Soaps

I enjoy doing laundry. There I said it.

I also shop for detergent like some gals shop for the perfect dress.

When we get to that isle at the grocery store with all those boxes and bottles of detergents, my husband goes in search for the "free sample" ladies.

Then there are those really, really cool detergents that are in glass bottles and all natural. Be still my heart. They have names like, Lemongrass, Grapefruit Ginger and Verbena Lavender!

Actually, all soap fascinates me.

True story: A little 10-year-old girl visited our church one evening with her mom. It was the first time she had ever been in a church. I prayed for a minute with her and then left her to talk to the Lord alone. About fifteen minutes later she told her mom, "I felt like Jesus scrubbed me all over with soap!"

She didn't know the Scripture Ephesians 5:26 that says, "He [Jesus] did this to make the Church holy by cleansing it, washing it using Water [of the Holy Spirit] along with spoken Words [The Word]."

I think the Lord may enjoy doing a little "laundry" too.

Manly Man Knitted Socks

After knitting myself a pair of woolen socks, my dear husband asked me to knit him a pair. Delighted he wanted something handcrafted, I let him pick out yarn - sort of. The man knows nothing about fiber. Go figure.
That night I began the new sock pattern. Unraveled. Began again. Unraveled. Began again. Unraveled - you get my drift. After several days of knitting, they were finished!
He put the woolen beauties on his size 11 1/2 feet that winter day and said three ugly words, "They're too short." "WHAT?" I snapped back, clearly remembering that I took the measurements of his rather generous sized pups.
"Well, the MENS socks I get at Wal-Mart have longer...." he began, as he measured up his calf near his cute, bony knee.
"WAL-Mart? You're comparing these hand-crafted washable wool socks in mouth-watering tweed [well, maybe not mouth-watering but I couldn't think of another description] to Chinese-child-laboring-sweat-shop-machine-crafted white, generic TUBE socks?" I said aghast.
[Not that I don't shop at Wal-Mart, but that's a whole other blog.]
He started, "Men don't wear short socks..."
"Oh, you're saying these socks are not MANLY MAN socks?" I answered with my lower lip quivering.
It was like a man telling his wife that his child she just delivered was not as cute as he'd hoped for!

I grabbed some girly-girl yarn and began knitting and unraveling, knitting and unraveling a new pair of 6 1/2 socks for me.

The next several months my honey didn't wear those socks much - well, ever. They were "drafty," he said. Ugh.
However, one day a spider found his feet irresistible (as I do too) and due to the pain, he could NOT wear any store bought sock --- only those less-than-macho sock I knitted. In fact, he wore the pair every single day for five weeks. [Yes, I washed them every couple of days & dried them overnight. Really!] *rolling my eyes*
So, next time you get something that someone put their love and life's time into, it might be a good idea to hum to yourself, "The itsy-bitsy spider...."

Central Air

Thank the Lord for central air until it stops working on one of the hottest days of the summer (of course!).

It was too late to call a repairman when we came home to a sweltering house, so we slept with the windows opened and let the warm, HUMID air sort of.....limp in.

As as the mercury kept rising, I saw God's plan for Mankind to go around naked in a whole new light. It was, as He put it, a "good" plan. In fact, as sweat droplets rolled down my back, I'm thinking it was a "GREAT plan!" Of course, providing you have no neighbors.

But Adam & Eve fell. Mankind was assigned clothing (the price tag was all that knowledge Eve thought she so desperately needed).

So in the intense summer heat I'm praying either the Lord or the repairman comes quickly.

By the way, does anyone else wonder if Adam & Eve asked the Lord to put them in the Heavenly witness protection program? grrrrrrrrr. lol.

P.S. After I wrote this the repairman came & simply reattached a lose wire.

Ahhhh, thank You, Lord, for central air.

Friends

A couple of friends from Georgia popped in to visit Sunday. Both mother and daughter are outgoing, self-assured, fun-loving, gorgeous women.

Though it has been nearly five years since we've seen each other, we immediately fell in to giggling and catching up.

That's the wonderful things about friends and family: no matter how long or how great the distance, you can just pick up where you left off. Linda and Erica, thank you for taking time to visit with us Sunday!

Sweet Tea

Summer and iced tea....or as they say in the South, sweet tea.
I remember not long after we moved to Georgia, I asked a native southerner how she made her sweet tea. It was truly the most delicious tea I'd ever had. Southerners take their sweet tea seriously, so she sat me down and wrote:
1 family size Lipton tea bag.
1 1/2 cups of sugar (she told me this could vary by a half-cup depending on your sweet tooth).
Then she instructed me to heat 1 bag of tea just until it comes to a boil - DO NOT COOK IT, nor let it "steep forever."
Pour a little cold water into the pitcher & gradually add the hot tea alternating with stirring in the sugar so it will dissolve. Add remainder of cold water. Serve with lemon or lime [I much prefer lime]. OOOooooooooweeee!
Every time I drink sweet tea, I think of that young southern bride, Lori. Thank you for contributing the sweet tea recipe and said enjoyment of, into my life.

Ozark Empire Fair

The Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, Missouri runs from July 31- August 9.

From the time my husband was a small child, he went to the fair every day it was in town.

When we dated, it was incorporated into our dates.

Every once in a while a smell will waft past my nose and my mind immediately goes back to eating "fair food." We'd walk along the midway eating a greasy corndog while every carnie would hawk to spend $$$ at their booth.

We didn't pay much attention. We were saving our money for something better -- Funnel Cake! Or maybe a sno-cone?

Did you go to the fair as a kid?

Sunburn

The sunblock SPF 50 was generously slathered on my arms, hands and face. "I'm being good to my skin," I mused.

When I came in from mowing and sat down, I noticed my jeans had a double hole in one knee.

Yup --- there was a weird sunburn on my knees shaped just like the holes. It's a little reminder to me of how strong the sun is, and how it searches out and finds the most unlikely places to shine on.

Aren't you glad the Son is strong and searched you and me out, the most unlikely, to shine on?

Being a Sheep

When I saw this little woolly sheep, it reminded me of how much I like the look of them (though this one is not real). It also reminded me of how much I've enjoy knitting this year. I learned how to knit by knitting a sock on size "0" needles. YIKES. I'll just use straight pins next time. lol.

Anyway, I thank those sheep who have "given it up" for my future socks.

I thank The Lamb of God for "giving it up" for my future eternity.

Send the Rain

This photo reminds me of the that song, "Send Your Rain." That is what my heart has been longing for. How about you?

Today

I read this and am adopting it as my goal: "Today I will be happier than a bird with a french fry!"

Don't you love that?

And, isn't it amazing how God feeds the birds of the air?

Books, especially hard back

Books.

I didn't learn to enjoy reading until I was 21 years old! That's when my mom introduced me to a paperback book entitled, 'The Scent of Lilacs.' It was a mystery of sorts and from that day forward, I had at least one book going at all times.

Genres. I started with mysteries and still enjoy them the most. I actually read a few "Romance novels," though they were not the mushy-kissy-face kind. Yuk. I have bookcases full of books on knitting, sewing, gardening, self improvement, devotionals, novels, biographies, autobiographies, fiction, non-fiction and decorating.

The quote that describes my relationship with books is this: "Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." ~Charles W. Eliot

Oh yes, I wished I could find that first inspirational book from my past.

Summer @ The Cottage

My front door is opened. The rain is falling gently outside and it fills the air with the scent of summer.

The fern and hydrangea outside of my window seem excited because of the unusual cool temperature.