Wonderful Weekend Activities

The Iron Roses took a road trip way up to the top of a mountain at Big Canoe yesterday to tour one of the most beautiful homes I’ve seen in a long time. This gorgeous home is Atlanta Magazine’s 2009 Mountain Dream home. Just the master suite alone is 1,500 sq. ft. of loveliness. I could have curled up by one of the five fireplaces in this house and been content for days. Now it is a long winding road up there but totally worth the drive. And admission is free! It runs Thursdays through Sundays from 10-4 now until November 15th. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon.

Tomorrow, Sunday, October 25th, afternoon if you’re looking for something fun to do, check out the

Food for Thought – A Tour of Kitchens
To benefit Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Inc.
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Six homes featuring their beautiful kitchens will be on the tour. Chefs from area restaurants will be preparing their specialties at each home. You know this is my kind of event – beautiful homes . . . food . . . I’m there.

It's Been a Week!

So sorry I haven’t been in touch lately but it has been a whirlwind of activity in my little world lately. I’ve hardly had time to sit down much less write about it. I literally have about five big projects going, three different studies, and a host of responsibilities that it seems only I can accomplish. Such is the life of a woman! Let’s hit the highpoints since the last time we talked.

· The Monday night girls and I had a great time together this past Monday. This night found us discussing the very serious subject of loving our husbands well, what it means to be a godly wife, respecting our men and the art of submission to God first and then our husbands. This was a great time of authentic and transparent sharing of our triumphs and struggles. Call it sheer relief, but we about laughed ourselves silly. I really don’t know what came over us except maybe it was the realization that we aren’t rowing alone in the marriage boat. Somehow knowing we’re all piled in there together brought us great joy!
· I am in the process of a fun decorating project for a client right now. This is a start-from-scratch, blank slate of a room. I’ve just started collecting fabrics and paint chips, making furniture choices and brainstorming rug, art and accessories needs. Put me in a furniture or fabric store and I might never come out. I am continually amazed at the creativity of folks that devote their lives to creating beautiful things, whether it be fabric, furniture, art, jewelry, clothing, whatever. Our God is a God of creativity to be sure. Think about all of the amazingly beautiful things He created. I am so thankful that the Creator allows us to share just a little glimpse of that.
· I was at the Mart all day yesterday with a friend on a buying trip for the hospital gift shop. Whoowee –a day at the mart is a day of mixed feelings. First, the nagging feeling that we aren’t spending our own money. This is money that is filtered through to go to the betterment of the hospital system. We must spend responsibly. Second, the overwhelming feeling from the vast amount of product choices available. We must make wise choices. And the exhausted feeling of hitting the high points of three, 18 floor buildings. We must wear our comfortable shoes. I, however, did find it necessary to make a personal stop at the jam-packed costume jewelry store. Now, I find this store fascinating. . My friend, however, gets the jitters at the overwhelmingness (that’s not really a word but it works for me here) of it all. But it is totally worth it when I came out with a multi-strand pearl necklace and bracelet, a brown necklace and two pair of earrings for $40. $40 for heaven’s sake. Totally worth it.
· After that long day, I treated myself to heart-to-heart talks with two fabulous friends. Both of these women are truly spirit lifters which I needed because the body was weak, believe me. Many thanks to both of them for listening to my words and my heart. They are prayer warriors of the serious kind and I’m just thankful they allow me to walk this journey with them.
· On top of everything else yesterday, my battery died on my car. Died . . . dead . . . at the Circle M while I was making a half sugar-free-french-vanilla-cappuccino-half-hot-chocolate stop. My poor husband had to come over and jump the car off while everyone in the parking lot getting gas and in the store getting who-knows-what, looked on. This nice young man, bless his heart, must have thought he was doing his good deed for the elderly as he came over to assist D with the procedure. I couldn’t help but smile as I was standing there as the center of attention sipping my above mentioned concoction. Oh the joy brought from life’s little annoyances.
· This morning I was deep into the book of Esther with a dozen ladies and Beth Moore. The session was on time and timing. And don’t you know I needed to hear that. While I could go on and on about that – I don’t have . . . time.

My husband has a rare afternoon off and of all things, has a wild hair, and is out there in the garage cleaning. I better go since I am, after all, his helpmate, the Bible tells me so. I’ve always thought that really sounds like something to do with a chess game (no disrespect to God’s Word intended). D may get carried away and starting throwing away my yard sale treasures. I better go check . . . mate.

Family Weekend at GSU

I only have just a minute to catch up you up on our weekend. We headed down below the gnat line on Friday afternoon to enjoy Family Weekend with our boy. G is in Statesboro but we waited too late to make our reservations so we were “forced” to stay in Savannah. While it goes without saying that the highlight of our weekend was the time we spent with our son, we so enjoyed being in the beautiful city of Savannah. While I didn’t see Ruby or Paula, don’t think for one minute I felt cheated. This town is so beautiful. Friday night we had dinner with our boy, his girl and her parents in a City Market cafe then took a leisurely stroll along River Street enjoying the brisk cool evening. It was delightful. I couldn’t help but wondering “if these walls and streets could talk” what great stories they would tell. The juxtaposition of the new with the old in this town is just fascinating.

Saturday we spent the day in Statesboro (“the boro” as the locals call it). We hadn’t seen G’s new apartment or met one of his roommates so we were thrilled to be able to do both. Then we did what every parent in this town was doing – took our child shopping. It was chaos. Now I love to shop but great goodness, we could hardly move in TJ Maxx. But we toughed it out and were successful in adding to G’s wardrobe. Then it was . . . drum roll please . . . game time. Let me set the stage: College – Football – Fraternity – Tailgating. You get the idea.

G was great about including us and introducing us to his friends. And hopefully we did nothing to embarrass him. Except maybe when my chicken sandwich flew off my plate and hit one of his buddies in the leg (it was windy, okay). We did go to the game – for about 30 minutes. Then it started to rain so that was that. We took a unanimous vote and decided to go meet some friends at a local restaurant and do what every die-hard fan does when such happens. . . watch it on tv in a warm, dry comfortable place that serves sweet tea, chicken nachos and key lime pie.

It was a great being in the midst of my boy’s home away from home; to see a snippet of what life is like for him there. We had a great time.

I Squealed with Delight!

I admit it. I confess. I am a magazine junkie. Honestly, I could read magazines all day. So imagine my delight yesterday when I was at the grocery store and spotted the new Southern Lady Holiday Issue. Oh. My. Goodness. I put that thing in my buggy so fast it would have made your head spin. I practically skipped out of the store. Now keep in mind I had company coming yesterday and I knew I wouldn’t have time to even look at it until late last night. But I had to have a quick fix. So I dug it out of my shopping bag as soon as I got in the car and at every stop light, I looked, oohed, aahed. It truly is a work of art.

I am a total Southern Lady magazine compulsive . . . and a Christmas compulsive. So you combine the two into one issue and my heart skips a beat. This magazine is pure eye candy. Even the advertisements are gorgeous. I don’t know the editor of Southern Lady, but I like her. In every issue on her editor’s page, there in big bold letters is printed Proverbs 31:10.

Now, I have not had time to leisurely devour each page but when I do, I’ll let you know. I can hardly wait.

Entertainment Tonight

I love to entertain. I love to have family and friends in my home on a regular basis. But that hasn’t always been the case. It used to make me really, really nervous – probably because of my perfectionist tendencies. You know, you want everything, and I mean everything to be perfect. But I eventually sat myself down and had myself a talkin to. I said, “listen, girlfriend, perfection is not going to happen around here so get over it.” Get over the fact that I don’t have that chair recovered in the great room, that I didn’t have time to run the vacuum, that I didn’t make a homemade dessert. That is totally not the point of entertaining. The point is to welcome people into your home, sit around the table together and enjoy some great fellowship – to build or enhance relationships.

Sounds like I’m in my comfort zone now right. I thought so too. Until today. D invited some friends over for dinner tonight. He knows them quite well as they have had a close business relationship over the past several months. I, however, did not know them as well and okay, I admit, my perfectionist tendencies were out of control! Not only were they coming for dinner but they were coming mid-afternoon to discuss some issues that are very important to our business. So that meant I had to have most of the meal prepared by 3 as well as have some hors devours out for us to snack on while we were talking. Now, don’t get me wrong, these folks are great. We love them. It was totally me, just me, who was putting the pressure on myself. So feeling totally overwhelmed I did what any good hostess would do – I sat down and put my feet up for a minute. I opened the laptop to an entertaining blog I read regularly. There in big bold letters was what I needed to see – “Hospitality is not about having the best, newest or most beautiful. It’s about sharing your heart and home with others.” Amen, sister. Got it.

So, all that to say, we had a fabulous time with these new friends. I took a deep breath and enjoyed every minute of it. I want them to come back next week. Just in case you were wondering, this is what was on the menu:
First - Shrimp Cocktails. I may be biased but our store has the absolute best shrimp in their seafood market. I even hung those babies on the side of my cute little bowls like a professional.
Main Course – filet mignon. Since D didn’t want to stand in the rain while these were on the grill, we cooked them on the stovetop in the grill pan. If you don’t have a grill pan, you should. It will change your life.
Baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon/honey butter. Here’s your tip for today. Soften a stick of butter; then mix it with about 2 tablespoons each of cinnamon and honey. Put it in one of those cute little glass butter jars they have at the Targets. (wish I knew how to post a picture – I would show you) and put it back in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Yum! Baked asparagus. This is super good and super easy. Just drizzle asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic sea salt. Put on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 12/15 minutes. I love it – I eat these like French fries! And a fabulous salad complete with the last of the home grown tomatoes.
Dessert - sad news. There was none. These folks are on a sugar strike so I did not want to tempt.

So, I challenge you today, step right out of your comfort zone and invite some folks over. Share your heart and home with others. I think you’ll be glad you did.

Love is in the Air

Please tell me y’all remember that 1977 disco song by John Paul Young. “Love is the air . . . everywhere where I look around . . . love is in the air . . . every sight and every sound.” Sound familiar? Yes, I did my fair share of dancing around the disco ball in my day, mostly to songs I really don’t care if I ever hear again. But this one I actually really like. I’ve been humming it all day. Maybe because it doesn’t have anything to do with being a brick house, igniting a disco inferno or going to the Copacabana where music and passion were always the fashion. Wow – sorry, how did I get off on that?

Love is in the air. In the past 24 hours, I have had the pleasure of sitting down and planning with two brides who are marrying within the next two months. Somehow, I just can’t help getting caught up in all the excitement of planning such a wonderful day. It just energizes me! Both of these couples are so special. Both are maybe, you might say, a little older than the average marrying age. Now I really didn’t know what the average marrying age is so I went to the trusty Wikipedia, where all random facts are found. It says the average marrying age in the United States is 27.7 for men and 25.6 for women. Interestingly enough, the oldest average marrying age is in Greece – 35.3 for men and 29.2 for women. Isn’t that fascinating? Don’t you wonder why that is? I bet I know - in Greece, they have that Grecian Hair Formula so nobody really knows how old they are because all of their gray is covered up!!

Obviously, I really cannot stay on topic today. I think I’ve had too much tea from Chick-fil-a.

I’m just going to take my random thoughts and go. I’m off to meet my accountability and prayer buddy. Surely, she can keep me on track. She certainly has her work cut out for her tonight.

Scripture Memory

A few weeks ago I gave my Monday night study group this challenge – to memorize a verse or passage of Scripture before we complete our 9-week study, which should be around the end of November. Really, this is as much a personal challenge as it is a group one. I need to memorize Scripture - that is all there is to it. I need to know it and speak it. So I am calling you all to be my accountability partners as well. I will be back to you by the end of November typing these verses from memory.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers (sisters), in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2.

To my Monday night ladies – we can do this!
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

The Birthday Meal

When given the choice between going out to his favorite restaurant or having his momma cook for him for his birthday dinner, guess what that boy chose? Yep, some good home cookin from mom. I chose all of his favorites and it was a menu of southern comfort food if there ever was one.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf. I created this recipe combining my traditional recipe with inspiration from Paula Deen’s recipe. Her recipe calls for mayonnaise. In your meatloaf? Yuck. Needless to say, I didn’t add it. But to make up for the deficit in the calorie department, I topped it off with a few of those fried onion rings. Yum.
Party Potatoes. This takes your basic mashed potatoes and adds butter, sour cream, cream cheese – topped with bacon bits and shredded cheddar. E made these - amazing.
Macaroni and Cheese. Classic Southern Living recipe. The best.
Broccoli and Cheese Casserole. When I married D, I also married the cookbook from his family’s home church. Lucky me. There is absolutely nothing better than this church cookbook. I’ve used it so much, it is now held together by a giant binder clip. My children always request this dish.
Fresh-from-the-Grandparent’s-Garden Green Beans – oh, heavenly day, these are good. And were undoubtedly the healthiest thing we consumed.
Sister Schubert’s Yeast Rolls . That’s right, I let the Sister make these and she never lets me down. These can be found in your friendly local grocer’s frozen food aisle. Melt in your mouth.
Dessert. Well, my boy is not a dessert eater. A trait he did not receive from me. So he let me pick out the dessert. What did I choose? Yep, the Harvest Apple Pound Cake – topped off with 20 big candles!
As you can see, we consumed our fair share of fat grams and calories but it was worth every one of them. A most happy of birthdays.

My Son

Well, today is my baby’s birthday! And boy, oh boy, do I love that boy! Twenty years ago today I delivered a huge bundle of joy! Not only was he literally a huge baby, he was and continues to be a huge joy. I have always thought that the numbers surrounding his birth were very cool – born 8:08 a.m., weighed 9 lbs. 9 oz. on 10/10 - - 89. It just dawned on me a couple of days ago that he will celebrate his 21st birthday on 10/10/10. Perhaps this will be cause for celebration. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
He is no longer a teenager. Those teenage years proved some extremely good times as well as a few hard lessons learned. He is still growing, maturing and changing. I like what I see. I see a young man who knows what personal responsibility is (although I can’t imagine why); I see a young man who is standing up for what he knows is right; and I see a young man who is becoming a man before my eyes. College will do that to you to be sure. He is learning some hard lessons about economy of time, fairness, injustice and life in general.
Just a few of the many things I love about my boy.
This young man is truly one of the most insightful and intuitive people I have ever met. His dad and I have learned to trust his opinion when introduced to certain situations or people. Somehow, he just knows when something isn’t “quite right.” Call it what you may but having this quality will undoubtedly prove very valuable in his life. Son, I hope you continue to trust your instincts.
He is funny. While this probably may not be funny to some, when he was little, he had his own unique way of saying words. Kleenex became klenn-eck-eeze. Iron became i-run. A nearby college is named Truett McConnell. He called it Truett Mac-Con-ick-cal. To this day, I cannot say it without pronouncing it the way my boy did. He still makes me laugh. He seems to still have just a hint of little boy mischief in his eyes. You never quite know what he’s thinking or what will come out of his mouth. He is very quick-witted and never misses an opportunity to poke fun at himself or those he loves (especially me and his sister). Son, I hope you can always see the humor in every situation.
He truly enjoys life. He has just enough of a Sanguine personality in him to find or create fun wherever he goes. One of my favorite stories about him happened just a few months ago as he was preparing to move off campus and into an apartment. As he began telling me about the prospective apartment, I asked about the rent. He told me the amount. I then asked “what does that include?” He answered, “the pool, the tanning bed and the clubhouse.” Never mind, electricity? Cable? Water? . . . Enough said about being a Sanguine. Son, I hope you don’t sweat the small stuff and enjoy the blessings of this life you have been given - every single day.
He loves his sports, oh yes he does. He considers one of the major blessings in his life to be the fact that he was born in SEC country. We take our sports seriously around here which suits him just fine. And I have learned enough over the years to know that if you can’t beat em, join em. So I have watched my fair share of sporting events and read enough sports sections to be able to talk intelligently to him about sports. Why? Because if it is important to him then it is important to me. When he was in high school, he would come downstairs just in time (7:40 to be exact) for the ESPN Top Ten Plays from the previous day. Knowing how much I enjoyed this (and still do) he always called for me to watch with him. We would then give our expert opinion on if in fact Play #1 was better than Play #2. Hmm . . . I really miss that. Son, I hope you remember the valuable lessons that are learned in sports . . . discipline, perseverance and the value of working together as a team.
And he is a team player. He knows how to be supportive and encouraging to others. Something that has always impressed me about him is his strong support of whoever he may be playing a sport with or working alongside. He is the first one to give a pat on the back whether physically or verbally to his teammate or coworker. Son, I hope you remember the power of speaking a word of encouragement to another – never underestimate that.
He can appreciate an automobile to be sure. The reason I mention this is because it holds special significance to me. I have to smile as I can only imagine how much my dad would have enjoyed my boy. My dad had a similar love for cars having been a mechanic for many years. I feel sure my dad would have claimed he inherited that love from him. When my boy turned 16, it seemed he was surrounded by friends who were being given brand new vehicles for their birthdays – really nice ones. Many years before we had made an agreement with both of our children about the car situation: whatever money they were able to save for a car, we would match it. Both of them worked very hard in the family business for that money and sure enough when they turned 16, they presented what they had saved. As you can imagine, it wasn’t enough money for him to purchase the latest model truck that he so desperately wanted. What did he get? His granddad’s six year old Chevrolet Silverado. While no doubt he was disappointed and possibly a little embarrassed, he made that truck his own. He put all-terrains on that baby, he lifted it so high that I can hardly get in it and installed a sound system that makes your chest vibrate. He still continues to drive that same truck today. While it seems sometimes that a teen boy’s identity is found in the car they drive, his was not. He knew that he had worked hard for what he had. Son, this is a good life lesson no matter your age, to be sure.
And just like his sister, he loves his dad. These two are very serious about their male bonding whether this is accomplished on the lake, at a sporting event or on the ski slopes. Since my boy was old enough to go, these two have not missed a year to go out west and stir up the snow. I guess that’s what they do. All I know is that they come back more exhausted than when they left, with sore muscles and with raccoon sunburns. But these two would not miss it for the world. They truly enjoy hanging out together. Son, I hope you always realize the importance of your family. We will always be here for you and provide you unconditional love.
Another thing I appreciate about our boy is that he has always been very kind to include his dad and me with his friends. We truly enjoy being in the midst of these young people. Thank you son, for letting us share in that part of your life.
You know there is just something about mothers and sons that can’t be explained. I hope I’m not imagining that his face lights up when he sees me these days. (However, I am fully aware that he may be glad to see me because I’ll do his laundry). He and I are very much alike and always have been. We have similar looks and personalities - which actually works out pretty well since the other two members of our family are equally as similar.
So today and every day, buddy, I just want you to know how much I adore and love you. You are an amazing person. And, from the words of a book I read you as a child, “as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”
Love, Mom

Three Days in the Life

Since I know that you go missing me if I’m gone too long from blogland, I’ll give you an update about my past three days.

Tuesday. It was a whirlwind of preparations as I was hosting a soiree (Southern women host soirees not just plain parties) honoring a long time friend who recently left the position of minister of women at our church. We surprised her with a time of food, fellowship and fun. We have been so blessed over the years by her ministry through authentic example. She has been a wonderful leader of women through Bible study, the annual getaway retreat to “be still” and her flat out love for women who are navigating their journey of faith. While she is very humble and doesn’t want any recognition, she deserves a great big ole shout out for serving so faithfully all those years! We love you, girlfriend! Can’t wait for our next adventure!

Wednesday. I decided to treat myself to a little accessory shopping. You do know I love me some accessories whether it be home or fashion. Yesterday – it was fashion. I’ve decided rather than buy big ticket items this year to “refresh” my wardrobe, I’ll go with a less expensive accessories approach. So off to load up on accessories I went. They do make an outfit you know. As you recall, I am having a love/hate relationship with the whole scarf idea. I really don’t know what to do with one once I have it. I’ve already bought two. Worn them both. Still don’t know. So what do you do when that happens? Go out and buy three more. Call me crazy because that is exactly what I did yesterday – solid brown, black/white houndstooth and red/black check. So now, I have a total of five scarves that I don’t know what to do with. Oh, and while this wasn’t really an accessory, well, technically it could be, actually it probably wasn’t – I bought the absolute cutest light weight jacket at the Targets. (My sweet mama adds a “the” and an “s” to the name of every store so I’ve kinda got in the habit. We go to the Rosses, the Old Navys, the Steinmarts – you get the idea.) Anyway, back to the oh so cute jacket. Recommended by a friend, I didn’t want to let her down so off I went, walked right in. They had one left in the lime green so knowing it had to be destiny, five minutes later it was mine.

Oh a quick note to the Target women’s clothing buyer because I’m sure she or he is reading– women like color, at least in our neck of the woods. There were four colors available in this jacket – black, khaki, lime green and red. I bought the last lime green one, there was one red left and there were at least a dozen of each of the black and khaki left hanging there. Now, I like black as well as the next girl but we got to have us some color up next to our faces! Black below the belt hides a multitude of sins but color breathes life into an aging face (at least I want to think so – please don’t burst my bubble).

Thursday. Well, I came away from Bible study this morning totally reflective and recharged. Beth Moore’s study of Esther is simply profound. This week we studied the most remembered verse in the book of Esther, “and who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.” (4:14) Try to wrap your brain around this quote from the study.
“We can refuse to walk in obedience to God or cower in fear from our calling and He will undoubtedly still accomplish His agenda. As for us, however, we will pass up the fulfillment of our own entire life-purpose and perhaps even our “father’s family” will miss a mighty work.”

God will still accomplish His agenda with or without us. But I really want to be a part of His-story, don’t you? I’ve been thinking about my life purpose a lot today. God has something big brewing, I can feel it.

And that is that.

Best Fall Dessert - Ever

Well, those of you who know me know that I love a good dessert. Maybe too much. I stumbled upon this recipe on allrecipes.com a few weeks back and since then, have made it five times. No, I didn’t eat all five of them although I could have. While saving one for our family, the rest went to friends and events all to rave reviews. This is the absolute best apple cake, with caramel icing mind you, you will ever put in your mouth. I have tweaked the original recipe until I think I might have it down to absolute perfection. Although I’m sure I will have to continue making it to be sure. :)

A cute story about this cake I will always remember. A good friend and her 10 year old daughter stopped by one day just as I was pouring the caramel glaze on top of this warm cake. I invited them into the kitchen for a taste. I had the cake sitting on a cooling rack with wax paper underneath to catch the caramel glaze drippings. Well, after cutting us all a slice, we couldn’t let that caramel go to waste, so the daughter and I began sliding our fingers across the wax paper and yes, you guessed it, licking our fingers. We weren’t proud. It was that good. Then I asked her if she wanted something to drink and while still savoring the deliciousness, she looked at me and said “oh no, that might make the taste go away.” Oh, I love this child.
Prepare your mouth for some serious taste bud pleasure.

Apple Harvest Pound Cake with Caramel Glaze
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
2 tsps vanilla extract
3 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup chopped peans

1/2 cup butter

2 tsps milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat the sugars, oil, vanilla and eggs with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; stir into the batter just until blended. Fold in the apples and pecans using a spoon. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Set cake on a wire rack to cool.
4. While the cake is baking, make the glaze by heating the butter, milk and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from heat. Let cool in the saucepan for about 15-20 minutes before pouring over the cake. It will start to thicken just a little bit.
5. Immediately after taking the cake out of the oven and placing on the wire rack, pour about 1/3 of glaze in the “cracks” of the cake. Continue to let cool in the pan about 20 minutes.
6. Invert the cake onto the wire rack and drizzle remaining glaze over the cake. Be sure to put wax paper or your cake plate underneath to catch the drips.
7. Enjoy!

My Darling Daughter

Have I told you about the best friend a mom can have? Well, she’s my girl. Now, we haven’t always been the best of friends. Middle school and high school about did us in. But we survived and came out on the other side better people for it. We both matured and realized that there might be something enjoyable about this whole mother/daughter relationship. This happened about the time she went away to college. While I always knew she was very special, I realized quickly what a fabulous young woman she had become – independent, capable, smart, creative and beautiful on the inside and out. And maybe, just maybe she realized I really wasn’t a tyrant or trying to ruin her life. Maybe I did know a few things. Maybe we could enjoy the same things. Maybe we could be friends.
Now I am a firm believer that you are a parent before you are a friend. All of my children’s formative years, I knew I had to protect them, discipline them, and teach them. They had plenty of friends to fill that role. I had to sometimes be the bad guy, the voice of reason. No, I didn’t like it but that’s what the job required. Then, like letting go of a rope, I loosened my grip. Ever so slowly, little by little. And that’s when the fun began. I could truly enjoy who my daughter had become.
Let me tell you a few things about my girl: This young woman has the most tender heart you’ll ever find. She has a deep love and compassion for others. While she was in high school, we delivered Meals on Wheels together. She would walk right into the home of an elderly person and before long, she knew all about them. She listened . . . and she cared. She served in Guatemala for several years, giving up her Spring Break to love those who many found unlovable. And she loves her family. She thinks her dad is just the best. (and by the way, he is equally as crazy about her). One memory I have seared in my mind is when she and her dad took the floor for the “Father-Daughter Dance” at her wedding reception. D and I had been so busy preparing for the wedding, I’m not sure we were prepared for this moment. Waves of emotion rushed over me. During that three minute dance, I reached back into my memory bank and saw vividly the most beautiful baby I had ever seen 22 years earlier. With a head full of black hair, she captured my heart forever. I saw her in pig tails and crooked bangs (because I cut them myself once . . . and vowed right then and there never to put her through that again). I saw the girl whose constant companion was a baby doll named Claudia, who we still have to this day. I saw a girl who loved her baby brother who was as different from her as night and day. I saw a girl who had struggled through middle school, braces and all the awkwardness that comes with that. I saw a girl who, throughout the years, has made her family a priority in her life. I saw a girl who loves her parents, her brother, her grandparents and now . . . her husband.
Another thing about my girl . . . she can make me laugh. We have the same quirky sense of humor. Things that are funny to us are not funny to anyone else including the men in our family. They just don’t get us sometimes. But that’s okay because we get each other. And we can do us some serious talking let me tell you. If we haven’t seen each other in a few days, it is non-stop conversation. No one can get a word in. The men have learned to not even try.
And can I just tell you how much fun she is? We have the privilege of owning a business together. We work hard but when you are doing something you enjoy, it doesn’t seem like work. We meet weekly for “staff meetings” (it’s just the two of us) at our local sandwich shop that has wireless internet. We have sat there for hours. Would you believe me if I told you we have had breakfast and lunch there all in the same day? But time just flies by when I’m with her. She continues to bring me immeasurable joy. As a parent, I cannot ask for more. So today, I am thanking God for the amazing blessing her life has brought me. I’m thanking Him for His amazing grace and mercy that covers my mistakes as a mother. For the friendship I thought might never be possible. For the love a mother can only have for her child. I love you, darling girl!

The Mundane

This past week I heard some rumblings from all two of you who read my blog that I had only posted once. I am extremely flattered that you would miss me. So with that spark of encouragement, I will try to do better. No matter that my post may contain not an ounce of post-worthiness or substance. Nonetheless, I vow to post even the mundane.

Oh . . . my goodness. Lest I think that even the mundane is mundane, I just looked up the meaning for the word (checking to be sure that I was using it correctly). Get this!! This is the definition that dictionary.com gives for mundane: “of or pertaining to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven.” Did you hear that? As contrasted with heaven. Well, I would step out on a limb here and say, everything thing we know in this life on earth is mundane. We may think we have seen and heard some awesome, inspiring and flat out, amazing things but EVERYTHING on this earth pales in comparison to heaven. Not that I know that personally.

But as God would have it, I read “90 Minutes in Heaven” by Don Piper just this week. If you aren’t familiar with it, here is a short synopsis. On the way home from a conference in Texas in January of 1989, Don Piper’s car was crushed by a semi that crossed into his lane. He died instantly. At least that’s what the EMTs who arrived on the scene said. His car and body completely mangled, they checked him for a pulse . . . he didn’t have one. So, assuming he was dead, they covered him and his car with a tarp and tended to the injuries in the other vehicles. While his body lay lifeless inside the ruins of his car, Piper experienced the glories of heaven. Ninety minutes after the wreck, a minister who was coming from the same conference Piper had just attended, came up on the devastation. This minister felt the need to get in that mangled car and pray for him. Suddenly while this man was praying, Piper’s pulsed returned. He literally returned from his earthly death . . . and his heavenly homecoming.
This man experienced 90 minutes in heaven. His description of it will simply give you goose bumps. You really need to read this for yourself but here is just an excerpt from the book about his experience in heaven:
“Everything I experienced was like a first-class buffet for the senses. I had never felt such powerful embraces or feasted my eyes on such beauty. Heaven’s light and texture defy earthly eyes or explanation. Warm, radiant light engulfed me. As I looked around, I could hardly grasp the vivid, dazzling colors. Every hue and tone surpassed anything I had ever seen.”
Oh, I can’t wait to get there. Well, I can. While we don’t want to leave this earth and the ones we love, we just cannot imagine what lies before us as believers. God has prepared for us a place like nothing we can even comprehend. Hebrews 11:16 says “But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” (NLT)

Beloved, when I sat down to type this post I was going to tell you about some totally “mundane” happenings in my life. How was I to know that the even the mundane would turn toward heaven. Do you realize that as believers we will go from earthly, mortal, mundane beings to heavenly, immortal beings in an instant? That we will be in the actual presence of the Prince of Peace, Kings of Kings, the Rock of our Salvation and the Great I Am forever? That, in the words of Beth Moore, “we will unzip our earthly bodies and walk free of their encumbrance and, in perfect health and vitality, step straight into the lives we were saved to live.”

I am simply without any more words. All I can hear in my mind are these from the Doxology:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

What I Love about October!

Today is October 1st! I’m going to try and do a post at the beginning of each month about what I love about that particular month. I’m kinda liking the whole Top 10 thing so here we go.

My Top Ten about October 2009
1. I gave birth to my male child 20 years ago this month. He’s coming home for his birthday!
2. We can ride in the convertible with the top down without the air conditioner! I’m not sure why anyone with a Georgia driver’s license would buy a convertible with black interior. Does he not know how stinkin hot it gets in Georgia when you have no protection from the sun? But come October, not too hot and not too cool. We have absolutely more fun than any two empty nesters should have!
3. We can take the above mentioned convertible for a drive up in the mountains. The cool air, the leaves brilliant with color, the stop at the apple barn for an apple cider slushie – it’s the perfect day!
4. It’s Family Weekend at Georgia Southern the middle of the month! And our boy actually wants us to come. Maybe we aren’t as embarrassing as we used to be.
5. We have to stay in Savannah during the Family Weekend. D had to really twist my arm and plead and beg . . . but I gave in and said, yes, of course, we can stay in Savannah . . . instead of Statesboro. :)
6. I get to go with two of my very bestest girlfriends and my girl for a day of shopping at the Mart. It’s the annual Cash and Carry. I personally call it the “Shop and be Happy!
7. I am going on a mystery trip with my man . . . it’s a surprise . . . for five whole days. Ooh, I can hardly wait.
8. I am planning a couple of surprises myself. More about that to come.
9. We have tickets to the Holly Theater this month for “Plaza Suite.” If you’ve never been, you should go. It’s a delightful way to spend a night out!
10. Georgia plays Florida. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Happy October!