7 Quick Takes

~1~

WooHoo!  2 swim meets down; 3 to go!  Only 2 to go if you count the fact that we'll be on vacation for the last one!!  Last night we won our meet against one of the huge "city" pools.  There are 3 gi-normous swim clubs, and we usually only swim against one of them in a season.  And it's usually our ONLY loss, but last night we WON.  

What's really nice about that is that our team has the reputation for being really good sports.  Our coaches have stressed sportsmanship over winning for the past 12 years.  They make sure that every kid who gets out of the water shakes the hand of the swimmer(s) next to him and congratulates him on a good race.  That makes all the headaches of swim team worthwhile to me.

~2~

My two oldest are back in College Town, so it is quiet here again.  I miss seeing their faces and chatting with them, but it sure makes grocery shopping a lot easier!  :-)

~3~

The poison ivy misery is abating.  Thanks for all the tips and tricks.  The best tip is the benadryl at night so I can sleep!!  There's nothing like a good night's sleep.  I've put Domeboro compresses on; I've kept Caladryl lotion on the spots; and I've taken an oatmeal bath.  I can't say what has done the most good, though.  I should have been scientific and tried one remedy on each limb (because there are 4 affected limbs!), but I'd rather just have them all better instead of one still-super-itchy limb!  If you know what I mean.

If you want to know what my case was NOT like, you can check out the Poison Ivy Hall of Fame.   But don't look at the Mother of All Rashes whatever you do!  If you do, though, you have to check out the "after" pick.  It's almost as bad!

~4~

While I was suffering through the poison ivy, I was reading Adrift, and thinking about what a total wimp I am.  That man suffered some serious skin sores from being in the salt water so much.  Not to mention everything else:  the fear, the loneliness, the hunger, the exhaustion, the thirst.  

I find it incredible how strong the urge to survive is in the human being.  What gives someone the will to survive when it would be so much easier to just go Home to the Father Who created us and live in eternal peace and happiness?  Aside from the obvious desire not to leave your loved ones who depend on you, what is it?

~5~

Betty Beguiles has Harry Connick, Jr. on her blog today.  Who do you have a music crush on?  For me, it's Michael Buble.  My current favorite, and not because he's cute.  I could (and do) listen to him all day long---at least when I'm in the car.  This is the best song; Little Princess asks for it repeatedly and I oblige because it makes me think of my hubby.  Not the part about "just haven't met you yet" but about how we're gonna be so amazin' together and work it all out!

~swoon~

I love how everyone in the video is dancing about true love!

~6~

Number 6, but it's really an addendum to Number 5.

One of things I love about that song is that he says he's going to "give so much more than I get." It reminds me of all our years of teaching Pre-Cana wedding preparation, and telling young couples that marriage isn't 50-50, but 100-100. You've got to give 100% or 110%, and not count how much your spouse is giving. Keeping score is never good for a marriage.

I hope Michael finds the right girl and has a lasting marriage. He has a good chance if he really believes what he's singing about! Too often you hear couples saying they don't do this or that for the other because "he doesn't do it for me!" That's sad.

~7~

I'm glad I'm at 7 here. I don't know what this will look like when I'm done, but from where I'm sitting, Blogger is separating words in the middle. No hyphens. No moving the word down to the next line as usual, just splitting it up wherever he feels like it. Making me look stupid.

Oh, all those spelling errors and obviously missing words? They're probably Blogger's fault, too.

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I hope y'all have an amazin' weekend!

Check out Jen's for more philosophical Quick Takes