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I have had two insightful thoughts this week. That's pretty much my max. Here they are:

1. There's a bill going to the Senate that will declare cell phone usage illegal while driving. Whoever came up this bill has not seen my driving skills. I can think of at least 20 million legal activities that I do while driving and most of them do not involve looking at the road. See this post for specific examples.

2. When seeing a doctor for the very first time, there are plenty of forms to fill out as a new patient. One question on those forms that always stumps me is, "In case of emergency, who should we contact?" I usually write my mom's contact information in that space, but honestly, why is this question even necessary. Afterall, I am at a doctor's office? Or even better, who does the doctor put as his/her emergency contact? That's who I want handling my emergency!

S got his very first hair cut this evening. The poor kid was growing a mullet (he takes after his Daddy). I used the clippers on him, not the way you might think. He doesn't have a buzz cut. I used the largest guard and it actually turned out quite handsome. He is my little big man and I love him so much. He is a soft, cuddly, happy, lovable, roly-poly little fellow. I want to squeeze him and bite his chubby cheeks. He is always smiling at me. Today when I got home from grocery shopping, he immediately crawled over to me and reached up to grab my leg. His face just shines with joy whenever I enter the room. It melts my heart. And now he has a very handsome little man hair cut and my heart just melts. Wow! I didn't know my heart could love so much.

This world lost a really great man yesterday. God decided to bring him home, even though to us it seems way too early. I will miss Bud, who my children called Papaw. He really loved his children, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren very much. He gave so much of his time, energy, love, and support to each of them in so many different ways. Here are just a few examples of the ways he took care of them and us:

He enrolled in a GED program with his daughter-in-law to give her support and encouragement in completing her education, as well as completing his own.

He gave his daugther and grand-daughter a place to live for nearly ten years when they were without a home.

He babysat his great-grandson every day so that his grand-daugther could complete her education without worrying about the care of her son.

He purchased vehicles for several family members who were unable to afford their own.

He gave his grown son and brother a temporary place to live when life's circumstances found them without homes of their own.

In his many years supervising employees at the Coca-Cola Company, he never asked his employees to do more than he would do himself. And many times he worked extra hours just so his employees could have more time with their own families.

The list goes on, but this just gives you a glimpse of the man that we called Papaw. I will miss him.

Well, the results from L's testing conclude that I am raising a "high-maintenance daughter who requires extra effort" (no joke - this is the exact words used to describe my "beautiful, precious girl"). This comes as no surprise to me. Nor does this qualify as a disability in the state of Tennessee. Go figure!

But really, all of this is really great news. L performed beautifully on all tests. She proved to be functioning in the average to above average range in almost all areas of development. It appears as though her sensory issues are not affecting her educational capabilities. The school's occupational therapist (OT) recognized many of L's sensory integration problems, but she also noticed how far L had come when she read over past OT evaluations in her file. This means that the past three months of OT has been working wonders. I can already tell a huge difference.

In addition, L's current OT will be conducting a sensory integration research project this Spring. She said L would be a great candidate for the project and she wants to include her. This would mean that L will get the same SI therapy that she's already getting, but during the 12-week project the therapy will be free of charge for us.

It's amazing how God has put all of these pieces together for us and has led us through this process!

Is the simple life really that simple? I don't know what made me think of this today. Perhaps it was when I was driving through the intersection that passes by the farmland before getting to our 300-home subdivision. Many times the owners of the farm will hitch horses to their farm equipment and do farming the "old school" way. I always think this really neat. As you approach the intersection, on one side is a brand new, brightly lit, state-of-the-art gas station and directly across the street is a white farmhouse surrounded by pastures. This is where the simple life and the complex life collide. When I see this sight it always makes me say, "Ahh, the simple life..." as I ponder the serenity of such a life.

And then I suddenly wake up as I pull into my three-car garage. I find myself having more appreciation for my SUV with heated seats, my garage door opener that responds at the touch of a button on my sun visor, and my comfortably warm home with gas heat. All of these are modern conveniences that don't require manual labor from me.

Just picture for a moment what the simple life on a Sunday morning would be like for my family. First, wake the family up for a nice hot breakfast. But wait! Someone had to slaughter that pig to make the bacon and collect the eggs that are now scrambled and ready to eat. Time to get dressed for church! Oh, but wait! Who has to make all those outfits? I guess that would be me. Now it's time to load up and head to church. But wait a minute! Someone needs to hitch the horses to the wagon so we can make the 10-mile trip across town. Whew! I'm exhausted and we haven't even left the house yet. Who gets to make Sunday lunch? Again, I guess that would be me. But did I can enough green beans from our summer harvest to feed us through winter and spring?

Forget the simple life! I'll take my very "complex" life.

Question to ponder: What advice would Al Gore give the Amish for reducing their carbon footprint?

Oh, sweet coffee.

How I love thee.

The gurgling sound of your steamy brew

Makes me feel alive and anew.

No matter what your flavor,

From mocha to vanilla I will savor.

Oh sweet coffee.

How I love thee.