I Win the Math Battle and Stuart Gets a Bath

Math test: I've decimated it! Decimation! Annihilation! Extermination! I can't believe it! Today's conquest contradicted all my worries and fears. I'm confident of an A, and yesterday, I was worried I'd fail the test altogether. I still don't understand how it happened. It's a wonderful thing, being a pessimist. One is constantly being pleasantly surprised.

I know it wasn't my own powers, because I managed to be alert and energetic even with the very meager ration of sleep I got last night. Connor, Mattie, and I went to Thursday Night Prayer as usual at 9, and it was a very sweet time of about ten of us sitting at the Lord's feet and really just being washed and renewed. I love this time. I think it's the highlight of my week.

And afterward we laugh. Last night we really laughed,about not much of anything, and about everything. Laughter with good friends is delicious, and when I considered it afterward, I thought, this will be what heaven is like. A riot of joyous laughter with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and all the washed, freed saints!

Speaking of washing, Connor and I finally gave Stuart a much-needed bath today in the sunny drive way. Stuart is Connor's dear little Toyota Corolla with a rather battered coat of champagne-colored paint. Only lately he's been sickly green with pollen. He faithfully carts us to school and back three times a week and takes Connor lots of other places, so it was time he got a little TLC.

So we rinsed him, and scrubbed him, and rubbed his scabby hood. He was growing a whole bushel of potatoes behind the hubcaps! Connor polished up the inside with armor-all, and I beat out and vacuumed the floor mats. And before we knew it, the sun had warmed and dried Stuart's grateful back. Come Monday, we'll have the satisfaction of riding to school in a clean, happy Stuart.

The End