Category: Journal (Page 1 of 910)

At many of the on-ramps to the interstates here (which everyone calls freeways), there are traffic lights that control entry into the road. They turn green, one car goes through, and they turn red. If a car has more than one person it, there’s an HOV lane that isn’t regulated by the light. At the on-ramp lights I frequent, I see a lot of people cheating.

I’m wondering how common this is, what people think of it, and whether or not people get caught sometimes. But how would I find an answer to this question about local culture? Maybe I’ll start asking people this as I’m introducing myself. Or I could make this part of my regular parent/teacher conference discussions…

I got a new Easter tie! Here it is:

Ha! I rang in the handbell choir yesterday morning, so I was wearing a robe the whole time. Here’s the tie. I got it from Goodwill.

The music was the same in all three services. The first two were packed. The third one had fewer people, so I was almost alone in the balcony and could take a picture:

The choir pieces were good. The hymns were good. The organ and brass were good. So much good. Happy Easter, everyone!

Happy Easter! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

After working in the garden in the morning, I went out on some errands. A little breakfast, a little window shopping, a stop at Home Depot for gardening supplies…

Then I decided to go to a bonsai place I’d been to a year ago. While I was walking around there, I realized my wallet wasn’t in my pocket. Ack! Where could it be? I had been all over the place! I searched my truck, but no luck. Was I going to have to cancel my credit cards? Even worse, was I going to have to get another drivers license?!?

I made my way back home, hoping it might be in my driveway or something. It wasn’t. It was here:

Somehow it must’ve fallen out of my pocket when I came home briefly and sat on the couch. Whew! I was so glad!

Happy Birthday to Denis. Woo hoo!

For our DC trip this year, we’re joining up with another school. Yesterday, we went to visit them. It was really fun. It was also a nice thing to do on the day before a long weekend, when kids are often restless.

After school, I went to the dentist for a cleaning. It seemed like a proper thing to do for Maundy Thursday.

The church service last night was good. Good message. Good music. Good God.

In our church handbell choir, I’m playing the biggest handbells. They’re pretty heavy, which would be fine, except a lot of the weight comes down on the top of my hand as I hold them.

I only played like that for one rehearsal, and then decided to look for padded gloves. They make them especially for big-bell handbell players! They are surprisingly expensive. But they’re so, so nice.

There are pads on the pressure points. And, for some reason, on the knuckles. Maybe so I can be a hard-punching handbell-themed crime fighter by night?

They’re leather, so they’re very soft. Nice!