Mundanity = Sanity

Thank you, Lord, for mundanity. It gives me peaceful sanity…

Mundane: very ordinary; commonplace, routine.

Merriam-Webster

We’ve been too busy. We’ve been gone too much. All planned, all wonderful, all wearing, all wearying.

Ahhhh…but we are back H-O-M-E from frolicking! Today was the day to wake at half past six, to fall back asleep because I could…Another hour passes by, my bladder is not crying yet, so I check the clock, and I blissfully snooze again with cat purring and kneading, til half past eight arrives. I am rested, I am well and I arise! I leave my watch on the charger…not needed today.

My husband tells me he woke up at half past FOUR, that he had leftover cornbread and yogurt for breakfast, and that he was surprised at how delicious it was. He woke up so early that the pot of coffee was now cold. Fine by me. I happily trudge to the microwave in my slippers, heat up my mug and treat myself to a usually self-forbidden breakfast: pumpkin spice Cheerios and banana slices. Oh scrumptious fall crunchy sweet deliciousness! I know I’ll need protein later, as this kind of breakfast makes my blood sugar boomerang.

But I’m home and the egg can be easily scrambled by noon…and it is..because I needed it. After the egg, my blood sugar is level, and my cheerful mood is sustained to last the day.  But before the egg, a leisurely morning in my pj’s had passed…chatting with my love, about nothing and everything; watching an hour of morning show TV, about nothing and everything; scrolling my phone, reading about nothing and everything. Checking marketplace for she-shed bargains. (I found flooring!)

Also, before the egg: an earlier text to my son…”do you want to do lunch?” “Not today,” but a happy response, complete with a selfie of his marvelous grin makes my face smile in return. Happy sigh. A good morning got even better.

I glance at our harvested zucchini and tomatoes from the garden and decide, before the fruit flies arrive, that it’s a soup day. I google a few recipes, but make up my own…roasting a bunch of veggies, squash, garlic and herbs…oh my, the aroma…ambrosial!

We turn off the oven, the veggies half done. We ventured out for a 30-minute drive in the benevolent sunshine, up a remote winding gravel lane in Cottage Grove, to retrieve that flooring I found on marketplace. It was for a good price from good people…young parents raising their kids way out in the country. Tonka trucks arrayed a dedicated dirt pile atop on a grassy slope, close to a deck that needed repair. The smiling young dad in a baseball cap loaded up the flooring leftover from a DIY job in their double wide manufactured home. The whole scene reminded me of my young mom/wife years…and I smiled at the sweet memories of my little guys (and gal) playing with their Tonka trucks in the dirt on our hill in Blue River, their dad wearing his baseball cap, and probably selling or giving away something to someone who ventured up our gravel road.

On the way home, we stopped at one of our favorite stores: 😁🎵Grocery Outlet, Bargain Market.🎵 We picked up feta cheese for dinner and an off-brand “triple chocolate-flavored lite ice cream cookie sandwich” to share on the way home. Bargain bliss!

The dahlias cheerfully greeted us as we drove in, practically shouting at me, “We are stunning. We are in full bloom! Pick me! Pick me!” And, they were right. How could I resist such pleading!

Once the demanding dahlias were arranged and in fine form, I heard the hydrangeas calling, “What about us…what are we…chopped liver?” So I obliged, and both beautiful and bountiful bouquets are now strutting their colorful selves on our dining and entry tables.

I finished roasting the veggies. Added chicken broth, blended. Burnt up the motor on my blender, but my fancy-schmancy little immersion blender came to the rescue. Heat. Eat. Heaven. Especially accompanied by a Greek salad made from OUR cucumbers and OUR tomatoes. And, the Grocery Outlet feta. A contrast of crunchy, juicy; sweet, tangy, pungent delight…reminiscent of our vacation in Crete. Another happy sigh. Another warm memory.

A little TV, a little tea, a little conversation with my love about everything and nothing.  A kiss goodnight, and day is done.  The cat is kneading and purring and will soon settle in at the end of the bed.

Some days I long for bed, and sleep. But more often than not, even if I’m tired, I don’t really want the day to end. A bit of sadness tugs at my gratitude for this wonderfully, gloriously mundane day. I ponder…how many more days on this planet do I get to enjoy the simple things of life? Pensive sigh. I don’t know, but God does. I purpose to continue to be SO VERY THANKFUL for each and every one.

Deep breaths of gratitude, a whispered prayer, a sense of wonder and awe, one more contented sigh, a yawn. Peace.