SLE

Yesterday I went to a middle school step and dance competition. The Sophisticated Lady Eagles step team was competing so, of course, I had to go! A few of my sixth graders wanted to attend the competition so I brought them along. SLE didn't have the largest fan base present but the girls put on a show and ended up winning first place.

I work with these middle schoolers (read: children) thus this post is primarily visual.

Love. True Love.

Have two dogs ever loved each other as much as ours do? I think not.

Thursday night Peter was playing tennis, so I decided to be a pantry scavenger and find something to bake. Hidden in the depths of our fridge was a bag of cranberries and a blood orange; in our pantry I found 2 half used bags of pecans and a half used bag of walnuts. So I made muffins. After putting my cranberry-orange-nut muffins in to bake, I walked into the living room. It felt like I was interrupting something when I found the dogs in the above position.

6AM Surprise

One morning a week I leave the house extra early, around 6:00, so I can get some work done. {I elect to do this work in the morning; though I suppose, if I wanted, I could do it anytime of the day}. On these particular mornings I treat myself to a lattè from Starbucks. It's an obvious splurge but once a week seems reasonable.

This morning as I left my car and walked into the store, I noticed another patron hurriedly walking in. Since she appeared to be in a rush, I slowed down so that she would be ahead of me in line. It was in that line that the following occurred-

Fast Walking Lady: "I'd like a caramel macchiato with soy; no whip. And I'd like to get a multi-grain bagel. Also...,"she turned around to me as she said, "I'd like to get your drink. What will you have?"
Me: "Oh, you don't have to do that." {In retrospect I'd like to say to myself, "Of course she doesn't have to buy your drink! What a silly reaction!"}
Fast Walking Lady: "I know. But I'd like to."
Me: "Wow. Thanks. I'll have a venti nonfat lattè."
Fast Walking Lady: "It's my birthday and it makes me feel nice to do things for others."

We chatted for a bit as we waited for the drinks. Evidently she is into yoga and for her birthday will be treating herself to a weekend yoga retreat. After the drinks were made I thanked Fast Walking Lady again and we parted ways.

When Peter and I were in Clemson and attending NewSpring, Perry frequently mentioned simple acts of anonymous generosity: paying for the food of the people behind you in the drive through, picking up the check for friends dining at a different table in a restaurant {that haven't noticed you}. The notion sounded so fantastic; but I always thought, "Surely in the real world people don't do things like that for each other." But they do! Although Fast Walking Lady wasn't quite anonymous, she has certainly given me some encouragement about the real world.