In about an hour, the silence of the last thirty-six hours will be broken by the arrival of a certain Princess Groovy Chick and a certain King Groovy Dad.

Steve left yesterday at 5 am to pick Sarah up from Victory Junction Gang Camp and then, since it was fairly close to the camp, visited a young man from our church who is in an alcohol treatment program. Afterwards, he and Sarah drove another ninety minutes into Charlotte and spent the night with his mom and dad. This morning, Steve had breakfast with a young friend of ours who's going through some tough times and then he and Sarah hit the road for the 6-hour trip home.

Snowy and I have done a pretty good job of holding the fort in their absence. I declared both days to be Lazy Days and rented a couple DVD's and had pizza for dinner last night. (One of the DVD’s, Extraordinary Measures with Harrison Ford, was wonderful and especially poignant given Sarah's medical history. I cried several times during it and absolutely LOVED the ending--it made me laugh and cry.)

Today I didn't feel real great and have actually spent most of the day in bed asleep, which was kind of odd. In fact, it's almost 5 pm and I'm still in my pajamas. I've been a little chilly and then a little warm and a little bit "wobbly" feeling, so I might have caught a little bug somewhere along the way.

At any rate, Snowy and I have enjoyed our little respite from the busyness of life but are looking forward to welcoming our two wanderers back home. I'm actually pondering whether or not I should attempt to get up and make something stunning for dinner or just put on my most pitiful of pitiful faces and make Steve and Sarah fend for themselves. Or maybe I'll compromise and just heat up some leftovers.

No matter what ends up on the table, the fact that we'll be eating it together is what counts.

I'll leave you with a few pictures of Sarah from when I dropped her off at camp.

A cool wall mural.

The very colorful rooms in the Body Shop. (Medical clinic.) Each camper had to spend time with a nurse when they checked in.

The counselor who led Sarah to her cabin said that the rules stated that they had to bunny hop when they crossed a certain road.

I’m glad I was way too busy taking pictures to engage in Bunny Hoppy-ness.

Pillow Wars Part 3

The poll is closed with a total of 279 votes cast.

Arrangement #1 got 176 votes. (64%)

Arrangement #2 got 103. (36%)

Now before I go further, I need to mention one thing. In the seven years that we’ve owned that particular comforter and pillows, I have mentioned to Steve maybe one or two times the difference in our pillow arranging techniques. His arrangement doesn’t bother me whatsoever; it just amuses me that we have both steadfastly stuck to “our” arrangements for all these years. And that’s why I thought I would bring in some second (and third) opinions.

As several of you said, I am just thankful to have a bed-making husband at all! I don’t care where he puts the pillows!

And speaking of the difference between his technique and mine, I was quite entertained by the following comment:

“Kristin, Meagan and Joy say #1 is the best way...although #2 has a lot of character:) Nathan says #2 is better.”

In case you didn’t catch the significance of that comment, Kristin and Joy are Meagan’s (Nathan’s girlfriend’s) sisters. All three of the Hawley sisters liked my arrangement the best and the one man in their midst (Nathan) liked Steve’s arrangement best. Nathan had absolutely no clue as to which arrangement belonged to which parent; it’s funny how he naturally gravitated toward Steve’s.

Another comment . . . .

Jenny said, “When my hubby makes the bed, it looks like he left a sheep in it!”

Pam found that comment as funny as I did. Here’s what she said,

“#2 has to be Steve's. It just does. I like Cleo's idea too... more depth. Do show us a pic so we can give our opinions on how to decorate YOUR home... :-> And Jenny's comment cracked me up, because oh lawdy yes.... it certainly DOES look like a sheep spent the night if my hubs makes the bed! “

And I got a good chuckle out of the reasoning that Lori used to prove that Arrangement #2 was mine and not Steve’s.

Lori said, “Ah, two "Cleanies" makes for a wonderful union, indeed! This particular blog post is particularly fun (smile). I'm quite sure that the asymmetrical decorative pillow arrangement (pillow arrangement #2) is Becky's. It won my vote.

Although pillow arrangement #1 is meticulous and characteristic of Steve's trademark precision (ideal for auto repair and home improvements), Becky's inverting of the center decorative pillow balances out the arrangement for even greater eye appeal. It all comes down to this: A woman's touch (ideal for cooking and home decorating)”

Lori, I’m very impressed by the compliments you paid Steve and me in regards to how we placed the pillows. Even though your final conclusion wasn’t correct, I really loved how you reached those conclusions!

The next comment gave Steve a huge laugh because he and I have had a conversation about this very thing several times. He is the kind of guy who is very detail-oriented and has always been very precise with placing the pillows so that the colors at each end matched.

I, on the other hand, have always maintained the conviction that matching colors at each end was unimportant and no one would ever notice! And then we got this comment.

Texas Frannie said, “I vote for Arrangement number 2. However, I would change it to make the colors of the ends of the pillows match.”

Busted! I guess I need to work on my “detail-noticing skills!” so that I can be as observant as Steve and Frannie!

I enjoyed this comment from Jan because what she said is exactly what we do—make the bed whichever way we want. And if the Garden Club SHOULD ever be scheduled for a tour of our house, I think I shall just leave the country!

Jan said, “If you want to encourage further bed making on the part of your husband, I'd say encourage him to make it any way he wants on HIS day, while you make it YOUR way on YOUR day. Unless, of course, the garden club will be touring your bedroom that day, in which case I'd hire an expert.”

Carol had an interesting concept.

“Consistency is not good for the soul. I think the best solution is to have the pillows different every day. You could step out of choices one and two, and come up with zillions more. Maybe a contest as to who will come up with the best* arrangement.”

That’s an intriguing idea; the only problem I have with it is that I’ve had a hard time coming up with even one arrangement! Pillow creativity does not seem to be my strong suit.

Sheri said, “Of the two, I prefer arrangement #2. However, I would like to suggest a third option. Kirkland's has decorative pillows on sale for $8 right now. When you go get Sarah, pick up a couple more to create depth. (And probably more arguing! Smile.)”

Sheri, as you continue to read, you will be happy to note that we have found a solution that incorporates your suggestion without having to buy more pillows! (Steve and I would both draw the line at getting more decorative pillows; we’re just barely patient enough to deal with the ones we have!)

Mrs. Pam said, “I think #1 is Becky and #2 is Steve. I prefer #1 except that the dark colors on the big pillows should each be at opposite ends (outside edges of the bed). (Note from Becky: Aha! Another color noticer!) I think it would look better if the two round pillows weren't hanging over the edge, and the fringey pillow should be horizontal in front of the other pillows, making a triangular arrangement.

It appears that Mrs Pam, along with someone who went by “Anonymous” and Cleo have come up with our winning idea. I’ll let Cleo explain it to you.

“I think arrangement #1 looks better than arrangement #2, but I think arrangement #3 looks best of all! Arrangement #3 is as follows: pillow shams against the headboard, pushed together; round pillows in front of shams, pushed together end to end, or very close to each other end-to-end; finally the smaller decorative pillow is placed in front of the end-to-end roll pillows, centered. Similar to this, but mushed together:”
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So ladies and gentlemen, we have reached a decision! This is the pillow arrangement we are going with from here on out. (Truthfully, I’d never really loved Steve’s or my arrangements and I can see now that what I was missing was that extra row out front which provides more visual depth.)

And now . . . . (drum roll, please) . . . here is the final presentation. (And please note that the colors at the ends of the pillows match.)

Thanks everyone, for your participation and for making this such a fun week here at Smithellaneous!

Pillow Wars Part 2

I'm sorry to leave you all hanging concerning this very important Pillow Conundrum but my morning has been taken up by an unexpected visit to the vet; Snowy has (another) urinary tract infection. The visit cost $200 because the vet did an x-ray too, just to be sure Snowy didn't have another kidney stone. Thankfully, he didn't. (Our last kidney stone episode with him aged us all about twenty years.)

On another topic, I must say that Steve and I have been highly entertained, amused and educated by all of the pillow ponderings that we have been the recipients of.

I'll wrap this whole thing up tomorrow with various comments on your comments (and on the poll) but for now I will just let it be known that Arrangement #1 is mine and Arrangement #2 is Steve's.

We truly loved reading your guesses and especially the reasoning behind the guesses! Hilarious! More on that tomorrow, too.

For now I'm rushing back to the church to complete the work I should have gotten done while ferrying Sir Snowy to his doctor.

Tonight Steve and I are going out on a Big Date to see Karate Kid! At the wonderful $5.00 theater! Fun!

We were going to go out to eat too, but I think that Snowy's little shenanigans of the morning may compel us to eat at home instead.

Alrighty then. I'm gone. We'll have a Pillow War Wrap Up tomorrow and let you know if we have chosen Option 1, 2 or 3 (thanks, Cleo) as our Personal Pillow Arranging Strategy.

Pillow Wars

Steve and I have an agreement. And we also have an argument.

Our agreement is that whoever gets up last in the morning has to make the bed. Which is a really nice deal and I would like to say right here that I am very blessed to have an Open Minded Husband Who Is Willing to Make The Bed. (Or an OMHWIWTMTB for short.)

However, it appears that he and I have a difference of opinion in the making of said bed. A difference of opinion concerning the decorative pillows. Yea and forsooth, we have a Decorative Pillow Opinion Difference.

With his gracious permission, I have decided to bring this difference of opinion to the masses. (That would be you. You are a member of the masses. There now. Don’t you feel special?)

In order to help you with your decision, I have taken a picture of my arrangement of the pillows and his arrangement of the pillows. I have also included a survey in the right column for you to complete as to which pillow arrangement looks the best to you.

I am not, however, going to tell you which one of us favors which pillow arrangement until the polls are closed.

This is important stuff, people. Don’t allow this opportunity pass you by; let your opinion be heard!

Pillow Arrangement #1

And—you guessed it!—Pillow Arrangement #2.

The polls are now open. Please submit your vote so that this stressful part of the Smith Marriage can be reconciled. Thank you for your support.

(My name is Becky Smith and I approved this message.)

Dead Roses On The Retinas

Today I’ll be gone 12-14 hours getting Sarah to Victory Junction Gang Camp, getting her checked in and then getting back home. (You’ll be able to read more about her experiences later this week on her site.)

One of the very few drawbacks of living on a lovely island near the sea is that just about anywhere you go is a long way away. Fortunately, Sarah and I both love to travel; in fact, she’s been experiencing a case of itchy feet recently and has been longing to get on the road and go somewhere. Anywhere! So this trip will be extra fun for her.

Plus, the journey will lead us right past our favorite consignment store in North Carolina, so we will definitely make a little mother/daughter stop there. (If you live in the area, the store is called My Secret Closet and it’s at exit 154 off I-85.)

Since my time today will be spent traveling instead of blogging, I’ll just post a few “porch photos” in celebration of our first week of living in a house that we can finally call our own.

Consider this your personal invitation to come up the front steps and sit a spell!

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to offer you a glass of sweet Southern tea while you sit and swing because it seems as though I have not yet mastered the art of making iced tea. I know, I know. How can I possibly call myself a Southern woman and not make—or drink—iced tea? It’s a travesty, without a doubt.

Snowy loves the porch, too and he is of the considered opinion that he is the king of all he surveys. And we always humor him in that regard so as not to damage his fluffy self-esteem.

A couple days ago, I glanced out the window at the porch and saw Steve and Sarah in this odd pose. I took a picture of them so that I could furtively study it when they weren’t looking in an effort to figure out what strange activity they were engaged in. Thankfully they saved me the trouble by telling me that they were trying to get water out of their ears after taking a swim in our neighborhood pool. (Which is about 200 feet from where we live. Which is yet another reason why we love our house!)

Thankfully, the water finally evacuated the ears of the Smith Duo and they were free to just sit and converse without any further gyrations. I love the look on Sarah’s face as she talks to her daddy.

Here’s Steve on the porch wearing a t-shirt given to him for his birthday. Don’t you love it? (If you can’t read the small print it says, “A legend in my own mind.”) Actually I think Snowy could use a similar shirt in a doggie size.

Okay. Now I really do hate to brag, but I believe that the following picture definitely shows off my remarkable and incredible photography skills. I mean, what other photographer do you know who would do that “fancy, blurry shot” thingie and frame the subject of the photo between two dead roses?

“No one,” you say?

Oh well. I guess I’ll just have to accept the realization that my photographic brilliance is unparalleled.

Just in case you missed the creative composition of the first shot, here’s another one for ya. Those dead roses certainly do create a certain, um, aura, don’t they?

Since I really hate to leave you with visions of dead roses on your retinas, I’ll finish up with a couple pictures that are a tad more inspiring.

Porch.

Home.

Grateful.

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A couple of you asked what was in the dessert concoction that Sarah had in the fridge. If I remember correctly, she said it contained Oreos, peanut butter, milk, and chocolate syrup with whipped cream on top. It was quite the yummy creation!

Silver Hatted Strangers

Last week I opened our refrigerator and saw the usual suspects. In their usual non-tidy line up.

However, when I looked a little closer, I realized that a few strangers had snuck into the back of the line up, strangers who were wearing sassy hats made of silver foil.

“Hmmmm,” said I. “What could yon strangers possibly be doing lurking amongst the usual suspects in The Smith Refrigerator?”

It was a question that begged for an answer.

I took a few of the front items out so that I could be afforded a closer glimpse of said strangers. And lo and behold, one of yon strangers had a note attached to its silver hat. And the note was written in my daughter’s writing.

The plot thickened.

I took an even closer look. I saw what the message said. I pondered the message. I pondered the messenger. I pondered the silver-hatted strangers who had taken up residence in my refrigerator.

And when I couldn’t quite get the Case of the Mysterious Silver Hat-Wearing Strangers figured out, I called in the writer of the words, the person responsible for affixing strange words to the sides of strange strangers.

And I was given the answer! I was handed the solution to the mystery! I was presented with the key to unlock the secrets of the universe! (Well, not quite.)

As it turns out, Princess Sarah had decided to use part of her afternoon to create a special dessert for the family’s evening meal. From her description of the creation process, the dessert consisted of her tossing a variety of miscellaneous sweet substances into the blender and whirring them around for awhile.

Then she poured the created concoction into three glasses and attached silver hats and the note, in an effort to warn her dad and me away from the surprise.

The mystery? Solved.

The desserts? Delicious.

The smile on my face over my daughter’s whimsical addition to my day? Huge.

I just love silver-hatted strangers.

Happy Fourth Of July

(I took this photo at a Thunder Birds exhibition a couple years ago.)