Music, Musings, and Mice!

I don’t think anyone really knows what  day number we are on for this whole quarantine thing. I do know that I am thankful that the sun came out today. I am thankful for the opportunity to get in a quick run this morning. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to get together to sing with a few other ladies this afternoon in preparation for church tomorrow. I am thankful for a sweet email note of encouragement from my friend, Damaris. I am thankful for the birthday cards that I received in the mail today. I am thankful that our children remain healthy, strong and happy (for the most part!). I am blessed indeed.

While the day began with overcast skies, the sun did come out this afternoon. We are so thankful for Vitamin D! Somehow everything seems a bit brighter and cheerier when we can get out in the sunshine.

Roger was working today, so Garett and I did the dump run today. The dump is back to sorting everything out and everything has to be recycled again. It was very nice when it could all be dumped into one dumpster! Garett and I then went to get the van vacuumed out. Ironically enough, we can still use the vacuum cleaners. Honestly, I see a lot of inconsistencies in this whole Covid thing about what’s acceptable and what’s not...please tell me that I’m not the only one?! After we vacuumed out the van, I bought Garett an iced coffee. He was happy with his treat, and I wanted him to know that we do appreciate his efforts to help with the trash.

We don’t pay our kids an allowance (gasp), and they seem to be surviving just fine. We will pay our children for additional chores done around the house, or if they are working to earn money for something. Chandler has had a goal of earning $1.00 a day for the entire year. He was doing really well at finding ways to make $1.00 a day until corona came along. However, we’ve recently had a lot of mice and moles running around the house (outside the house!) and Roger told Chandler that he would give him $1.00 for every two mice or moles that were killed. Guess what Chandler spent $1.00 on at the dollar store? (This was a while back when I went to the dollar store, not Chandler). Chandler spent $1.00 to buy four mouse traps. He sets them every day around the outside of the house and around the yard or in the woods! (Nothing is safe around here!) Then every morning, he goes out and checks on his trap line! He’s made about five dollars so far! Who needs a cat when we have Chandler and his trap lines?!

This afternoon I had the rare opportunity to sing with a few other ladies at church. I have very much missed singing together for worship on Sunday mornings. I like to sing, and we often have music playing at our house. However, it was so good to sing together, and to lift our voices in praise to the King! The second song we practiced was “America, the Beautiful.” I did not make it through the practice run without tears. This was one of the songs that I had chose for the Patriotic Program, and secondly, just singing the words “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” He’s given us so much grace! He freely offers grace to all of us, and I am so thankful for His abundant grace  and mercy.

“The Lord is My Salvation”

“America the Beautiful” 

I’ve been blessed to grow up in America, and that is something that I do not take lightly. In a time in our lives where freedoms seems to be disappearing, and the values that our Founding Fathers fought to preserve seem to be slipping away, take heart! Rest in the promise that God goes before us. That is not to say that I think we should just casually give up all our freedoms in the name of “safety”. I do think we need to protect those that are vulnerable, but be watchful that in the name of “safety or protection” we are not giving up our liberties and freedoms! You are free to form your own thoughts and opinions, and please do so! We can even still be friends even if you disagree with me!