Rich is home safe and sound as of one o’clock today. Now my system can relax again. I just shut my door so I couldn’t hear Caleb announcing that “someone stole the power cord to my PS5”. I don’t know anything about it. I’m resting in bed and going to watch a little tv but first thought I would write a little here.

Today I went and helped out at a soup kitchen downtown at the church. It was joyous. Everyone had such personality and I do so love to observe. I was set to work on three huge metal bowls of fresh green beans—trimming them for the pot. It was green beans from my nightmares. Jill guessed about 30 pounds worth. I didn’t do it alone and I would probably never do it for a home-meal. Doesn’t that sound terrible. Now that I’ve become more accomplished at it, maybe I will. I used to love watching my Grandma or mom slice through a pile of green beans all lined up as best as they could be, in order to efficiently trim as many as possible in one swift cut of a large sharp knife. They are the gardeners that inspire me. Anyway, today we of the soup kitchen made large quantities of spaghetti and meatballs, tossed salad, fruit salad, and the beans. Hungry people come to the church to eat but most of the meals were packed in containers and delivered. I came away with some meals for the kids and when I was driving to the HS to get Caleb I took a turn and two of them spilled over into the trunk of my new car. So that was annoying (exciting) and I got a bucket of soapy water and cleaned it all up when I got home. I remembered when something like that would be “the straw that broke the camels back” in years past when I was stretched thin with all the children home and babies and toddlers and today was so thankful to realize that I could clean up this unexpected mess while remaining (be shocked) CALM, and even like sort of content and —rather enjoyed it! I carried the bucket back to the house and washed off the door and trim, too.

That was the major event of my day besides my husband coming back home. We had about four hours before he went to get Seth and Sarah from school and got subs for dinner.

Of note- I got myself gardening gloves and have been working on weeding and planting pansies, which I adore. My best -friend- cat Sammie found the gloves on the counter and as I was cleaning up the kitchen I noticed her writhing her face into them in pure ecstasy . “She acts like they’re catnip!” I said to David. “Do I have catnip out there??” I went outside with my handy dandy plant identification app and BEHOLD—discovered that we have big healthy clumps of it in the flower gardens and I just am so perplexed. Sammie figured it out. So that was fun, a fun story to tell Sarah when she got home. “So that’s why the cats eat that plant!” She said. “You’ve noticed them eating it?” I asked. “Yep!”

Isn’t daily life full of surprises? I never dreamed when I got up this morning that I would clean spaghetti out of my car and also discover catnip in the garden.

Here are some more promised wedding photos:

It was obviously a day of LOVE.

I shall leave you with the kiss.

The Kiss

The wedding kiss!