I don’t think you really need to be a golfer in order to own a golf cart. In fact, I have long suspected that some golfers take up the sport just so they can drive a sporty little golf cart. Maybe you just need to live near a golf course.

Rachel takes everyone for a spin.

When an opportunity to purchase a friend’s golf cart became available, Tim and I quickly jumped at it. Although they don’t golf OR live near a golf course, we thought Tim’s parents would love to have a golf cart for The Refuge. They have visitors of all ages come out to the retreat center and having a small vehicle available for transportation around the property is just perfect.

David and Daniel catch up on their bikes.

Not to mention the entertainment value for grandchildren.

It doesn’t go very fast, but then how speedy do you want to travel when you’re giving tours, observing wildlife and exploring trails.

Now if we can just get the kids to say goodbye to their favorite new toy.

Kathy
Project 366 - Day 168

How do you handle Father’s Day? Each year I find myself a bit confused. Do I buy a present for Tim, the father of my children, or do I buy one for my father? Or perhaps I do both. Does Tim buy a gift for his father and I buy one for my father and the children take care of Tim?

This should NOT be complicated.

Except my father doesn’t want anything (except maybe a visit from his grandchildren) and my father-in-law doesn’t need anything (except maybe donations for The Refuge). Tim’s favorite gifts are computer games and books and he keeps a thoroughly stocked Amazon Wish List, so he’s EASY.

Obviously the lesson here is I need to encourage my father and father-in-law to maintain Amazon Wish Lists. Then, anytime one of the kids or grandchildren want to buy a present, they would have a nice selection to choose from. It’s brilliant!

Is it too late to start now? Dads - please go straight to Amazon.com and do some fun window shopping. It’s simple to click and put things into your wish list (NOT your shopping cart). Who knows, maybe you’ll find a little treat headed your way.

Anyone have other great ideas for Father’s Day? I somehow missed Mother’s Day (sigh) and Father’s Day is rapidly approaching.

Kathy

Tim ordered some dirt for his garden last weekend. Right now most of it is still sitting in our driveway, which you could probably see on Google Earth if you were bored.

The kids, of course, found a better use for the dirt than silly ol’ gardens. It does make you wonder why we spend money on fancy toys, gadgets and other gizmos.

Just get them some dirt and they’re happy.

Kathy
Project 366 - Day 150

I have splotches of coffee splattered on my living room walls. It’s not really coffee, it’s paint. Three big, ugly messes on my wall. I can’t blame it on my toddler or sloppy husband (not implying that you are sloppy, Dear). Nope, I did it myself. I purposely painted in three different, random spots on the wall.

That color is going to be too dark for your tastes, Tim told me after I painted the hallway a fantastic Starbucks shade.

Hmmm, you may be right, I concurred. I know, I’ll just paint a few swatches on the wall so we can try it out. Then, when I paint this weekend I will know which shade I want.

Sure enough, I agreed with Tim and selected a lighter shade of the coffee/mocha tint that lines the hallway. I even found it in the Ooops Paint section and got a great deal.

That was in December.
Well, define “this weekend.”

See the Christmas lights along the banister? Sigh.

Now, every time I take a picture in living room, I have to be creative in my framing or I end up spending way too much time Photoshopping the blotches out.

I need to paint. The gallon jugs are sitting in my laundry room, silently accusing me of neglect each time I step over it to wash some clothes.

It’s time I don’t seem to have. Or at least not quite enough of it strung together to give me the confidence to begin painting. I’m the queen of unfinished projects. Did I mention the five windows in my living room are arrayed with exactly one curtain? And it’s one half of a curtain at that. The other side of the window is bare and drapeless. It’s tragic, really.

Maybe Sarah will help me decorate the living room - she obviously has flare!

But I have hope. Hope that summer is approaching. Hope that we will finish school (I hear my children cheering in the distance). Hope that the older kids will grab paint brushes and rush to join me. Hope that one day the windows will be dressed.

Until then I will be content to take pictures of Sarah painting and waste time reading about other people’s great decorating exploits. It seems sad to be lacking both artistic ability AND money. Either one and you can fake the other. To be devoid of both is a cruel twist of fate.

Thankfully I have a great deal of charm (and, obviously, humility) so hopefully people overlook the splotchy, “who made that horrible mess on your wall?” paint swatches and instead sit down to enjoy a cup of coffee and a friendly chat.

Either that or they had better be prepared to pick up a brush and help paint.

Kathy
Project 366 - Day 140

I don’t know. Aren’t kids supposed to stick to lemonade stands?

Just two honest salesmen, trying to make a living.

Although, come to think of it, I haven’t seen very many lemonade stands around these days. Have we filled up our children’s time so fully that they don’t have idle afternoons available for sitting by the curb and hoping for customers?

Is it more “productive” for children to be involved in sports, classes or structured social outings? I hear my own children beg for play dates and outings at the park on Saturday afternoons and wonder when they will learn about work if they are always so busy playing? Am I actually doing them a disservice by allowing entertainment to be the main focus of their free time?

Friday was a gorgeous day here in Washington. Tim took the day off to be with the children while I sold books at a used curriculum fair. Amidst their various activities, Daniel and David spent time (a LONG time) selling their tomato plants. They were hot and bored at times. They did NOT want to continue, but they persevered and succeeded in not only selling several plants but learning some important life-lessons.

David was Daniel’s faithful associate during the hot afternoon of tomato selling.

Potential Lessons of the Day

1. An engaging, friendly attitude provides a good connection with customers and generally improves business.
2. Being fired is a real and serious threat. It’s also a motivation to stick to the job and keep working.
3. The extent to which you invest in a project has a direct correlation to the effort others are willing to assist you.
4. Location matters - a quiet section of a street does not yield a high amount of traffic which means the customers are few.

Our sermon today was on the topic of work. The pastor is taking the congregation through a study of Proverbs. Daniel sat in church with us, as he does each week, and took notes. As I listened to the pastor speak and watched Daniel fill in the outline, I wondered if he processed the sermon in conjunction with his experience selling tomatoes. Did he remember any of those life-lessons? Did he understand that the Lord wants him to be a diligent, hard worker, not because He is a cruel master but because He loves Daniel?

Tim and Daniel created a Tomato Hand-Out full of instructions.

I want my children to view work from a godly perspective - to work with honesty and integrity, to value hard work and diligence, to avoid get rich schemes and workaholism, and above all to honor God with their work. I appreciate the opportunity to study the scriptures and then discuss the ideas with the kids.

In our Small Group this evening we talked about teaching our children Biblical principles so they have the moral reasons and understanding to govern their lives in a godly manner. A proper attitude toward work is a significant aspect of our parental training.

Now to model that same honesty, integrity and discipline in my own work.

How come no one ever told me parenting was such hard work? I was a really fun babysitter. I didn’t realize parenting was going to be layered with some much complexity and significance. The responsibility is tremendous.

Anybody want a tomato plant?

Kathy