LESSONS LEARNED FROM TOADS

I've spent a lot of time this summer cleaning a swimming pool. I have learned that toads like swimming pools. Well, they like pools until they don't like them any more; then, I guess, they hate swimming pools. At least, I think the toads would hate the swimming pool...except by then, the toads are dead.

I wonder how many toads drown in swimming pools across the United States every summer. Must be millions.

After I throw the dozen or so dead toads out of the pool filter basket, I try to rescue the live toads still searching for a way out of the pool. I like toads. Toads eat bugs. Toads remind me of happy times in the garden. (I knew it had been a long, lonely week - Steve away at work, the youngest working at 4-H camp - when I found myself talking to the toads I was chasing. Some people talk to their plants; some, to their cats; me...I talk to toads.)

Things I have learned from toads this summer, while cleaning a swimming pool:

Toads are much better swimmers than people.

Sometimes the things we think we absolutely must have - the things we most desperately want - are the very things that will destroy us. I'm pretty sure every one of those toads thought the water looked irresistibly delicious right before he hopped into the pool.

Very good things - like cool, clear water on a hot summer day - can become the very worst things, taken in excess.

Both the shallow end of the pool and the deep end of the pool are deadly - even for an expert swimmer - if you cannot use the ladder and you refuse the help of the big person standing on the deck.

Sometimes fear makes us run away from the thing we need the most. Not ONE of the toads I saved this summer swam toward me - they all swam as fast as they could away.

Blessings are found in unexpected places...like, "Hey, toad, that big scary woman sweeping a pool skimmer toward you really is your new best friend!"

And now, enough about toads. Time to get dinner on the table!

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

FAVORITE NEW BLOG: Jasmine L. Holmes: Not a Mommy Blog

From Jasmine's "about" page: "This blog is my attempt to create a little corner of the internet to reach out and encourage women in all stages of life." Jasmine does just that.

Young, female, black, Reformed...could she be any more of a target for public dismissal, ridicule or hostility? And yet, Jasmine reveals a wisdom beyond her years as she writes with courage, clarity, grace, humor and transparency. Her posts consistently challenge my thinking and encourage me to live out my faith in the day-to-day.

FAVORITE LOCAL BUSINESS: Soleil Garden Center

Located on the north side of Union City, Tennesse, at 2317 Nailling Drive, Soleil Garden Center provides a wide variety of plants and garden supplies to meet your landscaping needs. A walk through the Grand Pavilion is like a walk through the Garden of Eden.

But the beautiful plants, gurgling fountains, and unique gift shop are not the reason I love Soleil. I love Soleil because of the people who own and operate Soleil Garden Center. They treat my youngest, one of their employees, like family. According to my daughter, not only does she work at a place that looks like a fairy garden, surrounded by beautiful flowers and plants, but her bosses make her feel appreciated and truly loved. Helen sincerely looks forward to going to work every day, and I think that says a lot about the people she works for!

If you live in Northwest Tennessee, stop by and say Hi! You can check out their Facebook page HERE.

FAVORITE READ SO FAR THIS YEAR: Changes That Heal, by Dr. Henry Cloud

I am reading a lot of books this year. Back in January, I set a goal of reading two books per month. I have averaged a book a week. Fiction, theology, history, biography, technical books on writing, classic literature, old favorites, new releases...I am trying to keep it varied!

Twenty books into 2018, my hands-down pick for if-you-only-read-one-book-this-year-make-it-this-book is Dr. Henry Cloud's Changes That Heal. Okay, I admit it: I am totally blown away that a book on mental health is trumping even C. S. Lewis for me this year. Maybe it's the timing.

From the back cover: "In Changes That Heal, Dr. Henry Cloud, a renowned clinical psychologist, combines his expertise, well-developed faith, and keen understanding of human nature in a four-step program of healing and growth."

Reading through this book, I feel like Dr. Cloud has been a fly on the wall in my physical house...and in my heart house. Numerous case studies bring clarity to the various topics Dr. Cloud discusses, and his practical, easy-to-understand advice has been a game changer for how I understand myself and how I relate to others.

These are a few of my current "favorite things" - what's on your list of favorites?

10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR TODAY (04/19/18)

Ten things I am thankful for today, in no particular order:

1. Morning light creeping across the hay field. (Never gets old...beautiful every morning.)
2. My walking buddy, Carol.
3. My prayer sisters. They are warrior princesses.
4. Bible Study Fellowship. (Even though I did not make it to class today; I hope be back in class next week, ladies!)
5. My children. My children's spouses/significant others. My children's children.
6. Helen's chocolate chip cookies. Yum! And coffee. I am thankful for coffee.
7. Helen playing the piano.
8. Old friends. (Old, as in "we've been friends a long time," not as is in, you know, old.)
9. Addie at Global Counseling Network.
10. My wonderful next-door neighbors.
11. The smell of fresh-turned earth.
12. Fuzzy black calves romping across green grass in the pasture.
13. Songbirds outside my window.
14. My parents and my grandparents, and the rich heritage of faith, courage, strength, kindness, and hope each of them gave me.
15. Sunshine!

Your turn: what are YOU thankful for today?

ADVENTURE OF THE MONTH

Hiking frozen Reelfoot Lake back in January. SO COLD!!!

I am a house mouse. My youngest is an adventurer.

For the sake of my daughter's sanity, I am trying to come out of my shell a little, expand my horizons. Because I do anything better if I have a plan, I have resolved to plan and execute one adventure with my daughter each month this year.

Helen and I brainstormed a list of possible "adventures." Some are indoors, for cold or rainy weather; some are outdoors, for when the weather is nice. Some are close to home; some are further away. Some are free; some would require us to save up a bit of moolah ahead of time. Some are silly; some are serious/educational.

Here is our list so far:

1. Tour a historic house/property.
2. Visit an art gallery or a museum.
3. Spend a day at a botanical garden.
4. Hike the trails at a state park.
5. Spend an afternoon fishing.
6. Explore a cave.
7. Go kayaking or canoeing.
8. Attend a concert.
9. Take a handgun class at a shooting range.
10. Go horseback riding.
11. Ride a train.
12. Have a spa day.
13. Take a cake decorating class.
14. Plant a garden planter or hanging flower basket.
15. Camp out for a weekend on Granddad's farm.
16. Host a dance party.
17. Book an airplane tour of our home county.
18. Go out for burgers and a movie.
19. Tour local cemeteries and look up dead relatives.
20. Organize a picnic with friends.
21. Go Goodwill shopping.
22. Plan and host a dress-up party for the nieces and nephews.
23. Visit the zoo.
24. Take a photography class.
25. Go creek stomping.
26. Try a new restaurant.
27. Audition for a play.
28. Volunteer to read and help with crafts for story time at the library.
29. Plan a mini-concert for nursing home residents.
30. Visit a fancy dress shop and try on evening wear.
31. Enter some kind of creative competition (art, music, writing).
32. Check out a student art exhibit at the university.
33. Have a cookie decorating party.
34. Attend a piano recital.
35. Plant a tree.

So far this year, in addition to freezing our patooties off at Reelfoot Lake in January, we have...

...visited the beautiful Victorian Village district in downtown Memphis, TN. (BONUS: A stop to catch up with sweet friends on the drive home!)

...and something educational in this gal's particular area of interest: we attended Beef Field Day at the University of Tennessee at Martin, and then later the same week, had the privilege of attending a lecture by Dr. Temple Grandin

This year -  2018 - is off to a fun start. Let the adventures continue!

FEBRUARY BLESSINGS

February seems to always end up being a blue kind of month for me. Gray skies and, more often than not, rain-rain-rain-rain. Occasionally, like today, we have a warm sunny day, but about the time my winter-stiff muscles begin to relax, it's back to the deep-freeze again. I am so ready for winter to be over.

In defiance of the February blahs -

Today, I am thankful for:

• God's Word, which continues to speak so precisely into the details of my life.
• Friends who pray for me and who challenge me to grow.
• Carol, my exercise buddy, sister pilgrim, and pseudo-therapist.
• Addie, my real therapist.
• Sunrise across the hay field. Beautiful every morning. Never gets old.
• A walk back on the farm. Creek bed music, bright-eyed deer, croaking ravens, curious calves, feathered jewels on sap-swollen twigs.
• Spring peepers - such a raucous chorus! Their singing is an instant mood lifter.
• The smell of damp earth.
• Turtles in the pond, lined up like hubcap buttons on the limbs of a fallen, half-submerged tulip poplar tree, thawing in the afternoon sunshine.

I am also thankful for...

First daffodils of the season!

Honeybees on the sweet-breath-of-spring!

NOW THAT FALL HAS OFFICIALLY ARRIVED...

Pumpkins. Pumpkins to eat, pumpkins to paint, pumpkins to carve...so many pumpkins!

Autumn in West Tennessee:  the weather alternates between summer-winter-summer-winter-summer-..., until it finally decides to let go of summer altogether and stay chilly for more than three days in succession. I am enjoying the cooler weather.

Other signs of fall in our neck of the woods include:

Hot spiced tea. My daughter says it smells like autumn in a cup.

Soup! Soups, chili, and stews are on the menu at least once a week, if not more. This week: "Hot Pot," made with smoked sausage, cabbage, onions, potatoes, and chicken stock. Mmmmm!

Pumpkin bread. My mom's recipe, made into sandwiches filled with pineapple-cream cheese spread.

Chex mix. I'm not sure why, but here at Kendallville, we only make this in the fall.

Our baking project for this weekend.

Real hot chocolate. Whole milk, cocoa, and sugar, simmered on the stove until steamy, then ladeled into mugs and topped with whipped cream. Yum!

Marshmallows. Toasted over a fire outside or inside in the fireplace. I don't stock marshmallows any other time of the year. Fall and on into winter, we sometimes go through a bag or more a week.

(Hmmmm, why do so many of our autumn traditions involve FOOD?)

Mums. My daughter just called to say she picked up several on clearance. We're having a planting party when she gets home from work this afternoon.

FIRE! Helen is planning our first conflagration of the season, hoping a special someone will be back home in Tennessee in time to enjoy a chilly October evening sitting around the fire with family and friends.

Fall weather means: time for a bonfire!

How does YOUR family celebrate the arrival of fall?

SIGNS OF AUTUMN

While shopping for groceries this week, I found store shelves stocked with pumpkin-spice Cheerios, pumpkin-spice oatmeal, pumpkin-spice granola bars, pumpkin-spice coffee, pumpkin-spice coffee creamer, pumpkin-spice cinnamon rolls, pumpkin-spice candles, pumpkin-spice hand soap...

Seriously, people, is there nothing to which we will not add "pumpkin-spice" when the weather turns cool? I am surprised I didn't find any pumpkin-spice dog food, laundry soap, or toothpaste!

The inundation of all things pumpkin-spice is not the only sign that fall approaches:

Ironweed, golden rod, and ragweed are in full bloom. Achoo!

Soups, stews, and chili are back on the menu. Hot spiced tea is the beverage-of-choice on a cool evening. Who's in the mood for a fried apple pie?

Stores are stocking Halloween candy. Writing spiders, grown huge over summer, weave web decorations.

The road in front of the house is busy with the traffic of heavy equipment used to harvest grain - combines, headers, tractors pulling grain buggies.

Leaves on the sassafras trees are beginning to turn, and the dogwood is fruiting.

Fleece sweaters have been pulled out of storage. Plans are being made for the first bonfire of the season. S'mores and apple cider - yum!

The sky is dark when I rise in the morning, and the sun sets long before bedtime now. The cicadas sound sleepy, like they are dreaming already about next spring.

Autumn will be here soon. What signs of autumn do YOU see?

OUT OF A JOB - NOW WHAT?

I have worked myself out of a job.

My youngest child graduated from high school in May. She begins classes as a full-time college student later this month, at a nearby university.

For the first time in 25 years, I have no homeschool students gathered around the kitchen table.

No more lesson plans.

No more text books.

No more school uniforms.

(Just kidding! We never had school uniforms...except for maybe that one stint when the boys were little and they all insisted on wearing overalls.)

What is a no-longer-homeschooling mom supposed to do?

Hmmm...

I could clean my kitchen cabinets.

Or, I could de-junk the attic.

Or, I could learn jujitsu. At least, that's what Ben and Tom tell me: "Mom, you should come learn jujitsu with us!"

Jujitsu? Sounds more appealing than cleaning cabinets or sweating in a cluttered attic!

Now that I am out of a teaching job, I also want to read more, to write more, and to take more long walks back on the farm.

I want to breathe more deeply, love more intentionally, and live more bravely.

I want to hold my grandkids more.

I want to learn more about what God is doing in and through his church around the globe.

I want to pray more with friends, to write more letters of encouragement, and to sit more in silence and listen for the still, small voice of God.

And, yes, I think I'd like to try jujitsu. For real.

Hey, Ben, when's the next class?

THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT

Contemplating seasons of life, in this my birth month...old people, I hear, are prone to reflection.

I once was young. Now, I am not-so-young. Some things have changed over the years, but many things have not.

A few things that have NOT changed:

• Mosquitoes still think I taste delicious. (I would post a picture of my legs as proof, but that would make you itch all over.)
• The stars on a moonless night still take my breath away.
• The house I grew up in is still the most beautiful house in the world.
• I still love Tennessee summertime.
• Images - as in a movie - still affect me more deeply than they seem to affect lots of other people.
• I am still inordinately fond of red hair and freckles.
• I love sitting on the porch swing during a thunderstorm so I can watch the lightning show. Rainbows make me feel giddy, like I live in a world filled with magic.
• I am still prone to stomp in puddles, or in the creek, or in the fountain in the park.
• When I cry - even snot-nose, tears-streaming down my face kind of crying - I still do so silently.
• I still value integrity.
• I still love the feel and smell of sheets and towels dried outside on the clothesline.
• I still think my mama's fried chicken is the best, and I still love to hug my daddy.
• I still believe in Happily Ever After.

A few things that HAVE changed:

• I have old lady skin - the kind that looks like crepe paper - and the veins stick out on my feet and hands. What's up with that?
• I think early bedtime is a blessing, not a curse.
• When I was young, I used to think some babies were not-so-very-pretty. Now, I know there is no such thing as an ugly baby.
• As a rule, I am not afraid of people, even large groups of people or people who are very different from me. People are wonderful. That's a BIG change from when I started first grade!
• I do not want to be a veterinarian when I grow up. Maybe a manatee, or Wonder Woman, but definitely not a vet.
• I used to not like oatmeal, turnips, coffee, beer, green olives, or raw cranberries. Now, I can't think of a single food that I strongly dislike. I LOVE FOOD, and I love trying new kinds of food. (This, perhaps, is not such a good thing!)
• I used to think people who cussed were probably not very strong Christians. Used to.
• I do not think it is a good idea for young children to see how far they can leap out of the loft window in the hay barn. (Suzanne and Tom Wright, it is a miracle we survived to adulthood.)
• I am no longer a fan of "tanning" - I am instead a fan of sunscreen. (BENJAMIN☺)
• I no longer sleep like a baby. Up every three hours during the night, awake for the day before dawn, crabby when I don't get my afternoon nap...now that I think about it, maybe I do sleep like a baby. Well, then, let me say: I no longer sleep like a teenager.
• I hated piano recitals when I was a girl; now, I love piano recitals. Being a member of the audience instead of a student performer makes all the difference in the world!
• I have been a Christian for almost as long as I can remember, but, at 53, I have greater brokenness, more solid assurance, and deeper joy in Christ than ever before.

What about YOU? How are you the same? How are you different?

SIX EASY WAYS TO GET YOUR CHILDREN TO COME TO WHERE YOU ARE

I know I can get a little heavy here at the blog. Overthinking things...that's my spiritual gift. I am not generally a person characterized by levity.

Other people have the gift of levity. That's one of the reasons we need each other in the body of Christ: we all bring different gifts to the table. Thinkers, lovers, do-ers, emoters - we help each other grow and stretch in different ways. Clearly, God loves diversity and thinks it is a good and necessary thing!

That said, Madam Heavy has something she wants to share with you other moms out there.

Moms, have you ever had difficulty finding your children when you need them? difficulty getting your children to come to where you are?

Dinner is on the table getting cold - or - you're standing at the door with your car keys, ten minutes late to leave for a doctor's appointment - or - the dog just threw up and the baby is crawling across the floor and you just can't get to both the dog and the baby fast enough - and you yell, "Hey, kids! I need everyone down here NOW!" - but NO ONE COMES.

You wonder if your darlings relocated two states over while you were switching the laundry from the washing machine to the dryer. Were they abducted by space aliens? Where the heck are the precious little dumplings?!

This seasoned-mother-of-seven has learned the secret to getting your children to come to where you are FAST. Today, I want to share with you...

 SIX EASY WAYS TO GET YOUR CHILDREN TO COME TO WHERE YOU ARE

1. Mop your floors. Don't know where the kids are? Sweep and mop your floors. Your kids will swarm into the house like flies into a hog barn. They will probably be wearing muddy boots.

2. Try to use the toilet...alone. Grab a book, lock yourself into the bathroom, and settle comfortably on the porcelain throne. I guarantee that within minutes your children will gather right outside the bathroom door, and they will all be screaming. Your toddler will need to pee NOW!, your six-year-old will have a medical emergency, and your 8-year-old will be yelling something about an explosion in the microwave.

3. Whisper. As in, a secret or something confidential. Now, this won't work if you're just whispering for the sake of speaking softly. Whispering - "Kids! I need you here right now!" - won't accomplish a darn thing. You actually have to be whispering something that you absolutely DO NOT want your children to hear. Whisper something confidential, and you kids will pop up around you like whack-a-moles: "What? What was that? What did you say?"

4. Reach for your secret bag of chocolate. You know those dark chocolate baking chips hidden in the back of the freezer? The mini-Snickers on the top shelf of the pantry, pushed back behind the box of oatmeal and the jarred spaghetti sauce? Yeah, that chocolate.

The same children who cannot hear you calling their names at the top of your voice, they develop Spidey senses the minute your fingers touch a package of hidden chocolate. It doesn't matter how quietly you open that bag of chocolate...your kids will hear the faintest crinkle and come running.

5. Make an important phone call. You need to talk to a representative at your insurance company about a claim they denied again - or - you need to give Angie the sad news that the cat she left in your care while she spent the summer in Europe, well, the cat died (maybe you won't tell her the part about the coyote) - or - maybe someone calls you, a friend who is going through a major life crisis, and she needs an ear to cry into before she completely cracks up.

Get into one of these phone conversations, and I promise, your kids will come out of the woodwork. Not only will they be present, but will be ridiculously needy and vocal, too. "Mom, I'm starving!" "Mom, I can't find my favorite bra!" "Mom, I need help NOW!" "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!"

Shush!-ing - and - the Can't-you-see-I'm-on-the-phone! death look - and - the I-am-going-to-kill-you-if-you-don't-be-quiet finger across the throat - totally ineffective. You will swear that the Apocalypse has begun right at your elbow. And your noisy kids will not go away: they will stick to you like burrs in dog fur...like noisy burrs.

6. Get naked with your husband. The kids are upstairs playing with Legos or outside in the back yard building a fort. Dad comes in from mowing the yard to take a shower. When Mom brings Dad a fresh towel, you both get to thinking - forget the towel: how about a little "afternoon delight" instead?!

Get romantically tangled up with your husband. Before Mom's undies have time to absorb the water on the bathroom floor, everyone under the age of ten who lives in your house will have paraded into the bathroom, and Mom and Dad will both be scrambling for towels. Works like magic.

* * *

Your turn: what tips do you have for finding your children? Please share!

SIGNS OF SPRING

Time flies! The fifth-grader in this post - my last homeschool student - graduates from high school in three weeks!

SIGNS OF SPRING
(from March 5, 2010)

While taking the dogs for their "long" walk Sunday afternoon, we stopped at the Robin Hood Tree so that three of the kids could practice their climbing. The Robin Hood Tree is a HUGE sycamore with great spreading branches perfectly spaced for climbing halfway to heaven. While Steve and I rested in the sunshine, I noticed unopened buds at the ends of the sycamore twigs. Buds! I mentioned The Greening in an earlier blog - but there are other signs that "Aslan is on the move" and winter is finally melting into spring. At our house, I've noticed....

Egg production is up in the henhouse. Ben's hens are laying over twice as many eggs as they were laying just a month ago. Egg salad sandwiches for lunch today - yum!

Everything with fur is shedding. The dogs are shedding all over the house - yuck. Martha says when she brushes Little John, she has to pause often to clean wads of winter hair out of the bristles.

Green things are poking out of the ground! I've found little green bumps at the base of last summer's dead hydrangea stems, and the irises and daylilies are pushing shoots up toward the sun.

The neighbor's bull was in our field again this morning. Have you ever heard an amorous bull, stalking the neighboring bull's herd? It sounds something like the low, rolling, prolonged thunder of a lion roaring out on the savanna. Scary, really, if you didn't know what it was. That's what I woke up to this morning. In the Bible, the phrase "it was the time of year when men went to war" is used to refer to spring. On the farm, we could say, "It was the time of year when bulls jump/knock down fences."

We are counting down lessons in our school work, racing to the back cover of the book. My fifth-grader has taped a poster to the wall showing the number of math lessons left in her book, and every day she marks a square off. This is more fun than watching the ball drop on New Year's Eve!

The countdown to turkey season has also started - poor Nate, I don't think he's shot anything in over a month. Ben is working on a paper mache turkey decoy, which now occupies one corner of the living room, and various other turkey gear is beginning to appear around the house.

I'm hearing more and more talk about possible summer jobs - funny how teenagers seem to be so interested in making money.

I have a growing urge to go outside and dig in the dirt.

Flip flops in Wal-Mart!

What about you? Any signs of spring in your neck of the woods?

YOU MAY BE OVER 50 IF...

Several years ago - way back in 2010, actually - I posted a list of symptoms that indicate you may be approaching 50. (For that list, click HERE.)

I "approached 50" a couple of years ago and owned it like a boss. Fifty is behind me now, in more ways than one. I have a few things I want to add to my previous list...

You may be over 50 if...

...you are finally happy with your curves. Well, happy at least until you lie down on the sofa and all those curves slide off and melt into shapeless blobs underneath your armpits.

...you always carry a water bottle with you. Always. Everywhere you go. Because drinking lots of water is healthy, and, although you are middle-aged, you are also health conscious. (Never mind the fact that drinking lots of water supposedly helps alleviate some of the unpleasant symptoms associated with menopause.)

...you know the location of the restrooms in all the stores you shop at regularly, and you know which gas stations have the cleanest restrooms. You never enter or leave a building without making a rest stop. (See "water bottle," above.)

...you prefer to watch the grandkids jump on the trampoline instead of jumping on the trampoline with them, and you reflexively cross your legs when you sneeze. (See "water bottle," above.)

...you buy pantiliners in the 120-count jumbo box. (See "water bottle," above.)

...forget wine glasses...you now drink wine out of an over-sized coffee mug. Or a quart Mason jar. Shoot, why get another dish dirty? Just drink the wine straight from the bottle. Or the box. (Didn't they used to sell this stuff in barrels? Why don't they sell barrels of wine at Kroger?!)

...those socially unacceptable thoughts that sometimes pop into your head? You start having more of those thoughts. And, they start flying out of your mouth. (Lord, please help us!)

...when Bruno Mars's "Uptown Funk" comes on the in-house radio at WalMart, you dance like a dancin' fool, baby! Don't believe me? Just watch. I'm too hot! (Or was that just a hot flash? Ooops. Well, might as well rock it.)

...you cry at everything. Everything. Your grandma's funeral, a cute puppy, the last piece of chocolate in the candy bowl, chicken on sale for 49 cents per pound at Rulers, a sharp comment from your husband, stupid cat videos on Facebook, your daughter's piano recital, cold coffee...e-ver-y-dang-thang. (Maybe I should drink more water.)

...you know - on a deeper level than you have ever known before - that life is good.

Yep. Like you said, Nacho...

THINGS FOR WHICH I AM THANKFUL TODAY (2/7/2017)

When the twins were newborns, we lived in a house that had functional heating in only a couple of rooms. The roof leaked in one of the bedrooms - leaked, not as in drip, drip, drip, but leaked as in garden hose on full blast. Nighttime downpours were the worst, because they required trading precious sleep for nonstop emptying of 5-gallon buckets. We ate a lot of bulk oatmeal and peanut butter that Grammy donated to our family pantry and a lot of soup. Twenty-plus years later, some of my kids still don't like peanut butter or oatmeal.

When the twins were 2 years old, we moved to a house the attic of which was infested with raccoons. If I'd been superstitious, I'd have thought the devil lived upstairs. The growling and snarling and screaming at night was terrible. Worse, though, was when the unwanted raccoons shared their fleas with us. Trying to remedy a severe flea infestation - with who-knows-how-many raccoons still living in the attic and six little kids living below - is a daunting task. When the exterminator came, I would have to strip all the beds, load the kids and the laundry in the van, and leave the house for the day. Entertaining a herd of small children "out" all day was exhausting for a pregnant woman!

Twenty-something years later, still, I often wake up in the morning and think, "Thank you, Jesus, that we live in a warm, dry house and that we are all well fed. Thank you, thank you, thank you that we don't have fleas." I am genuinely thankful for those things, because I have not forgotten how awful the alternative was!

* * *

I love birds.

Yesterday, I took a long walk back on the farm. Early in my walk, I startled a large red-tail hawk, one of my favorite birds. I was right beneath the giant oak upon which he perched before he launched into the air with a sharp skreeee! I stopped, breathless, and watched as he circled overhead and scolded me before flying off to find another perch.

As I picked my way down the steep bank to cross the creek, I came eye-to-eye with another of my favorite birds, a great blue heron. He sprang up, flapped his great wings, rose slowly into the air and veered across the field in search of another fishing spot.

Then, as I crested a hill on the far back side of Granddaddy's property, I surprised a huge flock of wild turkeys, the largest I have ever seen. I lost count at 50. Their wings thundered as they lumbered upward into the trees. I stood transfixed and marveled and wept, because the noisy upward rush was so tremendous, so beautiful.

This world is filled with so much beauty.

* * *

A couple of days earlier, on another walk back on the farm, my daughter commented to me, "We sure do have a big God, for being such small people."

Yes, we do...a very big God indeed.

And He gives me so much for which to be thankful.

TEN THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR TODAY (10/8/2016)

In no particular order, here are ten things I am thankful for today:

1. Sunshine and cooler temperatures.
2. Morning coffee and time to read my Bible on the front porch swing.
3. I have gas in the van and groceries for the week ahead.
4. Helen and I knocked out some overdue schoolwork this morning - woohoo!
5. My wonderful next-door neighbors.
6. Dennis, Justin, Abby, and Carly - because you love my children well, and because you are awesome people.
7. Geneva, Lizzy, Felix, Jules, and Baby P - blessings upon blessings!
8. Opportunities to write - not just for myself, but for others, too.
9. The encouragement and support of my children - Wow. Just, Wow.
10. Friends and family who have crossed over to Glory, whose memories tug my heart toward home.

TAG! It's your turn now - what are you thankful for today?

TREASURES

Gifts my kids have given me:

• New eyes, to see new things.
• New ears, to hear new voices.
• New ideas, so I can think in new ways.
• New questions, that I never thought to ask before.
• New answers, when I have reached a dead end.
• New taste buds, to enjoy new foods.
• A new vocabulary, with words like solfeggietto and pointillism and Sriracha.
• New music, by artists like Moritz Moszkowski and Steve Vai and The White Stripes.
• New stories, stories about long ago and now and ever after.
• New friends, like Lisa and Mark and Amber and Carson.
• New family: new sisters and brothers and children and grands.
• A view to a new future, with bright possibilities for this next season of life.

How big does a womb have to stretch to hold seven children? How big does a mother's heart have to stretch to hold seven children? And then, add their lovers and in-laws and children, their roommates and fishing buddies and best friends...how big does a heart have to be then? How much can it expand?

That's the best gift, I think - a new heart, one that is a bigger, broader, fuller, and more grateful than I could have imagined possible.

Thank you, my loves! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

It happened again last night.

I woke up about 1:00 a.m. to the sound of some distressed critter screeching outside my bedroom window. Then, my eyes started burning.

Another skunk bombed the air intake of the heating system.

I climbed out of bed and turned on the outside lights. No, it wasn't Geoffrey the Glamour Skunk. It was one of his little cousins, a cat-sized black furball with one tiny pouf of white on the top of his head, toodling around in the back yard next to the HVAC unit.

Sigh.

Turning off the outdoor lights, I climbed back into bed and hoped the ladies at my morning exercise class wouldn't be offended by any residue of my new household air freshener.

I love life in the country!

Why?

The varmints. Okay, I am not particularly fond of skunks nosing around the heater or 'possums on the porch or snakes in the hen house, but it is pretty cool to watch deer grazing in the field next to the house in the early morning mist. I love the bunnies that venture timidly out of the woods to nibble grass, and the chipmunks that keep house in the woodpile.

The stars. With no ambient light from shopping centers and street lights, the night sky out here is as black as coal, and the stars - especially in winter - shine so brightly that I almost believe they are alive. Honestly, on a moonless night, a person could get drunk on the starlight out here.

The birds. Even now, in winter, the air is filled with birdsong in the early mornings. Tiny juncos have flown in for the season, their sooty gray bodies peppering the driveway. Sunny yellow goldfinches, saucy blue jays, brilliant cardinals. There is something magical about coming up on a lone blue heron back on the pond, about a flock of wood ducks rocketing off the water in surprise or a red-tail hawk keening overhead.

The trees. I love, love, love the trees in winter, their bare branches stretching skyward like impossibly thin fingers, weaving a lacy veil between me and the far hills.

The sun creeping over the hay field in the morning, turning it from gray to gold to green. The sunset in the evening, setting the entire field on fire.

The smell of mouldering leaves, the earthy aroma of cows and horses, the sharp tang of cedar and of smoke from the chimney.

A cup of hot spiced tea at the end of the day, while I curl up on the couch under a fuzzy blanket to read. Marshmallows toasted in fireplace. Hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg. Christmas cookies! Mmmm!

THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY FIRST COLONOSCOPY

So, I had my first ever colonoscopy this week. One of the perks of turning 50.

Actually, I was supposed to take care of this last year, but I chickened out and cancelled my appointment. Last month at my annual check up, my regular doctor chastised me for bailing. She scheduled another appointment with the gastroenterologist this year, and then told me sternly to get it done.

In honor of my amazing brother, the procedure was scheduled on his birthday...sort of a celebration of our both getting another year older.

Without going into any graphic or nauseating details, here are a few things I learned leading up to and going through the procedure:

I eat a lot and I often eat without thinking. Okay, for the past year, I have been very deliberate (for the most part) about eating less. What I have not been aware of is the number of random bites I consume during a day. The last bit of cheesy scrambled eggs left in the skillet after cooking breakfast for the kids. A spoonful of Spanish rice when packing leftovers into a storage container. A couple of potato chips while packing lunch for Helen. Having been instructed to eat NO solid food whatsoever, I was suddenly aware that my hand moved reflexively toward my mouth with amazing frequency.

I am a rebel at heart. So, Day 1 of the prep program, I was instructed to eat no raw fruits or vegetables, no red foods, and nothing containing nuts or seeds. My favorite breakfast in the world is a toasted whole grain English muffin spread generously with crunchy peanut butter. My favorite lunch at the moment is a fresh tomato sandwich. No garden-fresh tomatoes?! No crunchy peanut butter?! Those were the ONLY things I wanted, all day long. Inside my head, I was growling like a grumpy cat all day long.

Water is the elixir of life. On my regular doctor's advice, I drink a lot of water each day. A LOT of water, usually a gallon before noon. Amazingly, this "therapy" has eliminated the terrible migraines I used to battle regularly. Day 3 of the colonoscopy process:  no water. Only that nasty, super-sour Intestinal Drano. I felt parched and found myself saying "Hello" to a headache. When the going got tough, I didn't crave diet-Coke, coffee, merlot, or Corona - nope, I was desperate for some life-giving water.

I am very thankful for modern plumbing. How many other ordinary, seemingly-insignificant things do I take for granted in a given day?

A sense of humor is a good thing to have. "The last time you had a bowel movement, what color was it?" asked the nurse processing my admission paperwork. "Ummmm, brown?" I guessed. "Well, was it a dark brown, or a paler mocha color, or was it more of a light tan?" Let me tell you, folks, when you are dehydrated and hallucinating about crunchy peanut butter, there is nothing like an earnest conversation about the color of poop to make you realize that life is often very, very ridiculous.

I think I'm in love with the anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist lifted my arm and examined my wristband. "Name?" he asked. "Camille Kendall," I answered. "Date of birth?" Next thing I knew, I was waking up from the best sleep I've had in years. Years. Forget the crunchy peanut butter. Never mind dehydration. Forget the pitchers of nastynastynasty stuff I had to drink. It was all worth it for those few minutes of incredibly sound, restful sleep. I woke up feeling like Super Woman (sans cleavage).

There sure are a lot of nice people in the world. When it seems like your whole life is going down the pipes, when you are fighting back tears because you feel weak and tired and you just don't think you can swallow one more galling mouthful of nastiness, it's amazing how God puts someone sweet, kind, and gracious in your path. I can't say enough good about Dr. Nuako and the incredible staff at Summit Endoscopy Center in Union City, Tennessee. You guys are wonderful.

Oh, and David - you are pretty terrific, too. Happy Birthday!

SPRINGTIME

Tiny corn sprouts, green silk thread stitched against brown velvet.

Waist-high hay ripples like sea waves, flashing silver and green.

Towels on the clothesline, cracking in the wind, straining to get loose from pit-bull clothespins.




Black furry calves bounce across the field on stumpy pogo-stick legs.

A nest of wild turkey eggs, a secret sacred treasure tucked beneath a spindly apple tree.

Kitty, sulking, has her comeuppance, confined to the porch by a saucy mockingbird.




Lazy, daisy, sleepy buzz of bees.


Seems a new flower blooms every day.

Three...two...one more math lesson and we're done!

THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY PARENTS

THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY PARENTS (besides how to read and to tie my shoes):

You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. When I was in junior high, I used to keep horses for a local businessman. His horses boarded at our farm, and he paid me each month to brush, feed, and exercise them. Shortly into my horse-boarding enterprise, I decided that Mr. Horseman needed an education. I wrote him a long, bossy letter outlining all the things he needed to do differently.

Since I wanted the letter to sound all official and legal-ish (I took my horse-boarding business very seriously), I asked Daddy - a lawyer - to proof read the letter. After one read-through, Daddy informed me that I most certainly was NOT going to mail the letter to Mr. Horseman. "Camille," Daddy explained, "you can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar." Then, Dad went on to explain that the tone of my letter was all "vinegar," and there were better, more productive ways of addressing my concerns.

If you borrow something, return it in better shape than when it was loaned to you. If you borrow a shovel, wash it and sharpen it before you take it back to the owner. If you borrow a vehicle, return it clean and with a full tank of gas. If you borrow something and it breaks while you are using it, then fix it. If it can't be fixed, replace it.

If you can't live without it, don't loan it out. I remember my parents being pretty generous about loaning out things to folks who asked. But I also remember that they occasionally told folks, "No." Mom and Dad learned the hard way that not everyone lived by the "If you borrow it, return it in better shape" rule. In fact, some folks borrow things and NEVER BRING THEM BACK. So, while I remember my parents being very generous, I also remember that there were certain things that were off the loan list.

You don't have to know everything. There is a point when curiosity crosses the line into nosiness. My Dad was a small-town lawyer, and it wasn't unusual for clients to call or stop by the house to talk to him about their cases, upcoming trials, etc. Since having visitors of any kind was a bit of an "event" way out in the country, we kids would be all eaten up with curiosity. "Why did Mr. Fred stop by? What did he want?" I learned at an early age that I did not need to know all the details of everyone else's business.

You don't have to tell everything you know. This is sort of the complement to the previous jewel of wisdom. Don't be quick to run your mouth and share everything you know about the guy down the road. Don't be a gossip.

Make hay while the sun shines. Don't procrastinate. If you can do this job TODAY, don't put it off until tomorrow. Something unforeseen may come up before tomorrow that will prevent you from doing a task.

How can I make/do this better? Is the garden weedy? Hoe it. Is the porch junky? Take a few minutes to put a couple of things away where they belong. I'm not talking here about perfectionism - the challenge isn't how to make something perfect/do something perfectly. The challenge is, how to make or do something better. I am amazed at the number of people I meet who work no harder and aim no higher than "that'll do" or "good enough."

God is sovereign. God is good. God loves his children very much. I think of this as my trifecta of power, assurance, security, hope, and grace. I don't remember Mom or Dad ever setting me down and drilling those three sentences into my head like a creed to be memorized and recited by rote. But, through their lives and their prayers, they communicated these truths...the most important thing by far they ever taught me.


What about you, Dear Reader? What jewels of wisdom did your parents pass on to you?