Life Goes On

In spite of trouble and sorrow, life must go on. The ticking of the clock, and the passing of time, is a blessed thing. We need distance from our sorrows, and as the days proceed, distance is given. Hearts begin to heal. Perspective is gained. Hope is found. Forgive all the passive voice verbs; even in distress, I'm still an English teacher. Okay: God heals hearts, gives perspective and grants hope. Much better :)

The day before Adam lost his job, we went to WalMart and finally bought a pool for the summer. Oh, the foolish things we do when we assume we'll have money! Well, what can be done? Can't return it after it's been opened and dirtied on the ground. We decided we might as well enjoy it.

Adam developed a new, brilliant leveling system this year for the 16-foot Easy Set pool. Here it is. He put another extender-board on that, so it went out to almost 20 feet. It was flat as a pancake.

He and the kids stacked the pavers from the patio back behind his bread oven, to be pulled out next fall.

Peter is finished with school for the year. Now he's a senior! Next fall, he's decided he wants to be in band, and the teacher has lent him a huge concert tuba to practice on for the summer. Peter has never played a brass instrument before, in his life. But Philip has been having fun with it! It's massive.

I haven't  made strawberry jam in years. I first began canning when I lived in Iowa, I think. The garden was fabulous there. I've been hoping to use our own strawberries, which really didn't produce this year, or go picking strawberries, which we never did. I bought these at Aldi, and I suppose they'll do fine. They smelled good -- very strawberryish -- when I bought them.

I think jars of canned fruit are so beautiful.