I am tired. Today was busy. Lots of visiting, which was all pleasant and with people I am very fond of, so that wasn’t the problem. The problem is that I went from one activity to the next with no downtime in between. We went to breakfast with one of our antique dealer friends to a trip to the Sherman Restore and a short but fun visit with our new friend there, then back home to pay some bills and get ready to head out to the barn to do some serious throwing away and organizing when another friend dropped by and instead we sat and chatted and enjoyed each other for an hour. Then after he left, Ray and I headed to the barn where we sorted things into boxes – the keeper boxes and the donate to a local junk store boxes, on and on, which felt productive and good. Then back inside to take baths before the church’s annual meeting this evening, which we wanted to attend to support St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church here in Sherman, which has been demoted to mission status and is rebuilding after a tough few years. Now we’re back home and I’ve been skimming through articles looking for something to write about here on my blog but coming up with nothing that is pulling me in its direction. Hence this litany of the somewhat non-stop nature of my day.

This is an accurate example of our usual time here in Sherman. We are often here for a limited time so each day gets cram-packed with activity so that we can complete the tasks we’ve set out for ourselves before we leave. The tasks are usually simply things that need to be done, and here in this house, our barn, and building, there are many things that need to be done. From deciding whether to keep something or give it away (like today in the barn) to cleaning, repairing, scraping, or painting. Those activities alone could keep us occupied for quite a while. In between all of that, we manage to also visit our family and friends here, go to church, out to eat, and even drive to Dallas or Fort Worth for a visit to the symphony or a museum or two. We keep planning to come and stay longer than a week or ten days so that we can settle more into a rhythm, but we have another whole life in California and it isn’t long before we feel pulled back to attend to all those things that need to be done back on the West Coast. And then off we go back there.

I am very much aware that these are first-world problems. The fact that we own two properties here that keep us busy is a gift in itself. The bigger fact that we’ve acquired so much merchandise for our antique business that it takes us days of focus to decide what to sell or give away speaks clearly of our prosperity. That we are also juggling life in both Texas and California points to an abundance of riches that makes any complaining look not only ungrateful but also downright brattish. So, please let me clarify that I know these are not “big” issues in a wider context. Just the day-to-day that we face as we navigate this life that we’ve built. A good and happy life for which I am exceedingly grateful.

On that note, I am going to close and head upstairs for some rest and relaxation. Tomorrow, we will hit the barn again hard, working our way through more boxes for a junk store that will be very glad to receive what we’ve decided we can’t sell on eBay.

Here’s to sorting through life and letting things go.

Talk tomorrow.