January 21 – “On weather or not”

Guess what I did on a fine January afternoon yesterday?  I mowed the grass.  That’s right.  I live on a tropical island paradise remember?  Eat your heart out, all you Northeasterners and Oklahomans who are dealing with snow and freezing temperatures.  And one of the “perks” is having the “opportunity” to spend an extra hour or so basking in the glorious sunshine while walking behind a lawn mower. 

Actually, it’s not so much that the grass is just growing like crazy.  It’s those winter weeds and clovers.  They permeate the landscape.  And when they feel especially frivolous, they bunch up in one spot and make an ankle-deep blob of greenness that is very annoying to walk through.  The offending piles of worthlessness have been sheared now, though. 

The only residual effect that I can see – or rather feel – is the soreness wracking my body.  Always happens when you rediscover muscles that have been on hold for the winter.  And as also always happens, that soreness leads to overcompensation by other body parts, which leads to a flare-up of the disc issue in my lower back, which leads to tingling and numbness down my right leg, which leads to sharp pains in my middle toes.  Is that crazy, or what?  Of course I have water therapy this morning, so now I get to wade into a heated pool, which will feel great, then spend forty-five minutes or so jumping and twisting around, which will feel not so great.  And then I get to go back outside into some Galveston weather.  The temperature has dropped from 57 to 52 degrees since I got up this morning, and we are under a high wind alert.  Gusts of up to 48 miles per hour.  Wind chill is already 45 degrees. 

And why do I have to go back outside, you may ask?  Or you may not ask.  You probably don’t care in the least, but I’ll tell you anyway.  While I was returning the gas can to the shed yesterday I discovered that one of our faucets in the back yard has a leak in it.  Not a big one, but most assuredly a leak.  I have no idea how long it has been going on, but I know the city appreciates our donations to the water department that have been the result.  Nathan is coming over after he drops Cailyn off at school, and we are going to tackle that project.  Can’t wait.  No, really.  I enjoy whatever time I get to spend with my boys.  Even in the bitter Galveston cold.  Doing plumbing. 

Psalms 147:7-8 says, “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.   He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.”

Father, thank you for the miracle that is this crazy weather.  If nothing else it gives us a surprise to look forward to every day.  Amen.