Happy Things

So many things to be happy about . . .

• "I'd pick you up." --Davey to Aunt Pat after I told her that it was difficult to picture her hitchhiking
• "I used to think of evangelism, when I was younger--like, last year . . ." --Ben Hol.
• "I didn't hear what the problem was." --Uncle Tim, after being asked to pray for someone with hearing loss
• Last year's graduating class from Fairwood fixing Sunday dinner for everyone
• Bobby complaining about Aaron singing in his "back ear"
• Gretchen, observing the sweet potatoes she had fixed for dinner: "They look like little fingers!"
  Mike H. (who grew and donated the potatoes): "Maybe they are!"
• "I don't think I even have to look up a Bible verse for that." --Ben Hol., on what God thinks about him worrying about whether people he witnesses to think he's cool
• "My God is so much more than about just things, but things are where He shows us that He is able." --Aunt June
• "It's like e-mail and computers--the spawn of Satan. If you work for the U.S. postal service, snail mail is king." --Dale N.
• Well, Dale N.'s whole meeting, especially the impersonations
• "Even though I sound nervous, I'm not really." --Linda N.
• The kaleidoscope of personalities and wisdom in women's meetings at Fairwood
• Sharing a dishwashing sink with Aaron [my 19-year-old cousin]
• A late-night house party with a variety of (mostly) 40-and-under people
• Ben Hol.'s disgusted reaction to Josh suggesting in meeting that we save the church money by cutting the Fairwood food budget and going back to pea soup and jello on Thursdays
• Having a God who looks at the impossible $11,000 you are asking for and sends $13,000+ a week before the deadline
• Hearing the guys howling in the woods after woodcutting when I was working at Aunt Linda's. Ben's explanation afterward: "It's our call . . . pack mentality . . . gotta stick together."
• Telling Craig that I like riding in roundabouts, not driving in them, and having him proceed to drive me around the Keene roundabout thrice
• Bobby thanking God for the cow that gave his life so that we could have steak for dinner
• Aaron thanking God for the "gustatory masterpieces" (at the same steak dinner)
• The camaraderie of Applesauce Day
• Late-night visits with Gretchen
• Having both Mary and Ruth encourage me to eat with the Bible School when they are on duty
• The Main House smelling alcoholic (because the grape juice jars came unsealed and the partially fermented grape juice had to be boiled down and re-canned)
• Clyde's response when I asked him if he could get me a car from the Manheim Auto Auction, where he is a part-time driver: "Well, I could bust you out one, but you'd have to fix the front end." (Um, that's not what I meant.)
• "Guys, two; girls, one!" --Bobby, in Friday testimony meeting
• "That is the reason a dictatorship works so much better than a democracy." --Mr. Hansen, after Gretchen had led organizing a church function. (Pauline P. immediately countered, "This was democracy.")
• What Mr. Hansen heard when Lisa talked to him before church: "My parents had a couple of prayer requests. They passed on . . ."
  Okay, that's the first prayer request, he thought. What's the other one?

And a few leftovers from family vacation in August . . .

• "Kendra's 32? She acts, like, younger." --Clyde
• "Aren't you glad I have [legs]?" --Kendra to Clyde
  Craig: "I don't know; jury's still out on that."
• "I'm changing!" --Clyde, mocking Kendra
  Craig: "I hope you change for the better."
• Chad, commenting on us waiting around outside the bowling alley for the party inside to end: "We do look kind of funny standing out here."
  Kayla: "Would it make you feel more comfortable if we were all smoking?"