The “Monster Flowers” as they are affectionately called by my son, Jacob are still growing! I’ve been trying to figure out why they are so big. I’ve never seen sunflowers this big. Then it occurred to me….I fed them MIRACLE GRO! I followed the instructions on the box, mixing a little into the dirt where each plant was placed (this was so long ago, I can’t believe I didn’t remember!). I think I have a living commercial for Miracle Gro in my yard! I can’t wait until they begin to bloom. Right now, we can see the blooms but they are closed up tight. This is really our first experience growing sunflowers so I’m unsure how long this takes! Needless to say, Jacob is really excited. If there was ever to be a plant for him, this is it!
Yesterday, I accomplished quite a bit in my home. I have to admit that I was pretty discouraged because we ate dinner later than I would have liked. I have started a schedule, but cooking dinner for so many people takes longer than I have planned. I’ve got to learn to schedule better for this important task so that we’re not up half the night eating and then cleaning the kitchen. Even still, we’re taking baby steps around here. It’s a continual process.
This is the time of the year when we start working on our daily schedule, right now, I’m working on my homemaking journal so I’m going to try and include notes of this process on the site as I go along. Today, we’re going to start with a detailed cleaning list for the living room being uploaded to our Lines From The Vine Yahoo site. This should give you a checklist of everything that would need to be done to deep clean your living room and keep it nicely organized. If you are a member and have some additional tasks that need to be added, please feel free to do so!
Prayer Requests
Zach Fuchs is having his foot treatment this week. Please pray for his family’s safe return and a quick recovery for this young man.
The Bogdan Family expecting their first child.
Kimberly Greenlaw is starting her own photography business. (If you would like to have your family photographed, please let me know and I can send you her contact information!)
Today, I’m Thankful For
Paul has an appointment on Wednesday with his business mentor. We’re slowly making progress!
The amount of homework that I was able to accomplish yesterday.
Courtney’s bright shining smile this morning to start my day!!
My new copy of Marmee’s Kitchen Primer! (If you don’t know what this is and would like to know, I’ll be glad to elaborate in a later post!)
My little care package from my friend Maribel with current pictures of her family and scrapbook stickers for my baby albums. Thanks Maribel!! : )
Tracy’s Task
We’re continuing to work on de-cluttering our yard. This takes some time for us…it seems that everytime I step outside I see something else that needs to be done.
What I’m Learning
Wal-Mart is not the friendly place that we have always thought it to be (granted, by their company’s suggestion). Friday night, we landed at Wal-Mart at 7:15. I knew that the car had felt a little funny over the last several minutes of our drive and realizing that our back tire was flat, I told Paul how thankful I was…”If it had to happen anywhere, at least we’re here at the Walmart tire center!”. (Many of you know that our van was totaled by a 17 year old awhile back. The new van we have, though still a 15 passenger, is not rated for the special jack that we had for the other and I’ll admit, we had not yet purchased one for it.)
Paul pulled the van into the parking lot of the tire center 45 minutes before their closing time and went to get it checked in and explain that we needed a new tire. They told him that they wouldn’t have time to see him! They said there were already five cars ahead of us and that they just couldn’t help because they were leaving for the day in 45 minutes. I was so glad to have a spare. They didn’t care if we would have been sitting there all night. There was no offer for us to use their jack, or even to pull the van up to a light so that he could change the tire (did I mention it was getting dark?). I guess they wouldn’t have cared if we had sat there all night.
I say that to say, Paul ended up buying a jack in Walmart (at this point I would have purchased anywhere but there!) to change our flat and get us home. Because we were out later than expected, we decided to go back the next day for groceries.
Forward to next day…
We were standing in the customer service line and could hear the man in front of us talking to the Customer Service Rep. He was telling her that he had a gas grill to return but had been told by someone in the garden department to leave it there. The Customer Service Rep. said “well, it’s not going to do me any good there…you should have brought it to the front!”. She stood there for several seconds before he asked if there was someone in the garden dept. who could bring it up for him. She said she would call and see…a young lady ended up bringing it to the front. He chuckled for a minute and then apologized to the young lady. He said “I’m sorry, if I had realized they were going to make you bring it, I would have never asked!”. Apparently, when he had pulled up and originally was told to leave the grill there, it was this young lady that had to help him get it from his car. He had asked a rather large young man who had on a Walmart vest, and was sitting outside the garden department for help, but his only response was that he was “off the clock”.
What is going on? I’ve worked grocery lines, and I’ve worked daycare. I don’t remember ever once telling a customer that I couldn’t help them because I was no longer on the clock. If a child had been hurt on my lunch hour at the day care I would have never just have let them sit and cry until I was getting paid again. How absurd! Whatever happened to common courtesy? I’m afraid there is an entire generation of people out there who just have no concept of what it means to think of anyone but themselves.
Walmart is not real high on my list right now. Their smiley faced, vest wearing corporate image may need to be tweaked a bit to reveal the big business, “we’re too big to care about one little customer” new attitude that many of their employees seem to have.
It’s a shame.
Today’s Scripture Meditation
An old story with a very modern message!
Luke 10:27-37
“He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.””
(NIV)
