whimsical WED + mental health musings + anniversary odyssey (last episode)

Whimsy . . . Reasons to Feel Whimsical

1. My son-in-law came over & mowed our lawn yesterday. Sorry, Craig . . . right now Lois says you're #2.
2. We got to take care of Bentley, our almost 3-year-old grandson, for awhile yesterday. Lois picked him up from day-care in the afternoon. Derek took him home after the yard was mowed [by Derek, not Bentley].
3. Bentley is quite the conversationalist, which I have blogged about before. Yesterday's conversation:  PAPA [That's me.]: "Why are you putting your hands on your ears?" BENTLEY: "The lawnmower is loud!" PAPA: "Can you hear me?" BENTLEY: [Shakes his head 'no.']
4. My cousin "Armen-Cay" * called last evening . . . I think I've mentioned in previous blogs [most likely in 2016 Exclusive Hill Family Summer Reunion entries] that she is married to Lois' younger brother, which makes our children & their children 1st & 2nd cousins; & their children & me 2nd cousins & 1st cousins-once-removed . . . I think. But I digress . . . * I've cleverly disguised her name to protect her anonymity.
5. We plan to spend time with them at a vacation home on Little Island Lake near Park Rapids, MN, prior to & also possibly just after the 2016 Hill Family Summer Reunion in the Twin Cities.
6. There's a good chance that her parents--my aunt & uncle--will also be there, & . . . 
7. There's also a good chance that a cousin of mine from CA will be there, along w/his wife . . . I have only met him once [& have never met his wife] . . . I think at my grandpa's funeral in 1986 or 1987 . . . He's my age.
8. This FRI 6/10, we will attend the wedding of one of the teachers I served w/at Lutheran High . . . that will be a joy.
9. Skyview Lake in Norfolk is the site of the annual Christian Cross Festival . . . Skyview Lake is only about a 1/2 mile hike from our house . . . Most years it seems like we're out of town when this event is held . . . but not this year! We should be able to attend--weather permitting--this SAT 6/11. [The CCF features local & area Christian bands & solo performers . . . also some headliners.]
10. While on our 41st Wedding Anniversary Odyssey [SEE below.], Lois & I picked off another license plate. * It was SC, which we spotted in the parking lot of our hotel in Sioux City last SUN. That leaves us w/seven states to go & over half a year remaining. We have all the states west of the Mississippi except HI . . . & although challenges remain, we have reasons to be mildly [slightly?] optimistic.

* We play "The License Plate Game" every year. I explained the rules a long time ago. I was up much too late working on this blog last night, & I'm early again this morning, putting the finishing touches on this lengthy yet interminable entry . . . so I just don't have the energy . . . mental or emotional . . . to explain the rules again . . . maybe sometime soon.

Mental Health MON :: Special WED Edition

My current depressive cycle doesn't seem to be abating, although I had a somewhat uplifting day yesterday (TUE 6/7). My recent appt w/my psychiatrist was this past MON 6/6. Nothing new to report on that front . . . My recent appt w/my therapist was yesterday. I felt very good about it . . . I really appreciate her continued help.
      One reason why yesterday was somewhat uplifting:  I've blogged before about the importance of daily "quiet time." For me that includes scripture, a variety of devotional readings, hymns or spiritual songs [I keep the volume low or "self mute," since my quiet time tends to be first thing in the morning, & Lois is still sleeping.] . . . closing w/prayer.
      Lois & I also try to reserve time before we go to bed for a devotion & prayer. I'm going to speculate that if you, like us, like me, has regularly reserved time for devotions . . . time for, well, "quiet" time . . . you've had a similar experience. [Hang with me . . . This may seem like a digression, but it's not.] As in . . . 
      It's uncanny how often a particular scripture reading . . . devotion or other meditative reading . . . hymn or spiritual song just absolutely nails something that is currently a burden on my mind . . . my heart . . . my soul. Can you relate to that?
      That's what happened to me yesterday . . . but not as a result of my personal quiet time. Before I left Orphan Grain Train, I had a little time to read the three texts that will be the foundation for the devotionals I start writing today . . . Those were the scriptures that spoke to my mind & soul & heart.
      And while I was driving to my app w/my therapist in the afternoon . . . as I was listening to a CD of traditional "Lutheran" hymns & spiritual hymns performed by Don Wharton . . . followed by songs off a Twila Paris CD [I don't think she's Lutheran . . . but she should be!] . . . It happened again. Those hymns & spiritual songs spoke to my mind & soul & heart.
      I actually got a little worked up . . . a little emotional. Will this be the beginning of a slow but steady climb out of this depressive cycle that I've endured for weeks? Only God knows . . . & I know He cares . . . & I know that He won't give me more than my faith can handle.
      And that's the end of today's sermon!

Reasons to be anxious? Depressed?

Taglines from Drudge Report (6/7): [I didn't bother to read the articles.]

• "Women more obese than ever . . . "
• "SUMMER BUMMER: Sea lice popping up all over Gulf Coast beaches . . . " *

* We have family in FL . . . &, no, we aren't gloating . . . despite the many balmy FL temperatures we recalled from this past winter while we endured polar vortexes.

Now that both the Republican AND Democratic candidates for POTUS appear to be locked in, have I lost a rich source of material for my frightful FRI blogs? I am still going to try my level best to reserve exclusive political news, insights, & commentary for Fridays . . .

41st Wedding Anniversary Odyssey post-mortem

• We had an uneventful drive from Eagan to Sioux City on SUN 6/5 . . . easy for me to say, since I napped for a couple of hours.
• One of the sites we drove by & will stop at sooner or later is Hawkeye Point--located adjacent to a farm near Sibley, IA. It's the highest point in Iowa. I think I may have mentioned before that for most of my life my siblings & I were led to believe--due to the historical marker placed next to it--that the Ocheyedan Mound . . . located just a mile south of Ocheyedan [the last home of record for my granpa & granma] . . . was the highest point in Iowa. That sign was wrong! I'm not sure if my brother, sister, or I suffered any permanent, psychological damage because of this . . . I'm sure it hasn't helped. But I digress . . . 
• Our lodging on SUN night in Sioux City was, shall we say [Yes, we shall!] somewhat underwhelming. I will omit the name of the hotel, booked by my beautiful spouse of 41+ years of wedded bliss, who, through no fault of her own, passed over a few more apparently luxurious accommodations for a choice that was, shall I repeat for the sake of redundancy [Yes, I shall.], was somewhat [more than somewhat, actually] underwhelming.
• The first room where our helpful yet somewhat manic [in the non-mental health technical sense of the word] receptionist placed us  raised a red flag almost immediately. When we opened the door, we were greeted [metaphorically] by an open window w/a circulating fan perched on the window ledge. A somewhat muggy, sub-tropical [No, I'm not exaggerating . . . well, maybe a little.] atmosphere also confirmed our initial reaction that we could not inhabit this room . . . despite the other amenities that were tempting . . . but not tempting enough.
• It was not a hassle at all to obtain a second room [Kudos to the afore-mentioned receptionist.] . . . but when we made our way to the 2nd room room, we found that the house-keeping crew was still finishing up.
• Being the intrepid travelers that we are . . . we didn't miss a beat & decided to "go for a ride." We drove over to a nearby retail-business area that Lois recalled, scouted out a few food possibilities . . . before settling on Subway. [DISCLAIMER: I must admit, I was hoping for something a little more exotic . . . but my wretched eating habits over the rest of the weekend had dulled my appetite & I capitulated to my dear spouse of 41+ years of wedding bliss's choice.]
• By the time we got back, house-keeping had finished their labors . . . We settled in to enjoy our supper . . . only to find out that the satellite TV offerings included . . . 6 . . . or was it 8 choices? We watched a repeat of "Blue Bloods" [A favorite Netflix series that we are currently waiting for the just-finished season to become available so we can view it . . . does that make sense?] . . . We remembered segments of it . . . 
• Lois went for a walk . . . I read the SUN Sioux City Journal [a COMPLIMENTARY copy . . . a point in this hotel's favor] & snacked [a point NOT in MY favor.]
• Did I mention that this hotel did have an extra soap & I was able to salvage the shampoo & conditioner that I didn't use the next morning? [I think I've mentioned in a previous blog that I "collect" hotel soap, shampoo, & conditioner.] . . . Another point in this hotel's favor.
• Yet one more point in this hotels favor! Sausage & gravy was available at the breakfast buffet on MON 6/6 . . . unfortunately [for the sake of my higher-than-it-should-be blood sugar] there were also waffles & honey buns . . . & we'll just leave it at that.
• I dropped Lois off @ Kohl's, then went to my appt w/my psychiatrist in Dakota Dunes, which is just across the MO river on the SD side . . . making this a multi-state trip [NE, IA, MN, SD . . . in case you're keeping score.]
• When I finished, I returned to pick up my wife, who had made it all the way over to Richman Gordman's [I am receiving NO remuneration for these commercial endorsements by the way.] . . . & then we went to Southern Hills Mall.
• First we walked . . . Yes, Lois said we should walk first, then eat . . . but I insisted on EXTRA walking . . . 
• Then we ate at Food Court . . . Lois enjoyed a delightful choice from Chic-Fil-A [Although it's not my favorite fast food outlet, I always encourage Lois to eat there whenever one is convenient, since we heartily endorse their religious convictions.] . . . while I, somewhat ambivalently opted for a gyros sandwich, fries, & [I'm not proud of this.] sweet tea from Sam's(?) Gyros. [I say "ambivalently" because I saw on the menu board that my choice was either a "chicken" or "beef" gyro . . . I tend to be pretty much of a "lamb" gyro-purish . . . although I'll settle for a lamb-beef hybrid, if necessary] . . . In hindsight, maybe I should have gone with my 2nd choice [Chinese or Japanese.] . . . I reminded Lois that cinnamon has blood-sugar lowering properties, but she said that my 3rd choice--Cinnabon's--was verboten. [I think I've mentioned before that I am multi-lingual.]
• After a charming, albeit not quite intimate lunch setting . . . especially for a 41st Wedding Anniversary Odyssey [Food Court! Remember?], Lois went searching for The Kitchen Store [Gone?!] . . . I strolled down to Barnes & Noble, treated myself to a latte' [no flavor . . . used my B & N membership discount] . . . browsed through most of the current copy of Entertainment Weekly before Lois returned . . . AND fought the temptation--successfully--to purchase any magazines or books--even from the discount tables & shelves!
• We drove home [By "we", I mean "Lois." I told her that if I drove, I was going to stop at the convenience store in Jackson, NE, & buy a Frosty Malt . . . I LOVE Frosty Malts.] I napped. 

And so this brings closure to our 41st Wedding Anniversary Odyssey!