I think I missed last Friday’s post here.  What was I doing instead?  I can’t even remember.

But here we are again – all Fridaying it up, you know.

 

 

FUNNY

 

This has been a pretty funny week.  And I am ALL for that.  I’m giving it the thumbs up and everything.

The kids have created a town in the woods.  They’ve organized it precisely, divided it equitably, have a currency and a governing agency that has been voted into existence.  They aren’t messing around, guys.  They adore having friends over and building new residences and hospitals and stores.  (By the way, coal currency is king in those oaks and maples so if you are planning on buying or selling, you better have a pocket full of coal.  Or food will suffice in an emergency.)

They were playing in the woods with our neighbors one day this week when we had to leave the house for a few hours.

When we returned and pulled into our own driveway, our car was suddenly abuzz with high pitched chatter and palpable concern.  “What’s going on back there guys?” I wanted to know.

They could hardly communicate.  I parked the car.  All five of them burst out of the doors like their pants were on fire and they bolted to the woods.  There was laughter and indignation and amusement and all the emotions.

They entered the house like a posse, all talking at once and with their arms loaded with laminated signs.

Apparently, while we were out running errands, the neighbor fellas decided to stage a little Town Takeover.

Oh you guys.

It was so classic.

The very stuff childhood fables and legends are made of.

The neighbor boys had made posters (a plethora of them) and laminated them and posted them all through the woods.  (Yeah – they laminated them!)

Posters like this:

 

 

There were dozens of them.  Dozens.

Seriously.  It was fabulous.

 

FASHIONABLE

 

This probably doesn’t fit here.

And this purchase would be one hundred percent unnecessary.  And far too expensive to justify.

But man, I’d like it.

This blanket.

 

 

This puffy blanket I touched and admired at REI yesterday.

 

 

I can’t explain why I think I need it.  But it’s SO cozy feeling – like the best parts of both a sleeping bag and a puffy winter jacket, but in a blanket!

I want to wear it wrapped around me at an outdoor movie event or by a campfire or on my front porch whilst looking at the moon.

 

 

Except, no worries, I won’t wrap it up around me on the railroad tracks.

I think we’re all pretty convinced that it’s no longer a “want” but has slid right over into the “need” category – am I right?

 

FLAVORFUL

 

Food just tastes good – you know?

This week I was finally able to try Biscuit Head, an Asheville restaurant that now has a Greenville location.   It’s been on my list of spots to try for a while.

Biscuits as big as cat heads.  That’s a super odd unit of measurement, I totally agree.  I’m not making this up though, it’s the comparison they actually use.

And – there is a JAM BAR.  As in, lots of jams for your cat head-sized biscuits.  I heart jam.  Forever and always.  It’s my jam.

And, at Biscuit Head you can try Amaretto Jam.  Just take that in.  Amaretto Jam.

 

FAITHFUL

 

The mailbox was knocked off.  It lay crinkled on the ground for days.  I bought a new one.  The new mailbox stayed in the car for days.  I asked the boys to try to make the new mailbox attach to the post.  It wasn’t really the right fit for the pole we already had apparently.  Bergen used some sort of super glue he found in our tool closet – the one we call the Narnia closet.  For about two days it looked like we had a working mailbox.  And then it didn’t.  That was the day the mail deliverer delivered a post it note to our leaning mailbox politely asking us to attach our mailbox properly.

I laughed and then posted the post it note message on Instagram.

And then I got a text from my friend:

“Your mailbox is attached now.”

Because God moves through people and plastic mailbox repairs and the kindness of friends.

He’s so generous like that.

 

FEELS

 

Can I talk about the new show that everyone else is talking about?

This Is Us – which you can watch for free on NBC.com if you don’t have Hulu or television like myself – is a new show about a family and siblings and stuff.  (I don’t want to say too much because the surprise of the first show is a huge part of its pleasure and appeal.  So.  I don’t want to spoil it for you.)

I love this show.

I don’t watch very much television really.  I’m still hanging in there with Survivor and I like the occasional cooking show or home improvement show but I can’t do scary dramas or crime shows or court room shows because I already have all the fodder for nightmares inside my own head.  I can’t afford to feed that demon.

The last episode of This Is Us – the one called The Pool I think – really was so beautifully written and artfully delivered.  I don’t think there are too many true portrayals of adoption in the media in any form.  And this episode just handled that topic in such a pure and honorable manner I thought.

It’s just a show – right?  But it reminded me that parenting is hard.  Every parent is (mostly) just doing the best they can and we have no idea what will stick and what won’t stick in our parenting monologues with our kids and our choices.  There was a moment in the show that an adopted adult son was explaining to his biological father how much he loved his adopted mom and his adopted dad.  How he wanted to know about his heritage but he didn’t want to send a message that said he didn’t love his adopted parents.  How he struggled with it all but how he would never apologize for loving his parents.  I don’t know – I think my explanation is falling short because I don’t want to ruin the episode for any of you future watchers, but I just loved the raw reality of the way the words were written and delivered.  I just felt it all heavy and lovely sitting on my sofa alone with my slice of pumpkin pie at 1 a.m.

It was good stuff.  Art imitating life and all.

 

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