Now that all the leftovers are gone and the big weekend sale drive is almost over, it’s officially the holidays and things are going to pick up. Today, though, I’m sharing some things from the past month (or so) that gave me a smile, laugh, or taught me a lesson. {I’m also joining with Emily P. Freeman’s link up with others who are telling what they’ve learned, too.}
Before my short list begins, I pray that you’ll be intentional this coming month to make time to be still and learn and feel Emmanuel – God with us. We need God with us this busy season – and all the time.
What I learned in November:
1. What it’s like to pick applies off a tree in an apple orchard. It’s hard to believe I’ve never been to pick apples in an orchard. Our family took a fall camping trip to the NC mountains and close to our campsite was the Historic Orchard of Altapass. On the chilly, fall morning, we picked a peck of red, and yellow apples off the hundreds of trees that stand on the side of a mountain. What a beautiful scene with leaves red, green and yellow blanketing the mountains that surrounded us in every direction.
2. What it feels like to camp in a tent in the fall, even though it feels like winter. I think the wind started blowing as soon as we got our tent up in the dark until the time we left Sunday morning. When we were in the tent, it sounded like it was raining outside every though you could see all the starts in the sky. It howled and blew and the trees swayed. Camping isn’t my favorite thing in the world to do, so when we go I have some requests. One is a mattress to sleep on and the other is a little bit of electricity. I’m so thankful we brought a small heater that worked hard those two nights. Ahhh…
3. Sadie Robertson can dance! I”m a Dancing with the Stars fan and when I can, Monday evenings are spent on the couch amazed at how those people can learn all those dance routines in a week and look (and are) professional! Sadie, though, having never taken dance classes, looks like she’s danced all her life. Mark, her partner, has done a fabulous job respecting her desire to keep her dances and costumes classy and tasteful. And she’s made it to the final three! You go girl! You’ve got to watch them doing that quick step! (And congratulations for 2nd place award Sadie!)
4. The “D” in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s name means “Delano“. Confessions from a southern girl: for all my life, I’ve pronounced it Delanore. Maybe I was skimming over his name when I was reading my history book, or maybe it’s just my slang, but I”ve always thought that name eneded in -ore.
5. OK college basketball fans! Not only has my son taught me about FDR, but he also told me that Duke University had it’s first basketball game in the new Cameron Indoor Stadium the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Our son was doing a project with a group of students who found in our library’s archives our city’s newspaper dated December 8, 1041.
6. How to square dance. It was the most fun evening dancing with friends to celebrate a dear friend’s milestone birthday. She wanted to gather with friends and family, eat fried chicken (on favorite Pintrest decorated tables) and dance to live music with a fiddle, banjo, and guitar with a caller instructing everyone what to do. All I remembered from the last time I square danced in elementary school PE class was “swing your partner round and round”. (Even though I don’t think the caller ever said that night). The caller was so good explaining what we were to do before the music was played for each dance. I re-learned that square dancing takes four couples (in a square of course), what it means to promenade, and dances have names like “Bend the Line” and “Tea Cup Chain”. You can’t square dance and not smile or laugh. I can still dance in my cowgirl boots I bought when I was in college, too!
7. What it’s like to go to a live auction. My husband’s family lives in a quaint town in foothills of the Virginia mountains. Their church has an annual auction to raise money for their ministries. It’s been going on for years and for the first time in the 17 years I’ve been part of their family, had the opportunity to experience it. The caller (wow – two callers in one month) spoke so fast I could hardly understand a word he said. I picked up on some numbers he said but that is a talent! Homemade food, home decor and quilts were auctioned off that evening. I bid on one thing…an old wooden tray…but someone else won. Oh well. Now this city girl can say she’s been to a country auction.
8. Planning an event isn’t my gift, and there’s many kinks along the way, but it’s still my passion because for the past several months it’s one of the first things I think of each morning when I wake up and many other times throughout each day. But that’s all I can say about that right now.
What did you learn this past month? Feel free to share by commenting below!
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