Happy Stuff

Today, as I do every so often, I left the house and tried to check off everything on my list. Not a terribly wise goal, but I do so love to finish things. So I--
--dropped a rug and 10 books off at Loretta's Country Bakery where she will sell them on consignment
--dropped baby clothes off at Zelma's (to take to the pregnancy center)
--dropped some bigger outgrown clothes off at Rita's
--picked some plums at JoAnn's
--donated a book to the library
--mailed 2 packages
--stopped at two garage sales
--bought underwear and socks for the children at ShopKo
--got gas
--took Ben's sandal to the shoe-repair place
--checked at JCP and Ross for polo shirts for Paul (with pockets!) (no success)
--got camera batteries at Batteries Plus
--donated two boxes of goodies to Goodwill
--bought 1 cartload of groceries at WinCo
--redeemed my pop-can receipts at Safeway
--bought a vanilla latte at Starbucks
--dropped off ten books at the Tri-County News where they sell them for me for free
--stopped at Barnes and Noble to see the front-window display and did not dance a little jig on the sidewalk because I don't know how to "jig" plus I am a proper Mennonite woman, but inside I was bouncing up and down because they have a big poster there with my PICTURE and NAME and all the details about my book signing on Sept. 23.

I think the only thing I didn't get done was to look at BiMart for a propane outdoor stove to cook apples on for applesauce. (Since I borrowed Regina's to do corn and was hooked.) But I checked enough things off my list to feel finished and happy.

I came home just in time to get the three Bigs off to youth camp. Then Paul and I and the Littles ate supper. I was almost falling asleep so I told the children I want to lie down for 15 minutes and then we'll clean the kitchen.

Well, I slept for an hour, and woke up to the sounds of banging in the kitchen, where I found that Ben, Steven, and Jenny had done all the dishes and cleaned up the whole kitchen beautifully.

Wow!

And one more happy thing--Mrs. Good at Good Books contacted me about coming up with a chapter outline for the next book!

Quote of the Day:
"OOoooooh, wah de Vina doh?!"
(Oh, was Vina here?)
--my mom, back in the day when Becky and I would clean up the kitchen to surprise her, and she would insist that surely Aunt Vina had helped us because we had done such a good job