Crooked Thanks

Hello friends.

A very blessed Tuesday to you all.

The house smells like Pumpkin from pies baking in the oven and the kids are ALMOST done with school for the day.

At 4 o'clock.

School has become a joint thorn in the flesh with our new recycling bin.

Yes, recycling is stressing me out these days.

For whatever reason we were given a Recycling bin from the city and now we are tree hugging, milk jug rinsing fools.

In one month's time we have vacillated from not giving a care in the world about the plastic in our world to leaving piles of paper and plastic around the kitchen because if we can save one sea turtle by golly we will.

And because the city didn't give me a lovely little "under the sink blue bin," the counter and floor have continual remnants of earth saving material.

AND because good help is hard to find these days, the child who has been assigned garbage duty will inevitably claim temporary insanity when I tell them that I will no longer wade through cereal boxes.

And so it goes.

Saving the planet is hard.

One small wrapper for man, one giant leap for recycling.

And I am making lists and checking them twice and forgetting that my older ones can access my amazon prime account which is the only thing giving me the warm fuzzies with 38 shopping days left til Christmas.

Days when you find yourself in the middle of dishes and asking yourself, "Does my daughter have dry skin, oily skin or combination skin?" before ordering a present.

Just this afternoon I had to bribe son number three to help me shove a ginormous amazon box up the stairs and into my room from son number two like we were accomplices in some murder gone wrong.

THIS, THIS is why pumpkin spice and every thing nice is a thing.

Us Mamas are grabbing all the whipped, spiced lovely we can these days.

THIS is why Moms just ask for a robe and slippers for Christmas.

Because by then we just don't care anymore.

(Oh that actually made me laugh out loud!)

These are days of crooked thanks.

A sweet new friend of mine gave me an adorable gift bag complete with a sign that says, "Thankful." It's simple and wonderful and in a perfectionistic attempt to correct the base a bit, I broke the whole sign in two.

What can I say, making pies has been wonderful strength training....

Anyway, I set it back into the base and watched it overcorrect to the left leaving me something to laugh at just when I am getting dinner from the oven.

Crooked thanks.

A little sign reminding me that sideways, mumbled, fumbled or even off-kilter, thanks is always a good idea.

Thanks for the food that passes out of the fridge, into the fridge and then finally into the garbage when no one wants reheated spaghetti for a third time.

Thanks for school being done- just before dinner- but done none the less. We live to fight another battle another day.

Thanks for husbands who text you to tell you they are bringing you lunch while you swallow the first bite of lunch you already made yourself and then excitedly gift to your son who just told you he was starving.

Thanks for clean hot towels for the next hot shower and for your one that you futilely try to convince that if they cannot remember when their last shower was, it has already been too long.

Thanks for phone texts that say, "I miss you, " "I'm praying for you," and "Can you please have someone bring me some toilet paper downstairs?"

Thanks for new recipes that call for cream cheese, and for return policies when the things you ordered don't fit because of cream cheese.

Thanks for tights your puppy scratched a hole in.

Thanks for aprons a thoughtful daughter bought before leaving for her second year that feel like hugs each time I wear them.

Thanks for the ability to wrap the apron string all the way around the back and tie it in the front like some professional chef making me think that you never can have too much cream cheese anyway.

Thanks for plenty of yarn and plenty of Hallmark Christmas movies and for metal knitting needles that "ping" under the couch when you drop them for the 5,000th time so you can find them easy-peasy.

Thanks for the fact that no one but me sees the hole in my shirt where I couldn't bear the tag a minute longer.

Thanks for the pile of wood behind the couch for "trim" in the future that has made two trips out to the shop when we didn't want company to see them just sitting there that I am now feeling quite fond of. (sorry Honey, I couldn't resist.)

Thanks for cat naps on husband's arms who are only home because they know that their wife is two seconds from running away and living at Dunkin' Donuts, but pretend that they have heaps of computer work to do so you can sleep on them.

Thanks for kids who ask you a million times what you want for Christmas and each time you just tell them you need a whisk when you would also like a trip to the Bahamas.

Thanks for pine sol under your cabinets, some way guaranteeing you to never become a hoarder.

Thanks for google, your only hope now that you have officially lost the directions for the casserole you are supposed to be serving in an hour.

Thanks for Andes mints that feel like a whole box of presents you unwrap for yourself.

Thanks for Duolingo for trying to teach your youngest the difference between "woman" and "cheese" in Spanish.

Thanks for the hilarity that is your dog in a sweater. It's just the best.

Thanks for home and thanks for fireside..... (That has been rolling around in my head this whole time!)

Thanks for kids who keep forgetting to cut their fingernails and the odd security it brings if someone were to break in our home. With those pinkies, no intruder will last very long.

Thanks for coffee dregs that become fun iced coffee because you make it that way instead of being sad that it got cold....... again.

Thanks for friends who love you even when you don't remember their birthday but you sure mean well.

Thanks for breaks in school because Mom needs help deciding how bright of shoes daughter number one really wants for her birthday.

Thanks for Scripture that reminds this fickle heart that God deserves our praise no matter if that stain comes out of the comforter or not.

Because the mercy of God, the withholding of what this sinful heart deserves, should be celebrated.

Psalm 136: O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:

9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:

11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:

12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:

14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:

15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:

20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:

21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:

22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Before you let "Bah Humbug" sneak in, give some crooked thanks for all the wonky, the broken, the mismatched and the weirdness that is your normal goodness.

The goodness of God.