Just last week I told all of you that I'm slowing down, doing things differently. A whole new way of living. That's the plan. I just took a little detour. I've actually been 1200 miles away from home all week, in my home state of Texas.

My oldest daughter, Sarah, wrote a post about her sister, Leslie, moving back to Pennsylvania, where I am. Leslie and Jeremy listed their house, and in spite of the crummy housing market it sold in 16 days. There was a little catch, they had to be out within two weeks. While they're both working full time, teaching school, with a 7 month old. When Leslie and I were having our weekly Saturday morning chat, I could tell it was a bit intense at her house. She and the baby were sick, they had one week to be moved out, still didn't have a place to move, no storage, no boxes, just a hope, a prayer, and the beginnings of a plan. I hung up the phone and checked airline prices online. Then I asked my husband if he could think of any good reason I couldn't fly out and give them a hand.

Silly man, he thought I meant I'd fly down there this past week, instead of next week, when we are scheduled to go to Texas, for a big birthday party for a little peanut of a girl.

I explained that would be a separate trip, one having nothing to do with the other. So, in my new easy going, spontaneous mode of living, this past Saturday (a week ago) I booked a reservation to fly out two days later, Monday evening. I'm now back home again. Man alive what a week! It ended up involving most of the family in one way or another, but we packed up their entire house, moved them out, cleaned the place, got them into a fully furnished two bedroom apartment for the next six weeks, all in 3 1/2 days.

It wasn't necessarily pretty.

We didn't necessarily act or smell nice the entire time.

I told my three girls all about the new plan to be more of a Mary than a Martha, then I went and worked like a dog, but with a Mary heart. It made all the difference. I did devotions every single day before I grabbed boxes and markers. I listened to praise music and drank sweet tea while I packed. My sense of humor held up most of the time. Sarah and I hung out at Barnes and Noble for over an hour (bless your pea-picking heart, Chris, for that little gift). I read books with the grandkids, met the new hamster, saw Chris' and Sarah's new patio, ate some marble slab with Dan and Janae and met their new puppy, sat up late with Leslie and Jeremy for heart to hearts, and rocked and kissed grandbabies here and there. It was a great, hard, tiring week for all of us. Working really hard is good for us, now and then. So are massages.

I'm back home, in PA. They're moved into their apartment, where we all had breakfast this morning. The three kids, their spouses and children, went to church, then dinner together tonight, and a barbeque tomorrow, trying to squeeze in all they can before Leslie and her family finish the last leg of the move, back to Pennsylvania. Because we tend to create a completely insane life now and then, Don flew to Colorado this past Thursday (while I was in Texas) to visit his Mom, and he's flying home late tomorrow night.

That leaves me home alone ALL DAY TOMORROW. I have no plans. Well, that's not true. I may do some quilting, after I sleep as late as possible, and eat cinnamon rolls and drink coffee on my deck, with the paper and the pets. I plan to sleep a very long time.

I stopped at the church bookstore on my way home this evening. Dianne, at Unfinished Work was running it tonight. BLESS HER HEART. She is taking my early shift tomorrow morning, and letting me stay home and sleep. When she offered and I said no, she offered again. I am so grateful, truly. Then I came home and opened my mail, and one of my favorite commenters, Phyllis, sent me a package. I got to see her writing. Isn't there just something that makes a blogging friend seem more real if you hear their voice or see their writing. It was in polka-dot paper with a pink tulle bow. Tickled me pink, literally. xoxoxo

What makes all this crazy is Don and I are flying to Dallas THIS Wednesday (yes, 4 days) for Addison's first birthday party, and it's going to be a bash. It's also going to be the last time all of us are together in one place for quite awhile, so we plan to treasure every minute. Not that they're necessarily peaceful ones when we're together, but it's pleasant pandemonium. It's also sunny and 80 degrees there, and we're immensely looking forward to that.

I'm almost finished reading Worn Out Woman (it's great!). I've accumulated about 10-12 books on peace, restoring order, lifestyle, etc. I'll be back to post more about them later. You're going to want to order a few of them.

So, first lesson on this new journey: Sometimes you can be a Mary on the inside, but the outside looks a lot more like a Martha. That's okay. It's likely not an either or, but rather a little of both, that pleases the Lord, and soothes the soul.

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Labels: Glimpse of the Heart