The Schlatt Family

 When we moved into our house, almost 4 years ago, we "inherited" an immense amount of immaculate landscaping. Apparently, according to the neighbors, the family who lived here had one adult child and the mom used to spend 2-3 hours a day in the yard, planting, tending and maintaining all the amazing-ness that was her garden. We have 3 young children, lots of neighbors who come to play, and a mom who does not have 2-3 hours a day to spend planting, tending and maintaining the garden. Maintaining the laundry, perhaps, but not the garden. So our grass has worn thin in a few spots, particularly where the trampoline used to sit. The yard has randomly dug holes that fill when it rains and become much loved mud puddles. The "orchard" in the back has lost apple trees due to wind storms, lack of pruning and general enthusiasm for tree climbing, even when you've been told a hundredy-million times that those trees are too young to climb. (But mom! The old trees are too ta...

 I was standing in Drinklings, one of our local coffee shops the other day... a shop where I don't have to say "Oat milk, please" because they know me well enough to know about my food allergy... a shop where they ask me if everything is okay if I order tea instead of coffee because they know my normal preferences... a shop where they ask if I want a "real cup" when I'm by myself but they don't even bother when I've got the kids with me because they know I need a to-go cup with a lid just in case somebody hits my drink with a stray elbow. I was standing there, waiting for my Lavender Oat milk Latte, when I looked down at the "frequent customer punch card." And I realized, in the very near future, I will have a half-filled punch card that doesn't get redeemed. When we leave Wilmore in a few months (prayerfully and Lord willing), I will probably have a half-full card still in my wallet that I won't be able to use since I don't kno...