Thoughts on Another Weekend

I've had a great weekend. My sweet, precious, wonderful, positive niece, Jane, is here. She is the daughter of my brother who died, and I'm so thankful to have her in my life. Because of choices my brother made, I didn't get to see her for many years. Now we're all getting to see her more, and we're starting to form family traditions and history. The best thing we've done together is going to See's candy and letting her pick out her own custom two-pound box of chocolate. Although Jane LOVES See's, she resides in a state without See's. (As the See's lady says, you can't really LIVE in a state without See's. You can only reside there.) Jane was clapping her hands with glee just walking into the store and smelling the air. Then there were the samples. Anyone who gives me chocolate for free has my undying affection. Then the precious, white, wrapped box. A true treasure. Kelly and Molly also got small bags of candy. (And NOT because they are the unfavored step-children. They were happy to get more than a sucker.) It was a delicious adventure. 

Another neat thing happened. Tomorrow the thief who stole Mom's wedding ring will be sentenced. My dad wanted to go see it. Jane said "Let's all go. It will be like Law and Order!" But it's a long walk from the parking lot to the courtroom. I knew Dad would need a wheelchair. I wondered when, and how I would obtain that before tomorrow. I asked someone at church if there were wheelchairs there to borrow, and he said "No." But a woman passing by, heard the conversation and said "I have a wheelchair you can borrow. Where do you live?" I had never seen this woman before, and she just happened to pass us at that exact moment, and happen to have a wheelchair that she didn't need tomorrow. Amazing. So Dad will be riding in style in his black-plaid, magically-apppearing wheelchair. 

It wasn't all good. I turned on the water tonight just before dinner and it wasn't coming out right. Jim discovered silvery-gold fish egg sludge blocking it. It was in all the taps. We couldn't do dishes or take showers or wash hands. Too late at night to call a plumber. We were so grossed out. The Internet held no clues. The realtor selling Dad's house knew the answer. Thank goodness he called right when we needed him, and thank goodness I mentioned it. It's our water softener. It's gone out and spewed little plastic beads (not fish eggs) into our pipes. I remembered what my friend RP said "When you are under stress, and something breaks, you need to say to yourself 'It's only money. It's only money.'" So I'm not getting upset. I'm not hyperventilating. No one died. I'm going to be OK. It's only money.