I got up early this morning and finished my book, Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. I have been reading it since early January at night before bed, reading as much as I could before I could no longer hold my eyes open. Last night, when I got home from the dance, I wanted to finish it, but I was exhausted and spent from a long week and read only a few pages before falling asleep. I woke in the middle of the night and went downstairs to read – to go back to sleep. I read a bit on the couch before dozing off with the light on and the dog at my feet, I woke up to a bark and dog who needed to go out. I made pot of coffee and covered up on the couch and finished the book. Overnight, we got a dusting of snow and the dreary cloudy days of Thursday and Friday were erased by a clear, bright sunny Saturday morning.

Schmidt lives in Michigan near Grand Rapids and I suppose we pass his place on our way north. I found this video clip and thought it fit. I hope you do, too.

It was a good way to start the morning but, I am embarrassed, really embarrassed. It has been an incredibly long time since I have written a post. Twenty days, I counted, but in between, the days have counted, really counted. I have started to write, to blog a couple of times, I ‘ve had many ideas, but I just haven’t sat down and made it happen. I’m sorry, but life has gotten in the way.

It is funny how that happens. In the time since my last post there have been:

• thirteen school days
• three weekends (counting this one)
• a day off for me and two days off for the kids
• three days at the cottage for me, well, really four counting a Friday night
• five days (if you count Friday night) at the cottage for Beth and the kids
• three days of snowboarding and skiing for the kids
• two days of playing on the frozen lake
• five girl’s basketball games
• three scout meetings
• one scout meetings with seven NEW scouts!
• an overnight scout training in the snow, but sleeping inside
• six NFL playoff games
• two snowstorms and fourteen inches of snow – total
• one school dance – for me
• two books completed and another started
• second quarter grades finalized and done – meaning a fresh start for everyone in the third quarter
• William’s 14^th birthday and a fabulous family dinner out.
• One impromptu cookout in January with hamburgers and hot dogs and all the fixin’s

I am sure I left something out, whatever didn’t make the list might be mentioned later, but maybe not. It is not as if I have been ignoring writing, but, well things, more important things, have gotten in the way.

Yesterday was William’s 14^th birthday, it is difficult to believe. I can close my eyes and remember that day he was born as if it were yesterday. There have been many days in between – five thousand one hundred thirteen to be exact – some of which I can recall with the same clarity; and other days I wish I had back, as a do over, a second chance, or just to re-live the day, again. He was going camping with the scout troop and I had a dance so I woke him early and he opened his present – an ACME Studio pen. He was impressed and when I checked in with him in the afternoon, he told me he had taken it to school and written with it. He told me it was cool – I took that it meant writing was fun, which it is, but not usually admitted by a fourteen-year-old boy. He is an amazing kid, really. Right now, he’s camping with his scout troop and planning to earn his Polar Bear award – staying outside for a full day and sleeping in a tent. To earn the award he has to be outside for an entire twenty-four hours and he has to sleep overnight in a tent or shelter. I don’t know if I could do it, but he’s motivated.

Looking at back at the twenty days it was great to get away for the three-day weekend – the long Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday holiday. The kids had an extra day and it had snowed the night before we left. In fact, it snowed most of the drive up, at least until we took the turn away from Lake Michigan and the lake-effect snow. It was beautiful – everything was covered in snow, the lake was frozen, and it was amazing. I don’t ski or board, I come along to cook, watch the kids and enjoy the down time. I had hoped to write, but didn’t. I had planned to finish grading a set of papers, but I didn’t. I had a great time and it was highlighted by the impromptu cookout we had after Sunday on the slopes for the kids. We had planned burgers, dogs, baked beans, and summer food for Sunday night, kind of a throwback to the carefree days of summer at the cottage. I always make more than is enough and we invited our friends to join us. They brought their three kids – who had been boarding and skiing with our kids and we had a great evening. I started a fire in the fireplace, got the beans in the oven and made the hamburger patties. When they came over, the kids went upstairs and played and the adults stayed downstairs to talk and we finished the last bits of dinner prep. It was a cold night and the stars shone brightly above. The cottage was warm with friendship and sharing. As I walked out to the grill to get the burgers, I could smell winter and summer all at the same time. The wood smoke from the fire and the scent of grilling burgers and dogs seemed so right. It was a great night. We had ten people nestled at the table for dinner and we could have made more room – it was that great. The food tasted so much better with everyone there. After dinner, the kids went upstairs to play and be kids and the adults were left with the fire, the candles, and time to talk. It was a great night. It was my highlight of the weekend and well worth it.

But, that was two weeks ago and one of the things I wanted to write about, so I have. There is so much more that has happened in between, but it will have to wait for another post. Today is gonna be a great day, a million and six times better than yesterday and what Saturday wouldn’t when compared to a school or work day?). Making the Days Count, one day at a time – even when there are there are twenty days between posts.

What have made your days count? What will you do to make today count?