Wahoo! I not only got the taxes done, but I found the results to be quite pleasing. I don’t know why I was so worried. I had myself convinced I was going to have to pay a huge amount but that didn’t turn out to be the case. I feel such a heavy load has been lifted. Now I can go get the new brakes on my truck this week. I was putting it off till I was sure about the taxes.

Getting these deadlines and the taxes behind me has opened my coming days to more enjoyable pursuits. We’re going to spend more time at the farm to enjoy all of grandma’s flowers. We’ll start preparing for our trip to the beach. There are some outdoor things at both houses that need doing…cleaning off the porches, trimming some shrubs, some minor hope repairs. Not to mention start cleaning out that huge building behind Mr. FixIt’s house. I’m telling you…even THAT tops doing paperwork and taxes!

The other day, I heard from Tammy. Those of you who have been around for a while may remember the story about meeting a woman in the Hot Springs Pool in Glenwood Springs. She had just arrived in town after driving from Cincinnati. I was leaving the locker room and saw her standing there, clutching her bag and peeking out at the pools. She wasn’t sure of the procedure. I told her how everything worked and when she came out, she sat by me in the therapeutic pool…the one that runs at 105 degrees.

We had a lovely conversation. I told her I was from Parkersburg originally, just up the river from her. Before long, she told me her father had passed away recently and she was struggling. I told her I had lost my parents, too. And it hadn’t been more than a year since I lost my husband. I quoted something from my blog…something I had just written the week before…but I didn’t identify myself as the author.

Suddenly, Tammy narrowed her eyes and asked. “Do you write a blog?”

“Why, yes. Yes, I do.” I replied, somewhat surprised.

“Is it something about marshmallows?” she asked.

“How would you know that?” I was stunned.

“I’ve been researching Glenwood Springs and your blog came up. I’ve been reading it for a while now.” Tammy smiled.

This has happened a lot over the last couple of years as the blog gets around, but this was the first time anyone knew my work and I was humbled. Tammy has followed along all these years and on occasion, we reach out and say hello. The other day, she reached out and shared something deeper. It turns out, she was very ill last year. To the point she wasn’t sure she was going to make it. She wanted to let me know that the uplifting “notes from God” that shine through my posts helped keep her going. She sat in the hospital having treatments and looked for my posts, reading them over an over and they offered her comfort and courage and hope. And,l now, thank you God, she is well and traveling again.

I got such a lump in my throat when she told me that. It reassured me, yet again, that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. She found me when she was mourning her father. Yet she kept reading all these years. Why? I know why. God gives me the words and He brings those who need to read them. That is my prayer before I write. God is so good…he is so faithful. He knew Tammy was going to need to hear from him in a real and tangible way, so he made our paths cross that cold November night in a hot springs. I almost didn’t stop that night. I was on my way home from Denver when I just got the pull…go there.

That still, small voice can bring the most amazing experiences into your life…the most beautiful people. You just have to listen…and be obedient.

Oh, and eleven years ago yesterday, I married Mr. Virgo. The week he died, I put two alarms in my phone to repeat every year. One was the exact time we said I do. The other was the last breath he took. I’ve been busy the last couple of weeks with writing and deadlines and taxes and the date slipped my mind. Till yesterday…when the alarm went off. I smiled and whispered, “Thank you for being part of my life.” Then I removed the alarm. I thought about it for a moment, and removed the alarm that would forever remind me of the exact time of his death, as well. I didn’t need either one anymore.

It was time.❤

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:4‬ ‭ESV‬‬