.....so....

 Here's something to think about:  I've been blogging for almost fifteen years now.  I can probably go on blogger and get the exact number, but let's just estimate...if I blogged 300 times a year, that's 4,500 posts.  My point:  the titles!  Every morning, I'm almost stumped and ready to give up, so I just write something and get on with it, there are times the title makes no sense whatsoever.

Yet, here we are.  Yesterday, after the pool I got busy weeding and watering, then cleaning up in here.  Sonja is done with her first year of nursing school, but she has a pharmaceutical class this summer, and lots of summer homework (she has to learn a whole slew of prescription drugs, (pronunciation, indications, dosages, side-effects..) and lots of other stuff).   But that hasn't started yet, so she has a bit of free time.  So in the early afternoon yesterday, we decided to go into the city and get her passport.  Her "under 16" passport expired last year, and you can't just renew those, you have to reapply.  Since she is planning to go to Norway in July, we had to expedite it.  A hundred ninety bucks.  I told her Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday and Happy End of the First Year of School.

(It was funny because I thought she had my check book, she thought I had it, and when it was time to pay, neither of us did.  We thought we were going to have to leave and come back, but then I remembered my "emergency check", folded up in my wallet.  :)

We went to Marshall's afterward because Camille wanted to check out the nail polish, apparently they sell some really good salon-quality stuff quite cheaply.  I found Sonja a pair of pajamas that said Stay Hopeful on the front, she had just said needed new pajamas...they were so right for her.  I told the cashier they were for my daughter who proclaimed every week or so that she was quitting nursing school, it was too hard.  (I think she just says it to let off steam, and to have us cheer her on, she's not really quitting.) The cashier had just retired from 38 years as an operating nurse, we had a good conversation, she told me to wish Sonja well (Camille was not faring well, walking around on her crutches, so Sonja brought her out to the car while I checked out)

I ran into Aldi for just a few things, then the county office clerk called, they still had Sonja's license, oops. So they dropped me off at the dollar store while they went back to pick it up, poor me ha.  Let me tell you, walking around in there without anyone rolling their eyes or hurrying me along:  not too shabby.  It's not a huge chain dollar store, a local guy owns like five of them, REAL DEALS, it's called.  They sell things that aren't MADE to be sold for a dollar, shh, not made in CHINA.  It's stuff that maybe is close to it's expiration date, or a store had too many....like the giant economy sized box of General Mills Churros Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or leftover fancy chocolates from Christmas.  The Pepperidge Farms bread truck comes sometimes, all the cinnamon raisin bread, and farmhouse bread, $1.25.  (I know, all the dollar stores raised their prices!).  They have gift bags and craft items and dog toys and spray paint and and and. I got, for example, a 12 pack of one ounce packets of Price-Chopper brand cheez-its.  I also got some more flower plants, can't beat the price.

Home, ah home.  Sonja was in an organizing mood, so she straightened up the pantry.  I repotted a few plants, and put some in the planter box.  Then it was dinner time, every day, dinner again!  The girls decided on sandwiches/paninis, I made some burgers for Paul to put in the smoker...we've discovered a delicious way to make them, oh dear are they good.  I sliced onions and a tomato, and got out the pickles.  I don't eat buns, but when I have all the good things for them, oh a burger is yum.  I also had spinach with strawberries and blueberries.  Hey, when it's in season, and reasonable, you have to enjoy it!

For the life of me, I can't figure out why I am so excited about, nor focused on, camping.  Because camping sucks, and I don't like to use that word.  The bugs and the weather and sand in your bed...and the bed itself...you remember I used to have the huge-0 air mattress that plugged in to inflate, our old minivan had a plug.  The newer car doesn't have one, so we would have to carry that all the way to the bathhouse to inflate it, and carry it back, nope.  Benjamin did it for me the first year we discovered we couldn't just plug it in, and I was so embarrassed.  It actually has a leak now anyway, so last year I used a regular air mattress, just the little $12 one.  I felt a hundred years old in the morning, could barely get out of "bed", couldn't stand up all the way in that tent, almost tripped on the dog when I got up in the night with leg cramps.  So instead of saying NO MORE CAMPING, I bought a bigger tent!

I also got a new awning because the old one had developed holes in it, from years and years of use.  The new one was half price, and has one section for rain or shade.  And, yesterday my new tabletop gas grill arrived.  It was on sale at Target, and I had a gift card, so it was only fifteen dollars.  Even if it rains, we can grill a hot dog, right?  We have one of those little cooker things that attached to the top of the small propane bottle, and you can set a pan on it, or the tea kettle, pretty simple and spiffy.  

We cannot get a camper this year, so we'll tent, and do it nicely.  The first weekend we are going, we have a water site, just a three day weekend.  There is a church soccer weekend, we thought it was a youth weekend, but it got changed.  It's hard not to go, but it'll also be nice to go camping with just Paul and the pups, as all the kids will be at that soccer weekend.  

The other 2 three-day weekends are in July, and in August, and lots of the older kids have sites then too, so it'll be great fun, despite all the discomforts.  

Anyway, the sadness about all those small children, and two teachers, getting shot right in their class room...ugh. Regarding these shootings,  I read an article, some different teachers from different places weighed in, and the common consensus:  kids need to believe in a higher power, need more stable home lives, more love, more parenting, and in my opinion, more needs to be done about bullying.  Social media has done so much harm to our young people, harassment and teasing online...it seems to be the common denominator in the perpetrators, they were loners, sad and misunderstood.  As for gun laws, criminals don't usually obey laws, but yes, it could be harder to obtain the automatic rifles, at least.  Those are scary. When you think about it, it's a tragedy that those things even EXIST.  What a world, killing the very men that God Himself created...

But we need to hold on to the hope God has given us, in these dark times:

The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,

The world and those who dwell therein.

For He has founded it upon the seas,

And established it upon the waters.

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?

Or who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,

Nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall receive blessing from the Lord.

And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him.

Who seek Your face.

Lift up your heads, O you gates!

And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!

And the King of Glory shall come in! (Psalm 24 through v. 7)

Oh, to have clean hands and a pure heart, this I can work on in my days!  So stand firm and strong, and be good, in your trials!  Life had meaning when you trust in Him!