on the way, at, and after

Posted on December 29, 2019 by Shanda

On the way to church Rich was driving like a bat out of hell because we were running late, and my markers that were on my lap flew down in the crack by my seat. I reached my hand down there (it wasn’t easy, the crack is very narrow) and pulled out……..LEGS. I couldn’t believe it. I expected a marker and got legs of all things.

At church, I asked Ethan, “You’re not squeezing into the family pew today?” and he said, “Nope, we tried this on Christmas Eve and we liked it so we’re doing it again today.” Alrighty then.

After church I had Grace take my picture so you could see what I wore today. I’m also wearing a slip AND pantyhose.

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Posted on January 24, 2019 by Shanda

We left at 8:15 this morning to drive through rush hour traffic to go to the DMV testing center. The weather was astounding; pounding rain and in the 50’s after days when everything was frozen solid and not even 10 degrees. We drove through it together, my hands on the steering wheel, his hands clutching the laptop on which the driver’s manual was displayed.

Neither one of us slept much last night for whatever reason.

When I tried to make conversation he said, eyes on the computer screen, “Shhhhh, stop” and so I just reached over and patted his shoulder with a laugh. I’m glad he’s safe and comfortable enough with me to be true.

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We arrived 15 minutes before the doors would be unlocked and Dave thought it was just way too long of a wait. He was nervous.

Just as I knew he would, he passed easily.

“That was incredibly nerve wracking.”

“My hands were shaking the whole time.”

“Okay now I gotta do my History homework.”

And that’s what he did.

We also got Dunkin Donuts coffees and listened to music.

Me and my buddy Dave. How I love him.

I dropped him off at school and then got groceries…and very wet…..came home, and crashed on the couch. I didn’t do a thing for the past 2 hours but watch TV and snooze with a cat on my lap.

When Caleb got home from school, he joined us.

This is the view from here.

Happy Thursday, friends.

this is the sweet face of great relief

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Shanda

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“I feel like a huge burden that I’ve had since I was a child was just lifted off of me.”

Here are the memories she doesn’t want to forget about learning to drive:

That time when her Dad had her drive around and around and around an empty parking lot at school backwards, this way and that way until she cried, and then he had her do it more.

The time she and I were going to the plant store and I didn’t tell her how long it was going to take to get there and she drove for an hour.

When she first really drove it was with her older brother Jacob and it was raining but she didn’t know how to turn on the wipers and when she did turn them on they went so fast she got nervous and asked Jacob for help.

She went to the H.S. to practice backing into parking spots and no one was there so her Dad got out of the car and walked laps while she practiced parking which was exactly what she needed…to figure it out on her own.

She had two college friends (April and Ryan) and Caleb and Kylee praying for her before her test this morning.

She and Caleb talked on the phone and went over traffic rules the morning of her test. And he reminded her to turn on her lights and put on the emergency brake which were the two things she did wrong on her practice test last weekend.

To help them with their nerves, they had a movie going in the waiting room for the students about to test, and a box of munchkins for them to snack on, but she didn’t want to eat anything or watch anything …. but she did eat a munchkin because she felt she would be rude if she didn’t. The movie playing was “Sing” and she was annoyed because she wanted to concentrate on her test but with the movie playing she started getting interested and watched it.

The songs she sang to herself while she waited for her test driver were, “Give me Oil in my Lamp” and “I love You, Lord”.

The man riding along to test was very nice; an elderly grandfather type.

She didn’t think she would do well, she didn’t think she would pass.

She and her dear friend Kylee both took their test on the same day and passed. And when she walked in to the office to hand her paper sheet to the lady for her paper license the lady said, “Look at you, you little show off,” because she got nothing marked wrong.

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