It is a new chapter....

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Ellen Marie

Member
Well, this is my first day on the forum, and this really looks like a good place to start. I've been down lately, and they say that keeping a journal is a good thing.... soooo... here goes.

I live alone, but I have two children, both live in different states. That means that the grandchildren live in different states than I do. And, I miss them. I miss seeing then. With the pandemic, my children said they would not be visiting, and they didn't... I was in isolation for 13 days, and the loneliness was getting to me. Anyway, now this week I learned that because baseball/softball was canceled for two months, one set of grands will now be practicing and having games and tournaments until mid-July. And grandparents aren't allowed to come to practices or games, just parents and sibling. That means that while in the previous three summers, I had grandkids visiting for a large portion of the summer.... Now, it will be weeks of aloneness again.

I guess that is why I am down.

That, and my second child has taken in a foster child, which is a nephew from the other side of the family. The foster child is very needy, his mother is a drug addict and he was neglected a lot. This child is so disobedient. My family wants me to take all three kids at one time and keep them for days, but with that extra needy child, I just can't.

So, I face a summer where I will be alone much more than in the past three summers. That is why I was looking for something to use some of my time, get to know some people, and not to feel so left behind by my family because it really isn't anyone's fault.

If you see me on the forum, say, "Hi!" I would be an encouragement.
 

Hi Ellen...

Nice to meet you, welcome from London... .. come on in and join in any thread which takes your fancy


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Nice to meet you, Ellen Marie, and welcome!

What you explained is easy to understand, and would easily cause a person to feel all the more alone and sad.
It's Very challenging to find positives, sometimes, and to focus on those.

Glad you decided to give writing a try, and to join in with us on this forum.
I hope you'll enjoy many interactions with us, here!
 
Welcome. Let us be an escape and a source of encouragement and a little company for you. I know that several of us are going through this alone. I am also. My husband passed away in April and except for phone calls with family and friends I've been on my own. Thank goodness for all those DVDs I've collected over the years to fill in some of those empty hours. :geek: And spring cleaning?.......All my closets and drawers are neater and cleaner than they've ever been. But, I'm getting through this. I just take it day by day. So, just drop in whenever you want.
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I'm on the roller coaster.... and it is going up the rail....

One set of grandkids visited this week.... swimming at the lake for two days... paddle boats, watermelon and lots of chips to munch... very good days... followed by a day visit to the other grandkids... and a trip to Chunky Cheese.

It was a great few days... but now... after a dose of grandkids... it is be weeks before I see them again.

But, I'm on the mountaintop right now...

One negative thought.... I could not believe the prices for Chunky Cheese... suck air.... I guess with everything now in covid country... all prices will be going up. They did check everyone for temperatures, which was a good thing...
 
I think about the spiritual aspect of being on the mountaintop, you know, the victory dance.... and then I think about being in the valley, which, that is where all the fertilizer is.... and where we grow....

Well, I like the mountaintop better than the valley. As I said, life is a roller coaster ride. I am on top of the rails this week. I had visitors all weekend, and Wednesday, I am making a trip to Tennessee to see the grandkids.... to anyone reading.... Wednesday is my birthday. My granddaughter, who is eleven, is making me a birthday cake. I am reciprocating by taking her out and we are getting our nails done. :cool:
 
I have always, for the past 30+ years, had some type of garden.

As the family grew up and moved on, the garden has grown smaller and smaller. I now have three raised beds for vegetables and about 40 feet along a fence where I grow blackberries, a grapevine, pumpkins and squash. But this year, I am squeezing all the seeds and plants I can get into those raised beds.

I'm getting a new canner. I have limited my canning because I could only cold pack jars. I canned tomatoes and green beans, even though they say now that green beans should be pressure canned. Well after all these years, I ordered a pressure canner, and I am going to be canning everything in the future--soups, meats, all vegetables, etc.... I will try it all. I also have a humongous (is that a word) freezer that belonged to my mother. She bought it used more than 35 years ago.... the thing still runs. But, when it dies, I'm getting a much smaller version, and I will can more items that would have gone in the freezer. In the meantime, that freezer is always about two-thirds full.

My sister grows a large garden.... and she shares her extra with me. So, this year, she planted 60+ tomato plants, and I planted 18. I think we will be canning lots of tomato products. Mrs. Wages is my friend.
 
The Fourth of July was an "alone" holiday. But, I spent it with friends at a campground... grilled some steaks and had some really yummy cantaloupe.

I hate seeing the Covid-19 numbers going up because it means that more states will probably be shutting down again. I live in a small town, and the local gym has been closed for months. I bought a state park pass and go swimming 3-4 times a weeks.... sometimes late evening, but more lately, I find that the water is warmer and the morning swims are better. There are no lifeguards but swimming is from dawn to dusk, only is a designated area.

My faithful two patiently wait in the car since furbabies are not allowed on the beach, but they are diligent in guarding the car while I swim.
 
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