I was working at the desk in my “studio” yesterday, sipping a mug of tea when I leaned back in my chair. I looked down at the keyboard case for my iPad and noticed reflections on the key pads. I got my phone and leaned down to get this picture at just the right angle to show you how hard I work. I’ve had this keyboard for several years and it shows. The finish is worn smooth from the millions of words I’ve written since I bought it. Impressive.

I sat down one time to calculate how many words I have written on this blog. To get an accurate number, I’d have to go in and check the word count on every post. That’s not feasible. The next best thing is to guesstimate how many posts I’ve written. Mr. Virgo died 3,607 days ago. I started the blog 72 days before he passed away. I would say I’ve only missed about 60 days posting in those 3,679 days bring the number of posts down to roughly 3,619. I’m a bit long winded, so I’ll give a conservative estimate of around 800 words a post on average. That brings be to somewhere around 2,895,200. And that doesn’t count the many rough drafts of my book and the writing I’ve done for hire.

It’s no wonder this keyboard is smokin’!

I love it. Getting to come here and talk to you all every night is like sitting down with old friends and having a nice chat at my dinner table. I love the idea that, come 4:00 in the morning, my posts magically go live thanks to the marvels of the internet. And soon, some of you will make you cup of coffee or tea and sit down with me for a little peek into the extraordinary life of a quite ordinary woman.

Someone said the other day, it helps them to know other people’s life are just as ordinary as theirs. Or, someone else is going through the same trials and tribulations. I will never forget the comfort I felt when I wrote about losing Mr. Virgo and so many of you came to me with understanding and love and support. You shared your own stories. You started talking to each other in the comment section. And before we knew it, a whole community rose up in this little space.

I am humbled by this. By your outreach and by your sharing in this ministry God pressed upon me. Every time I think I’m done writing, God moves something in my life and tells me to keep going. He might turn me a few degrees one way or the other, but it’s always…keep writing. I love it. I wish I would have been more brave and started writing earlier in my life. But, I needed to go through all these things in order to have the “voice” I have now. 

Grief isn’t sexy. It isn’t funny. It isn’t popular. It’s not what most people come to the internet to read unless they are actively looking. The thing is, death is a certainty in life. It’s just a passage we all must take at some point. My Facebook stats tell me my demographic is largely made up of women sixty-five and older. Not surprising that we understand each other…we speak the same language.

I talked with my cousin yesterday…Aunt Rosie’s daughter. She sounded good. Sad that her mom is gone, but relieved that she is no longer suffering. We got on the subject of family stories. She was raised in the Chicago area and only came for a visit once a year. Her family had a resort at Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota. They worked the cabins at the Pine Aire Resort from from the thaw in spring to the freeze in the fall. Then they went back to Chicago for my cousin to start school and my aunt to go back to work at Cook County Hospital.

My cousin’s family sold the resort when they retired. I had no idea what became of it and I looked it up. It is still open under the same name. Why mess with perfection, right? I’ve never been up there. My grandparents drove up one time when I was a little kid. And mom flew there on her birthday in 1971. Unfortunately, that was the same day our PopPop died and Mom and Aunt Rosie turned right around and flew home the next day. 

I told my cousin story after story yesterday. When she said she’d never heard them, I told her I was family oral historian and I’d be happy to share stories till the cows come home. I’m looking forward to sharing with her in the coming months.

We have to make a trip to town today for an appointment. I haven’t been out of the house all week so I could use the fresh air and change of scenery. Well, I was out yesterday helping Mr. FixIt with a job. We had some stiff winds on Tuesday night and it blew the old clothesline pole down. It was loaded with three full bird feeders and and suet cage. The two plastic bird feeders broke so we’ll need to get replacements. The birds will have a fit if they have no food to eat.

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“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”

Revelation 1:19 NIV