A Sunday to remember

It was an odd Sunday.

The oddness started out about 7:30 am while I was walking the dog: the leash broke. Snapped clean in two. The breakage event included a squirrel that came out of nowhere, the dog who loves to chase squirrels, and a low stone wall with (apparently) some sharp edges. It was exciting trying to get the dog to stop running away from the weird thing chasing him (the broken end of the leash) while he continued to try to hunt squirrel. But I prevailed and we got home. I only had to pick him up and carry him twice when he started trying to chase squirrels again. It's not too bad carrying him; he weighs about 38 pounds but does not struggle much though he does look annoyed.

Then while seeing the seminarian off to preach over in New Jersey as he did last week, we discovered that the vehicle he'd planned to drive was dead. Well, we have two cars, so... he took off in the working one. Just before leaving, he gave me some cursory instructions on using the battery charger, just in case that's the problem. I found them confusing and incomplete, so I tried a little internet research. I stopped reading when I saw the words "to avoid explosion." It was too late to go to church anyway. But he called while enroute to check in and talked me through the process. With one child at the phone ready to dial 911, we hooked it up. It worked! Or at least, the needle on the charger moved and the car didn't explode.

In the meantime I'd called my friend/pastor's wife and informed her we were not going to be at church. It was just a courtesy call; they don't take roll there but I knew she'd wonder. She offered to pick us up but since I was dressed in my sweats (I didn't want my church clothes to get ruined in the explosion) and wouldn't be ready in time, I declined.

So while the battery charged the kids and I read and discussed the book of Jonah and a few Psalms. I had to use one of the kids' old large-print Bibles because I couldn't find my reading glasses. Then I noticed the sky getting really dark, and remembered the seminarian's ominous warning to put away the battery charger before it rained. So I did, and then tried to start the car. It started! And still no explosion! I am woman, hear me roar!

So I went around the block and the car ran fine, but there was a funny noise now and then, and why are the wipers stopping intermittently even though they are not on intermittent? Still, I made it back home without incident. And decided we might as well stay home the rest of the day anyway: what if we went out and it didn't start again?

I started dinner prep even though it was a little early; I'd promised my girl fried rice (made from the best recipe ever) with tofu and I just wanted things set up. Uh, there's only one egg! This calls for two, and I don't think it would work so well with just one. Great. My child asked for a reasonably healthful dinner that includes vegetables but does not include cheese and I don't have all the ingredients.

OK, we can walk to the store. It'll be fun. Wait, what's that I hear? Yes, of course it's thunder. Check the forecast: heavy rain, thunder, lightning. Ah, skip the store.

So I called a neighbor and asked if I could "borrow" an egg. She met me halfway between the houses carrying a baggie with two eggs. She figured it would be good for me to have a spare. I am paying her back by watering her flowers while she is away next week. Wow, I'm bartering!

The rest of the day passed without any more weirdness. We ate our fried rice, walked the dog again (using the spare leash), and happily greeted the seminarian when he came home after his long day.

It wasn't a terrible day, or particularly fun or interesting, but we'll remember the day Max broke his leash, and the car was broken, and trying the fried rice recipe with tofu. A good day, all in all.