Lost and Found

Hello again! Bet you thought I'd dropped off the edge of the earth, right? No, I've just been lost in the "It's suddenly Spring!" area of my life...with too many projects and not enough time. Stop me if you've heard this before...heck, stop me if you've SAID this before! I'm currently at the car dealership while Lillie Pearl PT Cruiser is being treated for an "idling problem." Yeah, she's having trouble idling, too.

When last I posted, we were saddened by our loss of Duchess. Still are in some ways. But I found a rose called Duchesse de Brabant which we have planted in a container in the Way Back in memory of our beautiful Basset girl, and we have begun the "remember when..." portion of the grieving process. While Duchess was not an enthusiastic fan of the Way Back...probably because she was challenged by all that walking...she did seem to enjoy coming into the Rose Garden when we took our coffee to the patio, which provided a perfect nap spot before returning to the house.

Duchess in the Way Back Rose Garden
2013

 

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter (links over there in the right column), you probably have figured out that I've been chasing my "lost youth" by attending my 40th college reunion at Mississippi University for Women's Homecoming in Columbus..."The Long Blue Line Comes Home."

Callaway Hall, my Frosh Dorm
Mississippi University for Women
Columbus, MS

While I actually celebrated my own graduation year last year (from the University of Southern Mississippi), I started college at the W (it was known as Mississippi State College for Women then) with this group of girls (well, my 60+-year old self has license to refer to my 18-year old self as a "girl," right?), most of whom graduated 40 years ago this May. Since there is no football team at the W (!), we celebrate Homecoming in the Spring...one of the most beautiful, albeit unpredictable, times of the year.

Registration in Welty Hall
It's snowing cherry blossoms!

Rosette Girls Are Back for their 40th!
Margaret Stevens, Patricia Lunn, Debra Simpkins,
Karen Daley, and Donna Luke

Lost youth, did I say? Found it! We had a ball! An absolutely fabulous time together. We laughed, reminisced (remember when...? what was that girl's name...? who was it that climbed out the 4th floor window...?), laughed, took part in lots of planned activities including a double-decker bus tour of Columbus (pictured below...did I mention it was in the mid-40's?!?), laughed, took thousands of pictures, laughed, sang Rosette Social Club songs, laughed, ate at some of our old haunts, and laughed some more.

When we lined up by class years to march into the auditorium for Convocation, we were thrilled to see the Classes of '45 and '55 at the head of the line. And after everyone else had filed into the Magnolia Chain song, we all gave a standing ovation as the Golden Girls (Class of '65, there to celebrate their 50th!) took their places. Even more impressive (for me at least) was the presentation of the Distinguished Medal of Honor to my former Sociology department head, who is still active at age 99. I think Dr. Robert may have found the Fountain of Youth!

Convocation Selfie
Looking back...

Looking forward...Class of 1975
Marching into Auditorium for
Convocation

One of the highlights of the weekend had to be our Rosette Social Club's reunion on Saturday. We poured over the pictures, lined up the pledge books and the paddles, sang the songs, and shared the memories. And...we succeeded in making yet another shared memory.

Check out the photo roundup of The Long Blue Line Homecoming in the April 8, 2015, edition of the Columbus Dispatch paper
here. You may have to copy and paste the address:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/dispatch_web_files/The+Commercial+Dispatch+eEdition+4-8-15.pdf

I snapped a screen capture of the page...which isn't the best quality admittedly:

After you have been euphoric for several days, it's difficult to find your way back to the land of even keel...without a loss kin to a letdown, that is. But I didn't really experience too much of a drop, since we got such great news in a few days after I returned home. Mr. T had his 8-week checkup with the Electrophysiologist who performed his recent cardiac ablation, who made us want to dance a jig when he read the latest ECG and said: "now, this is what a normal ECG looks like." I found I had been holding my breath all this time, and truly appreciated feeling free enough to take a deep, cleansing one after that. Ahhhhhhhhh.

We celebrated Volunteer Week at the Guilford County Extension with a gathering of Master Gardeners for the 27th annual Awards Breakfast. Such a great group of folks! Since I seem to have mysteriously found a few extra pounds while I was holed up in the house this past winter, nursing that splinted left wrist, I'm opting to limit my intake of tasty treats...and thus missed a few calories in those lovely sweet rolls. But I didn't want to miss this event just because I'm being carb-conscious! And we were proud to remind the County Commissioner (left, below) of how much all the work we do as volunteers would translate into dollars when our Horticulture Agent made the presentation of the Big Check in the amount of $450,136.52. Woo hoo! That same day, I got to volunteer at a Speakers Bureau presentation on Culinary Herbs at the High Point Library...and then come home to polish off an article for the next State newsletter.

And, somewhere in the past month we seem to have lost Winter and found Spring. No arguments from me! Of course, this means more time in the gardens but that's what makes life here at Casa 3917 so wonderful. Exhausting...but wonderful. I got a new post up on our garden blog, Gardening with the Giants; click here to go there and read about all the goings-on out in the Way Back.

We know our time at this address is growing shorter with each passing month, and that this is probably the next-to-the-last time we'll plant tomatoes and other warm-season crops here, so this will be an extra-special year. We will also be focused on dividing day lilies and irises to have plenty to take with us when we do move, and I'm encouraged by my propagation efforts so far with forsythia and some of the roses. Hey, maybe I will be able to "take it with me!"

All in all, we hope these preparations ensure that this won't be a chapter of Paradise Lost...but instead a scene from Paradise Found!

Stunned

I was already having a bad day. You know the kind...anything that can go wrong, does so in spades. How could that be? I had found a four-leaf clover just the day before.

 

(Please be impressed with that photo. I have taken a couple of photography-in-the-garden classes recently, and putting the brown leaf behind the green clover for emphasis was something I learned.)

Anyway, I knew if I just kept plugging along, I'd make it through the quicksand that was my Wednesday...eventually. Hang in there. One foot in front of the other. Eyes on the prize. You know the drill.

Only, that's not how it worked out. It got worse...much, much worse. I learned that my college suite-mate had died quite suddenly and unexpectedly that day. She was a seemingly healthy Mom and grandmom, who had just returned from the gym when she collapsed in her kitchen. The paramedics couldn't revive her. And, as of today, there is no news on what happened. How? Why? So many questions...absolutely no answers.

I can only describe how I feel as stunned. LFC was a month younger than I am, and by all appearances, in much better condition. It hurts...mentally as well as physically...to think about it. 

F was a friend from my freshman year at (then) Mississippi University of Women. Born in Las Vegas, she hailed from Gulfport. She was adopted...and fortunate to have two extremely loving and caring parents. She was tall, thin, athletic, and pale blonde. And the first person I had known personally who could sing and play guitar. Not a star-type person...just a regular person, who was as talented as they come. 

The year we met was the year Carole King's Tapestry was released. There was a copy...or two...in every room on the second floor of Callaway Hall. Vinyl...cassettes...8-track. You name it, we played it...day and night. I know Aretha had made "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" a huge hit in the 60's after King wrote the song...but, when I hear the tune playing in my head, it's Carole King singing it.

And when I think of F, she's singing and playing "You've Got a Friend," an all-time favorite song from Tapestry, where James Taylor joins King for that track. Special request for that song, probably by me. Love(d) that song. Loved hearing F singing it. Love, love, love the memories.

We went through pledging and Hell Night together. We sang "Bond Eternal" ("Bonnie Turtle") together, wore ugly pink-and-silver dresses together, and became Rosettte sisters forever together. And through it all, she sang and played her guitar.

F asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, and she served in ours. She even tried her hand at matchmaking, but that didn't work out quite as she'd anticipated. Thank goodness, as it happened, since my life turned out better than I could have known at the time. 

After she married, F went in one direction with her education and her life, and I headed off to the University of Southern Miss to finish one of those and begin the other. We parted ways.

As so often happens, we lost contact over the years. Mr. T and I made a happy life that included one daughter and moves to seven states. She and her husband had three children...and, by all accounts, a very fulfilling life, living out their strong faith. I believe they lived outside the USA for several years...and she became fluent in Spanish.

Then...through the miracle of Facebook, we reconnected. As our posts criss-crossed our timelines, we got caught up with each other's lives. I took great joy in reading about...and seeing pictures of her first grandchild...a little boy, and about her son's wedding. She probably got more than a few chuckles out of my gardening obsession. Sadly, due to the distance between our current homes, we never got to get together for a burger again. But it sure felt like we did. 

And, it felt like we could pick up our last conversation at the next W reunion...the big 4-0 in 2015. But that won't happen. And I'm stunned all over again. 

I'm guessing this wounded feeling will subside. And life will continue. I'll dig up some old photos and bring back some more good memories. But it will take more than a little time to get over the slightly off-center sensation that it can happen again...at a moment's notice.

Stunned, I tell you. Stunned.

Goodbye, Dear Friend

I had a goal for today: finish up a PowerPoint Presentation and get it to my friend JA for editing. It happens to be a beautiful day here, but I was going to ignore the call of the garden in order to meet my goal. Focus...that was all I needed to get the job done. Not that difficult, really, since it's too wet to work the soil anyway. And then...

My BFF from Henning days, ATT, messaged me on Facebook as I was finishing my second cup of coffee and the online USAToday. She'd heard that Miss Caroline Hanson had died and wondered if I knew. Sad news, indeed...but not entirely unexpected.  Miss C and I usually spoke by phone every week or so, but the last time I'd called her (about 3-4 weeks ago), she'd been too ill to talk long.

You may recall that I've posted about Miss C being Momma's contemporary, who had taken on the role of my second Mom over the past 18 months. She and Momma graduated from Ripley High in 1938 and remained friends for the rest of Momma's life. They were neighbors in Henning until 1976 when Daddy and Momma moved to Covington.

Miss C was so very fond of my Uncle Edward, who was younger than she and Momma by five years.  When he married in Holly Springs, MS, in the late 40's, he asked her to sing at his wedding at the Holly Springs Methodist Church...which she did, with great joy.  For years, she would recount the details of that weekend (of singing in the historic church, of staying at one of the antebellum "pilgrimage" homes, and of the whirlwind of parties the bride's friends and families invited her to) with great enthusiasm and clarity.  The fact that her stories outlasted that marriage never deterred her from the memories.

She tried her best to teach me how to sing and to play the piano (I took lessons from age 5 to about age 10 or 11)...but my talents were more in the organizational area than in the musical arena. While she was very gracious in not reminding me that I'm tone-deaf, she always praised me for making her yearly recitals go "like clock-work." Heheh.

She did succeed in instilling a love for classical music, though.  Bless her! I may not be able to sing it or play it...but I can certainly appreciate it and enjoy it! (I've been playing Ode to Joy in the background while composing this post...:). My life has been immensely enriched for having known Miss Caroline.

You also may remember I made a trip to Tennessee last November to see Miss C in her nursing home in Ridgely and to visit with AD, my 104-year-old cousin in Dickson. Put a lot of miles on my car...and my body...that week. But, now I am so glad I got to see Miss C that one last time.

So instead of working on that PPT that is due today, I ditched that effort for searching old photos to scan and share with you. I may be the only one that still has these particular photos, taken 50 years apart. With Miss C's passing yesterday, I suppose the whole group is now catching up in Heaven.

The older ones are when the Henning Friends (Momma, Miss Caroline, Sidney Anthony and his cousins, Rose Anthony and Margaret Anthony, among others) were seniors at Ripley High School (1938).

Mary D, Rose Anthony, Sidney Anthony, and Caroline Hanson (RHS, Class of '38)

L to R: Mary D and Margaret Anthony (seated); Caroline Hanson, Rose Anthony, and Edith Keaton (Momma) - 1938

L to R: Margaret Anthony, Edith Keaton (Momma), Caroline Hanson, and Ducks (?); seated: Mary D

These "newer" ones were taken at their class' fiftieth Class Reunion.

L to R: Margaret Anthony (Jordan), Sidney Anthony, Edith Keaton (Lunn), Frances Drake, Rose Anthony, and Caroline Hanson - RHS Class of 1938's 50th Reunion in 1988

L to R: Rose Anthony, Margaret Anthony (Jordan), Caroline Hanson, Edith Keaton (Lunn), Sidney Anthony, and Frances Drake - RHS Class of 1938's 50th Reunion in 1988

Miss Caroline and my Daddy, Sidney T. Lunn (1988)

Seeing that last one reminds me I have some other photos I wish I could put my hands on...pictures of parties at our house in Henning, when Miss Caroline would play our Turkey Red piano (that Momma and Mrs. Mary Lois "antiqued" one fine, Fall day) and Daddy would sing the Tennessee Waltz. Among other things...ahem. We may have lived in a dry county, but that did not put a damper on the fun. After all, "wet" Tipton County was just over the Hatchie River Bridge, don't you know? The pictures will resurface at another time, and I'll share...

But, for today, I enjoyed a trip down memory lane through old photos...and I made up some ham salad for sandwiches...and pimento cheese for stuffed celery sticks.  Thinking about all those parties we had...and the tasty buffets Momma prepared with what was considered "party food" in the 60's...made me hungry for some situational "comfort food," shall we say? Only wish I could have tasted some sausage 'n cheese balls and tiny country ham biscuits. Mmmmm...makes my mouth water...:-)

So, I'll say goodbye Miss Caroline...and thank you for all you meant to me over the years. I can't cry too much for your death, as I know you were in a lot of pain in the last few weeks, and you have left me with too many happy memories to stay sad. Any tears I am shedding are solely for me, knowing that my second Mom has gone to join my Momma, and I've lost a friend.

I sure hope the Turkey Red piano in Heaven is tuned up and ready! They've been waiting to get the party started!!

========
Link to Miss Caroline's obit on Garner Funeral Home's site: 
Obituary For: Caroline Hanson | Garner Funeral Home

Bell's Palsy Update: Day 4

Woke up this morning thinking "what's that on my eye?!" Oh yeah...eyepatch. And that must mean I still have Bell's Palsy. Sigh.

I'll take a short cut on this post and reprint what I sent to a couple of Facebook friends who messaged me this morning, asking how I was doing:

I wish I could say it was getting better, but unfortunately, today seems a little worse. Eye is drooping more, even though I'm now wearing an eyepatch almost constantly. And because i have a cataract developing in my non-droopy eye (right), i have difficulty seeing clearly with the eyepatch on the left. Speech seems a little better (or maybe I'm just getting used to speaking out of one side of my mouth...:), but jaw pain is worse. Sounds...especially the dogs barking...are downright painful, bringing tears to my eye(s). Very, very tired...but having some sleep problems, probably due to the steroid. Eating and drinking are tough...everything through a straw, even hot coffee. Sigh. I could feel down if I let myself, you know? Keep those thoughts and prayers coming!

It isn't all doom and gloom, though. Mr. T will be here tonight, and that thought brings a smile to my face. Granted, that would be half of a smile to half of my face...but you get my drift, right.

Since we use FaceTime on our iPads to talk to each other, he shouldn't be too shocked at my appearance. Well, I hope not. I hate the way I look, especially when trying to talk (since the iPad has both a front and a back camera, I can see a thumbnail shot of myself when we are FaceTiming...and it ain't pretty, folks), but what is my alternative? Hide under a veil for the duration? Nope. Not me. "It is what it is"...to quote one of my fav NCIS characters, Ziva. And we will work through it...together.

Another positive point? I have heard from so many people...you who read my blog regularly, family, and Facebook friends, several of whom I knew in school. Many had never heard of Bell's Palsy; many knew a friend or family member who had had BP. One in that last category, KD, my college suitemate, shared her own story about having had Bell's Palsy...as well as a lot of helpful information from her experiences and on a fantastic website. Follow this link to check it out:

http://www.bellspalsy.ws/

So, even though I'll probably be having a pity party for one sooner than later, I know I am not alone in this journey. I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and move forward.

==========================

I would be remiss if I didn't give a little update on Missy M's recovery. She's trying very hard to stick to the recommended 4-hour work day, and to keeping that broken foot elevated at all times. So far, so good this week...right on target. As you can imagine, she is so ready for this to be over. Next dr. appt. for her is on Thursday. I'm not sure who will be happier that her Daddy will be stepping in to the Driving Miss Maredith role: me, because driving is now one of the most difficult and painful things I do with my eye issues...or she, because she has to ride with me...in her car...:)?

Hills and Valleys...Backslides and Rallies

Today is a good day.  It is a beautiful Summer's afternoon outside.  The flowers are blooming; the birds and butterflies are busy.  We even saw a baby cardinal at our window-feeder:  you can tell the baby ones because their bills/beaks haven't changed colors yet...still brownish instead of yellow-goldish.  Life is bubbling all around us.

After breakfast, Mr. T fixed a baggie of ice-cold watermelon chunks for me to take to N/M/E as her special request treat for the day.  "Don't forget my salt," she'd reminded me last night.  The last time I took her watermelon, I'd forgotten that essential item...essential to her, that is.  I, who over-salt everything else I eat, never use salt on my watermelon.  Go figure.

Anyway...

When I arrived around the lunch-tray time, I found Momma had a visitor.  CW, daughter of Mom's BFF AW, had stepped into the early morning visitation rotation slot, pinch-hitting for her ailing mother.  Way to go, C!  AW, who has been so very faithful in being there for coffee with Mom every, single morning, got put on the DL this past week with vertigo...my nemesis. Hoo boy...I felt her pain, as you can imagine.  I also told her that she could keep it...I don't want any part of that.  No. Way.

As Mr. T is preparing to head off to NJ for a week, I could feel the panic rising.  Momma had been having a good deal more break-through pain, especially in her back and under her rib-cage on the left side.  More pain.  Down to just one of us (that would be me!) in the Home Team visitation rotation. Should I hit the panic button?

No!  Not yet at least.  CW is there if/when I need her.  AW will be off the disabled list and back on the Home Team bench soon, as her vertigo is settling down (according to CW).  The All Stars (both brothers and their wives, plus Missy M) will begin gathering for the Holiday Weekend on Thursday, when Mr. T will also return.

And, most importantly, the doctors and nurses at Hospice have recognized that Momma's not feeling as well as she was.  Without my having to ask them, they adjusted her meds (mainly the steroid, I found out) to better-manage the pain.  Go Medical Staff!

This is all so new for me...having the medical folks step in and just do what needs to be done, without my having to make a case for it to anyone. 

So, after a little backslide as Momma called it, she has put her Rally Cap on...yet again.  How can that be anything but a good day?

==============================================================
P.S. Yes, I do use a few too many sports-related terms:  Rally Cap.  Pinch-hitting.  DL/Disabled List.  Bench.  Rotation.  Team.  Well, if you know my Momma, you know she loves her sports.  So, just run with it...:)

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

It was a gorgeous weekend here in HPNC.  Cooler temps...sunshine...blue skies.  Perfect for working out in the yard.  We had 12 new rose bushes that needed to get in the ground, so that set the tone for our To Do List on Saturday.  I know, I know...I said I didn't want another To Do list, didn't I?  Truth-be-told, I operate better when I have some sort of plan.

Anyway, we started the day off with a trip to Ilderton Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep in downtown High Point to get Lillie Pearl her 20K check-up:  oil, filter, tire rotation, and new wiperblades.  If you come in for service on Saturdays, they give you a car wash for free.  Since everything around here is covered in pollen dust, a bath sounded like a great idea.  Of course, if I'd thought about what date it was, I might have thought twice about going through DT HPNC on this particular Saturday:  opening day of the Spring Furniture Market.  What are all these dressed-up people doing here?  Oh well, it all worked out OK...and Lillie Pearl looks so shiny and healthy, too!

Next to Sam's Club for hamburgers and buns for our cook-out supper...perfect after an afternoon of gardening, right?  Check!  However, when we got home, we had a call from BFF Amelia W., saying she had our pies.  Pies, you ask?  Yessiree.  The Deep River Friends Meeting makes the most marvelous chicken pies for their Annual Chicken Pie Supper (a fund raiser), and we were treated to 3 of them!  Have I told you lately how thankful and glad I am to be back in NC????  Changed our plans:  popped a pie in the oven to stay warm til supper; moved the hamburger cook-out to Sunday.

While AW and daughter CW were over, Gus and Duchess pinned one of their favs down on the sofa...lap dogs that they are.  Thought you might enjoy the picture (left).

OK...on to the yardwork.  While Mr. T and Gus dug the holes for the roses, I potted up some flowers for the deck and the little patio near the swing.  I also added some Wave Petunias to the pots out front, next to the bench (which Mr. T painted a couple of weekends ago).  I thought you'd like to see the guys at work (right).

The twelve new rose bushes are:  Proud Land, Mister Lincoln, and Chrysler Imperial (red ones); Pink Peace, Miss All-American Beauty, and Nearly Wild (pink ones); John F. Kennedy (2) (white ones); Angel Face (lavender); Kordes Perfecta (mix of pink and yellow); and New Day and OreGold (yellow ones).  Whew!  Of course, we have just a spot for a climber, so we are still looking for a Queen Elizabeth climber for it.

After all that work, you know those burgers tasted goooooood...as did those Sam Adams Lights!

Welcome Back, Miz Edith

As I said in my last post, things are (slowly but surely) getting back to normal with our lives after our six months of moving from MO to NC via KY. Last night we were welcomed back to HP, NC by Miz Amelia...who has been just the greatest friend to Nana/Momma/Edith ever since they began playing bridge together at the Jamestown (NC) Library in '94. That was at the beginning of our last NC residency (94-97), and they have remained friends throughout all of our moves. Amelia has become a part of our extended family, and we are all grateful for her friendship and for her positive effect on N/M/E's spirits. As you see in the photo (left), they look happy, happy, happy to finally be together in the same city, once again.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Steak Street, a favorite of both Amelia and daughter Claire (who joined us for dinner after work). I've written about this restaurant and their yummy food before...and it was just as good last night as it was on our introductory meal. I shared the Voo Doo Shrimp appetizer with N/M/E...and we brought the rest home for today...:) While the others went for the steak entrees, I chose the Shrimp and Grits...and my only disappointment was that I couldn't finish the entire dish. Wow! Added some of that to the take-home box, too. Of course, with such wonderful dinner companions, I guess they could have put cardboard on my plate, and I would have raved about it. Have I told you lately that I'm thrilled to be "back home?" Well, I just didn't want there to be any doubt...

Mr. T and I converged on Louisville last Thursday (he, from DC/MD; me, from NC) so that we'd have two vehicles to move N/M/E and her stuff home from Missy M's. She said that she'd never realized...or acknowledged...that her "temporary move to KY" would have lasted as long as it did. She thought she'd be there for 6 weeks, max. Hmmmm. Obviously, she must have been absent when we said "this move might take us a long time, given the state of the economy and having to sell a house, get a loan for the next house, etc." She'd packed for that imaginary 6 weeks' sojourn, so you will probably understand her desire to burn the few clothes that she had reserved from the moving van. She's sick of them, she says. Oh well...that's why God made Macy's, right?

Back here in NC, we've had gully-washer type rains for the past 3 days, but Mr. Weatherman is promising hot, dry weather for the weekend. Better be right on this one. We need some dry weather to get the fence posts set on Monday...so that we can get the fence built...so that the Drool Gang can complete the family over the Holiday weekend, when Missy M loads up the Explorer for the 8-hour trip...which, with all the stops she'll have to make with 4 dogs, could take 10 or more hours. Then, we will truly be back to normal around here. Ahhhh. Sounds lovely to me.

While we are waiting on that dry weather and the fence, I thought I'd post a few photos of the daylilies that are currently blooming in our yard. Any guesses as to the names of these beauties? The tall, double Yellow-Gold ones look like they could be Double Eagles...maybe. The creamy white ones are similar to the Dad's Best Whites that we had in MO, but these are much taller. The peachy pink ones are almost an apricot color when the sun (finally) hits them. Oh well...a daylily by any other name is still as beautiful...with apologies to Mr. Shakespeare...:)

Enjoy...

Look Who Found Us in KY

N/M/E's good friend from Cincinnati, Rose and her daughter Carol stopped by Missy M's house for a bit this week. What a nice treat that was! And don't those two octogenarians look fabulous in that photo on the left?

Mom and Rose have been good friends since the "West Tennessee Days," when Daddy and Rose's husband worked together in Covington. Mercy...that must be 35 years ago! As I've said before (and will hopefully say again), there's nothing like enduring friendships.

Carol, who does amazing counted cross-stitch work on linen, brought her latest project for us to see. Of course, I need a magnifying glass just to look at the eensy-weensy, teeny-tiny stitches. How she has any vision left is beyond me! She also brought along some tasty cookies...which I had no trouble whatsoever in seeing...and devouring...:)

Carol and "the Moms" headed off for a nice lunch at Applebee's, but I had to hang around the house to take care of some details with the contract on the NC house. Never fear...I put in my order for my favorite, Grilled Shrimp and Spinach Salad. Yummy! I think it's the dressing that makes me drool for that particular dish. Whatever...I know that if I haven't had one every couple of weeks, I start craving it!

New house update: I completed all the mortgage loan papers online last night...in just under 2 hours. I love Quicken Loans! Never heard of them? Well, I'm certainly one of their satisfied customers. This will be the third time we have used them (fourth, if you count when Missy M bought her house), and I believe it has gotten even quicker. You have one "point person" who makes sure the process goes smoothly, and then you do almost all of your "paperwork" online, by email, by phone, and/or by fax. Ah, technology. Perfect way to do business, if you ask me.

UFO update: Because I worked on the loan stuff, I didn't get to work on the previously-mentioned socks much. Maybe today, after all the laundry's done. How can 4 people (one of whom is only here on the weekends) generate so many dirty clothes? Never ceases to amaze me...

There're No Friends Like _ _ _, Enduring Friends

I count myself as one of the most fortunate people in the world because I have friendships that have endured the test of time...a long time...more time than I care to admit to, actually. More than fifty years, in one case. Yowza! Isn't that just amazing?

Anne and I have known each other since my first days in Henning, where we moved to/from Memphis when I was three years old. We were in Sunday School together as tots...we attended 8 years at Henning Grammar School together...and we graduated from Ripley High School together. We went to the beach together...we were in each other's weddings...and we both have "only" daughters, born just 6 months apart. We used to talk to each other almost nightly on the phone (at least until 9:00, when it was "lights out" at her house), especially when we needed to check our Algebra homework (Mrs. Cloyes!) or our Latin homework (Mrs. Thomas!)...even though we had just spent a whole day together in classes. Of course, we've embraced email as our standard of communication these days, but the beauty of a lasting friendship like ours is that we can just pick up where we left off...even if we haven't actually talked to each other for a year or more.

I've had the opportunity to get together with Anne a couple of times in the past few weeks. Spurred on by the prospect that my impending move might mean we don't get to see each other for a while, she contacted Janie...another long-time friend, and they drove to rendevous with me at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah. Now, this was the same week as that awful, horrible, terrible, very bad ice & snow storm in KY. But, as we had already postponed once, we braved the weather forecast and the roads...and had a fabulous time together! BTW, if you find yourself on I-24, going through KY, be sure to schedule some time here...it's worth it!

Anne and I also met up at Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston this week...home of the throwed rolls (that's one of 'em there on the left), for anyone in the dark about this quirky southeastern Missouri destination...and talked at our table for so long after our meal was done and our gallon of tea had been consumed, that we felt obligated to double our kind waitress's tip, sort of like paying rent on the space, don't you know? Janie couldn't make it because of work, so we had to keep up the conversation without her help this time...and, of course, we didn't seem to have any problem with that assignment. That's us together in that picture (above, left)...and we were every bit as happy as to be together we appear to be.

I hope we have many more opportunities to keep our friendship fires kindled in the coming years!

Oh, What a Christmas!

We are so blessed...and so thankful for all our blessings! Not only did Santa load up both Christmas trees (!) with goodies, we also had the pleasure of welcoming our former neighbors to help us in celebrating the Holidays. After all, the Season is all about remembering the birth of the Christ Child by sharing love and joy with family and friends...and we certainly did just that!




Their five-year-old, shown in the photo to the right, in the Santa's Elf Hat (AKA the Elvis Hat...needed in order to be an official deliverer of Christmas presents) is like our pretend grandchild...he even calls Nana "Nana." I can't tell you how very much we have missed them since they moved to IL a couple of years ago...and how precious the time we do get to spend with them is.

What a fun time we had on Christmas Eve Eve! For our dinner, I tried out my version of Rachael Ray's Orange Balsamic Chicken (she used Cornish Game Hens; I used chicken breasts and legs, which I browned in the EVOO first, followed by 55 minutes in the oven until done...with a 5 minute finish under the broiler with some 'fresh' glaze...oh, and I added brown sugar to the glaze), and included other favorites like homemade yeast rolls and Nana/Momma/Edith's recipe of Three-Bean Casserole (much better than the original Green Bean Casserole, trust me). And, for dessert...a three-layer Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling...a recipe from our Collierville United Methodist Church cookbook days! That just says 'Christmas,' doesn't it? And, what could be better than opening presents with a 5-year-old around? Here is an imbedded video clip that shows Mr. T. and Little E. in our kitchen, playing with his new Spiderman Bubble-blowing Machine. [Click the box to activate and then the arrow to enjoy the 34-second clip; it may take a couple of seconds to buffer, though...so patience is encouraged! Oh yes...giving credit where credit is due...the video is courtesy of M, who had just the right software on her new Apple to allow her to "fix" an orientation issue and to add the title.] I've also added the video to my YouTube, so it appears below the posts (bottom of blog), where it may be a little easier to view.



We start each Christmas morning off in the same way: first...let's see what's in those Stockings! After getting our first treats from Santa, we taste our first treats from the kitchen: Sweet Rolls, Coffee, and Juice (served on the Christmas china and in Santa glasses, of course). Then, as our official Santa's Elf, Missy M, dons the Santa Hat in order to hand out the presents under the tree. After that we have M's delicious Sausage Casserole (which she models after a Southern Living recipe...and has to make ahead on Christmas Eve...and remember to remove from the fridge on Christmas morning...!) and Ner's Ambrosia (which Nana/Momma/Edith has made for us for years...just like her grandmother did...for years and years before that). This Christmas, as we have done for a few years now, we declared that we couldn't eat another "big meal" today...and moved Christmas dinner to Boxing Day (Dec. 26th)...very British of us, indeed! Hey, it works for me, as I'm battling a cold and sore throat, and all I wanted to do on Christmas Day was drink hot tea with lots & lots of lemon (made very quickly with my new Cuisanart Cordless Automatic electric tea kettle)...and knit (using my fabulous new Jordana Paige Cappucino-colored knitting satchel and super-bright Ott Light Lexington-model floor lamp)...and watch the videos that Santa delivered (Harry Potter's Order of the Phoenix; Bourne Supremacy; and Waking Ned Devine, among others). Although Mr. T does have to work on Wednesday, he'll be able to make it home in plenty of time for Turkey Dinner and Trimmings.

Here's a shot of Elmo (left), wearing the Santa Hat, and looking a little less than excited about being an official Santa's Helper...but, isn't he just so cute? And (right), I created a composite of our "still-in-our-jammies/no-make-up" Christmas Morning, 2007 photos...which probably looks a little clearer if you click it to enlarge it. I've uploaded some more of our favorite Christmas, 2007 photos to my Flickr account, so the slideshow in the upper left will shuffle those, at least until I upload some more photos, which will replace them.

We wish y'all a very, merry Christmas! And, if I don't get a blog out before 12/31...have a happy, healthy...and safe...New Year's!!