She's being put out to pasture.... Scratchin' the Surface is getting to be an old gal, as blogs go. She's also pretty stuffed, with 500 posts, so she's closing shoppe, turning out the lights, etc.

If you have any interest in hearing what's on her author's heart, you can go here: Life of GRITS. She's still a work in progress, with no defined 'tone', but I'm hoping to keep it light, encouraging and upbeat. Hope to see you there, down in the deep south!

Labels: Busy Buzz

I'm feeling the need for a break from blogging right now. It's seeming to take a lot of effort, and so maybe it's good to take some time off from it. I'm not sure when I'll be back, maybe after a bit of sipping apple cider or coffee with pumpkin creamer, baking cookies, getting some projects off the list, time with family and friends.

When it feels right, I'll be back. In the meantime, enjoy the season - the show put on by our turning leaves is more glorious every day.

Labels: Glimpse of the Heart

DH and I went and saw this after church tonight. G.O. S.E.E. I.T. It was just fabulous, and you don't want to miss it - whether your marriage is fabulous or struggling or somewhere in between. I can't rave about it enough. Bring kleenex, for you and your spouse - it was that good.

I also bought the book referred to in the movie, 'The Love Dare'. I think it's available at Barnes and Noble and Borders for $11.99, and you can also check out the website, www.fireproofmymarriage.com for some great date ideas, hotlines, etc.

I would have seen this even if they weren't serving popcorn!

Labels: Busy Buzz, Family Affair, Glimpse of the Heart

We've been planning a slumber party - with our 2 year old grandson - for a few weeks. His parents had an out of state, work required trip planned and we were to have him with us for the first 36 hours, before the second set of grandparents took him away for slumber party, part 2.

The night before Jeremy and Leslie were to fly away, Landon took a spill down a flight of steps. Indoors and carpeted, but still he wailed long and loud. He's right at that 'I Do It M.Y.S.E.L.F.' stage and had gotten pretty good at managing the steps inside his home. Unfortunately his Go Diego Go shoes didn't go quite as fast at the upper part of his body and he took the fast way down. Because he was still using the arm, didnt seem to favor it, etc. they decided it was probably just a bit tender and would be fine.

I dropped them at the airport and our adventure began. We met Papa for lunch, and when Landon took a tumble running down the hall of the office, all the while chanting 'Run, Papa, Run' he seemed more upset than normal.

We decided to go out for pancakes, Landon's dinner request. At the restaurant, when I rolled up his sleeve so he could dip his pancake in syrup he cringed and I could feel his little wrist pop.

We headed home, and Landon played with Dublin and Dan's old dinosaurs while Don and I watched the beginning of the debate. There was a casualty early on in the evening when Dublin chewed up Mr. Farmer from the Fisher Price set that has lived at our house for a good 20 years.


After putting on his sock monkey pajamas, reading a book about horses, lots of snuggles and kisses and prayers, I tucked him in. The list of instructions his momma sent made it easy, and Landon didn't seem to mind that I read the lines as I sang to him. He didn't seem to mind my off-key singing either.


If you add up the sleep he and I got, together, it likely would not equal a good night for one person. He didn't cry. Rather I woke up to "Al-le-lu-wa, Al-le-lu-wa!' coming through the monitor loud and clear at 2:30 am, and "Row Row Row Your Boat' at 4:30 am. He wasn't upset, he just wasn't sleeping and this kid normally could win the sleeping Olympics. When I gently took off his pj top this morning, very slightly pulling on the sleeve, and he winced, I decided he probably should go to Urgent Care, just to be sure.

Six x-rays later, they were sure. He broke two bones in his left wrist. He hadn't favored his arm because his arm didn't hurt, just his wrist. So he has a temporary cast, and a sling, and when you add the runny nose from the cold he woke up with this morning, he looks a bit pitiful. Monday morning Mom and Dad will take him to get a more permanent cast, but this temporary one relieved the pressure on his wrist, and the bear and multiple giant Bob The Builder Stickers didn't hurt either. As soon as the temporary cast was on, he went through the Urgent Care office, giving everyone hugs and even a kiss here and there. Except for the two x-ray technicians who were the source of his pain. He wouldn't even look at them.

We came home and had ice cream for lunch, before Grammy #2 picked him up to take him away for the remainder of the weekend. I feel badly for his Momma and Daddy - it's bound to be hard to be far away when your little one is hurt. Hopefully they'll have an adult version of ice cream, or maybe just ice cream, for lunch today.

So the slumber party started well, the middle was a bit rough, but it had a good ending. Before I shut my eyes tonight, which will be about three hours earlier than normal, I'll be sending up a prayer for a little boy, his other grammy and his parents too - five years from now it'll make for a good story, but right now we all feel much like I remember feeling, after slumber parties when I was about thirteen years old, and we stayed up the whole live-long night, freezing each others' bras, and playing Quiji board or calling all the boys in our class and hanging up when they answered the phone. I did take his photo because of course everyone needs to capture on film their first slumber party broken bone!

Labels: Family Affair

Labels: 5 Minutes for Books