Family Reunion – Summer Trip Part 3

"With a holy host of others standing 'round me… I'm going to Carolina in my mind." (James Taylor, "Carolina in My Mind")

After we left my hometown in Georgia, we drove on to my sister’s house in North Carolina to attend the reunion of my father’s side of my family. (The same people who skydived at our reunion two years ago.) We are all descendents of my paternal grandmother, who would have turned 97 this weekend. Besides the reunion and Grandmother’s birthday, we gathered to have a surprise party for my Uncle John’s 70th birthday. He’s the oldest surviving child of my grandmother, so he is now the patriarch of our clan.

We lined the road in front of my sister’s house to welcome his arrival.

He pulled up, accepted hugs and a beer, then flashed his Sheriff’s badge. He elected himself sheriff of our family two years ago, and he loves to walk around and remind everyone that he’s “da Sheriff!”

My sister and my aunt planned quite the party. My sister had a tent installed and rented tables and chairs.

She put together cute centerpieces highlighting the birthday boy’s life.

She ordered the cutest Sheriff cake…

…and had the baker make adorable jeweled cupcakes to represent Grandmother’s jewelry that we all “cherished” after her funeral. (*Ahem.* Loooong story there…)

She brought in a bounce house and all kinds of yard games.

She lives on a small lake, so there were canoes to paddle…

…and fish to tease, snakes to shoot, and docks to sit on and ponder life.

As if that weren’t enough, my sister Mary had 20 people spend the night in her four-bedroom home, three people in a tour bus in the front yard, and set sixteen other people up at nearby condos. We had people coming out of the woodwork!

We had amazing food, including hand-picked peaches that tasted like what I *hope* heaven smells like.

I found a new favorite drink. It’s sweet-tea-flavored vodka mixed with lemonade. Yum! (Yes, this photo is out of focus. Which is what happens when you drink sweet-tea flavored-vodka!)

We watched while some family members performed amazing party tricks.

We toasted each other and “the perfect woman…” (“How could I ask for more?”)

I took over 700 photos. My uncle also schooled me on the multiple exposure feature on my camera. (Cool!)

We laughed. A lot!

Someone (I’m not mentioning names!) hit someone else’s car. Oops!

I met a few relatives for the first time.

And I got to watch one of the newest relatives start to explore the world.

I walked away with a sense of belonging and gratitude for the family who came before me and who created this nest of people I love. (Yes, EVEN the crazy ones. Ha!) We had a fantastic summer trip, great visit home, and family reunion!

Home Sweet Home – Summer Trip Part 2

"In Carolina or in Georgia open arms are waiting for you./Carry on, carry on, sweet southern comfort, carry on." (Buddy Jewell, "Sweet Southern Comfort")

After our big day at Stone Mountain, we spent Tuesday in my hometown of Marietta, Georgia.

We started the day by visiting a landmark I’ve told my kids about and shown them photos of; we even have a bird house in our back yard in the shape of this landmark: the Big Chicken!

It’s actually a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in the shape of a triangular chicken. We went inside, bought souvenirs, and took photos.

After the Big Chicken, we headed to my old high school. It is an old building in dire need of updates, and it’s actually being torn down this summer. We walked through the halls where my sister, brother and I spent our formative years. It was such a mix of emotions for me: it made me homesick, made me feel old, and watching my children walk the hallways made me feel like two halves of my life were colliding. Since I live an eight-hours’-drive from my hometown and no immediate family living there, my children have never been to my hometown. The mother part of my life has been separated from my earlier years.

It’s odd to be in a place where ghosts of the past walk with my present and future.

As if that wasn’t weird enough, I watched my son run all over the football field where his namesake spent his glory days. Wow.

Before we left my high school, we stopped at the cafeteria and I signed my name to the wall where other alumni have left their mark. Remember, it’ll all be torn down – but it was fun to leave graffiti!

We moved on to the REAL walk down memory lane: visiting the house where I grew up. And THIS is when the tears finally welled up in my eyes. I pushed my daughter in a swing in my former front yard, thinking of all the things that have changed since I last peeked out my bedroom window and wished my life would just hurry up and start already! (I never realized it already had…)

The kids and I posed for a photo on the front steps. (One day I’ll scan the photo of me and my siblings on those same steps and compare the two here.)

Our last stop was at my hometown church. Dan and I took the kids into the tiny chapel where we were married, and Katie took our photo while we reenacted our first married kiss.

Who would have thought empty buildings could hold so much emotion for me?

It was time for us to head back to our hotel for the fun to begin. We invited some old friends to swim at the hotel pool and visit with us for a while. I especially loved my childhood friends’ kids playing with my kids. So cool!

It was so good to see the faces of those who have known and loved me and my family for so many years.

I loved showing my Home Sweet Home to my kids.

Stone Mountain, GA – Summer Trip Part 1

Dan, the kids and I left Missouri ten days ago and headed south. We drove all day, stopping a few times for fuel, geocaches (more on that later), Superman…

…and the kids’ current favorite restaurant (there are plenty of these in the South).

We arrived at Stone Mountain, Georgia that evening. We checked in to the Stone Mountain Inn and unloaded our bags quickly so we could make it to the Laser Show on time. Whew… we made it!

I grew up in Marietta, Georgia – not far from Stone Mountain. I can remember going to the Laser Show MANY times as I was growing up. This year’s show is similar to those I remember from my past, with a new “MountainVision” feature, which is basically a video projected on the mountain along with the lasers. My Southern heart stirred as I watched the Civil War heroes march off the mountain to the tune of Elvis’ “American Medley.” It was surreal to do something with my kids that I remember doing as a kid myself.

We spent the night at the hotel then woke up Monday to spend the day at Stone Mountain. Our first activity was to ride a tram up the mountain (1,683 feet above sea level) and get a view of downtown Atlanta.

We started to search for a geocache on top of the mountain, then quickly realized it was a multi-cache (more than one stop on the “tour”) and the kids wouldn’t last long enough to complete it. So we headed down the mountain and went to the Sky Hike, an outdoor ropes course. Dan and Katie got in line while Jackson and I went next door and did the toddler version of the ropes course, called Camp Highland Outpost.

Dan and Katie’s line was really long, so Jackson and I headed to the Great Barn for some air conditioned indoor play.

We had some lunch and went back to watch Dan and Katie work their way through the ropes course. It was really cool. The climbers put on a harness that’s attached with a rope to a metal track that runs the entire length of the three-story structure. The climbers thread their rope through the track and confront obstacles like a balance beam, tightrope, or rope rungs.

Since the course was so high up, I thought Katie would have to fight through some big fears. She surprised me and was a champ! I  loved watching her brave the obstacles with nonchalance and confidence.

We ate a little more then took the kids to a short 4D Yogi Bear movie, which was fun and wet! The kids were tired after such an active day, so we finished up at Stone Mountain and skipped some of the other activities (the rock climbing wall, the Scenic Railroad, mini golf, the museum and the antebellum plantation). But before we left, we checked off another geocache in the parking lot. This one was HARD!

We drove back east a few miles to a hotel closer to my hometown, and checked in for the night. Since we were about 15 miles from one of my *favorite* restaurants (BEST. WINGS. EVER.), we drove a bit to Buffalo’s Cafe. OH BABY! It was worth every mile we drove to get there.

I ended the night with a full belly and a heart happy to be back in Georgia.

Beauty Refracted

Sometimes, unexpected joys pop into my life that can be credited to God alone. My friend Gina is one of those joys.

I met her in an unusual way, a way that is unique to our generation. Past generations of women met through their husband’s jobs or as neighbors or maybe through volunteering in the school PTA or church. Gina and I met online.

She and I regularly commented on a photography blog. I thought she was wry and wise, funny and compassionate. I could tell this simply by reading the comments she posted. She intrigued me enough that I went to check out her blog – Namaste by Day – and started getting to know her there. She did likewise on my blog (leaving 223 comments, to date!), and we quickly realized we actually live in the SAME town. How cool is that? Even better, our sons are the same age. We made plans for a play date and got to know each other in person. In Real Life!

But before I ever met Gina in real life, I started inviting her to church with me. She said no because of a hectic schedule and because “I consider myself very spiritual....just a bit reluctant to get into religion.” (Yes, I still have the email!) Fast forward a year and a half, and she finally brought her family to my church. For the last nine months, I have watched a passion for God unfold in Gina’s heart. I read it on her blog as she describes her excitement about getting to church and worshiping. I hear her talk about how God melts her fears. I know, without a doubt, He is pursuing her and her husband in the same way He has pursued me. It has been an amazingly cool thing to watch.

This weekend at church, Gina gave me a beautiful gift. I knew she was working on something because she kept telling me, “I’m making something for you but it isn’t ready!” She posted something on her blog about it too, but gave a dire written warning before I scrolled down to see the surprise. (She later deleted the post because of possible trademark issues.) So I had a slight idea as to what the gift might be, but wasn’t prepared for this:

Gina hand-painted a canvas for me with Proverbs 31:25, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” In a card Gina included with the gift, she explained why she picked that verse. She said it describes me!

Now hear this: I am NOT tooting my own horn. If anything, I think Gina is off her rocker, but I am honored by her gesture. Just the fact that someone might look at me and see even a tiny flicker of Scripture reflected in my soul is a HUGE honor to me. That is more precious to me than a gift of jewels or even a massage gift certificate! To think that God is visible in my soul? To think that I glorify Him?

THAT is a testament to His love, His presence in my life. And even more? My friend, who once wasn’t so sure about the church thing, is now quoting Scripture to me. God has His hand on us!

“Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone; any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.” Proverbs 17:8 MSG

State Songs

We have a family road trip coming up. In preparation, I’ve been searching for songs about states. It’s been pretty fun trying to compile the list, and I thought I’d share it with you here. Some of these I found on my own, and some I found online and by reading this list here and here too. There are some I’ve never heard, as they are pretty obscure songs.

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know any I might have forgotten or overlooked.

• Alabama
  • Stars Fell on Alabama (Jimmy Buffett, and others)
  • Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynrd)
• Alaska
  • North to Alaska (Johnny Horton)
  • The Alaska Song (Lucy J. Dalton)
• Arizona
  • Arizona (Kings of Leon)
  • Oceanfront Property in Arizona (George Strait)
• Arkansas
  • Mary Queen of Arkansas (Bruce Springsteen)
  • Little Rock (Reba McEntire)
  • Little Rock (Collin Raye)
• California
  • California Dreaming (Mamas & Papas)
  • California Girls (Beach Boys)
• Colorado
  • Rocky Mountain High (John Denver)
  • Colorado Girl (Townes van Zandt)
• Connecticut
  • I Live in Connecticut (Aerosmith)
• Delaware
  • Delaware (Perry Como)
• Florida
  • Florida (Vic Chesnutt)
  • Seminole Wind (John Anderson)
• Georgia
  • Georgia on My Mind (Ray Charles or Willie Nelson)
  • Dixie Land (Elvis)
  • Midnight Train to Georgia (Indigo Girls)
  • Georgia Peaches (Lynyrd Skynrd)
  • Chattahoochee (Alan Jackson)
  • Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me (Keith Urban)
• Hawaii
  • Blue Hawaii (Elvis)
• Idaho
  • Idaho (Josh Ritter)
• Illinois
  • Sweet Home Chicago (Blues Brothers)
  • Chicago (Frank Sinatra)
  • Casimir Pulaski Day (Sufjan Stevens)
• Indiana
  • Gary, Indiana (from The Music Man)
  • Back Home Again in Indiana (Louis Armstrong)
• Iowa
  • Iowa Stubborn (from The Music Man)
• Kansas
  • Kansas City (from Oklahoma!)
  • Wichita Lineman (Glenn Campbell)
• Kentucky
  • Kentucky Rain (Elvis)
  • My Old Kentucky Home (Three Dog Night)
  • Blue Moon of Kentucky (Elvis & others)
  • Kentucky (Edwin McCain)
  • Man of Constant Sorrow
• Louisiana
  • Johnny B Goode (Chuck Berry)
  • Louisiana (Willie Nelson, The Walkmen)
• Maine
  • Going to Maine (Mountain Goats)
• Maryland
  • The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll (Bob Dylan)
• Massachusetts
  • Massachusetts (Bee Gees)
  • Rock and Roll Band by Boston
• Michigan
  • Dancing in the Street (Martha and the Vandellas)
• Minnesota
  • Stuck Between Stations (The Hold Steady)
• Mississippi
  • Cross Road Blues (Robert Johnson)
• Missouri
  • Missing Missouri (Sara Evans)
  • Missouri (Low)
  • Missouri Waltz
• Montana
  • Montana (Frank Zappa)
• Nebraska
  • Nebraska (Bruce Springsteen)
• Nevada
  • Viva Las Vegas (Elvis)
  • Waking Up in Vegas (Katy Perry)
  • Pretty Vegas (INXS)
• New Hampshire
  • New Hampshire (Sonic Youth)
• New Jersey
  • Jersey Girl (Tom Waits)
• New Mexico
  • New Mexico (Johnny Cash)
• New York
  • New York New York (Frank Sinatra)
  • Empire State of Mind (Alicia Keys)
  • New York Minute (Don Henley)
  • New York State of Mind (Billy Joel)
• North Carolina
  • Carolina in My Mind (James Taylor)
• North Dakota
  • North Dakota (Lyle Lovett)
• Ohio
  • Ohio (Modest Mouse)
  • Ohio Come Back to Texas (Bowling for Soup)
• Oklahoma
  • Oklahoma (from Oklahoma!)
  • Oklahoma Hills (Woody Guthrie)
  • Oklahoma-Texas Line (Rascal Flatts)
• Oregon
  • Portland, Oregon (Loretta Lynn)
• Pennsylvania
  • The Weight (The Band)
• Rhode Island
  • Rhode Island is Famous for You (Blossom Dearie)
• South Carolina
  • From South Carolina (Her Space Holiday)
• South Dakota
  • South Dakota Morning (Bee Gees)
• Tennessee
  • Tennessee (Arrested Development)
  • Rocky Top (Lynn Anderson and others)
  • Graceland (Paul Simon)
• Texas
  • Deep in the Heart of Texas (Gene Autry and others)
  • Yellow Rose of Texas (various)
  • Headin for the Texas Border (Flamin Groovies)
  • All My Exes Live in Texas (George Strait)
  • Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (from the musical)
• Utah
  • History of Utah (Camper Van Beethoven)
• Vermont
  • Moonlight in Vermont (Margaret Whiting)
  • Long Vermont Roads (Magnetic Fields)
• Virginia
  • Carry Me Back to Old Virginny (various)
  • East Virginia Blues (The Stanley Brothers)
• Washington
  • Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle (Nirvana)
• West Virginia
  • Take Me Home Country Roads (John Denver)
  • This Protector (The White Stripes)
• Wisconsin
  • Milwaukee Here I Come (John Prine)
• Wyoming
  • Song of Wyoming (John Denver)

 

• MISCELLANEOUS
  • Everywhere (Tim McGraw)

Gellac Nails

I have a thing for nice nails. I’m pretty sure it comes from watching my mom sit in front of the TV at night, filing and shaping her nails. I remember falling asleep with my head on her lap while she watched the Atlanta Braves game on TV. Her body would rock as the file moved back and forth across her nails. She wasn’t much for primping, but she always kept her nails in good shape.

I like to keep my nails filed, and polished when possible. So I have a new favorite thing to share. Have you heard of gel nail polish, or shellac? Creative Nail Designs makes the gel polish. OPI makes the shellac.

It’s only available at nail salons. The nail technician applies a clear base coat on my own nails (not acrylics), then sets it with a UV lamp. Then she applies the first of two color coats, setting them each with the UV lamp. Then there’s a final top coat, followed by the lamp. The last step is to rub your nails with plain alcohol to make them shine.

After the rubbing is done, I sit there in amazement and touch my nails and even scratch them. Wonder of all wonders, there isn’t one little dent or ding even though the nails were *just* polished. It’s a weird thing, after spending years of my life having to wait a LONG time after the manicure to make sure the polish isn’t ruined.

But that isn’t even the BEST part! The best part is the polish lasts for at least three weeks AND makes my nails strong with zero chipping. It would last longer if my nails didn’t grow so fast and have space between the polish and my cuticles. Here’s how my nails looked after three weeks:

If I had chosen a color that contrasts more with my skin color, I don’t think I could have worn it for three weeks. The growth would be too obvious.

The second time I had this nail polish applied, I went with the French manicure. Here’s how it looked after a week and a half. (Disregard my ragged cuticles and cuts, please. Focus on the polish, y’all!)

I think I like the color polish better. French is nice, but it’s too perfect and makes me look like a salon rat; as if I am a high maintenance woman who gets her nails done weekly. Which isn’t true. Usually I do my nails myself at home with those nail strips I love so much. Lupus makes the skin on my cuticles very thick and tough, and it hurts badly to push them back. I don’t like a nail technician doing this for me, so I do it at home myself. Besides, this gel/shellac manicure is twice as expensive as a regular manicure - $30 as opposed to $15.

But for a special occasion or a nice treat, I’m definitely going back!

It’s Uncanny

Retro Video Games

They say history repeats itself. This photo is proof:

It’s Jackson and his sister, playing their Game Boys from 1989.

I wish I had a photo from 1989 to show the first Jackson and his sister playing these exact same video games. My parents gave them to us for Christmas that year. I was 15 years old, and Jackson was 19. We weren’t quite into handheld video games back then (although we did love our Atari, of course). We were a little old for the Game Boys, but it was the trend that Christmas and Mom wanted to buy them for us. We ended up having a blast with them.

I saved them in a box for years, then came across them recently. Miraculously, they still work! I gave them to my kids, and they beg to play them as much as they beg to play with my iTouch. Our house rule states they cannot play with them unless we are at a restaurant (when we go with friends and the adults want to chat) or waiting at a doctor’s office. They can also earn the privilege of playing when they fill up their marble jars.

In preparation for an upcoming long car ride, we visited Slacker’s and found a treasure trove of game cartridges that will work in my dinosaur Game Boys. Woo hoo! The kids were beside themselves, bouncing with excitement to pick out new games. We bought two (Super Mario 2 and Pac Man), and it’s like Christmas morning in the middle of July!

Girls’ Night Out

Last Friday, Katie and I went to St. Louis’ outdoor theater to see The Little Mermaid with her Brownie troop. It was Katie’s second time at The Muny, but my first with her. We made a whole night of it.

Before The Muny, we had dinner at Blueberry Hill. It’s a restaurant owned by Chuck Berry, on the Loop in University City.

Katie was thrilled to see a jukebox, and we browsed through the songs for a while. She narrowed it down to two choices, then Aerosmith’s Dream On was chosen over Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry. (And can I just say how happy it makes me to type that sentence? I think it’s pretty cool that my kids know the Imagination Movers as well as they know classic rock.)

There was a photo booth, which we enjoyed together!

We left the Loop and drove on to Forest Park. I begged asked Katie to let me take her eight-year-old photos, so we took some time before the show started at The Muny. Isn’t she lovely?

We got to The Muny and it was actually a nice night for an outdoor show! We enjoyed the music and acting, then headed home. Katie was in bed a smidge before midnight (yikes!), and our Girls’ Night Out was a success.

My One Original Idea

I’ve had one original idea in my lifetime; one idea that is solely mine and I know for a fact didn’t come from anywhere else but my little brain.
You can read about it at JC’s Loft today, where I am guest posting.
Anyone else have something original to share?
{Update: The JC's Loft blog was closed and the link no longer works. If you would like instructions, leave a comment and your email address and I'll be in contact. I'm sorry for any confusion!}

Pancake the Squirrel: a Guest Post by Katie

We have a pet! It isn’t an ordinary pet. It’s a squirrel!

He lives in our back yard. We named him Pancake because he lays flat on our patio. He also lays on the base of our tree house.

He is the best pet because he is very silly laying on the ground.

There is another squirrel who lives in the tree above our tree house. We think that is Pancake’s girlfriend!

I Can’t Forget Her

Dan and I met friends at a restaurant yesterday. I went to the bathroom and was finishing up in the stall when I heard it: gagging and vomiting, coming from the stall next to mine.

Since we were at a restaurant attached to a brewery, my first thought was, “Some poor girl had too much to drink.” I wanted to make sure she was okay, so I took my time finishing in the stall and washing my hands. As I stood at the sink, she came out of her stall. She was young, maybe in her early twenties, wearing a white skirt and a black top. She was very pretty. I looked directly in her eyes. She was not drunk. With the loud noise of the hand dryer to cover me (there were others in the restroom who came in after she vomited), I pointedly said, “Are you okay?” She said, “Yeah.” She washed her hands and we both stood there waiting for the girl at the hand dryer to finish.

Once more, I locked eyes with the woman and it hit me: she was bulimic. I was stunned at the realization in my head, and could barely get my mind wrapped around it. I looked at her once more, dried my hands, then grabbed a tissue as a way to stall for time again. She finished drying her hands, walked to the door, and I followed her. She veered left and I veered right, and that was the last I saw of her.

I joined Dan and our friends at the table, told them what happened, and rejoined the conversation. But I couldn’t relax; the merriment of the day had vanished from my heart. I felt a tremendous pull to go find the girl. This is the conversation I had in my head: “Go find her!” “And do what?!” “Just find her! Tell her she’s beautiful. And loved. And worth more than that.” “And then she’ll think I’m crazy, and what do I know about her life?” “What if she does? Go find her!” “I don’t want to meddle. What if she’s sitting with friends who don’t know anything about this?” “Then tap her on the shoulder and ask her to step aside with you. Or take her a note. Just go find her!”

So I got up from the table again, mid-conversation. I walked through the restaurant and tried to find her. There was a reception in the back room, and I tried to peek in the doors without looking obvious. I didn’t see her on my first scan. I walked away and went through the bar area, then went back to the reception and lingered a little longer at the doors. I still couldn’t find her. I literally had to restrain myself from barging in the room and trying to find this woman. I knew I had to walk away, so I did. And I carried that woman to God’s arms, pleading that He would find some other way to reach her.

I can’t stop thinking about her. This morning in church, I saw her face in my mind again. I replayed the scene over and over, wishing I had a second chance so I could say what I was too stunned to say in the bathroom: You are beautiful. You don’t need to do that. And maybe? Just maybe, I might even say something about God’s grace and love and how she is worthy and priceless.

I am not what you would consider an evangelistic person. I was raised to believe that your faith is a personal thing you didn’t really share with others. It was okay to talk about it, of course, but mainly with people you already knew were believers too. So for me to talk to a total – and hurting – stranger about God’s love? Oooo, my pulse quickens because that idea is SO FAR out of my comfort zone.

BUT… I know that woman needed to hear it. I know I needed to say it, and I’m being prepared to get out of my comfort zone and start saying it more.

So I am praying for her. I am trying to let go of her and put her in God’s hands. I’m also praying for myself.

God, please give me another chance to share your love with others. I am boldly asking: put someone in my path who needs you! Let your Spirit fill my mouth with the words they need to hear. Let me be unafraid to speak your truths, and help me do it gently and with humility. I want to obey your nudges and open my ears to your whispers. And dear God, please don’t let me screw it up. Amen.

“One person standing on the Rock can throw a lifeline to others drowning in the sea.” Francine Rivers, Atonement Child