From Hobos to Rocket Scientists

It seems that I am tempted to begin each post with an apology for not posting more often.  So I’ll feel better, sorry I’m not writing here regularly.   I know you are terribly upset but the Christian thing to do is forgive, sisters, forgive.  It seems when we aren’t fighting wildfires or cleaning up after tornadoes that I am studying, writing lessons, working on the new house, or struggling to stay on top of a current house that doesn’t clean itself and a family that likes to eat something prepared on the stove just every once in a while.  And ridiculously enough, they like to do this in clean clothes.

Such needy, needy people. 

But in a rare trifecta of preparedness, supper is in the crock pot, the laundry is going, and my kitchen is clean (can’t speak for the rest of the place) so let’s see if we can catch up with each other for a bit.   Friends, I give you a list:

1.  Harvest Festival: 

The boys are officially beyond dressing up but Sydney (yes, I told you her name.  I’m kind of over being all secretive) decided that after years of being everything from a lady bug to a bride that she wanted to be a hobo this year. 

Thankfully that wasn’t a hard outfit to come up with seeing as how the child vacillates between dressing like JLo and, well, a hobo. 

She showed me the clothes she wanted to wear and told me she needed a cardboard sign to hang around her neck that said, “Will Work For Food”.  I was very concerned about her outfit primarily because I didn’t want anyone to think we were making fun of the homeless.  I knew she was thinking of the rail-riding hobo who carried a stick with a bandanna tied to the end but the signage just wasn’t working for me.  So, I started googling to find out what an authentic hobo sign would have said.  Ridiculous, I know.  It’s a sickness.

This is where I should warn you that if you are easily fascinated by sub-cultures do not google ‘hobo signs’.  I was online for an hour learning how a hobo left special markings at rail stops and outside people’s home to let fellow travelers know the best places to get a meal and what they would need to do to get it i.e., work for food, engage in Christian talk, etc.  All of that work and would you like to know the sign I finally made?  ‘Will Work For Food.”  It was authentic, y’all.   

With all that said, I’m sitting at the kitchen table making the sign.  Sam (Boy Three) had no clue what Syd was dressing as.  He walked up to me, looked down at the sign, and with the most devastated look on his face asked, “Mom, are we poor?!?” 

I said, “Yes, Sam.  Yes, we are.”  I let him off the hook with a quick explanation and he was so relieved to find out his mother wouldn’t be standing at the 4-way intersection begging for dinner. As if I weren’t embarrassing enough.

But then do you want to know what happened?  We went to our church’s Trunk or Treat and The Meanest Deacon Alive said, “Wow, way to go Preacher’s Wife.  Making fun of the homeless.” 

Had I not done extensive research, I would have been mortified. As it was, I chuckled knowingly and forgave him his idiocy. He had no idea he was in the presence of historically accurate costuming.

{Syd minus her stick and bandanna bundle which she used to carry around her favorite stuffed animal:}

{And I couldn’t resist including this picture of Brooke as a Sumo Wrestler. Yes, people. She teaches your children. }

 

2.  The House

In the words of Tom Petty, ‘the waiting is the hardest part.”  We are so close, and yet so far from being finished.  Those last details are maddening and yet, you know where they say God is.  And do you know that is so true?  God is in the details because trust me when I say the tiniest things have been the ones that have tested every bit of my religion.  At then end of the day, we are blessed and we don’t deserve such a wonderful refuge so if you catch me being fussy and/or impatient, just smack me.   Or not.  I prefer not.  Just wink at me and I’ll know I’m busted.

{Here’s a sneak peak:}

3.  And My Favorite….. Friendly Community Baptist in North Carolina!

This past weekend I flew to Wilmington to teach for the darlin’ women at Friendly Community Baptist.  Isn’t that the greatest name for a church? 

I met Kelly (Friendly’s PW) at the airport and we then met Rose-Marie (women’s ministry director) at a swank restaurant downtown called Aubriana’s.  Oh.my.heavens.  Crab cakes?  Yes, please.  They were delicious.  Would you like some Creme Broulee’?  But of course.  I ate more food that night than I’ve eaten in a month and I’m not sorry about it one little bit.   

The conference was the next day.  My new friend Pam picked me up at the hotel and even bought me a Sun Drop.  I’ve determined I need one of those before I teach from this point forward.  Extreme caffeination seems to work for me.  I can not say enough how friendly Friendly is and how much I loved being a part of this special day where they unveiled their newly expanded women’s ministry:  G.L.O.W. – God’s Ladies of Worship.  Love it!  Thank you, girls, for a trip to remember!

{Kelly, Rose-Marie and me.}

Pam took me back to the airport and we did a little shopping on the way home.  I am obsessed with White House/Black Market.  If anyone feels so compelled, I’ll take this in Medium.  Thank you.

4. Oh, and one more cool thing:  I got to sit next to a real live NASA rocket scientist on my flight back to Huntsville. (Unfortunately, I didn’t take his picture.)  He had been to Florida for the launch that didn’t happen.  Wonderfully pleasant guy who didn’t even chuckle knowingly when I asked him dumb space questions like, “So is there really a secret space ship being built so we can colonize Mars”?  (He dodged my question.  That’s what I thought.) For the record, I rarely speak to people on planes because I don’t want to be “that woman that wouldn’t shut up when all I wanted to do was sleep.”  But this guy started the convo so too bad for him.  I now have some rocket scientist sub-culture research to add to my hobo knowledge. 

So that’s just a little of what I’ve been up to. What about you? What’s one activity that has dominated your week?  Talk to me girls..I’ve missed you!