just do it

dear emily,

i don't often post videos, because i don't think people really have time
for them.   they hop over here, because it's usually short and sweet . . .
or sour.

this is worth the time, i think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfVJT7rqc_0&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DCfVJT7rqc_0&nomobile=1

love,
lea

not a farmer

dear emily,

my dad grew up on a farm outside a tiny town in the panhandle of
oklahoma.    farming remained in his blood well after college and
medical school.    he was, in fact, the quintessential country doctor,
even though he always practiced medicine in the city.

he longed for the country and so bought 1,200 acres near our city.
to my horror, we became ranchers.   every weekend and for three
or four weeks each summer (our summer vacation,) we worked
cattle, rode horses, and hauled hay.   my dad relished the hard work
in the sunshine, as if doctoring 80 hours a week wasn't work.

as a teenager, the city held my heart.   i liked tanning at swimming
pools, shopping at clothing stores, and drinking diet dr. pepper with
vanilla at sonic.   my sympathy always fell with lisa douglas from
'green acres.'   why, oh why, did oliver make her leave the city?

while pulling stuck hay from the sharp blades of dad's tractor on a
105 degree day, imagining a rattle snake with every reach, noting
that dad was about five feet above all rattlers, i would sing,

"new york is where i'd rather stay . . . i get allergic smelling hay."

love,
lea

"ruth said to naomi,  'i would like to go and glean grain in the field
of anyone who will allow me . . . "  ruth 2:2

that time i ran away from home . . . as the mom

dear emily,

i'm not sure if shelby has told you this one, but six weeks before her wedding
i ran away from home.

all five kids were home the entire summer we planned her perfect day.    there
was constant activity, a little anxiety, and clamour . . . from me not shelby.
she was an angel.

it being my first wedding and all, i set the bar pretty high for myself, read
every book on wedding etiquette,  and still managed to make a gazillion
mistakes.    after lecturing telling my family to be sure to tip the delivery
man, i tipped an old family friend's daughter.   she was horrified.

my sister in law, in her deep southern accent,  said, "lea, while shelby is
writing all her thank you notes, you're writing all your apology notes."

the lady who ordered our invitations kept sending the lists back with "you
can NOT address a formal invitation with 'ma and pa kettle.'"

the door bell rang 100 times a day.   there were fittings and shootings.   i
shot the caterer, church photographer (not ace) , and wedding planner . . .
then i packed an over night back and left for the nearest hotel (it was either
that or the psych ward.)    my family received this text:   "i will be home
tomorrow,  maybe.   don't call or text me.   feel free to shoot anybody you
like."

love,
lea

ps.  "but jonah ran away from the Lord and headed to tarshish."  jonah 1:3

side effects

dear emily,

we were chuckling about a drug commercial during the NBA playoffs
with a horrifying list of side effects:  cancer, severe stomach bleeding,
death.   my son mumbled, "does anyone even remember what drug is
being advertised?"

even if we could, i was not likely to take it.   what ailment could be worse
than severe stomach bleeding or death?  allergies, itchy scalp, aching pinky
fingers?

our generation has become accustomed to taking drugs for everything, and
there's no telling what we have done to ourselves.   my recent addition is
calcium plus 1200 units of vitamin D.   my parents worked outside for
their vitamin D, which is just one reason they are called the greatest
generation.

we'll probably be called the wimpiest generation,
lea

"beloved, i pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good
health, just as your soul prospers."   3 john 1:2

my superpower

dear emily,

i have a new superpower,  but you may be wondering, "what are her
old superpowers?"  uh huh.

my new superpower is invisibility.   can you possibly imagine how
convenient this might be?   i could slip right in front of any line in whole
foods, AMC theaters, or the bank.    heck, i could rob the bank, and no
one would see me.

i'm as see-through as the very air i breathe . . . unless i'm under water.

it has been a gradual disappearance, so it only dawned on me recently
that i have become invisible.    a small disclaimer, though:   i am not
invisible to everyone.  for some reason, children can still see me.   they,
of course, have their own superpowers..

my secret?   skip the lipstick and tuh dah!   invisible.

oh the power,
lea

"so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.   for
what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  1 cor. 4:18