Road Trip - The Girls!

Several months ago I told you about my venture into the world of Facebook. Not really knowing what I was getting into, I (I mean, E) signed up and I became fast "friends" with over 100 people. Well, being the sanguine that I am, I was all about that in a New York minute. Over the past few months, since reconnecting with grade school and high school friends, I've seen photos of myself from kindergarten, first grade, piano recitals and sitting on the hood of a car in the high school parking lot. I've "talked" with friends I thought I'd never have communication with again - living all over the states of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Florida and a couple I found right here in Atlanta. Too say the least - it has been FUN. And I would right now like to publicly thank Facebook and the Internet for all you've given me. It is much appreciated.

So, during this whole reconnecting process, I began communicating with my friend, C who now lives in Orlando. She casually mentioned one day that she was traveling to Illinois to see her family during the month of August and "hey, why don't you come up and we'll have a little girls reunion?" I'd love to - let me see if I can work it out! Thus the Road Trip 2010 wheels started turning. When I realized that it would coincide with Mother's Birthday, I knew what we would do. Mother and I would go on this whirwind trip together. Driving up on Monday and driving back on Wednesday. Call me crazy.

A little background info here. In high school there were three of us who were inseparable. C, T and me. We went everywhere together. We did everything together. We all three sat in the front seat of a bucket seat car (yes, that meant two of us shared one seatbelt in that one front seat. Oddly enough, we never got a ticket for that. Although we did get stopped by the police one night for being "suspicious" after we drove around a local establishment for the 50th time trying to catch sight of one our lastest loves.) We slept in the same bed. We all three got ready together in one bathroom. We shared laughs, tears and alot of Pizza Hut pizza - those were the days.

So . . C made all of the arrangements with T and I asked C if she would keep it a secret that I would be making an appearance at this little girls get togehter. And she did. When I rounded the corner in that restaurant, I honestly wish I could tell you the look on T's face. It was priceless! It was totally worth the 20 hours of driving that I endured. It had been at least 15 years, probably more since I had laid eyes on these two precious women and all of sudden, the laughter and friendship that we had once had, returned. We talked and laughed until our sides hurt. We caught up on work, friends, children, parents and lots, lots more. I wouldn't take a million and one dollars for the four hours I sat there with them. It was like a treasure worth more than gold. A gift truly that God gave me tied up with a big bow.

Another gift I recieved on this trip was surprising another one of the precious women from my past by showing up at her workplace on Tuesday afternoon. I just love surprising people! We had a great, but short, time of catching up. She is one of the most beautiful women I know - on the inside and out. She's strong and tender all at the same time. I left there wishing I could have had more time . . .

I've said this before and I'll say this again. While my girlfriends can never replace my husband, children and family - my girlfriends are a lifeline to me. The women that God has chosen to be my sisters are beyond my wildest dreams. I wasn't blessed with any blood sisters but I tell you what, I think the ones He gave me for friends were just as handpicked for me. All my life, God has surrounded me with the absolutely coolest and most fabulous of women. You make me want to be a better woman, wife, mother and friend. Some I see all the time and some only every 15 years. Either way, you are a pleasure and a treasure to me.

Road Trip Part 2

Well, Mother and I have returned from Illinois Road Trip 2010. I really don't know where to start with all that has happened over the past 48 hours. It's mind boggling. As you know, Mother started out early yesterday morning for a full day of activities and was still up when I came in last night at 11:30 Central Time. She is like the Energizer Bunny, I swear.
I've just got to tell a story on her. I don't think she'll mind. Actually, I could tell a hundred after my past three days with her but this one just about did me in. I tapped on her door last night when I got in just to see if she was awake. (Remember this is 11:30 p.m.) She opened that door fully dressed, hair fixed and make up on. I said "Mother, did you just get in from being out with Judy?' This was her answer, "Oh no, honey. I've been back about two hours. I just felt so gross after being out in this heat all day, I just had to take a shower. And I thought since we are leaving so early in the morning, I would just save time and go ahead and put my clothes on and fix my hair. You know, I don't move much when I sleep, so I won't mess my hair up. And I sure won't get my clothes dirty laying in that clean bed. So, you just get me up when you get up in the morning and I'll be ready to go."
I. am. not. kidding.

Just a little stroll down memory lane:

This is the First Baptist Church - the one who grew me and married D and I. Sorta. Actually this doesn't look anything like that church. The one we knew and loved has long since been torn down and replaced with this brand spanking new beauty.


This is one side of the town square. The taller building facing us is a building that I spent a good bit of time in back in the day. The building used to be home to "The Stylart," which was THE best ladies boutique within a 100 mile radius. The family who owned it gave me a job when I was barely 15. I worked after school, on Saturdays, and during the summers until my junior year in college. I adored working there. I loved my employers, the ladies I worked with, the customers and of course, the clothes. It was a dream job and I hated to give it up. I'm not sure when it closed but obviously, it has.

This is the house that D was renting when we were dating. We lived there for two weeks after we were married. I've got to tell you a funny story about this though. I drove around for about 30 minutes looking for this crazy house. I thought what in the world, I lived in this town for 24 years and lived in this house a whole two weeks, but I just could not find it. Well, I'll be doggone if they hadn't changed the street name. I think. Honestly I don't know. This may not be the house. I only lived there two weeks.

I do, however, know this house. This is my childhood home. 105 Lakeview Road. I loved living here. There used to be a huge tree that sat out right next to the road that gave this house alot more shade. My dad was meticulous about those shrubs in the front. They had to be exactly even all the way across. There was a hole in the front yard that one of the boys t-p-ing that big tree and those shrubs fell in and sprained his ankle. He always believed my dad put that hole there on purpose. I learned to ride a bike in this front yard but it was in the backyard that I ran smackdab into a tree and totally tore up my new pink basket. I cried for two days. Until I got a new one. I was an only child. And I clumsy one at that.

Well, Marion, in the words of Frank Sinatra, "thanks for the memories, of things I can't forget."

Road Trip

Well, I'm sitting in a hotel room right on Interstate 57 in Marion, Illinois. This hotel room is within 4 miles of the home I lived in for 20+ years. I'm headed out in a little while so maybe I'll take a few pictures to document this time travel trip we're on.

Today is Mother's birthday. She has already gone out with one of her girlfriends to visit some more friends and then do lunch. I just wish you could have seen her, she was up at 6:00 a.m. (I know because we have adjoining rooms) and she was practically giddy by the time she left. Like she said yesterday- you have to face facts, at her age there isn't alot of friends left to visit. So I think this may be the best birthday gift I've ever given her. Which makes me wonder why I didn't think of this before? I should have realized that as much as she loves Georgia and her family, she just might need to reconnect with the place where she put down roots for more than 60 years. Yes, 60. Hard to believe.

We were in the car for over 10 hours yesterday and bless her heart, she talked the entire time. It was great. She told me things that I know I had forgotten. Like when my dad was in WWII and his army unit was headed to the Battle of the Bulge. Right as they were preparing to leave, my dad's knee blew out, a result of an old football injury. He didn't go. Most of his buddies didn't come back. My mom said he always struggled with wondering why he was spared.

I'm preparing to see the precious faces of some high school girlfriends that I haven't seen in over 20 years. This whole experience just brings back more memories than I can process at one time. Things have changed so much, yet in some ways have stayed the same. This is the town, the people, the church, and the friends that built me. This place gave me a foundation. It is a good place full of good hard-working people. A place where farmers work hard in the ground, coal miners work hard below ground and others work hard above ground. This is middle America. I'm proud to call it my hometown.