Today

A couple of hours ago, I dropped my eldest off at church for his trip to the mountains. I kept calling it a ski trip but I have been repeatedly informed that he was, in fact, not going skiing. No, he was going snow-boarding. Duh... I am so 1980s!

I've had mixed feelings about this trip. There is, of course, the joy of having one less child (a teen none the less) to argue with encourage for a few days. But this is mixed with a just as expected sense of concern. I've never been big on buses to begin with (let alone long trips, driving in the rain, or - even more notably - driving in the snow), but worrying is just part of a mother's job when one of her children heads off on such an adventure. I'm sure he's going to be just fine. Even though he's only been snow boarding once before. Just fine.

I'm also confident that the pressure bearing down on my chest and the slight possibility of tears will pass soon too. And you know how there's usually that one friend you can call who always knows just what to say when you're feeling a bit off? Well that friend should really not leave her cell phone at home when you might need her. Just saying.

Anyway, the anxiety I felt as I drove away was not really about the trip or the bus or the skiing, oops, snow boarding. No, it's more about his person... his heart... his vulnerability in life... his, well, humanity. Do you know what I mean? Don't you just wish you could take their hearts and protect them.. to keep them innocent and safe, brave and secure? That's where I catch myself worrying... not so much about what could happen, but how it will affect their heart, their attitude, their character. And there's just nothing I can do to fix any of that. So I pray... because I know God can work where I can't.

Well, since I'm not an emotional person and, in fact, believe that emotions are best kept stuffed way down inside where they don't have to be dealt with (unless of course you are sharing them in the privacy of the www), I'll move on.


I came across this Pantone spring color forecast card this morning and am so excited that I will now be "in the know".


To tell the truth, with the exception of a few of the colors, this selection doesn't do much for me.


But it did remind me of something.



Check it out...


The somewhat hideous sweater I picked up at Target for $3.48 yesterday. (What? I'm just gonna wear it around the house anyway.)

What do you know... being in style doesn't have to be expensive! Look out spring, here I come!