Time spent with Mom

I've been meaning to do this post for a couple of days now, but this is the first time I have even turned on my computer since last week!  (THAT is quite unusual, too!)

Mom and I met Monday a little after 10 at Barnes & Noble at Patton Creek.  We looked around for a bit before walking over to Panera Bread for a quick lunch.  Once we finished with lunch, we headed to Ross Bridge for our spa appointments.  We each had a custom facial, and they were heavenly!  This was the 4th or 5th facial I've had, so I knew what to expect, but it was Mom's first one.  This was actually her first visit ever to a spa.  I think she enjoyed it.  :)

After our treatments, we sat and relaxed for a bit before heading out to do some playing.  We stopped by Home Goods and T. J. Maxx and browsed for a couple of hours.  By that time, it was right at 5:00, and our salads from lunch were long gone.  We took off to The Fish Market at the downtown location.  Oh my!  DE. LISH. US.!!  I had shark steak with Greek seasonings, a baked potato, and a Greek salad.  Mom had fried flounder, a baked potato, and a Greek salad.  She had enough fish for both of us.  I guess for a hungry man, it would have been just enough.  LOL  After dinner, we went back to the hotel and relaxed in our room.

Tuesday, we went over to the Shops at Grand River in Leeds just to see what was there.  We each did a little shopping--Mom got shoes, and I got a purse.  :)  (I would be safe in saying my love of shoes comes honestly.)  We also went over to Bass Pro Shops because I wanted to find a new set of wind chimes, and I knew they carry the particular brand I wanted.

By that time, it was almost 5, so we said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways, but we have decided that this will definitely be something we do again. 

She and Dad are coming up to the lake tomorrow so we can cook our for Father's Day.  This will be the most time she and I have spent together in a LONG time!  (Yet another very good reason for moving to the lake!!)

I enjoyed our time together so very much.  My mom is a wonderful person...so caring and compassionate!  I'm so very thankful that God matched us up. 

Have a GREAT day!

Weekend plans

John and I went to the 21st Alexander City Jazz Fest last night.  We went the first three years we lived here, but after that, we stopped.  It was raining, we weren't interested in hearing any of the acts, or we were out of town.  This year, though, Wet Willie was the headliner for the Friday night show, so we decided to go.  When they first started Jazz Fest, it was held downtown on Broad Street.  It was also so crowded!  Quite a few years ago, the city tore down the section of buildings that were on Tallapoosa and Alabama Streets.  One of the buildings was the old Strand Theater.  They took the area that once held buildings and turned it into a nice green space and renamed it Strand Park.  That's were Jazz Fest is held now.  It's only a couple of streets over from the original location, but it is a much, much nicer location!  The crowd can spread out more (but I think that the newer locale simple means more people go now, which is a good thing) and it is grassy, so you can kick you shoes off if you so desire.  A lot of people will take blankets to spread out--not something anyone would've done in the original parking lot location.  :)

We're about to head out to Chuck's Marina for the Lil' Calypso Art Fest in just a few minutes.  This is an event that features local/regional artists showcasing their original works.  Painters, jewelers, pottery, folk art...all the kinds of stuff I LOVE to browse through.  (I think I'll take my purse to this one so I'll have access to the debit card.  LOL)  This is something we've never been to, but I've always wanted to go.  We'd either be out of town or we'd forget about it.  Maybe I'll find something neat to take to the lake.  :)  I told John we could go out and browse then order a pizza for lunch and enjoy some music while we eat.  Sounds like a plan, doesn't it?

Shannon and Connie are hosting Jessi's baby shower tomorrow, so I'll be heading to Lineville after church.  John gets to sit this one out.  I'm sure he and the pups will nap most of the afternoon.  :)  They're pretty good at that.

We're about to head out for the afternoon, so that's it for now.  Have a GREAT day!

Back to the real world

Beach Trip 2011 is over, and I'm back to the real world of doing laundry, washing dishes, and all that fun stuff.  :)  The beach trip was wonderful (as usual), but it was good to be back home to my chair, my bed, my pups, and especially my husband.  ;)  Now I've got a year to get ready for the next girls' trip.

I don't know if it is because I was go-go-go so much right at the end of the school year and then went almost straight to the beach, or if it is because I've not been taking my Lexapro, or if it's a combination of both, but my butt has been dragging the last couple of days.  When I got home Sunday, I crashed on the sofa for about an hour or so, and yesterday, other than laundry, I didn't do anything.  I've not been too very active this morning, either, but that's about to change.  I've got a few odd and end things I need to do, and then I need to shower.  John and I are gonna run to Auburn/Opelika this afternoon.  He wants to go to Academy to find some jigs, and I need to go to Target to get a shower gift for sweet Layton.  Shannon (Lance's sister) and Connie are hosting a shower for Jess on Sunday, and even though I've ordered her rocker/glider, I don't want to go to the shower empty handed.  :)

My plan was to go to the lake on Thursday and come home Sunday, but then I found out Connie and Shannon had planned the shower for Sunday.  I was still considering going to the lake, but John convinced me (and believe me, it wasn't too hard for him to do!) that I really needed to slow down for a few days.  If I did go to the lake, I would have to come home before going to Shannon's.  That would be doable, but I don't know that I want to do THAT much driving!  So, we're staying home this weekend.  The plan is to go to Jazz Fest in Alex City Friday night to see Wet Willie, and I want to go to the Lil Calypso Art Show at Chuck's Marina on Saturday.  I've always wanted to go, but I've either forgotten about it or we haven't been home.  It will still be a busy weekend, but it won't involve hours of driving.  :)

I guess that's about it for now.  Gotta get up and get busy.

Have a GREAT day!

A precious story

Not long after I went to the beach this morning, I noticed an older man and woman at the edge of the water.  He was holding onto her arm, making sure she didn't fall.  They waded out into the surf with him carefully guiding her the whole time.  Once they got out about waist deep, she was floating on her back, but he was right there making sure the waves didn't wash over her.  When she was ready to come back to shore, he again guided her the whole way until they were close enough to shore that the waves wouldn't knock her down.  He walked up and spread out her towel before walking back to her.  I could tell that she was insistent that she was fine and he could go back out.  He did, and she made her way to the towel. 

A little later, I noticed that they were once again out in the water.  About that time I decided I needed to take a dip to cool off, so I waded out and found myself very near to them.  I overhead her talking to him and heard her call him "son" and when he replied to her, he called her "mother" and then it hit me.  This wasn't some couple; this was a mother and her son.  I turned and really looked at them and realized that yes, he was quite a bit younger than she.

A few minutes later I returned to my chair, but I continued to watch them.  The lump in my throat was huge.  I saw a man in his late 50s or early 60s, I'm sure, taking such wonderful care of his aging mother, and it reminded me of the children's story "Love You Forever."  I can so easily see this man picking up his mother and carrying her to her bed and tucking her in.

I think this memory is my favorite of this beach trip.  I'm glad I was able to witness this moment in the lives of this woman and her son who loves her so much.

Have a wonderful day!

Beach trip, day 2

Yesterday was a perfect beach day.  It was hot, but heck, it's supposed to be hot at the beach, isn't it?  We headed down and got our chairs about 9:30 or 10.  I had my Kindle, my iPod, and my phone...oh, and my cooler.  Can't forget the cooler.  hahahaha

Linda and Connie came back up to the condo about noon, but I stayed until about 3.  Jeremy (my cousin) and Tats (he was a foreign exchange student from Japan at Oakman when Jeremy was in school) walked down, and we visited for about 45 minutes.

Last night we decided to go to King Neptune for dinner (steamed Royal Reds...oh my!!) and then we went to see Bridesmaids.  We laughed our butts off!!!!  (But somehow, mine found its way back overnight. **sigh**) 

The plan for today is more beach time, and then tonight we're going over to Pensacola to The Original Point for dinner.  Since I've had crab claws (The Hangout) and steamed Royal Reds, I think I'll do a grilled fish tonight. 

Gotta get ready to go bake.  Have a GREAT day!

Linda and Connie

Jeremy and me

Jeremy and Tats



Parasailing



BEACH TRIP!!!

Connie, Linda, and I are in Gulf Shores for the Vest Girls' Beach Trip 2011!  Amy was going to come, but some things came up and she couldn't.  One of these days, we're ALL going to be able to make it! 

You can see from the picture that we aren't very high up, but that doesn't bother me at all.  There is a yellow flag flying, too. The waves are really breaking on the shore.  Again, that doesn't bother me.  I don't get out in the ocean like I used to.  As long as I can take a dip to cool off when it gets too hot, I'm fine. 

We got here yesterday about 4, unloaded, and then went to The Hangout to eat.  The food was GOOD, but dang, it was HOOOOOOTTTTTTTT!!!!!  For some unknown reason, the hostess seated us at the one table that was still in the sun.  WTH??  After dinner, we did our grocery shopping and then we just kicked back.  I called it an early night and slept like a baby.  :)

It's 9:00, so I'm about to go change and head out.  Don't want to waste this gorgeous day.  :)

Have a GREAT day!