FUNNY

 

Our kitchen cabinets currently look ….. kind of out of control.

I had several of the kids practice their times tables by writing them in chalk on the chalkboard cabinet doors.

There are three sets of the threes times tables and the numbers scratched wildly everywhere are making me feel a little unstable.

I should probably erase them tonight.

 

FASHIONABLE

 

All that rearranging and resorting and window seat making sent me searching for fun pillows.

How cute is this one?

 

 

I love fun throw pillows.  But they can get expensive.

There are lots of really cute ones available on Amazon for under $3!!!

Like this one for only $2.68 !

 

 

Now – remember – this is only the pillow case.  An empty pillow case.  

And, the inside pillow costs can add up too.  However, I have found that if you buy the super cheap regular bed pillows at Wal-Mart or Target, which are usually in the $2 to $4 range, you can cram one right into these 18×18 inch pillow cases perfectly.  And then you have a new throw pillow for around $6 or so.  That’s a pretty good price I think when sometimes stores think they should charge you $20 or MORE for a throw pillow.

 

FLAVORFUL

 

It’s apple season and our entire house is rejoicing.  We heart the apples.  Give us all the apples.

I made this super speedy homemade applesauce and it not only tasted delicious (especially warm) but it made the entire house smell incredible.

 

Yes – it was an Instant Pot recipe and it really went from apples on my counter to applesauce in my stomach in thirty minutes.  I did use that marvelous little frivolous apple corer slicer peeler that I purchased a billion years ago from Pampered Chef.

(My apple corer slicer peeler dates back to the days when our buddy Nate “lived” with our family.  I say “lived” because he did technically pay rent on his own apartment.  But I never did understand why he bothered since he spent most day at work and most nights holed up in our basement playing video games.  But now he’s a For Real grown up and a For Real dad.  Back then he wrote – with a Sharpie – on the wooden base of my apple corer slicer peeler.  He wrote, “The Lazy Machine”.  But really.  What does Nate know about prepping applesauce?)  And – another side note – if you see Nate, ask him about those days and that one time he wore MY authentic vintage  western Kenny Rogers shirt while preaching a sermon.   (But don’t ask me why I owned a vintage Kenny Rogers shirt.  Or, moreover, why I STILL own that Kenny Rogers shirt.)  Shoot, now my FLAVORFUL section just turned into my FUNNY section.  And so it goes.

 

FAITHFUL

 

Heavy sigh.

This older article written by Kara Tippets, a mom who passed away from cancer ……

She wrote …

So, I’m living a life I didn’t expect. I’m living in the unexpected tension of the unknown future. We all are. We all, in our many different ways, are living in the desperation of not living what we expected of our days. My story is cancer, but perhaps yours is singleness, unemployment, a marriage you didn’t expect, or parenting isn’t what you expected, friendships aren’t what you expect. Fill in the blank. These desperate, raw, painful places that leave us hoping for something more, something to be redeemed, leave us longing…. Ultimately, leave us looking for Jesus. Where, oh where are you in this mess, this terribly ugly, this painful beautiful: Where are you?

The internet is just so full of weird and bizarre and wicked and unkind.  The world is just so full of all of the same.

But it’s also so full of people pressing through in shockingly hard situations and seeking God and loving despite the impossible choices looming large in their lives.

And it’s that kind of faithful that is so encouraging and uplifting.  So hopeful and helpful.

 

FEELS

 

I love this quote by Helen Keller.

My friends have made the story of my life. In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges.

In my life, THIS IS ALL TRUE.

Although it’s a hard hard season for her family and an unusual turn of events, I am so grateful to have Hilary around in my day to day real life again for now.

I’m afraid if I list some names I’ll forget some too.

The pop in, counter sitting, kitchen visits with hannaH.  The heart to hearts and meal sharing weekly with Amanda.  The text thread support steady with Karen and Sara.  The regular with Jo.  The always there with Sally and Emma.  The empathy texts with Mandi and Beth and Nikki.  My goodness – the virtual kindness and written encouragement and comments from all of you guys.  (Don’t think they don’t matter.  They absolutely do matter to me.)  There are so many more names because I am so ridiculously fortunate to have good good solid friends who don’t just stand in the gap, but fill it up wide for me as well.  And I could not feel more honored that these women call me friend.

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