Well, I was on the wedding circuit again the week-end of the 19th. The daughter of one of my closest friends got married here in Inverness. Along with bride, the ceremony was beautiful, a true worship experience uniting two wonderful young people, Emily Harris and Philip Soen.
If you read my earlier post about the wedding I directed at the end of June, you will remember that I was quite surprised at the recessional music as the wedding party departed the ceremony. There were no surprises this time, thank goodness. I didn't have my camera again, but I doubt I would have had a chance to take pictures anyway.
This wedding was special for several reasons. I have known Emily and her parents Jack and Sara Ann for over 25 years, and Laura and Emily have remained friends over all these years. As we were discussing the wedding later in the evening, we reminisced about the time they were in the 3rd grade and Laura actually saved Emily's front tooth that was knocked out by a fall from a see-saw. You know the kind--the one were the person on the down side decides to get off the see-saw while you are on the up side in the air only to plummet to the ground with a vicious bump on the hard ground. Emily's mouth hit the handlebar, and one of her front teeth went flying. Laura was able to find it in the sand and the dentist was able to reattach the tooth. Emily has a beautiful smile today.
Another reason this wedding was so special was that several friends of Sara Ann's had a hand in helping her get a wedding together in 5 months. Yes, you read right 5 months! As a matter of fact, a new business may had been born from this experience, P&K Creations or P&K Flowers or The Crazy Ladies or Call Us Crazy. We are not sure just yet! Lanny Kennedy and Allison Poindexter took on the flower duties, along with Becky Maxwell. Now, this wouldn't be anything extraordinary for someone who has done this for a living and with experience working under a deadline, but these ladies volunteered for this job with no wedding experience under their belts. Becky has done this type of work before, and she made two beautiful sanctuary arrangements along with the bridesmaids and bridal bouquets. Let me say, Allison and Lanny rose to the occasion beautifully, and I have no doubt their services will be required for future weddings. I went with them to scout out flowers, and I had no idea there were so many varieties of pink or that two women could change their minds so much about what they wanted. Too many choices for me. I am sticking to the directing!
Miss Hospitality herself, Cindy Baird, coordinated the hospitality suite for the out of town guests at the hotel. I understand from all the Chicagoans (Is that correct?) that her work was not in vain, even if Preston did give her a hard time for stealing the coffee pots from the church and not getting them back for Sunday morning coffee before Sunday school! Pray, Cindy, Pray.
As always Brenda Yant was her stalwart self in taking care of the of the errands and behind the scenes work. I even understand that she drove the streets of Inverness at 70 miles and hour on some of those errands. No one will ever accuse her of not being a focused woman with a mission.
Pam Walker and Sylvia Spivey kept the wedding party fed and pampered through the pre-ceremony pictures and the waiting time before the ceremony. I heard the guys thought the food was excellent for what was suppose to be a snack. As a wedding director, these ladies were a god-send since I didn't have to worry about a wedding party with empty stomachs, prompting a fainting spell.
The hardest worker through all this was Jack, Emily's dad. Early on, it was decided that the reception would be at the family home in Inverness known as Oakhurst, a.k.a The Big House. The house was built in 1904 and is a beautiful 3 story home. The house has not been lived in for a while, except for renters who have needed a home for a special reason. For example, Jack let a family rent the house for several months after their home burned and they were in the process of deciding what to do. The house needed some work, and Jack took on the challenge of getting the place up to reception specifications. With a lot of Jack's sweat and help from some of the Inverness men and Robert, Jack's help, the home was transformed into a beautiful home again and the perfect place for a reception. Here again another business may have been spawned from this wedding. I understand there have already been inquiries about the possibility of renting the home for another wedding reception.
More memories were made for a group of people who have been friends for a long time, some for almost 40 years. The links that make us all friends range from growing up together, attending high school and college together, working together, going to church together, raising children together, and supporting each other through both sad and joyous times. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful group of friends, and it is my recommendation that we go somewhere for a long week-end and make another memory!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Kakki Time
Over the 4th of July week-end, we went to visit the kids in Tupelo. One of the highlights of the visit was going to see William and Wes take swimming lessons. This was a special time for me and one that brought back good memories.
When I was in high school, I worked as a lifeguard and swimming instructor for the city recreation department in Tupelo. (Some of you may not know that I was raised in Tupelo and graduated from Tupelo High School in 1969.) I lifeguarded at the kiddie pool the summer after my 9th grade year after I earned my junior lifesaving certificate, and the summer after my 10th and 11th grade years, I lifeguarded at the city pool after I got my senior life saving certificate. After I graduated from high school, I got my WIS (Water Safety Instructor) certification and thus began my life as a swimming instructor. I continued to lifeguard in the afternoon and evening after teaching lessons in the morning through graduate school. I taught at the old WPA pool by the old high school track and field in Tupelo that has since been filled in, then at the city pool, and then in Cleveland at the CRA. To say that I taught hundreds of kids and adults would be an understatement. I loved swimming as a kid and could not have had a better summer job.
William and Wes take lessons at the city pool where I taught and lifeguarded. The place is still the same with some remodeling, and the smells of clohrine and and the touch of hot concrete are for sure still the same. As I watched the boys, memories flooded by brain. I remember grandparents coming to watch on the final day as their grand kids took and, for the most part, passed their swimming tests. Now, I am one of those grandparents, and I understand that pride that just takes over the heart and makes it want to burst. I had such a good time at that pool and made some close friends, one of who is still a close friend to this day and one of the Lalis.
There is the most wonderful program in Tupelo called Survival Swimming. It teaches "little people" as Laura calls them to be able to survive in the pool, whether swimming for fun or in case of an accident. William has become quite the swimmer for a 2 1/2 year old. Wes is still in the beginning stages but is doing well with learning to float.
One afternoon we went to the pool of a friend of Chase and Laura's. William strutted his stuff while Wes and I watched.
When I was in high school, I worked as a lifeguard and swimming instructor for the city recreation department in Tupelo. (Some of you may not know that I was raised in Tupelo and graduated from Tupelo High School in 1969.) I lifeguarded at the kiddie pool the summer after my 9th grade year after I earned my junior lifesaving certificate, and the summer after my 10th and 11th grade years, I lifeguarded at the city pool after I got my senior life saving certificate. After I graduated from high school, I got my WIS (Water Safety Instructor) certification and thus began my life as a swimming instructor. I continued to lifeguard in the afternoon and evening after teaching lessons in the morning through graduate school. I taught at the old WPA pool by the old high school track and field in Tupelo that has since been filled in, then at the city pool, and then in Cleveland at the CRA. To say that I taught hundreds of kids and adults would be an understatement. I loved swimming as a kid and could not have had a better summer job.
William and Wes take lessons at the city pool where I taught and lifeguarded. The place is still the same with some remodeling, and the smells of clohrine and and the touch of hot concrete are for sure still the same. As I watched the boys, memories flooded by brain. I remember grandparents coming to watch on the final day as their grand kids took and, for the most part, passed their swimming tests. Now, I am one of those grandparents, and I understand that pride that just takes over the heart and makes it want to burst. I had such a good time at that pool and made some close friends, one of who is still a close friend to this day and one of the Lalis.
There is the most wonderful program in Tupelo called Survival Swimming. It teaches "little people" as Laura calls them to be able to survive in the pool, whether swimming for fun or in case of an accident. William has become quite the swimmer for a 2 1/2 year old. Wes is still in the beginning stages but is doing well with learning to float.
One afternoon we went to the pool of a friend of Chase and Laura's. William strutted his stuff while Wes and I watched.
No need to get in the sun if we don't have to.
I'll be swimming next year!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Here Comes the Bride
I do not have any pictures to document the following story since I did not take my camera with me over the week-end. I hope you will enjoy reading it anyway.
Most of you know that I am a wedding consultant. I can order wedding invitations, stationary, and reception items for 50% off the price that brides find in the stores. I work out of my home and do not have the overhead that the stores have, and I enjoy giving brides a break with the expenses that can get out of hand very quickly. I also address the invitations and other types of invitations for different occasions. Along with all of this, I direct weddings and will plan some or all of the wedding. I got involved with wedding planning when Laura got married and dropped it all in my lap because pharmacy school didn't allow her much time for planning.
I have told you all of this in order to preface the story I am going to tell about the wedding I directed this past weekend. A year and a half ago, a very close friend of mine passed away from breast cancer. She had three precious sons, one of whom was tragically killed in an auto accident about two years before she passed away. Her second son is like a brother to my Laura, and so obviously there is nothing I wouldn't I do for him. I offered my services to him and his precious bride as my gift to them.
Now, as with all wedding coordinators, we all have our stories about the happenings at the weddings we have directed. This week-end comes in as one of the top surprises that can happen such as fainting groomsmen and bridesmaids, unruly ring bearers and flowers girls, feuding families, bridezillas, strange music requests and a host of other mishaps that can make even the most seasoned director go into apoplexy.
I am known for being a detail person who makes sure all the Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed down to the seconds that a song lasts, to the length of time it should take to take pre-wedding pictures, to the number of programs that should be runoff. That's my OCD nature. So needless to say, most of my weddings go off without a hitch, at least with the stuff I can control. I have had a groomsman faint, a ring bearer refuse to sit down when he was suppose to, a flower girl who decided it was time to do a dance performance when she arrived at the front of the church, and a bride who cried uncontrollably during the ceremony. But the wedding this weekend got the best of me with something I could have controlled if I hadn't let my affection for the bride and groom cloud my judgement.
The wedding was at the Capitol Club in Jackson that offers a wonderful view of downtown Jackson and a beautiful sunset view, which for us was obscured by an overcast sky and an afternoon rain. We rehearsed the ceremony Saturday morning with no major hitches. The minister was wonderful to work with, and we were in agreement with the bride's requests. The one thing that kept bothering me was the fact that the music for the ceremony was recorded, and I had to coordinate with a member of the band to play the correct CD for each time the occasion called for music. The parents were to be seated to Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up; the wedding party was to march into Pachabel's Cannon in D, both recorded. The bride and her father were to come in to the Bridal Chorus which the keyboard player of the band was to play. After the presentation of the bride and groom, I was informed that the band would play the recessional for the bride and groom, but that they did not not know the selection since it was to be a surprise for them. Needless to say, I was a bit, no a lot, concerned about this but did not express my concern since I felt that nothing too bad could happen. This was my mistake. The bridal party was to recess to the Beetles' song All You Need Is Love. We practiced the ceremony twice and all went off without a hitch. When we left, everything was in order, except of the nagging feeling that I didn't know the song that was to be played for the bride and groom's recessional.
Everyone is on time and the pictures go off without a hitch. My greeters and program girls arrive on time, and the Capitol Club staff had everything in order. Our guests began to arrive, and we soon had guests standing in the back for a lack of places to sit. Recorded prelude music stopped exactly at 7:30 as it should, the grandparents and parents were seated in exactly 3 minutes and 42 seconds, the length of the recorded You Raise Me Up. The bridal party entered to the strains of Canon in D, and the bride and her father marched in to the Bridal Chorus. The ceremony went fine. The bride got a little tickled and rocked back and forth on her heels, and the best man got the rings messed up, but nothing major happened during the ceremony that would leave the guests thinking the director should be shot. After the minister presented the bride and groom to the guests and they clapped, they prepared to recess down the aisle. At this point the band struck the first note to the "surprise" song. Surprise is an understatement. The song was James Browns' I Feel Good. Yep, you read right, I Feel Good. When the bride heard the music, she got into the mood and walked a few steps down the aisle swinging her bouquet above her head. There were laughs all around from the guests, and those who know me and my OCD nature immediately turned to see the look on my face which I understand was one of total shock. This exit would have been okay since we we were not in a church, except that the band got into the song and forgot to put on the CD for the bridal party, who were confused as to what they should do, stay or exit. The ring bearer and the flower girl were so confused they finally left holding each others' hand. The maid of honor and the best man decided to follow them and then the music stopped, but there was no All You Need Is Love. I was in the back trying to get the attention of the band member who was suppose to put on the CD. Confusion reigned supreme. So the band played for each couple as they left: "So good, so good, " followed by the drum beats. All You Need Is Love finally made it for the grandparents to walk down the aisle.
When the bride and groom passed me, she was tickled and his eyes were as big as saucers. The best man told my husband, "You are not going to believe what just happened, and DK ain't gonna be happy." The reason he had to tell that to my husband was that he had missed it all because he was holding the elevator for the bride and groom to go down to the first floor to have a little time to themselves before they talked with the guests. Lance later told me he remembered thinking, "Where did that music come from? I don't remember it playing this morning."
The recessional was the talk of the evening. Most thought it was fairly cool. I'm not sure what I thought it was, but I know that N and B are married just the same. I love them dearly and wish them the best as they begin their life together that I know is going to be "So good, so good."
Note to self: I have 2 weddings coming up in July. Make sure you know all the songs to be played!
Most of you know that I am a wedding consultant. I can order wedding invitations, stationary, and reception items for 50% off the price that brides find in the stores. I work out of my home and do not have the overhead that the stores have, and I enjoy giving brides a break with the expenses that can get out of hand very quickly. I also address the invitations and other types of invitations for different occasions. Along with all of this, I direct weddings and will plan some or all of the wedding. I got involved with wedding planning when Laura got married and dropped it all in my lap because pharmacy school didn't allow her much time for planning.
I have told you all of this in order to preface the story I am going to tell about the wedding I directed this past weekend. A year and a half ago, a very close friend of mine passed away from breast cancer. She had three precious sons, one of whom was tragically killed in an auto accident about two years before she passed away. Her second son is like a brother to my Laura, and so obviously there is nothing I wouldn't I do for him. I offered my services to him and his precious bride as my gift to them.
Now, as with all wedding coordinators, we all have our stories about the happenings at the weddings we have directed. This week-end comes in as one of the top surprises that can happen such as fainting groomsmen and bridesmaids, unruly ring bearers and flowers girls, feuding families, bridezillas, strange music requests and a host of other mishaps that can make even the most seasoned director go into apoplexy.
I am known for being a detail person who makes sure all the Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed down to the seconds that a song lasts, to the length of time it should take to take pre-wedding pictures, to the number of programs that should be runoff. That's my OCD nature. So needless to say, most of my weddings go off without a hitch, at least with the stuff I can control. I have had a groomsman faint, a ring bearer refuse to sit down when he was suppose to, a flower girl who decided it was time to do a dance performance when she arrived at the front of the church, and a bride who cried uncontrollably during the ceremony. But the wedding this weekend got the best of me with something I could have controlled if I hadn't let my affection for the bride and groom cloud my judgement.
The wedding was at the Capitol Club in Jackson that offers a wonderful view of downtown Jackson and a beautiful sunset view, which for us was obscured by an overcast sky and an afternoon rain. We rehearsed the ceremony Saturday morning with no major hitches. The minister was wonderful to work with, and we were in agreement with the bride's requests. The one thing that kept bothering me was the fact that the music for the ceremony was recorded, and I had to coordinate with a member of the band to play the correct CD for each time the occasion called for music. The parents were to be seated to Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up; the wedding party was to march into Pachabel's Cannon in D, both recorded. The bride and her father were to come in to the Bridal Chorus which the keyboard player of the band was to play. After the presentation of the bride and groom, I was informed that the band would play the recessional for the bride and groom, but that they did not not know the selection since it was to be a surprise for them. Needless to say, I was a bit, no a lot, concerned about this but did not express my concern since I felt that nothing too bad could happen. This was my mistake. The bridal party was to recess to the Beetles' song All You Need Is Love. We practiced the ceremony twice and all went off without a hitch. When we left, everything was in order, except of the nagging feeling that I didn't know the song that was to be played for the bride and groom's recessional.
Everyone is on time and the pictures go off without a hitch. My greeters and program girls arrive on time, and the Capitol Club staff had everything in order. Our guests began to arrive, and we soon had guests standing in the back for a lack of places to sit. Recorded prelude music stopped exactly at 7:30 as it should, the grandparents and parents were seated in exactly 3 minutes and 42 seconds, the length of the recorded You Raise Me Up. The bridal party entered to the strains of Canon in D, and the bride and her father marched in to the Bridal Chorus. The ceremony went fine. The bride got a little tickled and rocked back and forth on her heels, and the best man got the rings messed up, but nothing major happened during the ceremony that would leave the guests thinking the director should be shot. After the minister presented the bride and groom to the guests and they clapped, they prepared to recess down the aisle. At this point the band struck the first note to the "surprise" song. Surprise is an understatement. The song was James Browns' I Feel Good. Yep, you read right, I Feel Good. When the bride heard the music, she got into the mood and walked a few steps down the aisle swinging her bouquet above her head. There were laughs all around from the guests, and those who know me and my OCD nature immediately turned to see the look on my face which I understand was one of total shock. This exit would have been okay since we we were not in a church, except that the band got into the song and forgot to put on the CD for the bridal party, who were confused as to what they should do, stay or exit. The ring bearer and the flower girl were so confused they finally left holding each others' hand. The maid of honor and the best man decided to follow them and then the music stopped, but there was no All You Need Is Love. I was in the back trying to get the attention of the band member who was suppose to put on the CD. Confusion reigned supreme. So the band played for each couple as they left: "So good, so good, " followed by the drum beats. All You Need Is Love finally made it for the grandparents to walk down the aisle.
When the bride and groom passed me, she was tickled and his eyes were as big as saucers. The best man told my husband, "You are not going to believe what just happened, and DK ain't gonna be happy." The reason he had to tell that to my husband was that he had missed it all because he was holding the elevator for the bride and groom to go down to the first floor to have a little time to themselves before they talked with the guests. Lance later told me he remembered thinking, "Where did that music come from? I don't remember it playing this morning."
The recessional was the talk of the evening. Most thought it was fairly cool. I'm not sure what I thought it was, but I know that N and B are married just the same. I love them dearly and wish them the best as they begin their life together that I know is going to be "So good, so good."
Note to self: I have 2 weddings coming up in July. Make sure you know all the songs to be played!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Mr. Green Jeans
My husband Lance has long been known as a "player." Now, I know in today's language a player has a negative connotation. By player I mean he plays golf any time the sun is shining, the temperature is over 40 degrees, and the wind at no more than 30 miles an hour. Any or all of those combinations. Yeah, that serious. I could be known as a golf widow, and our preacher does not get his feelings hurt anymore when Lance leaves as the benediction is getting started. Can't be late for tee time.
But there is another role that Lance fills that many may not know about: He is a gardener, a.k.a Mr. Green Jeans. This year he has one of the prettiest gardens he has had in several years. He has butter beans, squash, cucumbers, okra, tomatoes (135 plants), eggplant, and peppers.
He is also a magician. He can turn a basket of vegetables into a chocolate pie or coconut cake or bread pudding. Now that is magic. We have several older widows that he looks after and takes fresh vegetables to and they in turn make sweets for us. Nice trade off.
But there is another role that Lance fills that many may not know about: He is a gardener, a.k.a Mr. Green Jeans. This year he has one of the prettiest gardens he has had in several years. He has butter beans, squash, cucumbers, okra, tomatoes (135 plants), eggplant, and peppers.
He is also a magician. He can turn a basket of vegetables into a chocolate pie or coconut cake or bread pudding. Now that is magic. We have several older widows that he looks after and takes fresh vegetables to and they in turn make sweets for us. Nice trade off.
Cucumbers running on poles
Rows of butter beans
Watermelons and cantaloupes
View of the garden with fig trees in the background
Red sunflowers
Some of the 135 tomato plants
Squash
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Kakki Time
Those of you who read Laura's blog and mine get a double dose of pictures of the grandkids, so i hope you will forgive this post and just count it up to being an overbearing grandmother.
This past week Laura let go of the boys for almost a week and let Sandi (Honey to the boys and Laura's mother-in-law) and me have the boys. I took Wes and Sandi took William. I know I got the easy job this time because Wes loves to eat and sleep and in between endears himself to anyone with his calm nature and inquisitive look that takes the place of a smile. I made sure he had plenty to eat, plenty of sleep, and plenty of play time.
Because of my time with Wes, I can truly say life is good, God is in His heaven, and all is right with the world, at least it is with my world.
This is the closest thing my mama and daddy will let me have to a dog. He will have to do for now.
Just a swingin'
Come on in. The water is fine.
This is my angelic pose. Boy, have I got them fooled or what?!
Playin' with my Kakki. I am the only one beside William who can destroy the den and get by with it.
Life's not much better than this.
Yeah! I'm ready to come back to my Kakki's.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
In Memorium
On Monday, June 2, at 2:35 a.m., Lance's mother, my mother-in-law, Mary Davis passed away and is now in her heavenly home with her Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. We had visitation at the funeral home on Tuesday evening with graveside services Wednesday morning. Since we did not have a memorial service, I wanted my sisters-in-law, Cindy and Connie, my husband Lance, and her grandchildren to have one last memory of their mother and grandmother beside the one of her lying in the nursing home devastated by Alzheimer's. Since I am an emotional person a friend gave me some of her "drugs" to get through the following eulogy I gave at the grave site. Mary was a special lady and thankfully I enjoyed a wonderful relationship with her. Although she has long been removed mentally and emotionally from our family, she will be missed.
Eulogy for Mary Benfonte Baria Davis
May 28, 1923-June 2, 2008
June 4, 2008
I think most of you here know who I am, but if you don’t, I am D.K. Baria, Lance’s wife, Mary’s daughter-in-law. If you read the paper yesterday you read the basic facts of Mary’s life here on this earth. She was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great grandmother, god mother, and to many of you here today a friend.
Last, week Lance and I were married 34 years, 34 years that allowed me to love Mary as my other mother. She welcomed me into her family with love and caring that many daughters-in-law never get to experience.
I know you are familiar with Chapter 31 in Proverbs that extols the virtue of a good wife and mother. I would like to read a passage from that chapter beginning with verse 25 and ending with verse 31:
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her;
Many women do noble things.
but you surpass them all.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Mary was truly the woman described in this passage. Even though she was a Yankee from Rochester, New York, she very quickly assimilated into the southern way of life and could have easily have been called a steel magnolia. She was a woman of character with a sense of modesty that most women today do not have. She had a sense of humor and loved a joke better than anyone. She was a faithful friend and a constant in time of sorrow. She loved her family but parented with a sense of order and expectancy. She married twice and was widowed twice. But most importantly, she was a Christian who loved God and practiced her faith everyday of her life.
Many of you may not know what a true woman of strength she was. After high school, she trained as a navy nurse and ministered to the servicemen who were wounded in battle. During this service, she met her first husband F.L. Baria. They married and moved to Oxford, where she worked to support them so he could complete Pharmacy school. They moved to the delta and eventually settled in Itta Bena. She lost her first born son who is buried in this family plot. She later had three children and then had to care for their father as he fought the battle against polycystic kidney disease, a battle he lost, leaving her a single mother with three children. Through her involvement in the Itta Bena community, she developed a relationship with Cleveland Davis, better known as Dooney, whom she later married. Not long after their marriage, she developed tuberculosis and was separated from her family for a period of time in the sanatorium in south Mississippi. After being allowed to come home, she was diagnosed with diabetes which continued to be a major part of her health problems. She then was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to suffer the indignity of a mastectomy. Dooney suffer a stroke, and she cared for him at home never allowing home health to come into her home for assistance, all the while continuing to work. Then she was widowed for a second time.
Through all of this, she never complained, she never asked why, she never gave up, she never blamed God. She accepted the lot that was cast for her with grace, beauty, and dignity. Through it all, she loved and supported her family, she practiced her faith, and she interacted with her community. With her passing so close to Memorial Day, I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of my memories of Mary. When she was a member of the Cemetery Association, for the Memorial Day recognition, she would always help place the small flags on the graves of the deceased veterans. She was a long time member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion, so I think it is truly appropriate that she be given the recognition from the military today.
The most crushing blow came for our family when she began to succumb to the ravages of dementia and Alzheimer’s. They took a once beautiful and vibrant woman and reduced her to the shell of a woman she became before her death. We often wondered how much she could stand, and even more so, how much we could stand. But as she had done many times before, we fell in the arms of our Lord and gave her and ourselves over to His plan for her. We often questioned why she had to suffer the indignity of this disease, and we often prayed for mercy for her. But just as she knew, and as we all know, God’s plan is perfect, all in His own time.
So now we rejoice, knowing she made a mark on this earth, but even more so knowing she believed in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. In the words of the psalmist:
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body will also rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the grave,
. . .
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence;
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16: 9-11
my body will also rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the grave,
. . .
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence;
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16: 9-11
We thank all of you who have offered your support and prayers in this later journey of our mother’s life. We ask your continued prayers for our family as we continue our journey without her.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
# 11 March 16 Home Again
Our trip home was fairly uneventful except for a few hitches along the way and one uncomfortable night for Shirley.
The faithful cell phone goes off one last time at 4:30, and we drag ourselves out of bed. Even Cathy and Shirley are a bit slow hitting the floor this morning. No make-up for me today. We do all the last minute checking and packing and head down to the lobby to catch the bus. It is the quietest bus ride I have been on in a while.
We check in at the airport and I have to pay $80 for over weight luggage. Hitch #1. We have an hour wait before loading the plane. We eat breakfast, wander a round a bit, and settle in to wait for our plane. We finally get to board our plane at least 30 minutes late and then sit on the runway for 45 more minutes before we take off. This loss of time will make a big difference as you will see later. Hitch #2.
The flight is fine since I sit between Natalie and (for the life of me I can't remember who). I sleep some and read some, but my DVD player is on the fritz so no movie this trip.
We arrive in Atlanta over an hour late which makes Shirley late for flight to Memphis, since she is not going back to the Delta with us. She literally misses her plane by 3 minutes. Hitch #3. There has been really bad weather in the Midwest that is now heading for the Atlanta area and effecting incoming flights. This year instead of scheduling a flight to Memphis and then catching the bus to Indianola, MR scheduled us a bus from Atlanta. That way we would arrive in Indianola about the time we would have just been getting into Memphis. This was the BEST move MR made!
As I am sitting on the bus, waiting for everyone to get on and settled, I talk to Shirley and learn that she has missed her plane and that she is suppose to be on the next plane at 7:15 p.m. Now remember, Shirley has an injured back and is in pain, real pain. Her husband has scheduled a doctor's appointment for her and an MRI later the next day. She also has to go back to school the next morning. It is the Monday after Spring Holidays, plus she has an event to attend honoring a good friend.
As we are leaving the airport , I talk with Shirley and learn that all the fights to Memphis have been canceled until the next morning. Now, if either of us hag been thinking, she could have riden the bus with us to Grenada and Jay could have picked her up there. She could have been home in two hours. Coulda, woulda shoulda!! We are too busy lamenting the fact that there are no more flights that we are not thinking straight. Jay calls around and gets her a hotel room, but she will not go because she doesn't want to miss the flight the next morning at 6:30 a.m. because it is tentative that she even has a seat on that flight. She sleeps on an airport couch. Ouch!!! If MR had not gotten the bus, we would have been on the flight with Shirley to Memphis, and we would have been keeping her company in the airport over night.
Meanwhile back on the bus, we doze and finally arrive in Indianola around 1:30 a.m. Our families are waiting to greet us and gather our luggage and purchases and chauffeur us home to our own beds. I am one of the lucky ones since I do not have to go to work in 7 hours.
I sleep until 10:00 a.m. and call to check on Shirley. Jay tells me she got out on the 7:30 a.m. flight to Memphis and arrived at 7:30 because of the time change. He got her home; she bathed, and went on to school and stayed until 1:30 when she went to the recognition for their friend. She then went on to the doctor and had her MRI. When I talk to her that night, she is planning on going to bed at 7:30 p.m. Is she Wonder Woman or what?!!!!!!
We had a great time on our trip, and I am preparing for our next jaunt to Spain in the Spring of 2009. If anyone is interested let me know. We would love to have you.
The faithful cell phone goes off one last time at 4:30, and we drag ourselves out of bed. Even Cathy and Shirley are a bit slow hitting the floor this morning. No make-up for me today. We do all the last minute checking and packing and head down to the lobby to catch the bus. It is the quietest bus ride I have been on in a while.
We check in at the airport and I have to pay $80 for over weight luggage. Hitch #1. We have an hour wait before loading the plane. We eat breakfast, wander a round a bit, and settle in to wait for our plane. We finally get to board our plane at least 30 minutes late and then sit on the runway for 45 more minutes before we take off. This loss of time will make a big difference as you will see later. Hitch #2.
Some of the kids get in a snooze while waiting for the plane.
The flight is fine since I sit between Natalie and (for the life of me I can't remember who). I sleep some and read some, but my DVD player is on the fritz so no movie this trip.
We arrive in Atlanta over an hour late which makes Shirley late for flight to Memphis, since she is not going back to the Delta with us. She literally misses her plane by 3 minutes. Hitch #3. There has been really bad weather in the Midwest that is now heading for the Atlanta area and effecting incoming flights. This year instead of scheduling a flight to Memphis and then catching the bus to Indianola, MR scheduled us a bus from Atlanta. That way we would arrive in Indianola about the time we would have just been getting into Memphis. This was the BEST move MR made!
As I am sitting on the bus, waiting for everyone to get on and settled, I talk to Shirley and learn that she has missed her plane and that she is suppose to be on the next plane at 7:15 p.m. Now remember, Shirley has an injured back and is in pain, real pain. Her husband has scheduled a doctor's appointment for her and an MRI later the next day. She also has to go back to school the next morning. It is the Monday after Spring Holidays, plus she has an event to attend honoring a good friend.
As we are leaving the airport , I talk with Shirley and learn that all the fights to Memphis have been canceled until the next morning. Now, if either of us hag been thinking, she could have riden the bus with us to Grenada and Jay could have picked her up there. She could have been home in two hours. Coulda, woulda shoulda!! We are too busy lamenting the fact that there are no more flights that we are not thinking straight. Jay calls around and gets her a hotel room, but she will not go because she doesn't want to miss the flight the next morning at 6:30 a.m. because it is tentative that she even has a seat on that flight. She sleeps on an airport couch. Ouch!!! If MR had not gotten the bus, we would have been on the flight with Shirley to Memphis, and we would have been keeping her company in the airport over night.
Meanwhile back on the bus, we doze and finally arrive in Indianola around 1:30 a.m. Our families are waiting to greet us and gather our luggage and purchases and chauffeur us home to our own beds. I am one of the lucky ones since I do not have to go to work in 7 hours.
I sleep until 10:00 a.m. and call to check on Shirley. Jay tells me she got out on the 7:30 a.m. flight to Memphis and arrived at 7:30 because of the time change. He got her home; she bathed, and went on to school and stayed until 1:30 when she went to the recognition for their friend. She then went on to the doctor and had her MRI. When I talk to her that night, she is planning on going to bed at 7:30 p.m. Is she Wonder Woman or what?!!!!!!
We had a great time on our trip, and I am preparing for our next jaunt to Spain in the Spring of 2009. If anyone is interested let me know. We would love to have you.
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