Friendship Friday - Labor Day Lack of Plans

      

Today's Friendship Friday question was about what people's Labor Day plans were.  Well, we really don't have any special plans for the holiday weekend.  Remnants of Isaac are supposed to bring us rain all weekend.  Schools have been in session here in Kentucky for nearly a month.

I guess there is one thing a little different about this weekend, though.  I got a call yesterday from the President of the branch of my church, asking me to play the hymns on Sunday, as both of the regular pianists would be out of town.  This is not a huge deal, I suppose, as I have played for years and in the Primary (children's Sunday  School) for several months now.  I just want to do a good job.

OK, this is a little "off-topic" but I got a great surprise in the mail last Wednesday.  When I went to get the mail, there was a letter, addressed to me in my "big-girl" name, with no return address.  Inside was a Shell $100 gas card!  It could not have come at a better time, as the last couple of months have been somewhat of a struggle for us.  Hubby even made the comment that my exclamation of surprise was a lot more "family-friendly" than it has been in the past!

Have a great holiday weekend, y'all!

Wordless Wednesday - Favorite Picture

Friendship Friday - My Hometown

When I think of "hometown", I think of the town in which I was born.  More accurately, the wide spot in the road where I was born.  Unfortunately, for the purposes of this post, I remember little about the place, except for that we went through one time when I was a small child and I got to see the house in which I was born.  Maybe I can be forgiven for my lack of memory given the fact that this happened close to 51 years ago.

Today, my home town (or the town in which I find my home) is in a small town in Kentucky.  Although I've spent the majority my life in two "big cities" (one in Utah, the other in Texas), I am truly "at home" here.  So what makes this place unique?

Well, it has one of the few "town squares" left in the US.  There has been talk from the politicos about razing the square to improve traffic patterns, but that would destroy some of the town's character.  And where would they put the town Christmas tree?  On the plaza in front of the brand spanking new "Justice Center"...where driversby cannot even see it??  I think NOT!

Long ago, they co-opted part of a nearby "multi-state highway" for the town's business district.  Within the town limits, they number the traffic lights along this road.  So on the radio, businesses providing their customers directions say, not "between X Street and Highway Y"...but "at light 5" etc.  I had never seen that before living in this area.

Also, the townspeople just recently voted to take the town "wet".  Before that, someone wanting to purchase  liquor had to drive approximately an hour in any direction to get to a liquor store or winery.  There were many, many more "vote no" signs in people's yards.  I only recall seeing two "vote yes" signs, one with just words and one with graphics.  But when the vote came, the "yes" votes outstripped the "no" votes approximately 3 to 1.

When we moved to this town, we checked to see where we would need to inform school districts about homeschooling our children.  The neighbors beside us and across the street both were in the county district, so we dropped off our notification at the county BOE.  We found out within two weeks (via nasty note on our door) that we were the last house in the city district, while everyone around us was county.  Go figure.

Happy creating, y'all!

My Favorite Moment This Summer

Actually, my favorite moment this summer has a history that stretches back to Mother's Day 2012.  My daughter and I are church-goers; my husband and boys are not.  They will come with us to the social gatherings, like chili cook-offs and Independence Day cook-offs, but not to Sunday services.  Well, this Mother's Day I wanted to ask that they all come with my daughter and me.  But I was afraid.  Then I got on myself for being afraid ... I mean, as "the Mom", I have rights, too, yes?

So I talked it over with my husband.  Being a non-attending Christian, he did not want me to push my denomination's views on the boys (who are 14 and 15) if they chose not to believe in the same way.  (I wouldn't want that either, actually, as it is each person's choice to believe or not.)  So, we came upon "the plan".  The boys would come with their sister and me for four weeks...then we would revisit the situation.

Then, of course, the problems came.  Most to all of our clothing is of the casual kind.  I mean, my one dress and one skirt (both new this 2nd quarter of the year), are all the "Sunday-go-to-meetin'" clothes I have.  DH did not want the kids going to church in sweats or jeans.  We received some "gently used" gifts from a couple at church, but the 14 yr old is quite hefty (think linebacker or tackle) and could not fit into any of them.  Then, DH thought if he was 'requiring' the boys to go that he should probably go too.  But he did not have "church clothes" either.  He bought himself a pair of pants, that wound up fitting our boy better than they fit him.

Yes, I've taken the long way around to get to the heart of my story.  Lo and behold, one Sunday I found myself driving to church with all 3 of my children.  Now, mostly when I think of myself and motherhood, I tend to focus on my deficiencies, real or perceived.  But not that Sunday.  I felt complete.  I felt "right".  And that felt GREAT!