O come let us adorn Him

Before Thanksgiving had even arrived, several homes in our neighborhood were already decorated with garlands, wreaths and lights.

A slow drive through the subdivision after dark would reveal Christmas trees sparkling with white lights inside our neighbor's homes.

Retail stores have been hawking Christmas wares for weeks. Commercials have been enticing us with tempting Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals.

Rather than descend into a rant about the commercialization of Christmas (who wants to hear another one of those?), I'll share some of my reflections as of late.

Since moving to Tennessee two and one half years ago, I have felt very ambivalent about decorating the house for Christmas:

• we are far away from our kids
• it doesn't even snow here except for maybe a day or two in January
• our neighbors have show-stopping, mouth-dropping decorations
• we now, after 34 years of real trees, have fake trees - not the same

And...what in the world do Christmas trees and other decorations have to do with this:

A humble, crude stable which housed animals, a young husband and wife and the Son of GOD.

Not a five star hotel, but an out of the way, second-rate room. Rough. Dirty. Smelly.

Contemplating this, I want to have nothing to do with lights and sparkle and glitz and glam for Christmas. I meditate on the humility of the birthplace of the Savior and Creator of the Universe.

And yet, what happened next in the Luke account is such a contrast to the rude beginnings of the story,

"An angel of the LORD appeared to them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them..."

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
'Glory to GOD in the Highest and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.' "

If we bought all the twinkle lights in the world(as the parties below appear to have done), it would not compare to the glory of the LORD shining around us.
Can you even begin to imagine what that night must have been like?

Yes, I'll decorate my house for Christmas. Not to try to out-do the Jones's (literally and figuratively), but to help me reflect.

The nativity set will help me remember all that Christ gave up for me (He left the splendors of heaven...).

The lights on our tree and on houses I pass as I travel to and fro, will remind me of (but only as a very poor imitation ) the glory of the LORD.

So join me, won't you? Let your home reflect the glory of the LORD!

Happy Birthday, Sis!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some wonderful ideas for Christmas gifts for you children and grandchildren.

stuffed and stuff

We had a very nice time yesterday with aunts, cousins, brother, niece and nephews.

Mom and Dad hosted; I cooked. We ate and ate and talked and laughed and had a great time.

So much for which to be thankful. I loved watching the way people shifted around the room - here my husband and cousin (they last year for the first time, but really enjoy talking to each other), here my aunt, mom and dad; over there my aunt brother and niece.

I think we appreciate these times because they are so few and far between. And because it is so nice to get together when it is not someone's funeral.

~~~~~~

Today is the much hyped Black Friday and if you have read this blog for any length of time, you'll know that I'm not participating.

Even though I am a Scrooge when it comes to Black Friday itself, I am not immune to commercialism's allure.

The other day a Toys R us catalog was included in the Sunday paper. It included a picture of a plush Noah's ark. Only $59.99!!! Even though we already celebrated Christmas and gave the grands their gifts, I immediately thought that I should buy this for the kids. (It is cute!).

But I soon came to my senses and realized that if I had not seen that catalog, it never would have occurred to me to buy a plush Noah's Ark (but it sure is cute, isn't it?).


A few pages later, there was a picture of a floor keyboard (not the one pictured below - this one was smaller and just an octave, I think). And it was only $59.99!!!! And again, before I could stop and think clearly - I thought about buying this to use with my piano students and the grands when they visit.

See how clever marketing is? And see how weak-willed I (we) can be? If we see it, we want it.

Out of sight, out of mind.

That is why I'm staying out of the stores today. And tossing any catalogs that arrive in the mail into our recycling bin.

And that is how I saved (at least) $119.98 last week.

Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving yesterday. What an interesting contrast between yesterday's contentment and gratitude and today's call to BUY! BUY! BUY! YOU NEED MORE!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks with a grateful heart!

the day before

While I try to make every day thanksgiving day, it is wonderful to have a whole day set aside to remember our many, many blessings.

Aunts, cousins, brother, niece and nephews arrive today and tomorrow. I'm trying to get as much cooking done ahead of time as possible.

I'll be cooking the turkey today, cleaning all the meat off the bones and then making soup stock. The turkey will simmer in the flavorful soup stock tomorrow prior to dinner. I've done this before and it has worked out very well.

I'll also be making the sweet potato casserole and perhaps the mashed potatoes today. I made several loaves of bread earlier this week and sauteed the onions and celery in preparation for the assembly of the stuffing (or do you say dressing?).

Green beans, waldorf salad, cranberry sauce help round out this calorie-laden meal. Others are bringing pies.

We will eat until we are stuffed. And laugh.

And give thanks to GOD for His bountiful, abundant, amazing blessings.

Give thanks with a grateful heart,

give thanks to the Holy One,

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son!

a long time ago.....

image from allposters.com

...thirty-seven years (!) to be exact.





I said, 'I do.'





And I'm so glad I did!





Happy Anniversary, Patrick!

so grateful...

...and not just because it is Thanksgiving week.

We had a wonderful time with our two oldest boys. Good talks, good times. Wish the youngest could have been here too. And my daughters-in-love and of course, the grands.

But. So grateful for each minute we had with these two gifted, godly young men.

Praying for them as they head home- one in the air, one on the road.

Now, on to more Thanksgiving preparations, while breathing prayers of gratitude and songs of praise.

stopping in for a brief visit

Jon left yesterday after a very nice but all too brief visit.

Nathan arrived safely last night. He tells us we live way too far away. We agree.

We sure wish we lived closer to the kids, but it makes us savor and appreciate their visits all the more.

Nathan will be taking my ailing computer with him when he leaves and selling it for parts. It has been sick for a long time. Repairing it would cost more than replacing it (can you say 'planned obsolescence?).

Blogging will continue to be sporadic - or perhaps non-existent if I can't remember how to log in on Pat's computer!

Off to enjoy time with our boy. Have a great weekend everyone!

round 1

White powdery stuff. Snow? No, just an 'incident' with my mixer and some powdered sugar.

The floor was mopped more than once during my marathon baking/cooking spree on Monday. There may have been another 'incident' with a flour bag which was apparently not empty.

I really enjoyed my marathon baking/cooking day on Monday. It was gratifying to come back to my blog post to do list and check things off.

My aunt and uncle arrived Tuesday night under cover of darkness. We had terrific winds during that afternoon as well as an inch and a half of rain. Once everything calmed down the power went off for over an hour.

Since I knew my aunt and uncle would be eating supper on the road (well, actually in a restaurant), I planned to bring dessert down to Mom and Dad's. The cherry cheesecake I made the day before was perfect for this. This is more of a cheater cherry cheesecake - no crust and fewer calories. Fewer, as in, a million, not a billion.

Whip 1 C. whipping cream - set aside
Cream 8 oz. of cream cheese with 1 C. powdered sugar (some of which may land on the floor)
Add 1 tsp. vanilla and whipped cream to this.

I divided this mixture into 8 custard cups. Then topped off each one with a dollop of cherry pie filling (canned last summer after our neighbors generously allowed us to pick cherries from their trees).

Yummy.

The rain had stopped, but with the power off, it would have been difficult to get the car out of the garage (downside of garage door openers). So, we grabbed our Coleman battery powered lanterns and the dessert and walked down to Mom and Dad's.

The candles flickered in wall sconces and a few votives softly lit the living room. We sat and quietly chatted with the folks and my aunt and uncle. No telly noise, no fans, no fridge running. Peace and quiet and fellowship. I was disappointed when the power came back on.

A little cup of cherry cheesecake helped me get over it though.

Aunt B. and Uncle B. leave this morning. This afternoon, we pick Jon up from the airport.

This week just keeps getting funner and funner.

bin busy

seen at a cute little shop in Pigeon Forge last fall

I spent a little time over the weekend downsizing some of our plastic bins. I'm happy to announce that I emptied 4 bins (3 medium size and one little) and then put the contents of one cardboard box into one of the empty bins.

The next two weeks, however, leave no time for bin reorganization.

Company is coming!

It starts tomorrow beginning with my aunt and uncle.

They leave on Thursday - later that day our son Jon flies in from Iowa.

Friday morning we take him to Nashville for a Youth Work's Conference (too short a visit-but we are grateful for what we get!).

Friday evening our son Nathan arrives.

I hope he can stay until Monday.

Monday evening two aunts and a cousin come to town.

Wednesday evening my brother and my two nephews and niece arrive.

Two more cousins arrive on Thursday (I think?) and we will serve Thanksgiving dinner down at Mom and Dad's. I'm chief cook (love that!).

Today, the baking begins. On my agenda (I always set lofty, unattainable goals):
rhubarb muffins done
chocolate chip cookies done
dinner rolls done
bread - for slicing for sandwiches and for cubing and drying for stuffing done
roast a chicken done
roast the pumpkins that have been decorating the front porch for the past 6 weeks (done - 4 C. in freezer - enough for two pies)
roast the pumpkin seeds done
make broth, soup and gravy to freeze cooking in crock pot while I am off to choir practice
cherry cheesecake oops - missing an ingredient - on the to do list for tomorrow!

I need to freshen up the guest room (done) too, because COMPANY"S COMIN'!

Blogging may be sporadic over the next two weeks.

a few links 4 u

Here are a few ideas to keep you busy over the weekend:

These handmade wreaths look simple, yet elegant.

I think these ornaments are so adorable. The patterns are now available as a downloadable PDF .

I read this quote the other day and it got me thinking. 'Who decided it made sense to store unused stuff in plastic bins?'

As you may know, I have been continually trying to downsize my stuff for quite a while. I do not want to be a minimalist per se. I am grateful to have enough, but embarrassed to have too much. I counted our plastic bins. It makes me cringe to say that we have 24. 27 if you count Christmas stuff. Add to that 10 cardboard boxes in closets and under beds.

To be fair, not all of these bins are big - several of them are shoe box size, but in the interests of full disclosure, I counted them. I have 4 boxes just for craft type stuff. Several boxes hold family history items. Some boxes hold just a few things. I think with a little bit of work, I could reduce my 4 craft boxes to 3. And we could probably combine a few other boxes into one. Then use the empty plastic box to store something from a cardboard box. AND get RID of the empty cardboard box.

While Pat is watching football this weekend, I'll be re-organizing some of the bins.

We'll be celebrating our 37th (!!!!) wedding anniversary in 10 days. If we have 27 plastic bins and let's say 10 cardboard boxes - that is just one per year. Not too bad...but I don't want to continue to add a bin a year. Maybe from here on out we can get rid of a bin a year. By our 74th anniversary - no bins! :)

We'll see how low I can go! Check back on Monday. And I'm curious - how many plastic bins do you have?

fast food

When I cook up a batch of rice, I frequently double the recipe and freeze half. When I buy a package of chicken breasts (on sale of course), I cook up the whole lot and freeze what we don't eat.

Last night, the cooking ahead came in very handy. My sweet neighbor and I went for a walk - normally a 45 minute endeavor. During our walk yesterday we stopped and talked to another neighbor. For a l-o-n-g time. We heard all the details of his recent open heart surgery (he is younger than I am!). Thankfully he is recovering well.

We continued walking and as my neighbor and I got ready to part ways, we talked for another 15 minutes or so. Then I went over to stop in and see the folks. We chatted a bit.

My plans were to have supper all ready by the time Pat came home. Ooops. He arrived when I did.

Soo...here is what I did with my chicken and rice (thawed the day before in the fridge):
The rice had been cooked with chopped onion (when I recipe calls for 1/2 C. of chopped onion, I chop the whole onion and thrown the extra in a freezer bag).
After thinly slicing the chicken breast, I sprinkled the rice and chicken with taco seasoning. Then I added about 1/2 C. of salsa.

I heated this through and then sprinkled it with grated cheese. Cooked it a little bit more until the cheese melted.

This was DELISH. And fast and easy. Perfect for those times when a 45 minute walk turns into a 90 minute excursion, right before supper.

I call it Mexican chicken (cuz I'm clever like that). It will be appearing again on our dinner table. Perhaps next time it will be called Mexican Turkey - a good way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers.
~~~~~
Also....fyi...let's say you are baking brownies in anticipation of 4 sets of company coming in the next two weeks (YAY! LOVE COMPANY!). And let's say you forget to put your glasses on when you pop the brownies in the oven and you set the temp. for 250* instead of 350*. And let's say 20 minutes later when you are ready to take the brownies out of the oven and you notice your miscalculation, but your sweet neighbor is waiting on you to walk with her....

It is possible to leave the brownies in the oven, turn the heat off, walk two loops of your neighborhood (almost two miles) and stop in and take the brownies out of the oven. They will be just fine!

Just in case you should ever need this information.....you heard it here first. :)

thank you

I can barely get through the Star Spangled banner without tearing up. As the flag passed by in our little Northwoods Fourth of July parades through the years? Big. Lump. In my throat. Always.

Seeing the flag and knowing what it stands for: Sacrifice. Honor. Commitment. Duty. Freedom.

Today, especially, we stop and remember our veterans and those who are currently serving our country. Words are inadequate, but I am so grateful.

Thank you so very, very much.

dream retirement job

I've decided what I want to do when I'm retired.

Step one: Sell everything - house, furniture, all of it except for my clavinova and sewing machine and 33 pieces of clothing (Pat can keep some fishing equipment if he wants :) ).

Step two: Buy a modest motor home/camper. One that has room for the two of us, my clavinova, sewing machine, some fishing equipment and a small, adorable, well-behaved dog.

Step three: Start a ministry based on this.(please be sure to watch the video - blogger isn't letting me embed it here). *Instead of random acts of culture, it would be called Random Acts of Scripture (or something like that). We would tour the country doing three things:
1) feeding the hungry
2) building shelter for the homeless/repairing homes for the elderly, out of work, single parents and
3) singing at shopping malls and other public venues.

It would be so cool if a bunch of like-minded people would join us. (Maybe I should talk to my hubby about this first?). Can you imagine driving cross country, stopping to minister along the way and regularly singing the Hallelujah Chorus?

Anybody? Anybody?

*This video was taken the day before Halloween. Did you notice the gals that were wearing the devil's horns? They seemed to be ducking to avoid the camera. Feeling sheepish? The words to the Hallelujah Chorus are a great reminder that JESUS IS LORD OVER ALL!

three hankie service

Yesterday was a three hankie church service.

Wow.

First a video showing several different families giving thanks (prelude to Thanksgiving);
one large family giving thanks to God (typical Norman Rockwell),

the next showed an elderly couple - the man prayed and gave thanks to God for their many blessings, while the woman stared off in the distance (some form of dementia?),

the next vignette showed a young mother and her daughter giving thanks. On the nightstand was a picture of the husband/father in uniform.

And the last was a man in a wheelchair. By himself, except for his two dogs, he gave thanks for his food and asked God to watch out for his children, wherever they were.

I Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Next, came a video and talk regarding Operation Christmas Child. A little girl, whose parents were married in our church, died the summer we moved here from a rare form of childhood cancer. One of our neighbor's granddaughters died a few weeks later of the same rare form of childhood cancer. These girls are both featured on this website.

Emily's church packed 300 Operation Christmas Child boxes in her memory. The second video featured this project. It turns out (coincidentally? I think not) that Emily's dad and sister were at our church yesterday. No one knew they would be there.

Our Women's Missionary Union handed out 300 boxes for people to pack.

While the video about Emily's short life was playing, I noticed that the lady in front of me was wiping away tears. Her grown daughter died a few years ago. In front of her a friend who's son was killed in a motorcycle accident last summer. Next to her another friend was crying softly. Her first husband, her sister and her mother all died within the past few years.

Scanning the congregation I saw 5 women who had been widowed in the last three years (one last month). And one lady who was diagnosed with breast cancer last week, as well as a friend who was also diagnosed with another form of cancer last week.

College classmates commemorated the 8th anniversary of the daughter's death over the weekend.

So much sadness and pain! And yet, so much joy. We do not grieve like those who have no hope. I Thessalonians 4:13

My college classmates posted this hymn on facebook on Saturday. When you read it through the eyes of grief, it takes on a whole new meaning.

Be Still, My Soul

1. Be still, my soul:
the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently
the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God
to order and provide;
In every change,
He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul:
thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways
leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul:
thy God doth undertake
To guide the future,
as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence
let nothing shake;
All now mysterious
shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul:
the waves and winds
still know His voice
Who ruled them
while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul:
when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened
in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know
His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe
thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul:
thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness
all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul:
the hour is hastening on
When we shall be
forever with the Lord.
When disappointment,
grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot,
love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul:
when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed
we shall meet at last.

5. Be still, my soul:
begin the song of praise
On earth, believing,
to thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him
in all thy works and ways,
So shall He view
thee with a well-pleased eye.
Be still, my soul:
the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds
shall but more brightly shine.

Words: Katharina A. von Schlegel
Translated: Jane Borthwick
Music: Jean Sibelius

neighborhood watch

We have an unofficial 'mayor' in our neighborhood. I'll call him 'Joe'. Joe seems to know a lot of things about a lot of folks in our little subdivision.

He means well and is a very nice guy.

So, I shouldn't have been surprised the other day when Pat received a call from Joe.
"There was a white truck in your driveway for about a half hour with a man sitting in it and then right after that there was a black truck in your driveway for about a half hour with a lady sitting in it."

He thought somebody was casing the joint (to steal my clothes? lol).

Silly me, I neglected to tell him that I was giving piano lessons.

It is nice to know that someone is watching out for us (and just a wee little bit creepy too).

limits that free part 3

A few months ago, I went out to dinner with a couple of gals. One of them suggested stopping at a clothing store. Before I could pipe up and decline, the other gal said that her credit card was maxed at this particular store and she couldn't allow herself to go there until she had paid it off.

She wears a uniform at work, so I know she isn't paying money for work clothes. Thankfully, she was disciplined enough to stop shopping at her max, but I wonder if the joy of buying the clothing offset the discomfort the debt brought.

I'm not judging her, she is a sweetie and a good friend.

I'm hoping she can some day enjoy a closet with empty spaces and a credit card with no balance.

Less clothes=less debt. More space=more freedom.

Sometimes we need to ask ourselves hard questions. Do I need this? Do I have enough? Can I pay for it?

Obviously questions not asked by these folks with super-sized closets. Apparently Eva Longoria doesn't adhere to my three jeans guidelines. :) My response to the question 'can a girl have too many jeans?' is a resounding 'YES!'.

Such a different mindset than the young man who felt two shirts was enough and did not want responsibility or the burden of care of a third.

Lest I sound like a clothes scrooge, let me assure you that I am not opposed to buying clothes when needed. My definition of 'when needed' may differ from others.

My dressier jeans are beginning to show signs of wear and will soon be shifted to my everyday jeans. I am watching sales and checking thrift stores for something that will fit the bill for my new dressy jeans.

My walking shoes are also in need of replacement. Hopefully sometime this month I will find a sale on the shoes I prefer.

I am very aware of how blessed I am. I have the ability and means to replace clothes that wear out. I would not care to have a closet the size of most people's bedrooms. But I do have choices - and plenty of them even with less than 33 items of clothing. It is enough. And more.

By limiting my clothing options, I have freed up some money that can be used to help others in genuine need. So many in our world have so few options when it comes to clothing.

Hopefully these past few posts have given you food for thought as you consider: "What's in your closet?"

I would really like feedback on these thoughts. Do you think I am off the wall? Has this challenged your way of looking at clothing? Do you think I have too many clothes? Did you count your clothes? (Ann did.) We can all learn from each other.

limits that free part 2

Imelda Marcos Shoe Museum

I have continued to purge my closet over the years. I have a 'one-in, one-out' rule, that keeps me from returning to my stuffed closet days.

Everything I have I wear. Everything I have fits. Everything I have, I like.

Win. Win. Win.


Maybe it is the current state of the economy that has people rethinking their spendy-trendy ways. In my web wanderings, I have come across four clothing challenges:
(please note, I do not necessarily recommend the philosophies of any of these blogs, just found their experiments interesting):

• the woman who wore a brown dress every day for a year
• the woman who wore a black dress every day for a year
• the group who challenged each other to wear only 6 separate items for a month - mix and match (excluding sleepwear and workout clothes)
• project 333 choose from 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes - for three months

The only project that I remotely considered being involved in was project 333. I went to my closet to count my clothes.

I don't even own 33 items of clothing (not including workout wear and sleep wear).

Now, to be fair - I do not work outside the home. But I do get dressed everyday. Presentably. I think if I worked full time I could get away with a bare bones wardrobe as well.

I tried a little experiment this summer. I wore the exact same thing to church each Sunday. Tan linen short sleeve blouse with a black skirt. No one seemed to notice my lack of variety (or turned me in to What Not to Wear). Yet, anyway.

You may want to consider simplifying and downsizing your closet. You might find it very freeing.

I sure did.

(BTW, I can be packed and ready to go on a trip in a matter of minutes. LOVE THAT!).

What's in your closet?

limits that free part 1

disclaimer: not my closet

Staring at my side of our walk in closet, I thought of the young man who was content to only own two shirts.

While no one would ever accuse me of being a clothes horse or a slave to fashion, I definitely had plenty of clothes.

I started looking at my clothes in a new way. Since I lived in the Northwoods and not Guatamala, there were several things that were needed for warmth and protection in the winter. Long sleeved blouses, boots, a warm coat, hat mittens/gloves and scarf. But how many of these things did I really need?

I began to pare down. Out went everything that I did not care to wear anymore (taken to Goodwill - you can get a receipt for tax purposes). My closet looked less full. It was a very gratifying feeling.

But I also felt bad that I had wasted some of Pat's hard earned money on these items. So, I purposed to be very careful about how I shopped. Nothing trendy, only classics. This part was pretty easy. I hate to shop. Always have - ask my mom.

Mom (cheerfully): Let's go shopping and get you some new clothes for school!
My junior high self: Okay (said decidedly Eeyoreishly), if we have to (ugh).

Never been a fan of shopping.

I once heard Elisabeth Elliot tell of helping one of her granddaughters clean her room. As they picked clothes up from the floor, the problem became apparent. There were many clothes for the dresser. Many would go buy another dresser. But our wise friend Elisabeth asked her granddaughter, after counting and folding 25 tee shirts, how many tee shirts she really thought she needed. The answer was 10. She chose her favorite 10 and donated the rest. Now it was much easier to dress each day and to keep her room clean.

As I looked through my closet, I assigned my own limits. How many jeans does a person really need? For me it was three pairs: one for gardening and hauling wood, one for running errands and one dressier pair. You might have a different number. As the years went by, the jeans would move down the chain. The gardening and hauling jeans reached a point where they were only fit for the rag bag, the running errands jeans became the gardening and hauling jeans and the dressier pair became the running errands pair. Then, and only then, would I allow myself to buy a new pair of jeans.

More tomorrow...

sorry for lying etc.

I mentioned the other day that I was close to 2,000 posts and that there would be a giveaway to celebrate that milestone. As I was doing some editing (yes, I actually DO edit my blog despite appearances to the contrary), I noticed I had several posts (in draft form) which had never been published. As I went through and deleted these (cuz it didn't seem right to count them in my 2,000) my new number of posts was: 1, 916.

Bummer. That is nowhere near 2,000.

We will still have a giveaway and it will be a handmade Christmas ornament. Any one who leaves a comment between October 25 and November 10 will be entered into a drawing for the giveaway.
~~~~~~

What I really wanted to discuss today, though, has been on my mind for quite some time.

One of my favorite 'reads' is 'Living More with Less' by Doris Janzen Longacre. I bought this book in the early '80's after reading her cookbook 'More with Less'. Both books were life changing books for me. I re-read them often.

The book Living More with Less is subtitled: a pattern for living with less and a wealth of practical suggestions from the worldwide experiences of Mennonites.

This book covers 1) why we should live with less and 2) how we can live with less. Some of the 'how to's' covered are money, travel and transportation, food, clothing, celebration and recreation.

Let me share a quote from the chapter on clothing. We can mull over it and tomorrow, I will share some of my thoughts.

"When we lived in Guatamala, a fourteen-year-old Kekchi boy names Amiliano worked for us. My husband had some shirts he couldn't wear anymore, and I wanted to get rid of them. I offered one to Amiliano, but he said, "No, thank you. I have two shirts, and I don't want more. With two, I wash one while I wear the other. If I had a third one, it would just
mildew."
(this entry was provided for the book by a former missionary to Guatamala).

This quote profoundly affected me. I'll expound more on this tomorrow. If you have any thoughts on this quote - please comment!