Sorry I haven’t posted in a week. My grandmother passed away, and last week we drove to Ohio for her funeral.  We packed up and left right after Steve and Joel got back from LA. Poor Steve, he has been a traveling maniac for the last two weeks. On top of that, my kids had their last week of classes at the same time and then have finals and homeschool testing this week.

While we were in Ohio, I visited Ikea for the first time. That place is a DRUG, I tell you! Don’t even go near one unless you are extrememly disciplined or have whiny, tired kids with you so that you have to hurry through. I got out of there with only spending $13.

My grandmother’s funeral was wonderful.  I got to reconnect with much missed family. I’ll write more about that later. For now, I am glad to be home and hoping to get caught up on sleep.

Blessings.

One day, I was at a ladies brunch at my old church talking with gals of all ages. I have since forgoten what led up to this story, but it is one of the best ones I have ever heard.  Especially since the lady that told it was the least likely person I could ever imagine this happening to.

I’ll call her Carol, though some of you may know this story and know who she really is. Anyway, Carol is a respectable and modest woman with grown children and grandchildren. She is kind, generous, loving, and really funny! She always looks nice and put-together, and has a smile on her face and a hug for everyone she meets. But one day, Carol was not as on top of her game as she usually is….

It was a typical winter day here in Kansas City. Carol was going about her usual routine, chores, etc….She had taken the laundry out to the garage where the washer and dryer were located. Since it was just herself in the house, staying on top of the laundry wasn’t too challenging, but, nevertheless, Carol liked to make sure she was being efficient. When the washer wasn’t quite full, she began to look around the house to make sure she had gotten everything that needed washing. Standing in front of the washer that evening, she realized that what she was wearing needed  to be laundered. Without a second thought, Carol stripped naked, dropped her clothes in the bin, and started the cycle. After all, she lived alone. She could scamper back to her bedroom without flashing anyone and get her pajamas on early. She turned to head back up the few steps and into the kitchen, but the door was LOCKED!

That’s right. Classy, church-going grandma Carol had locked herself out of her house and was standing in her garage completely nude. What in the world was she going to do?  She knew her close friends and neighbors had a spare key she had given them years ago for emergencies and such. But she couldn’t go over to their house NAKED!

 She ran over to the washer and lifted the lid, but the clothes were already soaked through and agitating. Speaking of agitating….Carol began looking around the garage for anything with which she could lockpick the door, but she was a widow and had given all her husband’s tools to her son. The garage was beginning to feel a bit  nippy. She began to to scan for something to put on, but what would there be in a garage that a person could wear? And it was winter!  Her eyes settled on a box of plastic lawn and leaf garbage bags.  That would have to do. She tore a hole in the bottom of the bag for her head, then turned the bag upside down and slid it on.  It was like a vinyl mini-dress from the 60’s. The plastic was cold, but at least she was covered.  

Seeing her neighbor’s lights on, she swallowed her pride, darted across the street and rang the doorbell. It was dusk. Who else was seeing a grandma run across the street wearing nothing but a plastic garbage bag?  Dan answered the door, intially with a smile, which quickly changed to a look of shock and awe, and then to roars of laughter as she told him what happened. He grabbed a coat for her and the spare key. They quickly walked back to her house where he let her in, and she me made him swear a vow of silence. 

I love Carol. She’s just one of those people that is always happy, and it just makes you feel good to be around her.  And I love her all the more for telling me this story and not making me swear a vow of silence. And every time I think of elderly church ladies, I also think of  a grandma wearing nothing but a plastic garbage bag hurrying across the street in winter.

And it makes me smile 

every

single

time.

A sign of things to come? I think so…

Joel and Steve are in California visiting friends that Joel met through his on-line school this past school year. Although this group of friends has talked A LOT over the year, they are meeting in person for the first time this weekend.

In celebration of this prima-union (can’t say re-union), I have decided to post the most embarassing pics of Joel I can find.

Ok, not really, because I would hate for someone to do that to me. But I will find “interesting” ones. And you will still love me, right, Joel? Yeah, you will, because I let you fly to California.

My mother-in-love asked me what I really wanted for mother’s day.  Since she lives halfway across the country, we couldn’t get together, but she wanted to do something special for me. She has always treated my like a daughter.

I think she treats me better than she treats her own sons, but I don’t want to disrupt the system so we will just keep that hush-hush for now…except that I just typed it on my blog.  But people need to know that mothers and daughters-in loves can have a wonderful relationship.

Anyway, these arrived in the mail the other day.

They are exactly what I wanted, and needed, and hadn’t had the time to go out and get. Which is what makes it a perfect Mother’s Day gift. I know what I will be doing this weekend. 

Thanks, Dixie!