Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real: Ok, so these are from two weeks ago...

Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~ Every Thursday at Like Mother Like Daughter

I'm a little behind in my posts. There's been a LOT going on around here, mostly lots of intentional relaxation that somehow turns out to be more tiring than not relaxing. I can explain, but I will do so later...

For now, this week's (or last week's, depending on how precise you want to be) PHFR is brought to you by ancient texts, marshmallows and thriftiness.

Pretty

It was hard to capture images with no flash allowed, but I did my best...

Last week, Calvin and I went with Mom to see the Dead Sea Scrolls (or Dead Sea Squirrels, as Calvin likes to call them, little heathen) exhibit at the Franklin Institute.  Calvin and I studied Old Testament history last year and Greek history and mythology this year so we used it as an end-of-the-year field trip.  What an experience.  I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in such things.  The exhibit is open until October so make the plans, make the drive and come see it!

There are over 600 artifacts from ancient Israel on display with the scrolls themselves.  The above earring is one of them.  It's made of gold, emeralds and pearls.  Mom and I agreed that we would wear it today if we could and marveled at the luxury it must have been for the original owner.

A dove, carved out of bone.  So tiny...

...yet so intricate and beautiful!

I took this shot because I found it to be beautiful as well as significant, but now I can't remember what that significance was.  Oh, the vexations of lacking a good memory and pen and paper!

I remember this one!  This is a bread press, used for communion bread.  The four inner squares contain the Greek symbol for Christ and the surrounding squares contain lilies representing the twelve Apostles.  I found this to be particularly fascinating and I'm not even sure why.

I apologize sincerely for this being so hard to see.  But it is a bronze figure of Prometheus.  If you could manage to make it out, you would see the eagle perched on his right thigh, eating his liver, his daily punishment from Zeus for stealing fire and giving it to man.

Remember all those times God warned the Hebrews against making graven images and worshiping pagan gods?  These are the things He was talking about!  Don't worship these bits of clay, people!  You'll be sorry!

And there were so many of them!

The scrolls themselves were in a section where no photography was allowed.  They were amazing to see.  As were the stones from the temple in Jerusalem and an entire block from the Wailing Wall!  Calvin had his first encounter with something so ancient as to beggar belief.  Putting our hands on something that old, that historically and Biblically significant, something Christ Himself could very well have touched, sent shivers up and down our spines.  Calvin just stood in awe with his hands on the cold stone.  I was so glad I "made" him come with me.

Happy

As his mother and, for the past two years, his teacher, I was so delighted and relieved by his enthusiasm.  He put on a big show of being totally bored and resentful that I dragged him along, but he had to read every little thing in writing and took tons of photos.

Funny

And don't let his glum expression fool you: he was unhappy that there wasn't anything else to see (though he would never admit it)!

Later in the week, a rather fierce chocolate-covered-marshmallow fight erupted after dinner.  My kids love toasting marshmallows over the flame on the stove top and slathering them with Nutella or chocolate sauce.  It's a favorite snack.  And, after the other night, it is now also a favorite weapon.

Redheaded Snippet better look out as Calvin is growing in leaps and bounds and got the better of her for the first time!

Funny and Real 

Sometimes, you run out of laundry detergent somewhat unexpectedly.  And sometimes you really, really, really don't want to go to the store.  And sometimes you really, really, really need to do a lot of laundry anyway.

So you put on your thinking cap and decide to have a science/home economics lesson whilst managing to be thrifty and avoid the grocery store!  And your geeky son responds enthusiastically because he can pretend to be in Potions Class at Hogwarts.

Ha ha, he's a laugh riot.  "Uh-oh, Mom, what if I eeeeeeat the sooooooap...!"  What do I care?  He's had his mouth washed out with that soap, I know it won't hurt him!

I only made about half a gallon and the stuff has worked perfectly and lasted waaaaaaay longer than what was originally in that bottle!

Haha!  Bonus loads indeed!  I feel like Superwoman every time I do laundry!

Where have you found contentment this week (or last week, for that matter)?  Why don't you take a moment and tell us all about it!