The bluegrass station fills the van with music in the early morning, little kids still drowsy from being wakened too soon. Blue Moon of Kentucky starts playing and I am immediately taken back to Tennessee, (I know, it should take me back to KY!), to good friends with guitars, bonfires in the front yard, and Ben dancing the best jig you ever saw.
--2--
The Army Band has a summer concert series called Music Under the Stars. There is a grassy open area in front of a white gazebo where everyone plops down their blankets and lawn chairs, opens up their coolers full of food, and then enjoys the music floating on the cool sea breeze blowing in from the bay. Last night was so relaxing after a super busy day. I loved laying on the blanket with my kids all around me. Good memories in the making!
--3--
We travelled to Virginia Beach yesterday morning for a dentist appointment. Afterward, I listened to the traffic report on the radio only to discover that we were facing a 5 mile backup to get back through the bridge-tunnel. I quickly decided that we would eat lunch out and then try to make our way back. Oh. my. goodness! I stumbled upon a little Italian deli/pizzeria that was run by an Italian family (the hostess was their young teen daughter), the television in the corner was airing an Italian game show, the deli case was full of the freshest, yummiest looking ingredients, and we were the only ones in there that were not "regulars". It was one of the best pizzas I have ever had. No cheese. Only roasted zucchini, eggplant, red peppers and artichokes. It was delicious and I had a great time with the kids. I did not even take offense when Olivia sheepishly told me it was better than my pizza. It was.
--4--
The garden is overflowing its beds. The tomatoes are bursting out of the cages in every direction. The yellow flowers are being replaced with small, green fruits. The cucumbers are vining out into the yard, clinging to whatever they can. Lots of flowers, but I discovered one cucumber half-eaten with incriminating teeth marks left behind that leads me to believe that my fat squirrel has started feasting again. I find one or two zucchini each morning beneath the large dark green leaves. I found the first tiny okra on those plants this morning, but the beans have yet to show one blossom despite how big they have grown.
--5--
I have been thinking about my faith (or lack thereof) lately. I don't mean that I have lost my faith, only that I haven't been as active in my prayer life as I have in the past. I am just not sure what to pray for right now. I want to do God's will, but I feel clueless as to what that is. Discerning between His will and what I think is best for my family is challenging. Do I pray for wisdom? Guidance? or do I pray for specific things? I think this can be included in "good things", since I hope that it will lead to being more of who God wants me to be.
--6--
The elderly gentleman who tuned and fixed the piano won his way into my heart almost immediately. He had the greatest mustache, which was gray and full under the lip, and then twisted into pointy ends that stood away from his face. He had a black bag full of old parts for my old piano (which he guessed to be manufactured somewhere between 1911 and 1915). We had lost several of the ivories, the real kind not the plastic variety. He and I picked through all the ones he had salvaged from other pianos to try and match the color and thickness as best we could. He ended up taking those keys with him over the weekend to get the glue to set, which I appeciated. He wasn't much for chit-chat, but after he finished the tuning, he played so beautifully that I closed my eyes and it seemed as though a full grand piano was in my living room.
--7--
It is so good to have this day with nothing on the schedule. I can sit down and write a post, catch up on the mountain of laundry that is spilling forth from the baskets, maybe even sew a little bit on my dress at naptime. Or maybe I will just pour a tall glass of iced tea and sit in the shade while the kids play in the yard!
A special thanks to Hallie for guest-hosting this weeks quick takes!
Jenny,
ReplyDeleteSome encouragement on #5:
Romans 8:25-27
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will.
God knows what it is you need. He'll be there for you even when you're not sure what to pray for.
Jeanne G.
always seems to me you are right smack in the middle of God's will, doing life, and its ups and downs, in a rich and wonderful way. Sometimes that's all there is...and doing it with love.
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