JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL

It was like any other lazy Saturday morning.
Looking forward to the ‘paper’ and a steaming mug of Starbucks best. Shuffled toward the kitchen, felt my way to the coffee pot ... not a bean to be found!!!

Now mind you, I kinda knew there wasn’t. I mean, I knew 3 days ago the level of beans in the bag was gettin’ low …. But due to being too lazy busy, I had procrastinated about running to the store yet once more. This, my friends, was how I ended up with no coffee.

A sad state of affairs ….. with no answer but to GET DRESSED, hop in the car and race down to the Starbucks. Not just ANY Starbucks. The one with the DRIVE THRU. This was important, as I was in no mood to dilly-dally getting my CUTE clothes on, not to mention makeup or even throw a ball cap on my bed-head hair! No worries --- I know absolutely NO ONE in this town.

In the last week I have thought a lot about how weird it feels to live in a place where NO ONE knows you --- other than that handsome guy I live with.  It takes some getting used to (the not knowing any one …. not the living with that handsome guy!) We lived in our last town for 25 years. We raised our kids there – built our business there – made life-long friends there. In moving, we left all that – along with the ease and confidence of living that comes with knowing and being known in a small town. This town is much larger, and while we anticipate making new friends, our experience here will be very different. It’s an adventure – one that has ended up looking quite a bit different than what we’d anticipated.

Back to Starbucks………

I drove there like a caffeine-deprived wild woman …. Only to find that about 500 OTHER people were in line in front of me. The parking lot was packed, so needless to say, the store was packed. Ugh. All for the want of some beans.

Headed over to the NEXT Starbucks --- How lucky are WE!!!?? TWO Starbucks within a mile of our house. I guess you can call that lucky…… if you want to. This little stop required me to actually commit to getting OUT of my car and going INTO the store and standing in line. It’s OK, nobody knows me, right?

Now I have to mention one other thing. We, (that’s me & Handsome Guy) have been tossing around the idea of renting a room in our house. Not to just any ole’ body tho. We live less than 2 miles from the Calvary Chapel Bible College, and while the school provides housing for single students, if you’re married -- you’re on your own. Our kids had rented a room to a lovely young couple just last year --- it was a great experience for all of them, so we had considered doing the same – to the point where I actually gave the school all our info, put our names on a list (NO – NOT like at the Post Office!)….. and had even been contacted by a young couple – but they had a change of plans and ended up moving to another state…… No other ‘takers’ since then and given that we’ve been a little busy (no…. really!) with getting settled down here, we had put that idea on the back-burner. But the last few days I pulled that idea out & dusted it off ….. asking the Lord for direction….should I contact the college again?..... just show me Your way.

Back to my coffee - hopefully it’s still hot.

Of course, there was a very fashionably dressed, attractive young couple behind me in line. (Did I mention they were both dressed cute and she had make-up on? …. AND her hair was done.) You know those conversations that you can’t HELP but over-hear? It was the high-points that got me. These:

“coming back home, everything is so much easier – you know everyone,

you understand the culture” ( um…. Didn’t I just talk about that! )

“was in Australia” ( hey --- I lived in Australia once! )

“prayed about where I might go next” ( yep – done that too! )

Interesting that the VERY issue I’d been thinking about was the first thing out of his mouth.

You know me ….. never met a stranger. There’s something that compels me to jump into conversations when there’s a shared connection……… but this time, I had to choose: Risk a ‘failed’ first impression (sans makeup, and no cute shoes) in order to connect ……. or take my coffee and go home.

Handsome Guy likes to share this analogy: God can’t steer a parked car. Getting direction from God in our lives requires us to put our ‘car’ in drive, step on the gas….. and take our hands off the wheel --- THEN He has something to work with. I chose to put my vehicle in gear…. And put the pedal to the metal.

Her name is Jenn. We exchanged business cards, and when she replied that she attends a Calvary Chapel here in town, I casually mentioned being familiar with the college and the whole “ room thing”. Her immediate response was to tell me that her mom, a real estate agent, had been tasked with finding a rental for an out-of-state, young married couple, who would be attending the college this fall. Of course!

Remember the parked car? Well, this car is moving forward – my hands are off the wheel – but I’m confident that regardless of which direction we go, the Driver has a great destination in mind.

SHEAR GENIUS

It’s a simple thing ….. I mean really, how long have I been using a razor.  Since I was 2, at least.  
I even managed to survive the daily use of a double-sided razor ---- but not without scars.
On my shins.
And they had the nerve to call them “safety razors”.
Still do.

You remember those, right?  There was an actual blade.  

And it had to be replaced occasionally.  Ever – so – carefully.  So as not to inadvertently remove the tip of ones finger(s).  I remain finger-tip intact.
Thank God – since I find them to be useful.

At least I didn’t have to learn using one of these.........

My life may have turned out a bit different ….. or shorter.


So, you’d think by now - with this impressive history of blade handling – I’d be a bit more skilled in the modern day usage of disposable razors.

Hmmmm.  Can I just admit that when they first came on the scene, I was a bit of a razor snob.
I got it from my Dad ……..  sorta.
I doubt I can count the number of lazy Saturday mornings I spent, mesmerized, while my Dad performed his magic with a limited set of characters…

                           SHAVING MUG

SHAVING SOAP

                            

SHAVING BRUSH

(with natural bristles of course) 

               
The all-important

“SAFETY RAZOR” 

      
AND

THE PIECE DE RESISTANCE

I bet you can still remember the smell.

Wasn’t it the ONLY aftershave available?

Oh yes – my dad was a man’s man . ….. before it was a commercial. And as I think about it, could quite possibly be the Freudian reason I chose a very hirsute man to spend the rest of my life with…........
just so I could watch him shave.

At least I acquired my razor snobbery in a healthy way.


Those disposables were not for me – huh-uh, no way. But as standard issue razors became more & more expensive and more & more “plasticky”, I found my standards of razor ownership changing to the point where over the last few years, the words “disposable’ & ‘razor’ began to appear on the same line on my shopping list.
Enter today’s low point.
Whipped out a brand-spanking-new (disposable) razor – in pristine condition. These are the best when working at their peak of razory sharpness….. they are even blessed with a cute little see-thru removable cover.
“Wow --- this razor is just GLIDING across my skin” - they really HAVE improved these things I guess”.

            But that’s only because.......
                       I forgot to REMOVE
                       the cute little see-thru
                         REMOVEABLE cover!!

Hope you’re having a smooth-skinned day.

MiMi

BALLOONS, BALLOONS EVERYWHERE

Up in the sky! - Is it a bird - or a plane????

 Well ... it's NOT superman that's for sure.

We actually 'beat' the sun up this morning --- crawled out of bed @ O:dark 30 --- stumbled to our van & headed to the hills .... in search of the illusive hot-air balloons associated with the annual Temecula Balloon & Wine Festival ........ all WITHOUT the aid of any caffeine I might add!

We've been trying to inundate ourselves with local color & culture, so this seemed the perfect opportunity to enjoy the beautiful serene early morning hours in our new 'valley'. Of course, a lot of other people had the same idea!          

This annual event is held at Lake Skinner - a beautiful nature conservancy that's 'just up the road a ways' from our new house. There are approximately 50-60 different hot air balloons participating in the early morning flight -- lifting from Lake Skinner in the north & lazily floating like multi-colored ultra-sized bubbles past the many wineries located on the valley floor. We felt like storm chasers in a way .... we kept driving - trying to locate just the 'right' spot for our viewing pleasure and photo ops. It was a bit smoggy/foggy - so our real life viewing experience was probably a lot more colorful than the pics we ended up with, but it was gorgeous and peaceful. There is something just so magical about these gargantuan spheres.

Here was a random balloonist -- he just set up his gear along the winery road and
attracted quite a crowd! Leo -- this one's for you!!! Would you go on a balloon ride with MiMi & Grampa sometime? It's almost like being a bird!

We're glad we went ....

altho I'm pretty sure a nap

will have to be on the agenda later today!

Come fly with us

   sometime!