Happy Monday evening, everyone.
How are you doing? Truly, how’s your heart? Things here are… okay, at least for the most part. I’m still in recovery mode, only ten days post‑op, and I’ll be honest with you all… this has been the hardest recovery I’ve ever gone through. Holy heck, my stomach looks like it caught a case of the chicken pox. Thank goodness I have my follow‑up tomorrow with my surgeon. Ugh. This has been so uncomfortable. Benadryl helps, but goodness, it turns me into a sleepy sloth.
What’s new in your world? Shoot me a text or drop me a comment… I love hearing from you. You all have become such a sweet part of my life, and one of my favorite things to do is post here on my Love Life blogsite.
As for home… well, John’s still away, and rumor has it he might not be back until the end of October. This will officially be the longest we’ve ever been apart. I miss him, of course I do, but I also understand where his heart is right now.
This has been a difficult season for both of us. Being apart is never easy, but when you blend families, you learn quickly that love stretches in ways you never expected. Sometimes it stretches across states. Sometimes it stretches across emotional landscapes. And sometimes, if I’m being honest, it stretches you thin.
There are moments I feel like I’m on the back burner… not unloved, not forgotten, just… waiting my turn. And that’s the truth of blended family life. It’s not always tidy. It’s not always balanced. And it’s certainly not always fair.
But here’s the thing: I’m not sharing this to complain. I’m sharing it because it’s real.
If the roles were reversed, I have no doubt I’d choose my boys first too. That’s what parents do. That’s what love does. And that’s what blending families requires, a whole lot of grace, patience, and understanding.
This season is stretching me, but it’s also teaching me. Teaching me to rest. Teaching me to trust. Teaching me to let love breathe, even when it feels far away.
And maybe… teaching me that sometimes the back burner isn’t a punishment, it’s simply a place where things simmer until they’re ready.
I’m here, healing, growing, and loving through it. And if you’re in a season like this too, I hope you know you’re not alone.
Now that I’m up and around a little more, I’m finally able to enjoy some of the things I’ve missed, reading, researching for my book, and working on the novel I started, oh gosh, four years ago. The novel is done, but it’s not perfect yet, so I’m carving out quiet pockets of time to polish the parts that need my attention.
I’m also hoping to get our home decorated for Halloween and fall. I’m planning to blend both… a little spooky, a little cozy… and once Halloween is over, I’ll still get to enjoy the beautiful fall colors awhile longer. Then I get to move straight into winter and Christmas. I can’t wait.
I’m working hard to make sure I don’t end up in the hospital again. I’m focusing on my business, my writing, and completing my novel, the one I promised John for Christmas this year.
Life is full of ups and downs, with lots of hiccups along the way, but I suppose I’m learning that what doesn’t break us really does make us stronger.
So, my plans for the next five weeks without John?
Read more.
Write even more than I read.
Finish my novel.
Decorate for Halloween and fall.
Organize some closets.
Get my crafting space in order.
Enjoy a golf cart ride or two.
And maybe… just maybe…take a drive to the beach and listen to the calm sound of the water crashing against the shoreline.
Oh, and stay tuned for my “new me” reveal. John suggested recently that I find a signature look for my YouTube, and I think I figured it out. I have some playing around to do, but once I master it, you’ll all be the first to see the big reveal. Believe me, it’s nothing drastic, it’s simply becoming a part of my signature look.
Well guys, it’s time for me to hit the hay. Benadryl has kicked in and I’m feeling pretty sleepy.
Thank you for being here and for all your love and support.
Until next time, don’t forget,
Love Life, Hugs Dawna‑Rae
XOXOXO
