7 Quick Takes (Volume 54)

1) As is my custom while standing before my mirror, I was plucking the most annoying of my gray hairs when Drama Queen walked in.

Drama Queen: Mom! Don't do that!

Me: I'm just getting the really wingy ones.

Drama Queen: Don't pull those out. Gray hair is a crown of splendor. It says so in the Bible.

Me: Yeah. I'll remind you of that when you have gray hairs.

Drama Queen: I'll show you.

She ran down the hall to fetch her Bible and came back.

Drama Queen: Yep. I was right. Here it is in Proverbs 16:31. "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life."

What I haven't figured out yet is if she was trying to compliment me on my righteous life or making sure I knew she was right. I'll go with the righteous life bit.

2) We obtained my great grandmother's pump organ last weekend (Thank you, Aunt Lori and Uncle Dave!). My kids were playing on it and a strange thought occurred to me.

Me: Do you realize your great-great grandmother's fingers touched those very same keys?!

Miss Innocent One: It's like we're shaking her hand.

Never one to miss an opportunity for a good lick, Ladies Man had to comment.

Ladies Man: Yeah, we're shaking hands with the dead!

3) I attended the funeral of a family friend on Wednesday. I am always saddened at funerals by how inadequate they are. Trying to sum up an entire life in a few short moments doesn't ever do the deceased justice. I understand the importance of providing a time of closure, but there must be a better way to honor a life.

Since losing my dad four years ago, funerals remind me of how much I stand to lose, WHO I am bound to lose. The thought hurts my heart. Sitting next to my mother during the service (who is the same age as the deceased) reminded me she won't always be here. I don't even want to think about it.

The pastor said, "Grief is the price of love." I guess if I grieve much it means I have loved much which is a little comfort. I pray God will be near when I face loss again.

4) We've been doctoring the gecko again. Ladies Man was beside himself when he was convinced the lizard had lost an eye which is impossible, of course. I mean, how could an eyeball just fall out? But there was no consoling him until we peeled away all the excess skin he hadn't shed himself and the little guy opened his lid a slit.

Ladies Man: Oh. . .oh there it is. See it? It's in there.

Big surprise.

Ladies Man: He must have some shed caught in there that's bothering it.

Yeah, I think I suggested that already.

Really, would it be so terrible for my children to admit I know what I'm talking about? Would it have been so hard for Ladies Man to say, "Yep, that eyeball's in there. You were right, Mom."?

But that's just crazy talk, isn't it? Imagine, a mother who knows something?

5) It's been an affirming week for me with Drama Queen. Not only has she declared my gray hairs a splendor, but one evening as I was finishing dinner, she was sitting on the kitchen counter and said out of nowhere, "You have a good butt."

Now you must know no one, and I mean NO ONE, has ever told me I have a good butt. For my entire life I've considered it my worst feature, my very worst. An impromptu drug test on the poor girl crossed my mind, but then she jumped off the counter and said, "My butt is flat. Yours has something to it."

I guess when a sixteen-year-old says you have a good butt, you should probably run with it and not think about it too much. To be honest, it did make me feel better about my ginormous behind, so I'll say thank you, Drama Queen. You made my week.

(A message to my IRL friends: Don't you DARE start checking out my butt and make me ultra paranoid!)

6) After too many days in a row of running around constantly from the time my feet hit the floor til my head hit the pillow at night, I FINALLY had a WHOLE DAY home alone yesterday. I was in heaven, I tell you! I wish I could say I accomplished tons, but alas, I'm a woman who knows how to make the most of a lazy, hazy day. (This would be a good place to insert a deep breath and heavy sigh.)

7) It sounds like the weather in my neck of the woods could get a little chilly, maybe even bringing some snow! This is good news to my ears as the white stuff is one of my favorite things (wait, should I rephrase that?). We may have to build a fire and get cozy tonight.

I hope you can take it easy too. Jen's taking a week off at Conversion Diary, so you're stuck with only my Quick Takes this week. Have a great weekend anyway.