Interesting Church Fact

After the kids played at Chapel on Wednesday, I was talking with my sister-in-law who is one of the Ministers at the church. She was tidying up after the service and we were in the Sacristy. We were talking about various theological ideas, mostly Catholic vs. ELCA Lutheran. Since my kids go to a Lutheran School, were baptized Lutheran, and my oldest has had First Communion, I have been trying to learn more about Lutheranism. Sister-in-Law has a great sense of humor and was telling me how the sink drain in the Sacristy goes directly to the ground. Evidently, Jesus does not go into the sewer. I guess I had never thought about how they dispose of the Holy Water and Wine. I imagine that this is similar in Catholic churches (Bridgett??). I chalk this up to things you don't think about as the average lay person!

Musicality

Today, the two older kids played harp at Children's Chapel (the weekly service at their Lutheran school). It was very last minute and in front of the whole school. Additionally, it was the first time that they would play together without their harp teacher accompanying them(or even being there). Son was not so hip to the plan, but daughter was excited and I thought it would be a good experience in a friendly environment. It went great. I was so proud of them. Daughter really stepped up and led the songs. It was the first time that I had really seen them work together to make the music sing. If one of them got off, the other was able to bring it back. They actually listened to each other playing and responded accordingly. If you have ever played in a group (especially a duet), you know how important this is. It was like it all came together! I was also impressed with how well they conducted themselves. They had three songs to play (A Mighty Fortress, Amazing Grace, and Canticle of the Turning), but knew that they had to cover a certain period of time. With a lot of poise they knew to keep playing those songs until the Minister signaled to stop. I know this seems obvious to us adults, but I was really happy to see that they handled themselves so well. Yay!

Happy & a little Sad

Above is one of my herb boxes. I am so excited, that due to the warm fall, my herbs have had a second life. I had been disappointed earlier in the season that I had not done a great job of harvesting. My dill came in super early and I didn't make the time to process it. I had also thought that my parsley was a lost cause. But, low and behold, it is going like gangbusters! I have already had a very good season of rosemary, thyme, sage, chives, and oregano. Even the lavender did well. Tomorrow I am planning on doing a lot of drying in hopes that I will have plenty through the winter.

Yesterday, the kids had their yearly doctor's check-up. Youngest son had been battling a rough cough for a couple of weeks and I mentioned it to the doctor. She listened to his lungs and asked if I had heard him wheezing. I hadn't noticed any wheezing, but evidently, to her ears, it was quite bad. She said that if it had been her or me, we would be in bed. She immediately gave him a breathing treatment and diagnosed him with walking pneumonia! Now he is on antibiotics and an inhaler. Poor little guy - I feel horrible that he has been dealing with this for so long. Hopefully he will be feeling a lot better in a day or two.

One Mission Accomplished!

One of the big reasons I was excited that Daughter wanted to do German dance is because she is painfully shy. Once she knows you and feels comfortable around you, she is very engaging and talkative. If she is unsure and doesn't know you well, she will barely speak - even if you ask her a direct question. It can takes years to get past this stage. With German dance, you dance with a partner (can't polka alone!) and that partner can change from week to week. Therefore, you get to know a lot of people. All told, there are probably fifteen people in the group. Yesterday, the troop performed at a Catholic Church's Oktoberfest. Daughter was paired with a strong-willed boy. It was so wonderful to see her take the lead and assert herself in doing the dance the correct way and not let her partner lead the wrong way. I was so proud of her! I felt like this was the first time she felt the confidence that I know she has deep down. It was a great moment, and, I hope, she builds on it.

Library Book Pet Peeve

I love libraries. We are a reading family and there is no way I could afford to buy all the books we read. BUT, I have a huge pet peeve. The last two books I have checked out have been DISGUSTINGLY dirty. Food, snot, bugs, etc. It is super yucky. This last book even smells like gasoline. What are people doing?!? I am really liking my newest book, but every time I turn the page, I am nervous about what "surprise" I am going to find in the pages. Come on people -these are not your books to trash! Some of us want to be able to enjoy a book without feeling like we need a tetanus shot.

Finding my ground....

After a rough and bumpy start to Fall, I feel like the earth is starting to settle beneath my feet. Many things collided to cause much anxiety and stress. Thankfully, I feel like I am beginning to get a better grip on things and the world is looking a little brighter. The mouse situation is starting to get under control (we caught eight!), Oktoberfests are winding down, Husband is done with his extensive Boy Scout training, soccer tournaments are over, my germ/blood obsession is still there (but I am trying to manage it better), Girl Scouts have hit their stride, Sunday School is shaping up (after so much stress finding teachers), we have a new garage door, my library helper is FANTASTIC, kids are doing well in school, and I have actually planted some fall flowers!

The kids had last Friday off of school and, since it was such a beautiful day, we headed to the Botanical Gardens. It was so great to get away for the day and enjoy ourselves as a family. Just what we all needed. Made even better because Husband was able to join us for lunch. The above picture is of them pretending to be Lewis, Clark and Sacajawea.