It was a random memory.
I had no idea where it came from when it popped into my head.
The memory brought back a time that was over forty years ago.
The memory took me back to high school.

There were so many things new and scary about going to high school.
It meant leaving the security of the small elementary school that I attended.
It meant being a freshman after being the eight grader that just left a position of seniority.
It meant being in school with seniors.

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Every four weeks I get my hair cut.
More than a haircut per se, I really get a trim.
Even more than a trim, it is a reshaping.
It is making sure the light layers remain as they grow out over the course of a month.

I have been going to the same person for years.
Every woman knows the importance of finding someone they trust to cut their hair.
It is so wonderful to sit down in the chair and not have to worry about the end result.
Sitting there calm and relaxed, conversations just naturally happen.

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It began with a phone call.
My pastor asked me to pray at the end of our church’s Good Friday service.
It was a privilege to be asked.
It was humbling.

I answered, yes.
I was given the passage of Scripture that would be the focus of the service.
I had no idea how the Holy Spirit would lead my prayer.
All I knew was that I was willing to be used in this way.

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There has to be something lurking in the dryer.
There has to be something with sharp claws lying in wait for its next prey.
There has to be some toothy thing waiting to devour its unsuspecting victim.
I’m sure of it.

Whatever it is, it is too quick to catch.
Wherever it hides, it makes itself known in sinister ways.
Wherever it lurks, it waits patiently to attack.
I’m positive.

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My daughter sent me a text.
She asked me if she could stop over to get a couple of folding chairs.
She and her husband are hosting a small group of people from church.
She is serving dinner and knew that she would need the extra chairs.

She told me an approximate time that she and her husband would be over.
It will probably be after 9:00 when our small group Bible study is over, she texted.
Perfect. I’m here, was my response.
I had a new book I wanted to begin; my book, a cup of tea and my comfy chair were my plans.

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He called me with a question.
There is funny smell in my car, he told me after a few minutes of banter.
It was back in the days of college, before law school, and before clerking in federal court.
When you come home next weekend, I can give you a Car Jar, I suggested.

I always have a Car Jar hanging from my rear view mirror.
It has to be a kitchen-y smell or a baking smell.
No floral scents or citrus scents for me.
I always have extra ones on hand so I made a mental note to give him one.

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How hard can it be to find a pair of shoes?
I am always amazed at my husband’s side of our walk-in closet.
He has a few pairs of shoes for work and dress.
He has sneakers and duck boots for winter weather.

His side of the closet is streamlined.
His side of the closet is a man’s closet.
He teases me that I have two thirds of our closet and he only has one third.
That is true; I explain that women need more clothes.

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After my scheduled hair cut, I decided to drive on my favorite road.
The road of stillness.
The road of country beauty.
The road that takes me back to another time.

I had clothes and other items with me to donate to a country thrift shop.
I was playing music from my high school days.
I was remembering where I was when I heard a particular song.
I was singing along and tapping the steering wheel at appropriate times.

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Our weather cannot make up its mind.
Instead of acting like February, it is acting more like late March or a chilly April.
One day the temperature is in the high 50s and the next day it is below freezing.
One day last week, only a light jacket was needed; the next day it snowed during the night.

One could get a crick in their neck trying to keep up with the fluctuating temperatures.
For those of us who actually enjoy winter, warm weather during these months is not appealing.
I enjoy four distinct seasons.
I appreciate their variety and look forward to each one.

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Do you ever pay attention to the signs you see on the road as you go about your day?
There are the obvious ones: Stop, Yield, Speed Limit, and Detour.
There are the occasional ones: Men Working, Lane Closed Ahead, and Sidewalk Closed.
I happened to see a sign as I was driving that I had never seen before.

It was a fairly large sign that was posted adjacent to a traffic light.
It was rectangular in shape but larger than most signs I am used to seeing.
The words were in block letters.
It simply said: Traffic light under study for removal.

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