Of Blogs and Blessings

I had a freak-out moment this morning.

You see, my domain name -- davenespilled.com -- was expiring; and I couldn't figure out how to renew it.  Years ago when I first got it, it was a simple and inexpensive thing, $10 a year, I think; and then somewhere along the way, Google/Blogger did something like transfer the ownership of it to another hosting company or some such thing.  Obviously, I'm not very clear on the specifics!  Every year until now, it had automatically renewed without any fuss; but this year, although it looked at one point like it had renewed, it actually had not.  Even worse, not only could I not figure out how to renew it, Jeff couldn't either.  For a guy who has a bachelor's degree in computer information systems and who is an intuitive, persistent problem-solver who has successfully worked the kinks out of all the computers we--and my dad--have had through the years...for him to not be able to figure it out tells you how utterly confusing the situation was.

When I wasn't able to pull up my blog this morning, I started feeling some surges of panic, I'll admit to that.  Jeff came to my rescue once again and managed to get the blog to open by using the old blogspot address.  And so, if you are a regular reader of this blog and have some sort of bookmark for it, you will apparently need to update your link for it.  It is no longer davenespilled.com, but is now davenespilled.blogspot.com.  Not a big difference, but it's amazing how important that "blogspot" is now!  ;-)

If you have any questions about that, feel free to ask.  If you have any advice about that, feel free to share.  :)

Other than that moment of fear when I was worried that I might have lost everything on the blog (which is kind of a big deal, being as I have something like 1,750 posts on this blog!!!), today's been a pretty good day!  :)  I sat down tonight and considered the blessings of the day, and it didn't take me too long to come up with a list of a dozen extra-special moments that occurred today.  Want to see my list?  :)

1. This morning, Jeff sent me an email that said, "Proverbs 12:4 - A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.  Thanks for being so!"  It's amazing how a short little email like that can put such a big smile on my face!  :)

2. Late this afternoon, after we dropped off the big boys at choir, Moriah and I and little Benjamin went to the orchard and got four bushels of apples and three gallons of cider--the good stuff (not hard, by the way! but unpasteurized...so much better than the pasteurized stuff that is sold in stores!).  As soon as we got home, we opened a gallon and each had a drink; and I tell you, that first sip of cold, fresh cider is one of the genuine delights of fall.  I look forward to it all year long.

3. When Jeff heard recently that I wanted a new trashcan for the kitchen, he immediately ordered one online, and it was delivered today.  He got a kind that he has used for a long time in the barber shop and really, really likes.  I was going to content myself with a cheap plastic one from Walmart, but he got one for me that opens automatically by simply waving a hand above the lid.  His promptness in purchasing it, and his willingness to splurge beyond what was strictly necessary, made me feel loved.  :)

4. After supper this evening, my dad was waving his hand over the trashcan to watch the lid open, and Benjamin was watching him and getting the biggest kick out of it.  We were all impressed by the trashcan; but none of us, except Benjamin, felt the need to laugh out loud from the sheer delight of it!  ;-)  I stood back and watched Benjamin as he watched his grandpa make the lid open and thought, for the umpteenth time, "It is GOOD to see the world through the eyes of a child."

5. When Jeff brought Shav and Tobin home from choir, both boys had a big piece of news for me.  Shav excitedly showed me his grin, and I immediately spotted a new gap in his teeth where a tooth that had been loose for a LONG time had finally come out.  He had wiggled it out by himself--no pain, no fuss--and felt very accomplished.  :)

6. Tobin's news was that, for the first time, his name had been drawn at the end of choir rehearsal for him to get to bring home an owl (owls remind the choristers to produce the right kind of tone as they sing), so he proudly showed me Maestro, a stuffed owl, who is now sitting in a place of honor, overlooking the kitchen and living room.  :)

7. For supper, I made french onion soup, using the last (except two, which I saved for Jeff's salsa) of the onions from our garden.  I LOVE french onion soup, but don't make it very often; and tonight it tasted so, so good to me.  (And Jeff liked it, too!)  :)

8. After supper, I headed back to town to pick up Josiah and David (and our friend Abby, whom we give a ride home to after choir rehearsal); and I couldn't help but notice how large and beautiful the moon was.  As I drove up and down hills and around curves, the moon played peek-a-boo; and at one point, after I came up a low rise and spotted the moon again, I couldn't help but say, "WOW!"  It was so gorgeous--all orange and huge and with some lines across it from branches in the way.  Magnificent!  It was the kind of scene I always wish I could capture through a camera lens but never, ever can.

9. While I waited for the kids to finish their rehearsal, I sat in the van and played with Benjamin, and he was in such a giggly mood.  I would ask, "Can you say 'Dada'?"  He would, and I would cheer wildly, and he would laugh.  Then I would say, "Can you say 'Mama'?" or "Can you say 'Josiah'?" or another name, and he would say, "Dada!"  Then I would say, "Oh, no no no," and tickle him, and he would laugh and laugh, and so would I.  It was impossible not to.

10.  After we dropped off Abby, Josiah, David, and I ended up singing "Siyahamba" in three-part harmony as we drove home by lovely Silver Lake.  When we do that, David sings the melody in his beautiful, clear treble voice, I get to sing alto, and Josiah sings bass; and I marvel that I have kids old enough and experienced enough to hold a separate voice part so we can sing in harmony.

11. After I gave goodnight hugs to Tobin, Shav, and Moriah, I returned to the kitchen but kept my ears tuned in to the noises coming from their room.  They were talking so peacefully and happily together, and I rejoiced in the fun they have together, the unity they were displaying, and the fact that Moriah, who used to ALWAYS come back downstairs after she was supposed to be in bed, didn't do that...and, as a matter of fact, RARELY does that anymore.  Ah, progress!  :)

12. And now, the kitchen is cleaned up, all the dishes are done, and four bushels of apples are waiting to be turned into applesauce tomorrow.  Best of all, a friend is coming so we can do the work together.  I go to bed with sweet anticipation in my heart--and gratitude on my lips for all the blessings of this day!