Sunday, January 17, 2016

The Color In Our Lives

 On a Sunday afternoon at home, by the fire, sub-zero winter sunshine, music, the creak of the warming stove, and the quiet hum of the fan for my only company. Everyone else is napping or having his own alone time. It's very quietening and lovely.
    We had an ordinary week. Everyone worked or did school work. Daily chores. Meals. Laundry. Clean up.
   There were little places of unexpected pleasures along the way, too. On Tuesday evening after Children's Ministry the young folks ended up here for soup and visiting. They came in glad for the embrace of wood heat. They walked in the door leaving boots and coats behind in the porch or on a nearby chair and headed straight over to the stove. None of your small talk or dilly-dallying over greetings. Bee-line comes to mind. I love having our house fill up with youth who know how to sit and visit and enjoy the living room circle as well as a good volley-ball game or snowmobiling. So after they emptied the chili soup pot and cleared most of the garlic toast away, someone passed out coloring pages and pencil colors. So there we were coloring and visiting. Young people are among my favorites. 


  Thursday Susan Lattin showed up here on an errand and because of car trouble stayed over night. We used to visit till midnight but not lately. Too old, I guess, and we did get to visit all evening the way it was.
    Saturday my dear husby called me at work to ask if I'd like to go to Perkins for lunch with him. Would I! So I skipped for an hour to solve the world's problems with him.
    I also got the "new" camera functional and am learning how much I don't know about photography. It's a good problem/challenge for me.
    Phone and media visits with our children this week were especially nice. Gwen (5) wanted to visit on Zello Wednesday evening on my way home from work/Duluth but had to go because it was time to get ready for church.
   Lance asked over the phone one day what is my foundation/reason for being a Christian. It is heartening when a son makes sermon prep a two week adventure of gathering testimony and opinion.
There were deadlines for bill paying and heavy equipment to keep warm and running in sub-zero weather. Elv found his machine cold and lifeless with frozen batteries on Monday morning. He brought them home and parked them by Brad's cabin woodstove for all day.
  That was the day he worked downstairs all day with jacks and oak logs which I told you about before. Having him home all day added wonderful color to our lives. Having the work started on our bedroom did, too.
  

My mom, children, grandchildren and friends make my days interesting and worthwhile by way of social media. Besides, one morning I had coffee with old friends around the dining room table.
   The grown daughter at home is talking and thinking and pontificating about something dubbed "victim-hood" by Calvin of Calvin and Hobbs. I get to listen in. I suppose she has no idea how often these convictions are going to be challenge in the next while having said them out loud. But that's okay. Such challenges will establish the truths she is discovering. BTW, Brad took off reading over Christmas time one year reading Calvin and Hobbs. Never underestimate the power of literature. Use it carefully, though.

    Saturday evening after work I went to Wal-mart for candles, candy, and flowers to give our home comforts a little boost for the weekend.
   In the evening, we played three games of Catan. The last game was a terrible fizzle because the numbers that I needed were not rolling, so I was left stranded and helpless with no buying power. It's just a game. My real life is much better.
   Benny sat beside us in church this morning. I realize that it's time Benny's attention is caught by his grandpa who is preaching. As soon as Elv realizes this, Benny and Rodney will not be bored during church anymore.  Elv is a good preacher like that.


3 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures across the top of your blog. And beautiful moments written down.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I didn't know that's why he was asking that question!:)

    ReplyDelete

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