One New Bloom

"There is not a pretty red ribbon around it, but there's hope."

- Louie Giglio

Hope. It is an interesting thing, isn't it? It doesn't matter what the facts are. How dire. How definitive. How final. There is something in the human heart that refuses to believe. Demands a hold onto that little bit of...hope. Only when faced with an end will the heart finally relinquish its hold on the possibility of a miracle. And, even then, we begin to hope for something else. Something beyond the current circumstance.

There is a hydrangea outside my bedroom window. The summer rains came this year and over-watered the bush, leaving all the flowers dry and brittle. This surprised me; isn't rain supposed to add life and color to a plant? Instead, this plant held dead, lifeless blooms until about a month ago. One morning, I noticed new, green growth. The hint of a bloom. It was already October. I guess no one told this plant that the cold was arriving any day. It didn't care; it saw an opportunity to blossom, and it took it. Every morning when I open my shade, I have watched that bloom grow until it has turned into a bright blue bunch of beautiful tiny leaves. In a season of death for our family, it reminds me that there is always new life. There is always hope. Hope may come in tiny bits, but it always creates something beautiful.

After a cold snap this weekend, I wondered what I would see when I looked out the window Saturday morning. The bloom was still there, and just below it, a new, green bloom, just starting out. There is always hope.

Five Things I Learned on Weight Watchers

Last winter, I joined Weight Watchers for their three-month post-holiday deal. I had trouble getting the weight off after KW, and my cholesterol was going up year over year. There were five habits that became apparent to me during my journey, and I have found that whether I gain or lose since then depends largely on whether or not I am following these five "rules" I made for myself. Maybe they can help you, too!

1. Only eat fruit in the volunteer room. This likely applies to few other people, but we have a volunteer room at church. With Bagels. And cream cheese. And muffins. And M&Ms. And grapes. And coffee. And soft drinks. And juice. It is pretty obvious where this rule came from.

2. Don't eat the kids' leftovers. Somebody actually warned me about this one when Little Man was a baby. If the kids did not eat their dinner, no matter how good I thought it was, my eating it is not going to prevent it from being wasted. If the nutrients did not go in their bodies, then the purpose for which I served it is already blown. Adding those calories to my daily count is not going to help.

3. Don't take seconds. Should be obvious, but I usually want more.

4. Eat an apple while making dinner. I am usually pretty hungry by the end of the afternoon. And if rest time has not been so restful around my house, it is easy for me to pick something to munch on while I cook that completely renders my need for dinner null and void. It takes a long time to eat an apple the old fashioned way and cook at the same time. Plus, an apple a day is a good, natural way to help lower your cholesterol. Double bonus.

5. Don't eat out of obligation. I learned this ol' trick from Ernie Harris. If it is in the refrigerator, it must be eaten. I must help clean off the counter - by eating the contents off of it. Especially when it comes to desserts, I have NO obligation to finish the second half of the pie that was left at our house after a dinner party, even if it takes me four days to do it. And I really don't need to eat something I don't love, just so it doesn't get thrown away.

From Scratch

When Little Man turned one, I planned to make every birthday cake from scratch, forever. After thirty-six hours, the cake was a brick, and I knew it had already been pretty dense at party time. So, I decided to use box mixes and to really put some effort into getting my baking technique down before making another birthday cake. This summer was the time. I only made two cakes, but the second was noticeably lighter than the first. This weekend, I will make my third. I have high hopes.

What Takes Grease Out of My Way?

For some reason, I have lost several of shirts this year to grease splatter while cooking dinner. Or grease rings made when I use my stomach as the stabilizer when closing the spray oil. Or some other smart cooking move.

Shirt after shirt went to the Good Will. I bought a new set of "cute" tees. Then, as I ironed one day, I noticed a string of grease spots on one of my new favorite tees! Ugh!

I mentioned it to a friend and neighbor a few days later, and she told me to put liquid dish washing detergent on it, let it soak for three hours, then re-wash it. I knew this would not work, because I had already dried the stain in, but I thought it was a worth a try, since I really wanted to save this shirt.

And, what do you know? It worked! I have a short soaking as I type, a casualty of the spray can. Can't wait to wear it again.

Adjustable Seat

After showing virtually no interest in riding a bike, Little Man suddenly started riding a tricycle this spring. So we went out on a limb and told the grandparents to get him a balance bike for his birthday. He had ridden one at a friend's house, but - again - showed no interest in owning one.

We had to buy the taller seat. When we put it together, we tightened it at about the furthest point you could, and waited to see what would happen.

At first, he would ride it around the driveway one time, then go get his trike. A month later, we found a quiet little elbow in the neighborhood behind us, and he could really practice his stuff.

It's the stuff after-dinner-walks-in-the-summer are made of.