Let’s go! Less than 24 hours until I check into my flight for Momcation!! Honestly, pretty soon I’ll be counting down the minutes. I cannot wait to spend a week relaxing and doing nothing with some of my favorite people. I’ve completed my packing list, so now I have to start packing. Well, first I should probably finish my laundry. Since I’m packing light, I’ve decided to bring no makeup. This is a big step even though I wore no makeup last year. I had it if I needed it.

Speaking of laundry, I love my new washing machine. It’s so quiet! Our old washer sounded like it was about to take off or vibrate through the wall. It was so loud that Athena would start barking back at it. Apparently, the loud washer presented a threat to all of our safety. It wasn’t a safety threat, but it was an annoyance. We would have to turn up the TV every time we did the wash. Now you can’t hear it all from the family room.

Speaking of things that need replacing, I’ve decided to hold off on replacing the broken bird feeder. Once I get back from vacation, I’m going to buy a feeder that includes a camera. Right now I can’t watch the birds unless I’m sitting in my living room. If I get a feeder that has a camera, I’ll be able to watch it from anywhere. Additionally, it will help us identify all the birds and animals that have become a part of our menagerie.

Idiom of the day: every path has its puddles.

Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.

When the boys were small, we would go grocery shopping at Target every Saturday morning. This particular trip had been particularly difficult with not one child cooperating. By the time I made it to the cash register, I was exasperated. I paid for my groceries and was about to leave when I realized I had forgotten to put the milk on the conveyor. By this time, the cashier was ready to move on to the next customer.

This beautiful older woman behind me in line must have seen the fatigue and exasperation on my face. Consequently, she immediately offered to put the milk on her ticket, so I didn’t have to get back in line. It was a small gesture and the milk cost a little over $2.00, but her kindness has stuck with me. Little acts of kindness go a long way.