Hoar Frost and Learning Guy-Speak

Tall hoar frost climbs high off every branch and twig. The crystallized world took us all by surprise this morning.  Dazzling white bristles everything. 

Inside, our water pipes gurgled air or gushed black water. Puddled water downstairs yesterday alerted us to a leak. With the stores all closed at ten last night, husband simply cranked the water main to off. Since six this morning, he and the toddler have been plumbers. After letting me sleep in for part of the morning, they let me join them for the next trip to the store. 

We drove through white wonderlands. Why is it that extreme beauty makes us wonder if it’s fake? On white trees after white trees, inch-long spiked frost pointed towards the sky. 

Inside the store, we traipsed through unfamiliar aisles, talked copper piping and connectors with the salesclerk, and worried that the job would suddenly become much larger. After weeks of studying material for my upcoming “Seven Needs of a Husband” message at MOPS next week, I tried out some of it. 

Husband snorted and laughed. Okay, that one didn’t work. I was sincerely proud of him though, and wanted to learn better guy-speak. Tweaking my words some, and telling him what I was trying to do, I tried again. He grinned at me wryly.  

I have been learning that respect is one of males’ greatest needs, and that they love to tackle hard jobs for the sake of seeing if they can conquer it. According to the experts though, we females very often show disrespect to our men by our words, actions or attitudes – often without even meaning to. So I am working on this and learning.  Husband listened to my notes and information, highlighting parts of it, explaining parts of it to me, and lined them up in order of his experiences too. 

In the car-ride home, and in the laundry room as we cut copper, wiped up water, and twisted on connector rods, we laughed, talked, and savored married life. In the pipes, blackened water gurgled and then gushed out clean. 

What about you? What has your weekend been like? If you are a women, what would you say are some of the needs of a husband? If you are a male, what are some of the needs of a husband -- in your opinion?