Entering a boutique, candle shop or patisserie, I often find I'm swept away by the fragrances. There's nothing like the bold aroma of espresso or baking brownies. Those are some smells I hope we will be able to enjoy in Heaven. Of course, I'm expecting to find ovens baking bread as well....
The past few years, DJ and I have had an ongoing smittering. (That's somewhere between bickering, sniping and smurking.) It's had to do with these lovely little devices called wallflowers. I find them an enhancement to our home and he is just annoyed with them. "Most people try to hide their outlets. What do we do? We decorate them, put lights in them and point them out to our guests...." So when I find the wallflowers with the recently refilled scents of pomegranate-blueberry-fig, mango-mandarin delight or warm vanilla peach pie that he has placed back in the cupboard, I take them out and promptly find new places for them. Frequently.
Shortly after the holidays had ended, I visited a body/bath store and made use of their fragrance sale. We are set for a good year with brown sugar caramel apple and then cranberry spice for next Christmas. I must admit, the outlet must have been set on high and for a few days, I felt perhaps my husband had been correct all along and the scent was too much. But not willing to compromise yet, I assured myself it would quickly fade and our home would just be cozy, warm and welcoming for the winter months to come. (Yes, in California...)
I bundled up on a rainy Monday and stopped in at our local bank. The teller, who was as sweet as you could imagine, motioned me to her window...."Oh, you smell so nice --- just like warm maple sugar!"
Pondering what milder scent we should have in our family room, I began to wonder.....wouldn't it be nice if everyone we met could immediately sense, "Oh, you must be a Christian. You have that sweet aroma of Christ and you're so warm and welcoming!" I think that is the fragrance I'll pursue this year --- with great delight.
1/31/08
1/29/08
Panera
Recently my son and I stopped into our local Panera for lunch. Warm bread is one of my weaknesses and if I lived in France I'm sure I would have issues with all the fabulous bread and cheese there! Now back to the story....
If you've been in a Panera bakery, you may recall the little islands they all have that hold the sample bits of French bread, some oil to place in the miniscule plastic cups and various bits of information about their gift cards, menus and such. JJ and I had entered from the other side of the deli. We saw two gals at registers. One was helping someone and the other smiled at us. We quickly began walking toward her, scanning the menu to make our order.
As we stepped closer, a voice boomed from the island, "You know there is a line here." We turned, and saw one lone woman resting her elbows on the teeny-tiny counter. There was no one else around. "The line starts here. You must get in line." "Oh, sorry --- we saw the register open." Now the situation became stranger.
"I'm waiting in line. You must get behind me." We looked at the gal at the register who clearly was wondering what was going on. I said, "She looks ready to help you. Please go ahead." "No. She will call me up when she wants me to order. You should get in line behind me. There is a line here. The line always starts right here."
I guess my Oklahoma roots began to show....I said to all who might be near..."It seems you can go ahead to the counter." Standing between the woman and the register...."Are you ready for her?" I inquired. She nodded and smiled again, ready to take her order. One final time, just in case we hadn't heard her, she told us, "Just remember - there is a line here."
So after we had our turkey-artichoke sandwiches on warm focaccia with our Fuji apple chicken salad combos....of course we checked the line. There were a good fifteen people in between the island and the registers. I smiled to JJ, and we walked out, realizing we would always chuckle a bit when we returned.
I'm proud of my Oklahoma roots. Oklahomans have a strong drive to want to make things better and help as they can. And get there ..... Sooner.
If you've been in a Panera bakery, you may recall the little islands they all have that hold the sample bits of French bread, some oil to place in the miniscule plastic cups and various bits of information about their gift cards, menus and such. JJ and I had entered from the other side of the deli. We saw two gals at registers. One was helping someone and the other smiled at us. We quickly began walking toward her, scanning the menu to make our order.
As we stepped closer, a voice boomed from the island, "You know there is a line here." We turned, and saw one lone woman resting her elbows on the teeny-tiny counter. There was no one else around. "The line starts here. You must get in line." "Oh, sorry --- we saw the register open." Now the situation became stranger.
"I'm waiting in line. You must get behind me." We looked at the gal at the register who clearly was wondering what was going on. I said, "She looks ready to help you. Please go ahead." "No. She will call me up when she wants me to order. You should get in line behind me. There is a line here. The line always starts right here."
I guess my Oklahoma roots began to show....I said to all who might be near..."It seems you can go ahead to the counter." Standing between the woman and the register...."Are you ready for her?" I inquired. She nodded and smiled again, ready to take her order. One final time, just in case we hadn't heard her, she told us, "Just remember - there is a line here."
So after we had our turkey-artichoke sandwiches on warm focaccia with our Fuji apple chicken salad combos....of course we checked the line. There were a good fifteen people in between the island and the registers. I smiled to JJ, and we walked out, realizing we would always chuckle a bit when we returned.
I'm proud of my Oklahoma roots. Oklahomans have a strong drive to want to make things better and help as they can. And get there ..... Sooner.
1/27/08
Lost
Thanks for stopping by! I've had very kind comments from some good friends. You've encouraged me that I will be able to find direction through this new maze. I'll try to keep you smiling along the way.
DJ and I (and Max) are just about done watching the first season of Lost. Yes, we are behind the times. When the series started, I must confess I was just coming out of a personal time on an island and it didn't interest me a bit. But now --- a few years of healing have passed and we are enjoying this new mystery. So please don't spoil it and give things away if you know what happens to Claire, Jack, Sawyer and the gang.
It's also been raining here lately. There just isn't too much of a better way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon in January than watching or reading a good mystery with those you love with a nice fire crackling in the fireplace.
Tonight we're going to a farewell party for some good friends. Those are always hard times, regardless. As it says in the "About Me" section....I'm looking forward to Heaven. I've heard it may be a lot like a barbeque at the beach without a sunset. There will be time to get caught up with everyone you love. Sounds awfully nice on this rainy afternoon.
DJ and I (and Max) are just about done watching the first season of Lost. Yes, we are behind the times. When the series started, I must confess I was just coming out of a personal time on an island and it didn't interest me a bit. But now --- a few years of healing have passed and we are enjoying this new mystery. So please don't spoil it and give things away if you know what happens to Claire, Jack, Sawyer and the gang.
It's also been raining here lately. There just isn't too much of a better way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon in January than watching or reading a good mystery with those you love with a nice fire crackling in the fireplace.
Tonight we're going to a farewell party for some good friends. Those are always hard times, regardless. As it says in the "About Me" section....I'm looking forward to Heaven. I've heard it may be a lot like a barbeque at the beach without a sunset. There will be time to get caught up with everyone you love. Sounds awfully nice on this rainy afternoon.
1/25/08
Patience, Patience
It's a new adventure. My first post. Please have patience with me during this season of learning about posts, links, webdings, drafts and icons. It all seems quite logical, but often in the course of a day, something that should be so easy becomes a challenge.
For example, yesterday I sat down at the piano. Here's the story:
DJ plays piano beautifully and often. Max (our fine four-footed boy) and I enjoy it. I play – a little, once in a blue moon.
I was cleaning out some stuff (again) and found an easy Disney hits book so I sat down to go through “A Whole New World.” On page three, Max came prancing into the living room from the other part of the house where he had been sleeping in the sunshine. He climbed up on the sofa, sat there looking at me and began softly whimpering. I kept searching for those notes in the ledger lines way up high, and then he came over, quite soberly as if in pain, whining without ceasing, and put his paw on my leg. Urging me to follow him, I got up, asked what he wanted and he pulled me into the family room and climbed up in the cozy chair begging me to sit with him.
So much for Alan Menken and his greatest hits.
I'll do my best to get up to speed on this blogging adventure and try to ensure there will not be whimpering when you join me here.
Grace
For example, yesterday I sat down at the piano. Here's the story:
DJ plays piano beautifully and often. Max (our fine four-footed boy) and I enjoy it. I play – a little, once in a blue moon.
I was cleaning out some stuff (again) and found an easy Disney hits book so I sat down to go through “A Whole New World.” On page three, Max came prancing into the living room from the other part of the house where he had been sleeping in the sunshine. He climbed up on the sofa, sat there looking at me and began softly whimpering. I kept searching for those notes in the ledger lines way up high, and then he came over, quite soberly as if in pain, whining without ceasing, and put his paw on my leg. Urging me to follow him, I got up, asked what he wanted and he pulled me into the family room and climbed up in the cozy chair begging me to sit with him.
So much for Alan Menken and his greatest hits.
I'll do my best to get up to speed on this blogging adventure and try to ensure there will not be whimpering when you join me here.
Grace
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