Beware of Pre-pubescent Boys!

Yesterday I stopped at WalMart to put gas in my car. It was about 2:00 in the afternoon, the heat index was 112 degrees, and it's a week before school starts so there were lines of cars filled with kids going in all directions in search of school supplies. As I was getting back into my car I noticed a white mini van driving slowly towards the exit of the gas station. I wondered why she was driving so slowly until I saw the approximately 13 year old boy sauntering toward her. I suppose he had been to the bathroom. He grinned and waved at the driver, I'm guessing his mother. She came to a stop and he grinned and waved again and kept on walking. I just want to interject here that this age child, whether it's a boy or a girl, are walking disaster areas. As an experienced educator I can honestly say that's the hardest age to deal with for a mother, or a teacher! Reaching the end of her rope, she rolled down her window and screamed at him (and I do mean screamed) "get your a__ in this car!" Again, he grinned and waved and kept walking toward WalMart. She sat there as cars lined up behind her trying to get out. Finally she drove off and he kept walking. It was then that I noticed the symbols on the back of her car.....five Christian fish. A momma fish, a daddy fish, and three baby fishes lined up in a row. Oh dear. My sister has asked me many times in the past why I don't put a fish on the back of my car. There in that van lies the answer. Sometimes I can be really stupid. Sometimes I can get really angry at the guy talking on the phone, eating a hamburger, and driving with his foot....or at the woman texting, putting on mascara and driving with her elbow....and weaving ever closer to my lane. So far I haven't rolled down my window and screamed obscenities at them but then I'm not a too stressed mom with the worst possible age pre-puberty boy grinning and waving from outside the car at me, or with four little ones who are hungry and tired and needing new school clothes and a rediculously long list of supplies. What happened to the days of a pencil and notebook paper for heaven's sake! Back to my story. I'm a Christian. So was that lady in the van. But we also are human. We make mistakes. We do stupid things. All too often those stupid things are in a public forum. Sometimes we forget that others are looking at us and thinking...is that how a Christian acts? School starting ranks right up there with Christmas when it comes to stress for parents. The cost can be almost devastating in these economic times. Please join with me today in praying for all those parents trying to get kids ready for school. And please, if you see me acting like a fool, give me a gentle reminder of who I am, and who's I am.

Last Friday I drove over to Lafayette to The Borne Quilter and found this fabric - I bought it with this color background and also with a pink background.

I had the striped piece already so when I got home I made these three grocery/everything bags. Wow, was this fast and easy! I was wishing I had bought more fabric - unlike at home I don't have a stash here at the mission to draw from. If it wasn't 40 miles over there I'd have driven back yesterday! I didn't put pockets in them, though you certainly could. And I probably will on the next ones I make because I think they would make great overnight bags, sewing take-along bags, baby hold-everything-but-the-bassinet bags, or travel bags.

I'm still working on pincushions too - I've made an even dozen now! I have no idea what I will do with them except that they will probably end up like the bags above - gifts for people I love. :)