Beautiful porch pondering day. I’m in the swing. My spend the night company and her pup are on the way back to Alexander City. Penelope is sun bathing in her playpen. The sun is actually hot on my face but feels so good after yesterday’s bluster. Blue sky with jet trails, no clouds. Lots of cardinals on the bird feeders. Saw a nuthatch and one American goldfinch. Hope the goldfinch brings his friends back.

The finches clean out the feeders quickly but are so pretty gathered on a feeder, specially when a cardinal joins them. Oldest brother and I compete every day with our bird sightings and brag about the different ones we see. He won the conversation today because he counted 30 goldfinches and I saw one!

Ever think about things that bring you comfort — a warm blanket, a photo from a happy day resting on a bedside table, little notes from our loved ones, a good cup of hot coffee, clean sheets from the clothesline.

I have a dachshund print fleece blanket I throw over my legs each night when I sit in my chair in my bedroom. I edit my ponderings while I listen to music from the 1970s. Penelope burrows in my lap under the blanket. I’m content because we’re warm under the blanket and she knows the day has begun ending and bedtime is soon. If we’re working in the lady den we sit under a pretty cardinal blanket.

I saw a photograph on Facebook of a baby blanket that was blown away in the tornadoes this week. It moved me to read the mother’s post about needing help with finding the blanket. Something as simple as a polka dot blanket. That poor child, traumatized by the weather, and his comforting blanket gone with the wind. I hope it’s been found and returned.

The Christmas following Rosie’s death Chief gave me a beautiful sterling silver cuff bracelet from Tiffany. The engraving on the back said, “With love from Chiefy.” In the signature blue box was a heartfelt note thanking me for helping him with the grief of Rosie’s death. I love that bracelet and never leave home without it on my arm. I always felt it was a guardian angel watching over me. Now that he’s gone the bracelet means even more. Many times on the way to work I’d turn around and return home if I had forgotten to put on the bracelet. I just feel uncomfortable without it on my wrist. I feel loved and protected when I wear it. When I went to the basement this week during the tornado warning, I snatched the bracelet off my dresser and put it on my wrist as I hurried down the stairs.

Snapshots and family photos bring me comfort, too. I love to walk around the house at night turning out the lights and looking at all the photos of my family. I used to worry that Rosie would be the family member in photos whose name escaped everyone’s mind as the years pass. But Thomas talks about her with his children and they’ll be sure to put a name to her face. When Alexander was younger he told me once, “Patty, Aunt Rosie must have always been happy. She always smiles big in her pictures!”

My friend and I were talking about how devastating it would be to lose your home and possessions in turbulent weather. I think losing all my photographs and little notes from Chief and my children would wound me deeply. Lots of things are just stuff and stuff can be replaced but family photos and heartfelt notes can never be replicated.

When I lay my head down tonight I’m going to pray for that child who lost his blanket.