Extra-Ordinary

 You know ... ?

OK, maybe you don't. 

I'll be you've already brought your over-wintering favorites into your cozy home and have saved them from a freezing death. Well, this week's below freezing temps caught me by surprise (it's a yearly surprise) and I found myself running out for a Rescue Attempt before eight a.m. In my treadmill garb, which includes pajama pants - don't ask - I rushed out there and got such a wonderful surprise!FROST

I ran back in to grab my camera and spent some time trying to capture a tiny bit of beauty for myself. 

The light on the frosted leaves - people! 

Truly Amazing.

Are you spending time marveling at the wonder of His ever-changing creation? 

His handiwork on display in the most ordinary and transient occurrences? 

Join me and drag your eyes away from the stuff  for just a few minutes and LOOK! 

Even His smallest and most incidental works are sufficient 

to put us in our place in the best and most relieving way.

So take a deep breath and go look!

Spam and Me

It's funny how I've enjoyed the blog's spam folder lately. Or maybe it's just ODD. Yes, that's probably it.

But you know what? There's always something waiting for me in the spam folder, and I really like that.  

This is what happens when you turn off the word verification. 

At first I was annoyed by all that spam. 

But like most annoying things, it can be funny --- if you choose to see it that way. 

And now Spam and me, we're just like that. 

At least MOST of the time. But we'll come back to that.

Here's a Spam sample for you:

- Hi there, just wanted to mention, I enjoyed this blog post. It was funny. Keep on posting! 

Check out my blog :: ottawa airport shuttle service 

This one was fun - it actually sounds like someone may have read the post. 

Until that subtle plug for shuttle service gives it away.

- jordan 8 retro sale I unquestionably like your website, I can a you man as a remainder a friend jordan retro 13 ? Looking saucy to your befall my website thumbjordan 6 retro sale 

I like the 'looking saucy' part of that one, but for the most part, and this is just the way of Spam  - it makes no sense at all. It's endearing don't you think? And somehow very...European.

- Keep this going please, great job! Also see my webpage: rainbow titanium ring 

Who knows when you might want a titanium ring, after all? 

The next four years might demand one, after all. Great idea, Spam!

But this one threw me for a loop:

- ceгtainly likе youг website hoωeѵег you have tο tеst the ѕpеlling on quite а few of уour poѕts. Α numbеr of them aгe rife with spеlling problems anԁ I in finding it very botheгsome tο inform thе realіtу on thе otheг hand Ι ωill surely come baсk agaіn. Feel free to surf my website

Criticizing my spelling???

Spam! That really hurt!

It's still hurting!

Even if it might be true...

Driver Training

You know, parenting the third child is another ballgame.

You realize that perfection is not critical. 

You come to understand that it's not even attainable.

Not that anyone in their early years of parenting actually forms the conscious thought, 

"This beautiful child of mine is going to turn out to be a perfect human being." 

I know we didn't actually voice that thought. 

OOOHHH, but it was in our heads, bumping around as an Icky Expectation creating lots and lots of tangles for future unraveling. 

But, ANYway, as I was saying ...

I decided that it was pretty silly to wait until the more socially acceptable and lawful age of 16 to begin to train a driver. I mean, that's just about exactly when they have become newly certain that you probably became brain damaged at some point shortly after their birth, and that they should be recognized as 

Resident Family Genius.

I'm generalizing, but if you've been there, then you know, I'm pretty much nailing it.

Why  not go ahead and put them behind the wheel BEFORE their brains swell so tightly that they have terrible trouble following direction? Less frustration for everyone involved, I think. It's probably safer!

And this kid is certainly big enough - he's adult sized, after all. 

Imagine yourself giving some important driving instruction like ....

 "Get ready to stop.   Brake!   STOP!"

Being only 13, he's wwaaayyyy more likely to bring the vehicle to a stop in time 

instead of casually reasoning aloud that he still has 

'plenty of time to begin to stop before he gets too close, blah, velocity, blah, blah, acceleration, blah' 

Did I mention swollen brains? It's just maddening. 

No Big Driving Words thrown around by a thirteen year old.

When you consider your own bumper, you will probably begin to agree with me.

And maybe you won't be too offended by him becoming a Driver In Training at the age of 13.

If only just in the park...?