Randoms for Friday <3

Randoms to end the week

Random #1

I wonder about dry cleaning businesses and how they are doing. 

With people working from home more and business casual now seeming to be more like weekend casual, I would imagine there are less people taking things in for special processing, washing and pressing. 

I worry about them. We try to take comforters in regularly just to make sure they have some business. What about you? Do you think about these guys? Just me? 

From this I also gravitate out to other businesses that have lost clientele with our shift in culture. The times, they are always a’changing.

Random #2

One new kind of business that is flourishing around here are what I call Starbucks spin-offs. They have different names but all give you the idea that they are into coffee and maybe tea with all manner of specialty options. 

Recently I mentioned to a friend of mine how I never have tried one of the newer ones as the line is double wide and loooonngggg…

She told me not to bother. 

She went through one morning and asked for a coffee. 

What kind of coffee, the drive-thru voice asked. 

Just black. 

There was a pause and then the voice said she wasn’t sure they had just black coffee. 

My friend had her turn to pause and then asked if she was kidding.

No, but she would double check with her manager. 

After a bit, she came back and said they thought they might be able to make on so my friend paid and pulled forward. 

She said it was the worst cup of coffee ever. 

We had a good laugh and also shook our heads wondering when black coffee became so difficult for a coffee shop to make. 

Random #3

This is extremely random but I thought of it the other day when I was walking our circle. 

In our old house, we had a beautiful walk along parts of the lake, big old trees and huge yards to view along the way. There was even a horse farm I passed. Always different but sometimes the path was sketchy because sidewalks were not included in the package. 

One particular curve around the lake had a bit of easement for pedestrians, but a blind curve for approaching cars enhanced prayer that any drivers were staying in their lane, bro. 

During a season of deep heartache for one of our children, I was walking and praying as I began the curve. 

Suddenly in my overactive and picture driven mind, I imagined a car careening around the corner, veering over the line. While I had rehearsed frequently my plan to hurtle over the guard rail into the weeds and rocks on the other side. 

In my imagination, I didn’t have time to make the leap and the car just plowed into me. It was all very real in my mind and yet there I was in the reality of the physical world, still upright and taking step after step. 

As I continued on, I marveled at the sensation of being shattered by a car and yet continuing to walk forward, propelling myself around the familiar path of my daily trek.

And it occurred to me that each of us in our family was living this out. 

We were shattered by the heartache and yet we walked on each day, doing the things that we had always done, managing to stay on task while we picked up the pieces of our hearts and figured out how to care for our wounded one. 

There have been other days and seasons when I have remembered this sensation. I am reminded often that others are also walking along, looking quite normal and pulled together on the outside while they scramble to gather the shards of a recent encounter with a hit and run. 

Let’s be kind to each other. 

Random #4

I know I expressed remorse over the early start of school, but anyone else getting tired of watering flowers???

They are so fun in the spring, but wow. They sure lose their appeal this time of year. 

Good thing the mums will be available quite soon! 

Random #5

Hope you have a great weekend. 

Do some fun things to embrace the last of summer! 

And remember when the heat is unbearable, it’s losing strength and we are on the cusp of crisp autumn just around the corner <3