Weekend Wonders

We're only two days into October and 

I'm already ready to do this to my porch.  

Ain't they gorgeous??

I had a pretty awesome weekend.  I woke up both days to temps in the 40's, got to wear my new yoga pants and my favorite fluffy sweater and SOCKS.  Yay!!!

Larry and I had one and a half ('cause I went to church this morning) fabulous days together and got the shock of our entire DOC-controlled lives yesterday.  The vendor who provides the food for the visitation room has apparently decided that he's made enough money and he has abandoned us.  We've noticed during the past few weeks that the candy bars looked the same and I mentioned to Larry that I thought they were going to make us buy what was in there before they put anything different in there and I don't think I was too far from the truth.  We heard today that the company has filed bankruptcy, which completely blows my mind 'cause how can somebody file for bankruptcy when they're making a fortune off inmate families??!  $3.50 for six chicken wings.  That's 58 cents a piece.  I mean, come on now.  This ain't Hooter's.  It's ridiculous how these people take advantage of us because they CAN.  There is no competition.  You pay it or you do without.

Okay, to the shock.  I got a little sidetracked there.  Ha!  That's funny 'cause that's the name of the vendor.  Sidetrack Vending.  Anyway, so the two Coke machines stopped working and after about an hour of us sittin' there 'bout to DIE of thirst, the guards bring out cups and ice and two huge coolers of red Kool-Aid and water!!  

Those of you who know nothing of prison life probably are thinking, "So?  What's the big deal?"  Those of you who live the prison life probably feel heart palpitations bubbling up in your chest just reading about it because you know that this was HUGE.

In my 23 years of walking this walk with Larry, I can tell you that this nor anything remotely like this has ever happened.  The DOC plays this game about how important family time is and how that connection with loved ones is so vital to the rehabilitation of the guys unfortunate enough to live there but that's just it.  It's a game.  It's for the newspapers, for the TV interviews, for the show. They make it so difficult to even get in there to see your loved ones, the lonnnnng lines out in all kinds of weather, the scrutinizing of every stitch of clothing you have on, the nasty attitudes simply because you are there bothering them, forcing them to get up and work.  They'd rather you not be there and they let you know it.

Can you tell they're not really my favorite people?  Ha!  But I pray for them.  I pray for them to find other jobs.  :)

But what happened yesterday chipped away some of my discontent with them.  It was such a small gesture and to the outside world, it was something you'd expect in a situation like that.  A show of humanity, compassion, kindness.  I saw Jesus all over it.  Yep.  If you look hard enough, you can see Him in everything.  Even in cups of red Kool-Aid.

This weekend was pretty awesome. I got to love on and laugh with my baby, I got me some Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin stuff at Bath and Body Works (thanks, Mama!  I used my birthday gift card!), I opened my windows and let that cool air in while I got my house super duper clean, I went and got recharged for the week at church this morning and I made one of my favorite comfort suppers tonight.  Rosemary chicken and roasted potatoes.  Yum!!

Pretty awesome indeed.