musings

i love fall. actually, i love all the seasons. although those who live on the east coast tell me i don't even know what a season is, i really do - california (bay area even!) style. i love the cool, crisp overcast days of fall; the chill of winter, getting to wear cute sweaters and tights and boots and scarves; i love the freshness of spring and watching my garden bloom, the hint of warmer days to come; and wonderful summer, which actually can be wonderfully warm, or san francisco foggy... but i find myself always ready for the next season as it arrives.

life has it's seasons, too. though i find i'm not always ready for what's coming. right now, anticipating grandmotherhood--i'm totally ready! feeling my body grow older... not so much. (where are my glasses? no not my reading glasses, my computer glasses. what did you say? ...and that sort of thing)

events of the past couple weeks have caused me to ponder. it started with news of the son of a couple we know - though we don't know them well - taking his life. then a week ago sunday i received an email from a friend sharing the sad news that her 22 year old son had just passed away after a 2 1/2 year battle with a rare cancer. johann was extremely bright, loved Jesus deeply and had so much to look forward to. though very different in interests and personality, it reminded me of our dear david, and i grieved deeply for gerry and debbie and their other 3 boys. we are so thankful that johann and david are both in the presence of our Lord! Monday brought another email of an acquaintance (fred knew him better than me), 48 years old, who had a heart attack while playing basketball at the gym across the street from our house.

at the same time, we are so excited to be anticipating the arrival of a granddaughter any day now! we are so excited to meet baby. i can hardly wait to hold her in my arms and love her, and then watch her grow and learn and try new things. and i am overwhelmed with the amazing gift of life and the totally creative way God has made the process. the memories of giving birth to our own children come flooding back. the joys and the feeling of weighty responsibility. the fun (and the pain) of watching them grow and learn how to maneuver life and trust in the goodness of God. the blessing of becoming their friends as they are now adults (how fun that they like to hang out with us!).

life is joyful, painful, wondrous, mysterious, wonderful, unpredictable, unfair...and such a gift from God. so even though i don't love every season of life, i love what God does in me in every season. i love that He doesn't abandon me through the hard seasons, He comforts and strenthens me. and then He gives seasons of joy and wonder and peace. and sometimes they overlap.

musing...

becoming a gramma

i'm not a gramma yet. but it's an amazing thing to watch my daughter grow and prepare for motherhood. katie lets me feel baby kick and move and hiccup, and i remember how i loved to feel my babies moving inside me. (and then missing those feelings after the baby was born.) i remember the morning sickness, and the heartburn and at the end, feeling tired all the time. and on the flip side, the anticipation, getting a room ready, and reading everything i could on pregnancy and about baby's first year. so much fun!

saturday we helped brian and katie move. a charming old san francisco apartment with so much character—and 2 bedrooms! now baby won't have her first bedroom be a closet (though it was a large closet). fred set up the crib and brian set up the high chair; they got a dresser and glider chair on craigslist... the room is looking ready for baby to move in. i'm pretty sure brian and katie are going to be great parents.

i'm getting ready too. i've already asked about cutting back my hours so i can spend a day a week with katie and baby. sometimes i'll go to their place, and sometimes kate and baby will come over. i have bottles and diapers, a pack 'n play, a bottlebrush, baby thermometer, and for later, baby spoons and plates.

so now we're waiting... and hoping she comes before thanksgiving. that would be perfect!

productivity

yesterday was pretty crazy...so i'm writing about it today. wednesday i worked from home, got a lot done, organized my work schedule and had a plan for first thing thursday morning. by 4:30 (quitting time) i had not yet gotten to #1 on my list. way to accomplish!

it started right after our huddle. charlie (my boss) wanted to talk to me... uh oh. and he wanted to take a walk... uh oh again! as i walked out of my office, patty (my office-mate) said, "see ya, janet," as in, "you're in trouble!" thankfully, it wasn't that at all. actually, they like me so much, they just want to keep my happy. that's what i think! when we got back, charlie said, "patty, can i talk to you?" aaah, now he wants to keep patty happy too!

my job is really fun. i get to design for a church. it also means lots of deadlines (like every sunday) and lots of people to support. this week has been especially busy. we're opening a new campus in millbrae, christmas is coming, i'm learning some new software...

but i'm really looking forward to this crazy weekend coming. i'm preparing for a baby shower for katie! yes, our katie... right around december 2, i'm going to become a grandmother! (i'm really way too young; somehow our kids kept getting older while fred and i maintained our youth.) the shower will be small--just family--but so much fun. we love our family, and it will be so pleasant to spend the morning with the female half. the menu is brunch (my favorite food) with a strata, fruit salad, egg sandwiches, coffee bread... that kind of stuff. yum!

i'm lovin this season of life. but if it slowed down a bit, that would be nice...