all the small things

kids...its been hot, here in the south.

i think i've mentioned my gratitude once or 10 x's, that our little elderly furnace that could, managed to still pull it together and hum right along this winter. and possibly even more so, my thanks for the used a/c we got from a former coworker of jasons' before the summer weather set in. she's been a faithful little beige box of cool, refreshing air, planted squarely in our living room window.

for those of you unfamiliar with the perks of the mobile home elite, may i be the first to school you on how well box units work in these little babies. the general rule of thumb, is that they don't. now, they try. and they give a valiant effort, God bless 'em, but its kinda like putting ice in the oven, kids.

still, i can't bring myself to complain. tho it seems to stay a consistent 97 throughout the rest of the house, i've been so eternally grateful for that occasional burst of cool, when i pass thru here.

so. grateful.

for reasons that are many, and, might i add, boring, and laced with financial grievance, we're not in the position to install central heating and air just now...nor are we in the position to pop in at lowes and grab a 2nd window unit. tho i've had mad fantasies. i won't lie.

so i came home from work friday night and paused to visit with my elderly neighbor behind us. I'd given her some bread starter along with some samples, and we chatted about recipes and the weather and our flower-pot-gardens.

i was turning to leave when out of the blue she asked if we could use another air conditioner. i stopped dead in my tracks. i think the earth stood still. she said her grandson had given her one when she moved in, and she's not used a/c in years as she tends to stay cool and much prefers an open window or fan. she invited jason right on over to take it off her hands and wouldn't take a penny for it.

you guys.

my bedroom is currently cool. with a glorious vapor of coolness wafting down the hall and through the bathroom and bella's room.

its like a miracle, the awesomeness of it all. and way better than even lemonade....yah, sophie?

and as if that weren't enough, while checking email today, i received the kindest, most gracious and sincere letter from Molly Barker, the founder of Girls On The Run. i was entirely humbled that she'd not only taken the time to visit my blog but sought me out via email and shared in my concern that no girl be turned away. I can't tell you what an inspiring and genuine woman she is, or how encouraging her letter was to me.

and i'm reminded that no part i play is ever too small. sometimes, i think i get caught up in the big picture and forget that the tiny attention to detail and reaching out right where i am, can make all the difference in the world.

i really encourage you to look into her program and visit her blog here .

goodnight, friends.