Calm Before the Storm

Got up early and headed out to do our back-to-school shopping before Hurricane Earl's expected arrival. My daughter has grown like a weed this summer and has outgrown pretty much everything. Unfortunately she has definite opinions on what she wears, so I now have to take her shopping with me to get her approval on my purchases. It's a pain, but it saves me a lot of aggravation in the long run.

Took a moment to head out and smell the lavender. It's already dried out from the dry summer we've had, but it's just as fragrant as ever. I had told my daughter earlier in the summer that lavender can be very relaxing and that smelling it can sometimes help people sleep better. A few days later she called me up to my room. "Mama! I have something to show you!" I went upstairs and she pointed to my bedside table. She had cut about a dozen sprigs of lavender and put them next to my bed. "To help you sleep better," she said. (I'd sleep just fine if I didn't sleep next to a snorer!)

As for the hurricane, we only had some rain and a bit of wind. Fortunately, Earl had petered out before landfall.