Bumper Sticker Wisdom

Two things that don't mix well

1) a diet that requires consuming 80-96 ounces of water a day

2) drawstring shorts

I have proven a theory repeatedly this summer. If the need to empty the bladder is great, the knot in the drawstring is as great. The mathematical equation is this:

Real urgent need = really big knot

Hollyhock

You might call them surprise lilies.

My mom’s mom loved flowers. Every flower that she could find grew in her yard in expansive flower beds, border gardens, around the foundation, along the path to the garden – if it was fallow soil, flowers were growing in it. My mom had an equal love of flowers, but not the time to nurture and fuss over the plants. Mom preferred perennials and low maintenance bulbs and bushes.

Mom and Grandma called their flowers and plants by locally-known names, not necessarily the widely-accepted names among horticulturalists and landscaping centers. Some of the names they used were down right embarrassing.

For many years, my mom and her friend Dorie kept the baby nursery during the Sunday School hour at our church. My mom had given lily bulbs to Dorie, hoping that she could get them to grow in her yard. After several years of no success, Dorie had just about given up on having the lilies bloom in her yard.

One hot, July Sunday my mother was chatting with a young couple who was visiting the church for the first time. They had brought their precious baby to the nursery and my mom was assuring them that their child would receive the best care. Dorie came into the building, heard my mother’s voice and called out as she climbed the stairs to the nursery, “Doris Jean! Doris Jean! I looked out my window this morning and you know what I saw in my yard? Three naked ladies!”

Seeing the young couple with their mouths agape, Dorie didn’t miss a beat. She looked at them with accomplished aplomb and said, “You might call them surprise lilies.”

I always think of my mom and Dorie when I see our naked ladies, which were blooming this week.

The real reason I love this dining room rug

When we purchased this rug for the dining room several years ago, I had a list of reasons why it was the perfect rug:

**the golds in the rug were a perfect match for the gold paint on the walls

**the background added light to a room that didn't get a lot of natural light

**the pattern was busy enough that minor stains wouldn't be noticed



Today as I walked through the dining room, I learned the real reason I love this rug. It camouflages those nasty maple seed pods that find their way into the house. Do you see it?

Connect Five

Yes, I know the game is called Connect Four, but when you are five years old and my nephew J, you can call it Connect Five and play until you have five in a row.

At his house the other day, he brought out the game and wanted to take me on. He was red and I was yellow. Those are the colors of the game pieces, not a reflection of my bravery.

He’s actually a pretty good player. We spent a little time on strategy when it became obvious that he had the blocking part down really well, but was neglecting the “get five in a row” part of the game.

After the instructive time, he defeated me soundly. Sweet victory to see the look on his face when he counted his five in a row and knew he had won.

Asking for Votes

We had a wicked windstorm blow through our area recently. Around 3:00 one Sunday morning, the wind woke us as it shook the house. That's no small feat.

After church everyone in the neighborhood was out working on the limbs and leaves that had fallen. As the primary election here in Missouri was only a few weeks away, the politicians were out walking the neighborhood, too.

Two of the candidates for local offices came through our yard, asking for our votes. Neither one asked if we needed them to take a few minutes to help us clean up the storm debris.

Duly noted.

Bibical Wisdom

John 10:10

I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.

~Jesus Christ