Found Objects

We had an unexpectedly gorgeous day, yay! In need of Vitamin D, I grabbed my new garden tools and went to work. I'm not a gardener in any sense of the word. Yard work is work. Period. But today I actually enjoyed playing in the dirt. I was grumbling to myself about how much work it is to get down to the roots of those weeds and get them out once and for all, and feeling old because nothing works as it used to (I really have to think about getting up and down off the ground!).

Then I thought about the devotional I had read that morning, about praying with a thankful heart. Instead of griping about the work that needed to be done, I thanked God for giving me the good health to be able to do it. I thanked God for the blessing of being a home-owner, for being able to be out there on such a beautiful day, safe in my own back yard, working to make it more attractive.

Pretty soon I wasn't minding being on my hands and knees, getting my hands dirty. I was sincerely appreciating the new set of tools I picked up at Costco the other day, especially the yellow cushion that padded my knees so they didn't hurt near as much as usual. And that nifty container to toss the weeds in, way better than making piles all over the sidewalk and then having to scoop them up and put them in the big ol' yard waste container that I would have had to drag, kicking and screaming, into the back yard.

And then little unexpected surprises began to appear as I dug deep into the soil. I knew there would be earth worms or possibly a salamander or two, but what I didn't expect was the tiny plastic Barbie shoe, the opalescent glazed piece of ceramic, the pretty green chunk of glass, a tiny pumpkin garland or my favorite find, a tiny white button!

Pretty soon I found myself turning the soil not only to get to the roots of the pesky weeds, but in anticipation of another surprise. Hmm...now that I think about it, it's kind of like the way we live our lives, getting through the muck and the mud in order to enjoy the little discoveries and joys we uncover along the way. I'm very thankful for it all.

Thrift Shops = Mini Vacations

I don't get to my favorite thrift store often enough, but when I do, this little book section becomes a black hole of time. It doesn't look like much, but I have found some pretty nifty reads here.

There used to be two small rooms set back in a hallway, away from all the other stuff. And other people. One held clothes, bedding, purses and shoes (and a couple of bins of pretty grodie-lookin' used makeup and lotions), the other was dedicated to books, magazines, records and tapes.

Then one day I walked in and all the walls were gone. POOF. I was vewy, vewy sad. I spent many hours in the middle of that tiny room, perched on an old stool, drinking in that old book smell, building a stack or two to bring home with me.

I still enjoy going there, the owners are genuinely good people, and the prices are certainly always right. But I still wish I could get lost in the quiet of that little room down the hall where nothing else mattered for just a little while.