Hommel Mangas
Some days, I feel like I never get anything done. This week was one of those weeks, so I decided to take a moment and record “the stuff I’ve done in the last 50 minutes” while writing this column.
- Bought a “new to me” car to replace the one that was totaled in December. Of course this was after a Valentine’s Day test drive and a month-long search for a replacement
- Looked out the back door from the kitchen table to see a husky, German shepherd-size coyote trotting through our back yard. Texted the Hubby — these things are important to note!
- Texted back and forth with my brother Kevin, as he shot me a photo of the still-tagged Christmas and birthday gift clothes he received in 2023 and 2024 that are in mint-unused condition because (and I quote him) “I have clothes that work just fine.”
- Complimented Kevin on the two Martha Stewart-like twin beds perfectly made and fluffed for overnight stays welcoming his beloved grandchildren.
- Ran outside before the rain came and filled a drilled-out limestone rock basin with small merrimac stone that took me three months to decide which stone looked most natural to surround a firepot.
- Filled a recycled gift bag with three new books for my grandson in anticipation of our next reading day. It’s a belated Valentine’s Day present, because John is only 22-months-old and doesn’t yet live his life by calendar dates.
- Regretted filling the suet feeders as I watched the grackles dominate and try pushing the woodpeckers from their breakfast.
- Anticipated getting into chapter six of my Hebrews Bible study (which means I opened my Bible and workbook to the upcoming pages at my kitchen table.) Took a moment to reflect on the steadfast women I get to study with, some of whom I first met a two or three decades years ago: Joyce, LaDonna, April, Sherri, Shelly, Karla, Pam, and Amy — solid rock.
- Made and drank a cup of 175-degrees brewed white tea called Silver Needles that I brought home from Darjeeling, India the last trip I made, which seems like decades ago, but actually only six years ago. Just opening the teas canister made of silver with a gold top elevates my mood.
After taking another five minutes to stare out of the window, I realized I’m a bit hard on myself. Or maybe I should live my life more often in 3,000-second spurts.
Janet Hommel Mangas grew up on the east side of Greenwood. The Center Grove area resident and her husband are the parents of three daughters. Send comments to [email protected].
