My Neighbor

People either love or hate the neighborhood they live in. When I was little the neighborhood I grew up with had an aging population. There were not many children to play with, but there were plenty of senior citizens. I did know not anything different than what I had, and I liked my neighbors. The way I saw it, I had a lot of grandparents around.

When Richard and I were first married, we lived in a neighborhood that was great. Most people had young children and were around our age. The funny thing about that neighborhood, was, I felt out of place. I felt as though people were trying to keep up with the Joneses and that has never been my style.

Three years ago we moved south to Sanpete county, and found a quaint little neighborhood, with one special neighbor.

She lives right next to us and has been a widow for sometime. Every year she grows a little garden, and every year she insists we raid it. She has told me while we are in church, what we can dig up. Of course, Richard and I never go into her garden, and she eventually comes to our house with a variety of different vegetables.

She asked Richard if he would mow a part of her lawn, during the summer, and of course she brought over a jar full of quarters and a gallon of gas to fill up the mower.

I have told Richard when she dies, we will move until we find a house that's next to neighbor with a little old lady willing to share her garden. She claims she doesn't believe she is a very good neighbor, but she will never know how good her vegetables are for our family, and how good she is for our souls.

Grandparents

Many years ago, long before I knew anyone with the last name of Burrows. I was sitting in church one warm spring day. I had a very thoughtful Bishop. He wanted to know there was such a thing as Grandparents Day. He had assigned 3 speakers, two were grandparents and one was a younger member of the church. As the younger speaker was giving his talk, he stated something I have never forgotten. He remarked there is a special bond between grandparents and grandchild, for they have a common enemy. I have never forgotten that saying.

When I became a mom, I was talking to my father-in-law and I repeated the statement to him. He was quick to disagree. He did not think he could ever be an enemy to his son, or me. As my son has gotten older and into more trouble, I have found if I am disciplining Will and my father-in-law is around, there is trouble. He will make excuses and even say it was his fault not Will's. A phrase he has often said is "He is fine, he can do whatever he wants".

Many times he has stated this, and I will glare at him and just say, "COMMON ENEMY", and my father-in-law will just smile and duck his head a bit, for he hates to admit I am right. So here is to grandparents, love your enemies.

Saturday Afternoon

I've been tagged- Husband style

1. What is his name? Richard Earl

2. Who eats more? I Do

3. Who said "I love you" first? Me. I said it so causually he repeated it, and wondered how I tricked him in to saying it.

4. Who is taller? Him

5. Who is smarter? He is in a lot of ways.

6. Who is more sensitive? I cry more than he does, but he wears his heart on he sleeve more than he would ever admit.

7. Who does the laundry? Me and him. Though I do it more often.

8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Him

9. Who pays the bills? Me

10.Who cooks more? Me

11. What meals do you cook together? I would not say we cook together, but there are times he cooks when we are fishing.

12. Who is more stubborn? HIM

13. Who is the first to admit they're wrong? Me

14. Who has more siblings? Him

15. Who wears the pants in the relationship? Both of us do.

16. What do you like to do together? Read, go for walks, go up the canyon. Entertain his dad.

17. Who eats more sweets? Him

18. His guilty pleasures? Survivor, and anything electronic.

19. How did you meet? Match.com

20. Who asked who out first? He asked me out, and I stood him up.

21. Who proposed? I am still waiting for that to happen.

22. Who kissed who first? I asked him to kiss me and he did, and it was lame.

23. His best features? His eyes, and butt, and chest.

24. His greatest quality? His attitude, and how great a father he is.

I tag no one. I don't know amybody! :(

Due to Popular Demand.....A New Post!

It's not that I don't think about writing more, because I do. For me it is more about what I will write about. I see a lot of other bloggers that write about their lives, and to be honest, it just isn't something that interests me. So, I have thought about it, and there will probably won't be very many updates about our personal lives, but there will be more about what interests me. Something more about my deep thoughts, because I have lots of them. :)


So, consider the title of my new deep thought:

What I have learned from living with a disabled spouse.

As many of you may or may not know, my husband Richard, is living with the effects of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue. It isn't something that we go around telling everyone, but it is something we had to come to terms with, both apart and together. When we first were married he was a lot healthier than he is now. When he started to get more and more sick, he was afraid to tell me about. I honestly thought he was a bit lazy. He would come home and wouldn't do anything, although he would promise he was going to get things done. He would not let me know just how terrible he felt. Of course, over the years his illness affected his job, and he lost it. It really has been something I haven't let myself even think about. We lost everything. We did have each other though, and our son.

As I sit here and write about it, I can feel the sting of disappointment and sorrow. Sorrow, I rarely let myself contemplate, for if I did, I would truly be depressed. This entry isn't about being sad though, it is about being grateful for what I have been given. I thank my Heavenly Father for his illness. Don't get me wrong, I wish with everything in my heart that he felt normal, and could enjoy life like so many of our peers do. In all honesty though, it has made me a better wife.

If I was to say one thing about my personality, it would be, I like a good argument and don't mind if those closest to me are hurt by my words and actions. I have improved from when I was younger and especially a teenager, but I love a good argument. Richard can tell you our first year of marriage was difficult. As he has gotten progressively worse, I was forced to think of someone else besides myself. Everything became my personal battle to make him feel better. If I became selfish like I was before, we would not be together, and splitting up my son between me and him is not an option.

I have learned to be more compassionate to those who are house bound, and am starting to become more aware of my neighbors who need my help. I learned compassion, and maybe just maybe, I get to know my Savior better, because charity is the pure love of Christ. This my friends, is the reason God allows difficulties to happen to good people.

Anyway, I left a photo that shows the snow we had last winter. Just in case you want to complain about the heat!