September 2024 This and That

The stresses of July and August persist into September, but we have much to be grateful for. In the spring, Sean joined the high school volleyball team. The repetitive jumping did no favors for his knees and he has battled injuries to his knees and ankles ever since. He is a team captain this year, so he represents the team in those initial moments of the opponent handshakes and the coin toss. He loves the sport, but I'm always worried about possible injury. Indeed, their team has struggled this year because 5 or 6 starting players have been out on injury, including the quarterback who played so effectively for the team last year.

These photos show Sean and the seniors on the team:

Sean and his girlfriend Claire were on the Homecoming Court this year. John and I attended the game and watched from far back in the stands (we choose these seats because they have backs to the bleachers - oh, how our tired backs appreciate this support by the end of the game). I snagged some photos from others (because my attempts are always horrible - the only photo I took is the one below):

They also attended the Homecoming Dance:

Sean and Claire provide great fun for me these days as we often compete by playing the New York Times games (Connections, Wordle, and The Mini Crossword). Of course, having said that, I must acknowledge that they usually smoke me. Still, I'm glad they let me join in the games with them.

Just to make life interesting, we had a well issue again this September. John was downstairs when he heard a pop and, checking everything, found the deep freezer had no power. He called electricians and plugged the deep freezer and water heater into extension cords. We also had no water (something about the pump electrical system failing). While waiting, he brought up the portable water heater he keeps for emergencies. Alas, when he turned that on, he heard a whoosh, and it burst into flames. Since it has a propane tank on it, he immediately grabbed the thing and ran it outside, the whole time praying fervently that it would not explode. Praise God, it didn't, but it gave him quite a scare.

The electricians could not address the well issue, so we had to call the well company to come the following morning. Sean and I went to stay in the local Home 2 Suites (if you read my blog regularly, you know how much I love that hotel chain). We had a lovely experience and I came away with more fodder for my fan affections.

Just above the coffee station, I discovered this little shelf of books available to read. Isn't that cool! Of course, we were only there overnight, and I'd already read a few of these titles (especially loved that they had a copy of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine). We were grateful to have the well back up and running by the following afternoon. So, despite injuries, stress, and home issues, we are focusing on the positives and happy to have joy amid the challenges.

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Side note: Ten years ago, my favorite read of the year was The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachael Joyce. I loved his journey, his introspection, and the redemptive resolution the journey brought. The movie version recently came available on Hoopla and I watched it this past weekend. I had forgotten the specifics of the difficulties Harold had with his son. I must say, it was very difficult to watch. It brought me to tears because it hit too close to home. So, as much as I loved that novel, I now believe it should come with a trigger warning: tough content and heart-wrenching emotions addressed.