FUNKY FAYETTEVILLE

Not many towns flaunt THAT adjective. "Funky" can be music with a certain beat, a dark-brown attitude, an odor of the unwashed...or something original or unconventional. Those last two words really describe Fayetteville. The businesses have such creative names and the feel of business is like business conducted during Richie Cunningham and The Fonz's era. Let me be specific:

We were recliner shopping at LazyBoy when we heard Christian background music (common up here) and the salesman told us that their store is the ONLY LazyBoy in the country who is closed on Sunday. The owner says the Lord is able to provide for him if he chooses to open 6 days instead of 7. When we ordered window coverings, Beverly (the 'blind' lady) did not require us to put half of the price as a down-payment...and she gave us a jar of complementary pickles that her sister sells. Who does that? When I changed my mind about an already-delivered set of sinks for the master bath, Judy from the plumbing store didn't charge a restock fee. Unheard of! Rodrigo, the painter, patched and sanded and painted his brains out. An electrician named Travis has been with us so much we are considering adoption. I called a tile man the other day to find a specific product and he directed me to Home Depot. Isn't that the way business used to be conducted? Surely Mike and I are time travelers.

And just listen to these creative business names. We looked at granite at "Take Me for Granite" and the plumbing came from "Plumb Perfect". One of our new fav places to eat is the Sunrise Cafe (painted bright yellow, of course). It is open 24 hours and their motto is "no one is ugly after 2 AM!" You can actually get 2 eggs, 2 pieces of sausage, and 2 pancakes for $4. And for my doggie-lover friends? Decide between these canine daycare destinations..."Bark Avenue" or "Camp Bow Wow". Of course, I'm starting to pine for planting my perennials, so a neighbor recommended a plant nursery named "Chicken Holler". I LOVE this town!

Now lest the impression be left that Funky Fayetteville is Nirvana...let me describe the storm of August 5th when the ground was covered with white. Hunks of hail flew from all directions! We have seen straight-down hail and sideways hail, but never hail coming from all directions. It began by peppering, moved on to the golfball size, and then in the middle of the lightning fury, hunks of irregular sizes with sharp edges inflicted punishment. When it stopped the roofers smiled; their pickups have camped in DoubleTree these last weeks. Our screens had huge holes punched in them, it knocked paint off the siding and pockmarked the heat/air unit, and we are getting a new roof. That's twice this year DoubleTree has taken a lickin' from ice. January's ice storm you might expect, but who saw August's ice chunks coming?

Well, that's life. You take the good with the not-so-good. Jesus said the rain falls on the just and the unjust. There are certainly no perfect places this side of the New Jerusalem. But our new town is true to the first three letters of it's defining adjective.

The Message translates that "rain falling on the righteous/unrighteous" (from Matthew 5:43-48) in a different and intriguing way:

"You are familiar with the old written law 'love your friend', and it's unwritten companion, 'hate your enemy'. I (God) am challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does!

He gives His best - the sun to warm and the rain to nourish - to everyone, regardless the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what (God) is saying is grow up. You are kingdom subjects; now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

DENTAL CARIES

Hey Uncle Brad! It's your nephew.

When is National Dental Caries Month? Wanna borrow my picture to heighten awareness (scare your patients)?

Luv, Nate

INCOMMUNICADO

Has The Square Nail seemed strangely quiet this summer?

Some blogs post a notice to say they will be on vacation for a couple of weeks. The Square Nail has SO not been on vacation this summer. Instead,

this blogger has been in a dusty/heavy/cardboard

Sheol under stacks of clutter. Even if you want a move with all your heart, moving is still a trip to the woodshed. Clutter is Mike's anathema and it is torturing him like a slow drip. But I'm pedaling as fast as I can. So what if his closet is meticulous already? Wait, I can't complain about Mike; he earned about a kazillion points in this move.

Before we left Little Rock, I had some of the most

wonderful friends come and help pack our kitchen.

Several had offered and I'd told them I needed to

sort things as I went, but I'd call if I got desperate.

Days before the movers came, I put my pride aside

and begged. Just look at these Happy Helpers who

packed a kitchen which arrived unbroken. I'd recommend them, but you couldn't afford Carolyn

Russell, Cindy Lynn, Raebeth Costolo, Mary Anne Waldemayer,

Becky Bailey, LeAnne Winters (can

you tell her picture didn't turn out?), and Donna Johnston.

Now month-long residents of Fayetteville, Mike and I have been fluffing the nest day and night. I guess it is easy to imagine how hard it would be to leave friends/church/doctors after being glued to a spot for 40 years, but here is what we are finding in

Fayetteville:

***it's cooler

***the sky is close and the hills are a grand backdrop

***you can drive past cows on your way to Sonic

***it has a small-town feel (even has a drive-in)

***great diversity (from gray pony-tailed Birkenstock hippies to college kids...from real

Indians and real cowboys to farmers from up in them thar hills...from professors from all

over the world to a couple of seasoned city slickers

***amazingly...the subs we have called to come out to work, the drive through clerks, or pretty much even the folks in traffic - are all just SO courteous and friendly

***once when I got off the sidewalk to go meet Phoebe the

Neighbor, I didn't get chiggers. Skeeters are also pretty rare.

***many of you may know the town motto here ("Keep F'ville Funky").

For real.
***lots of huge American flags along I540

and now the best for last:

***Saturday is Farmer's Market day when the pickups back up to the town square to sell veggies that are

too pretty to eat, flower bouquets

have a variety of dazzling zinnias,

cockscomb, and lavender...and there

are musicians and fried pies

But you know the creme de la creme?

It feels like home already. Now we understand

better the "timing" thing of our house sale. We've enjoyed food that neighbors have brought.

Our subdivision (Doubletree) has enough

Fellowship people to make a Community Group.

The leaders live across the street from us and we

are sitting together at church and going out to eat. Jehovah Jireh really has blessed Mike and I

with this house and the way it fits our needs. We

are grateful people.

And have I mentioned family?

Poor Matt was home sick, but Beth and Nate came to pack and

take a load. And then when we arrived in Fayetteville,

their welcome was so sweet. The Saferites had

filled the kitchen island with fruit and nuts and

fun things. I will scan an antique postcard that

Beth found to also put on the island. It fit. Or,

as Nate would say..."trust me, it's the truuf!"

You do all things richly, Lord.

As Paul said to the Philippians...

"My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus". Philippians 4:19