Don't Wash A Good Man Out of Your Hair

                
  I am going gray. I'd like to say I just noticed it; but in fact, it was more than ten years ago that the silver glinted in the sunlight reflected in my rear view mirror. At first I was a little confused and thought how neat it was that the blond of my childhood was suddenly making a reappearance. Alas, the mistake realized, Miss Clairol and I became good friends. No longer was it just for fun, now instead of blonding myself, I only wanted to be my natural color before my natural color became gray.


Because my mom is a hair stylist, paying for hair stuff had never been an issue and before the gray set in never a necessity. Time and distance does tend to change things a bit. It became a priority to deal with the graying on my own. Initially pulling them out myself worked. Later when the kids would ask how they could earn a little money I had one of them do it for me. They called it the silver mine. Now if I pulled them all, the problem would cease to be the gray and start to be the bald spot(s).

Sparta tells me he thinks gray hair is sexy. Whether he says this to save money or just placate me, I'm not sure. In any case after Alyssa, the girl who cut my hair, noticed a place on the back of my head with a good bit of gray that I'd missed, I had to seek help. Hair coloring help not mental help. I feel the need to clarify that a little.

Tonight, I realized how very much my precious husband must love me. He willingly put on the vinyl gloves and did the deed. Once he understood that the color should be applied to the hair and NOT the scalp he did a wonderful job. No doubt in my mind, that act was him putting his love in action and I appreciate it. I think he appreciates that it saved him close to a $100.

Lessons from a Tomato Plant

I love gardening (I use the term loosely). I enjoy being outdoors pulling weeds, mulching, the whole nine yards. Sparta told me he would till up a little spot so I could have a few vegetables this year. I bought the plants and waited. Now over two months later, I am still waiting. Since the plants were beginning to look a little sad in their tiny containers, I filled some Rubbermaid storage totes with potting soil and transferred them over.

My eight little tomato plants perked right up and are really pretty, but that won't last long there's not enough room for their sustained growth. Several years ago I put out a tomato plant that quite accidently thrived. It survived a late freeze. I learned a few things from that little plant. The first thing I took away from it was that even when it looks like we might be out for the count, there is still hope. After the freeze, the plant appeared completely dead but within a couple of weeks it had greened up near it's base.

The next thing I learned was that you can't just let a tomato plant grow anyway it wants. While I believed that any growth must be a good thing, I was wrong. It must be pruned in order to produce the healthiest and largest fruit. There are side stems, also called suckers, that will deplete the primary stem of nutrients so that it will not have many tomatoes or the ones it does grow will be smaller and less tasty. It really bothered me to cut the suckers off; it felt weird to harm something that seemed healthy. However, by keeping the plant free from this growth in unwanted areas, it was able to absorb more of the sun and make more sugar for the fruit. How amazing is that? All that puts me in mind of how God works in my life. Even though it might appear that I am thriving and growing sometimes that new growth is just a sucker that needs to be pruned. The choices, some of which seem good, may be taking me in a direction that God never intended for me to go.

One last thing with the plant, I found myself able to pick tomatoes from my deck. The deck was about ten feet above the ground and the plant grew to be over twelve feet tall. Never had I seen such a tall plant before then and never since then have I seen another. It produced close to 100 tomatoes and didn't break from the weight. I had trouble finding enough people to take those plump red things off my hands so that they would not be wasted. God used that plant in my life to teach me lessons in unexpected ways. I understand more about producing good fruit and the necessity of pruning. I understand that even though there are some tough and often surprising circumstances in life, times when it appears hopeless, there is hope. I learned that God can take something weak  and give strength that is beyond understanding.

Here's the real kicker in the whole tomato plant experience, I don't even eat tomatoes.

Unexpected Adventure- The Bass Pro Shop

 Sparta's new boss told him that part of his management improvement plan is for Sparta to hit golf balls during lunch once a week (yes, he was serious). Of course, Sparta needed new drivers and the fine folks at the Macon Bass Pro Shop pointed us to the Lawrenceville store for golfing equipment. So last night off we went- without directions, without the Tom-Tom. Sparta "remembered" how to get there from the one time he passed it about 5 years ago.  After 90 minutes in Atlanta traffic, and 20 minutes of not knowing how to get to the store once we exited the interstate we saw it- the illustrious big green fish atop the building. 

I am not an outdoorsy kind of woman and Bass Pro Shop is not on my list of top ten stores to browse but last night I loved it.  Wesley went with us and it was his first time there. As we entered he was rendered momentarily speechless.  His eyes got big and his mouth dropped open, then with awe in his voice he said, "this is EVERY boy's dream".  The rock wall, the arcade, the educational aquarium, the fishing equipment, the boats--everything but golf gear. We spent some time looking at the boats and imagining how much  quality family time could be spent aboard one. Never mind that we haven't been to a lake in 10 years or that the payments quoted spread out over twelve years almost doubling the final costs of the $23,000.00 model. As we left the store, Wesley said, "this is the best day can you bring me here everyday".  He certainly was not upset to leave the store without finding the thing we had gone to find or with frustration over drive time and being lost for a bit.

We didn't come home with golf clubs, we didn't come home with the 24 person pontoon boat.  We did come home with each other and some very good memories.    

                       Like the old Rolling Stones song says-

                         oh, you can't always get what you want 

                         oh, you can't always get what you want,

                         but if you try sometimes  you just might  find

                         you get what you need

What we needed was time together and a few laughs.  Thank you God for my family and unexpected joy.

On Motherhood

Mom I need.....a new swimsuit, field trip money, gas money, stuff for my project that is due tomorrow.  Mom what's for dinner, do we have band-aids, can I go, will you take me, where are my shoes?  Endless needs, endless questions. As mother's day weekend approaches I am not sentimentally reflecting on the glories of motherhood.  Nope, not me. I am looking forward to the day when dishes are not growing mold in the dark corners of bedrooms that look like they should be declared hazardous waste areas. I am looking forward to finding my jewelry, toiletries and shoes in the places I left them. I am looking forward to fewer eye rolls and more civilized conversations.  If I never pull another pair of dirty socks out from the couch or clean any of a variety of bodily fluids out of carpet again I will not be saddened.

A friend recently celebrated the end of an era. After eleven and a half years her home is now teen free. When Wesley turns twenty our time in teendom will total 15 years consecutively and I don't even want to know the concurrent number. I love my children and cherish all the precious memories that have come because of them. I know that being a mother has made me a better person it was either become more patient and understanding or become a convicted felon.  I think I made the right choice.