A cool evening in the park...

Last night we shared some pizza at Blacklick Metro Park and then wandered over to one of their wonderful playgrounds to let our two youngest play. A slight breeze was blowing as twilight started to settle around us.

As I stood, leaning on the swing post, I smiled. A happy memory was made. Nothing fancy, just time together... no rushing about... all the children feeling peaceful... Everyone enjoying a meal... I felt like I was seeing a Visa commercial... for what we were sharing was truly, "priceless".

I hope that you are able to find some quiet time for you and yours sometime soon. This day and always... I pray that you are blessed.

pausing to enjoy...

In an age of rules,
made by those afraid of lawsuits,
some of the simple pleasures of life are in danger of being forgotten.

One evening,
not too long ago,
my husband and I took our son for a walk.

On a particularly lovely street in downtown Columbus, Ohio
are massive fountains that just beg for toes to be dipped in.

I helped our son take his shoes off
and just for a moment or two,
take a trip into the past,
to a simpler time.

As he played in the water,
I smiled...
and remembered the many times my own mother let me play.

My mom kept a towel in the trunk of our car to dry of my brother and I if we got a bit too damp from an adventure.

Creek wading...
fountain splashing...
even the hand pump at the rest stop...

The possibilities were endless...

Sigh...
I love summer!

Sledding

Yup!

I'm not kidding.

My oldest and I took our plastic toboggans to the sledding hill today and gave the manufacturers suggested alternative use a try.

My youngest daughter stood at the foot of the hill and wisely refused to give the well worn, slightly rocky hill a try.

She thought we were crazy.

However,

despite my dear one's skepticism as to our adventure,

we discovered that it is indeed possible to sled without snow!

It works!

Sleds do go down grass!

However,

there is a down side,

When it is eighty three degrees,

and you are in shorts and a sleeveless top,

there is a great deal of skin exposed.

This is not good if you slip off your slide.

We escaped without any serious abrasions

and vowed to try again in the fall when we were dressed in jeans and long sleeves.

It was really fun, despite the slight danger.

I laughed all evening every time I thought of it.

What a rush.

It's been a long time since I've flown down a hill so fast.

I hope your day was filled with lovely adventures and your evening has been pleasant.

May you be blessed.

This day and forever.

We found it!

Under a bush,

sitting on top of the pine needles and other leaf litter....

not under a piece of slate as it was suggested,

My dear friend and I found our first letter box!

Only one car slowed in the parking lot when I initially sat down to stick my hand under a bush.

Thankfully my buddy and I look harmless and though the woman in the car looked a little puzzled, she kept going and our quest was safe!

I ended up half way under the bushes before I found the box.

With a hushed cry of triumph and a giggle at how silly I must have looked, my friend and I quickly headed a distance away to open our treasure and discover its secrets.

Inside the box was an amazing hand created stamp featuring an amazing likeness of the famous Seurat painting the park's bushes bear resemblance to.

The logbook was a lovely discovery as well. The happy stamps from other adventurers made me smile and at the same time wish I could meet the interesting people who were there before me!

Most of the stamps were from people around Ohio and some dated back several years!

How fun to become part of such an interesting pastime.

My dear friend and I are already planning our next adventurous hunt.

She's heard of a set of seven boxes that we just must find!

Can you hear my happy sigh and feel my smile?

The wonderful break from the real world was so welcome that I seem to be unable to find words to convey the sheer joy of it all adequately.

I hope for you today,

that you are able to find a break when you need one.

I pray your days are filled with the adventures you need

and the peace we all crave.

May you be blessed!

Clean your car!

That's right, I'm proposing that cleaning your car could be a satisfying solo or group project!

I'm really not kidding!

Be truthful, how many of you would be a little worried to reach blindly under your car seats?

If you've had to raise your hand, don't despair, I've got the perfect solution for you!

Go to a self serve car wash or gas station and situate your vehicle beside a big trash can. Start digging out the scary things that have disappeared under the seats, (the things your friends and family promised they put in the trash)!

If you have kids, have them help. The stray coins you've dropped while going through drive thru windows will probably be all the incentive they need.

If that's not enough, wait until they see the giant vacuum machine!

For about 75 cents you can get about three minutes of incredible power!

All the dried leaves, tiny pebbles and french fry nubs will disappear magically before your eyes!


My kids love to try and suction their siblings as well!

Did your dear Fido or FeeFee leave his or her fur everywhere? Not a problem! Your car can once again be safe for allergy sensitive friends (at least until the next trip to the bark park or the vet's).

When you're done, feed a few more quarters into the vending machines and find yourself a nifty air freshener. Once again, kids love getting to pick the scent and shape. Go figure.

What a blessing to be so easily entertained!

In the end, your car is clean and everyone is happy.

=-)