In Good Times and Bad

Today is a mixed emotions kind of a day. I’m trying to process both good and bad news at the same time.

First, the bad news: Gregg’s grandmother died yesterday morning. His dad called to let him know right before the second service started. Last night we discussed his flying back to NJ for the viewing and funeral, which are tomorrow and Wednesday, and decided it was best that he go to support his parents during this time. So, he caught a flight up there early this afternoon and will be back sometime late on Thursday.

We’re going to postpone our mini-vacation the weekend of Thanksgiving until maybe our anniversary, or just go away overnight. This unexpected trip he needs to take is setting us back about $300 and we just can’t afford to do both right now. I’m bummed, but I know how important it is for Gregg to be there. And I have complete faith that God will supply us with both the money we need and the time to rest & relax together.

I always hate when we have to be apart. I’m even more antsy about it because this time he’s flying instead of driving. Even though I know the chances of something bad happening are greater while you’re on the road supposedly, I’m still feeling really unsettled. I’ll feel much better when he’s safe and sound back in Florida.

Now, the good news: My little sister got engaged last night!!! I am SO excited for her. She’s been dating her boyfriend for almost six years, so my mom and I were like “It’s about time!” They live just outside of Baltimore and he took her into D.C. yesterday where he proposed by the water in front of the Washington Memorial. So, I think I’ll be doing quite a bit of traveling in the next year. It’ll be interesting to see where they actually have the wedding since they live in Maryland, but his parents live in Massachusetts and obviously ours live in New Jersey. Congratulations, Valerie!!

In other news (which is also good) we had a very nice time with my mom and step-dad. They arrived around 3 on Saturday after driving all the live long day. We let them get settled and meet Tess, then showed them around town a little. On the way home, we stopped at Smokey Bones for dinner. Yesterday, Mom came to church with me and we had a good talk on the car ride back to our house. In that one conversation, a lot of misconceptions were cleared up and I feel better about our relationship. She said she’s happy to see us so “at home” here and that Gregg is in his element professionally. That really meant a lot to me to hear her say she feels good about the life I’ve made for myself.

When Gregg got home we headed out to Cracker Barrel, which Mom & Art had never been to. After a hearty lunch, we took a look around their store in the front and they bought a couple of things. Then it was off to the beach, where my mom wanted to spend the rest of the day, she said because the weather was so warm & beautiful. Meanwhile Gregg and I were really chilly, and they kept making fun of us since 70 degrees down here is considered cold! We took a walk along the beach and paid an arm and a leg for ice cream at Cold Stone, yummm. Mom and Art left this morning to spend some time in Southern Florida and will stop in again on Wednesday night on their way up to Savannah, so at least I’ll have some company while Gregg’s away.

And, our doggie is doing much better. We confine her to the kitchen during the day and make sure stuff on the counters and table are out of reach. We got her a new bone and a whole bag of tennis balls to play with. We’ve learned also that a ten minute walk outside before bedtime makes a world of difference. Before we were just letting her out in the backyard to “go” and didn’t take her on a leash. By spending this little bit of time with her in this way, we’ve found that she’s not nearly as annoying in the evenings and Gregg & I spend quality time together too, walking our dog around the neighborhood.

My stepdad is a huge dog lover who volunteers his time at the local animal shelter. He said that what Tess really needs is consistency, because she’s such an energetic puppy and loves to play. He didn’t really see any bad behavior in her besides the hyperactivity so that’s good. We were at our wits end with this dog a few weeks ago, and now I can see her being a member of our family for years to come.