Other news

This post is for Brett....
it is a compilation of all the funny, interesting things that happened to Travis and I over the past two weeks. Brett's complaint is that my blog is BORING. Of course it is-- what else do you think life in the country is like? Here's one such story.

Travis and I taught Sunday school for third graders for a teacher who was sick. I haven't done children's ministry in over 10 years and Travis never teaches the lesson. So, we look at John Piper's incredible, but intellectual, lesson plans for the morning. It is about God's patience with the people of God, as exemplified by how God waited 100 years to destroy the earth while Moses was building the ark. A little kid raises his hand. "Mr. Travis?" "Yes, Noah, what's your question?" Noah McCrane, the third grader, boldly expressed "Moses didn't build the ark! Noah did!" Travis later got a phone call from Steve. He said, "Son, just wanted to let you know that Moses didn't build the ark. Noah definitely did. Just in case there was any confusion."

In other news: we found our first black widow spider. It was dead. On our white dining room curtains. It looked very alive to me when I shrieked. Travis gave me the ongoing reminder of why we close the doors and don't open the windows. How can you not with all the delicious weather we are having? Here's a picture just in case you were wondering if you should keep your eyes peeled for one in your area:
On the hospital frontlines, I had two very interesting patients this week. The first was a sweet,old man who answered my question about how the food was this way:s"Well, honey, its good enough considering I'm going to the other side. Do you know where that is?" We then proceeded to talk and I told him about myself and that I was married. When I was about to leave he said, "I have something to tell to you." I said, "What?" He paused for a long time, thinking hard to search for the words that used to come so easily, "Don't forget to hold your head up." Then another pause. "But that's not the whole thing," he said with a quizical look on his face, probably frustrated by the challenge that the conversation now was compared to before : "You hold on to him."

Another spry 88 year old lady said to me: "You know I was noticing you in the hallways earlier. You know, I like to watch people. Its probably not nice, but I just can't help it. I like to notice people. And you have such a nice shape. You're so well proportioned. I just wanted to tell you that."

Those are the good kind of stories you walk away with on a good day.

This morning I am off to pick up my coop basket. I left it on the organizer's front stoop last week, only to get a call on Saturday saying that I had the wrong week. This also happened with the water irrigation this week. What is happening to me? Steve asked me, "What do you have to manage?" I laughed, because his question implied that there wasn't much to keep track of. I said, "What? You mean the animals, the feed, the garden, the watering, the irrigation, the groceries, the laundry, the mail, the trash, the cleaning, the pots, and my job-- not to mention my husband?" We all got a good laugh about that. The new word, just to remind you, is despot. Not Home Depot... Now, its home despot. It means "ruler" of the home. Yea baby, that's my name. Travis is going to make me a shirt with it on it in the Home Depot font.

This morning I am also going to try and make strawberry jam with my friend Becky and Erin. I'll send you more pictures of delicious preserves so you can drool some more.