Together is Where Our Story is Lived

The Barber’s are home from our adventure in our rolling casita. Last night was the first night I have slept upstairs in my own bed since Christmas. I slept downstairs with my Mom here so I could help her if she needed me. My old ears might not hear from all the way upstairs. So what a wonderful night’s sleep I had in my own bed. Ron and I both slept until nine o’clock this morning. That is unheard of in Barbara world. So now I am up enjoying morning coffee enjoying my Bible study and now sharing a few thoughts with you.

This feels like my first day of retirement all over again. After Ron leaves for work it will just be Kylie and me in our home today. My list to accomplish is long but I know I will get to resettling our things in their correct places out of the RV and into the cupboards before the sun goes down. So for now I am going to relax and soak in the silence. Kylie is asleep in her own bed right at my feet and she doesn’t make much noise even when she is awake these days. At fifteen my pooch is getting slower, hearing less, and just lifting her head slowly if I call her name.

This fresh start at home is filled with anticipation and joy. I have hopes to spend more time with myself and with all those people I love and have not made time for in the past year. What a gift time is. I balked at a coworker thinking I was foolish to be in a classroom when I could comfortably retire. Her words angered me since I love my job and felt I was best suited to be guiding my students through their early years of school. But now I see what she was saying. We make a difference where ever we are and God will connect me with others and activities that are just right for me on this side of life. I am by no means saying I will never be in a classroom again. My mistake when I retired the first time was being adamant that I was done with teaching. God had other plans and placed me it two different classrooms for a couple years. Only He knows what is next and I just need to stay close to Him to see what the next years have in store.

So back to this day that I am beginning with. I will send our hefty checks to Uncle Sam, unpack, clean the RV, and hope that others will stop by to interrupt and distract me. With my Keurig, the coffee is always ready for each of you to stop by for a chat. The park is warm and sunny so hopefully Heather will bring her kiddos for a visit on the back porch. Too many of my friends are still busy at work during the days so I will have to wait until evenings to reconnect with them.

What a wonderful day it is. Home after what felt like a second honeymoon with my high school sweetheart. Stopping at hot springs and just enjoying conversations traveling along. A side note is that our radio doesn’t work in the RV. It reminds me of our very first date forty six years ago. Ron picked me up in his light yellow Chevy Impala and as soon as he got behind the wheel he turned off the radio. I asked him why. He said he would rather listen to me than music. Guess I fell in love with my Ronnie B. right there in that moment. As our song Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie says, he is and always will be my endless love.

In Him,
Joyful
4-15-19