Facing Fear Through a Friend

Whether we admit it or not, most of us have something we're afraid of.  Not dentist drill afraid, or public speaking afraid - but rather a fear of something so dreadful we bury it deep within ourselves lest it keep us awake at night.  Financial ruin afraid.  Cancer afraid.  Or things worse.

As children, our fears involved flying insects, thunderstorms, or a bicycle with no training wheels.  When we became teenagers it was a first kiss, embarrassing acne or parallel parking on a busy street. Adulthood revealed the scary uncertainty of keeping the mortgage current or the possibility of health problems for our unborn children.

Parts of yesterday and today were spent huddled in a small house at the end of a quiet street, watching a man writhe in agony as he struggles with the shock of a life changed forever. My greatest fear, the fear that secretly makes me keep the blinds partially drawn on this window of time in my life, is being lived out by a close friend - directly in front of me.

An array of cars squeeze in along the street and wherever they can find space in his driveway.  Under the shadow of the streetlight people shuffle silently toward his house.  The air inside is warm and pleasant as it greets his somber visitors with the smell of casserole and percolating coffee.  The floor mat inside the door is soaked with melted snow from the forty pairs of shoes that have used it today.  Parents and grandparents seated in folding chairs around the perimeter of the living room smile softly as they make eye contact with the stream of well-wishers who file through. 

It's been an anguishing two days. Surely there's countless more to come.  I've watched him lose control of all that he knows.  My heart aches for him.  I choose not to look at his face anymore - for fear I'll see my own.

Cold Weather Chemistry

Thirty-five degrees below zero (-35 F) this morning cancelled school and gave me a chance to show the kids a magic trick.

Tooth Fairy Saves Himself

Near disaster at our house this morning.  The tooth fairy fell asleep before he made his rounds.

The daring dentin-for-dollar exchange went down at 6:30 am - with both seven-year old boys awake in their beds.  Breaking from our usual routine, I asked for a "good morning" kiss.  When I leaned over to get my kiss the tooth fairy eased his hand under the pillow and made the deposit undetected.

Five minutes later both boys were squinting under the bright kitchen lights looking at the money.  ~L

Skillet Skills

Betty Crocker - don't steal my idea.

Tonight your Cheeseburger Helper became Venison Helper - with garden onions and bacon bits.  Add a squirt of ketchup and this meal is ready for a bun.  ~L

Oven Mitts

High school and Little League pre-season workouts started last night. 

Henry and I warmed our gloves in the oven so the leather would soak up the mink oil.  My three needed extra heat to thaw after storage in the garage all winter.

Our fancy new stove has no baking setting for "horsehide". ~L

Show Me the Mooney!

Another fine, upstanding Wisconsin citizen.  ~L

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/man-busted-after-brief-encounter

Happy "Poo" Year!

An unexpected absence in the elementary school this morning lead me to a gig with the first and second graders. With no faculty restroom on the lower level I ducked into the the "little boys" room before first bell. 

Immediately upon entering the double doors I was greeted by a small student looking up at me with pleading eyes.  The young man, naked from the waist down and in obvious intestinal distress, had just pooped his pants.  In an attempt to clean himself, he proceeded to empty the contents of his underpants onto the toilet seat - and all over the floor.

In his haste to remove the offending material from the toilet seat, he inadvertently dropped some under his feet.  When I arrived it looked like the lad had performed an Irish jig from the musical River Dance.  Footprints and speckles everywhere - including on his jacket and backpack.

With a wad of paper towels and a copious amount of hand sanitizer, I gingerly disposed of the socks and the remnants of his Spiderman undies and gently eased him back into his soiled sweatpants and boots.

The last I saw, he and the principal were waiting for his mother to arrive.  ~L

Mouse Count: Finally...50!

October 19 was the estimated date to achieve the goal of trapping 50 mice in my pole barn this fall.  It started August 29 and took until 7:30 pm on December 31 to finish.

Three-for-four the first day.