The Blog Is Wide, I Can't Cross Over

So what are we thinking of the current music, Dear Reader?
Is it putting you to sleep? I don't know why I have more than
two or three songs at a time on the old juke box.
I rarely listen further than that and I doubt
any of the 1.5 of you do either.
But that second song, The Water Is Wide,
is one that I do love.
But it also kind of lulls me into....something.
It'd be great to listen to in bed at night.
You'd be out cold before Karla got to
the chorus. I actually prefer that song sung by
(no big surprise here)
James Taylor. But it is a pretty song, don't' you think?
I always think it would be nice at a wedding.
Don't even get me started on potential wedding songs.
I recently forced one on my friend and her recent wedding.
And then I do believe you and I have talked about my desire
to have the instrumental part of the song Layla
(by Derrick and the Dominoes) played as the
bride and groom exit at the end of the ceremony.
If you could see it like I see it
in my mind (and hear it), it would make total sense.
And you'd all play it at your weddings.
And I'd be so mad if you didn't give me credit
for having the brilliant idea.

I can't believe this week is almost over.
Someone said to me recently that the days
just evaporate in the summer
and that is so true.
It has been a busy week for us (relatively).
With the kids going to VBS this week, we have had to
actually be up and dressed and
out the door at a certain time.
Every day.
Like most homeschooling families,
that's not something we are used to.
So with VBS each morning and a couple of afternoons
spent swimming, my babes are getting tired.
Especially Sweet T.
I kept him home from church with Baby J and myself
last night. He fell asleep about 5:45 and I woke him up
at 7pm to try to feed him and he just cried.
He was completely exhausted.
We cuddled on the couch for a while
(which I didn't mind at all
---these boys of mine won't always be
cuddlers, you know)
and then by the time Lloyd Dobbler and the big kids came
home from church, he was ready to eat.
But he just couldn't face the spaghetti
the rest of us had. He had to have his favorite
--peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
That child could live on PB&J.

Today was the second annual "let's do coffee while my kids
are at VBS" meeting with one of my very favorite people
in the world, Mrs. Marathon. I just LOVE this lady
and she has been such a source of help and encouragement
to me. Back when I didn't know her very well, she joined in
with a small group I assembled a couple of years ago
(and I need to do this again, we had such a good time!)
that came to my house once a week. We went through
the book Passionate Housewives Desperate for God together.
Mrs. Marathon would always say things that just made
such sense to me and I appreciated her insight and loved
her heart for the Lord. We try to work together at our home
school co-op, but in the summer we have to
make appointments to see each other. We have decided
that when my kids are in VBS, we have to meet for coffee.
Last year at the first annual meeting of this kind,
I was still reeling at surprise of my
newly discovered pregnancy (remember all the crazy
healthy issues I was having prior to that
pregnancy discovery--was that only
last year? wow).
This year, we had Baby J with us and what a
precious baby he is. (Mrs. Marathon was one of the first
people to meet Baby J when he was born. She came to
the hospital a couple of times before and after his birth.)
So I thoroughly enjoyed my
visit with her today. It seems like such a big deal
to ever get away from my home and my entourage
to meet a friend in this manner, but whenever I go to
the trouble to arrange it and make it happen,
it's just the greatest thing.
It's like having fuel pumped into your tank.
What am I saying? That I have gas?
No...you goofy Reader,
but that I feel refreshed and restored.
Isn't that what we are supposed to do
to our Christian friends?
Build each other up? Encourage one another?
Bear one another's burdens?
And drink iced coffee?

For those of you keeping score at home,
I have indeed climbed most of Mt. Laundry.
My soul! I have ironed so many things.
On Tuesday I ironed 14 dress shirts for Lloyd Dobbler.
Fourteen! I think I was surprised that he has that many
dress shirts....and that there was still stuff
hanging in his closet when I went to put those away.
And that doesn't even speak
to all the other things I have been ironing.
I know I iron things that other people wouldn't iron,
but I just like us to not look like
we rolled down a hill when we get out of the house.
I don't mind them being wrinkly at home so much
...but when we go out in public, we don't need to look
like we are homeless.
Or iron-less.

One time the main nurse at my OB commented to me
that she thought I always looked nice when I came for my
doctor's appointments. She said a lot of women
(especially when pregnant)
will just come in in like sweat pants
and an old shirt, but that
(and these are her exact words)
"you always look like you just ironed your clothes."
And I probably did.
But I do believe my standards have
dropped a little over time.
Hello? Have you met me in the last year?
I feel like my standards for everything have dropped
in this last year. But I'm still not letting
people leave my home
looking wrinkled if I can help it.
They may not match
or there may be a hole in the shirt,
but it will be ironed.