As you can see the humble pie was eaten, and while it was green and gooey, it was palatable....just. At least it's done and over with. Moving on.....

Humble Pie

Humble pie is something you eat when you've made a mistake and need to correct it. It means apologizing and/or asking forgiveness of the person you have offended. In other words, humbling yourself to them.

I've eaten some humble pie in my time and it's not very tasty. In fact, I don't care for the taste of it at all. However, it's like the vegetables mom made you eat that you didn't like. The end result was worth the discomfort.

However, there is a humble pie that you eat because it's the right thing to do, whether or not you've actually made a mistake. It's a humble pie you eat for the sake of smoothing out a relationship in case you might see that person again and don't want bad feelings involved. A humble pie for the greater good. It doesn't taste any better than the regular humble pie, but it's a little easier to swallow.

I will be eating some of that kind of humble pie in the near future. It can't be put off very long, and it won't be fun. But it will be worth it if it works.

Your humble servant...

A Lovely Afternoon....

I have many nephews and neices that I love and would love to spend time with often, but there are three that I actually do see and spend time with often and I call them my "lovelies". Through circumstances of late I haven't been able to see my lovelies for awhile so yesterday was a treat!

I picked up the Littlest Lovely, pictured above, from daycare and we spent the afternoon playing with the "tiny Legos" and eating fudgcicles...after he managed to get away from all the hugging. The day care provider was urging me to sign the paper releasing him from her care and I had to let her know that I wasn't finished hugging yet!

He talked all the way home as usual, telling me all about his recent surgery and the week long cruise he went on in a big boat, how he could see out the windows at the little boats and that somebody took all the fish out of the water...???? I thrilled to hear his little voice telling me all about it. A great sigh escaped my lips to have him close enough to hug again.

And it was good to see his lovely mother when she came to pick him up and catch up on all the news. We made tentative plans to have dinner soon so I can see all the cruise pictures!

Ahhhh...the sound of an agitator....

It's a happy morning for me! My new machines arrived and were installed before 10am! I am happily doing laundry at home while writing this blog. See how that works??? Multi-tasking makes me happy, especially when the machines are working and I am playing! No more hand washing and line/bathroom drying for me...yahoo! And when I visit my children it's because we are visiting, not hanging out while I do my laundry.

I'm off to do the Spring cleaning.....

Clean and Fresh

The laundry debaucle is almost over. Yesterday I researched my options and purchased the new set of laundry machines for my home. Yahoo! They will be delivered on Saturday.

When I was very young I got my fill of laundromats and apartment style laundry facilities. I vowed to myself that I wouldn't ever get to that place again if it was within my power not to do so. For many years I have kept that promise to my self. So when the 13 year old machines failed I knew the only option was to replace them.

While setting aside funds and deciding what the best options were I have been doing laundry at my son's house every week. While that is much happier than a laundromat, the inconvenience was not happy for me. My children are very sweet and assure me that it is no trouble at all. And I believe them to a point. It's never "no trouble at all" when someone invades your home and your time with their laundry for the week! But they meant they were happy to oblige and up until now I was happy to let them.

However, I am very happy to say the new machines arrive on Saturday and I will be relieved not to have to cart dirty loads of laundry away from the house and haul the clean clothes back to put away. I may even start the Spring cleaning I've been putting off and wash all the curtains and blankets on Sunday...

The bed is gone...

Saturday was very productive and a little sad in this household. Ryan and Sara are "fixing up" their new home, painting room by room and generally making it "their" home. In anticipation of a visit from their cousins next weekend they are busily getting the guest room ready. Of course, every guest room needs a bed. So home they came to get the "bed that Dad built" for Ryan about 12 years ago.

Dad built things sturdy, things that would last a lifetime. And so it was with the bed. Originally it was a bunk bed with a single on the top and a double on the bottom. Eventually Dad removed the single and it became just a double bed with 4x4 posts at each corner. The bed had not been moved, or taken apart in all the years Ryan lived at home.

So, it was with a little trepidation that we undertook to take the bed apart for removal to Ryan and Sara's house. And he did it! A little elbow grease and a lot of determination and Ryan had the bed apart and we transported it out of my house and over to his. The mattress had belonged to Sara when she lived at home and was moved to my house before their marriage. So, you see...the bed was completely theirs.

It was a little sad to see the bed go (it was a reminder of Dad) but that's just another step in Ryan's moving away from home and building his own home. I'm very happy for them. Also, I'm very happy for him to have memories of his Papa in his own home. I know if Papa could look down and see the guest room with the bed in a proud position of prominance he would be happy. And I think he'd get a kick out of the decor!

The room is not totally empty, however. There is a free standing traffic signal that belongs to Ryan and will be making a move to the new home in the not too distant future . More about that in another post...

Passover last night...

Being raised in a christian home I learned the Old Testament stories about how the Jews were held captive in Egypt, how Moses grew in Pharoah's house to the point where he had to finally make a decision, to stay in Pharoah's house or embrace his heritage and make a difference. We all all know the outcome and the struggle for freedom the Jews faced. I always heard the stories and thought, those people certainly had it rough. But it was like it happened to someone else, some other people. Until my son married a girl whose father is Jewish.

For the last few years, since we have been associated with my daughter-in-law's family, I have been invited to join them for Seder, the feast that commemorates the Jews struggle for freedom. We read from the Torah and perform ceremonies that symbolize the different problems they faced. While sipping the foul-tasting wine (4 sips max)and eating the bitter herbs and matza I feel like I've been transported, a little bit like "Adventures in Odyssey" back to the time when the blood was placed on the doorpost, when Egypt was overcome by the plagues of locusts and frogs, when the Jews finally escaped across the Red Sea to stand and watch the Sea close over the army of Pharoah that sought to bring them back to slavery.

The Jewish people have these ceremonies to remember, to keep fresh in their minds the miracles that God performed for them, to pass on to the next generation the history that makes them who they are. Lest they forget...

I really enjoy the whole Seder evening, the traditions, the food, the sense of family and continuity it brings. And it's a time to reflect on what Christ did for us, how he became our sacrifice and the veil was rent in the temple to allow us Gentiles to have a part of Him. because it falls just before Easter, the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Mazel Tov!

Spring Has Sprung

Spring is definitely here...I can attest to that because of the allergic reaction I have been having to it. I am so tired of the waterworks and the itchy face, eyes, ears that goes along with it. I was miserable for about a week, but I'm glad to say I'm doing much better now.

On a brighter note, the Spring flowers are gorgeous! Everywhere I look the flowers are in bloom. In fact, I have a couple of plants of my own. Believe it or not the Cyclamen I received for "Administrative Assistant's Day" last year on April 23rd is alive and well and blooming. It has had continuous blooms on it for several months. I also have started a small Daisy plant from a seeds and a little pot that my lovely Haley gave me for my birthday. The pot is about 3 inches high. When the plant gets 3 inches high I will need to repot it. I was so successful with the Cyclamen that I am attempting the Daisy. We'll see how it goes. I planted 10 seeds and so far there are three sprouts! I do believe a small part of my thumb may be turning green...