Leisure – Marilyn R. Gardner

“Mom, you have your heels off!” this from my daughter. She turned to her friend “That means my mom is really relaxed. She usually has her shoes on.”

It’s true. Practically the minute I get out of bed I put my shoes on. It’s a thing I do. I have to be ready for what comes my way, for the day.

Having my heels on says “She’s ready. She’s armed. She can do this thing called life!”

And my kids have realized this: Mom rarely takes her heels off – there’s always something to do, somewhere to be, something to think.

But right now I have my heels off. I have taken off my heavy backpack, kicked off my trusty ‘buy one get one half off’ Payless heels that take me through the streets of Boston, from home to work to church to people. I have a son and daughter-in-law visiting and time away from work. There is time to rest and read; time for long, sunset walks and sleeping in, time to reflect and pray.

A time to remember my “God-given desire for the Divine”.

Taking off our heels and staying awhile is a gift and I know that. I will cherish this and soak in the moments.

So this weekend, whereever you are – I hope you can take off your heels and stay awhile.

O Lord Jesus Christ, open Thou the eyes of my heart, that I may hear Thy word and understand and do Thy Will, for I am but a sojourner upon the earth- St John Chrysostom

It’s felt like a long week! With a weekend – that ‘oh so favorite time for the middle class’ – comes our weekend wrap-up.

On Malnutrition and World Hunger: This is a big topic for me. I feel it in my gut and several times a week read a blurb or article on malnutrition in the developing world. The question asked in the linked article is whether fortified rice can be a game-changer in the fight against malnutrition. The irony of course is that I now live in a country where our biggest health problem is obesity….that’s a hard one. Read Cambodia: The Game Changer Against Malnutrition and let us know what you think of the issue and the article!

On hate: – There’s disagreement….and then there’s hate. Is it possible to disagree with someone and yet not hate them? Absolutely. But what I often hear about President Obama is pure venomous hate. Is this racially motivated? It’s a hard question – it’s an important question. Take a look at this article and see what you think – Hating President Obama (in Jesus’s Name). “But it is possible to disagree and challenge with respect. And if you can’t conjure up respect, you can at least disagree and challenge without being hateful.” from the article.

On College Costs: As a mom of 5 this is a soapbox topic for me – college costs and school loans. Here’s one man’s take on how to get what he affectionately calls his 10 K-B.A. The comments are all over the map in this one so don’t read too far! But what do you think of college costs and the dilemma of higher education? Weigh in through the comments after you read My Valuable, Cheap College Degree.

On Saying Goodbye to Adult Children: The GypsyNesters are a couple that are living an unconventional and wonderful empty nest life — instead of pining for the days with kids, they are embracing a life of adventure as ’empty nesters’. This article is a great look at saying goodbye to adult children. Take a look at Post-Parting Depression: Saying Goodbye to My Adult Kids and see what you think.

On Downton Abbey: What if the episode were Facebook updates? Take a look at this hilarious Facebook recap of Season 3, Episode 1.

Most interesting comments on the blog: These came from Cab Driver Conversations. Turns out that there are many of you who have had interesting conversations with cab drivers. Two links below are from a reader who blogs at Outasiteoutamind. I love these two stories!

1. http://outtasiteouttamind.com/2012/02/15/global-litter/
2. http://outtasiteouttamind.com/2012/11/05/on-american-progress/

On the same article Pari commented “We all have a little drama, many short stories and at least a novel in each of our lives.” If you haven’t had an opportunity, take a look at the comments on the article. They are proof that the readers of CAB are amazing!

On my bedside table: Oops! No changes from last week! First They Killed My Father and Crime and Punishment call out to me by day and by night!

I’d also love to know what have you been reading. Feel free to share and link in the comments and with that, Have a great day!