"It will all come out in the wash"

  Just when things seem to be at their roughest point, along comes a little happy surprise that often makes things all better.  With the old dog having major problems, I have sort of neglected myself.  A few days ago, he collapsed and I made a mad dash to catch him.  His legs buckled in the most painful position and I knew that I needed to lift him so he could "unfold" a bit.  Dropping down to one knee, I propped my other leg up under the nigh on 70 lb dog to support him.  Well, it worked well for him but did me no favors.  The knee that has given me problems in the past is now very painful.  Now, there are two of us limping, moaning and groaning.   (At least, I am not yelping!)  This being hurt is not helping me with anything so it just needs to go away...and fast.  At least with the old dog feeling his age, our walks are slow so my knee is not being jarred more than need be.  

  On one of these snail-paced walks, I was pondering all of the things that needed doing.  A lot of chores have been put on hold lately and I need to get it in gear.  With the Clue Hunt on the Bayou just a matter of weeks away, things are piling up.  The house is a mess with the interior redo, the yard is a mess since I cannot push a lawnmower and nary a prop has been made for the hunt.  My brain was reeling with dismal thoughts.  As I limped along the side path, things suddenly got a lot brighter.  It seems as if Pop was sending me a message that things would work out ok.  His famous saying was "Oh, don't worry, it will all come out in the wash."  Somehow things always did.  But that message or sign, if you would rather, came in the form of a small cluster of flowers.  

  Pop always had the most beautiful yard.  His flower gardens were impeccably clean and there were year-round blooms.  One of his pride and joy plants was the purple phlox that grew shoulder high and had clusters of blooms a good 15 inches in diameter.  These were the "talk of the town" with folks often stopping in just to see them.  Well, fast forward to today.  A few blooms were found in a neglected area of the garden.   Pop had given me a start years ago and they grew despite all odds.  Neglect, rabbits and even hurricanes did not destroy the plants.  While one may think it should be expected that I found the few blooms, it should not have happened.  Just last month, I dug up the entire clump and gave them to Darling Daughter for her gardens.  Now, just when I needed a "pick me up", I stumbled (literally) upon the blooms.  Granted, they are not the huge things that Pop grew but they had a huge impact on me.  It will all come out in the wash.

  So....now I have no whiny excuse.  Hurt leg or not, I will listen to Pop and get myself motivated.  Things will be accomplished but only one step at a time.  I will prioritize things and make a difference each day.  Like those tiny blooms that refuse to give up, I will not let setbacks get me down.  It WILL all come out in the wash!  Thanks, Pop!  I really needed that!