The Patience Cultivator
            Somedays I swear are designed to cultivate patience and trust in the Lord. Last night, was one of those nights and today the saga continues. This morning, I took the kids to school and then ran to the city next to us to the library. My daughter has a map due with the dimensions 16x20.
      The first maps my spouse got from off line and they were too small. Next, I went to the library previously, I checked the operational hours but failed to remember them . On that visit I was able to get a 11X17 map without the provinces marked. Last night, we sat trying to recreate the provinces and label them. By the end of the process my daughter and I were good. But during the process both of our levels of patience were tested to say the least.  Frustration and huffing. God bless my husband for finishing the dishes for me so I could give my dear daughter more of the attention she required to complete the task.
     This morning, I decided marked provinces were going to be a neccesity for this project. Back to the library I go...hi ho hi ho. I was there an hour prior to operating hours. During my hour of free time I attempted to get pictures required for a project for my son's class. The machine for printing the photos now or in 24 hours was down. I could go one more city over. Of course! The woman behind the photo printing counter and I had a great laugh at my day thus far. I decided to run into a grocery next door to the store with the photo shop. On the way, I passed a coffee bar and the woman tending it asked if I wanted a coffee,
     "best in town, been here for 22 years." she said.
      I replied, "when I come out of the store I'll stop by to see you" forgetting I only had plastic and a dollar and change to my name. That didn't stop me from getting a coffee from Kim, after finding consumables for the man who has everything in life, Grandpa.  Kim and I had a nice conversation longer than anticipated,  due to the rain her charge machine wasn't picking up a signal. I emptied the found treasures from the store into the Highlander. Then, headed over to our family doctor which is found in the same parking lot. I filled out all necessary paperwork so they could get my medical records from our old hometown.
      Off to my second visit, I was able to get what I needed out of a real encyclopedia which is my preferred way to complete this task. I had found a great map on line but we don't have a printer currently and the of course even with the website address we couldn't find the map at the library.  
     I currently have a small map on a 11x17 piece of paper. I called a print shop to find out if they could help me get my map enlarged to the correct dimensions. No, but a blueprint shop can help me two cities away from where I live. Great and the cost of what the blueprint company does was uncertain but the 2nd part of the printing would be about $15-. Okay, I really don't love these projects....first my child's work at 3rd grade on this project would be very different from what I feel compelled to help her with. There are portions of this project that she would never be able to do herself. It turns out to be my homework and then the cost, which I hate to complain about but after she gets a grade for it this project will go in the garbage despite her desire to keep it forever. Hopefully, the skills we gain in the process will stay with us forever.  Great news, her teacher just returned the call I made to her and she said we can use the map we currently have in hand. Does this mean I have completed the necessary patience to proceed on the journey?