Friday Farrago

Gahhhhh!  Is it over?  Just tell me it's over already.  I am so OVER bats and spiders.  NOT a fan.  There I said it.  Just call me a party-pooper.  Go ahead.  But, I can tell that some of you are ready to move on too --> there's been lots of action on some of my Christmas posts!

Moving right along.  And WOW, is life moving along lately.  I don't know where the time has gone.  I recently started watching babies at church on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for moms who have mothers club or bible studies -- also for international moms who have English classes.  I cannot even explain to you how much I love holding babies on my lap and singing or reading -- or laying on the floor with them and teaching them to play with a new toy.  Or telling them things, and seeing them respond to me.  Oh my, how I love the wee ones.  What a privilege to love on them.

And here's a fun little side-story... When I showed up to watch the babies, in walks a little guy who I totally recognized.  My girlfriend's grandson.  Quite a coincidence, actually, since the family does not attend our church.  The fun part?  I used to babysit his daddy.  (I know, I'm old.)  The thing is, this little guy is too young to understand the connection -- but oh, how I love him -- and how how he reminds me of his daddy!  You can see... I love my mornings with the babies.

HowEVer... two scheduled mornings in the middle of a week make the week FLY by.  Can I just say?  I don't know where my days and weeks are going lately.

Added to that... my sweet hubby was out of town for three days this week, and will be going out of town again soon.  Then, it's my turn, and I'm off on an adventure.  (I'll tell you about that another time.)  In between, I'm trying to keep up on the laundry so that my hubby doesn't have to think about keeping up with it while I'm gone.  I'm kind of funny about anyone else doing the laundry -- mostly because I put some things in the dryer, and other things not-so-much, and I'm really the only one who knows that CODE.  Am I the only one who does this?

In other news, almost daily, I delete an e-mail from Etsy with the word "success" in the subject line.  Etsy has not been a success for me.  It would be funny if you left a comment saying, "perhaps you should read the e-mail" -- but (haha) don't.  The other day, my mom presented an Etsy idea to me -- and I hope to be able to share that with you sometime soon.  In the meantime, I'll leave you on the edge of your seat.

In the last month or so, my allergies have been worse than they were in the summertime.  Anyone else? I've been downing allergy meds like they're going out of style.  My body?  Is tired of both allergies and (sadly) allergy meds.  Put a fork in me.  I'm done.

Yesterday, I bought a 2014 calendar.  Not the kind you hang on the wall -- but, a spiral-bound book.  That's what I like to keep on my desk.  My daughter and I had a great conversation about how much she likes books. Real, hold-in-your-hand books.  Not e-books.  She loves the feel of the pages, and the smell of the paper. That's me and book-style calendars.  My mom suggested a computer-program that I might like for calendaring.  (I just made up that term.  Like it?)  I was like, ummm, no thank you.  Not interested.  I like a physical thing to hold in my hands and WRITE in.  That's just me.  I'm not saying I've never entered an event in my phone calendar. However, that's usually only as a note until I can get home and write it on my hard-copy calendar. Technologically backwards, right?

Related to this backwardness: not long ago, I posted this on Facebook:  "So, I went to a meeting at church today.  People around me were on their laptops and smartphones.  I don't think anyone but me had paper and pen."  I included these hashtags:

#nolaptop
#ilovemydesktopbutitisnotportable
#nosmartphone
#ilovemyflipphonebutitisnotsmart

As I write this post, ladybugs (or asian beetles, you choose) are buzzing around the kitchen light.  They've been coming in our windows and doors the last two days.  I've gotten tired of chasing them around, so when the sound of them hitting the lights starts to get to me... I turn off the lights and go to bed.  LOL

And that, my friends, is real life at my house.  Crazy with a capital "C" -- with lots of random thrown in for good measure.

How did I end up with FARRAGO in my title?  Simple.  I looked up "miscellany" in the on-line thesaurus, and found a word beginning with "F" to go with FRIDAY.  Boom.  I learned a new word today.

Were you formerly familiar with the word "farrago?"
(Do you love the alliteration?)

'13 Gratefulness

* grateful for time spent with mom yesterday

* grateful for "Grandpa time" for my daughter tonight.  They are off to the last football game of the season!

* grateful for a new ministry to be a part of

* grateful for leaf colors that defy description -- oh the beauty!

* grateful for a ride from a friend while we've been playing "musical cars" [not chairs] at our house

* grateful for cancellation of an additional surgery for a friend -- not needed, afterall

Feel free to chime in with a comment!  What are you grateful for today?