By Jan Penton-Miller
Columnist
Another rainy Monday morning, and I’m happy. There is something special about a rainy day
when I don’t have anything pressing to do outside. I suppose I enjoy it even more because of
the severe drought we had a while back.
I’ve been through a few deserts in my life and found them interesting. The Painted Desert is
absolutely beautiful, but the lush green of the Southeast is my cup of tea. One of my neighbors
is working in a gold mine in Utah and sent his wife pictures of the snow on the mountains just
last week. We Americans are very blessed to have so many beautiful places to visit right in our
rather large backyard.
This time of year the travel bug bites me, and I start to think of cool places to visit. I love seeing
my more traveled friends posts on social media, and the wheels start spinning. My brother and
his wife are heading out on a trip to Italy soon, and I know they are excited about immersing
themselves in the culture of another country for a bit.
The scenery of a new area is always a joy to experience, but the people and how they live life is
very interesting also. I’m one of those people who never meets a stranger, and I can generally
strike up a conversation wherever I find myself.
Nashville is calling my name right now as Mike and I will soon be attending the K-Love Fan
Awards near the end of this month. I’ve been to a conference at the Opryland Hotel, but have
never stayed there so this is something I’m really looking forward to. Contemporary Christian
music is my absolute fave so attending a meet and greet with some of the top artists will be
phenomenal!
Yea, Yea, my little brother is going to Italy and I’m going to Nashville, but maybe he will buy me
a t-shirt! He is a little on the cheap side so maybe I’ll slip him a twenty. Hmmm. I wonder if a
twenty is enough. I may give him some more money, but I’m not sure cheapo will bring me back
change! Just kidding. My little brother is more generous than most people I know.
The rain is pouring down now, and I love the sound of it. There aren’t many things that bring me
more pleasure than the ordinary blessings of life. My backyard feeder was filled with a variety of
beauties this morning. There were a couple that I had never seen before. I guess some of the
regulars invited their bird friends for breakfast!
My boys are always so helpful when I’m into a project. Robby is installing a new vent fan for me
right now while I sit on a ladder nearby handing him things and pecking away simultaneously.
Ryan has helped several days too. This is our last day, and it is a great feeling to see all our
hard work come to fruition.