This morning I woke up and put on my favorite aqua blue fuzzy, cozy robe. I was struggling to get out of bed. Five days off work, most of them taking care of my sick little girl, had me off my schedule. It’s always a struggle to get back at it after a longer break.
When I walked downstairs, I walked right over to our thermostat and turned the heat down. My husband looked at me like, “What are you doing?” But before he said anything, I said, “Is it hot in here, or is it just me?” He thought it felt fine, but my thermostat always runs higher than anyone else, to begin with.
After both loads of my sheets were done, I headed outside to hang them on the line. I knew it was going to be a sunny day and thought I had a good chance of them drying on a February day. There is nothing like sheets hanging on the line all day and then crawling into bed that night. This is truly one of life’s simple pleasures. As I opened our sliding glass door out back and walked outside, I could not believe how warm it was. I was thinking, “No wonder it was warm inside! Holy cow. How long was I off work for? Did I sleep clear till spring?” This was definitely not a February morning. As I flopped the basket of sheets on the top of our hot tub cover, I could hear the birds just going crazy. I’ve been starting to hear them more and more, but this morning was different. “Theodore! Theodore!” A bird out in our woods was looking for her man or something because she just kept at. Man, Theodore must have been in big doo doo! HA!
You all know what bird I’m talking about, but I couldn’t tell you the name of it. It was so refreshing listening as I hung our sheets on the line. Hearing a new kind of bird told me spring was just around the corner.
I worked all day inside but got to open the door and look out the windows to take in the sunshine. It was so refreshing and gave me the energy I needed to get back at it after my time off. It’s been so cloudy and dreary lately, and that sunshine is just what we all needed!
It was 2:30, I had a few more hours of work, and I was done. I worked later that day because my daughter’s bus never came, so I had to take her to school, which caused me to be late for work. I have pretty amazing bosses that are, yeah, amazing, so I never have to worry about work drama. My jobs are the most flexible and perfect for having a family. I mean, gee whiz, I had to call off Tuesday and then come in late on Wednesday. Wednesday, I worked for myself but still called my houses, saying I would be late. They are always so understanding, and I just stayed later even though they said I didn’t have to.
At 2:30, my phone was ringing. It was my momma. I didn’t answer because Cindy Watz, one of my bosses, came into the house to talk to me. I work for her and her husband’s business Tuesdays and Thursdays and clean for her and other families on Wednesdays. Cindy is one of the most genuine people you will ever meet. She and her entire family have truly become special people in my life who I see at least two to three days a week.
Cindy told me to go ahead and answer my phone, but I didn’t want to be rude as she and I were having a nice conversation as I was cleaning her kitchen. I told her I would call her back later and that my momma was probably just calling to check-in.
At 4:30, I left, and I couldn’t wait to be outside. I got into my car, rolled the windows down immediately, and needed a song to get me to Weis. “Summer Breeze” came on my Spotify. Boy, if that wasn’t the most perfect song to play with the weather! On my two-mile drive to Weis from work, I saw six bikes. How refreshing to see after months of cold weather.
I walked into Weis, grabbed what I needed, and headed back out to my car. Windows back down, music up, and my hand out the window, soaking up every ounce of sunshine and air that was blowing off the top of my hand. It felt like a therapy session. Usually, I call my momma on my way home from work, but I was being selfish. I wouldn’t be able to hear her with my windows down, and I only had about an hour of daylight left. I turned the music up louder and enjoyed my entire ride home. I soaked up every moment. Life was giving me a simple pleasure — a warm day in February which rarely happens. Momma would understand.
As soon as I got home, I started dinner and called her right away.
“Hey! I waited to hear from you after work, and you never called,” my mom said.
I told her why I couldn’t answer and that I was being selfish on my way home from work. She giggled and made some type of smart remark but completely understood.
“I figured you were just calling to check in; I’m sorry,” I said.
“Well, I was, but I wanted to see if you were stopping at the store and was going to ask you to pick something up for me,” she said.
Whoopsies. I felt so bad but told her to leave me a message or text me if that happened. “I’m up in Jersey Shore again tomorrow; I’ll just stop then,” I told her. She was very appreciative, and I didn’t mind at all. My momma is having a special Valentine’s dinner for us tomorrow night, and that was the least I could do for her.
I told her I would stop after work, then call her on my drive home.
The sunshine is gone, and now we have two days of rain coming. We have to enjoy life’s simple pleasures while we can — anything to give us happiness in this world. Sometimes we have to stop and take that time for ourselves. Just a simple ride home with your windows down and favorite songs on the stereo while enjoying the sunshine is all a girl needs. I felt renewed. It was a perfect February day — a pleasure for sure.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup butter — don’t substitute for margarine!
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Cinnamon and sugar
Directions:
Cream sugar and butter together. Drop in whole eggs and mix. Sift together the salt, flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Add to first mixture and beat until smooth. Make a small ball and roll in cinnamon and sugar. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes.
