Around the World in Seconds - In God We Trust and The Middle

Today, I saw something I have never seen before. I went to a second hand store and found the coolest folding table. It was a ping-pong table that was "mini" and folded in half with fold out legs. It was $10. I needed a new folding table as the one I use in the trailer camping got stepped on but wasn't in the best of shape before then so I have been looking for a new one. 

When I saw this, I thought it would be great as a camp table as it is really sturdy but also after meals, I could take off the elastic cover I am going to make for it and the kids can have Table Tennis Tournaments! 

I know that would go over great camping. I am looking forward to taking this summer when we go to the lake.

I have a house full of people coming this weekend including Princess Three's boyfriend and my favorite grandaughter! Ok, so she is my only grand-daughter but I am SO excited to see her again! 

Anyway, I thought that it would be fun to set it up for this weekend with everyone coming! I LOVE when they can all come home at the same time. 

So, I went looking in the store to see if I could find a net and paddles and they didn't have a net but they did have four paddles. Two newer and two older. My guess is the two new came with the table but they didn't have balls either. 

I had seen ping pong balls at the local dollar store this week so I knew I could get those easily. I had to get something from a friend and asked if they had a ping pong table net and she said they got rid of their table and thought they may have one. She came up with one in the package unopened. 

I bought the balls at the dollar store and when I arrived home, Princess Five had some friends over and they asked if I needed help. I asked if they would be willing to fill the scratches, (actually cover them, not fill) by using green Sharpie markers. They all had one and filled in the scratches that were on the table top while I put the net up. Of course the net had to be wound down some as it was regulation length but it worked out just fine.

The girls then started playing it and after about twenty minutes, I hear giggling and laughing and grabbed the camera to take some pictures. It didn't occur to me before that to share it on a post. 

They were playing the drinking game where you bounce a ping pong ball into a cup and if you make it, your opponent has to drink that cup. Well, they knew I wouldn't want them filling cups on the table so they used empty plastic cups and had drinking glasses on the table on the other side of the room where they had to drink if the person before them made a toss into the cup. 

Her friend in the stripped shirt got it almost every time and the other and Princess Five never got it so I was worried Princess would get water logged and made them some punch as I was out of the potassium salt to make "Gatorade or Powerade" drink at home. See that post here on how to make it yourself.

I made them switch the rotation every time so that one person wasn't drinking all the time and they played that gave over an hour! I couldn't believe they could have so much fun with a ping pong table. 

The balls from the dollar store aren't the best. They are a bit heavier than normal as they are more plasticy if that is a word. They do work however so for the price of 8 for a dollar, I couldn't complain. So for the paddles, balls and table, it was under $15 and I couldn't get that size of table for camping as I have never seen a folding table that big. It is a wonderful size and I asked the girls to get me one of the plastic smaller folding table for the next "holiday" I saved them $35 at least as well as getting a larger and definitely more "fun" table. 
 
I thought it was funny that my friend had the net in this unopened package for at least two years and didn't get rid of it. I didn't think to take a picture before putting it up but how wonderful that I could get something I needed and something fun today. 

It has been a really rough week for me with headaches all but one day. I know some of it is weather. One day it started in my neck and went up the back of the head. Today, it was in my tooth I have had problems with for years and the root canal didn't work (here is a post about that) today's headache started in the teeth on that side and went right into the head and behind the eye on that side. Several other days it has been thyroid hormone type headaches that I wake up with in the morning as I try to figure out different pills. 

With that, I woke with the tooth headache and it got worse as the day went. I drank cokes, took pills, tried several different oils and finally got on top of it but as I went to the high school to take a few "thank you" treats to the office and other staff for the end of the year stuff, I found a penny in the gutter. I smiled with my head throbbing and gave gratitude for the small things that can make me smile even when I don't feel so well. I got home and found a dime in the mail from "March of Dimes" and figured I needed another reminder to "Trust in Him"  (click here to see my first post about that) as I left to run more errands and still didn't feel well. I got into the car and guess what song started as I pulled out of the driveway..... Yes, "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World."Click here to see the first post about that. I haven't heard it in months. You can search at the bottom of the page type in "the middle" and read all the posts about it if you haven't before so you can know what it means to me as well as searching all the "Trust in God" posts.

I started crying as I felt so horrible but really was having a good day with lots of great thing going on but just didn't feel good and having so many headaches this past year, I shed a tear or two as I sat listening to it before running in to my neighbors for something. 

In the past two days, I found three pennies, a dime, got the dime in the mail and have seen 111 about five times as well as hearing "The Middle." The end of the year is always so crazy and stressful with so much going on but even though I may not have a husband to support me and help with the kids, house and yard, my Father in heaven does support me in His own way giving me little blessings when I need them the most. Even thought it was stressful and my head ached most of the day, I had a GREAT day. Lots of other blessings with friends calling, kids doing great things and knowing I am loved by my Father in Heaven!

The title refers to the game played on the ping pong table where you hit the ball and run to the other side to hit the ball and you never stay on the same side. It is called "Around the world." Also, I added "camping" on the label as I think it is a great game or fun thing that you can take camping that serves several purposes. Don't you think you would be the envy of all the other campers having that. It would bring others around and help you meet other campers as well. I think they should sell them at the camping and RV stores!