The inevitable happened here along the Western Slopes yesterday when my computer, a trusty old Toshiba that I bought about 3 years ago back in Kansas, went "south" and pretty much "gave up the ghost". It had been running a little on the sluggish side and the battery would not keep a charge to save itself. Because I rely on having a dependable computer to do so many things each day, I decided the time had come to give in and replace it. Hey, good thing that I spent this week at my part-time job of doing home health care as a CNA because it just about provided the necessary $$$ to buy this new laptop. God always takes care of me and by the way, YOU as well :)
That old laptop has been given one heck of a workout in the past 3 years and in many ways I should be glad that it lasted me this long. Take this blog site for example. Since its inception back in May of 2011, I have posted over 635 times from it. The keys of that old computer have taken a "beating" sometimes as I pounded out life's thoughts, problems, challenges, blessings and more. Whether I have felt sad or depressed, lonely or homesick, happy or at peace, I could turn that old computer on and start typing away. I've been able to chronicle my life, however simple or mundane it may have seemed, for well over the last 1,000 days. Putting things into perspective, it sure beats writing it out by longhand. I am mighty beholden to that piece of technology that now has been relegated to a place of unimportance, tucked away into the dark abyss of my closet. Hardly seems like a fitting farewell for something that helped to save me from myself more times than I care to acknowledge but it is what is, retired from active service.
It's Saturday morning here along the Western Slopes and the last weekend before returning to school on Monday of this coming week. It's been a great two weeks + off from the classroom and we've been able to do a lot during this vacation. Mike and I had a nice week on the road travelling back to Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. We saw so many friends and family as we celebrated the Christmas holidays at home with the people that we love so much. In the week since we have returned, life has been very busy here as well. I've spent the last 6 days working for a great home health agency here in Montrose as a CNA, providing home health care to some good folks that really appreciate the help they receive. I hadn't had the chance to work for them since I quit to begin school in mid-August but it all came back to me just as soon as I walked in the door, thankfully. Home health work is very rewarding to me and truly it is a privilege to assist people who want desperately to stay out of long term nursing home care and remain independent for as long as they can. I don't blame them for I plan to do the very same thing when I reach their age. (By the way, that's really not all that far away you know?)
On Monday, the teachers for the Montrose-Olathe school district will return to their classrooms for a day of preparation and meetings. Tuesday all of the students will return and I am actually very anxious to see the "18" once again. I can only imagine the stories that will be told by them. Their old teacher has missed them very much. We begin studying Colorado history this month and since it's the birthday month for my home state of Kansas, I am planning to teach them about it as well. Geographically speaking, my fourth graders are a little limited in their knowledge as to where Kansas even is. They always ask me if I am going back "over there" when I tell them I am going home to visit. I want them to understand that "over there" is really to the east of them, like going the roundabout way to your next door neighbor's house would be. This is a lesson I am anxious to teach and I sure hope they will be equally anxious to learn.
And about the subject of Kansas and home for me. The first month of living here in Colorado was miserable for me, no kidding! Crying and saying "I miss Kansas and I just want to go home!" was a common conversation starter between Mike and I. He patiently understood and told me that it would get better. By late July to early August, the horrible feelings of homesickness had begun to subside a bit and I found myself saying "Geesch, I think it's been three days since I missed home." By the time school started, I found myself so busy with life here that I didn't have time to be lonely or homesick. I made new friends, found yet another reason for coming here to live and before I knew it, the longing for a place I had always called home was being replaced with other things. I was so glad to finally get to that point of feeling like it was ok to live here. Mike had always been telling me, "It just takes baby steps." He was right in that respect.
But having said all of that, I realized something. I was outside getting things from my car as the sun was going down the other night. It was a beautiful sky filled with brilliant colors of reds, oranges, yellows, and purples. For some strange reason, all of a sudden I began to think of life back in Kansas once again and my heart was filled with beautiful memories of a life that now seems so long ago and far away. The sadness and longing, the somewhat melancholy feelings didn't last for long, in fact in a few moments they had subsided. But it was a reminder, a message to me that I have a lot to be thankful for in spending well over a half-century of life in a state that on the map is just one jump away from here. Hey, it could be worse you know? I could have been from a place even farther away. Back in the pioneer days, folks left their lives and friends/family members back in the east and headed to the west with absolutely no thought of seeing their old homes ever again. I'm thinking I have little to really complain about after all.
The sun will soon arise here over the mountains and the weekend will begin. Much to do this day and it's time to get a move on. This is definitely not a day to be "trading daylight for dark". Thinking of you dear friends and family with prayers for all to be well for you. Even though times get tough and things begin to look on the lean side of life, please hang in there. There is always a way to make it and I say we should just all hold hands and get through it together. I am alive and well. I give thanks to God for that.
Rest in peace, Peggy's old Toshiba laptop, the one that told the stories of......
A curious cat named Oblio the Roundhead who brought me the best friend that I ever had in my life.
A very busted left arm that changed my life 100-fold.
And a thousand other stories, too numerous to mention but ones that I will always remember and never even once think of forgetting.
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