Failed Brakes

That is what I am thankful for today.

My husband called me when I had just pulled into work. Letting me know that tonight's plans would have to change. When he pulled into the driveway at his work, the brakes on his truck gave out.
My first question was if he was okay. 
Yes he is fine.
My next thought was to breath a grateful prayer.
Not only for his safety this morning, but for the safety this past weekend. We were at the cabin. In that truck.
Over the mountains
On hairpin turns
Two hours there,
Two hours home.
Turnpike, tons of cars, moderately heavy traffic.
And here we are safe & sound.
Tonight when he came home from work, I hugged him a little tighter, and once again breathed a prayer of thankfulness
For Safety
For failed brakes, that remind me that I serve a mighty God.

3 years

Three years ago...

Bug on the Windsheild

Yes, it had been one of those days.
I woke up in the morning right on time. Twelve hours -give or take- from when I had fallen asleep. I wasn't feeling the greatest the night before, and truth be told those 12 hours didn't do much to improve the way I felt.
My contacts were all dried out from sleeping with them in.
I got my breakfast, packed my lunch & headed to work.
Despite leaving in plenty of time, after getting behind a tractor, unable to pass; I punched in at 7:32.
It was a long day.
Stress of trying to get all things on my list done.
Added pressure of last minute things to get done.
Till I looked at the clock & realized it was 5:00, and past time for me to be headed home; I was feeling the need for another 12 hour night.
Driving home i was making mental lists of all i needed to do in the evening before being able to get some sleep. I felt ever so much like a bug, and my mental list combined with my day was the windshield coming at me at 45 mph.
I was in stop & go traffic. I like that even less than following tractors. At one of the "stop" times, i saw movement in the top right corner of my windshield. And there was a little bug crawling across my windshield. I actually smiled at the irony of my previous thoughts of feeling like a bug splattered on a windshield.
I watched as he crawled ever so slowly. His antennae waving in the air. Antennae that look to be only ever so slightly attached to his body. I began to marvel at my Creator's handiwork. Thinking about the bug & how delicately he was designed, and God taking care of his every need.
The thought of God taking care of me, and knowing how many hairs are on my head, really hit home for the first time. Or at least in a way that I never thought of before.
I am a "make my world work" type of person. I have plans, I figure out what I need to do to get the results I expect. When my world doesn't work, I get stressed, I get frustrated, and often times to my shame, I only then cry out to God.
Even then it is "Lord, help me make this work" not "Lord here is the situation, I give it to You"
Amazing how sometimes all it takes is something like a bug on the windshield for God to get your attention.

Art class

I clearly remember the third grade.  I was sitting at my desk working on history homework. Art class had just finished and there was time left to do some homework before the end of the day. I raised my hand, and asked the teacher - "Why can't we have art class everyday?" In my mind it was a valid question. We had history every day- why not art? She smiled that "oh-silly little child" smile, and said: Because if we only did art what would you do when you get older? I smartly replied "be a mom".  The bell rang & school was over for the day.
    Fast forward quite a few years & here I am. While I am deeply grateful for my education in other subjects than art; (In fact I do quite like history) I still wish every day was art class.
As a child I had a very interesting imagination. Picking all kinds of weeds & tossing them together to make salad to serve from my McDonald's drive thru window. (the playhouse window) The salad generally got served with a mud burger and fries (twigs). I colored shapes on a piece of paper and dumped moms olive oil it so it would become transparent like a stained glass window. And then came the day when mom said I could use her sewing machine. Bits and pieces of scraps turned to misshapen pieces of doll or barbie clothes. I was in heaven.
   I still wish it was Art class every day. It's not. I'm not a mom yet, so those things I learned in school do come in handy.
   I still get my craft fix as often as I can. My newest venture is opening my own etsy shop. Right now I have some fabric flower headbands in it, but I also have some hair ties & pins that aren't listed. I dream of a shop full of little clothes and shoes, but for now its headbands.
  The other way I let out my inner artist ( I say that word very loosely!) is photography. I love it. I take pictures in my head even when I don't have my camera. There is just something about creating, and capturing that perfect moment, that has a profound grip on my heart.
So, while it's not art class every day all day for me. It's something I'm holding on to.

The Maine Event

Saturday morning sunrise

   Anticipation is half the fun. Or so they say. It's been looked forward to for almost a year. It's been dreamed of, thought out, planned. Now it has already been here & it's over...But what a wonderful time it was. ;)
  We left in the early hours of Saturday morning (9/10) and headed out on our week long adventure to Maine. We went with friends of ours Lisa & Brent & their son William. We filled our week with quaint towns, lighthouses, hiking, beach-combing, good food, games, great memories, and lots of pictures.

At the Portland Head Light

The Goddard Mansion at Williams State Park in Portland

Weathered Building Scrumptious-ness

Our attempt at Pasta & Fresh Mussels

Lovely sunset views from the back yard.

boats - water - happiness

small town bakery

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. The one on the Maine State Quarter

Handsome husband

Went to the docks to get some "lobstah" for supper the one night.

our house

Our Last Maine Sunset

The boot at L.L. Bean

 We had an absolutely amazing time. A week that I will never forget.

Hello, my name is Susie Housewife, & I'm a multi-tasker

You know those days when you feel pretty good about yourself? Well, today just might be one of them.
I slept in. (dont worry, that wasn't part of the multitasking)
The kind of sleeping in where you sleep solid. Not the listen-to-the-neighbor-mow-his-yard, or the-dog-barking-loudly, but I'm still sleeping, kind of sleep.
Then, I ate breakfast. A healthy bowl of Quaker oats with raw milk. And yes, the cereal was healthy, cause Bob Harper eats it.

Now, on to the Susie Housewife part. I would say Donna Reed, but what I had for lunch (cold pizza) puts me below her league. I'm pretty sure. Plus she would do it in heels & pearls instead of twisted up bed-head, and bare feet.

 

Marinara Sauce

Like I said. Susie Housewife. After breakfast I started Marinara Sauce to can. I also started the washer. I currently have my eye on the canner, wherein sits 20-some pints of sauce, with more next to it waiting to go in. plus, i was working on these little guys...

Eggplant headband

They are going to single-handedly (along with many other that look very much like them) get me & C to Ireland for an anniversary trip. Not saying which anniversary. Might be the 5th, or it might be the 50th. We're not sure yet. Regardless of if they sell or not., It is so good to be able to create.
I guess thats what canning is too. If you want to call it that.
Really though I think this is pretty too. And it will taste good later on. Pretty & functional & I'm all about that! ;)

Last weeks peaches.

Bedtime Prayers...

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I snore while my wife's awake.

 I pray the Lord, dont let my life be at stake.

This should be C's prayer tonight...

I'm not particularly mad or annoyed at him. At least I hadn't been. He has this thing he does. You know "I'm not even really tired" then head hits pillow & he's asleep before I even finish brushing my teeth. And belive me I am not the kind of  stand-in-front-of-the-sink-forever-brushing-your-teeth type of girl.
 I am however the type of girl that lays in bed thinking of ways she could wake up her husband.
I feel like I'm 12 again. I feel like i did every Sunday afternoon when my sister decided to take a nap & I didn't want to. I would whine & complain that this is the only time I get to hang out with her & try to put her on a guilt trip. (yeah I did that at 12)
That's how I feel.
If I cant sleep why should he.
So my list of ways to wake him....

• I'll start out subtle. Lay on my back with my knees bent & let them "fall over" on him in my sleep....

• Flail my arms, moan & groan, pretending I am having a nightmare till he wakes up & "wake's me" from my horrible dream.

• Use my cell phone to call the house phone. Answer the house phone & say "I think you have the wrong number"

• Scream at the top of my lungs, then try to convince him he was dreaming.

• Point the laser beam out the window at the dog pen to make Jack bark. Hop back in bed, & convince Curt to go out & see what his problem is. Turn off the laser before Curt gets out there.

• Change the time on the clock, make the alarm go off & try to convince him it really is morning, it's just dark cause there is a thunderstorm brewing

• Repeat number two, adding in some kicking & punching.

• Turn his pager up the whole way & call in an emotional problem at our address. Cause that's what is gonna happen if I cant sleep soon!

And tell me why is it when I finally roll the whole way around & finally get comfortable, that he feels the urge to interrupt his snoring, roll on his side & breath on me?


Disclaimer: I do not have homicidal tendencies,  am not in the practice of making crank 911 calls,, & I do love my husband dearly :)