Little Grease Monkey

So Cason was out of town all weekend with guys from college at a ranch west of Waco. Our yard really needs mowing, so I thought, “Oh I’ll do that Sunday afternoon so he’ll be surprised when he gets home.” I got the mower out (it’s my parents on loan since they get their yard done.) I changed the oil (since it’s the first use of the season) then I pumped the little air thing on the side and started pulling on the string. (I haven’t mowed a yard since 7th grade when my dad was in chemo.) I yank and yank and yank…a few sputters, then nothing. I yank again, and my brute strength broke the string! It recoiled inside the mower. Awesome.

I get out some wrenches and proceed to take off the top part of the mower (easier said than done.) I recover the string, feed it back through all the holes, and re-tie the plastic pull on it. So here we go again…more and more pulls. Nothing. I took a break to plant some impatiens in the front yard (my hands were swollen and getting kind of raw, not to mention my upper body was sore.) I come back to the dreaded lawn mower. “God, I just want to do something nice for my husband, PLEASE help this work!” Nothing.

Cason gets home and we can’t get it to work still. So I took out the spark plug and cleaned it off, sanded the end. Put THAT all back together, and nothing. Also, the top of the lawnmower has this red sticker that says "ONE-PULL START." They need an asterisk to say "except when it has been dormant all winter, then it's a 200+ pull start." Boo. So, still no mowed yard, but I have a strange sense of accomplishment even though no work was done. The oil change, lawnmower surgery to retrieve the string and the spark plug work makes me FEEL like I did something. If only the grass had also been cut...

Look up, rain is falling, looks like love

I love that song by Stars, it has been quite rainy today, but the title of this blog refers more to the following pictures.


One of my most favorite views of spring is brand new, bright green oak leaves against a brisk and pure blue sky. As I've cursed our 6 front yard oak trees and all the raking they require, I wouldn't trade them!
This one is through my sunroof on Louisiana Street downtown- it makes me happy too because this is the view I can see while I wait to pick up Cason from work each day. Different from the trees, but still beautiful.
More important than pictures from my daily routine is how my everyday life should be lived- with my gaze focused above.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4

So many times I get wrapped up in silly things- something that bothers me at work, something that hasn't gone my way...how many millions of things do I have to be thankful for? How brief is this life? Where does God want my focus? How does he want me to respond to the "little things?"

Look up...

Just like in the movies...

So if you haven't seen the comedic wonder that is Anchorman, you aren't going to get this frivolous but wonderful post. We've found that our cats, like any pets, have developed their personalities and quirks. When Theodore sits in the coral-colored wingback chair with his right paw propped up on the arm, we like to picture him with a book and a pipe. We sing to him "Theodore, you are our little gentleman!! We will take you to foggy London town 'cause you are our little gentleman!!" Can't you just see him with a pipe and a book?

Then the "normal folk" have to sit on the floor...

Hey cut us some slack...we don't have kids yet.