The Summer Whirl

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The last few days have been a whirl. They included:

  • The second weekend in a row of holding a garage sale; the first weekend, we were helping out our friends who are moving, at their sale. This past weekend, we brought their unsold stuff over to our house and sold some of our own along with it. Both sales were a big success!

  • Shopping for various gifts; after one outing, I noticed a yard sale sign and followed the arrows until I happened upon a neighborhood I'd never even seen before. I've since decided that if we ever move into the city, that's where I'd like to live. While at that garage sale, I found my next project:
It was $3 and I couldn't resist. How much fun can I have with this?

Look at those wheels! One, unfortunately, is broken. Should I replace them?

This little metal sculpture piece was in the "free" box. I know I can make it pretty again
-- though it is already the nicest rusty blue color! Those little clusters are musty old wooden beads.
  • Attending a surprise birthday party for a friend; I parked around the corner so she wouldn't recognize my car and had to walk back to her house. That's when she arrived home early. Her husband heard her coming and said, "Oh no, hide behind that tree!" I froze and looked frantically around for the tree he was talking about it. It was halfway across the yard, and I knew I'd never make it at the speed her car was coming towards the house. So I tried anyway, running across the green lawn wearing bright colors, and hoping she wouldn't see me and ruin the surprise! Amazingly, she didn't.
  • Volunteering with my son packing homecoming gift bags for a unit that's returning to a local army base this week after being deployed in the Middle East. They were duffel bags stuffed with toiletries, snacks, and a handwritten thank you card, and were specifically for the single soldiers who would arrive in Colorado Springs but not be going home to families.
Ben writes a thank you card

We stuffed 275 bags!

The commanders told us that those single troops who return to empty barracks/homes are the ones at highest risk for depression and suicide. It can be a lonely time of transition for them, when the full brunt of what they've been through while deployed can "hit" them. The last time the church did this they received several comments from the gift recipients that it had really made a difference to know that someone had thought about them and cared enough to send the bag.So, that's what's been keeping me away from the computer this weekend. I hope you had a great, mid-summer weekend yourself, and that I get to hear about it!

Comments

Lydia said…
Take the wheels off, and make something else from them, I say:)

Great work. It feels so good to give.Super good example and experience. That's better than the beach:)!
July 22, 2009 at 9:40 PM
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