"5 Small Things Friday" No. 90

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight:

2. Hearing:

3. Smell:

4. Taste: Strawberries And Cream Smoothie

5. Touch: Church Bus Floor

The stories behind the list:

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4. The Tuesday before we left Chicago, we went again to that charming little ice cream place next to the church, one more time. I got a 'strawberries with cream' smoothie, and it was so yummy! I must have "flung a cravin'", as Mom says, on Jane and Toby, 'cause that's what they decided to get too.

5. Wednesday, on the way back from our mission trip to Chicago, I spent part of the 15-hour bus ride on the floor of the 15-passenger church bus, trying to catch up on lost sleep. On long church trips, the floor of the bus usually becomes littered with blankets, pillows, and napping young people. There's a good bit of squirming to get into a comfortable position without getting in others' space, and good-natured arguing for a turn at the largest sections of floor.
I love it when it's my turn. Not only is it a chance to get out of the uncomfortable seats and stretch out for a few minutes of rest, but it is a soothing experience in it's own way as well.
Wednesday as the miles passed beneath us on our way back South, I lay on the bus floor, and the hum of the tires was very near - a close, gentle, lulling, one-note tune. The highway vibrated soothingly and the wind of the northern flat lands caught the tallness of the bus and rocked it. My face was buried in my pillow, my light-weight blanket tucked up under my chin, and the floor of the friendly bus was warm under me as it hummed along, mile after mile, faithfully carrying us back 'home' as it had done so many times before. I felt so content, so at peace and rest, almost like I was being hugged by a dear trust-worthy friend and feeling their heart beat.

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 88

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: 'Fairy Lights' In The Neighbors' Yard

2. Hearing:

3. Smell:

4. Taste:

5. Touch:

The stories behind the list:

1. Our 'next-door' neighbors (who actually are about an eighth of a mile down the dirt road from us), are also the youth pastor and his family of the church The Grandparents attend. The road goes through their yard, kind of splitting it in half. They have a beautiful vegetable garden on the side across from the house, but that's irrelevant in this story.
I love to ride my bike. I love to ride my bike at night, by moon or starlight, along our dirt road. The other night I was riding my bicycle up to The Grandparents', and to get to their house, I pass the neighbors', whose is between ours and The Grandparents'. The neighbors have put out probably a dozen or more little solar-powered stake lights throughout their yard. The lights collect energy from the sun during the day, and then give off a twinkling blue-ish glow at night. There was no moon or starlight that night, but I know the road so well that I didn't really need it. As I rode past the neighbors' house, I felt like I was riding through a little fairy land. All the tiny blue lights glowed, scattered throughout the yard on either side of the road, twinkling cheerfully in the fresh night air.

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