A Running Collection

The popcorn was popping something fierce. We were outside and the sound was to vivid. I popped my head in to check and popcorn was flying everywhere. There was popcorn in and on and around and over everything. No lid. No lid on Wednesday. No lid on it at all. Woke up sure that it would be a good day and first words with humans led to tears and fears of failure. What exactly am I trying to do at this house? Where is order? Where is rhythm. Where is my brain? George set me out to find joy. I ran and ran and wished to be somewhere else in the world. Just that morning we'd read a book to the children about salt. Did they know they could taste their tears and they would be salty? I knew. Tears spilled down cheeks -- salty taste in mouth. Releasing some serious pain. Pain of feeling wrong and terribly afraid of failing my children and my household. I came home and told George I couldn't pull it together and he said is sounded a little like pitiful. He was sooo right. How piti...

New towns mean wrong turns on occasion. Last week, I was trying to get to a soccer field and turned into a no outlet neighborhood. Amelia spotted two fruit trees heavy with fruit. We haaaaad to stop "Please Mom." After the soccer field was found and play accomplished, we drove back through the wrong neighborhood (this time on purpose) to find out about the trees. No one was home, so I tore off a piece of paper, jotted a note and tucked it in the front door. A sweet lady called a few days later and said she would love for us to come pick the fruit because they don't do anything with it! Amelia was delighted. We headed over Sunday afternoon. What a treasure we found! A sweet family with twin teenagers. One climbed onto her dads shoulders to shake pears down from the tree. Amelia was in the persimmon tree plucking away.  As the children played under the trees, the dad took me on a tour of his yard. He has planted all sorts of fruits and veggies all over the yard. Pea...

Waffle Friday. Children on stools with happy plates of warm crusty waffles. They wanted to hear the Stoning of Stephen Story in lieu of our discussion about persecution spreading the gospel. They sat perfectly still while eating waffles and dipping them in whipped cream (Thank you Okies for that) and listened to the entire story of Stephen. It is such a hard beautiful story.  Off like a shot after 100 questions. Feed chickens, water plants (we have a garden in October), create something while still in pajamas in the cool of the morning.  William takes a miracle nap. Mama actually showers, dresses, brushes hair AND teeth and has the house in order. Now we stop and read for awhile. Amelia is really picking it up and George Wilder loves to hear her read. Beauty! Lunch on the porch, project using rulers and tape and cardboard and paperclips and rubberbands. They put together their little cars and spring them into action. A ruler and the inch is fun. ...

My grandmother just finished her life here on this earth. We celebrated her magnificent life as a family over the weekend. It was a blur of love and hilarious laughter, tears and remembering. We told story after story of her amazing ability to keep perfect order and her passion for people to know the love of Jesus.  The lessons that I learned from my grandmother are not found in a workbook, cookbook, or textbook. They are found in her example and her endless endeavor to teach us to be righteous and wise. Much of what she taught us is found in the Bible. Mom gave me her Bible over the weekend. It is full of her notes and I just can't wait to find them as I read through it.  Grandma was certain that I should wear makeup. She was certain that I should use Clinique skin care products. Maybe she was right. Maybe my skin would be much better off if I had been as maticulous about skin care as she was. She would take me to the Clinique counter to find a lipstick and ...