I’m not 100% sure, but I think South Carolina church potlucks might be better than Kentucky church potlucks. Or maybe it’s just those Mennonites. I need to conduct further research into the matter before I reach any sort of conclusion.
It’s a bit unnerving to swim in a pool right next to an alligator pond.
It’s also unnerving to drive around a completely new city where there’s not a gas station to be found while about to run out of petrol.
A vacation at the beach is fantastic. A vacation at the beach is even more fantastic if you don’t have horrible poison ivy all over your ankles. (Poor Michael)
The people who get to the beach super-early in the morning really do get the best shells. (And one day that was me! Huzzah!)
If you’re ever on Sullivan Island, SC, don’t miss enjoying a meal at Poe’s Tavern. (more…)
Ah, Saturday. The day when people set the alarm later or turn it off altogether. The day when they pull the covers over their heads and snuggle in for a few more minutes…or hours, as the case may be.
I, however, am a morning person. And Saturday is my day to catch up on all the housework I’ve neglected through the week, plus hopefully save a couple of hours to do something fun. I always say I’m going to get up almost as early on Saturday as I do the rest of the week. If I sleep too late then I lose the entire morning and the rest of the day seems to evaporate in small increments. If I’m not careful, I’ll be mopping the floors at 10:00 p.m., and that’s not the something fun I had in mind. (more…)
THE PLAN: Eat an apple and drink a SlimFast in the car for supper.
THE REALITY: Eat deep-fried clams, deep-fried French fries and deep-fried hush puppies from Long John Silver’s. Oh, yeah, there was some cole slaw, too, but that doesn’t give me much comfort as I think back on it now.
I have two problems.
1. I really should drop some weight. Not a lot. But 10 pounds would sure be nice.
2. Michael is on a diet — The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet.
You’re no doubt already wondering, “Why don’t you just go on the same diet as your husband?” Well, I don’t want to! For one thing, I don’t think I’m a carb addict. (Yes, I took the quiz in the book.) And this diet is designed for people with a certain kind of metabolism. For another thing, I love carbs! I prefer a balanced diet that’s moderately low in sugar and fat. And that basically seems to work for me, except…I’ve been putting on weight, slowly but surely. (more…)
When I walk our dog, Maisie, at night, I walk in fear.
Am I afraid of being mugged on the street? No. Ours is a tiny, quiet little hamlet. Do I worry about being attacked by a wild animal, a coyote, perhaps? That’s actually more likely than a mugging given our rural setting, but no. I’ve never even seen one. Do I fear the supernatural or the bizarre? Maybe the aliens of Signs will creep out of the cornfield and force me onto their ship. Clay and I agree that the corn is pretty scary, but that’s not it, either.
What can make me so nervous that I start at every shadow? In a word, skunks. (more…)
I have absolutely nothing against memorized prayers. I use a number of them myself on a regular basis. What gets tricky, though, are those prayers we pray that are not formal and memorized on purpose, but simply repetitive out of habit. Case in point–a recent conversation at our house.
I’m used to bringing home food from our school’s dining hall, prepared by our cooks. But the other night I cooked and…well, it went something like this:
ME: (asking the blessing) “…and we thank You for this food, and we ask Your blessing on those who have prepared it. Amen.”
CLAY: Mom. You prepared the food.
ME: Oh. (happily) Well, I just blessed myself!
Michael and I recently spent a week at cleftRock Retreat Center in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. It’s a lovely spot, and I highly recommend it. We had a very relaxing week resting, working on our laptops, reading, and enjoying the beauties of nature.
Ah, nature.
Our first day at cleftRock was like something from “The Secret Garden.” Squirrels chased one another in the trees. Lizards scuttled about in the flowerbed outside our door. The birds warbled happily overhead. As I sat outside the cabin praying, a graceful doe strolled through our back yard a mere five yards away. (Have you noticed that does on the printed page are always “graceful?”) At the lodge, I rescued a gorgeous male bluebird trapped in the fireplace, and he didn’t even struggle in my hand, but blinked his tiny bright eyes at me as if I were a trusted friend.
There ended the idyll. (more…)
Not too awfully long ago, I went to the first baby shower I’d attended in a while. The invitation promised that this one, mysteriously, would have a cowboy theme. Guests were encouraged to wear cowboy attire.
OK. I was game. I didn’t quite understand it, but it sounded like fun. So on the afternoon of the big event I donned my jeans, boots, bandana and a straw cowboy hat and took off. (more…)
A recent conversation at our dinner table, after Michael brought food home from our school cafeteria:
MICHAEL: We’ve got plenty of food here. Have some peas!
DENISE: No, thanks. I don’t like peas.
MICHAEL: You don’t like peas?
DENISE: Think about it. In our 29 years of marriage, have you ever known me to cook peas?
MICHAEL: Sure. Um…back when we first married. You made peas with tuna!
DENISE: Peas with tuna? That sounds awful!
MICHAEL: It was in some kind of liquid…
DENISE: I don’t think so. I’ve never liked peas.
MICHAEL: Then why in the heck did I bring home so many peas!?
(Note: Michael didn’t eat the peas, either.)
What does your spouse still not know about you?
As I write, it’s the tail end of our school’s annual fall break. That means it’s almost time to go back to work. I keep telling myself that if I stayed off duty I’d eventually get bored. The truth is, I’m not so sure about that. But I don’t seem to ever have the time to find out!
We have had a lovely break. For some reason I enjoyed it even more than usual. After a delightful mini-vacation to Owensboro to visit my family, Michael and I went on to St. Meinrad monastery in St. Meinrad, Indiana for a one-night retreat. Everything about our stay was perfect. There was, however, a recurrent theme of…getting lost. Well, not lost, exactly. Just not being able to get where we needed to be. (more…)
Recently Michael, Clay and I took a day trip to the quaint little town of Berea. There we visited a used book store that a friend had introduced Michael to. (Thanks, Joel!) It was a delightful store–with no resemblance whatsoever to the hideous maze o’ books that nearly sucked us into its evil vortex in Columbus.
Every time I thought I was ready to leave, I recalled another author I wanted to search for. Finally the cashier rang up my purchases: The Hunchback of Notre Dame for $3, The Confessions of Nat Turner at $3 and Sue Grafton’s P is for Peril for $2. How’s that for eclectic taste? (And for shopping cheap!) (more…)
