I’m back again . . .

after several delightful days with our sweet and happy granddaughter, Lydia!

Isn't it amazing how tiny children change from one moment to the next!!

The last time we saw Lydia – at six weeks old in August – she was just beginning to learn to smile.  This time, only four weeks later, she is smiling and ‘talking’ (the correct baby-term would be cooing, but I’m sure she is perfectly aware of what she’s saying!) and is quite amazingly happy! 

What makes her so happy??  Is it the security that she will be fed?  Is it having lots of ‘snuggle’ time?  Is it just her personality?  I don’t really know, but it is great fun to watch and imagine as her little personality develops.  Anna and I wondered together at what she would become . . . what she would like and dislike.  Will she hate the feel of velvet – like her mommy?  Will she love clean and comforting scents like citrus and cinnamon rolls like her grandma?  Will she know all the names of birds like her daddy?  Will she have a passion to play golf like her grandpa?  Nah . . . ! 

Anyway, only time will tell and we will enjoy the adventure of watching her come to be the Lydia that God has made her to be!!

Next time,

Karol

My husband loves to golf . . .

To most of you who know us, this is not a sudden revelation!!  But I’m not sure that many people really get what golf does for him.  While he often plays for enjoyment with others, he is one of those guys who really doesn’t mind playing alone.  It seems to have a variety of benefits depending on his mindset of the moment.  Like . . .

1.   Stress relief . . . when he is frustrated with things at work (or rarely with things at home J) he seems to be able to gain a fresh perspective as he ‘talks to himself’ (or more likely God) on the course.  (I guess the mental health benefits outweigh the appearance of ‘crazy’ as he seems to be talking to himself!)

2.   Clarification . . . when he has a particularly sticky text for Sunday he often works it through as he ‘chips and putts’ in the great outdoors.
3.  Mini-vacation . . . as it seem to 'take him out' of his daily responsibilities and 'into a world-away' for just a few hours.

3.   Pure delight in God’s creation . . . he has actually been heard saying, “It was like being in a Disney cartoon today!  It was so beautiful . . . I was expecting Bambi and Thumper to come bounding out . . .”   

4.   Exercise . . . although I must say that is more in the past than the present as the golf cart is often required at courses here in the city!!!

5.   The Challenge . . . as he plays in his own private tournament (it might be the Masters or the US Open) doing the color commentary and play by play in his head.  (Yes, he might be embarrassed that I told on him . . . but he doesn’t read this so . . .)

At any rate, when anyone insinuates that playing golf is a waste of time (Yes, even you, John Piper!) I am thinking in my head, “No, you just don’t get it.  It keeps my husband sane and he somehow connects with God 'out there' . . . and I’ll encourage that any day!!”

Next time,

Karol

PS:  I really did ask him if it was OK to give away his secret in # 5!  I think he's fairly confident that not many will read this!! J

How Do You Get To Know Your Neighbors?

Have you noticed what a challenge it is to get to know your neighbors? It is SO easy for me to live my own life, do my own thing, and completely ignore those who live just feet (yes, in our little neighborhood it is just feet) from me in my own neighborhood.

So . . . I decided to do something about it!  I made flyers and left them in twenty doors inviting women to a Neighborhood Brunch at my house this coming Saturday morning!  I didn’t even ask for RSVP’s because I didn’t want to know ahead of time if no one is coming!!!  I will face it when it comes!!  (I don’t always deal very well with rejection!  J)  I did meet a couple of women on the street and handed them the invitation and explained that it was just to visit and get to know who our neighbors are . . .  Their reactions seemed somewhat stunned and non-committal and I must confess that I have thought to myself, “I don’t know if I would go if I was invited by a stranger!!”  (My daughter says she would!) 

So . . . we’ll see!  By the way, my husband says he’s proud of me for trying.  I think I’ve told you before that he is a good guy.

I will report back!

Karol

I have this friend . . .

Perhaps you were thinking, like my good friend Lois, "Where has she gone?  I thought she intended to write this blog-thing every day!!"  In fact, this is what my good friend wrote to me via email:

"So, it's like this - I have a good friend who started this fun blog.  I read each thoughtful and entertaining entry with great interest.  Then, for some unknown reason, the entries stopped.  I guess there must not be anything happening in the life of this friend.  And hopefully, "no" news is not "bad" news.  It can't be that she is too busy since all she has to do is be there for her husband, her children, her church, her customers, her friends, etc, etc, etc.  Well, maybe she is having writer's block and can't come up with a topic.  Yes, that must be it.  So, how about thoughts on golf, old (in length of time) friends, old (in age) friends, fall, football, someone who inspires you, someone you have watched grow in their faith, working in the nursery, meeting new friends, or preparing for a Bible study.  There probably are one or two other things but I seem to have developed a writer's block . . ."

Isn't she cute!!  THANK YOU, Lois, for your encouragement!!  I must confess that as I missed one day (funeral of a young mom at church) and then two (keeping kids for a family whose dad is ill) and three (prep for numerous teaching ops coming up) that I was thinking, "Who in the world really has any interest in reading your wandering thoughts anyway!!" 

Well, the rest of you have Lois to blame for the continuation of this writing experiement!!  And doesn't she have some great ideas to write about?!  In her honor I shout, "GO, STATE!"  (That's Iowa State for those of you who are wondering!) and look forward to posting new 'insights' - maybe not every day but more often - beginning today!!

Later,
Karol 

Just Do It!

I know that the following statements will seem to be 'sweeping' stereotypes, but it is something that I have observed in several years of working with women . . . 

Many young women today did not get to grow up watching their moms do what my mom and the generations before her did without thinking.  Things like cooking meals from scratch (no frozen meals or eating out), 'keeping' house, reaching out to friends and neighbors in times of need or just for friendship, sewing clothing or curtains, showing hospitality, growing food and canning/freezing, and raising the kids by example along the way!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we should all be doing all of those things!!  (I don't really like to grow food - but I do know how and I can can freeze and can should I ever need to!!)  But what I notice is, that when these young women get married and begin having families, they suddenly want to know how to do some of these kinds of things.  So the point of my bringing this up is . . .

'Sisters-in-Experience,' look for someone younger who wants to have an older encouraging friend!!  NOT so that you can tell her all the ways she's failing, or so that she can sit silently by listening to all your amazing wisdom, but so that you can interact.  She will ask you questions and, amazingly, you will learn from her, too.  So in the words of the 'ga-zillion-aire' sports company . . .

Just Do It!
Karol

On Monday!

Mondays used to be our Saturday - back when we lived in the small town.  Terry is almost always in his office, meeting with people and later working in the quiet on Saturdays and, then, of course, Sunday is busy, busy, busy for the Pastor and his wife!  So . . . for twenty-five years, Monday was the 'day off' - a day away when the phone was not answered (unless there was an emergency message left) and attention was turned to the kids - or in later years to golf (for Terry) and maybe even getting out of town. 

Now, since moving to the city, that day has changed to Friday.  Mondays are too 'office intense' at this church.  Terry really likes this arrangement as he works hard to have the sermon ready by Thursday and he can look forward to Friday all week.  I, on the other hand, still have occasional longings for that day of rest together.  It doesn't make sense, as we do get that day together later in the week.  I guess it is just the habit of twenty-five years dying hard.

This Monday involved checking on our health insurance (that's a long - and boring - story), updating Scentsy paperwork (my wickless candle business), unpacking and cleaning up after the weekend away at Camp Cornerstone (the annual camp/seminar/fellowship weekend for Cornerstone Church), having a friend drop in, and re-assessing the week and month to come as September brings new ministry responsibilities.

Hope you had a hopeful Monday - beginning a week of new possibilities.

Next time,
Karol

The Basement Artwork . . .

Last week when there were eleven of us cozying into this house (kids, grandkids, granddog . . .), I came up with the brilliant (?!) idea to do a painting in which all of us would put one footprint on a colorfully painted 12" x 72" canvas (or three 12 x 24 which is all I could find)  that would hang from the rafters in our basement, camouflaging the water pipes which hang below the rafters.  Starting with the oldest - guys on the right, corresponding gals half a step forward on the left - and ending with tiny baby Lydia (Sorry, Rufus, we were leaving room for later additions . . .) we each squished our feet in the paint and stepped!  Done in vivid colors of lime green, hot pink, electric blue . . . it became a very striking and funky painting.  Now that it is 'installed' (I believe that is the term one uses when placing high end art in one's home!), I am thinking that, while it disguises the offending pipes, it directs attention to the rest of the open rafters in which miles of electrical, cable, and phone wire resides!!  Oh, well . . . the painting makes me smile and my mind wanders to who has the smallest feet, who has the largest feet, how soon will the 'little feet' outgrow this moment in time, and what a fun week we had . . .

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  I'll be back on Monday!!
Karol