Adria and Tom Fuller, Guest bloggers
In spite of the difficulties associated with 2020, including state mandates limiting travel and gatherings, it’s brought us both joy and wonder. Who would have guessed:
- that our family-centric wedding planned for May on the Maine coast would become an even simpler ceremony in Adria’s living room a month later, the State of Illinois allowing our minister in New Jersey to officiate over the phone. Thank you, Alexis, for a ceremony that spoke deeply to us.
Walking
- that this Mississippi River bluffs neighborhood (where both our houses are but not within sight of the River) could become as interesting and friendly as we found it to be this summer and fall.
- that watching the corn grow in a farmer’s field just down our street really was entertaining.
Nature and Community
- that for a couple of weeks, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo accompanied us for miles on neighborhood walks, out of sight, but not earshot.
- that we’d be delighted with nighttime sounds of owls, coyotes, and frogs, and daytime glimpses of a fox, spotted fawns, wild turkeys, and groundhogs right in our yards.
- that we would see the International Space Station traversing the night sky and five planets within 24 hours: Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter.
- that although our church buildings are not currently open, ZOOM services have become part of the fabric of our lives.
Games
- that we could play Pickleball on a circular driveway.
- that Chinese checkers could be so entertaining, especially when a sleepy opponent starts moving pieces backward.
Food
- that although he may deny it, he likes chocolate and ice cream just as much as she does.
- that she CAN SHARE chocolate and ice cream. (Note anything chocolate and/or ice cream/frozen yogurt is almost sacred to her! So sharing is quite the accomplishment!)
- that she learned from him that Skippy peanut butter is its own daily food group.
Joy
- And that after six months of marriage, he still makes her laugh every day.
We hope you too discover treasures of hidden delights in these challenging days—enough to abundantly water the new year with promise, advancement, and fruition.
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- Admiring trees.
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- A song to accompany our walks.
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- Morning view
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- Bringing Light to the day.
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- Morning sunlight.
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- The cheery call of Cardinals adds joy.
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- Daily walks yielded unexpected pleasures.
Since our imposed stay at home order by our doctor after our trip to Florida in March 2020, I began playing every piece of music in my closet and file cabinets and singing to my hearts content. Then one day I notched up my quest and called a friend. Always greeted with a cheery, “Hi, how are you?” and then “Would you like to hear a song?” Some folks said, “Is that you? Did you play and sing? Was that a recording?”
Each time I laughed and replied, “That was me!” Then I would explain to them my goal to sing to everyone far and wide. You see it gives me great joy!