The Weakly Tribune Vol. 1 Issue 4

 

THE WEAKLY TRIBUNE

Monday 7.11.22

Awoke a little after midnight to Danielle telling me she had to throw up. Some ended up on the floor, some in her bed, but thankfully most in the sink! I think Danl telling her last night that she could eat gelato until she couldn’t eat anymore was not the best idea since she downed copious amounts before reaching that point. Ugh. Back to bed. Danielle was totally fine the rest of the day! Got a late start with my Morning Routine. Helped Danielle refill the birdbath and bird feeder. Worked at my desk. Did Payroll. Heard about little Betsy Dyck gaining her angel wings. And other children too! Beyond tragic. My head and heart cannot comprehend all this pain. Finished typing and posting The Weakly Tribune; feeling that our Normal Days are more precious than ever. I’m so pleased with my compact pedal exerciser! Pedaled over 30 minutes while catching up on my phone. Danl got home early and ran to the bank and vet for me. Danielle went with him. Thought again about last week’s Thursday Cleaning and actually dusted the ceiling a little. It gets so buggy and dusty. But decided since it’s getting so close to Thursday now that it’ll just roll over! Waaah. Why don’t I love to clean?! Wanted to clean out our little pool and mow the backyard, but a small hurricane blew in and dashed that idea. Danl and Danielle went to Piggly too and brought home hamburger and tater tots. Pan-fried the burgers and fries the tots in the house due the rain. Sat out on the back porch and watched the sky while Danielle “roosted” with her chicken inside the coop. It looked like the flaming golden doors of Heaven were so close, just beyond the treetops. Even the air seemed to be an odd golden hue that wrapped around the Earth like a hug. Celebration in Heaven; heartbreak on Earth. Life is a juxtaposition. 

 Tuesday 7.12.22

Another day of Birthday Celebration! Turning 36 has proved to be a Very Good Thing! Met Erica Lynn and Summer at the teacher’s house for a walkthrough before heading for Pensacola. Stopped at the Ministry Village thrift store where I scored a little wooden deer. Lost Pizza for lunch. I highly recommend The Lucille on thin crust! Then to the mall for pedicures where I proceeded to drop my phone into my foot bath! Thankfully it was unharmed after a speedy towel off. Ross Dress for Less afterwards. Sweet Cone Alabama for ice cream was next on our agenda. The girls loved playing in the sprinkle pit and swinging on the indoor swings! I loved my waffle cone with a scoop of Dark Chocolate and a scoop of Roadrunner Raspberry! Ended our outing with Walmart Pickup before heading home. Ate venison fajitas together at our house since it was Taco Tuesday. Birthday Days are the Best! I still have one more celebration on the books before it’s over for this year though! 

 

Wednesday 7.13.22

Woke up ready for a Home Day that was not to be. Hate feeling behind even before the day gets started! Barely made it in time to the STEM (I had to look it up; it’s an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) class I had enrolled Danielle in at the Atmore Library. Was a really cool balloon car project! Danielle went home with Ms. Karma and her kids, while I ran to the Pig, then to Southern Harbor to get my freezer food I’d been storing there. After some readjustments and decluttering of older food, I was able to cram everything into our rented freezer. Made an Oreo ice cream dessert for Tracey’s bake day. Karma followed me over there and we delivered our food before going on to Gloria’s. I did her payroll again, before joining the rest at the pool. Sun actually shone a little bit right before it was time to leave! The Lotus icee Karma had made for me hit the spot too. Yum. The kitchen was a wreck and I was not inspired to cook. Danl suggested trying Rocky’s Pizza again, but after getting quoted $34 for what would be their equivalent of one Meat Lovers pizza, I said No Thanks! Proceeded to order a large ML, cheese breadsticks, extra marinara, and a medium cheese pizza all for only $27 from Pizza Hut! Sorry, Rockys! Felt so good to go to bed; I was more than ready for my “Low on Patience; High on Spunk” day to be over so I could try again tomorrow. Quickly put in a Prime Day order before that countdown ended. Also noticed that it had been a “High on Screen Time” day… no wonder I felt so Blah. 

 

7.14.22

Danl and David got our freezer moved under the mancave lean-to first thing! I know we’re gonna love having it there instead of way out in the barn. Helped Danielle get going with the crystal making kit she picked out for her One Thing on Tuesday. Got all the poop scooped and was gonna mow the jungle in the back but it started up raining again. Ordered an arrangement to be delivered for Matt & Kelli. Finally finished my Morning Routine and had a late lunch. Danl came home early since he was rained out, bringing delicious meats and treats from Costello's Butcher Shop & Deli. Oversaw another batch of hydro-marble painting. Then I announced to my family that Thursday Cleaning was about to be underway! Danl fled to the mancave and Danielle to her room. I did the basic cleaning plus deep cleaned the shower, vacuumed the dust off the dog fan and the AC closet door, and washed the curtains in the dogs’ area. So pleased to finally have a fresh house again! But somehow Cleaning always makes me feel grouchy and I want to be a Different Person! Someone who isn’t a Slob and has Much Less Stuff all over the place. I assisted Danl in cooking World’s Best Philly Cheesesteaks. I made us a tiny Oreo ice cream dessert since I have “had a taste for it” ever since making them for others lately. Danl mowed and I did a thorough wipeout inside and out on the freezer before plugging it in. Pedaled and enjoyed some Oreo dessert in one of my green glass dessert dishes from Leona Peters. 

 

7.15.22

Roosty’s Morning Crow is sounding more polished! Danielle has taught Rocket how to Sit and Stay like a dog lol. Did Morning Routine, listened to most of little Betsy's funeral, helped Danielle on the next step of Crystal Making, and worked at my desk. FaceTimed with Aunt Sue while I got my lunch around and ate it on the back porch to enjoy the sunny day! Ran to WeCare where we saw Carmela, Rosalie, and Karma and kiddos all unplanned. Scored a Hearth & Hand mug for the teacher’s house, a copper ladle, a whisk, a book, and a shallow clay pot perfect for succulents. So annoyed to see a pedal exerciser for only $2.99! Of course I would find one just after ordering. Argh. Went to Waves for a much-needed wash and vacuum, then to Walmart for watermelon. I can’t pick out a good watermelon to save my life, but I thumped them soundly just for looks before just putting 2 in my cart. Got our weekly milk from the Landis cows. Made baked beans and went to Summer’s 2nd birthday party! Such a fun feast of Italian fried chicken, tater salad, beans, pasta salad, watermelon, and Oreo and fried ice cream desserts! 

 

7.16.22

School Cleaning! And exactly 1 month until the First Day of School! Should’ve journeyed to Steve’s for watermelon because the first one I cut was inedible; the 2nd one was somewhat better. Wanted to be there by at least 9:00, but it was 9:30 when we arrived. When I told Danielle she could wipe the baseboards in the room we were working in, she replied, “What’s a baseboard?!” Be sure your lack of cleaning shall find you out! But now she knows! And maybe she’ll clean ours. Karma, Kinsley, Danielle and I headed for Pensacola shortly before lunch was served, since local Pensacola author Emily Ley had rescheduled her book signing at Barnes & Noble. Lunched at Panda Express. Weren’t fortunate enough to be given fortune cookies. Joined the small semi-circle of women and children gathered around Emily! She was every bit the epitome of southern elegance in her white eyelet dress with her 3 adorable kids around her. She read her new children’s book You're Always Enough, interjecting interesting comments here and there as she went along. Then we got to speak with her and she signed ALL my books. Only 5 copies of When Less Becomes More and 3 copies of You’re Always Enough. From there we went to Crazy Cazboys, only to be disappointed to learn that they are closing next Wednesday. Didn’t seem like they had gotten a new shipment on Thursday either. Next stop was Hobby Lobby. Wall Decor was not 50% off this week, so I just Idea Shopped for the teacher’s house. Crumbl Cookie was up next! Tried Lemon, PB&J, Pop-Tart, and Danielle wanted a Chocolate Chip. Then to Ever'man Coop for vitamins and Lemon Zinger fresh pressed juice drinks. Last stop was Ministry Village thrift shop before heading home. Grilled sausage, a packet of squash, onions, and bacon, and steaks for supper. Jace’s stopped by and chatted since they were bebopping around in Bonnie. 

 

7.17.22

Breakfast was super thick sliced bacon with the rind still on from Costellos; along with Crumbl cookies and coffee for me. Felt so good to be back in Southern Harbor for Sunday School and church! Went to David and Tara’s for delicious burgers, leftover beans from Summer’s party, and Brazilian potato salad created by David. The sun amazingly shone all day! Tara, Danielle, and I went down to the creek for several hours to enjoy the sunshine there. Danielle had a blast making friends and playing with two little boys named Ezra and Chip. Snacked around some more (had my first taste of Brazilian cheese bread! Yum!) before heading back home. A very good relaxing day. I’m trying to have Sunday’s be a Mostly Screen-Free Day like the Wade Kaufmann family does. Pretty pleased with 2 hours 3 minutes. Could be better, could be worse!

 

Simple Satisfaction of the Week: Realizing in Sunday School that if I knew tomorrow was my last day on earth, that I would simply want to be on my phone less, while praying, hugging, and laughing more! 

Rueful Regret of the Week: Not starting to sew new frocks for Rachelle’s wedding.

THE WEAKLY TRIBUNE Vol. 1 Issue 3

THE WEAKLY TRIBUNE

Monday 7.4.22

Happy Birthday, America! The fourth day in a row that Danl was home happened to be the Fourth of July! We started celebrating by attending a fabulous breakfast cookout at Gene and Karma’s. Was great to meet Aaron and Kyla, and to be with Drew and Anna again! We had a feast! Everything was cooked on the back patio on the Blackstone except Aaron cooked the crepes inside. Blackened snapper and spade fish, bacon, sausage, hash browns, fried eggs. Freshly whipped cream, cut up mixed fruit, peanut butter, butter syrup, sugared raspberries to put on the crepes. Assorted juices. Sparkling lemonade from Aldi. Oh and a 7-up pound cake too! The guys were hot from cooking and ate inside, but we girls enjoyed our brunch on the patio and the kids swam even though it was raining part of the time. Stopped at Tractor Supply for chicken feed on the way home. I worked on finishing writing last week’s Weakly; editing, and posting it. Read a bit, and piddled. Ordered this pedal exerciser! I’m convinced I will be able to easily close my Apple exercise ring with this contraption handy to pedal under my desk or here or there or while lazing in a chair! Danielle played in the sandbox, made rubber band bracelets, and reorganized her fishing tackle box. Danl napped. Once he awoke, we commenced cooking. Yellow summer squash casserole, cucumber slaw, watermelon, and Jones drinks. I cannot drink a blue Berry Lemonade Jones drink without remembering drinking them with Wade and Rhonda while taking shelter in the old Fort Pickens ruins during an epic boating trip that got interrupted by a severe summer storm one birthday years ago! Grilled ribeyes and Realtree link sausage provided our protein. Shortly after 8:00 we headed for Poarch to watch fireworks, but opted for the privacy of the private property of some of our customers instead of joining friends behind Taco Bell like usual. I missed the camaraderie, but it was nice to watch them in seclusion sitting together on my old quilt on the tailgate of our new work truck. Also nice to be able to get home good time instead of waiting and waiting in congested traffic. We then had a back porch sparkler session before calling it a day! But not before enjoying some ice cream in bed. 

Tuesday 7.5.22

A happy Home Day. Tested my blood sugar again on Mom’s glucose meter, proving once again that my blood sugar is PERFECT! Not low in the least! I guess I just have The Morning Grumpies. Danl asked me to please just keep eating my chocolate anyway, so like a good submissive little wife, I’m gonna obey! This experiment has proved that dark chocolate definitely does improve one's mood! Danielle got inspired to make tiny colorful bracelets for a couple of her chicken’s legs. But she decided maybe it wasn’t the best idea after becoming worried that perhaps Roosty had eaten his since it was no longer on his leg and removed Chubby Chick’s herself. Since I had not completed Morning nor Evening routines on July 4, it took me all morning to get back on track with the daily duties. Concocted an essential oil blend that I’m calling Summertime Dill Pickle! Bergamot and Lime with a splash of Dill. Worked at my desk and push-mowed the backyard before supper. Once a week is barely enough with all the rain we’ve been getting. Taco Tuesday was steak stack-ups and cheese dip and chips this time. 

Wednesday 7.6.22

Started the day with such a satisfying Morning Sit from when Danl left shortly before 6:00 through 7:00 when Danielle woke up. Lit the four taper candles in the living room and soaked in the solitude of the hour with my coffee and the last of the cobbler. Read some poetry, Sandwich Journaled, which is my term for doing a brain dump in my journal, then reading my Bible, then journaling again about whatever impressed me. This method has worked so well for me. Wordled and Waffled, then moved on to the less glamorous parts of my MR. Danielle got weepy due to having trials trying to get dressed for the day. We ended up sitting on the couch reading Bible stories and library books and singing VBS songs for a while. I need to do this more with her. Worked at my desk. Danl popped home for lunch between jobs. Then Danielle and I bebopped over to Gloria’s so I could process payroll for her due to her Remote PC not cooperating in London. That done, we soaked up some sun and fun in their pool since the weather decided to give a small rain break for once! Karma and kiddos joined us. Ran them home to Atmore since their Durango tire sprang a serious leak. Rain break over, I proceeded to grill pizzas in the drizzle. The rain spritzing down in the sunlight made the drops look like sparkling diamonds! Two rainbows emerged as well. FYI, a fix’n’mix Tupperware bowl turned upside down works superbly for transporting pizzas to and from the grill to keep them dry! Karma stopped by with an unexpected but most delectable loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread on their way to get their Durango. Life doesn’t get much better than a warm slice of homemade buttered bread with a glass of cold dairy milk. Mmmmmm. #realfood

Thursday 7.7.22

10 years have passed since Uncle Kale passed…We all still miss him so much. Took the last garden tomato from Steve Byrd to my folks for them to enjoy. Then dropped Danielle off to spend the day with Lainey before joining Rhonda and Anne at the Circle E office to go together on an outing that Anne had instigated for my birthday way back in June! Sadly, Karma was not able to join us since they were headed to Leland for a funeral. Katie was supposed to join us for lunch before her Dr. apt, but that also got canceled due to Noah being under the weather. First stop was T.J.Maxx or “P.J.Masks” as Danielle insists upon calling it! Purchased most of Rachelle’s wedding present. Then to Hobby Lobby where I proceeded to purchase a pile of fabric! Totally UNEXPECTED! But it just felt like the fabric wanted to come home with me! 4 pieces for me and 2 for Danielle. JoAnn’s was next. Thankfully I walked out of there bagless. We lunched at Jo's as always, which felt like going on a field trip! Years ago I had been to DUH with Jill, but this exquisite French bistro-style cafe had not been a part of the experience back then. Even in our Florida heat and humidity, we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch in the shade of the outdoor courtyard. I had rosemary water with a splash of raspberry flavor, garden salad with bleu cheese dressing, fresh mixed fruit with a poppyseed sauce, chicken salad sandwich on house-made French bread, and bread pudding with lemon sauce! All utterly elegant. Then we browsed about in the companion stores, looking at plants, patio decor, and housewares, wondering how it would feel to be able to purchase $150 pottery mugs and horsehair ceiling dusters that cost $91.50! Somehow the whole place just gives European vibes; making me feel like maybe I could be an elegant southern woman who stands up straight and glides about gracefully. Although my small incident with the horsehair duster would bely that idea! From there we put our passports away, figuratively, and like normal Americans went to Target. Danielle was delighted with her day with the Koehn’s, even proclaiming that Ms. Roxie had made “The best lunch she had ever had away from home!” That’s a high compliment coming from Little Miss Picky! I fried venison backstrap and reheated squash casserole. Danl went back out to work, doing some discing. Still got to bed before 9:00!

Friday 7.8.22

Cock-doodle-do! What is that garbled, scratchy noise that sounds like something is dying?! Oh, it’s Roosty! Proudly crowing his first feeble crows! I piddled around with my Morning Routine and did not even start Thursday Cleaning. Started reading a little gem of a book by Dana K. White called Organizing for the Rest of Us. Helped Danielle with the terrarium kit Nana sent her in the mail. After lunch, I printed off four copies of the previous issues of The Weakly Tribune, mailed them from the post office, (why didn’t I remember to use Pirate Ship?!) and went over to my folks! It’d been way too long since Danielle and I had been there when we could stay awhile and not rush off! I helped Mom prepare her food for the Schneider Italian potluck and visited with Dad. I’m so lucky to have my parents close by! From there, we stopped by and got a couple scobies from Sharla, (so ready for summer kombucha!) then drove on to the Landis farm for our fresh milk. Sat on the back porch and listened to the mesmerizing music from my new birthday wind chimes. Got some congos baking, made supper which was fried catfish from Steve’sFarm, cheese grits, and some of last year’s frozen peaches. My left eye was really bothering me; figured I must’ve gotten something in it. Danielle and I headed to school to say hey to Uncle Lyle and Aunt Polly! Also to get in on dessert and some good belly laughs! I love my family! 

Saturday 7.9.22

Woke up with my eye crusted shut. Deduced that I most likely had Pink Eye since all my symptoms pointed in that direction. Decided to treat it with the ointment the vet had given me for Leroy a couple months ago. Helped Danielle create four marble paintings. Hydro-coating is fun! Thought about Thursday Cleaning and even dusted a few rooms, before deciding to roll it over to next week! Did a bit of desk work. Since I should probably quarantine for a few days, Danl and I agreed that it would be an excellent opportunity to “Airbnb” at his mom’s place for the weekend since they are out West. Packed our bags and our dogs and away we went in the rain! Diesel was beyond delighted to be going on a little Road Trip! Ordered in our favorite Socio's Pizza for supper. It never stopped storming enough to swim. Popped popcorn and relaxed the evening away.

Sunday 7.10.22

The dogs and Danielle slept well in their beds away from beds! Danl and I have reached that Middle Aged point in life where we sleep best in Our Own Bed. But it was still a delight to wake up in different surroundings! Also a delight to see the sun! And to feel that my eye condition was greatly improved! Yay for vet meds! I cooked some waffles and sausage for breakfast, before hitting the pool with Danielle. I was enlisted to score points for various acrobatic movements/jumps. Listened to Mr. B’s good sermon on Choices. It was deemed that I was well enough for a quick grocery run to Publix for More Food. Enjoyed some salmon on crackers for starters, then Daniel grilled some delicious steaks, feta-stuffed mushrooms, and garlic sourdough bread. Jace, Erica, and Summer joined us for a couple hours. The sun continued to shine and we continued to swim. Frozen gelato and San Pellegrino sparkling limonatas cooled us off mid afternoon. Snacked around, trying to eat up the remaining food. All too soon it was time to Clean Up. Got Rosie the Roomba going and proceeded to pack up. From rain we came, and into rain we returned. A mighty deluge that almost drowned us since we don’t have a carport or garage. All in all though, it was a wonderful weekend. Danl even admitted that he had been able to relax enough to stop thinking about Work for awhile. #score

Farewell from the Faircloths!

Simple Satisfaction of the Week: Reading books with colorful satin bookmarks built into the spine is such a delight! Dana White’s little book that I’m reading now has a deep orange ribbon that compliments the cover so well!

Rueful Regret of the Week: I didn’t always keep to my S.I.M.P.L.E life plan in regards to eating only one dessert per day! My life seems to be filled with Special Occasions. 

The Weakly Tribune Vol. 1 Issue 2

THE WEAKLY TRIBUNE

Monday 6-27-22

Formatted the first issue of The Weakly Tribune and posted it on my blog. Will this be a weekly thing? Who knows?! Danielle complained of not feeling well. I worked most of the day at my desk, doing payroll and odds and ends that pile up. Considered making a prescription and grocery pickup run, but canned that idea around 3:00pm. Made mushroom meatballs and cooked rice. I push-mowed the backyard. Danielle was registering fever so she slept with me and Danl opted for the couch. I always feel so off-center when someone in my family is ill. I wish I was more nurturing; but I always want them to “just get better already!” 

Tuesday 6-28-22

I was glad Danielle was close to me since her fever spiked during the night. After a dose of ibuprofen, she stopped moaning and talking in her sleep and rested much better. Breaking News! I got the Wordle in two guesses my first time ever since playing daily ever since when I began in January!! The word was DROLL. I started with DREAM since I had just read Sean Dietrich's amazing article titled Dreamers. Danielle ate some ramen mid morning and said she felt good enough to ride along on the imperative journey for meds and groceries. I made her a bed in the backseat of the Audi, which pleased her so much that she almost forgot how bad she felt. Publix Pharmacy and Target Drive-Up both went smoothly. Ate a late lunch, then quickly made a huge batch of cornbread muffins and an Oreo ice cream dessert to go along with the chicken jambalaya Karma was making for the Goetter’s for moving day supper. Ran our food over to Kim’s. Taco Tuesday so I made us carne asada tacos with packaged and prepped meat from Aldi. Definitely will be buying it again! Danielle had perked up considerably after supper, so she and I tackled our first Chicken Wing Trimming. With much fluttering, flapping, escaping, and capturing, Danielle clutched each chicken firmly and covered its eyes while I fanned a wing and snipped off the flight feathers with my trusty kitchen scissors! Now instead of flying out of the backyard, they just run along at top speed, their outspread unbalanced wings never lifting them off the ground! #success

Wednesday 6-29-22

Thankful this virus was a short-lived one! Danielle enjoyed playing with Bruce while I helped clean at Morgan’s old house. Brought back memories of cleaning with Rhonda years ago after Wade had done some work in it long before Morgan’s bought it. From there we went to The Dixie Hearts Mercantile. Danielle still was in love with the package of gold star buttons she had wanted last time. I also had her pick out a piece of fabric to use them on. She chose a dark aqua that I think will make a lovely Christmas dress! Got notions for the 4 pieces of school fabric I already had for her. I’m feeling quite accomplished to be doing this in June. Ask me in August if they are sewed and hanging in her closet though! Danl was rained out and feeling a bit off. Oh no. Hope he isn’t getting this mess that’s going around now too. He wanted peace and quiet and a nap in the mancave which went well until Danielle went out and rode her 4-wheeler which of course woke him up! Facepalm. I never thought to tell her not to; it’s such a part of her daily life! Supper was leftover meatballs, instant mashed potatoes, made-from-mix brown gravy, a fresh baked Aldi French baguette, sweet corn, and jalapeño poppers. 

Thursday 6-30-22

I made myself the breakfast which I probably rate as Top Favorite Breakfast! Dark chocolate pudding, not too sweet, eaten warm with a hunk of crusty baguette along with sliced havarti cheese. And of course coffee. This was supposed to be my Weekly Cleaning Day, inspired by Marnita. But somehow it seemed more important to do a Litter Walk/Bikeride first after I finished my Morning Routine. We collected a black trash bag full of litter! So despicable for such a short dead-end road! Danielle and I felt triumphant as we each erected a “Please Don’t Litter” sign along the freshly de-littered roadside. Fingers crossed this helps the issue! The two culprits that we “think” are the litterers, saw us out there cleaning up the trash too. I hope if it is them, that they felt smitten. We got rained out on the way back to the house, which called for dry clothes, hot cocoa, and cookie baking to warm up. After lunch, I worked at my desk, doing End of Month Analysis etc. Then we needed to make a Walmart run to get some greenery for the memorial book stand. And a few other things, that somehow came to $217.61! Danl had come home early not feeling well and running fever, so he was gonna attempt a nap again. I decided we would pick blueberries to prolong his chances of actually getting a snooze. Came home with almost a bucket full again. Definitely smaller berries and harder to pick, but still so delicious! Supper was country-fried steak, white gravy, and fresh blueberries. Somehow Thursday Cleaning never happened. If I had to choose a poem that best describes my personality, it would be Dust If You Must by Rose Milligan. Too many “cakes to bake and letters to write” today I guess! 

Friday 7-1-22

First day of July! Even though he was fever-free, Danl still didn’t feel like Superman and opted not to go deep sea fishing with Cody and David. Since he was home, I left Danielle with him while I went to Ms. Doherty’s viewing and funeral. When I had asked her earlier if she wanted to come with me, she had replied, “Not really, but I kinda do like to look at dead people.” She is my child. Mom went with me. We got there early since I wanted the book stand memorial arrangement from the Book Club there prior to the viewing. Ms. Judy looked so pretty and peaceful, surrounded by yellow flowers. It was a nice service, but sad to me for various reasons. I didn’t expect to cry as much as I did. It felt different and reverent to be in the funeral procession instead of being one of the cars pulled over to the side. During the sunny graveside service, I was wishing for a Duchess Kate-style parasol for some shade. We didn’t stay for lunch. I needed to get home, get lunch around, and do my Thursday Cleaning. I made ramen and grilled cheese for Danl, the standard comfort food at our house. Byrdman, aka Mr. Steve Byrd, stopped by with garden tomatoes, freshly shelled pink-eye purple hull peas, cucumbers, and squash! Supper was so fun! Having Cody & Erica and girlies, MomDenise, and Mylan & Shawna over for fried snapper, cheese grits, salad, and rolls felt like a privilege. Fresh blueberry cobbler, ice cream, and GW decaf completed the menu. We women hung out on the back porch while the guys lounged inside. Late, but lovely night! 

Saturday 7-2-22

We slept in, which is a rare thing for us. Felt good. Daniel was still feeling fatigued. We each had our breakfast of preference! Danl had steak and eggs, I had blueberry cobbler, cheese, and coffee, and Danielle had chocolate milk. I think we just dinked around piddling most of the morning. Lunch was leftover fish, made into po’boys. We thought of going fishing at Uncle Kevin’s, but of course it started raining. I lit a candle, made a cup of tea, and tried to read my book club book. Shopped online but never got farther than “add to cart.” Decisions, decisions. Played two games of Candyland with Danielle. Later in the afternoon, I went and picked up our weekly gallon of fresh Jersey milk from the Landis farm. Felt good to get out of the house! Then we decided on Chinese takeout for supper. So I went out again and got that. My dumplings in ponzu sauce were so good! Danielle requested popcorn not long after supper. It seems someone is always hungry. Another late night! 

Sunday 7-3-22

Sadly did not get around in time to make it to Sunday School, but Danielle and I both really enjoyed being in Walnut Hill for church! Brian preached on Having the Proper Foundation and challenged everyone to give 3 compliments per day during the coming week! Sabrina was bored so we picked her up and picked up a pizza and breadsticks for lunch. Danielle and I played a couple games of Go Fish. I tidied the house and did dishes. I’m trying to convince myself that like Marie Kondo, there’s nothing I’d rather do than continually TIDY. Katrina came over once she was off work, and we had blueberry cobbler and ice cream. Soon everyone was hungry again, so I fired up the fryer for fried pork chops and made an instant pot of pink-eye purple hull peas. Later, a batch of Orange Julius was requested and honored. This is feeling like the World’s Longest Weekend, and tomorrow is a holiday which will prolong that feeling! We have slipped into the abyss of Going To Bed Late. 

Farewell from the Faircloths!

Regret of the Week - We never swam anywhere! I think our opportunities swam away with sickness or washed away with rain though! 

Simple Satisfaction of the Week - The potatoes we planted in a 5 gallon bucket are up! We know it’s not the right season, but one can always plant seedy potatoes instead of composting them.  

The Weakly Tribune

 

(Disclaimer: My sister Rhonda has been penning a "Mundane Daily" that she posts for us weekly, which inspired me to feebly try to do the same for a week. Hence this post.)

Weakly Tribune

 

Monday 6-20-22
Woke up feeling “like a hunk ‘a junk” as Danielle would say. Laid around and slept more until I felt like I could manage to get up and get going! Worked around the house and at my desk all morning. Ordered a clock and shower curtain from society6.com with some of my birthday money. Then Danielle and I drove to Canoe Creek to hang out with Tara and Marnita and Peyton. That was like swimming down Memory Lane! I hadn’t been there since being a little girl when Mom would take us to there to meet Aunt Donna and Cheryl! Heated up leftover venison roast and made fresh gravy and instant mashed potatoes. Went out and push-mowed the backyard. Daniel suggested Orange Julius. Enjoyed those before going to bed with the house a wreck and dishes undone.
 
Tuesday 6-21-22
Woke up feeling fatigued and grumpy again. Researched about low blood sugar in the mornings. Spent lots of time on my phone, lacking energy to tackle the house and looming office work. While doing my long Morning Sit, I wrote up a new Life Plan that I dubbed SIMPLE. Then roused myself up off the couch, took all my vitamins and supplements, drank a bunch of water, ate a nectarine, put my phone up, and hustled.  Played a round of the Wild Kratts board game with Danielle. It’s so hot, she only goes out briefly to spend quality time with her chickens or to ride a few rounds on her 4-wheeler. We let the chickens free-range in the backyard all day now. The pet gate has come out of storage to block them from roosting and pooping on the back porch. Danielle set up a nail salon in the living room and gave me a mani-pedi. Snacks were provided and it only cost $90! (of play paper money she had created) Taco Tuesday, so we had ground beef tacos with these amazing flour tortillas, along with cheese dip and chips. Quickly cleaned up the kitchen before going to pick blueberries for the second time this season. Together, Danielle and I gleaned one ice cream bucket full. (It was no longer full by the time we got home.)Then we ran on to Piggly for a few groceries. Got to bed shortly after 10 o’clock AGAIN. Too LATE.
 
Wednesday 6-22-22
A nice even-numbered day! Immediately upon awakening shortly after 6 o’clock, I ate a square of Ghirardelli dark chocolate with sea salt, and voila! I got up and felt happy instead of foggy; ready to get with it instead of to puke it! Probably just all in my head, but after reading yesterday that people with low blood sugar in the morning should eat something that would hit their bloodstream fast with around 15 grams of sugar, definitely made me want to try it! Proceeded to get my Morning Routine done before 9 o’clock! Did Second Quarter Cleanup in Danielle’s bedroom and some desk work before the Goetter kids arrived around noon. I’d offered to Gwen that I could either keep the kids or help her box stuff up for moving this week, and she took me up on keeping the kids since she had an appointment. The afternoon went swimmingly literally! Most of the day was spent at the Garrett Road Water Park which consisted of a blowup pool, a slip’n’slide, and a water hose gorilla-taped to run water down the play set slide into an old plastic pool! Snacks of pop ice, watermelon wedges, and popcorn were included with admission. Aunt Clarissa picked up the kiddos around 5, and I attempted to make grilled pizza on my own. Usually, this meal is a collaboration of mine and Daniel’s efforts. The egg grill took Exceedingly Long to reach the correct temp, I somehow dumped one pizza that was ready to go out onto the washing machine, and we finally finished eating around 7 o’clock. #fail. But the pizza was delicious! Then Daniel wanted us to ride with him to check a job for dryness. I guess this is the week for going down Memory Lane! It was the property on Morgan Road behind Trent and Kristi’s place. He is working for the timber buyer who is having it logged. They are building up the roads up so the log trucks can get in and out. Being in those woods brought back memories of exploring while pulling a 3 yr old Anthony behind us in the little red wagon, coming out near the Arthur Brown curve during a members meeting tramping session with Monica, and feeling sort of like paleontologists when we would “discover” the old bones of the dead cows Kendall Hiebert had dragged off to lie in peace. Back home, Daniel suggested that we take a quick dip in the pool. Danielle got glow sticks ready and I got us cups of rainbow sherbet with ginger ale. And the mosquitoes got us! Next time I’m gonna have my new tiki torches from Mel with bug repelling fuel just a smoking away before we get in! To bed around 9:30. Much Better!
 
Thursday 6-23-22
Another happy chocolate morning! Had fun wrapping Roxie’s gift in a Popshelf gift bag with purple ombré tissue paper. Helped Danielle do a thorough Snake Scan before going out back to tend to her chickens. Our neighbors across the road have killed 2 rattlesnakes out their back door this summer already. Daniel definitely put the fear in Danielle to Pay Attention last night. Packed a lunch and met Roxie and kiddos at Kristi’s house. Elena and Lainey rode with us and we were on the road towards Pace at 11:00. So awesome of Mom and Bill to let us have our birthday swim party at their house while they are traveling for the summer! I’m so in love with my green apple wristlet Roxie had Cynthia create for me! Headed home around 4:00 instead of around 3:00. Fired up the fryer and fixed fried deer steak and fried okra for supper along with chilled watermelon and the last of the fresh blueberries. Gotta love a Southern Summer Supper! Danl relaxed while Danielle played with her wooden train set which has been the favorite toy since Jake and Rhett were here. I read some in my book club book and did my Evening Routine. Enjoyed reading the bios on the “Poetry & Whatnot” group I agreed to join today. It’s a mixed group of 15, and has already sparked joy and creativity in my life. Snake Scanned and pushed Danielle on the swing in the dark after the chickens were put to bed. We got to bed decent time again too. #score
 
Friday 6-24-22
I think this new habit of chocolate in bed before rising is a keeper! Read that Ms. Doherty passed last night in the middle of a prayer. She will be so missed. Today was the last day of Summer Reading at Atmore Library. The young woman biologist who put on an amazing mostly snakes reptile show, was much more at ease with the 4 venomous vipers she brought in than those of us in the audience were! Danielle loved Banana Pudding, the enormous 80 lb. albino boa constrictor. It was also Awards Day, and Danielle was shocked to win one of the 31 prizes! She got a really cool colorful sand art set. Tucked into the Jeep doer handle was thee most adorable t-shirt from Erica Lynn with the saying “June Girls are Sunshine Mixed with a Little Hurricane!” Live Long, My Birthday Month! Lol. From there we met Gene & Karma and kiddos at Buster’s on their last day open. Gonna miss that place, and their pie and pork-chops! Then I ran the “Sweet Little Green Jeep” as Danielle calls her, through Waves for the last time, fueled her up, went through the bank drive through, and dashed in DG. Danielle had gone home with the Swarey’s since the kids were planning to run their profitable lemonade stand again. But alas, it was raining. They swam instead for awhile, and I cut out a dress. Once the rain stopped, the kids went out with their signs and sold like crazy! Living in town definitely has fun perks! Another rain storm, this one with crashing thunder, wind, and lightning brought them scurrying back inside. Karma took me to Atmore Tire to pick up the Audi. Left it at their place and got milk from the dairy on our way home. Dropped Danielle off at home and went to Steve’s Farm for fresh catfish and corn on the cob. Another night of fried food, buts who’s counting?! I read Danielle one of the reptile books she checked out this morning. Also read more bios and poetry that had come in on my poetry chat, while I plugged away at Mt. Dishmore. FaceTimed with Nana, and got to bed shortly after 9:00, since we opted out of going to the housewarming at Anthony and Katie’s. 
Doesn’t it just thrill you to know,
At what o’clock to bed we go?!
My brain is now inspired to compose prose.  
 
Saturday 6-25-22
Since the Sweet Jeep needed to go back to Enterprise, Danielle and I headed straight there and Karma and Kinsley drove my car and picked us up. And aggravatingly, I forgot the bottle of peppermint oil that Danielle sniffs when she’s carsick in one of the compartments. Next stop was La Hacienda for a delicious Mexican lunch. Then on to Barnes & Noble to meet local Pensacola author Emily Ley! But unexpectedly, shortly before the book signing was to begin at 1:00, she called to cancel due to testing positive for Covid! So disappointing, but surely she’ll reschedule this event soon. We went next door to Crazy Cazboys and each scored several items worth far more than $7 each! My first Aldi adventure was the next item on our agenda! Wow! This fresh and fun grocery store definitely exceeded my expectations! Culver’s custard with raspberries along with cheese curds hit the spot for a snack on the way home. Gene’s came for pizza, salad, and watermelon for supper. It was still wet from the afternoon rainstorm, but I dried the chairs off and the kids ate on the back porch. We adults relaxed inside and later Karma and I enjoyed cheesecake in the man-cave with the guys. I highly recommend Aldi’s 4th of July blueberry, raspberry, and New York style frozen cheesecake! Danl and Danielle wanted to Diesel to have the delight of sleeping with them in the king size bed, so I approved and moved to Danielle’s room. Stayed up til midnight pittering and puttering around, something I rarely ever do anymore. #yawn
 
Sunday 6-26-22
I’m still on the Morning Chocolate Train! Fried Aldi applewood smoked bacon and baked canned biscuits for bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits. We actually sat down before the Sunday School song only because I think the song started a freckle late. Taught my Junior class. They are such a joy. I was pleased that we finished the lesson in good time before starting our usual off-topic chatting session today. We declined going with David’s to Lambert’s Cafe in Foley. I don’t think Danl is yet recovered from taking me to Gator’s the night of my birthday! Lol. He’s still not ready to eat out again. Come home from church to a hearty lunch of a whole chicken surrounded by the world’s cutest petite potatoes that Danl had seasoned and baked for us. I typed up the poem that I had mostly composed during church this morning, (People just assume I’m diligently writing sermon notes!) and posted it on my poetry group chat. Around 4 o’clock we went over to Jace and Erica's so the guys could go check the pigs/crops. Since it was too wet to get back there, they went to Piggly and came back with pig to put on the grill! Aka porkchops. Erica and I made tea, fried green tomatoes, and warmed up canned asparagus. Enjoyed the evenings as always along with chocolate dipped ice cream cones from the freezer section.
Another good week has winged its way into the past!
Farewell from the Faircloths!

Some exercise every day

Input real foods

Make a day plan the day before

Pour in 8 glasses of water daily

Listen to my body, planned rest

Eat only one dessert a day 

🎵Joy to the Wordle, the Fun Has Come! 🎶

If you aren’t already on the Wordle Wagon, I highly recommend jumping aboard! Created by 

Josh Wardle this fun yet simple word game seems to be uniting the world through words with the shared experience of trying to compete with ourselves and each other to guess the Word of the Day in the fewest tries! It’s so much more refreshing than controversial things like politics and vaccines and strains of Covid-19! Since everyone gets the same puzzle, the camaraderie and scarcity of only one puzzle per 24 hours adds to the allure! Click here to play and brighten your day! 

Happy Wordling! 

🟩🟨⬜️⬜️🟩

A quote from Josh Wardle ⬆️

🥐 

Truly! I can so relate! 🙈 🧠 

Ta-Da instead of To-Do in 2022!

 Every January since 2018 I have been scheming and dreaming up a list of things to accomplish during the coming year. This idea is instigated by my favorite author, Gretchen Rubin. And even though I’ve never accomplished everything on my list, it has been mostly fun to have such a list hanging out in my phone notes and over my head. I think it has inspired some action that otherwise wouldn’t have transpired. 

That being said, I just wasn’t feeling it for this year! An “unexpected” year didn’t scream for a tidy to-do list at all! Rather it wants to passionately “TA-DA!” instead of feeling obligated to “TO-DO.” So, every month as I go along, I’ll be on the lookout for two things that I’ve been inspired to complete that are worthy of being that month’s ta-das! It can’t be a boring normal daily thing like “unload the dishwasher” that will get mundanely done again either. So far for January 2022, I have added 

• Complete Art Wall in the Hall.

One day several weeks ago, Danielle and I were inspired to paint the 5 thrifted frames I’ve had for years for this particular project. Then last week, I added the strings and tiny clothespins, hung them in a collage on the hall wall, and Ta-Da! Now we have a designated space for 5 of my little artist’s most current creations. This item has hung out undone on every yearly list since 2019 I do believe. 

So we shall see what gets added yet for January and how the rest of the months go down! 2 items per month through November will equal 22 Ta-Das for 2022. December doesn’t need anything extra I’ve learned.

Are y’all gonna ta-da with me?? My Dad has been ta-daing as long as I can remember! I learned early on from him how fun it is to add things you’ve already done to your list, purely for the fun of crossing them out! 

How to Love Cold Weather

I love cold weather. 

The frosty chill, the cloudy puffs of breath, the hygge happiness it brings! Yeah, yeah, I know! I live Florida and it’s nothing like “real” winter, even though I wish it was! Maybe someday I’ll get my bucket list wish to spend the winter somewhere snowy and get my fill! I’m told I wouldn’t love it then, but I’d like to find out for myself. But I will say, when it does finally get cold in Florida, it’s usually a “chill you to your soul” kinda cold because it’s layered with a heavy dose of humidity. 

I didn’t alway love cold weather. 

But somewhere along the way, I discovered that it’s much easier to get warm than to cool off. And with only a few simple additions, learning to love cold weather is the easiest thing ever! 

1. WEAR A QUALITY COAT. 

Don’t expect not to shiver if you go out with a flimsy sweater and flip-flops! Getting a North Face jacket with a goose down layer was a life changer for me. 

2. LAYER WITH LEGGINGS. 

If it’s below 60 degrees, cover those drumsticks! And that neck! A soft scarf can’t be beat! 

3. START YOUR VEHICLE AHEAD OF LEAVING. 

There’s just no reason not to have your seat toasty, your steering wheel melty, and warm air blasting away when you hop in for final departure. 

4. LIGHT A FIRE - REAL OR FAKE. 

Flickering flames just bring the cozy factor way up in winter! Our living room, master bedroom, and master bath are all currently benefiting from fireplace heaters with artificial flames. Which brings me to #5!

5. HAVE A SPACE HEATER IN EVERY BATHROOM. 

Ain’t nobody got time for icicles in the bathroom. 

6. BRING ON THE HEATED BLANKETS. 

Last winter, we had only one, so to resolve fights I ordered another one from Target this past Black Friday. They are so lovely for a couch snuggle and to tuck under the bedcovers so the sheets are warm and toasty when you crawl in! Heated mattress pads are nice too, but I’m loving the simplicity of just using my electric blanket. 

7. LIGHT CANDLES AT SUNDOWN. 

Seeing a candle burning gives your brain the perception of warmth even though they don’t add a quantitative amount of heat to the room. I’m into tapers this winter, at a rate of 1/2 a taper per evening x 2. 

8. DRINK HOT DRINKS. 

If I’m home, I brew a cuppa around 3:30 every afternoon. My current favorite is the Canadian “Harney & Sons” Hot Cinnamon Spice tea that Alisha gifted me for Christmas. 

So there you have it! 

Now, go forth and enjoy the rest of your winter! And remember, you can’t appreciate being warm if it’s not cold first! 

Officially 2022 & Menus

Yesterday felt like the official beginning of the new year for me! It was Monday, Danielle went back to school, and that clean slate feeling finally arrived! When you think about it, the actual day of January 1 is a horrible day for new beginnings! Talk about getting off on the wrong foot! You’ve just eaten piles of greasy fried carbs, gotten loads of stuff (precious presents, but still!), and stayed up til midnight to welcome the new year in! Just a scenario of disaster and grouchiness instead of a recipe for being a new healthy, happy person! So I’m all about picking your own New Year’s Day! I’m not really into making rip-roaring resolutions this year, but I do want to ease back into some good habits that had sort of fallen by the wayside. Like planning weekly menus for one! And having groceries on hand to prepare said menus! But since this is the Year of the Unexpected, I’m only gonna plan 5 menus per week instead of 7. That way we can see what we are in the mood to cook over the weekend! I like to run to town on Saturday anyway to take advantage of the $5 off of $25 coupon that both Dollar General and Family Dollar offer on Saturdays!

MENUS

Make Whatever You Want Monday • Venison Chili, Cheese & Crackers, Apple Muffins

Taco Tuesday • Navajo Tacos with the leftover chili, White Cheese Dip

Pie Wednesday • Chicken ‘n Dumplins (not pie but Danl likes this better than chicken pot pie)

Throw it on the Grill Thursday • Pot Roast with Taters and Carrots, Bread Machine Bread (not grilling weather this week!)

Fish Friday • Fried Ham, Potato Salad, Green Beans

(I know ham isn’t fish lol but I’m Shelf/Fridge/Freezer cooking this week! And we didn’t have any seafood on hand!)

So there you have it! Danl made the chili last night and his is always much superior to mine! We had some friends over and had such a good relaxing evening. This winter weather is just the best for hygge evenings at home. 

An UNEXPECTED 2022!

This year’s WOTY fills me with wonder! •UNEXPECTED•

Just typing it makes me a bit apprehensive, yet excited! As I journey along trying to become a bonafide grownup, someone who is organized and plans ahead and is prepared for real life, I’m finding that I’m becoming more inflexible! Grumpier than I used to be when things don’t go according to Plan A. (When you don’t even have a plan, you don’t get as disgruntled or even realize when it gets disrupted!) So I’m striving for the balanced life, the dotted line between the ditches of chaos and calm. Real life is always messy, unplanned, and unexpected. But that’s where the beauty is if we can learn to embrace it! I want to expect the unexpected, to do unexpected things like being on time or even early, (EARLY was in my list of runners up in my personal WOTY contest.) or be the one who cleans up after an event instead of just sitting and gabbing, or who thinks of going the unexpected extra mile instead of just being oblivious to the needs around me. I want to learn to see a change in plans for my day as an adventure instead of an aggravation. I want to lower my expectations of my spouse and others and maybe even myself. I want to feel ready for unexpected guests in my home at any time, which for me I’ve decided is living in that sweet spot of having things not perfect but not nasty. Perfection is overrated anyway, but last week’s dishes are not. I’d also like to do little unexpected things each day! To give hugs and kisses and compliments at random moments! To be willing to be vulnerable and to ask hard, unexpected questions in love. To be raw and real and humble when it would be easier to just give the expected, “I’m fine!” answer. So here’s to getting aboard the UNEXPECTED train! I’m gonna hang on and enjoy the ride! Who’s coming with me?! Grab an empty seat and tell me what you chose for your 2022 WOTY! 

The Charity Chapter - Christmas Edition

 

Though I hum along to "O Holy Night" and wish the cashier "Merry Christmas" and have not patience with my kindergartener in Walmart, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

‭‭ And though I shop small and find the perfect Mudpie gift at the local boutique, and source out the exact item that was linked on the family spreadsheet for an even better price, and help my child memorize all the program songs; and though I have all the presents wrapped early with coordinating paper and ribbon, so that I could feel smug, and have not time to read the Christmas story in My Bible Friends, I am nothing.

‭‭ And though I bestow fresh cinnamon rolls upon all my neighbors, and though I diffuse festive blends of essential oils all season long, and have matching family pajamas, and have not unity on what is important, it profiteth me nothing. 

The true Christmas Spirit suffereth quietly while standing in long lines, and thinketh kind thoughts about husbands who accept plans without first asking making an already crammed month even fuller, it envieth not others’ new dresses for each festive event, the true Spirit of Christmas vaunteth not a Pinterest-worthy decorated house, is not puffed up with every kind of Christmas candy, 

Doth not stay up sewing until unseemly hours out of obligation to “what people might think if I wear an old dress,” seeketh not to stress out, is not easily provoked about Christmas parties, thinketh no evil towards the scale; 

Rejoiceth not in seeing every local lights display, but rejoiceth in the Light of the World; 

Beareth all butchered Christmas carols, believeth that Jesus is the Reason for the Season, hopeth that family gatherings will be tranquil realizing that we are all messed up humans, endureth weather that wasn’t expected.  

The Christmas Spirit never faileth: but whether there be Amazon or FedEx, they shall fail; whether there be parades, they shall cease; whether there be peppernuts, they shall vanish away. 

For we know in part what Christmas is all about, and we profess to do our best. But when the time for us to experience Christmas in Heaven is come, then that which was important for Christmas on Earth shall be done away. 

When I was a child, I spake merrily as child who hadn’t gone through hard things, I understood as a child whose most difficult puzzle was figuring out who had my name in the classroom name draw, I thought as a child who wanted the holidays to never end: but when I became a woman, I put away some of these childish thinkings. 

For now we see life as it really is, with parts that are dark as midnight; broken hearts, empty arms, and vacant chairs at the family table. Now I know in part these heartaches on Earth, but when we all celebrate Christmas in Heaven, then shall we empathize fully as we are known. 

And now abideth the happiest of holidays, peace on earth, goodwill to all men; these three important things, but the greatest of these is Love, His love come down from Heav’n, the True Spirit of Christmas.

Grace in the Wilderness

 I was pouring over Jeremiah 31 this morning while pondering life and its perplexities. "The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness;"  What? How? How can there be GRACE in the wilderness of all places?! Right now I have friends who are grieving, feeling like the sword has slashed through their lives taking a loved one way too soon. There are so many other situations too, that leave us feeling bewildered, asking why, and wandering bereft in the wilderness. And yet God would have us to find grace there?? Reading on I read, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."  And further, "Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built," So God knows we will have times of being broken if He is promising to "build us" again... Verse 9 proclaims, "They shall come with weeping and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble:" God does have a plan, even though it sometimes makes absolutely no sense to us. He knows we will weep, and will struggle to accept the wilderness we find ourselves in. Life on Earth will never be normal; our Garden of Eden is over.  "...and their soul shall be as a watered garden;" God CAN give us rivers of grace to fill up those parched places and heal our broken hearts if we choose to turn to Him. And when life is finally "back to normal" and we are at home in Heaven with our Father, "they shall not sorrow any more at all." 

(The thought of the Garden of Eden being life on earth's "normal" is credited to Allen Miller.)

A Monday Midday Stroll

(I do have a birthday post partially written, but since I quickly jotted this down yesterday as part of a group challenge, I decided to post it here for my posterity!) 

A Monday Midday Stroll…

•Sounds like birds tweeting away with raucous abandon! (No social media limits for them!)

•It smells like mud, and green things growing too fast, and the neighbor’s freshly-cut grass. 

•A Monday midday stroll looks like ominous, blue clouds building and brewing up another summer thunderstorm. 

•It tastes salty from the sweat beading on my stiff upper lip. (I can do this. 💪🏼)

•Even though it feels like a blanket that’s been wrapped too tightly around me, slowly smothering me in the 73% humidity, this Monday midday stroll made my heart feel full. 

smf 6-21-21

Loving With Our Eyes Wide Shut

  Ever since our special revivals at Southern Harbor the end of March, thoughts about love, and family, and being there for each other have been drifting in and out of my mind. So when my cousin Sheldon messaged me last Tuesday asking if I would write something on the topic of "The Blessings & Benefits of Church Family," I thought, "Yes! Yes, I would love to do that." These thoughts had been simmering long enough and needed to be collected and written down! So here they are. I really felt like I didn't have much to do with it, that it just sort of wrote itself. It was as if God was telling me what I needed in my own life. 

Loving With Our Eyes Wide Shut

(He’s not heavy, he’s my brother.)

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2

Benefits, just the sound of that word has pleasant connotations! God has given us so many benefits; blessed

us richly beyond what we deserve! One of those benefits is our closely-knit church family. We love being

together, singing and worshipping together, and feeling like we are in the battle of life together! But with all

this togetherness, we get to know each other pretty well, just like we do with our own personal families. And

then sometimes it’s easy to forget that being a family is a benefit and not a bother. We step on each other’s

toes and get on each other’s nerves. We can’t understand why people do and say and think the things they do!

Walking along by ourselves in peace and quietness even looks more appealing and stress-free. We just want to

do our own thing! Surely, that would be a benefit. But no, stumbling along on our own in our own littles bubbles

is not God’s plan for us! Satan wants us each to view each other as “heavy” and something that we want to

walk away from, but God has another way. He wants us to have the attitude of the boy back in 1918 at

Father Flanagan’s Home for Boys. When he was asked if carrying another boy who had had polio and was

wearing leg braces was hard, the boy replied, “He ain’t heavy, he’s m’brother!” We need to decide to love with

our eyes wide shut. Not excusing or making excuses for sin, but consciously overlooking each other’s petty

faults and humanness, just like we want others to do for us. Several years ago, Minister Shawn Becker told us

to think the best of each other! Especially of those of whom we say we love. Assume the good and doubt the

bad! When we want to feel overly reprimanded we can decide to think, “She’s not critical, she’s my mother in

Israel, and I’m so glad she’s looking out for me.” And we can go and ask her for more advice when we don’t

know what to do. When one of us is down and out again, we can say “He’s not needy, he’s my brother and I

want to sit with him in his darkness.” We can’t take away the burdens that our church family members carry,

but we can let them know that we know they have a heavy load and that we care. Sometimes just knowing

that we are seen and heard is enough. We can squelch righteous irritation by thinking, “She’s not flighty, she’s

my young youth sister with a heart full of dreams just like I used to have.” And we can tell her that we’ve

been there, and that it’s hard to trust your future to God, but it really is the best way. When we want to

sigh and plug our ears instead of hearing again about the horrible condition of the present world we can

remind ourselves, “He’s not a doomsday prophet, he’s my father, who’s handing down the faith of our

fathers.” And we can choose to empathize with our elders because deep down, they probably feel scared and

helpless because things are so different today than in the world they grew up in. When we can truly love with

our eyes wide shut like God loves us, we will fully reap the benefits of being a whole-hearted member of our

church family. People grow well when they are loved well. We can give grace and grow in grace! The benefits of

this attitude will be never-ending. Like Paul advises in Colossians 2:2-3, “That their hearts might be knit

together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the

mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and

knowledge.”

Let’s all remember that, “We aren’t heavy, ‘cuz we’re family.” We are all just walking each other home with our eyes wide shut.

Written by Sharon Faircloth 4-22-21