finally!

I've been asked what I decided to name the scarecrow I made. Well, the poll was not all that helpful because it ended as a three-way tie. But while my parents were visiting, Dad said he didn't vote but he liked "Mifflin"; Heath would have voted the same way. So, there you have it - Mifflin he is.

For those who are wondering where the name came from, I'll indulge your curiosity. George Mifflin Dallas, the Vice President under President Polk, was also the man for whom the city of Dallas was named. Fitting name for my scarecrow, I'd say, seeing as how Dallas is where we are living!

Happy October 1st!

For three years now, I have anticipated the first day of October with both dread and excitement. You see, there is a huge deadline for all the students who will be traveling with my company this year to turn in their paperwork by October 1st. While they feel excited, perhaps, or relieved, to have the ball rolling for their trip, I am met with an avalanche of work. This time of year excites me because I thrive on being busy. On the other hand, having worked at this company for the past 2 years, I also know exactly what is coming. There is no way of preparing to make it easier or doing work ahead of time. I just wait for the dreaded October First.

There is, I think (in my imperfect knowledge on the subject), a fine line between drowning and keeping your head above water - somewhere between all-out panic at the first sensation of water lapping your nose and being so tired of treading water that your whole body aches. For the next month and a half, my goal is to keep my head above water. Not finish the work at the end of the day, for that won't happen for several weeks. But I will outlast the stormy waves.

I try to keep life as normal as possible - shower every morning, eat breakfast, lunch & dinner, workout, hang out with friends on the weekend, love on Heath & Ainsley. But I'll also get up a little earlier and stay up a little later. This actually works out well. Since I'm working from home, I can work while Heath does homework and during the day I get to watch Ainsley's antics out of the corner of my eye and hear her sweet, playful voice while I type away. And, for this month and a half, I'll swallow the perfectionism that says everything needs to be done at the end of the day. I'll leave a mountain of work for the next day - although hopefully it will be smaller than earlier in the day; and I will work steadily until I can finally say at the end of the day that there is nothing more to do.

I hope I haven't given the impression that I'm complaining or wishing October never came. As in every season, the good is often found in the difficulties. Besides that, each day is brand new; it has yet to be lived in; today's sunrise has never been seen before.

With that, I'm off to begin work for the day! Have a great one, dear friends!

Dirt-Covered, Yet Beautiful

A quick drive or cursory glance down the streets of our neighborhood would give you the image of unkempt lawns, overgrown weeds, garish & badly done paint jobs, broken sidewalks, discarded trash, and bars on windows. Not the kind of place that says "Beauty" or "Grace" to a passerby.

But that would only be part of the picture, for it takes a slower pace to see the beauty. As Annie Dillard wrote:

"As I walked along...I got better and better at seeing frogs both in and out of the water. I learned to recognize, slowing down, the difference in texture of the light reflected from mud bank, water, grass, or frog."

A slower, closer look at our neighborhood affords visual treasures, things like:

the startled butterfly who flew on ahead;

the nearly hidden, but well tended rose garden;

neatly potted plants along a porch;

the earthy green front door which perfectly compliments the stone house;

the elderly gentleman who waters and weeds his wildflower garden nearly every day;

a well placed decorative wheelbarrow filled with dark, rich soil and crisp, white petunias;

large, shady trees lining the street;

the way the morning sunlight flickers through the trees, creating soft shadows;

a pair of cream rocking chairs inviting company;

sweet smelling honeysuckle climbing over a fence;

a vine-covered wall.

It has taken awhile, but I am learning to find the beauty in the broken & dirty things of life. I am broken, dirty, needy, sinful but God is making me sweet smelling, full of His beauty and grace.

There is so much that is unattractive in this world - Lord help me to view it all through your eyes of grace.

What's in your cupboard?

RealSimple magazine has a neat section called "New uses for old things." Partially inspired by their creativity and partially by Ainsley's need for challenge & discovery, I started my own list of ways to use common household items as toys. It is in no way exhaustive nor do I claim to be the first to have thought of these things. Each day I think of something else, but I have not used all of these ideas yet. Feel free to both use my ideas and suggest your own!

• Plastic kitchen serving/stirring spoon
• Empty & clean individual size plastic juice bottle filled with pennies (or beads)
• Empty, clear plastic hand soap dispenser filled with water (bath toy)
• Nesting Tupperware containers
• Tupperware container with a lid filled with pennies (or anything that makes noise)
• Sponge & container to squeeze water into (bath toy)
• Empty, clean diaper wipe container with a top that opens by pushing a button
  

Sparkling Names

I laughed out loud this morning on the way to work. As I passed a car dealership, the sign on the building caught my eye. It read, "Pre-Loved." I love it - I'm still laughing. Normally, I wouldn't think twice about any car in a lot, especially if we're not in the market for a new car. But today my interest was peaked by who might have previously loved each car in that lot.

The sign reminds me of the tendency of Amy Carmichael & Anne Shirley to give ordinary and plain places more imaginative names. Instead of "the bathroom or restroom", Amy called it The Place, creating mystery & politeness around something unremarkable. Barry's Pond became The Lake of Shining Waters to Anne, allowing the simple pond to take on a romantic and magical element.

It's the art of naming, a skill I don't possess - as illustrated by my scarecrow name poll!

A Bit of Fall Nostalgia

Cooler temperatures have awakened my senses to the approaching fall. Somehow the light seems different - warmer and softer, rather than the harsh, beating sun of the summer. It's long-sleeve t-shirt and jeans weather - my absolute favorite! My nose is just tingling, waiting for those autumn smells - spiced apple cider, pumpkin bread, dew covered grass, warm apple pie, a wood burning fireplace.

Fall decor has been on my "to-do" and my shopping lists this past week. I found a very cheap small pumpkin the other day which made its home on the bookshelf in our entryway. Two other very cute miniature pumpkins nestled on my kitchen counter, but they needed one more friend. I decided a scarecrow would be perfect, and since I was planning on going out yesterday, thought it would be a good time to look for one. But then I remembered making rag dolls and rag rugs out of strips of leftover material when I was a kid. It's been many years since then; even so, my hands had an itching to try it again. So out came the big sewing tub and I began to dig through it, searching for pieces of fabric that would be long enough. Ainsley was playing on the floor with the toys I brought downstairs for her, but she wasn't really interested in them. Instead she discovered (again) the fabric that used to be my living room curtains which is now tossed under my sewing table. I don't usually let her play with it, but yesterday was different - it was crafting day. And she needed a "craft" as well. While I cut strips of cloth, Ainsley rolled around with that fabric, pulled it this way and that, and even caught her leg in it a couple times.

"Together" we created a rag doll scarecrow with a little set of overalls, patches included; a shirt; a handkerchief; and a straw hat. He took his rightful place by the two pumpkins on my kitchen counter. The only thing left to do is to give him a name. I'm terrible at giving names - really terrible. I think it took me at least a week to name my kitty once I brought him home and then I called him "Bashful", the complete opposite of what his personality turned out to be. So, I need some help - please vote in the poll to the left and help me name this little guy!

Four Things - Belated

I was tagged by Emily a long while ago and forgot to post my Four Things. Here we go...

Four Things...

Four jobs I've had:
1. Babysitter
2. PretzelMaker worker
3. Church Youth Intern
4. Barista

Four movies I've seen more than once:
1. You've Got Mail
2. While You Were Sleeping
3. Aladdin
4. Pride and Prejudice (the long BBC version)

Four TV shows I watch:
1. The Office
2. CSI
3. Monk
4. Chuck

Four places I've been:
1. Thailand
2. Maine
3. Niagara Falls
4. Monaco

Four people who email me regularly:
1. My Mom
2. Brandi
3. Rosa
4. ??

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Cheese
2. Strawberries
3. Chicken
4. Dark Chocolate

Four things I'm looking forward to in the next year:
1. My 25th Birthday!
2. Ainsley's 1st Christmas
3. Fall
4. Christmas in Iowa

And now I'll tag Steph.