A simple little boy sock. . . . . . that was the culprit with the dysfunctional washer! What amazes me is how a little sock gets into a drain hose. Thankfully that was all that was wrong with my machine and its once again running non-stop. Den was such a help he took 5 loads of laundry to the laundrymat and washed them and carted them all home for me to dry or hang on the clothes line outside. I am a die-hard outdoor clothes hanging fanatic! I love seeing a breeze move the clothes on the line, there is something soothing and peaceful about it. I made a trip to Amish country several years back and what intrigued me the most was the clothes on the lines. They were hung evenly, and the way they blew in the breeze was, to me, beautiful! I didn't much care about going to the flea market or eating in the famous restaurant there but just loved traveling the backroads, enjoying the peacefulness of the farms, the homes and the people. Its hard to imagine life without the modern conveniences, microwaves, "cell phones" (just how did we get along with them?), computers, email, etc. I used to love to hear Den's grandmas stories of when she was little, newly married, etc. Her life intrigued me, the work she did, without all our conveniences, was amazing. I am a strong proponent of hard physical work but I can't even be compared to Den's grandma and the work that woman did, alot by herself. I was impressed and inspired. It made me realize how fortunate I am to have what I have, all the helps to make my life a little easier, a little quicker. I can't even begin to imagine scrubbing clothes on a scrub board in a tub of water. No wonder they didn't have many clothes, it was back-breaking work I am sure. I guess when things happen in our lives they most definitely happen for reasons, sometimes I know its for me to gain a proper perspective on the situation. Many times I have had to ask forgiveness from God for my self-pity and ask Him to allow me to be sensitive to the needs of others, as I said before, we all get caught up in our own little dramas, never thinking others have them too and how could I possibly help or encourage someone. Thank you to those of you who so graciously posted kind words. My heart was so touched and I was so encouraged. We have been blessed to have been a part of some awesome ministries in the past, the kids we served are held near to our hearts, we still have a picture of a group of kids from Berean Baptist Church in Portage, sitting on a shelf in Den's office. Great memories, great kids! Thank you to all of you out there, you know who you are, for enriching our lives, loving us and caring for not only Den and I but our children as well. You are gifts to us!