You go girl!

I did something tonight just for me. It was a big deal for me and something I haven't done in about 10 years. I'm stinkin' proud of myself right now.

So, I've mentioned before that I have joined the campus choir as a community member and I love it. I have always loved singing and being part of a group is something I really, really love. This semester, we are singing a song that is sooooo within my voice range and there are two solos in the piece. I debated and deliberated, and practiced and practiced...then tonight, I actually tried out for one of the solos!

The director asked, "Who wants to go first?" Dead silence. I said "I'll go." One of my former speech students is in the choir as well and she hit it on the head when she said, "That's a speech teacher - go first and get it over with." I had to laugh because that was so right. I sang the part and then sat down. My heart was racing, my head was swimming, but I felt good about doing it.

We won't know till next week who got the solos, but regardless of the turn out, I am proud of myself. I stepped out of my comfort zone to try something and that's all enough, right? I will say, that I think I surprised a few people - not only by trying out, but that I actually was fairly good. As the only African-American in the choir said, "Girl, you got a little black in you." She is so stinking sweet...and funny. Hahahahahahahaha!

Here is the song we will be singing...enjoy!

I took The Wee One to McDonald's the other day to have a nice little mother/daughter lunch. As we sat there, eating fries heavily dipped in ketchup and playing with the cute little happy meal toy, I looked around and noticed something interesting about the dining area.

McDonald's is a place for kids and for those over the age of 65. There was not a single person in sight. Apparently, single adults go through the drive-thru. I will admit, that I am not really a McDonald's food fan. Breakfast is awesome, but the rest of the menu is pretty weak for an adult. However, it is the fast food mecca for kids. The McDonald's in our area doesn't even have a playground, but that doesn't matter to the kiddos who flock to the place. They love it. They love the junk food, they love the silly toys they get with their meal, they love the wall computer games. They just love the whole experience.

Think back to when you were a kid. Wasn't a trip to McDonald's completely awesome? I remember going with my grandpa to the McDonald's near his house. About once a week, he would take my brother and I to eat breakfast and play. Back then, the playgrounds were awesome! There was the merry-go-round, the hamburger jail, the fry-guy bouncers...what could be cooler? I remember eating on the outside benches with my grandpa, and then while he sat there with his never-ending coffee cup, my brother and I would run around like crazy monkeys. It was not just breakfast - it was a full outing.

So, dear adult readers, the next time you drive past McDonald's and think "Yuck!", take a second and reminisce about your childhood days. Then, find a kid (preferably yours or one who's parents will give you permission) and take them to McDonald's for a meal. You will see the wonder and joy in their face. I dare you not to smile as you witness it.

Fall!

It's here - officially on the calendar and in the weather outside! I am so excited. I have always loved fall. I think it is because my birthday marks the start of the season. For many, fall brings home childhood memories...playing in the leaves, baking in the house, going to pumpkin patches. It isn't really about any of that for me. Instaed it's like a spiritual calling home.

There is just something about the cool air, the wind blowing, the general feel in the air that always makes me feel closer to God. As I sit here on my couch with the windows open, letting the cool breeze hit my arms, I am reminded that God's blessings are all around us.

It may seem funny to people that something so simple can bring such peace to me, but it's true. Fall always seems peacful. It is a tolerant season, a mild season, a season to recharge the soul. Everything about fall screams PRAIRE! I encourage you all to embrace the fall and find God's blessings throughout the season.

Crying in my coffee

My heart is saddened this morning - and it is a totally selfish reason. The pastor at our home church is moving. BOO! I know this will be good for him and his family, but I want him to stay. Here's the most selfish part...we don't even live there any more. We go to the church whenever we are in town, but that's about once a month at best. How horrible can I be?

I went out to get the mail this morning and there was a letter from the church. We are still members and on the mailing list, so it is not unusual to get letters from the church. However, there was just something about this one that I had to open it immediately. I opened it and as I read the first line - "It is with deep love and affection..." I knew what it was about. I quickly scanned the letter and there it was in the third paragraph. "On September 12, I accepted the call to serve..." I literally almost started crying.

This is the man who married us, the man who dedicated our daughter. Goodness, his wife was actually my labor and delivery nurse when I had The Wee One. We love these people! I know I am not alone in my saddness. I know that many at the church have closer relationships to this family. I just hate that they will now be so far away from us. I wonder if I will still be able to have him dedicate any future children? Hum...

For now, I will just shed a few tears in my coffee and then get to cleaning my house. Life goes on, right?

I'm out of touch

Apparently, I am out of touch with the pop world. Not that this is an extremely surprising realization for me. Let's face it, I have never been one of the "cool" people. In junior high, while all my friends were obsessed with The New Kids on the Block, I was listening to the oldies channel. In high school, I frequently wore clothes that caused others to mock me, although I still claim that I was just way ahead of my time...stuff I wore then is trendy now. Thank God for college! I didn't all of the sudden become hip or anything, but I did meet people that just let me be me - and you know what? I flourished because of them.

So back to my original thought. I was on Yahoo yesterday and thought I'd see what crazy outfits Lady Gaga wore to the VMA's. (Yes, I am with it enough to know who Lady Gaga is, although I don't know that I could actually name any of her songs.) As I scrolled through the 30-something pictures of red carpet walkers, I realized that I only knew about 5 of them. Where the heck have I been?

Not only was I shocked at how few of these celebrities I actually knew, I was shocked at what people consider fashion. I mean, I know it's the VMA's and not church, but really some of these outfits are a trip! It also kind of saddened me that the commentators would give people like Miranda Cosgrove a hard time for what I would call a simple and age appropriate outfit. What they said: "Miranda Cosgrove wore yet another matronly ensemble that belonged on someone three times her age." It may not be a "WOW" outfit, but it fits her age. In no way do I think it is a matronly outfit - Betty White would not look good in this...sorry Betty, but you know it's true. I appreciate the fact that she looks like a nice young adult and not a street-walker. She's only 17 or 18. Maybe we should start applauding those young celebrities that present a good image instead of dogging them.

So, needless to say, I think I just don't get it. I enjoy a variety of music and styles, but I think I will stick to my golden oldies and Christian music channels, and keep my closet stocked full of classic, tailored, brown, black, and white clothes. It may be boring to some, but it works for me.

A divine plan

You know that feeling you get when you know someone totally "gets" you? I hope you do. The Husband and I have been together for a little over 10 years now, but I feel that our paths were truly designed to come together. I don't know that I fully believe in the thought of there being only one person out there for each individual. I mean, what about people who loose a spouse and remarry to have a wonderful marriage? However, I do believe that God is the controller of our destiny and He leads us to the people we need most in our lives. Then it is up to us to be alert enough to actually realize someone great is standing before us.

So, all that said, let me tell you why I really believe that God destined for The Husband and I to be together. Life is full of little moments that could be called coincidences, but when you start to add them all together, you can see that sometimes, it's a little more than a simple coincidence.

As a child/young teen, my family took several mini-vacations to a small, remote town named Leakey, Texas. When I say small, I seriously mean it. The entire area has grown since I was down there as a kid, but even now, we're talking about a place where the nearest Wal-Mart is at least an hour away. It is a beautiful area, and the primary draw is the Frio River. During the summer months, this place is literally crawling with tubers. Even in years when the river is low, it is a blast. Gardner State Park is also down there and it is a great place to visit.

How does this relate to my story? After The Husband and I had been dating about 2 years, he asked if I wanted to join him at his family reunion....in Leakey, Texas. Apparently, the Frio River has been his family reunion destination for years. While they haven't always been in Leakey specifically, they have been in the immediate area. How odd. I mean, if you look this area up on a map, you will see how odd it is that the two of our families would both find this place to vacation. Middle of no-where. Seriously.

Okay, you're thinking, so what? It gets better.

Right before my 16th birthday, Cosmo (my dad) gets a job at Palo Duro Canyon State Park so we move from Austin to Amarillo. Big jump! I adapted and ended up loving that region of the world. When I started dating The Husband (at least once he was deemed good enough to mention to parents), I told Cosmo and Darma about him. Cosmo's response was, "I know that name. He worked at Palo Duro for a while. I'm pretty sure we fired him." Great...that's a wonderful way to start off a relationship with potential future in-laws. Needless to say, they all get along great and it's a nice funny anecdote. However, it is also my number 2 step on my path to destiny.

While I know that a lot of people meet their loved ones in college, but when you think about it, that's a pretty amazing thing. Out of all the colleges/universities in the world and all the people at each one, what are the chances you will meet that one specific person. The Husband and I met during my last year at West Texas A&M University - while I was actually dealing with a failed engagement. It took 6 months, but when we finally went out, I knew there was something truly wonderful about this guy.

Here's my last "coincidence." In high school, I attended a summer camp with some friends. I did not attend their church, but thought it sounded fun so I took off from Texas to Arkansas for a week-long summer church camp. While visiting my brother-in-law and other family this past weekend, I realized that their house is about 5 minutes from the camp. Crazy! What are the freaking odds that my family would end up living down the road from my old summer camp?

I know all of this might seem kind of silly, but it's like our paths were crossed many moons ago and it just took time for us to find each other. All I can say is...God is good!

Simple joys

Have you ever noticed how the smallest things in life can bring you joy? I'm not being sentimental here. When I say smallest things, I really mean it.

Yesterday was "stock the house" day. About every 3 or 4 months, we really have to restock almost everything in our pantry, fridge, freezer, and bathroom. On a month-to-month basis, we do our shopping and replace little items here and there, but it never fails that we seem to run out of a lot of stuff all at the same time and I have to do a major replacement job.

By the end of August, we had about 10 miscellaneous food items left in the pantry and the fridge only had milk, juice, and cheese. When I say we were out of stuff, I mean it. It was starting to get interesting around here for dinners. : )

Since it was the end of the month, we were short on funds so we had to wait till payday to do our shopping. So as soon as the money was in our account, I got the pleasure of hitting the local Wally World to restock my house. To some this may seem like a chore, but this is one of those really simple joys for me.

The Husband and The Wee One stayed at home and I took off - another joy...shopping alone. I am one of those odd people who actually enjoys grocery shopping. I don't really care for clothes shopping or just walking around window shopping, but I really do like to shop for groceries. I think it is because I know exactly what I want and need. I know where to find it, and I don't have to worry if it makes my butt look big. Although, maybe if I worried about that more at the grocery store, I wouldn't have to worry about it at the clothing stores...hum.

Anyway, I managed to get a grocery cart heaping full in 40 minutes, which isn't bad considering how much I bought. Not only was I going quick, but my basket was moderately organized. Here's a glimpse into my mind...I'm a freak about that kind of organization. Shopping with The Husband drives me crazy half the time because he just throws things in the cart. I like for stuff to have a sense of order so that when I get to the checkout I can make sure that cold stuff is together, fruits and veggies are together, boxes, cans, miscellaneous items, etc. It also allows for more room in the cart. We have very different ideas in relation to spatial arrangements. And yes, my way is better.

So, I get everything that I can - by the way, our local Wally World is notorious for being out of stuff. Last night I couldn't get my butter, creamer, sour cream, cheese, and more. You gotta be kidding me, right? After my disappointment about these various items, I checked out, loaded the car and headed home. The Husband unloads for me while I start putting things away. That's another spatial arrangement issue that we have come to terms on. He will just throw things in the pantry and I'll never find them again - and really, our pantry isn't that big.

Once it was all put away, I stood back and took it all in. My freezer is jammed full. My fridge is nicely stocked. My pantry is full of delicious goodies, and it is organized neatly. My house might look like a tornado went through the middle of it, but my pantry, cabinets, closets, and drawers are always in order. It's a thing with me.

Therefore, my simply joy of the day is that I have a house full of groceries and they are put away right. Life is good. : )