Blanketed with Memories and Experiences

"What you talkin' about Willis?" Gary Coleman is dead.

So is Dennis Hopper.

And sadly, so is Aunt Mary, a sweet, wise woman who was 103 when she went to her final rest last week. Her memorial service is this afternoon. My childhood friends have come from Texas to lay her to rest. Hal, Gayden and Paul Scott all drove over for a family reunion-turned-memorial service. I'm sorry about the passing of Aunt Mary, but so happy I got to spend time with such long-time friends yesterday.

Hal came to visit me at View Gallery, where I was working for my neighbor, Phyllis. We talked about old times, and caught up on our lives. I met up with Hal and the rest of the gang last night at Keifer's, where we sat out on the deck, reminiscing, laughing and reconnecting. Gayden's two beautiful daughters, Jordan and Lauren, were there as well. Sometimes, life just hands you such sweet moments.

It's been a long, full week, but it was made a little easier after such a relaxing time last weekend. I went on a girl's weekend to a beautiful lake house in Carroll County, Mississippi with five fun, intelligent, creative women. We cooked, ate, laughed, kyaked, read, and just generally enjoyed each other's company. I had a Scentsy party there one night, and we discussed blogging. I shared what I know to help the others work on their own blogs. So it was a "working" weekend as well...but in a most spectacular place.

We ate like queens and our souls were rejuvenated, making it easier to take on life for another week. And in case you're wondering why I didn't put photos of these wonderful women on this blog...it's because it was a no-make-up, wear-what-you-want weekend...with a rule that we wouldn't take photos of each other! Even Cole, the dog, had a phobia of cameras. If one came out, he would hide under the bed!

On Wednesday, we celebrated the soon-to-arrive Liam with his mom, Courtney ("Cricket"). Jonni, Diane and I had a baby shower for Cricket and Jason, and now I think they're more excited than ever about Liam's arrival in late June (I'm betting he won't wait that long!)

So, it's fitting that I began this blog post with the passing of lives...and end it with the beginning of a new one. Life continues to renew itself...we have rites of passage, both good and bad, and they all help to weave the fabric of our lives. Like the super-soft blanket we got for Liam, all of us are blanketed in our memories and experiences. I'm thankful for the experiences and memories I've had this week and look forward to a great week ahead.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day, and please take a moment to remember what the day is all about.

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan

Girl Trip!!!!!

I'm sitting here with Revlon #42 on my head (red by choice!) counting down the hours until I am in the car on my way to Jefferson, Texas. Fellow BB Queens (book club members) Jonni and Leslie are swinging by around 11am to pick me up. They won't hardly have to slow down. Just pull up in the circular driveway and I'll throw my bags in the car, jump in and we'll be ON THE ROAD!!!

When I was growing up, moms didn't go on girl's trips--or I don't recall any conversation about such when they gathered for coffee. But back in my day, not many of the moms worked outside of the home. Today, it seems like just about everyone I know has a group of girlfriends who take a girls' trip at some point each year. These are all hard-working women who are dedicated to their husbands, children, jobs, civic work, church work, etc... Taking off for a few days with the girls is a great way to decompress...and to recharge.

One of my most memorable girl trips was to Destin several years ago. Nine of us, in three cars, took off on a three-day adventure in early February. The holidays behind us, kids back in school, it was the perfect time to go spend a few days of fun together.

We stayed in Jacqui's big, beautiful condo (that was back before the D-I-V-O-R-C-E...). We cooked, ate, sipped wine, talked, laughed, watched movies, slept a little, shopped and generally had a happy, relaxing time. Just spending so much uninterrupted time together was wonderful...no rushing home to the kids, no demands...no pressure. Just a chance to put our feet up, let our hair down and say or do whatever we wanted. We got to know each other better, create stronger bonds and develop stronger friendships--things that were difficult to do back home due to our busy, active lives.

The trip I'm taking this weekend is a little different. There's a reason for the gathering--it's a book conference, attended by members of book clubs around the country as well as by several authors. There will be panel discussions, workshops, and a fair share of fun. Called "Girlfriend's Weekend," it's the biggest event every year in quaint little Jefferson, Texas--a town that doesn't have a single hotel! We'll all be staying in the many bed and breakfast inns in and around Jefferson. I'm most excited about the luncheon with author Pat Conroy tomorrow.

This is a turning point for our family right now as well...Larry will be working, so Nicole will be "on her own" for much of the weekend. She's ready. As a matter of fact, she "graduated" yesterday...it was her last day at Methodist Rehab Center's outpatient therapy clinic. They surprised her with a beautiful (and delicious!) cake:

We ate some before anyone  thought to take a picture!

And just like it's been since the time of her accident, the media was there to cover this milestone. Stephanie Bell Flynt from WLBT news interviewed both Nicole and me and the story aired on the 4pm and 10pm news yesterday. Nicole's story has been reported on WLBT's Medical Matters since her return to Mississippi, a month after her accident. To see her stories, log on to wlbt.com and click on the Medical Matters link at the top of the home page.

Time to go rinse the color off my head...no one will be able to criticize me for having gray roots, not that I really care. In an hour and a half, me and my newly-red hair will be on the road for a weekend of friends and fun!

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan