A lot has happened since the last time I blogged...
A series of major tornadoes hit the great State of Alabama last week, leaving thousands homeless. As it happened, I watched on TV, knowing that the storm was coming closer and that at any time I would lose power. As I watched it swirl above Tuscaloosa, my heart ached and for the first time in my life, I felt a little afraid of the weather. Keep in mind -- I grew up on the Gulf Coast, where hurricanes are a part of life -- but for some reason, this one really got my attention. Along with my Mother and the pets ( The Mr. was in Canada ) we took shelter in one of the guest bathrooms. I could hear the sounds outside and worried about what we would find when the door was opened. To my surprise...nothing more than a few limbs. We had escaped the worst of it, but I knew that we were indeed lucky.
In the days following the storm, I spent countless hours at the Junior League of Birmingham's Bargain Carousel ( my placement and something I am passionate about ). The stories of tragedy came from all walks of life, and on a number of occasions, I found myself slinking off into a corner to dry my eyes. One person after the next, all weekend long, recounted their tale. And amazingly, no matter the scale of their loss, they each ended by saying, "But we were lucky.".
And indeed they were, just as I was. For the storm had passed, left its mark, and moved on, leaving us among those who made it through alive. I realized over the past week that one's life can change in an instant - a split second - and for that, we should spend each moment treasuring our fortune of friends and family. I was, and am, moved to tears by what this state has endured, but I am reassured by the constant and abiding spirit of good hearted people, willing to lend a hand. For it must have been that same spirit that Julia Tutwiler spoke of when she wrote our state song so many years ago, adding these lyrics:
Little, little, can I give thee,
Alabama, mother mine;
But that little -- hand, brain, spirit,
All I have and am are thine.
Take, O take the gift and giver.
Take and serve thyself with me,
Alabama, Alabama,
I will aye be true to thee
Friday, May 6, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
What You Don't Know...
Aside from the updates about Charlie Sheen , my favorite part of US Weekly magazine is the section entitled "25 Things You Don't Know About ( Insert Celebrity Name Here )".
I really liked Martha Stewart's. She told us that she enjoys rap, but specifically Eminem. She also informed us that she carries fresh lemons with her when she travels - because who doesn't? Oh yeah, and she used to trap muskrats as a child.
That Martha is one well-rounded chick.
All of this led me to think about what I would include in the column should they ask me about my 25 things. And just in case they do, here they are:
1. Most terrifying moment: Watching my mother "dance" with a grizzly bear on skates at a local skating rink. The things that journalists do to get their stories....
2. I hate the word "snack". Not when I say it, but when you do. And don't you dare tell me you're gonna "munch" on a "snack". Ugh.
3. I fiercely believe that people should not co-mingle grocery staples in a marriage. A girl who grows up on skim milk and wheat bread should marry a man of the same ilk. Should he favor whole milk and white bread....well, you're in trouble.
4. I love dance crazes. MC Hammer : Check. Roger Rabbit: Check. Soldier Boy: Check. Dougie: Check.
5. I hate alligators. I cannot emphasize this enough.
6. As a child, I wanted to be one of two things - A) an archaeologist and B) a marine biologist. Then I grew up, realized I hated school, I wanted enough money to pay my power bill, and that both required extensive time in the heat. Nevermind.
7. I've never admitted this outside my family and no offense to those of you who have them, but I really don't like black dogs. No reason. Just don't.
8. I once had a cat named Orangie In The Supermarket. Yes, you called him all four names.
9. I'm distrustful of people who don't eat mushrooms.
10. 7x8 still gets me every time. Here's looking at you, Dad!
11. I was in the Scripps Howard Alabama Spelling Bee in 1995. Losing word: languid.
12. I really enjoy Scrabble ( see #11 ).
13. I like asking the people at Taco Bell about the meat quality EVERY time I go. It evokes a classic response. And it makes my husband laugh until he cries, which is my real intent. Who cares about the meat!
14. I hate haunted houses, hayrides, and horror films.
15. I think chopsticks are useless in America. I believe in the addage of "when in Rome", and to me, Surin of Thailand is not REALLY in Thailand and therefore, I will use my fork, thank you very much.
16. I enjoy reading Shakespeare. It's good stuff.
17. I almost was arrested in Kindergarten for mail theft ( accomplice only...not actual perpetrator).
18. Adults who have obsessions with Mickey Mouse, or any character for that matter, freak me out.
19. I have two pair of glasses- one for "public" and one for "home". The "home" pair are so totally amazingly 1980's nerd that I just had to have them. I, for one, think I look smashing in them.
20. I roll my eyes a lot. Oh wait, you knew that?
21. Favorite Sandwich : Tomato with Mayonnaise, Salt, and Pepper!
22. I've already picked out where I'm retiring and I talk about it all the time, as if retirement is in the near future. Isle of Hope, Georgia, here I come!
23. I vehemently believe in the power of Karma.
24. Not once, but twice, I cut my bangs into spikes in the weeks leading up to Easter. Literal spikes. Nothing is more embarassing than taking communion and having the Priest look at you as if you are from another planet.
25. Some people like to be called "brilliant" or "beautiful". Me? I prefer "efficient".
Did you learn anything? Here's to hoping US Weekly gives me a call -- I'm ready!
I really liked Martha Stewart's. She told us that she enjoys rap, but specifically Eminem. She also informed us that she carries fresh lemons with her when she travels - because who doesn't? Oh yeah, and she used to trap muskrats as a child.
That Martha is one well-rounded chick.
All of this led me to think about what I would include in the column should they ask me about my 25 things. And just in case they do, here they are:
1. Most terrifying moment: Watching my mother "dance" with a grizzly bear on skates at a local skating rink. The things that journalists do to get their stories....
2. I hate the word "snack". Not when I say it, but when you do. And don't you dare tell me you're gonna "munch" on a "snack". Ugh.
3. I fiercely believe that people should not co-mingle grocery staples in a marriage. A girl who grows up on skim milk and wheat bread should marry a man of the same ilk. Should he favor whole milk and white bread....well, you're in trouble.
4. I love dance crazes. MC Hammer : Check. Roger Rabbit: Check. Soldier Boy: Check. Dougie: Check.
5. I hate alligators. I cannot emphasize this enough.
6. As a child, I wanted to be one of two things - A) an archaeologist and B) a marine biologist. Then I grew up, realized I hated school, I wanted enough money to pay my power bill, and that both required extensive time in the heat. Nevermind.
7. I've never admitted this outside my family and no offense to those of you who have them, but I really don't like black dogs. No reason. Just don't.
8. I once had a cat named Orangie In The Supermarket. Yes, you called him all four names.
9. I'm distrustful of people who don't eat mushrooms.
10. 7x8 still gets me every time. Here's looking at you, Dad!
11. I was in the Scripps Howard Alabama Spelling Bee in 1995. Losing word: languid.
12. I really enjoy Scrabble ( see #11 ).
13. I like asking the people at Taco Bell about the meat quality EVERY time I go. It evokes a classic response. And it makes my husband laugh until he cries, which is my real intent. Who cares about the meat!
14. I hate haunted houses, hayrides, and horror films.
15. I think chopsticks are useless in America. I believe in the addage of "when in Rome", and to me, Surin of Thailand is not REALLY in Thailand and therefore, I will use my fork, thank you very much.
16. I enjoy reading Shakespeare. It's good stuff.
17. I almost was arrested in Kindergarten for mail theft ( accomplice only...not actual perpetrator).
18. Adults who have obsessions with Mickey Mouse, or any character for that matter, freak me out.
19. I have two pair of glasses- one for "public" and one for "home". The "home" pair are so totally amazingly 1980's nerd that I just had to have them. I, for one, think I look smashing in them.
20. I roll my eyes a lot. Oh wait, you knew that?
21. Favorite Sandwich : Tomato with Mayonnaise, Salt, and Pepper!
22. I've already picked out where I'm retiring and I talk about it all the time, as if retirement is in the near future. Isle of Hope, Georgia, here I come!
23. I vehemently believe in the power of Karma.
24. Not once, but twice, I cut my bangs into spikes in the weeks leading up to Easter. Literal spikes. Nothing is more embarassing than taking communion and having the Priest look at you as if you are from another planet.
25. Some people like to be called "brilliant" or "beautiful". Me? I prefer "efficient".
Did you learn anything? Here's to hoping US Weekly gives me a call -- I'm ready!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Another Day In Paradise
Tonight I found myself "cyber-stalking" a friend of a friend on Facebook...yep, it's creepy, but you all do it.
I don't know this person and more than likely never will, but I couldn't help but admire her. Perfectly dressed with a dazzling smile and a "fun" job, her hair was flawless in every picture.
She had a bevy of Lilly Pulitzer dresses, and she even managed to have her husband dressed to match her more often than not. You may think that's strange, but I would just kill over in delight if The Mr. wore a pastel bow tie to match my Easter dress.
The perfection was over the top...her cat and dog even smiled in their Christmas card photo. Both of them...the cat and the dog.
I spent a few minutes perusing her pictures and becoming increasingly jealous of the perfection. Here I was, sitting in my less than glamourous pajamas, flanked by my two little dogs. Let me be perfectly clear...my two Maltese ( always white ) who for some reason appear more tan today and smell horrible. Since the Mr. is out of town, I ate a hot dog for dinner and while I have a pile of laundry facing me, I'm instead watching the Bachelor, a show I despise. Why? I can't find the remote. Did I mention that my Christmas tree is still up, my car is in desperate need of a wash, and I have dry cleaning that I haven't picked up in a month?
I wondered what people like that do...you know, the perfect ones...on Monday nights at 8:00. In my mind, they have just finished a three course meal made of only local, organic produce, and are settling in with a fantastic glass of wine. Their clothes are ready and ironed for tomorrow, the laundry is done, the bed is made, the white dogs are white, and they are just sitting around being perfect. One can become jaded with their own life pretty quickly with thoughts like these...let me tell you.
But as I looked around at the chaos, the formerly white dogs, and the kitchen towel I just added to the laundry pile, I realized that nothing is perfect. Try as I may, I'm not and my life is not, but I'm pretty darn lucky. Seeing the perfection has a lot to do with being thankful, and that, I am.
And I bet, if I looked really hard, that perfect girl probably has a giant zit in half those pictures.
I don't know this person and more than likely never will, but I couldn't help but admire her. Perfectly dressed with a dazzling smile and a "fun" job, her hair was flawless in every picture.
She had a bevy of Lilly Pulitzer dresses, and she even managed to have her husband dressed to match her more often than not. You may think that's strange, but I would just kill over in delight if The Mr. wore a pastel bow tie to match my Easter dress.
The perfection was over the top...her cat and dog even smiled in their Christmas card photo. Both of them...the cat and the dog.
I spent a few minutes perusing her pictures and becoming increasingly jealous of the perfection. Here I was, sitting in my less than glamourous pajamas, flanked by my two little dogs. Let me be perfectly clear...my two Maltese ( always white ) who for some reason appear more tan today and smell horrible. Since the Mr. is out of town, I ate a hot dog for dinner and while I have a pile of laundry facing me, I'm instead watching the Bachelor, a show I despise. Why? I can't find the remote. Did I mention that my Christmas tree is still up, my car is in desperate need of a wash, and I have dry cleaning that I haven't picked up in a month?
I wondered what people like that do...you know, the perfect ones...on Monday nights at 8:00. In my mind, they have just finished a three course meal made of only local, organic produce, and are settling in with a fantastic glass of wine. Their clothes are ready and ironed for tomorrow, the laundry is done, the bed is made, the white dogs are white, and they are just sitting around being perfect. One can become jaded with their own life pretty quickly with thoughts like these...let me tell you.
But as I looked around at the chaos, the formerly white dogs, and the kitchen towel I just added to the laundry pile, I realized that nothing is perfect. Try as I may, I'm not and my life is not, but I'm pretty darn lucky. Seeing the perfection has a lot to do with being thankful, and that, I am.
And I bet, if I looked really hard, that perfect girl probably has a giant zit in half those pictures.
Monday, January 10, 2011
It's a new year, so I figured I would take advantage of the snow day today by doing a little blogging. I'm not promising a new year full of daily blogs, but I really am going to try better in 2011...no, really, I am.
So where to begin?
Since I have been an absentee blogger for so many months, I thought a run-down of 2010 would be fun. Just to catch everyone up to date, I'll hit the high points.
You may recall a blog post in January about us going to Pasadena for the National Championship game. It was such a fun way to start the new year, and to think that tonight a new National Champion will be named blows my mind...my, oh my, how quickly 2010 came and went. I'll leave my commentary about tonight's game to myself.
The late winter and early spring months passed without much excitement. We spent a lot of time working on our house, which was fun. On a day like today, it makes me happy to think that the azaleas will bloom again soon, and that there is actually green grass underneath the layers of ice.
In June, we went to Memphis for a family wedding, but I couldn't let my extended visit pass without a trip to Graceland. Yes, Graceland. It was amazing and I am still intrigued and slightly jealous that I wasn't a personal friend of Elvis'.
One of my best friends had a baby this year and in August we celebrated with a baby shower at my house, and before long, baby James Bradford was here in September.
The Mr. and I are pretty fond of him already.
August also took us to Savannah and Hilton Head for a much needed vacation and a special treat ...dining at Paula Deen's! The food was good, but I could've left the Yankees at home. Listening to people ask questions about okra made my stomach turn.
There seemed to be one wedding after another this past year, and I'm pretty sure those are coming to a quick end, as babies seem to be stealing the spotlight. One of my friends from college, Lisa, and her sweet husband Chris, were married in September. What a beautiful bride and wedding!
October brought a trip to Mobile and my ten year class reunion. While the turnout was a little disappointing, it was a lot of fun to see old friends and to visit my alma mater. Since the Mr. and I graduated together, it was a really fun thing to share. In fact, this picture of us was taken at the very place we first met...as high school juniors. But that's another story for another day.
Of course the fall meant football, and since the tailgating train came to a brief stop in 2010, we spent lots of time at home watching the Tide. Let me correct...The Mr. spent lots of time watching the Tide...I spent my time doing other things around the house.
All of this brought us to December and one of the most joyous holiday seasons we have ever had. It started with my office party at our house the first weekend of the month and continued into the new year. We had just about EVERYONE we love in our home and well, I'll just let that be another post, because that's just too much fun for one day! Happy New Year!
So where to begin?
Since I have been an absentee blogger for so many months, I thought a run-down of 2010 would be fun. Just to catch everyone up to date, I'll hit the high points.
You may recall a blog post in January about us going to Pasadena for the National Championship game. It was such a fun way to start the new year, and to think that tonight a new National Champion will be named blows my mind...my, oh my, how quickly 2010 came and went. I'll leave my commentary about tonight's game to myself.
The late winter and early spring months passed without much excitement. We spent a lot of time working on our house, which was fun. On a day like today, it makes me happy to think that the azaleas will bloom again soon, and that there is actually green grass underneath the layers of ice.
In June, we went to Memphis for a family wedding, but I couldn't let my extended visit pass without a trip to Graceland. Yes, Graceland. It was amazing and I am still intrigued and slightly jealous that I wasn't a personal friend of Elvis'.
One of my best friends had a baby this year and in August we celebrated with a baby shower at my house, and before long, baby James Bradford was here in September.
The Mr. and I are pretty fond of him already.
August also took us to Savannah and Hilton Head for a much needed vacation and a special treat ...dining at Paula Deen's! The food was good, but I could've left the Yankees at home. Listening to people ask questions about okra made my stomach turn.
There seemed to be one wedding after another this past year, and I'm pretty sure those are coming to a quick end, as babies seem to be stealing the spotlight. One of my friends from college, Lisa, and her sweet husband Chris, were married in September. What a beautiful bride and wedding!
October brought a trip to Mobile and my ten year class reunion. While the turnout was a little disappointing, it was a lot of fun to see old friends and to visit my alma mater. Since the Mr. and I graduated together, it was a really fun thing to share. In fact, this picture of us was taken at the very place we first met...as high school juniors. But that's another story for another day.
Of course the fall meant football, and since the tailgating train came to a brief stop in 2010, we spent lots of time at home watching the Tide. Let me correct...The Mr. spent lots of time watching the Tide...I spent my time doing other things around the house.
All of this brought us to December and one of the most joyous holiday seasons we have ever had. It started with my office party at our house the first weekend of the month and continued into the new year. We had just about EVERYONE we love in our home and well, I'll just let that be another post, because that's just too much fun for one day! Happy New Year!
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