Totally random, unrelated things recently capturing my attention...

It's been a crazy week. Crazy month. I think I could safely say, even, that it's been a crazy year. Or maybe I just have a crazy life and have only recently grown aware of that fact. At any rate, things have seemed jumbled and mismatched lately. Kind of like my thoughts. Kind of like this:

• The Cubs are in first place in the National League Central. The (former world champion--hey, was that just last year?) Cardinals have been ELIMINATED. The Brewers are 2 games back. And...correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it September? Aren't we supposed to be in last place by now? Or so goes the Cardinal fan's favorite slam.
• Some of my friends and I had a rummage sale today. First one I've had in probably almost 20 years. Now I remember WHY I quit having rummage sales. (I've been told by a "foreigner" to the Midwest that "rummage sale" is a silly name...it should be "garage sale" or "yard sale". Well, we had this one in the garage and the yard, but we sold "rummage", not the garage or the yard, so...I'm stickin' with "rummage sale". Or maybe "grummage sale"--I've grown fond of that new word, coined just for the occasion. Just don't call it a "tag sale", please--no one's selling tags.) Whatever you want to call it, I made almost $250 today, so I'm happy. And I now have 8 beautiful, formerly-full RubberMaid Rough Totes just waiting to be filled with stuff priced for the next sale.
• I was reminded Thursday of a friend who died 15 years ago. To this day, his death remains one of the experiences that has affected me most profoundly. I know he suffered and I know he had bad days, but I've never seen anyone face the dying process with such courage and grace and beauty. I've always been grateful that God allowed me to be part of his life...and I've always been grateful to my friend for allowing me to walk part of the way with him on that journey...and now I'm grateful for being reminded again of his beautiful life.
• NakedPastor, one of my daily blog reads, has been saying some pretty thought-provoking stuff lately. He is a pastor I admire most deeply because of his transparencies--he's not afraid, even, of admitting his (gasp!!) doubts about faith issues/God. He challenges me. He says things I've thought and were too afraid to admit that I'd thought them. It's pretty validating, actually, to hear that other people are stumbling through life just like I am. This "body" of ours tends to lean toward pasting on the happy mask and pretending things are "JUST GREAT!!!!" when they're anything but. Thanks, David, for tearing off your mask...your actions are giving me permission to peel another layer of my own back and see what's really lurking behind the false face(s).
• I was given a truly amazing gift last night. My friend Mack, who is eight, is a Cubs fan, too. He had four Ryne Sandberg baseball cards and he knows that Ryno is my ALL-TIME favorite baseball player (I even have a Sandberg jersey). Mack gave me one of his Sandberg baseball cards...out of the blue. Just because. No pomp and circumstance, no pretty wrappings, no "hey, look what I'm doing"--he just quietly walked up and matter-of-factly handed it to me. I cried. Pretty sure *I* learned a lesson last night. I think we could all stand a few lessons like that.
• I have a great life. Things are pretty tough right now, for a variety of reasons which are truly beyond my control, but all in all, I'm grateful for most of it. And glad I don't feel like a hypcrite when I wear one of my "Life is Good" shirts.
• I like bulleted lists. Makes me feel very "Erin-ish". ;-)
• That's all.
• For now.
• Stay tuned.
• For more.
• :-)