It all started with a planned trip to my favorite vegetable market.

So I thank Rachael for giving me the, what-do-you-mean-that-isn't-far, kick in the butt regarding my Tuesday grocery quandary post.

So Mom calls this morning asking what I was doing. (Because remember that people think Thursday and Friday are my bon-bon eating days.) I told her that I was planning a trip to the vegetable market, K-'s. "Since you are out in S-, do you want to stop by and pick up your brother?" I told her that I wasn't certain that he would really want me to pick him up, since he hadn't pulled himself around to really actually talking to me in any type of length yet. She said that she'd phone him. He phoned me. Needless to say, my vegetable market shopping was put on a slight hold. I scooped him up and took him to Bruegger's for a bagel and coffee. He hugged me so tight that he lifted me off the ground.

It could have made me bawl right then and there.

As I was driving down the road, he hugged me again. Thankfully, I didn't drive off the road.

My brother? He's back. He's officially called me 4 times in the last five minutes to help him fill out an application to Lowe's.

Y'all, that is B I G.

Oh, I'm not saying that my brother is perfect. He will continually fight demons. He has removed himself from people that were of bad influence. He has removed himself from the hood. He said that the town that he is living in now is so nice. He told me about how excited he is to not be surrounded by "thugs."

Dare I say, he has a spring in his step.

It makes a heart happy. Happier than I can even say. We spent hours trotting around to different stores. We did hit the vegetable market. We cruised through the thrift store to pick some pants up for him. We went on to Marc's right next door to the thrift and we scooped up some grocery items. I had him choose the birthday gift for me to give to my nephew and the ice cream that we would be having for Noggin's birthday. Dumb things, but he was so thrilled to be doing it. After the shopping, spending much time together and hearing his true confessions, I dropped him off at my sister's house. There, my sister and I had a "Silly Sandwich" and love just oozed.

The kid needed it. So did we.

Smiles in my day:
- My brother.
- My niece loaning K- 6 of her Junie B. Jones books.
- Going to the vegetable market!