S.W.A.K.
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S.W.A.K.
7:00 am
My hubby and I have been married 14 years.
We have three children.
I think we have a great marriage. We communicate well. We fight fair.
But I want it to be even better.
And it starts with me.
Busy schedules, demanding children, job pressures and selfishness gives our marriage a beating. And we have to fight to keep it healthy, to keep it passionate.
I entered this New Year wanting to initiate more time for us. I want to capture moments to remind him that before all of this, there was just us. The two of us.
I was flipping through January’s Woman’s Day Magazine and a title caught my attention “Lock Lips with Your Husband.”
Reading the blurb, I learned that there is an actual chemical released when you kiss called The Cuddle Chemical. It produces a euphoric feeling. And an unplanned passionate kiss increases the chemical.
Now, let’s be honest. I kiss my hubby everyday. A peck here. A smooch there. But a knock-his-socks off K-I-S-S? Well, there’s dinner and a toddler pulling on my leg, a ringing phone, and endless homework. And not to mention the utter exhaustion I feel at the end of the day.
Well. You know. It’s hard.
So, besides entering the marriage challenge at The Diaper Diaries, (go check it out, it’s not too late to join and it’s off to a great start)
I’m issuing my own personal Kiss Challenge for myself. For 30 days, starting Feb. 1st, I’m planning to passionately lock lips with my hubby. To block out all distractions for a few minutes and lay one on him.
I think just this one simple act will speak volumes to my man.
{You can secretly join in too if you up to some serious smooches}
The days leading up to Valentine’s Day (Feb. 11-13), I will be having a little S.W.A.K. carnival. I want you to link up a post honoring your hubby anytime during those three days. It can be how you met, your first kiss, what you’re doing to celebrate Valentine’s Day, or about your own personal Kiss Challenge.
For several days, I will be sharing some of my marriage secrets, my fau paxs and what I’ve learned.
Grab the button and share it with your readers.
You might also want to stock up on some chap stick. I’m just sayin’.
P.S. I’m planning on giving away some helpful marriage books and items (you have to link up at carnival to be eligible) and would love to give away some Valentine’s inspired gifts during the carnival. If you have a store and have something that speaks volumes of love, email me and I’ll feature your store during the carnival. *UPDATE* I have 16 door prizes so far (including a gift certificate for $200!) So, keep them coming!
Tell me what you think….can we join together {on Valentine’s Day} to honor our hubbies in some way?
You DO NOT have to join the Kiss Challenge to link up to the Valentine’s Day carnival!
Food for the Soul:
Song of Solomon 1:16 “[ Beloved ] How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant.”
The Letter
7:00 am
Today is my 14th wedding anniversary.
And guess what I got from my hubby?
A letter.
And it came in this:
When I saw my name engraved on the box, I burst into tears.
I knew my hubby had been reading Letters from Dad, a book that encourages and teaches fathers the importance of writing letters and leaving a legacy for their children thru the written word.
The author encourages fathers to start the tradition by first, writing a letter to their wife.
And unbeknownst to me, that’s what my hubby has been doing by the moonlight on his laptop.
(Work, ha!)
I love words. I love writing. I love letters.
And my new box with it’s precious content moved me deeply. (And it will contain all future letters!)
My Kristen,
There is something distinctly you that resonates deep within my soul. It is your character. Your confidence. Your purity.
My distant memories of you at Southwestern ring true to your soft, strong personality. You were like no one else. Your confident, quiet stare screamed purpose, conviction and integrity. Many of the people we brushed shoulders with, both male and female, were less than genuine in both their interpersonal behavior and their walk with Christ. It was like the difference between Diet Coke and the real thing. Five minutes wasted with one of these individuals quickly revealed emptiness.
You, however,…what a breath of clean fresh oxygen. The hours spent playing cards, driving to church, and sitting on the porch swing at Collins Hall seemed like mere minutes. There was something about you that drew me to you. Before I knew that I loved you, my soul loved you.
You were my princess!
Foolish immaturity allowed you to slip through my grasp. It’s dumbfounding, my inability to see the treasure that was standing before me. Thankfully, providence could not be denied.
I remember the moment I realized I was deeply in love with you. We weren’t seeing each other. We had never kissed. It was a night in early June of 1994 and I left a message on your answering machine. My heart was pounding so hard, I could barely leave a message to tell you that I was thinking of you. (Really, I was longing for you.) My deepest fantasy was that you too were in love with me. How could I have ever known that this fantasy would come to life?
On December 17, 1994, I married my best friend. True to character you presented yourself to me, a spotless bride.
Though the past fourteen years have shaped and molded the both of us, the core of who you were then is still intact today. Your pristine beauty, integrity, and pure love are the qualities that are infused within me.
Outstanding Mother
Purposeful Homemaker
Servant of God
Constant Companion
Faithful Friend
Kindred Spirit
Beautiful Soul
Proverbs 31:28-29 says this about you,
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
You are woven and intertwined in the deepest parts of my flesh, mind, spirit, and soul. To breathe, is to love you.
Happy Fourteenth Anniversary
And this is the letter I wrote to him: (I might add, it pales in comparison)
Dear Hubby,
Fourteen years ago we walked down the aisle of an ugly church (I never got over the burnt orange pews).
We were young. Nervous. Naive and crazy enough to get married on my Christmas break from teaching the first grade.
Two days before my 22nd birthday.
You were a Youth Pastor. Remember when we drove off in my highly-decorated and oh-so-offensive car?
I can still remember the look on the Pastor’s face with the condoms dangling from the muffler.
My brother had quite the sense of humor.
Ahem.
And I still feel bad about the piles of birdseed we dumped from our underwear in the restrooms of Dairy Queen.
But this is our week.
Our busy, crazy, expensive week.
Who knew 2 out of 3 children would also be born during the hectic holiday season?
This is a busy week for us, but I wanted to pause and tell you that if I could change anything, I wouldn’t.
Not a thing.
Because even though we’ve faced some tough challenges, we are in this place today because of those difficulties.
And though these are trite words, I’ve never meant them more than I do today.
I love you. Happy Anniversary.
Don’t plan anything for Friday night, I’ve found a new unsuspecting babysitter.
And, I found 14 more images of me giving you that look loaded on my Mac this morning.
I thought I’d include it in your letter. Because you know what it means.
Let’s put the camera away, k?
The end.
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A Gift that Tastes Like Chicken
7:00 am
I’ve told y’all all about my good man.
He’s not perfect. And we’ve had our fair share of Potato Soup fights.
(Our first fight ever was over potato soup. He liked my recipe so much, he kept going back to refill his bowl. I whined about not having any left from the double batch for lunch the next day, so he dumped the whole bowl in the trash. The fight ensued…)
(Yes, I won that fight!)
But fourteen years later, we are still best friends and I deeply respect him.
During the week, he spends a lot of time in his car driving to doctor’s offices. He’s a Pharmaceutical Rep and as a part of his job he provides lunch for the clinics.
One area of town, about 20 minutes from our house, is a lower-income area. There are homeless people under every overpass.
One day, my hubby rolled down his window and offered his own lunch to a homeless man.
He did it again the next day.
And again the next week.
He prayed with one desperate lady and encouraged a sad man.
And now on a regular basis, he pauses during his busy day, to make someone else’s. I was so proud. I told my kids about it.
Do you know what they said?
“Take us, Dad. We want to feed them too.”
And so we did. On Saturday. It was our One Day to Give for November.
We filled up two sacks with Chick Fil A chicken biscuits and we prayed. (And yes, I did get a sweet tea, just in case you were wondering.)
As one person after another came to our car window, I watched my children’s faces.
They looked closely. They listened intently. And they understood why their Dad feeds the homeless.
One man in particular touched us deeply. My hubby asked if he was hungry. He smiled and said, ‘yes, this is the first food I’ve had in two days.” His joy was evident. And so was his relief. (My hubby handed him my large cup of sweet tea too. Now that’s sacrifice! Do you think a cup of cold sweet tea given in Jesus’ name counts the same?)
On our way home, we talked with our kids. I knew this would be a day they would remember. “Do you have any questions?” I asked.
“Yes,” my son said. “If that one man is homeless, how did he get gold teeth?”
I explained that most people don’t start off homeless and we speculated some about his life. I said, “and for some, gold teeth are a fashion statement.”
My almost 9 year old fashionable daughter said, “Who would want gold teeth?”
My son raised his hand and said, “Me!”
During this wonderful week of Thanksgiving, take a moment to give. You’ll be glad you did.
The Best Time of the Day
7:00 am
Something happens {nearly} every day at {almost} the same time.
The phone rings.
The kids and I stop what we are doing: I put dinner on hold, the homework is paused, the toddler clinging to my leg, relents.
We walk out the front door.
And we sit on the driveway. And we wait.
We wait for a noise…..oh, do you hear it? It’s distant, but it’s coming closer, yes, that’s definitely it!
At the sound of the honking horn, we stand up and look towards the end of the street. We jump up and down and wave. The toddler does a little dance. The neighbors point and stare.
Because someone is coming home! He pulls slowly into the crowded driveway and rolls down his window. He scoops up the toddler thru the open window and she helps him park the car. The older kids begin their verbal recount of the day to their daddy.
And I kiss my man.
And after being gone all day and working hard, we honor him by greeting him.
It’s the best time of the day.
(When I was a newlywed, a wise woman told me that she always stopped whatever she was doing to greet her husband when he walked thru the door. I remember mentally scoffing the old fashioned idea. It’s funny how it’s become one of my favorite traditions. Plus, I think they call it reinforcements.)
Food for the Soul:
Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
A Love Letter to My Husband
8:00 pm
My Dear Husband,
When I was a little girl, I played make believe.
I pretended to cook and clean and to be a Momma to my baby dolls. (I did not role play walking around WalMart with a screaming toddler, because there are some things that you must experience to truly appreciate).
But in my naive mind, I imagined a man, a husband. He was brave and strong and very handsome. And he loved me.
It was a dream.
And some might call this a silly fairy tale or the immature longings of a girl who loved romance.
But I call it my life.
Because you are the man of my dreams.
You are the first to hold me when I am afraid.
You are my encourager when I doubt myself.
You are the one who made me a Mother.
You are also the one who still leaves his clothes on the floor. (Just keeping it real).
I am not a little girl anymore. I am a woman and you are a man.
But I can’t help but think of the things I didn’t dream about….
I didn’t dream that I would hear my husband praying over me as I dozed off to sleep.
I didn’t dream that my husband would buy journals for each of his children and write letters to them. Because he longed to leave them a legacy.
I didn’t dream that my husband would face his own personal battle and show me what a victor looks like.
I didn’t dream that my man would be a Chick-Fil-A fairy, delivering sweet tea in my moments of need.
Today you turn 38 years old. And more than anything, I want you to know that I love you more than I ever dreamed.
You are a man among men. You stand out as you lead our family. You are my heart, my life, my best friend, my soul mate.
And the best back scratcher this side of the Mississippi.
You are unique and beautiful.
And you are mine.
Happy Birthday, husband. I cried when you told me you wanted Russian language lessons for your birthday.
That request alone, makes you a hero in my world. I am so proud of you.
Thank you for making my dreams come true.
P.S. Do you like my new shirt?
Oh, and I got you one, of course!
(t-shirts are from from me tees)Food for the Soul:
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”- 2 Corinthians 13:14
I’m Unworthy
7:00 am
This was sitting on my bed when I got home.
I seriously don’t think I deserve my man, y’all.
He bought lovely coordinating pieces from my favorite store, in the correct size and on clearance! (Nothing in that bag was over $6.97).
I am unworthy.
And I am in trouble. My hubby’s birthday is in about a week and a half. And I need help!
I really want to knock his socks off with a creative, affordable gift.
Got any ideas?
The Entertainer’s Secret
7:00 am
I will never forget the day I met my hubby. I was 18 years old and it was my first day of college. He was two years older- cute, tanned, popular and a social butterfly.
Those things were appealing, but there was one very unique thing about him: his voice.
I was immediately attracted to his raspy, rugged, scratchy melody.
We spent the next 4 years as best friends and then went our separate ways into the real world. But in the end, it was that delicious voice recorded on my answering machine that got me. He said something simple like, “Hey, why don’t you come see me.” And that is pretty much all it took to get me to fly several hundred miles and marry him three months later.
I didn’t exactly play hard-to-get.
My hubby works in the medical field and everyday someone asks him about his voice: a)Are you sick? b)Do you have a cold? c)Have you ever been checked for nodes? d) Can I scope your vocal chords?
Well. Here are the answers a)no b)no c)yes d)sure, because my gag reflex is awesome
The other day my hubby returned to his Ear, Nose and Throat doctor because not only was he blessed with a raspy voice, he was also gifted with sleep apnea.
He is one lucky duck.
It’s been two years since he’s been sleep-tested (sleep-testing is where they hook you up to machines and record how many times a night you stop breathing. Exciting stuff. The first time my hubby did this, the Respiratory Therapist who dropped off the sleep apnea machine explained that my hubby had 60 arousal’s in a 1 hour period. And you would think I would know that there is more than one definition of that word (in context it was referring to how many times he stopped breathing. I am still blushing about what I asked.)
I digress.
The ENT said, “Yes, let’s order another sleep test, but let’s spend some time talking about your voice.”
And so they did. For a very long time.
When my hubby came home, he told me all the many and various theories and explanations and blah blah blah the doctor came up with.
Then my hubby dropped this bomb, “I’d really like my voice to be normal.”
And he pulled this from his pocket: 
The Entertainer’s Secret, throat relief spray. But it’s our secret and that of many entertainer’s, apparently.
My 8 year old was eavesdropping on this conversation and burst into the room, “No, Daddy, I love your voice. You can’t do that! I think we need to have a family meeting about this!”
And I did what all good wives would do, I agreed with my daughter.
Because y’all, I love that voice.
CAUGHT!
5:00 pm
I caught my hubby reorganizing and straightening the linen closet.
And people don’t believe in answered prayers.
Remind Me of This, the Next Time He Makes Me Mad, K?
7:01 am
I woke up the other day with a pounding headache.
Not exactly the best way to start the day.
I have a long history of neck issues and I’m a whiner.
So, I was pretty much a barrel of sunshine by 7:30 a.m.
I took a hot bath, got dressed and fixed breakfast for the kids (hey, unwrapping granola bars counts. Don’t judge me).
My hubby left for work and I took Ibuprofen.
I’m telling ya’ll, I was feeling blah. And not just because of the headache. It was a Monday.
But as you know, the show must go on. So, I filled up the kiddie pool outside and sent the kids upstairs to change out of their pajamas. I put on my clown suit and readied for Act I.
The phone rang. It was my hubby. He’d been gone about 15 minutes.
“Hey, there was a package on the bench on the front porch when I left. Are you expecting something?”
“No, Really?”
“Yeah, it has your name on it. Gotta go.”
I walked to the front door and can I just say if I ever doubted that man’s love for me, I never will again?
Yeah. He gets me.
He knew a large Chick-Fil-A sweet tea would help. Call me silly. But his simple gift spoke volumes to me. Knowing he was rushing to get to work, and taking the time to bring me my favorite mood food, meant the world to me.
I love that man.
And you know what? My head didn’t hurt nearly as bad .
To meet some other great hubbies, visit Living Locurto!
King for the Day
12:01 am
Hail to the King! Hail to the King!
In a few hours, my hubby will awake.
And be crowned.
He will relax on his thrown.
When he needs something, he will just give his bell a ring.
And his servants will heed the call.
His feet will be propped up on a cooler filled with his favorite drinks.
The remote is strapped to the chair, waiting to do his bidding.
Nascar will blare on the TV.
Favorite candy and snacks adorn the sacred area.
The streamers and balloons announce his Greatness.
A picture of his Royal servants will greet him. A Nascar grilling cookbook will quench his kingly boredom.
Coupons from his prince and princess are at his disposal. (One free back scratch and a Texas Tickle Crunch Box are but a few).
When he gets into his Royal Chariot, he will be surprised at the loving grafitti.
Especially since he has an important business meeting early Monday morning.
Happy Father’s Day, King Daddy and Hubby.
We love you!
I’ll add a picture of his Royal Greatness later today! Hopefully of his surprised face!
Yeah, I think he’s gonna have a good day. But would it be bad if I hid the bell?
Men’s Week- When My Marriage Fell Apart
7:00 am
This post is For Women Only.
Just like the book titled, For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn. (I’m giving it away, today!)
I read this book the week after Thanksgiving in November of 2005.
I remember the date exactly because it was the week my marriage fell apart.
Yeah. It surprised me too.
There had been a crack in the wall of my marriage. I didn’t see it or want to see it and then one day, after 11 years, the whole thing crumbled.
It was horrible. It was the first time that love didn’t seem to be enough.
We had issues and problems and pain. There were tears and fights and disappointments.
(Because Google is forever, I won’t go into details, but just for the record, this was very serious, but did not involve a third party).
Our marriage hung precariously over the edge of a cliff and we had one choice to make: Give it a nudge or hang on for dear life.
But we dug in our heels, went to counseling for months and decided to rebuild the walls of our marriage. One stone at a time.
During those months, I lost weight and my appetite. I mourned the loss of something I never had: the perfect marriage.
We talked, cried, prayed. And we forgave.
We also read. A lot. One of the most helpful books for me was For Women Only: What you need to know about the inner lives of men.
I entered my marriage as a naive young girl. And I didn’t know very much about men. I think this book impacted me so much because it explained how men think. Even after more than a decade married to a good man, I didn’t truly understand the way God had created him.
The book is filled with facts, statistics, national surveys, and interviews with men. The entire thing was an eye-opening revelation for me.
I don’t usually endorse books, but this one is amazing for women (and not just naive ones with endangered marriages) I would recommend every woman read it!
But the most important part of our rebuilding, was prayer and divine help from God. He walked with us through the valleys.
But we had to invite Him.
I know that you may have ascertained an opinion of my marriage before reading this post. And I don’t blame you. Some readers have even commented about our ‘perfect marriage’ or ‘how much we love each other.’ And while it’s not perfect or even close, it is good.
But, mainly because for awhile, it was very bad.
And I love him more deeply and we share more intimacy because of the bad.
So if today finds you in a crumbling marriage, please be encouraged. It can be rebuilt, even if your surrounded by broken dreams.
If your marriage is strong and secure, be thankful and remember to seal the cracks as they occur.
Many people don’t know that we nearly lost it all. My hubby and I feel challenged to share our testimony as opportunities are presented. It helps fortify the walls, ya know?
As you might imagine, just typing this post has made me feel vulnerable. So, virtual ((hugs)) are accepted and appreciated.
And give your marriage a big boost by buying your hubby, For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Lives of Woman.
He may be surprised to learn more about you.
Leave a comment by 10 pm (CST) tonight and you’ll be entered to win a free copy of For Women Only!
Food for the Soul:
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
MEN’S WEEK: My Hubby’s Favorite Blog + Giveaway!
10:00 pm
(Don’t forget to check out today’s giveaway and yesterday’s winner at the end of this post).
Since this is Man’s Week here at THAT family (I just want to grunt every time I type that), I thought I’d share a tip and tell you my hubby’s favorite blog.
Other than mine.
The blog is written for husband’s and is aptly called, iAMHUSBAND. I must admit, I subscribe too.
The insightful author has dedicated his blog to helping husbands be better husbands. He encourages and challenges hubby’s to take their wives on date nights, starve their eyes from lusting after other women, help their wives through bad days and surprising them with trinkets or something special.
Now we’re talking.
He also gives ideas for dates, advice, and encourages men to read the latest and best books on marriage. Like For Men Only by Shaunti Feldhahn.
I read For Women Only two years ago and it changed my marriage. I’ll be sharing about that later this week.
This was a post from last week on iAMHUSBAND,
“You have twenty-four hours to surprise your wife with something nice. The only catch is that it can’t be that thing you usually surprise her with; this has to be something different. Do something, buy something, make something, or say something. Get creative, think big, think small — just think. And then come back here and share with us what did.”
Does it get any better than that? Someone telling my hubby to do something nice for little, ‘ol me?
And, guess what? He did.
That works for me. Share this little tip with your hubby. You’ll be glad you did! Go see what works for everyone else at Works for Me Wednesday.
Oh, and don’t forget to leave a comment so you can be entered to win this:
Yes, I am not holding back this week. Only the best for you. This is exactly what the griller in your life needs because this handy tool belt holds all the grilling necessities.
It will change his life or at least the steak he’s cooking.
Leave a comment by Wednesday night at 10 pm (CST) and I’ll announce the lucky winner on Thursday.
Congrats to FavAunt (email) on winning the giant Remote Control!
Men’s Week: Men & Mom Blogs
7:00 am
I am a mom.
This is a mom blog.
I write about my good days filled with amber-colored sweet tea and sniffin’ the necks of my yummy kids.
I post about my feelings and fears, my vanities and victories.
You understand; because you are a mom.
Or are you?
I assume, as I type furiously in my pajamas, at my laptop, that my readers are women.
I mean, I know there are occasional male readers. Who else would leave the toilet seat up?
*Snort*
But seriously, every once in awhile when I write about moaning over Strawberry Shortcake or post pictures of my rear view, it dawns on me after the fact (like weeks later) that men might be reading what was intended well, really, for women.
And then, I feel weird.
Don’t get me wrong. I like men. Especially, the one who is sitting next to me, reading over my shoulder. I value his opinion and he reads just about everything I write. He likes me. He’s nice that way.
But I’ve heard through the grapevine, that some of the men in my extended life think my blog is too personal.
Probably. But don’t we (women) want it that way?
Even my own sweet hubby, had second thoughts about me posting this. But I’m so glad I did. Why? Because you encouraged me and helped me through a difficult time.
And so, here’s the crux, do you write with all this in mind and not say all you’re thinking or just let it all hang out? Well. I’m not exactly a ‘let all hang out kind of girl, but you know what I mean.
Not to mention, there are some great dad blogs out there. Do a lot of men comment on your blog? Do you visit dad blogs?
Help me, oh, my dear internet friends. We’re focusing on men this week and I need a woman’s view!
By the way, in celebration of MEN’S WEEK, I’m giving away a much-needed item for the man in your life, every day this week! Yahooooooo!
This is up for grabs. What man wouldn’t want a giant universal remote control? I’ll choose a random number from the comments and close this little giveaway down around 10 pm (CST).
Men’s Cookbook Winner: P.S. He Loves You. Congrats, girl! (Email me your address and I’ll mail it tomorrow)
Keeping the Love Alive
5:30 pm
My hubby’s definition of sexy: Watching me catch a lot of fish.
My definition of sexy: My hubby asking me how I’m catching them.
Can You Help Me?
12:40 pm
My hubby left for work this morning. There was a little tension in the air.
It started last night and continued thru the night. Let me put it this way, we didn’t exactly spoon all night.
Uh uh. Nope.
He shocked us by opening a can of Coke and dumping an entire package of peanuts into the can.
This was done in a nonchalant manner. My kids and I froze and stared at him. He glanced up.
“What?” he said as if he hadn’t just dome something totally weird.
“That is disgusting! Why did you do that?” my daughter demanded.
“Yeah, Dad. That is gross,” my son piped in. The baby grunted and pointed. She was in dismay too.
And this is when the tension began: ”Oh, that? You guys haven’t heard of peanuts and coke?
It’s a Southern tradition,” he explained as if he were Paula Dean.
Who is this man? What did he do with my hubby?
“I am Southern. I love traditions. I have been married to you for almost 14 years and THIS, is a first. Peanuts and coke, together?” I said.
Well. What do you think? Please help me out. For the love of all things Southern and good, can this faux hubby be correct?
There is tension, people. I need your help.
My Rear View
7:00 am
I have more than 4,000 digital photos stored on my computer. They are an unorganized mess.
A disaster of enormous proportion.
This makes me twitch. A lot.
I set out the other day to attack this project. As I was rearranging and deleting and organizing,
I kept seeing these random, headless photos. They were potshots.
Interesting photos of uh, um, well, of -
My booty:
My bum:
My hiney:
My derriere:
I’ve Been Replaced
7:00 am
I have been replaced. My pain runs deep, people.
Very deep.
There’s something new in my hubby’s life. Something that has come between us.
Do you understand the betrayal that I feel?
I have always been the back scratch er. I have stopped mid-sentence to accommodate my hubby’s profound itch, for years. My activities have been redirected when his cry for a good scratch was heard.
I heeded the call.
I married him knowing he had itchy issues. I saw past them. I manicured my nails with him in mind. It is the sole reason I keep my trim nails lengthy.
Only to be replaced by a skinny, newer back scratcher? A replica of the real thing?
Give me a moment to compose myself.
*SNIFF* *BLOW* *WIPE*
Thank you.
He bought this replacement on a whim. I’m sure it was brought home out of desperation when I was out of town. I don’t think he sought her out on purpose. He was weak. She preyed on that weakness.
Oh, he says, “You’re the only one, baby.” And he even pretends to enjoy my scratching.
But I know there is other back scratching going on. I can feel it. I’ve even caught him a time or two. There was always some excuse . . . like a jagged nail or an irritating cuticle.
I have found solace knowing my children still enjoy my gift. Up until now, they have resisted the wooden enemy.
And then, my son brought this home from the school treasure box:
My pain knows no limits.
Spring Love is in the Air
7:00 am
I love Spring. I love the flowers; the breeze and the sun poking thru the clouds.
I love the melody of birds and the awakening of the slumbering earth.
I love the damp ground and the fragrance in the air.
I love it all—
Except for the mildew.
And, my word, do I hate the fine green layer that grows with the winter and rain. It covers everything outside our house.
It makes me twitchy. Really. Before the ground has defrosted, I start whining about it.
This isn’t even seen as a flaw to my hubby. He knows me well. He tackles the green with me.
The other day I returned from the store and I heard a racket in the backyard.
I opened the back door and saw this:
And nothing says I love you like the words etched in mildew with a pressure washer.
Oh, stop my beating heart.
Food for the Soul:
Song of Solomon 1:16 ”How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming!”
