Jan and Art Warner - This is one of my favorite pictures of Jan and Art. I think it is from when they were dating. They were married in 1950, so that helps date this. Art and Jan were inseparable.
observations writing

Barely Managed Chaos

My husband Erik and I have been living a life of barely managed chaos since his dad, Art, died on August 16. We’re not alone in this roller coaster, whirlwind day-to-day. Erik’s mom, Jan, is there too, as is my co-worker, who lost her mom two weeks after we lost Art. As if massive grief from the loss of a loved-one isn’t enough, two close family members are in the process of moving (we’re helping with their moves) and we closed on a building for our business at the end of August and have madly been fixing a portion of it up so that we can use it in the winter. We barely have time to do the grocery shopping and keep up on the laundry. In the midst of all of this, is it any wonder I haven’t gotten around to blogging? I’m too busy living to write stuff down.

And that’s the way life is sometimes.

However, my primary way of figuring out life and the world is by writing, so it’s not something I can skip for very long.  While I haven’t been blogging, I have most assuredly been keeping my thoughts in a notebook, trying to record them at least once a week. It keeps me sane while the chaos swirls around me.

When life throws chaos at you, what do you do to stay balanced and sane?

Jan and Art Warner - This is one of my favorite pictures of Jan and Art. I think it is from when they were dating. They were married in 1950, so that helps date this. Art and Jan were inseparable.
Jan and Art Warner – This is one of my favorite pictures of Jan and Art. I think it is from when they were dating. They were married in 1950, so that helps date this. Art and Jan were inseparable.

(I wonder who took this pic.)

Correction: Daughter texted me to say that she thought this pic was from after Grandpa and Grandma got married because Grandpa Art is wearing his wedding ring. So he is! That means this pic is from after August 26, 1950. The shirt looks military, too. Art served in the Korean War, so that should help date this more closely.