Somehow it apparently dislodged itself. We also believe this is the pair that was getting into another neighbor's garden. We haven't seen either one since the last cold snap, so we are wondering if they survived. 
🌱
Thinking some may have tumbled from their perches last night. Pretty sure it will be raining iguanas tonight since we are under a frost advisory. It's cold. And windy.
Just sing... sing a song... Singing our way into Just sing... sing a song... 

Singing our way into the weekend.
"We don't just see. We learn to see." ~ Russ Ramse "We don't just see. We learn to see." ~ Russ Ramsey in Rembrandt is in the Wind
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Get the Mug

Embrace the life you have t s poetry mug

Privacy Policy

Full privacy policy is available HERE.

I Read Light

TSP-Red button

bibledude-net



Sponsor a Child

Join the Compassion Blogger Network

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2023 Sandra Heska King · Site by The Willingham Enterprise, LLC on the Genesis Framework by StudioPress · Log in