I spent Friday night singing along with The Oak Ridge Boys, and no, I wasn't listening to them on Pandora while cleaning my kitchen this time.

This time they were live and in person and in town for their annual show. So, after a day spent scouring yard sales and then cleaning up the garden, I got cleaned up myself and headed toward town and the hand-clappin', toe-tappin' show that was about to kick off.

This time I brought my son along with me...along with my husband and my occasional double chin.

Ahem. You know you noticed it...but thanks for pretending not to.

Despite how I look in this picture, I really did clean myself up before the show. And since The Oak Ridge Boys put on such high-energy, kick-up-your-heels kind of show, you can only imagine what I looked like after the show.

I took no pictures of myself then...better to not have evidence laying around.

But just know that I kicked up my heels enough to cause my son to exclaim, "Gosh Mom, I've never seen you act this way before!".

I'll admit, I did go a little crazy when they did "Leavin' Louisiana" and "Ya'll Come Back Saloon", and I think I even heard myself let loose a rebel yell when they kicked into "Elvira" and then "Bobby Sue".

​I didn't even know I could do that!

Wonders never cease.
​

And I hope these boys never cease either, because boy, they are the best at putting on a good, clean, fun, family show...one that you can take your family to and then on the way home still have your eleven-year old son exclaim, "Wow! That was a wild night!".

I need a wild night every now and then, and so does he. It's good for us...and it was good for my skeptical husband, who even thanked me afterward for including him in our wild night with the Oak Ridge Boys.

And because I'd hate for you to miss out on all the "wildness", here's just a snippet of one of the greatest sing-a-long songs in the history of songs that you sing along with...

As you just saw, as soon as Joe Bonsall sang that first line, the crowd got to their feet and then I got a little sideways.

Sorry about that. But I did mention I had a wild night!

A night that keeps replaying in my mind, while a smile keeps playing on my lips. So if you happen to overhear me humming this song in the next few days, just let me be. It's kinda stuck in my head, and I like it that way.

P.S. "High 'o Silver, a-way-a-aay!"

Like the goodies in this photo. You couldn't have resisted this stuff either, I don't care who you are...but I do care where you are (especially on Sunday morning. Ahem.).

Thank goodness you weren't out there this morning or we'd have had a fight on our hands...on a Sunday morning right before church, no less.

But because (thank the Lord) you spent the early morning hours still snuggled in bed, I practically had the place to myself and in no time at all I had the car stashed full. But by that time, time was ticking down for that church bell to ring, so as I left the swap I swapped my mud boots for my high heels and hightailed it to church...and I left a carload of treasures parked in the car as I parked myself in the back row pew.

Thank goodness for back row pews. They're just perfect for us backsliders. Ahem again.

Although really I'm not sure I qualify as a backslider, since I did actually make it to church (although a tiny bit tardy and a slight bit muddy). But I know I do qualify as a repeat offender, since this isn't the first time this has happened.

Last year I spent too much time scratching around the swap on Sunday morning and had to dash off to church with a carload of chickens.

I sang the hymns really loudly that morning to cover up all the clucking coming from outside the church.

​I really should've parked farther away that day.

Hindsight.

And the year before, Will and I headed out there early Sunday morning to take a gander and ended up buying a gander at the last minute. We brought him to church too, but just like the chickens, he also had to worship in the car.

At least this year I made it to church without any live animals with me.

I bet you never heard anybody say that before, have you?

Well, there's a first time for everything...and if I'm any example, there's also a second and third time too. Especially if we're talking about Sunday mornings at the swap meet!

The monarch butterflies have arrived, and I'm in love with lavender lattes.

These two statements are totally unrelated, except that they did originate from the same brain. The very same espresso-fueled brain that has switched gears so many times this week, I'm afraid it will grind to a halt if I ever stop grinding the espresso that fuels it.

Which brings us back to the lavender lattes. I've had two already this morning, which brings my total for the week up to five...and I only just came up with the recipe yesterday.

I may be headed for a binge.

But whirlwind weeks have that effect on me, which is why I'm firing up the espresso maker again as we speak. Third cup's a charm, right?

Maybe I should explain how I got to this point...

In the past eight days I have made appearances at three farmer's markets and our hometown Turkey Festival, raced through two city-wide yard sales, mingled at one high school reunion and the following alumni afterparty, dashed in and out of a dear friend's birthday lunch, and sipped and nibbled my way through my very first three-course high tea party while pretending (in my head) to be the Queen of England.

And the roof of my house is missing.

But we knew that last part was going to happen, which is why on my only unscheduled day of the week, I was scheduled to help move the upstairs of our house into the downstairs of our house.

And we got it done just in time for this truck to pull up...

Out rolled a bunch of construction guys loaded down with tools, lumber, and ladders; and into my house and up the stairs they filed one-by-one carrying two-by fours, tarps, and measuring tapes.

We're having a little work done...

This is my bedroom.
​

And this is my bedroom without the roof.

And that was just the beginning. But the great guys from SPI Enterprise have got it covered...literally.
​

They covered the gaping hole with a gorgeous blue tarp for the weekend...bless their hearts. I do like blue, but I would prefer dormer windows, cedar siding, and a galvinized metal roof.

It will happen. And at the rate these guys are going, it will happen quickly.

Thank goodness. Patience is a virtue, but I'm not always the most patient virtuous woman. Excuse me while I take a sip of my latte and then clear my throat...all the construction dust has me a little choked up.

And that's actually why I ended up out in the garden a few days ago, breathing in the fresh air and picking the ripe tomatoes, and watching the first majestic monarch butterflies of the season fluttering gracefully around the zinnias...

Aahhh....such a calming, relaxing sight. Just as calming and relaxing as those lavender lattes I keep whipping up and slurping down.

Clearly all is well in the garden, and soon all will be well inside my house too. Then eventually, when the dust settles in and around my world and the hectic pace of life slows to a crawl, I'll be able to lounge leisurely in my lovely new bedroom while looking out the shiny new windows onto the gardens--and the life--that I love.

Lavender latte in hand, of course.

​