Tea Time

This is a quote from a tea bag container I found. It was peppermint tea.

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea."
Bernard Paul Heroux
1900's Basque philosopher

When I have a major problem, I pray first, then often enjoy a cup of  hot tea.

Smiles,
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com

10,000 Steps

There's a 10,000 steps per day contest being held at the gym. We have a highway posted on the wall with many city/state markers as destinations on our road trip up the east coast. Each participant has a sneaker with her name on it. The sneaker is moved as we travel the highway with our individual step counts. We get these counts because each player wears a pedometer and tries to walk 10,000 steps per day. Weekly, we email the step count to the contest manager. (I think 1,000 steps equal a mile on the road.) Then, the manager moves each sneaker on the road that travels up the east coast and back. It's fun to see the sneakers move along the road.
I confess that my sneaker is not making maximum progress. First, I misplaced my pedometer. Then, I found it, but dropped it into the toilet. It took a couple of days to dry it out and get it working again. Some days, I forget to wear it.  As of today, I'm the third sneaker away from the start line. I've not made much progress. I think I'll get up now and walk around the house a bit to get a few extra steps on my count. I may not win the race, but I don't plan to quit.
Smiles,
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Broken Mirrors

I have a habit of using a hand mirror to check out the back and sides of  my hairstyle in the wall mounted bathroom mirror. However, in the last five  months, I've managed to break four hand mirrors. No, they didn't break because of my appearance. (Heading my fun-loving, good-natured, teasing brothers and friends off at the pass.) The mirrors broke for other reasons:
I had wet hands when I picked up one mirror, so it slipped and fell to the floor.
I placed one mirror on the edge of the bathroom sink. Then, I turned and knocked it off accidentally.
I had scalp oil on my fingers, picked up the mirror, and it slid out of my fingers.
I can't remember how I broke the fourth mirror, but I recall sweeping up the pieces.
When I was in grade school, the saying was that if one broke a mirror, that person would be cursed with seven years of bad luck.
I'm thankful that being in Christ frees us from the bondage of superstition.
Take care,
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com

EVOO Check

I may be a little late to the party, but I do try to eat a significant amount of pure foods. So, an article about how pure some foods are, according to the food labels, caught my attention. I remember mostly the part about extra virgin olive oil. One test for checking the purity of extra virgin olive oil is mentioned. (It seems that  some olive oil brands have other less expensive oils mixed in, yet are labeled and sold as extra virgin olive oil.) The test: refrigerate the EVOO you purchased. If it thickens, it's pure. If it doesn't, your olive oil may have been joined with a less expensive oil, like corn oil. Don't laugh, but I just bought some EVOO from a 100 pennies store, and I'm going to put it in the fridge right now...
Smiles,
Sylvia

Waiting

For me, waiting is not always an easy thing to do.  However, as I mature, I get better at distracting myself when I have to wait.
When I was much younger, I used to hate to wait for a phone call from a boy I liked. I would sit by the house phone and grab the receiver at the first ring. If the call was for someone else in my family, I'd often dispense of the caller with a polite, "He/she can't come to the phone right now. I'll tell him/her you called."  I needed to have that phone line free so my crush could get through. (Of course, this was before the era of  cell phone and other such communications technology.)
Today, I'm waiting for the post office to redeliver a parcel package. I want to get it in my hands and sign for it because what's inside is a ring that's special to me. The postman didn't leave it here on the first delivery because no one was home to sign for it.  The postal service said it would be redelivered today. I've been inside the house all day, waiting. I don't want to miss the delivery again.  But, it's 3:44 pm, and my package hasn't arrived yet. I'm going to pray for more patience. Then, I'm getting on the phone to see if I can locate my package. Thankfully, I'm growing with the waiting process, so I'm not yet agitated. I do, however, want my package today.
Smiles,
Sylvia

Lottery Ticket

While I waited in a supermarket line this week, I noticed a man walk to the customer service counter. He appeared to be in his early thirties.  He was casually dressed in jeans, tee shirt, sandals, and a cap. He was pleasant, but  his request to the lady at the counter was unusual.
"Is there anything, any work I can do around here to earn a lottery ticket?"
The lady looked puzzled.
He repeated the request.
The lady said, "We don't do that type of thing here at this store."
He replied,"I just thought I'd ask. I just lost my wallet, so..." "Thanks anyway."
Then he walked out. He was still pleasant.
It just seemed odd to me, as well as to the others standing nearby.
Smiles,
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Ladies' Night In

I spent the night with two wonderful senior citizen ladies not long ago.  One  is in her early eighties and the other one is nearing that age, but I don't speak with her too  much about that fact. I've known her long enough to know better. Both of these faithful Christians are widows, one has been for some years and one became a widow recently. I thought it might be fun for us to get together at one house, have some coffee and snacks in our pajamas/nightgowns, relax, and enjoy each the company.
These beloved ladies are both sweet and feisty. They have finely-honed nonsense detectors and have no patience for those who use the Bible inappropriately.  The conversation was lively and fun. We had sound debates while we watched an NFL game. I only remember that Michael Vick was in it, and his team didn't win, but I don't usually watch football. They insisted I stay in the room with them for chatting, so  I did. In between plays, they talked about the old days. They reasoned like righteous sages. Their minds are sharp. They miss their spouses, but they soldier on. They are faithful warriors. I'm thankful to have had the pleasure of a night in their presence.
Living  and learning,
Sylvia
www.sylviabrownroberts.com