Simple Pleasures

 

Before I start today, I wanted to answer Paula’s question from the comments yesterday. Yes, I’m still unable to comment – on this or any other blog – and it has to do with a login issue. It recognizes my login to post (thankfully) but when I try to comment, it tries to switch me out and won’t let me continue. I’ve tried several workarounds and nothing has been effective so far. I’m so sorry, but I do read the comments!

            I stumbled upon a list of joys for when the weather starts to turn colder, and some of the suggestions made me smile, so I thought I’d share some of my favorites and see what sorts of things bring you joy on chilly mornings and evenings. (For the record, the temps have been absolutely perfect here recently. Not too hot, not too cold, just right for evening fire pits or sleeping with the window open…just a joy! But I know those cooler temps will fast approach, so that’s why this list caught my attention!)

Towels warm from the dryer. This wasn’t something I grew up with or did for myself when I became an adult, but let me tell you: when Ryan introduced me to warm towels at the rehab hospital, I found a whole new level of joy I’d never known before. When he worked at the hospital, they had a towel warmer in the gym. Sometimes, after work, when I would go visit him or go work out, he would set me up with a warm towel on my neck to help relieve tension. It was amazing. So cozy. So warm. So I fully support throwing towels or blankets in the dryer to warm up on chilly evenings! (Or jackets…or sweatshirts…you get the idea.)

Watch the fire (or a fire video). It’s not just about the actual heat from a fire. There is something relaxing and lovely about watching a fire flickering in the fireplace. If you don’t have one (wood, gas, or electric) you could always watch a fire video on YouTube. Ryan always puts the yule log video on our TV around Christmastime, and it really is mesmerizing to watch the flames and hear the crackle play on the speakers. I find myself truly slowing down and resting in the presence of a fire – real or simulated.

Fuzzy socks. I don’t like being too hot, so fuzzy socks only work for me in cooler weather. They make my feet too hot the rest of the year. But fuzzy socks are just so much fun! I really do love it when the weather cools down enough to warrant bringing them out of the bottom of the drawer.

Extra pillows and blankets. My preference for any room any time of year is for the room to be on the cold side so I can throw on a blanket. (I’m strange, I know.) But when it gets cooler, I pull out the extra fleecey blankets – and even the electric blanket. That extra layer of warm comfort brings me joy. (I usually throw a few more pillows on the pile too. I don’t know why. I just do!

Hoodies!! I am relatively new to the hoodie scene. I have so much hair that sometimes a big pile of hair and a hood all fighting for the same space gets frustrating. But I have some long-sleeved tees that have thinner hoods on the back, and I love them. (I even got one for work when I purchased my work wardrobe.) It makes me feel like sitting by an outdoor fire is in order.

What do you enjoy doing to keep yourself cozy as the weather inches toward the cooler side of things?

Bekah's Bookshelf

 

It feels like forever since I shared a book update with you. July and August did not lend themselves to extended times of reading, yet I tried to read just a little bit every day.

            The only book I finished in those months was written by Jen Schmidt and is called Just Openthe Door: How One Invitation Can Change a Generation.

            Several months ago, I’d stumbled upon a post with some book recommendations about hospitality from a Christian perspective. How can we be hospitable? I’m always wanting to learn more about this subject, so I put a handful of those books on my wish list. I purchased one back in the spring with some birthday money and read it throughout this summer.

            The fact that it took me a few weeks to get through it had nothing to with how interesting the book was and everything to do with my demanding schedule. Jen Schmidt is a blogger and author and has had years of experience opening her home to friends and family. She wrote this book to try to encourage others to stop being paralyzed by the need to offer perfection and instead, simply open the door to welcome in the community around them.

            Throughout the book, she shares stories of time when she practiced hospitality very intentionally and other times when she did so spontaneously. From having a house (and yard!) full of people when a tornado warning sounded to allowing others to take up short term residence in her home to making space for a hurting friend, Jen has practiced all versions of hospitality.

            While she loves a good craft and theme as much as the next person, she doesn’t require polished presentation to offer a seat at her table.

            I appreciate her drive to not only practice what she preaches, but to also intentionally teach it to the next generation. It has been important for her to teach her children how to be hospitable to their friends while they were still living at home with her.

            I used to think everything had to be perfect to have company, and along the way, I (thankfully) lost that barrier to my own hospitality. But even so, I learned much from Jen about being willing to be used by God in this way to impact the lives of others.

            If hospitality is a struggle for you (at all…or offering anything less than a Pinterest-perfect party) her words can offer you so much freedom. She also offers practical tips on how to go about opening the door of your heart and home to those around you.

            I’m excited to read the other books on hospitality too, but I am really glad I purchased this one. It’s a keeper for my library – a reminder of how to do this welcoming thing well.

            May fall bring more time for reading again!

Ice Cream Dreams

 

Back in 2017, Ryan and I spent a weekend in Saugatuck, Michigan, exploring the town and staying in the most delightful boat and breakfast. We enjoyed a lot of good food that weekend. That was the weekend we learned about flights of pie, and it was so much fun to get a message from one of you not long ago, saying you tried it too! I always love it when something I share on the blog inspires you in some way!

            The pie was delicious, but one of my favorite memories from that weekend was our trip to Charlie’s Ice Cream. I remember smelling the waffle cones for two days as we made our way around town, and we finally stopped for a treat. That was the day we talked about what fun it would be to own an ice cream shop. We did some dreaming while we ate – and then we came home and went back to our regular jobs.

            A couple of days ago, I received a gift card to an ice cream shop – a surprise from my secret prayer partner at work. (What a great gift!!) Ryan and I went last night for a dessert date, and as I sat on the patio eating ice cream from a waffle cone, I thought about that weekend in Saugatuck and the ice cream dreams that have surfaced a few times since that cold spring weekend.

            Oh, I know it’s one of those dreams that will just stay on a Pinterest board, but it is still fun to think about.

            Why is that?

            Well, first of all, there is the love of ice cream. I think living in the land of ice cream would be just as dreamy as living in the land of coffee. But I also think there’s something sweet (if you’ll pardon the pun) about the idea of serving up little cups and cones of joy. I haven’t been in too many ice cream shops where people are angry as they sit and eat. Ice cream seems to foster delight.

            Ice cream signals celebration. Ice cream  boosts a tough day. Ice cream brings people together for conversation. Ice cream makes a great date. Ice cream shops are little corners of goodness. Not just the edible goodness, but the heart-goodness.

            Yes, this dream always makes me smile. So we eat sweet treats now and then and keep ice cream dreams stored away on Pinterest boards.

            Do you have any Pinterest-board dreams you like visiting from time to time, even if you know they are unlikely to ever venture into reality? What are your favorite things about your dreams?

Thirty-Five

 

            Yesterday marked thirty-five years since we said hello and goodbye to my nephew Kirk – all in one day. I thought of it first thing when I awakened that morning. It was one of those days that I will not only never forget, but I will always remember bits of it in full color and sound.

            You probably have days like that too. Days that stay with you, even if you don’t want them to be as vivid as they are.

            That day will always be vivid, and it also vividly marked my life and faith. That was the day the Lord began to teach me about how He carries me when life is hard and seems unfair. That was the day I watched the adults I loved and respected (and who comprehended so much more than I could) wrestle with their faith and come forth as gold.

            I wonder sometimes who he would have been, had we gotten to watch him grow up earthside. I don’t let myself think on it too long, but I catch myself with those thoughts sometimes.

            This I know for sure: his life was not in vain. He always has been and still is part of our family. His picture sits in our home. Because of him, we are all forever changed, and I am grateful for the way my faith was strengthened in the fire and pain of this profound loss.

            I share about him often when I speak, and I shared his story again at the conference a few weeks ago. My story is what it is today because his story was written on its pages.

            Happy birthday, Kirk. Nothing here on this earth could compare with what you saw on your birthday yesterday. But you are missed and loved, just the same.

(Pictures clockwise from top left: 10-year-old me holding Kirk shortly after his birth / A granite heart my friend Amber made for me to leave at his grave on his 21st birthday (I believe) / One of my last visits to his grave / the bear that represented him at our wedding in 2012)

Fall at the Lake

 

I’ve backed off from intense seasonal decorating. I used to drag out multiple tubs each season, tear apart the house from the previous season’s décor, and add in the new. As our storage space has dwindled with each house we’ve lived in, so have my decorations. I rely much more heavily on consistent décor and just add splashes of the season.

            Fall is still a few days away yet, but since we were set to host our small group this past weekend, I went ahead and decorated for the season. I am pleased with how small and neutral it feels, yet fall peeks in on me from nearly every room.

            The weather has been nearly perfect this weekend. We’ve been able to open the windows and enjoy the cool breezes flowing through from the lake. The mums are blooming, and the pumpkins I picked up from our friends’ produce place last weekend are the perfect finishing touch.

            Bring on the pumpkin bread and chili! I think I’m ready!

Sunday Sentiments

I’m writing this to you on Saturday evening, as I sit by the fire pit, heart full from hosting our small group. We had close to 15 people here, and hearing the laughter and stories of those gathered around the fire made me smile.

            We had a taco bar and people pitched in the yummiest food – including freshly baked cobbler and little mini fruit pizzas. So good. We had the s’more platter ready for anyone who wanted to roast marshmallows and I’m pretty sure we went through a couple of pots of coffee by the time the night was over.

            Some of the kids took kayak rides and one was brave enough to get in the water to swim a little. Lexi couldn’t believe all these people had come just to see her and was living her happiest little life running from person to person to see who wanted to love on her next.

            They have all gone home now, and Ryan and I are sitting outside, since the weather is absolutely perfect. We hear the frogs and cicadas, and the fire is slowly dwindling. A few lights twinkle from homes across the water, but I don’t think anyone else is out by a fire enjoying this quiet perfection.

            A year ago, a night like this was still just a dream. We had signed our offer on this house, but it wasn’t ours yet. We dreamed about what it would be like to sit outside by the fire on a crisp night, watching lights reflect on water.

            You’ve probably seen the wall art that says something to the effect of, “I still remember the days I prayed for the things I have now.” May we never forget, even when we might still long for answers to some prayers, that our lives are full of the goodness of other answers.

            I used to dream about what it would be like to host guests in my home – with my husband. I’m so thankful God wired Ryan to love hospitality. We worked together throughout the day to prepare the food and our home for our guests, and it was our collective joy. I sit in the answer to that prayer.

            I used to dream about just being an adult and getting to make the choices about what I wanted to do with my days. In those long years of schooling and rigorous schedules, I longed for the freedom to hang out with friends for a night and not stress about the things that weren’t being done during those blissful hours. I sit in the answer to that prayer.

            I used to dream about living on the water and enjoying the quiet stillness of its beauty. I most assuredly never thought I’d see that dream take place, and every time I glance out the window and see the rippling waves, I am grateful. I sit in the answer to that prayer.

            So many more prayers answered. So many prayers still being prayed. I sit in the gratitude of the answers and I sit with my heart open toward Him in prayer for the things that still bring a deep longing within.

Saturday Suggestions

Hey friends! Happy Saturday! I hope today is a beautiful one for you. I have a few fun finds for you today. Enjoy!

ONE. 

You know how I love to look at house tours online. This one caught my interest because she shared her home in real-life mode. Every tour you ever take shows the house at its best, right? Everything is always picked up and put away. Everything is staged and perfect. Is it even realistic? While Ryan and I like to keep a clean house as much as possible, it’s also true that life just happens. I applaud this blogger for sharing her house on a regular day – and writing about why she loves the imperfections left behind by kids and pets. Well done!

TWO. 

You might have heard about this, but if not, Dairy Queen has a limited time special for small Blizzards. You can get them for 85 cents, which is the same price they were when they were first released in 1985. Please learn from our debacle, though. You can only order them through the app, and you have to have the app downloaded on your phone over 24 hours to access the deal. Also, a thousand props to the extra-mile cashier who gave me the special price even though I had just downloaded the app. That was some excellent customer service and did not go unnoticed. It had not been the best day, and finding out I wasn’t getting an 85 cent Blizzard was an ironic bookend to the day. Then she fixed it all!

THREE. 

You know my undying love for cute food. Even though I’m not the world’s biggest fan of pumpkin pie (texture thing), I think this take on it is adorable, and I would absolutely eat it.

FOUR. 

Seems like I’m not alone in loving You’ve Got Mail. It was fun to hear from some of you this week about how much you love it too! If you want to have a movie party, here’s all the inspiration you need! (And if you have the party, invite me!)

FIVE. 

Now and then I get questions about how I make my meal plans, and I know some of you don’t really have time to create plans on the regular. (I get it!!) I have shared different sources for such plans over the years, but I stumbled on this one this week and thought I would share it now! It looks like she might be making a new plan every week this year, so she doesn’t have a full year’s repertoire yet, but if she sticks with it, she will by the end of the year! Maybe you’ll find some winner ideas in here.

SIX.

If you’re having family pictures taken this fall and cannot figure out a color combination to try, look at some of these ideas! Even if you don’t like the actual outfits, you might get some ideas for colors you wouldn’t have thought to pair.

Don't Forget

 

Ryan has had some early work days this week, and I’ve had some mind-saturating days. So last night we took in a perfectly cheesy and perfectly predictable TV movie. It was so refreshing.

            Though I typically don’t find life advice in such movies, this one had a good reminder that I needed to hear. The main characters were young adults searching for their career passions, and it just so happened that both of them were creative types – writers and artists.

            I’ve been making a point this month to try to write more every day. I already journal and blog, but I am working on writing other things too. I have so much growing yet to do as a writer, and it won’t happen if I’m not…well…writing!

            It’s so easy to push my passions to the bottom of the pile in favor of the fires that need extinguishing, the responsibilities that need tended, and the expectations put upon me. Those things do matter, but the gifts God has given me matter too. They won’t ever increase if I don’t make time and space for them.

            Maybe you need that reminder too, today. Maybe you have God-given gifts and passions that are going to waste because you never make time to use or hone them. Don’t let that happen! Carve out the time to steward what you’ve been given.

            I’m glad for this cheesy movie and the affirmation it provided that time spent honing those skills is not wasted. I’m glad for the reminder that although taking a risk is scary, it matters.

Fall Bucket List

 

Fall doesn’t officially begin for a few more days, but our temps have cooled and the leaves are beginning to fall around the lake, so I’ve started introducing a little bit of fall around the house. I finished up the porch decorations last night, and that just pushed me straight into thinking about the fun things I hope we can do this fall! Here’s our unofficial bucket list:

Add some splashes of fall inside the house (done!)

Plant mums and add some pumpkins to the porch (done!)

Sit by the fire in the evenings to drink coffee and watch the sunset (Done and will do it again!)

Visit the corn maze

Walk the trail in town – all the way through the woods!

Diffuse all the fall scents

Make pumpkin bread or cookies

Make chili and invite friends over for dinner

Find a fun fall coffee drink (I’m not a pumpkin spice latte girl)

Visit an orchard (if we find one in the area)

Drink hot apple cider (Ryan’s fave!)

Watch You’ve Got Mail

            Maybe we’ll think of a few more things to add along the way, but these things plus some sweatshirts and fuzzy socks sound like a great start to fall for us!

To Everything There Is a Season

 

Ryan grubbed out the garden this week. Everything had stopped producing except the tomatoes, but we were at a point where we had more than enough to cover our needs.

            I missed the pulling out of the old. I was busy working inside when he did it. But he knew I would want to see the first layer of fresh dirt pouring on top of our beloved garden space, so he came to get me before he took it around to the back.

            After narrowly missing a frog (and screaming over it), I stood at a safe distance and watched dark brown dirt pour from the borrowed wheelbarrow into the raised bed below. I thought of the previous owner and his plans for that space to be a walkway. I was grateful for his vision to start the project and grateful he didn’t finish it. The space turned beautifully into a garden, and next year the soil will be even deeper.

            It looks so much bigger in its emptiness. The massive squash leaves have stopped spreading over the far end, and the towering, toppling tomato plants are no longer murdering the peppers and suffocating the little patch of grass beside them.

            After months of green, growing, watering, nurturing, it feels odd to see that stretch of clean brown dirt. But it represents a successful adventure that enriched my year. It represents a dream for next year. I can begin planning what we want to put in that space and how we want to lay it out from one end to the other.

            As trees turn and begin shedding leaves (happening rapidly here!) and mums replace petunias, this stretch of ground represents a mix of success and dreams. It’s the first space we’ve bedded down for the winter, but I’m excited to see it clean and fresh.

            To everything there is a season, Scripture says. I have loved our season of garden abundance and am looking forward to a season of planning.

Celebrating Life: Young and Old(er)

 

            Saturday was a full day for us. We volunteered at our church’s clothing boutique in the morning, and while there, I had the privilege to hold a sweet, seven-week-old baby girl while her mama shopped for clothes for their family. She was the sweetest little peanut, fast asleep in my arms, mouth open, the occasional hiccup disrupting her.

            I stared at her while she slept, because who can’t stare at the innocence and beauty of a sleeping baby? Her whole life stretches before her, yet to be known and for a few minutes on a Saturday morning, I had the chance to be part of her story – to keep her snuggly warm and safe while she was away from her mama for just a bit.

            After that, we traveled back toward home to celebrate Ryan’s dad, who retired after a long career of diligent work. We gathered with family for lunch, and Ryan sat next to his grandma. She’s had such a deep impact on his life from the very start. Ryan and his brother spent a lot of time with her on weekends over the years.

            His grandma lives in assisted living now and seems to be adjusting well and loving it. She is always smiling and giggling and seems to be in good health, even well into her nineties. It was fun to watch the two of them sit and talk about everything from the menu to daily routines to physical therapy.

            Our next stop on the family trail was to see Ryan’s grandpa, who has dementia. He’s a happy one, though, always smiling. Between his fragile memory and his difficulty hearing, it is really hard to have a conversation with him now, but we were glad to see him, and he seemed to know us and be happy that we were there.

            And then we stopped to see my parents and celebrate my mom’s recent birthday.  We saw them not too long ago, but it was good to catch up with them again and hear about her birthday fun. (And possibly sample some of the birthday goodies around the house.)

            From babies to seniors, our day was filled with reminders of every phase of life. Lives yet to be lived and lives well-lived. Thankful for the chance to know and be part of each story and to be impacted – challenged and reminded – to live well with our own lives.

Half a Lifetime Ago

 

It’s been twenty-two years since the towers fell and life began to be marked before and after 9/11.

            I was just twenty-three when it happened, which means it’s been a literal half a lifetime ago for me.

            For those of you who were old enough to remember (which I’m guessing is probably most of you who read here), this day is a day of remembrance, whether or not you are purposeful about it. You remember where you were when you heard. You remember how you spent the rest of your day. You remember the days after, when this country found a resurgence of kindness and compassion.

            We say the memories of the day because we need to continue committing them to memory. Events like this one mark and shape us, even if we didn’t personally know anyone who perished that day.

            I know I’ve shared my own perspective on the story here before, but I, too, need to say the memories again. I was working in the Financial Aid Office at Indiana Wesleyan, and we were in the middle of a division meeting that morning. One of the Admissions Counselors told us the World Trade Center had been hit, and I didn’t even know what or where it was. But I could tell by the shaken reactions of those around me that it was serious. By the time I returned to my office an hour or so later, the Business Office next door had found some sort of small portable television and propped it on a chair to pull in live coverage. I remember standing behind their counter, watching in awe and horror.

            I went to a doctor appointment with a friend, and the whole time she was with the doctor, I sat in the lobby, jaw dropped, watching the TV. I went to the dentist and peered over her hands to watch that TV while she searched for cavities.

            Each time I found a new landing place with a news report, it had gotten worse. The death toll wasn’t just climbing; it was soaring.

            That evening, I had a Stampin’ Up party scheduled in Kokomo – ironically with Ryan’s family. They’re all a bunch of crafters and bought many stamps from me over the years. I offered to cancel, but they felt like being together was important that day, and I was grateful for that. Being home alone sounded awful to me. I drove over and we halfheartedly stamped while keeping an eye on the TV in the corner.

            My parents were on vacation. My roommate worked nights and was gone all night. My on-again-off-again boyfriend was out of town for work. When I got home from that stamping party, I sat and waited for the world to finish crumbling around me, because it felt like that would surely happen.

            And for so many, it did just that on that day, half a lifetime ago.

            Today I have to work, but I will have those stories on the TV in the background. I will give as much of my attention as I can to honoring the lives through sitting with the stories, just as I do every single year.

            It’s been half a lifetime, and yet it was surely just yesterday. The lives matter just as much today. The losses are just as significant.

            Today I will sit in remembrance. Today I will honor the stories.

Sunday Sentiments

 

It’s always been hard for me to step back and live in a place of trust for God to work out the details of life. I presume it comes more naturally to some than to others…and I’m an other.

            God has really been working with me on this lately, bringing to my attention all the ways that He has things under control, and the hours I spend needlessly worrying about something that I can’t control or change are just wasted hours.

            Even in the last week, He’s shown me He is in the details.

            When Ryan’s alternator went out on his truck last Friday, we had an appointment at a shop scheduled almost a week out, because they’re so backed up, that was the soonest they could get us in. And then we had a friend who could fit us in immediately and needed the extra work. Within 24 hours, our truck was back and fixed. God knew!

            I mentioned a few days ago that I ordered some pictures for our house and accidentally shipped them to our old house. I was so irritated with myself for messing it up, and while we do have the new owner’s phone number, I hated to call and bother them to hold our mail. And then…the delivery switched from UPS to the post office, mid-delivery, which means it is in the middle of being forwarded to us. What a blessing!

            I was invited to make a presentation at work, which is really exciting to think about, but the dates made me nervous. The training where I will speak takes place over two days, and the first day conflicts with family photo night. I hated to gratefully accept the opportunity to share while saying, “Oh, by the way, can you redo the schedule if needed so we can get to family pictures?” I decided to just trust the Lord with it, and they ended up scheduling me on the opposite day. Problem averted!

            And then, just a day later, I was invited to speak at a Christmas event for a church in Indianapolis. I was willing to do it, but I was admittedly nervous about how to get there in time after work and how late I would get home that night – only to have to be on the road by 6:30 the next morning for a long day of work in Ohio. In the end, the group went with another speaker, and the Lord reminded me that He knew how much my schedule could take, and He went before me to take care of things.

            I’m sure I’ll continue to wrestle with this, but I am thankful I’m beginning to see the joy of submitting to God’s loving care with little details like this. He knows the things that concern our hearts and we can trust Him to handle them!

Saturday Suggestions

 

Thanks so much for the kindness for Mom yesterday. She enjoyed reading your messages! We'll get to see her today, so I am looking forward to that! Meanwhile, here are a few fun nuggets for your weekend!

ONE. 

Ryan and I have been having such fun learning to mill flour and bake bread. Here is the link to the biscuits we made for our monthiversary last Saturday! They were really good – and I have a feeling we will be able to improve/perfect as we go along. I’d like ours to be a little taller next time. The recipe shows variations, which I’m also excited to explore. I eventually want to try the strawberry shortcake variation!

TWO.

Here is the link to the watercolor app I talked about earlier this week. The app costs $3.99 to download and then you can use any photos in your camera roll to transform into a watercolor look. There are about a dozen varieties of watercolor looks, with some being more defined than others. Once you like the watercolor look, you can save it to your camera roll and then have it printed in whatever size you wish. I have read that fine detail doesn’t work well on this app, so if you’re doing photos with people in them, they look better from the back than with facial detail. Scenery and buildings work well!

THREE. 

I was perusing the Lindsay Letters website earlier this week to see what new art she might have, and I fell in love with this t-shirt. Isn’t it cute? (Love the saying, too.) I did a big t-shirt purge when we moved, so I find myself looking at shirts more these days, trying to figure out what I want to add to my capsule. This one is going on the wish-list!

FOUR.

Almost a decade ago now, when I was working at WBCL, they did an office overhaul and got rid of two two-drawer wooden file cabinets. Ryan and I had consolidated our homes and therefore, our files, and it was a perfect-timing moment. We needed cabinets, and these were free for the taking. We’ve had them ever since and still use them. The problem is, they are true 80s/90s office furniture and could really use a facelift. I found this inspiration this week and wanted to make note of it, so I’m sharing it here. Who knows? Maybe you have old wooden cabinets that need some freshening up, too!

FIVE. 

It’s too soon to decorate for Christmas. I acknowledge that in full! But since this is our first Christmas in this house, I’m already trying to figure out how I want to place my trees and other décor to maximize space and share pretty twinkly lights with the neighborhood. I doubt I need to explain to you why this home office tree made my heart so happy. 😊

SIX. 

The Goodwill near our grocery-shopping loop has some really great stuff in it, and I enjoy stopping in to browse when we head to the store. I saw this thrift shopping advice list this week and learned a few things from it! Some good tidbits in here if you are thinking about taking up thrift shopping. If that’s you, I hope you find some great treasures!

Land of Make-Believe

 

Let’s start this Friday by wishing my mom a happy birthday! She reads the blog every day, so if you leave her some birthday love in the comments, she’ll see it! Happy birthday, Mom! Looking forward to seeing you this weekend and celebrating your 21 years on this earth! 😊

            Yesterday I was talking with a friend, and she told me some stories about her three-year-old who has just started preschool and discovered the land of make-believe. The stories made me laugh and reminded me of my own imagination-overloaded childhood.

            I was raised as an only child, since my sisters were almost out of the house by the time I showed up, and I loved playing house, school, church…the whole bit.

            My mom worked in a first grade classroom, and sometimes at the end of a school year, when the teacher cleaned out her excess worksheets, she’d give them to me to play with in my make-believe school at home. I’d pull the tall trash can out of the kitchen and pretend it was my podium. (It had a lid.) I would mark the rows of “desks” by placing worksheets in order around the living room and passionately teaching my students.

            I even crafted my own gradebook by drawing lines in a regular notebook, writing in names for students, and grading them on their worksheets. Somewhere in my old pictures, I think I have one Mom took of me standing over that trash can podium, preparing something for my classroom.

            Another memory I have of the make-believe years is when I would recreate the church choir loft. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with my own creativity on this one.

            My childhood church had a choir loft that sat behind the platform. A half-wall separated the choir from the platform, and at either end, there was a swinging door that would allow the choir members to come to the platform if needed. (Sometimes they needed to get to microphones to sing solos. You remember microphones of the 80s, right? The brightly colored foam mic covers? Cords?)

            Another key piece of information about our church choir is that they wore light blue choir robes with white sashes.

            When I wanted to play choir at home, I’d wear my mom’s blue bathrobe, put a chair in my bedroom (which was the choir loft) and then I took my giant white flannel board and blocked my bedroom door with it. The flannel board was a big piece of Styrofoam comparable in size to a large bulletin board, covered in fabric that would hold my flannel graph story pieces. (You remember flannel graph stories, right?)

            The board was my swinging choir loft door! I would sit on the chair in my bedroom, sing from the hymnal, and when it was my turn for a solo (second day of never in real life), I’d swing open the flannel graph board, step into the hall, and sing right into my mom’s curling brush.

            There was more – much more – from my childhood. I once drew the entire dashboard and gear shift of a car and taped it to the back of the driver’s seat. I stuck a frisbee in the space between the head rest and the seat back and pulled it out to be my steering wheel, so I could drive wherever we went.

            I set up a drive-thru restaurant in my playhouse in the backyard. Mom bought me a little carbon copy ticket book, and I served many imaginary meals to cars driving…well, through our yard, apparently.

            I love hearing when kiddos today still use their imaginations! Did you have an active imagination when you were little?

Frustrations and Promises

 

You might remember that our refrigerator died a little over a month ago. It wasn’t very old and was still under warranty (thankfully). We brought in the spare garage fridge and parked it in the living room, grateful that the house came with this spare, or we would be out of luck. For a month now, we’ve been running upstairs and down all day long to carry food to the kitchen for cooking and back to the refrigerator for storing.

            We chose a new fridge and ordered it, and this past Saturday was supposed to be delivery day.

            Except it wasn’t, because the day before, they called to cancel, saying the refrigerator was out of stock nationwide until November.

            They promised to have the appliance manager call us, but he never did. So Sunday afternoon, we went to the store to check on things in person. We talked with the manager who had clearly never heard of us or received any kind of message to call us. He was so nice and helpful, but we were glad we didn’t wait for his call!

            The funny thing was, he couldn’t find anything that showed a November restock date. He actually said the new fridge was on its way and should be delivered on Thursday. You know…today. We were thankful for the plot twist, bought some mums on our way out the door, and skipped merrily home.

            So you see, I knew when Ryan called yesterday and said, “I have some news…” I didn’t want to hear the news. Not even a little bit.

            The manager called again. Turns out November is for real. In a conversation that ran off and on throughout the entire day, Ryan and I decided we did not want to wait until November for a permanent solution. We asked if we could get our second choice fridge instead, and we can…

            …but that means we have to cancel our current order, and what followed was a convoluted mess of paying here to be reimbursed there and canceling this to start that…all of it leaving me hoping we actually end up with a refrigerator in our lifetime, and that it remotely resembles any of the ones we liked, and that we actually get all of the money back we’re supposed to get, and furthermore, that the manager is successful in convincing the store that we ran through way more than was necessary to replace a broken fridge under warranty, resulting in some sort of additional assistance.

            I’ll believe all of it when I see it.

            And somewhere in all of that, I realized I shipped the watercolor prints of our homes to our OLD address.

            And it rained on Ryan’s mowing night.

            We all have those days, don’t we? But even when things go wrong, OH how beautifully God reminds me of His power and presence. That rain that ruined Ryan’s lawn adventures brought the most BEAUTIFUL rainbow! I love rainbows so dearly and haven’t seen one in months. For me, that little gift was the reminder that God keeps His promises and cares for His children. Frustrations like refrigerators delayed in arrival and pictures going to the wrong house are not out of the scope of His ability to use for a good purpose, and I am choosing to believe He will do just that.

            And maybe God is pressing me to believe with genuine faith that He will take care of it all - rather than waiting until I see it to believe it.