Life

Most of life is full of the mundane daily tasks: jobs, school, laundry, shopping, cooking, dishes, cleaning, bills, correspondence, yard work, etc. Of course, we all get excited about the occasional holiday or outing that spices things up a bit but really most of the day, most days of the year, require a certain faithful plodding. Prayerfully, the Lord gives us a perspective and joy that allows us to tackle the mundane without dread or complaint.

The last few weeks the owners of our rental house have been here visiting their family. While in Whitehaven, they have been over many times trying to get to the bottom of our 4 month long electric problems. For no apparent reason and following no set pattern, the electricity goes out at any and all times. It goes out when we are gone and nothing is running, it goes out when we're here and using many things, it goes out in the middle of the night, when it rains, when it is dry. It has us stumped.

They have also come to look at the garden. (They worked in the garden daily and it shows. I don't work in the garden and it shows.) Anyway, being the people pleaser that I am and desirous of showing them we've taken good care of their house, I have been on high cleanliness alert. I've vacuumed more the last three weeks than in two months put together. On our usual family chore day I announced that the house should look like something out of Southern Living when we were done with it to which Julieanne replied, 'Mom, it's good enough.' Whoah Nelly! My come back was, "That's just it, that's your problem, you settle for good enough when you can have the best job done." Well, the house was certainly cleaner but it wasn't picture perfect - you've been around our family - we live - we make messes and don't do the best job cleaning up after ourselves.

Regardless, they seemed pleased and reassured that we were good renters. Though the garden isn't the tip-top shape they are used to, they see that I'm trying and interested which satisfies them I believe. We certainly are enjoying it. I'm sure John and Amber feel a bit like this when we come too...here come Dennis and Julie...it's got to look great.

Back to the mundane. Over here they try not to use their driers (remember from the lice episode they don't have laundromats) so we've tried our hand at the clothes line. One day Anna Catherine came out to help me hang some clothes up and expressed the 'new idea' of the clothesline. It is a skill we have lost in our neck of the woods. AC didn't like the idea of having your undies flying like a flag for the world to see. Tis true but it does save on the electric bills if you don't mind stiff clothes and having to race outside the minute it starts to rain.

Anyway, back to the mundane. Lots of chores always staring us in the face. Our sweet friend Julie Blakey is here visiting from home. Since she arrived on Sunday afternoon - I've been to London to meet her, given her one of many scenic driving tours, had 'high tea' at the coolest old manor/castle place, had Dennis' work people over for dinner, taken her to Bible Study and now she and Anna Catherine have take the train to Edinburgh for the day. Doesn't sound mundane- but their train trip has given me a day to tie up lots of loose ends I've left untied, run errands, do laundry, computer work, etc. When she comes back tonight I'll be ready for more Lake District exploring. There is something good and right about tending to the mundane - it's the warp and woof of each day really. It is good.