(Author’s note: I wrote this to post this morning but wanted to read over it again and my day got crazy with car issues, grocery shopping, etc. so I am posting it in the evening. Update again: I posted this at 7:40 at night and it never published. So, then I hit publish again at 11:05. It will probably show up on Saturday morning at this point. Ha!)

Today is Friday and usually, I share a chapter from one of the stories I am working on for Fiction Friday, but I don’t have a story to share right now so I thought I’d share a ramble about life in general today.

As always, pour yourself a cup of something warm, pull up a chair, and sit and chat with me. If you have time, of course, since it is the Christmas season, and many people are very busy during this time of year.

We have been a little bit busy but not necessarily because of the holidays. There have been doctor’s appointments for family members, homeschool, and errands and The Husband has been working a lot. So, for now, our busy is simply with the every day. My brain doesn’t seem to be able to focus these days which means I don’t get as much done during the day, including reading blogs, which I am so behind on!

Later today I will need to go get groceries, an errand The Husband has been taking on because he’s been close to the store we usually go to – Aldi. I’m not really a fan of grocery shopping. It tires me out, which is silly since our list usually isn’t that large. I also have anxiety so I always worry I’ll have some medical issue in the store. Yeah, I know, I have issues. Ha.

I usually take the kids with me and we split the list. They run ahead and get what we need on the far side of the store while I take the side of the store closest to where we walk in. They also help me bag the groceries and get them into the car. I usually reward them with a quick trip to Wendy’s.

We then come home and I put away most of the groceries while they run off to be children and The Boy runs off to finish the school work he didn’t get done earlier in the week. They do help put the groceries away sometimes, but I don’t mind putting them away. I take my time and listen to a podcast or some music while I do it.

Grocery shopping does take a rather large chunk of time out of our day since we have to drive about 30 minutes north to get to the store and 30 minutes back and usually find we have to stop at a couple of other places along the way.

How about you? Do you like grocery shopping or dread it like me. Or do you place pickup orders, which we used to do when we lived closer to a Wal-Mart?

Right now, I am typing this sitting under a blanket with my daughter, in a very cozy living room lit only by the TV, Christmas tree lights and my neighbor’s beautiful Christmas display next door. I’m also listening to guitar worship music on my headphones because my daughter is watching a show that she’s watched over and over and I need a little break from it (even though the show is cute and funny).

Earlier today The Husband and The Boy drove my dad three hours south to a specialist appointment. The drive and visit went well. Part of me wouldn’t have minded the drive, just to get out of the house, but it was a long day and Little Miss probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the long ride. Instead, Little Miss and I went to visit my mom and have dinner with her.

After dinner, we played a round of Go Fish with Mom, talked with Dad a bit when he got home and then we headed home and enjoyed looking at our neighbor’s Christmas display. I called a woman in my online Bible group to check on her and we chatted for about 40 minutes. I don’t know her that well so when she suggested I call her I was a little nervous. I’m glad I did, though. She’s a fun woman who is going through a lot right now. She lost her mother a month ago, she has a serious health condition that is now affecting her heart, and her family has rejected her in a lot of ways. If you think of it, please say a prayer for her. If you need a name, just say Lisa’s friend “A from Texas” when praying. God will know who you’re praying for.

As I mentioned Sunday, I am working on a short story for the blog for around Christmas. It will feature the Tanners and Alex Stone and is probably going to be a little boring or silly, but even boring and silly can be a nice distraction when the world seems so heavy.

I’ve barely looked at the news lately as it all seems like some kind of weird farce. Nothing seems real, the news reports on half-truths, and politicians have absolutely lost their minds. They seem to be playing a game where they all pretend to battle each other, without admitting that they are all scam artists.

Instead of watching the news or listening to politicians, I have been trying to read, write, or watch light movies. I’ll ramble more about those things on Sunday in my weekly Sunday Bookends post.

I’m not doing very well with my morning devotionals. I have been trying to do one through You Version, which is a Bible app on my phone. The problem is that when I open it up, I get overwhelmed by everything they are shoving at me, and I don’t know where to look first. They offer a daily verse and a ton of devotional plans. I did choose one this week by Christine Caine, who I really like, but I really think that sometimes having tons of choices isn’t a good thing.

You ever log into a streaming service and just stare at all the offerings and think, “There’s too much! There’s too much! My brain is melting!”?

No? Just me?

I do the same thing when I walk into a bookstore, which happens maybe twice a year.

I want to buy a book but sometimes I am just too overwhelmed by the wall-to-wall bookshelves.

Growing up we had four TV channels and I hated it. I wanted more choices. Now I have them and I want less choices. I’m never happy.

I’m also someone who likes things to be way more simple than they are.

This week Little Miss wanted me to make a Christmas list for her and her dad. I did but I had to be honest, I’m pretty simple. Buy me a book, a blank journal that cost $5 or even less, and a pen and I’m pretty happy. I really don’t want a lot of gifts for Christmas. It’s nice, but I’m just as happy with a couple of gifts versus a ton.

It isn’t that I’m a perfect person who doesn’t crave material things. Of course, I do, but I’m also happy with simple things. You know, after I mourn not being able to afford the less simple things. *wink*

This weekend I am taking Little Miss to gymnastics and then we don’t much else on the schedule, thankfully. Next week I might be going with my dad to another doctor’s appointment, but this one will be much closer, and then Little Miss has a dentist appointment on Thursday about 45 minutes away.

I am looking forward to not having to leave the house too much since it appears the cold temperatures are here to stay.

So, how are you doing? Need a warm-up?

Since you’re not actually with me, I guess you’ll have to do the warming up and you can let me know how you are doing in the comment section below.