April Laundry

One of my favorite rules of childhood: it does not matter how long you have actually worn a garment, nor what kind of activity you have engaged in while wearing said garment; once the article of clothing has touched your skin and been removed, it is automatically dirty and should be discarded into the laundry hamper.  Note: all horizontal surfaces in bedrooms and bathrooms can be used for a hamper at any time.  Exception: if you have an "accident," it is perfectly acceptable (indeed, preferable) to hide the offensively odorous garment in a tight corner of your closet or drawer.  Moms like finding those presents.

I just finished folding the weekend's accumulation of laundry.  The strange assortment in each family member's size does tell the diverse (if unremarkable) tale of our April weather. Sweatshirts and long pants, t-shirts and short pants, churchy clothes, fishing clothes; we wore it all in two days.  Plus pajamas and as many pairs of socks as we could find.

This afternoon, when Dad the permissive returned from work, the kids went swimming.

It was not warm enough, but it satisfied some need buried within them.  Plus now they know where their swimsuits are when the temperatures hit the 80's... tomorrow.

Whether Weather

I am not going to complain about the weather.  It has definitely been Habakkuk chapter 3 weather. [Sorry, that was a Random Old Testament Reference.  I like those, but I try not to use too many of them.]
Every morning I greet the hazy dawn and secretly think that this could be The Day that the skies open.  But I have to keep these thoughts secret even from myself because I am tired of being disappointed.  Each night I put myself to bed beneath a whirring fan and say surely this heat must break soon.  See? I'm not complaining.  But I'm really close to complaining, so I'll stop now before I am tempted to talk about the fields around my house.



So it is Vacation Bible School week at our church. Interesting how the songs aimed at reminding elementary kids to trust God are doing the same for me.  My favorite?  An upbeat number that says things like "I will trust in You RIGHT NOW, no matter how I feel RIGHT NOW."
Hmmm...
I feel hot and slightly cranky.
I feel worried.
I feel tired.
I feel overwhelmed.
Perfect.  The song also says "I gotta think, think, think, think about the goodness of You, my Lord.  Because I know, know, know no matter how I feel I can trust in You."
Do I run my mind through this obstacle course of feelings (hot, cranky, worried, tired and overwhelmed)? Or do I park my thoughts on the goodness of my Lord?  Because I know
He is good
whether the weather is or not.
I know, not really that profound, huh?  Well, it is a kid song, they're not especially known for their profundity.  Still, I'm not above receiving encouragement from a catchy, repetitive source.

 I love the VBS games leader! Her energy and enthusiasm are only outmatched by her well-placed, child-friendly sarcasm. 

Mornings at Home

It is a beautiful morning. I would try to take a picture, but my photography skills are not worthy.  And I don't want to change out of my pajamas one moment too soon.

The fields and yard are frosted, the barns and trees silhouetted against the slowly waking sky.  A thin band of pink rims the eastern horizon, a thin fog gentles the dark blue above.

I do not know what the rest of the day will look like.  At this point, un-forecasted as I am, it is a guess either way.  Maybe it is the suspense of early morning that appeals so much to me. I fluctuate somewhere between opti- and pessi-misms and would like to think this will be a beautiful day, but I know that it is late October and chances of rain abound.
Regardless, I have my love, my babies, projects and chores, and the confidence of God's love.  It will be a lovely day, no matter the color of the sky.  

And now... for some coffee!

**I should note that Sunday mornings are typically the least beautiful around here. But a sick-yesterday-I-feel-fine-now child keeps me home today, and it is far more relaxed and restful.

**I must note that I just overheard one son tell the other that we are staying home from church "because you were sick yesterday and the Bible tells us, if one of you is sick he should stay home." I think I need to do a better job with those Bible lessons.

Glittery Wings in the Warm Air

Typically, I'm one to want weather to follow the proper order.
Winter = Cold.
Spring = Balmy (and yes, rainy).
Summer = Hot.
Autumn = Crisp.
But this string of extra-warm October days have been lovely. The mornings are just a teeny bit sharp, a thin fog hanging over the drying corn. The mild chill gives way to afternoons comfortable for flip flops and t-shirts. Laundry on the line and paint on the porch both dry quickly. There may be an over abundance of those smelly orange ladybug-look-alikes, but even those catch the afternoon light on their wings and redeem themselves with glittery spectacle.

I've enjoyed these last two weeks.
Rumor is that real October arrives tomorrow.