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Did I tell you about TG’s and my recent trip to North Carolina?

I don’t think I’ve got around to it yet. So let’s get started.

The occasion prompting our peregrination on that day a few weeks ago, was a wedding.

The groom was our great-nephew, son of our nephew David, who is the second son (of three) of TG’s only brother.

David and his wife, Sandra, live in Charlotte.

TG and his only brother, Ron

The afternoon wedding took place at a ranch-type venue in Waxhaw (say Waks-haa), North Carolina, just over the line from South Carolina.

So, less than a ninety-minute drive for us.

I had looked forward to the wedding for months, ever since the invitation came.

The reason being, I love to see family members at these events. Most of TG’s extended family live in Michigan and Ohio.

So let’s face it: at our age, unless someone throws a family reunion, the only times we’re going to see some of these people anymore are at weddings and funerals.

Our nephew Dan and his wife Chelsey

With a few exceptions. One of them being, TG’s only sister, Ruth, is coming to visit us in a few weeks.

I am giddily planning our activities and meals and so forth, because Ruthie is a treasure and I cannot wait to have several days for us to talk and catch up. I’ll keep you in the loop.

But back to the wedding. I love weddings! That’s a pirate line (IYKYK), but not really true in my case. I have no active dislike for weddings, but nor would I describe attending a wedding as something I actively crave.

But I had planned my outfit (we’d been enjoined to dress up, as the wedding was at four-thirty, with a dinner to follow) and, as the day approached, I was truly excited about it.

I remember when the groom’s father attended TG’s and my wedding in June of 1979. He was two years old. I still have a mental picture of how he looked at that age (much like he looks now, only smaller).

Our great-nephew JR

We were there when he was married to Sandra in October of 1998, also in North Carolina.

And when their son, the groom, was a toddler, I remember him swimming and playing in our pool along with his big sister.

He had found a beautiful bride and it was going to be a happy occasion to see them united in marriage.

Now here’s where the torment comes in.

I should pull over and park here for a mo. And be what I am sure will be interpreted by some, as controversial. 

Pirate!

Our great-great-niece Emmaline

May as well come right out and say it: I despise outdoor weddings.

They strike fear in my heart. Actual dread. Why? Oh dear. Where shall I begin.

The weather. Sun. Heat. Humidity. Rain. Wind. Bugs. Exposure to the elements. Unpredictability of any number of conditions (on this day, our niece Angie was being bitten by fire ants during the vows ... I rest my case).

I have planned three weddings and not a one of my daughters would have dreamed of suggesting getting married outside.

We will never know whether that’s because they didn’t want to or they somehow knew I would refuse, but it doesn’t matter.

There was a breeze for a while

I am old-school without apology. I’m of the get-married-and buried-from-church ilk. Think tradition-core.

Now: can an outdoor wedding be charming? Can it work? Of course. If the stars align just so, on your luckiest day of your entire life. Go ahead and come at me.

Andrew and Brittany married (also in North Carolina) outdoors, and they were extremely fortunate with the weather conditions on the day.

It was neither cold nor hot; the sky was overcast but rain was not threatened; and there was no discernible wind. We were able to dress sumptuously for the semi-formal occasion, and not be uncomfortable.

Like I said: extremely fortunate. Because for everything to come together like that, is rarer than I have the stomach for. There are far too many uncontrollable variables.

I'll wager there was air conditioning inside

So, fast forward to a few weeks ago, when TG and I found ourselves the willing participants in an outdoor wedding in Western North Carolina towards the end of September.

In fact, it was still summer. For a few more days.

And brace yourselves because here comes the torment part: On the day, it was ninety degrees, with no cloud cover, and approximately seventy percent humidity. Maybe seventy-five percent.

Yes. You read that correctly. In other words, may as well put me in a blast furnace with a lawn chair and a good book and tell me to have a fabulous time. 

Virtually impossible.

The scene of the initial torture

For extra misery, add that the one hundred guests had dressed up in accordance with the couple’s stated wishes.

Which for me means, a nice dress with all appropriate attendant underpinnings, high heels, and full makeup and glam hair and jewelry and all the flourishes.

I mean, for me that’s a normal Tuesday (although this was a Saturday), but still. I’m used to being dressed up.

But what I am NOT used to is standing around in full sun. No matter how I’m dressed. Anyone who knows me knows, because they’ve heard me say it a time or ten: I don’t do the sun.

In fact, TG and I brought from our car a big golf umbrella because I had looked at the pictures of the venue online, and realized that the actual wedding would take place out in a field with zero cover from direct sun.

Our s-i-l Marcia, grandmother of the groom, being walked

(We sat in the back row so that I could hold that umbrella over my head and that of our niece-by-marriage, Chelsey, who wisely sat beside me, to shield us from the onslaught of overzealous rays.)

The ceremony was blessedly brief. The officiant even commented, tongue-in-cheek, as we were being dismissed for a pre-dinner social hour, about the “balmy” weather.

Because that weather was balmy like a straight pin is a steel rivet. That weather was brutal. But wait! There is more.

Even before then I had spied, a distance from the altar, a party tent with three open sides. Tables were arranged within. And that’s when I knew that there would be no relief from the heat and stupidity humidity for many hours.

I knew there were barns on the property, probably air conditioned, where receptions could be held. I had been hoping against hope that that was the plan. But no.

TG talking to our niece Angie

Post-ceremony, TG and I stood around conversing for a while. I introduced myself to the bride, the latest Mrs. Weber, and told her that now for the rest of her life when asked her name, she will say “Weber with one B” — because she will soon learn that if not, she’ll be given the extra B by default.

Something I will never understand, if I live to be ninety (with seventy percent humidity). It’s Weber like the grill. Easy. Maybe that’s what I should say going forward, when asked my name: Weber like the grill. I’ll think about it when I’ve cooled down. 

At any rate we caught up with various relatives and marveled at how big all of the kids are getting. I produced my handkerchief and mopped my radiant brow more than once. I took a few pictures.

Eventually TG and I pulled away from the clots of revelers and walked towards the reception tent. I thought, if I could only rest, and get a drink of water, maybe my internal temperature would come down a degree or two.

We found our table number and claimed our seats. There were cups of water already at the places, but the ice had melted. I drank some anyway. Pretty sure I was dehydrated by that time.

A remembrance of the wedding

It was no cooler in the tent. In fact the sweltering air seemed trapped in there. As a guest favor, each place had been set with an attractive gift candle. Perhaps in case we needed to generate more heat! How thoughtful.

Eventually everyone wandered that way, found their seats, and the party began. We had a nice meal. It was difficult to have meaningful conversation at our table, because we were all so hot and it was exhausting.

Two hours later, as it was getting dark and the party seemed to be picking up in pace, TG and I decided that it was time to throw in the towel. Nothing more could be accomplished here. Go home, take showers, and enter the recovery phase.

And so we did. The next day was Sunday. On Sunday mornings, unless providentially hindered, we go to church.

The sweetheart table

And TG did get up and go to church. But I was still so wiped out from the hours of heat torment, that I could barely wiggle, much less get dressed up again and go anywhere.

I rested all morning and afternoon, and went to church for evening services.

But even before then, I had made a decision, which I announced to TG and Audrey and Erica (who had not attended the wedding).

I said, and I quote: Never again. Never. As in, I do not care who is getting married; I will never again attend an outdoor wedding if the temperature is predicted to be above sixty degrees. And I mean it.

I’ll send a present but my presence will not be possible.

Me and my beloved niece Angie

Because folks, this is what is baffling to me: Why on earth would anyone think that a hundred people will enjoy sitting and standing around in direct sun and stifling heat and withering, soul-stultifying humidity, for four to six hours, with no relief?

Why would anyone think that that’s the recipe for a grand old time for wedding guests? When in fact it is a disaster dressed to the nines, full of Wheaties, and waiting in the wings to eat everyone alive? 

If anyone can enlighten me on these points, feel free and I will try to see it your way. But it won’t change anything.

Never again.

That is where I stand, until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

And that is all for now.

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 Happy Thursday

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I promised to tell you something new and interesting about my house.

First we’ll have some context.

If there is one thing about me that will be true one hundred percent of the time, it’s that, no matter where I am, I would probably rather be at home.

My paternal grandmother's maiden name was Freeman

It’s not that I’m not having a good time … at least sometimes. Or maybe even most of the time.

(My next post will thoroughly cover that topic, so stay tuned and watch this space.)

But by and large, overall, my desire is towards the domicile. In fact, I think that the word domestic pretty much defines me as much as any other.

Betty, doing her job well

I’m sure that if someone were taking a scan of my brain, the kind that shows different areas lighting up at various stimuli, mine would glow at an impressive wattage at whatever part of it was activated by thought or mention of domesticity.

I know I’m not all that unusual; the vast majority of people are most comfortable at home. After all, it’s the one place where you can be yourself and relax to the utmost extent, without judgment or prying eyes.

But for me, the idea of home is all wrapped up in safety and comfort and peace and quiet and identity and personality and hospitality and tranquility and rest. It is in every sense a sanctuary.

I like stuff hanging around

Again, I realize I’m not unusual in that respect.

And although I’m not a person that anyone would describe as outdoorsy (don’t ask me on a hike because I will politely decline), I love being in nature and I have always been grateful for our back-of-house pool area.

This year, circumstances allowed us to make some improvements in that area of our property, that were badly needed and most welcome, and which have been thoroughly enjoyed.

Rock or swing: your choice

Namely, we tore down our old privacy fence and had a new one built (there’s a story in that too, and maybe I’ll tell it to you soon), and we installed a new pool liner, and we had some landscaping done.

Our new fence is red cedar in the cap and trim style, and the builders made it eight feet high on the right side, where our neighbors have put not one but two hideous sheds.

We inherited this bell with the old fence in 2005

TG stained it in the color that I chose, and put up all of my things on it, and it is truly beautiful.

Here’s the thing about my pool area: I want lots of certain things. Things that are pretty to look at. Lots of lights. Lots of plants. Lots of flowers. Lots of hummingbird feeders. Lots of wind chimes. Lots of pillows and cushions. Lots of places to sit and to swing. Lots of shade.

And although there are still a few details that need our attention, this year I was able to do all of that.

Randall busily cleaning

We got a pool vacuum for the first time ever — in fact, we have one for the bottom and one for the top. The one that scours the floor of the pool, we call Randall. The one that skims the top is named Betty. 

Together they get the job done.

The last time we had a new pool liner installed was the spring of 2011. It was still technically functional but badly faded and needed to be replaced.

The first nod to autumn

We learned that pool liners now cost twice as much and, due to new government regulations put in place since 2011 having to do with how they break down in landfills, will last perhaps half the length of time that the older ones did.

(Folks, get used to it: you will pay more and get less, and you will be required to like it. Probably from here on out.)

The numbers were on our old door

But once the fence was up, and the pool liner installed, and new pine straw put down and the flowers planted and all the lights and feeders and chimes hung and mounted and filled and arranged, our pool area became a truly special place. Like a dream come true.

We swam and splashed and dove and paddled and floated and lolled in and beside that pool significantly more this summer, than we have in recent years. It was such a blessing.

I got this swing chair on Temu

In fact, Dagny and I swam just yesterday, on the last day of summer. The water was still eighty-two degrees, and the high ambient temperature was ninety.

The hummingbirds are still here. They swoop and dive and dart from our queen palms to the feeders and back to the palms, then over to the oak tree, perching on twigs before chasing each other, chattering all the way, to the mini jungle on the other side.

I like lots of flags too

It has been delightful and I will miss it; I have been in the pool nearly every day this summer. The days and nights will be cooler now, and the glories of autumn will occupy our time, keeping us indoors more as the weeks go by.

I wish that each one of you reading this could come and see me, and stay for a few days, and sit with us outside in our pool area. Consider yourself invited. But wait.

The hummers have drained it several times

Recently I was scrolling through Instagram for a few minutes and saw a reel about bougie things to do to your house, that don’t cost much but which make it stand up and be counted in a unique way.

And the first thing on the list was to give your house a name. It’s a distinctly southern thing to do, but also a trend that has seen a resurgence in recent times, mostly due to social media.

The knockout roses are fixing to bloom again

But naming houses is nothing new; I grew up reading classic literature, much of which takes place in Europe and the UK, and honestly aren’t all houses named there? But it’s done everywhere, and not just in books.

The doomed Rebecca DeWinter’s successor dreamt of Manderley; Jane Eyre longed for Thornfield Hall, and Elizabeth Bennett ended up at Pemberley. Scarlett had Tara and Elvis had Graceland. Martha Stewart has Cantitoe Corners. The McCormicks had Cantigny, and I have been there.

Now, to be fair, I had considered naming my house before, but only in a fleeting way and not with any real intent. Last year, as we played in the water, Dagny and I talked a lot about naming the pool area Shrimpy Shores or Prawn Paradise.

It is nothing if not welcoming

Which is just silly because I wouldn’t name my house or my yard after seafood. But then we were just goofing around and laughing a lot about it.

This time though, the idea stuck in me pirate brain and I began seriously mulling the idea of coming up with a name for my house.

I knew that the notion would have to develop organically; I would need to let my mind work on it in the background and, eventually, it would come to me. There was no hurry. The name would emerge and when it did, I would recognize it.

This gazing ball came with the house too

One morning a few weeks ago, I did what I do every day: I launched a game called Spellbee that I keep open on my desktop and work at little by little, until I solve the puzzle much later in the day.

It consists of seven letters, arranged in a hive-like pattern around a single letter, which must feature in every word. You study it and come up with as many words as you can until you’ve guessed them all.

And on this particular day, the moment I saw the puzzle, I knew what my house’s name would be. I mean, I saw it immediately.

Pea gravel and solar lights along the retaining wall

The letters were RMVOINE. Arranged with six in a circle around a middle one (I don’t remember which letter was in the center).

But what I saw was MON REVE.

Which in French means, MY DREAM.

Several precious pets are buried here

And voilà! Our house had its name: Mon Reve. The place I always dream of being.It’s a gentle nod to my parents, who were both from Louisiana, with its Creole French roots. My father was born and grew up in Shreveport, and my mother, though born in Mississippi, was reared in Baton Rouge.

Now, if you think this is dumb, it’s okay to think that. If you think it’s pretentious and over the top, that’s okay too. And if you’re nice about it, you can even say so.

The slightest breeze and you hear a chime

My son did, haha. Andrew looked at me like I’d lost my mind when I told him I’d named our house Mon Reve. He said words to the effect that it was the most ridiculous thing he’d heard in a long time. Like, really, Mom???

Yes like really, I said. And he shrugged. He doesn’t have to live here and he doesn’t have to name his house. It’s an individual thing.

TG, however, liked the idea right away. He thinks it’s neat. Stephanie remarked that it’s so YOU, Mom! Haha. Audrey and Erica like it too. Erica says she’s going to name her house the Pig Pen.

This umbrella lights up

Which truly is ridiculous, since her house is not only clean but completely charming.

I set to work shopping on Etsy for a way to brand my house with its new name. And I found it in an Amish shop that does custom metal creations. I ordered a sign heavy on scrollwork to match the design element that is prevalent on my front door and in the house’s wrought iron accents.

The view from my kitchen

And TG hung it for me, right beside our house numbers.

Next is to come up with a signature scent (I’m working on that), which will waft through the rooms, and merch. 

So that when (not if) you come to see me, and spend the night, you will leave not only well rested and amply fed and all of your comforts seen to, but also with some material reminder of your stay at Mon Reve.

My Dream

It may be a coffee mug; it may be a fridge magnet. It could be a t-shirt. I have not decided yet. Maybe we'll even have an app. Just kidding.

What I have decided is that although the house where I dwell is not necessarily my dream house, it is the place where I love most to be, and where it is the most comforting and comfortable for me to be.

I imagine it will be, until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

And that is all for now.

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Happy Tuesday :: Happy Fall

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Andrew and I had an interesting experience about ten days ago.

He had come to Columbia with the children to celebrate Labor Day, and I’d asked him to take me to Costco.

I needed a pork loin to use for the barbecue pork sandwiches I was serving, and also a birthday cake.

In my memory, Costco used to sell pre-made plain sheet cakes that you could get them to decorate.

Well, they don’t do that anymore; now if you want a sheet cake, you have to order it in advance.

Which I had not done.

Three-year-old angst

At any rate, their half sheet cake (there is no one-fourth sheet cake, which I also thought I remembered being a thing) serves forty-eight people, which is approximately thirty more pieces of cake than we needed.

So, as I have done before, I opted to buy their excellent cheesecake.

We picked one up and got the attention of a lady working behind the scenes, in the bakery.

I asked if she could pipe a greeting onto our cheesecake and she said of course, and gave me a piece of paper to write on. 

I wrote:

Happy Birthday

Stephanie and Guy

Andrew suggested that we ask for both pink and blue icing on the sentiment and the names.

Elliot a/k/a Skippy: almost three, in church

Because we were killing two birds with one stone.

Our Stephanie always has a birthday in the week of Labor Day, so our tradition for many years has been to combine the definitive end-of-summer celebration with her birthday party.

But our little Guy had turned three on August twenty-fourth, and we had not been with him at his party in East Tennessee on that day.

So we decided to make the birthday party for both of them.

OK now here’s where we got into the weeds. Apparently.

I wrote on the paper and handed it back to the nice lady, who got to work with tubes of pink and blue icing.

Impromptu name change

In no time, she had handed our cheesecake back to us. We thanked her and walked away.

And then I looked at the cheesecake.

It bore these words:

Happy Birthday

Stephanie and Gruy

You read that correctly: GRUY.

No.

I stopped in my tracks and told Andrew to look at the cake and he burst out laughing. What in the world??? He said.

Gruy, paying attention in church

It took me awhile (but not too long) to figure out what had happened. Of course it was my fault.

When I write a capital G, the way I do it is, I make the big C and then I make a line OUT and DOWN to form a G.

The lady with the pink and blue icing tubes interpreted the OUT and DOWN part of the G as a lower case R.

But, Andrew spluttered. Who thinks Gruy is a name???

Well I mean, have you seen the names floating around these days? You can’t even pronounce them, much less have any hope of spelling them.

But, I reasoned, what I would have done is clarified. I mean, we were standing right there. I would have read what the customer wrote, and then just to be sure, I would have asked — is this name Gruy? G-R-U-Y?

Rhett and Ember: Rhember in September

At least I like to think that’s what I would have done, were I behind the glass cases at Costco, being asked to pipe names onto cakes.

But I don’t think she even read what I wrote beforehand; I think she just picked up the icing tubes and started piping, and wrote what she thought she saw.

I’m not mad at her, because she wrote it real nice and so forth, and that is more than I could have done. 

But still.

OK so as you know, none of this matters. We all laughed at the cake and called Guy “Gruy” for much of the day. Which he had no prayer of comprehending. 

But since he was busy swimming and pouting and napping and eating and opening presents, there was no reaction.

And when we consumed the cheesecake, with the berry compote I’d made still warm on top, whomever got the icing R that should not have been there, did not taste it.

No one knew why Gruy was out of sorts

However.

Sometimes words, and what they mean, do matter. They do make a difference. Like for instance.

About three weeks ago, our Rizzo had a brief health crisis.

I had to drop everything and tend to it, which included TG taking him to the vet early one morning and leaving him, and my going back later that afternoon after another appointment, to pick him up.

He’d had a procedure and was in some pain, and I babied him for the rest of the evening and everything turned out all right because we have a great vet, who has been taking care of Rizzo since I got him for thirty-five dollars at the rescue shelter nearly ten years ago.

The next day, I received a text from the vet’s office.

Whatever his name is, he's all boy

It said: We just wanted to reach out and see how Rizzo is doing after their appointment yesterday.

? ? ? ? ?

Now, maybe you read that without noticing what they did there.

But to me, it hit like a note so discordant, it pierced the virtual ear. It screeched like the proverbial fingernails on a chalkboard, if there is even anyone left who knows what THAT means.

I could have let it go. But I didn’t. Sometimes you’ve just had enough, and you have to speak up. This was one of those times.

Maybe you would not have engaged. But I did.

I answered: Rizzo is a male, and there is only one of him, so it was HIS appointment and not their appointment, haha 🤗. 

Then I updated them on how Rizzo was feeling and thanked them for inquiring as to his wellbeing.

He perked up for presents

Because, dear reader, I had no desire to be mean but this craziness needs to stop. It is OKAY to refer to people by their correct gender — of which there are exactly TWO.

You are either a male or a female, period, and as such you’re not a they, a them, or a their. You are either a he or a she.

Oh I know: No one is supposed to say that anymore. The plain unvarnished truth is anathema to the left, so the rest of us have to shut up.

No. 

I will not shut up. It’s ridiculous and it’s offensive to refer to my pet with a gender-neutral personal pronoun. Don’t start that nonsense with my DOG.

Brudders

As far as I know, no one has ever confused me with a male. May it ever be so (and trust me; you will never catch me appearing to be physically ambiguous in that respect), but the day someone refers to me with a gender-neutral pronoun, I will correct them in no uncertain terms.

Enough of that.

A few more things, and you’ll probably be saying, but those are yeses and this post is about no.

Well, I wanted to end on a positive note.

Dagny and Rhett are home schooled — she in seventh grade and he in Kindergarten — and classes have begun.

Erica moved the boys into what had been Rhett's bedroom alone, because there are bunk beds, and turned Elliot’s nursery into a classroom which is a firm affirmative to education.

They are having a ball and I’m pretty sure that Elliot a/k/a Skippy will soak up lots of knowledge just by hanging around during lessons.

Rhett says yes to academia

The day before Labor Day, we all said yes to church, as we do every Sunday. It was such a treat having five of our eight grandchildren in services with us. 

It was after lunch at Waffle House (a tradition for TG and me most Sundays) that we put Guy down for his nap, and Andrew and I made the aforementioned trip to Costco for cake and other supplies.

Stephanie and Joel arrived on Monday morning with Melanie and Little Andrew (who is not exactly little anymore, being a freshman in high school).

Allissa is away at Bible college and could not be with us, and it’s hard to believe that she is that grown up, but there you have it.

We had the pulled pork barbecue sandwiches along with smoky baked beans and tangy slaw and freshly deviled eggs and a wide assortment of chips and soft drinks. It was a delectable repast.

Followed by the cheesecake and warm berry compote, and some Costco cupcakes, which were a big hit.

Rhelliot wrung every drop out of a sparkling summer

Then Guy opened his gifts (I think he was bewildered because I could almost hear him thinking, but didn’t we already do this a few days ago?) and said yes to all of his new toys. 

Stephanie opened her gifts and seemed pleased with them, and we visited for a while longer, but all too soon, everyone had to start heading for home.

Speaking of home, in my next post I’m going to tell you something special and new about mine.

I hope you are making the most of your September, which is already half gone.

But we will savor it — and the months to follow — until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

And that is all for now.

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Happy Wednesday

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Much obliged for your patience and understanding.

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Our Rhett turned five a few weeks ago.

On his birthday, he came over to my house with his mom (our Erica), baby brother Elliot (a/k/a Skippy), and cousin Dagny for a swim party.

His birthday party was scheduled for a few days later, at his house.

We assembled there in the early afternoon and commenced to celebrate with hamburgers and hot dogs done by Chad on the grill, with all the trimmings.

Erica had decorated in patriotic fashion

Aunt Stephanie came from North Carolina to be there, along with Melanie, who is doing so well and we are enormously grateful.

The theme of our party was the Red, White, and Blue.

Rhett is so enamored of the individual states, that he is proficient in naming them in order, and stating their capitals.

He can also name any state by seeing the outline of it.

Recently there was a discussion around the pool about the identity of a state that someone (an adult) was viewing without benefit of words or context.

The smallest details were seen to

It was shown to Rhett, who at once identified the shape as Iowa.

(Capital: Des Moines.)

But someone in the group expressed doubt about Rhett’s answer.

I’m not wrong, he said quietly but firmly.

It's not a party without Martin's Potato Rolls

But you would have had to hear him say it. Rhett talks with a slight stutter, which is all kinds of adorable. At least for now.

So it came out I’m nooooot wrong. And he wasn’t.

I wish you could have been there.

His mother had decorated the house in the patriotic theme, and had bought his small birthday cake at a local grocery store.

Rhett was so excited about that cake that he was taking anyone who would follow him to the fridge, opening it and pointing to the dessert and saying It came from Lowes Foods.

This creation was sourced at Lowes Foods

Lowes Foods is an exciting place to shop for the boys, since they each get to push their own mini grocery cart.

Erica says it’s a game changer.

By the way, the method by which Rhett learned every US state and its capital, was Erica playing educational YouTubes while the children play in their TV room.

Rhett took to it like wildfire, of course, and tht’s a big part of it. But still. He heard the states and their capitals so many times that he memorized them without much real effort.

The coleslaw added freshness and tang

And he has been able to do this since he was four.

I told him he needs to now learn each state’s nickname, so that for Iowa for example, he could have said That’s Iowa, the Hawkeye State. 

We don’t ask for much.

But it seems that our Rhett is transitioning into being able to identify the planets, with an intense interest in the entire solar system. I’m sure there’s a YouTube behind that.

For his birthday, in addition to the aforementioned hamburgers and hot dogs, there were barbecue baked beans and Erica’s excellent coleslaw.

Appropriate burger fixin's

After the meal, the little cake was cut and everyone had a piece.

Of course, there was a five candle and we sang to Rhett.

Then he opened his gifts. He’s also deeply into Numberblocks, so a few of his gifts were related to that current obsession. 

He got the singing Five Numberblock, for example. After five minutes I begged Erica to temporarily disable the singing part.

Skippy at the party

The pirate can already count with amazing accuracy, thank you.

I had found for him, on sale at Old Navy, a picnic and play blanket displaying the United States and honoring the two-hundred-fiftieth birthday of America.

It was a big hit and a quality gift, so I was pleased that he liked it. It will last the boys a long time.

I got him several pairs of pants too, since Erica reported that he’s grown so tall, he needed new ones.

It was a wonderful and memorable celebration.

Rhett and me ... plus Sybil Ann

In that particular family, Skippy is up next, with his third birthday taking place at the end of September.

Since I’m on the inside track, I know that the theme of his birthday party is likely to be Waffle House.

The kid loves Waffle House.

We’re not sure yet whether we will convene at a local WaHo for the actual shindig, or stage a waffle bar at home.

I’ll keep you informed as events unfold.

The moment that he had been waiting for

But first we have our Guy’s third birthday, which takes place in about ten days.

We’re not sure when or where we will celebrate with him, but I’ve already got one present for him and I’m contemplating the purchase of perhaps one more.

Speaking of Guy, recently Andrew discovered him sitting on his (Andrew’s) bedside table, “reading” Andrew’s Bible.

(Guy can’t read.)

Andrew said What’re you doing, Bud? And Guy responded, I’m reading about Jesus.

Reading the Word

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2 KJV)

Praise be.

Then we have our Stephanie’s birthday, which we traditionally observe on Labor Day, since it takes place right around there.

I already have her gift. It’s a girly present and I think she will be pleased.

Rhett's USA-centric picnic and play blanket

I also have the menu planned and it will include pulled pork barbecue along with the sides everyone associates with that.

It’s usually the last swimming holiday of the year, which makes me sad because we have enjoyed our pool so much during this sweltering summer.

In fact, tonight we are having a back-to-school swim party with hot dogs, chips, and Mamaw’s semi-homemade mac and cheese, washed down with soda pop and followed by ice cream novelties that Papaw keeps stocked in the garage freezer.

The Chericas will be here, and Audrey and Dagny. Our Mike is in Florida on business, so we will miss him.

Mike had a birthday a week ago, and we celebrated on this past Saturday with a party at his and Audrey's house. My contribution was a pineapple upside-down cake from this recipe. It's Mike's favorite. The cake was scrumptious.

My angelic grandsons in a staged photo

Meanwhile, in the vein of back to school, our Ember returned to class at the end of July.

I think that going to school in July is ridiculous but what are you going to do.

At any rate, she had a stellar first day and first few weeks, and has announced that her favorite subject by far, is Science.

(Which made TG, her Papaw, who holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemistry, proud and happy.)

This life is full of firsts

Rhett, who will be home schooled, will begin Kindergarten in a few days.

And our Allissa is starting college in East Tennessee, next week.

As for Ember, she was chuffed this past week when, in classic six-year-old style, she lost her two front teeth.

The first one came out at breakfast, and the second one followed later that evening.

She was thrilled with only one missing

Dagny, also home schooled, started back to classes today.

Her mother, our Audrey, has ordered a few Land’s End uniforms for her to wear during her morning studies.

But they found a cute uniform at a thrift store in Asheville, North Carolina, where she and Dagny spent a few days recently.

Dagny a seventh grader? Unbelievable.

Aren’t they the cleverest girls?

Dagny is entering the seventh grade.

All this book learning has exhausted me. It’s strenuous enough just keeping up me pirate standards in other areas.

So we will continue celebrating, and working, and rejoicing, until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

And that is all for now.

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Happy Thursday

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Our Andrew has been home for a week. He does not live here, but he’s at his own home in East Tennessee.

It was a busy week for us. Rhett turned five this past Thursday, and on Saturday we had a party for him. I’ll share pictures of that event later.

As to the homecoming, we are all ecstatic but no one more than Andrew himself.

The trip home was a long haul, but not as long as the stressful months that led up to it.

Before departing from Chania/Souda Air Base on the Greek island of Crete, where Andrew had been stationed since early February, he let us know how to track his flight on one of the several websites that allow you to do that.

It’s seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time there, and the plane was set to depart shortly after midnight. So it was late afternoon for us.

He was over France

TG and I on our separate devices, and Audrey and Erica on theirs, called up his information and were able to find the plane and track it as it made its way west across Europe.

All was well until the aircraft got out over the Atlantic Ocean, at which point the website stopped tracking the plane.

This was at about bedtime here on the East Coast, so I went to sleep knowing that I’d likely be awakened by an early morning text from Andrew saying he was about to embark on the final leg of the journey.

(They had to stop in Bangor, Maine to refuel and reconfigure the passenger list and so forth, before flying to Knoxville.)

I woke up at six o’clock and went to my laptop to see if the website had resumed tracking Andrew’s flight.

Guy wanted to see the cockpit

It had; they were at that point a little to the northeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Then I noticed that Andrew had texted me an hour previous to that, or five o’clock in the morning. I’d missed it. 

He said, leaving Bangor. Home in two hours.

Andrew arrived at McGhee Tyson Airport early in the morning of Monday, July 20, 2026, after about fifteen hours of travel.

Brittany was there with the children, having dressed them so sweetly in patriotic outfits.

The homecoming was mostly a surprise for them. They were kept in the dark until the eleventh hour, because military travel plans often change at the last minute.

Talk about a dream come true

But they were more than ready to see their daddy step off the tanker onto the tarmac.

That reminds me of a funny story. 

In the military, nicknames abound. Sometimes they are referred to as personal call signs.

At any rate, Andrew’s call sign is TARMAC. It is of recent vintage — as in, it was attached to him during this deployment.

He showed me a picture of the patch he wears on his uniform, to that effect: TARMAC.

I said, why are you called TARMAC?

TARMAC and son ... on the tarmac

He sheepishly replied: It stands for Took A Rented Moped And Crashed.

? ? ? ? ? ?

(I don’t believe that “took” in this context means took without permission. It was a rented machine but the “took” fit in to make TARMAC.)

One or more of his buddies came up with that and I think it’s hysterical. Going forward, I shall employ that nickname as much as possible.

Even though I have yet to be told the particulars of the event that led to the invention of that moniker.

Meanwhile Andrew has been enjoying to the hilt what I call the blessing of ordinary days.

Home is where the heart is

He is taking a few weeks to rest and hang out with Ember and Guy before Ember goes back to school. She will be entering the first grade in mid to late August.

I’m sure that there will be some excellent late-summer adventures leading up to the start of the new school year.

So there has been a great deal of rejoicing. I thank the ones of you who I know are rejoicing with us. It means a lot.

We will continue in that vein until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

And that is all for now.

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Happy Tuesday

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Our dolly-belle Dagny is twelve years old. Can you believe?

Her birthday fell in mid-June, and naturally we celebrated with two parties.

The first event took place on the Friday evening before her Sunday birthday.

TG and I, Audrey, Dagny, Erica, Rhett, and Elliot gathered at the Mexican restaurant of the birthday girl's choosing, for a festive dinner.

Mike and Chad weren't able to come but they got in on phase two of the partying, the next day at our house.

It's not a birthday party without a balloon

Dagny chose a restaurant named El Jimador. It's a chain outfit but the food is good.

Last January we gathered at El Jimador for TG's birthday, right before the snowstorm. Since there are several of these places around town, I thought we were going to the same one as before.

It’s the one closest to my house.

But Audrey specified that Dagny wanted to go to another location, so we all showed up there. It was a stifling hot evening.

(A harbinger of the especially sweltering summer we have had and are having.)

The servers sang to her

Only, it was a busy night and it was going to be a while before we could get a table where we could be seated together.

But the night was young, so it was decided that we'd all get back into our cars and drive several miles to another El Jimador.

There was some dithering about which one, but eventually we got it sorted out.

Or so we thought.

Except, when TG and I and Audrey and Dagny had arrived at said El Jimador and were seated, there was no sign of Erica and the boys.

The next week, the Chericas were in Philadelphia

We have that thing on our phones where we can check on where one another are in the world, so whoever has the ability to track Erica (not me), looked her up.

She was at the El Jimador where we'd eaten for TG's birthday in January.

Which was not the one that the rest of us were at.

But she had realized her error as soon as she got there and saw that the rest of us weren't there.

She was even then en route to the third El Jimador she would grace that day, and pretty soon she'd arrived and we were ordering.

Mount Vernon is in the distance

We enjoyed a delicious meal.

This is the kind of place where, if they know you're observing a birthday, they show up with a complimentary dessert, and the requisite communal sombrero, and they sing to the birthday person.

This may have been why Dagny insisted on celebrating her birthday at El Jimador.

At any rate, no sooner had the child finished her Enchiladas Verdes than she was sporting the sombrero and being serenaded by servers, before tucking into a sumptuous dessert.

She shared with the boys.

The folks at El Jimador did her right

The next day, everyone came over to our house for a swim party.

I don’t remember what we ate for a meal — pizza, maybe — but there was a cheesecake which Erica had made.

And there was a balloon, and there were presents.

In recent months Dagny has become enamored of the old TV show Little House on the Prairie. 

She has already read the books. As I did when I was a child, and my children did when they were kids.

I'd call her Half Pint but she's more like a whole pint

And she’d mentioned more than once to her mother that she loved the aesthetic of the pioneer family — their house, their outfits, and so forth.

Audrey revealed this information to me, and I decided to find a pioneer girl costume for Dagny.

And I did, and it was not difficult to do, and I must tell you that I could not recommend this company any more highly than I am to you now.

It’s called Dress Up America and judging by the depth and breadth of their site, if you want, you can dress as everything from a donut to a doctor.

I found a pioneer girl costume in no time — dress, apron, bonnet — and made the purchase.

Laura Ingalls Wilder would be amazed

When it arrived, I was astounded at the quality of the outfit. And also the way it was packaged.

Just excellent. If you need to dress up as something other than yourself — or dress someone else as someone other than themselves — be smart and visit Dress Up America online.

The next day, which was Dagny’s actual birthday, we had church. 

Afterwards I gave her one last gift which I’d wrapped weeks earlier and forgot about. 

It was this Kobalt mini toolbox, in pink. I also got one of these for Allissa when she graduated from high school in May.

Erica made this confection from scratch

It’s a cute girl gift. Just in case you needed any ideas.

Dagny posed for her OBP — Official Birthday Portrait — and then she and I posed for a picture together.

Then she hopped into the car with TG and me and came to our house, and shortly after that, she and TG were headed to North Carolina.

Dagny would be going to church camp in Knoxville with her Uncle Joel and Aunt Stephanie and her cousins, for the week.

TG had agreed to deliver her to Stephanie’s house on that Sunday. 

She is becoming a young lady

Audrey would travel to Knoxville later in the week to help Brittany with Ember and Guy for a few days.

Then on the following Friday she would pick up Dagny at camp, and the next day come home, bringing Ember and Guy to spend a week with us.

So we had the Tennessee grands for a week, and we packed in lots of fun in the form of swimming and shopping and eating and all the things.

Brittany came to get them at week’s end and spent the night with us. I made a spaghetti supper and we ate it poolside where there had already been much splishin’ and a-splashin’ that day.

Meanwhile the Chericas — that would be Chad, Erica, Rhett and Elliot (Rhelliot) — had packed up early that week and headed for Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Dagny's Official Birthday Photo

They visited Mount Vernon and the Liberty Bell and Gettysburg National Military Park, among many other things, and had a wonderful time.

I was so glad to see everyone when they finally came home.

Speaking of coming home, we had been told a few weeks ago that our Andrew’s tour in the Middle East had been extended to September thirtieth at the very least.

Meaning, it could be extended again if the powers that be deemed it necessary and appropriate.

We were devastated by the news but we decided that we would meet this continued trial with grace and dignity and lots of prayer, plus deep breaths and a one-day-at-a-time attitude.

Dagny and me on her birthday

I actually quoted the Serenity Prayer to my children, in a text: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

We knew that, as wartime trials and tribulations go, many Americans have faced much worse and for far longer.

But a few days ago, our military leadership in that part of the world made the decision to send a group of pilots home.

Andrew will be home next week.

This is one of my favorite pictures of him

We are overjoyed and so grateful. It is an answer to prayer.

Many of you have prayed and I want to thank you yet again for taking the time, and for caring enough, to do that.

We’ll continue in that vein until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

And that is all for now.

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Happy Friday :: Happy Weekend

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My dear friend Marsha was married at the end of May.

The ceremony took place on a Saturday afternoon at Miss Caroline's Wedding Chapel in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

Marsha and I have been friends for several years.

We met when she was the excellent receptionist at my dentist's office.

A beautiful welcome

My dentist has since retired and sold the practice, but I still go there, and so do Audrey and Dagny.

Marsha moved on to a better job and we miss her when we have to go to the dentist.

But as we are good friends, Marsha and I stay in touch and get together as often as we can.

Always on our birthdays! We make a big deal out of one another's birthdays -- mine in March, hers in August.

Such a pretty cake

And so naturally, her wedding to her beloved, Todd, was a big deal to me too.

Her venue for the wedding was so small that she could invite only forty people. TG and I, plus Audrey and Dagny, were honored to be among them.

You will see in some of the photos a pretty chapel, but that’s not where the wedding was held.

That little chapel seats only sixteen! So it is for smaller weddings than Marsha’s.

The wedding started on time

There is a larger building in which Miss Caroline has a showroom for wedding supplies which I assume she rents locally.

And there is also a larger chapel-like room for weddings with up to forty guests.

Maggie Valley is less than a three-hour drive from our house, and the wedding was in the late afternoon.

TG and I left home early and drove without haste, and when we arrived in Maggie Valley, we went for a late lunch/early dinner at a local diner.

In case we got thirsty

When we arrived at the venue, it was less than an hour before the wedding was to begin.

But when I walked in, what did I see but my friend Marsha bustling around (not yet dressed for the wedding), doing some last-minute decorating.

Now, let me explain to you how small was the space that Marsha had available to her, for decorating.

As you walked in the door, to your left was Miss Caroline’s wedding showroom.

There were many precious moments

To your right was Miss Caroline’s larger wedding chapel.

And between the two doors was a space of perhaps fifty square feet, containing a few tables to put things on.

Tiny. And Marsha had decorated that little space within an inch of its life.

Altough there would be no formal reception, there was a wedding cake. There were baskets containing wedding programs and water bottles. 

These gauzy bags contained our bubbles

There was a small easel with a custom-made sign welcoming guests to the wedding of Todd and Marsha.

There was a small lighted “T” and a small lighted “M” beside a Precious Moments bride and groom figurine.

There was a vase of pink roses and a pink alarm clock displaying five o’clock, the time that the wedding was to begin.

There was a large clear acrylic heart, and beside it a bowl of small wooden hearts, with a pen.

Handheld fans with a thanks

Guests were encouraged to write a greeting onto a small heart and place it through an opening at the top of the large clear heart.

There was a bowl of pink and white pearls, and beautiful customized cardboard fans.

There were gift bags for each guest, to take as they left that day.

Miss Caroline, a charming lady, told me later that sometimes they host up to seventeen couples getting married there in one day.

T is for Todd

I was struggling to envision there being enough time in a day, for seventeen weddings to take place, given the amount of time that was made available to Marsha.

She had been permitted to come in at least an hour ahead of her ceremony, to decorate. 

Miss Caroline saw on my face that I did not understand.

The altar was romantic

She explained that ninety-nine percent of her brides do no decorating whatsoever. They show up, go into the dressing area to get ready (unless they are already ready), and, Bob’s your uncle, they’re walking down the aisle for a ten-minute ceremony.

Look away and you may miss it.

But Marsha had requested, and had been granted, extra time to make her wedding special.

The girl loves pink

And it was so sweet to see the way she had planned and had been determined to make that small space so special, and to make their guests feel welcome and appreciated.

The chapel was a small but elegant space, with a lovely altar area and space for forty guests to sit.

TG and I went in and found our seats and in a few minutes, Audrey and Dagny had arrived.

Bride, Groom, and Harley

I saw greeted Dr. F, who was my dentist and Marsha’s employer for years. He is a dear friend of TG’s and mine, and it was so good to see him.

In due time Marsha’s and Todd’s mothers were seated, and Marsha’s father walked her down the aisle.

The officiant — Miss Caroline’s husband — did an excellent job of the charge to the couple, and the vows, and pronouncing them man and wife.

Ready for their short jaunt

Marsha had commissioned (using AI, I think) a song to be played that contained lyrics specific to Todd and Marsha’s story.

They met in Maggie Valley some nine years ago, at some sort of event involving motorcycles.

They both ride, and are Harley Davidson enthusiasts.

The song mentioned their names, and that rainy day in November in Maggie Valley. I could tell that Marsha had kept it a secret, and that Todd was surprised.

They were overjoyed

And then it was over, and they were hitched, and everyone went outside. 

After a brief time of pictures at the altar, during which Marsha wanted poses of herself with each one of her guests (isn’t that precious?), the couple emerged from the building into the parking lot. Everyone was congratulating them.

And there was a specially rented white Harley Davidson, a big one with plenty of room for two riders.

Todd helped Marsha aboard, and they drove off to the rear of the property, and then slowly back, so that we could all take pictures.

I would have liked a piece of this

They didn’t take the machine out onto the road and it was a short ride, but so much fun while it lasted.

We all had bubbles to blow while that was taking place. And we took lots more pictures as it was a beautiful weather day, and there was so much happiness to document.

And then it was time for us to go home, and for the newlyweds to go on their honeymoon in the mountains of East Tennessee.

Can you believe, I have not seen Marsha since that day? Her parents are ailing, and she and Todd go to North Carolina to see them almost every weekend.

It was a happy day

But she owes me a visit, and at the very least I know we will get together to celebrate her birthday in August.

And what wonderful memories we have of Marsha and Todd’s sweet small wedding, and of how the bride’s personality shone through in every detail, revealing her great joy at becoming the wife of the man she loves.

Which she will be until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

And that is all for now.

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Happy Tuesday

Nor shall their story be forgot

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It was the sweetest spring birthday cake

We gathered for our customary Memorial Day feast and birthday party this year, as every other year.

Our Erica has a birthday on May thirtieth but we celebrate it when everyone is here for Memorial Day.

This year was a big one: she turned forty.

The patriotic decorations are in full force

For her gift, I had plotted for many weeks to present her with large portraits of her two children.

Way back in February I invited Rhett, who will turn five in July, to stay with us for two nights. On the first night we took him shopping and bought him a new outfit -- black jeans and a blue shirt that brought out his blue eyes.

We had special napkins and trays

The next evening, we took him to a special property where we have enjoyed many photo shoots over the years.

He posed for an hour or more, and I swore him to secrecy, warning him to please, please not tell his mother than Mamaw and Papaw had taken him somewhere and he'd had to pose for fiftyleven pictures.

It's a surprise for your mom, I told him again and again.

Some of my knockout roses

It was much later when I was finally able to get Elliot a/k/a Skippy, age two and a half, out to the venue to take his pictures.

I'd had him spend a few nights with us too, in March, and TG and I bought him a new outfit ahead of that occasion.

Then, when the time came for his visit, I was under the weather and completely forgot that I'd intended to take him for a photo shoot.

Erica's birthday present

It was fortunate that we had plenty of time. In the end, Chad brought him out to meet us for the shoot on the day in April that Audrey and Erica left for their European trip.

In addition to Skippy's pictures, I took several of the brothers together.

Since this picture, TG has stained the new cedar fence

All of the pictures turned out great and I ordered 30x20 canvases of three of the poses -- one for each boy (the "money shot" in each case, as it were) and one of them both, on a swing.

As Memorial Day approached, I packaged up the pictures and wrapped them in pretty paper for Erica.

Petit fours from Tiffany's

I accompanied the gift by making a photo book of all the best pictures from both shoots, to commemorate them and give her a lasting keepsake that she could enjoy.

In all this activity it did not occur to me that I needed to tell Chad that the product of Skippy's photo shoot was meant to be a secret for Erica's birthday.

The message was clear: you're forty

And so it was that, at some point, he mentioned to her that we had taken Elliot for a photo shoot while she was out of the country.

So, she was really not surprised by the gift and I felt that it did not hit quite right, but maybe that was only my perception.

Some of my potted plants

At any rate they are beautiful portraits of her children and I think that as the boys grow, she will appreciate having them. The pictures, that is. She already cherishes her boys.

As it was for many of you who, like me, live on the Eastern Seaboard, Memorial Day was exceedingly rainy.

We had been working for many weeks on our back yard pool area, to which we have made some improvements.

Candles glowed on the rainy day

We have a new privacy fence and new pool liner, both of which were desperately needed.

TG has spruced up all of my outdoor furniture and it's looking spiffy. We had new pine straw put down behind the two low retaining walls, and we have flowers both in the ground and in planters.

Rhett's portrait

And I'd bought all new pillows for the furniture, and I was looking forward to getting everything set up just right so that the kids and grandkids could admire and enjoy it.

Stephanie and Joel had come from North Carolina on Sunday night, and though we were missing Andrew and Brittany and Ember and Guy, we were still a sizable party.

It's traditionally the first chance the kids have to swim, and despite the weather, they did get to splash around in between spates of steady rain.

Elliot's portrait

I'd planned for TG to grill chicken as well as hot dogs.

To accompany the meat course I'd made barbecue baked beans, tangy slaw, macaroni and cheese, and deviled eggs, and we had a wide variety of chips in single-serving bags, and lots of soda and sparkling water.

Stephanie and Audrey's assignment had been to come up with their sister's birthday cake, and they'd purchased it at Tiffany's, the exellent local bakery that made Audrey's wedding cake. 

This lantern gets used at Christmas too

In addition to the cake, they got an assortment of petit fours. Tiffany's is known for their scrumptious petit fours.

But when it came time to put the food on the grill, it was raining cats and dogs, and TG told me he was not going to be able to prepare the chicken and hot dogs.

Erica with her boys

Which left me in the lurch because I had not accounted for making the chicken in the oven, which takes lots longer. And the hot dogs would have had to be cooked on the stove.

Mike and Audrey saved my bacon by offering to brave the rain under huge golf umbrellas and get the chicken and dogs done on the grill.

Rhelliot 2026

The rain let up a tad bit, and TG got in on the grilling after all, and before long we were sitting down to our Memorial Day repast.

And yes, we took the time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedoms.

It's all about the red, white, and blue

Their sacrifices are not lost on us. We thank God for every last American hero past, present, and future. But those who have died for our country are in a class by themselves.

I hope you are still praying that our Andrew comes home safely, and soon.

As we will do, until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

And that is all for now.

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Happy Wednesday

This was the invitation to her graduation party

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Our Allissa graduated from high school on May fifteenth.

She was Valedictorian of her class of nineteen students who graduated from their private Christian school in Hickory, North Carolina.

Click to embiggen

Our Stephanie, Allissa's mother, and I had been planning for many months the design and execution of Allissa's graduation table.

In fact we started talking about it a few years ago.

We went all out on Lissy's table

What this entails is, in the gymnasium after the graduation ceremony, each graduate is provided with an eight-foot table to be decorated with mementoes of the graduate's life and academic career.

It sounds simple but in actuality it has many moving parts and some meticulous planning must take place in order for everything to come together.

The birdcage has held many cards in its day

Naturally we wanted a table that reflected Allissa's tastes and interests, as well as her accomplishments.

The colors she wanted were pastel pink, purple, and yellow. We decided on a few arrangements of balloons that Stephanie ordered from a local vendor. The balloons were tied with silk ribbon in the soft colors and they were so pretty.

So many pictures of our Lissy

Since I'm a devotee of the art form of collage, and also I love fairy lights, I decided that we would curate as many photos of Allissa that we could, representing all stages of her life up to now.

I spent hours working through all of my photos going back many years, and Stephanie provided photos from her personal trove. We had them printed up to use on the display.

Her homecoming crown atop her Crown College t-shirt

Stephanie had purchased a folding screen. I affixed fairiy lights in soft pastel colors to the panels, and we clipped over a hundred pictures of Lissy to the wires, using clear miniature clothespins.

The lights twinkled amongst the photos and the effect was quite charming.

There were custom-made cookies

In addition, we had a pair of 30x20 canvas enlargements from Allissa's two senior photo shoots. We took the pictures on two occasions and in two different ciites: the first in Charlotte, North Carolina, on a bitter cold day in early November, and the second in Lexington, South Carolina, on the day after Thanksgiving, with perfect weather.

I brought my tall easel from home to display one of the pictures, and Stephanie commissioned the creation of a large tabletop easel to hold the second one.

My favorite design was the one with the gold tassel

Beside the table was a music stand which held Allissa's Bible which has large margins, and there were pastel markers, and folks coming by her table were encouraged to turn to their favorite Bible verse and write something to Allissa in the margin beside it.

Her awards and distinctions were on arrayed on the table, for academics, sports, and fine arts, as well as her diploma and her Homecoming Queen crown.

They were missing Melanie, who could not be there

She will be attending The Crown College in Powell, Tennessee, in the fall, and the school's t-shirt was included.

I brought a birdcage that was used for cards at both Erica's and Audrey's weddings, and by the next day it was stuffed with greetings and gifts for Allissa.

Allissa flanked by her grandmothers

There were a few bouquets of flowers, and some custom-made cookies for people to take as a favor.

A friend had made a banner which we affixed to the front of the table, congratulating Allissa and featuring the floral motif that she loves.

With Cousin Dagny, Aunt Audrey, and Uncle Mike

Overall the aesthetic of the table was lovely and so suited to our graduate. 

After the ceremony and in between having our pictures taken with Allissa, we mingled with friends and admired her classmates' tables.

With Aunt Erica, Uncle Chad, and cousins Rhett and Elliot

Our grandson Andrew, Allissa's little bother brother, will graduate with the Class of 2030 four years from now, and Stephanie and I were eager to collect ideas for his table.

You are familiar, I am sure, with the sense of relief that comes with having pulled off the thing you'd worked so hard to make a reality, and also the way you can relax after the grand occasion is at its conclusion.

Some of her awards, and her diploma

We weren't quite finished yet, though. All of the components from Lissy's table had to be packed up and transported to the church fellowship hall (our son-in-law, Joel, is a pastor), where we would be hosting Allissa's graduation party for the church family the next day.

This event had been in the works for some time too, and Stephanie had worked so hard along with some church ladies, to make the party reflect Allissa's personality.

Graduation cupcake bouquet

So it was that the next day, TG and I arrived at the church in the mid-morning and enjoyed a few hours visiting with family members before the guests began dropping by.

Our Audrey, Mike, and Dagny were on hand for the weekend, as well as Chad, Erica, Rhett, and Elliot.

Sweet and pretty, just like our graduate

There were beautiful and plentiful refreshments, and the graduation table had been reassembled, and there was a gift table, and the fairy-lighted collage was there, along with the pretty beribboned balloons.

For the casual meal there were hamburger sliders and chips and salads, plus sushi and deli meats and cheese and crackers and fruit, and so forth. There was punch and sweet tea, and a dessert table laden with cupcakes and other treats.

A refreshing punch

I wish you could have been there.

Joel's mother, Allissa's other grandmother, who was widowed early last year, was there and it had been so long since I had seen her. I have known Debbie for nearly thirty years and I love her, and we enjoy talking to one another and getting caught up, and we were able to have a nice visit before she had to leave for the airport and fly back home.

Everything was elegant

We left for home in the afternoon and were back in our happy place by seven o'clock.

The next morning when my alarm sounded at six o'clock, which is when I normally get up on Sunday, I couldn't move.

One last pose before we go

I fixed it so that I could sleep for another half hour. I dozed and then got up and made coffee.

But when it came time to start getting ready for church, I found that I did not have the energy to follow through. The spirit was willing but the flesh had gone rogue.

It was fancy

I know when I have to rest, and this was one of those times. I rested and reset. I call it a recovery day and the older I get, the more necessary they are.

Our Andrew is still in the Middle East, flying missions in the KC-135 Stratotanker of which he is Aircraft Commander. Please pray for his safety and for the safety of all of our troops.

Allissa loves gold trimmings

Happy news: Melanie is back at home, and doing much better. It's a miracle and an answer to prayer. 

Another grandchild who shimmered and glowed was our Ember, who graduated a few weeks ago from kindergarten. We were not able to be there, but she and Baby Guy will be spending a week with us in a few days, and I plan to take Ember out to lunch and on a shopping trip.

None for me, thanks

I'll share some pictures from that visit when it happens, but until then, enjoy this image of Ember at her ballet recital which took place right around the same time as her graduation.

Summer is underway here in South Carolina, although it is still spring, and for the most part it has been a cool-ish spring. In fact just today, our temperatures topped out at seventy-five. It was so pleasant.

Ember dressed for her ballet recital

We've done lots of things to spruce up the pool area and I'm excited to show you pictures of it, and also to tell you about our soggy Memorial Day, which included a special birthday party for our Erica. All in due time.

Meanwhile, keep on keeping on, until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

And that is all for now.

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Happy Tuesday

Close-up of the flowers Andrew sent to me

We had a splendid Mother's Day. I hope you did too.

The weather has been perfect of late, and Sunday was no exception.

Naturally we all went to church. Our church has a Mother's Day breakfast each year, during the Sunday School hour.

Antique books and an Eton College bookmark

It was beautifully prepared, and delicious, and we enjoyed every morsel.

Our family elected to not try and do anything special that afternoon, as we'd decided to gather at Erica's house after the evening service.

She'd made individual chocolate mousses, and there was a cheese and cracker tray, and a cake, and assorted hot and cold coffees and other beverages.

Mike took this picture in our church lobby

We girls exchanged gifts. I'd helped Dagny pick out something for her mother, and had wrapped it for her.

I got each of my girls a decorative lantern, and a pretty mirror to layer behind it. I wrapped their gifts in French-themed tote bags.

Erica gave me a farmhouse-inspired solar light to put out in back near the pool, where it will get plenty of sunshine.

Erica gave me this lovely solar light

It has a holder for a flag, and the light illuminates your flag all night.

Audrey brought me a gift bag full of treasures from her recent trip to the United Kingdom.

There were two antique books -- poems by Wordsworth, and a volume of Dickens works, including A Tale of Two Cities and A Christmas Carol -- as well as a special bookmark from a bookshop near Windsor Castle.

The peach roses were perfect

Also from Windsor Castle there was a jar of fine-cut marmalade, a crown-inspired key ring, and a soft ornament of a raven brandishing the keys to the Tower of London.

In case you didn't know, the Tower of London must have at least six ravens on site at all times, or the Kingdom will fall.

And you know I love me a raven.

Audrey also included in her gift to me, a set of postage stamps based on characters from Jane Eyre.

With the exception of the Bible, Jane Eyre is my favorite book of all time.

A Jane Eyre inspired gift is always a hit with me

The stamps are packaged inside a wonderful folded card with many excerpts from Jane Eyre.

Audrey told me that she didn't go looking for that gift -- although she knows how I feel about Jane Eyre -- but just happened to see it at the till of the bookshop.

And she asked if it were for sale, and was told that certainly it was, and she bought it for me.

Also tucked into my gift bag was a pair of socks bearing the face of the Bard, and this greeting: Hi, I'm William Shakes-Feet.

The Bard's likeness on socks

Everything was so special and heartfelt, and so befitting of Mother's Day.

I was able to talk to Andrew for a little while, on the other side of the world. There is no indication of when he may be coming home.

Even if it were tomorrow, it wouldn't be soon enough for me.

Stephanie sent me a gift card for coffee, and that will be lots of fun to have and use.

Cards that I will cherish

OK so, you know I'm not a gardener but this year we did some renovations out by the pool, and I enlisted the help of an expert or two, and we put in some flowers.

I have two Knock Out rose bushes planted next to one another. I bought them at a nursery and they were blooming like crazy when we got them situated and well-watered and so forth.

Then every last bloom died, so I deadheaded all of those and now it looks like there may be some new growth coming along. At least I sincerely hope so.

I'm feeling the urge for tea and toast

We also planted some lantana, and agapanthus, and a portulaca, and a water hyssop, and a scabius (pincushion) plant, and some purple phlox.

I have some container plants up near the French doors too, and I'll show you those soon. Lots of coleus and a profusion of double yellow begonia.

But because my rose bushes are bare of roses, I ordered another Knock Out rose from Walmart, the orange glow variety, and it arrived on Saturday.

I planted the pretty light along the fence

It was only twenty dollars and they package those roses for shipping as if they were tiny babies.

TG put it in a big pot for me today and we sat it near the retaining wall and got it all fed and so forth, and I'm enjoying it so much.

And now we are gearing up for Allissa's high school graduation this coming Friday, in North Carolina. 

Then it will be Memorial Day, and the pool will be open, and everyone will come and we'll remember our heroes, and also celebrate Erica's birthday.

My orange glow Knock Out rose

She will turn forty this year.

I have a special gift for her that I hope she will like. I'll show it to you after she has seen it.

And we will keep hoping for all things good, until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

Speaking of shadows, you may have noticed that my blog is broken. Comments are not getting through to me, to be approved.

The ravens hold the keys to the kingdom

I have reached out to Squarespace, because that's the platform I have used for my blog for nineteen years.

They have been less than helpful with the problem. It's a long story and I'm not sure what to do but until we get it figured out, don't feel as though you have to comment.

If you do, and I don't see it, there's nothing I can do about that -- but you can always email me from the link provided in the sidebar, if there's something you need for me to know.

But no worries! Worrying is forbidden.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Tuesday