Weekend Happenings, Chicken Stew, Way Back When...

Good Friday evening!

As promised, here are some wedding photos from last week...


Roxie had a friend take this with her camera, and it turned out really cute.


I love this one of Matthew and Roxie.

I am not a good taker of the "selfie."

Roxie is...

But I most definitely am not.

AND...

Since I didn't use my camera AT ALL during the Wedding and Reception, you can go to the following website and see some really, really beautiful photos taken by Karen Waters, Wedding Photographer Extraordinaire:

www.watersphotography.blogspot.com.

As you will see when you return from heYr website, there was no need for me to have my camera with me during the Wedding and Reception.

No need at all.

She did a fantastic job.

Chicken Stew

I've shared this recipe before, but I made it the other night, and it was definitely worth sharing again.

This dish is adapted from my friend's mom's recipe, Shelby Dutton. As with many family recipes, Melaney can make it in her sleep. She knows just how many potatoes to add, etc., etc. But I had to play with it (just a little) last night after Melaney, daughter of Shelby, sent it to me, and I made it my own. EXCELLENT, Melaney! Excellent.

You will need the following:

1 rotisserie chicken
(Melaney cooks her own and takes it off the bone in long strips.)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
(Melaney uses the broth left over from cooking the chicken.)
8 medium potatoes (cut into chunks)
(This will be enough to feed a family of five with a little leftover.)
1 whole yellow onion
(Melaney chops her onions, but my family just likes the flavor, so I put a whole peeled onion in the bottom of the stock pot.)
1 medium can of tomato sauce
2 cans shoepeg corn

1. Bring the broth, onion and potatoes to a boil. (Add salt and pepper for taste.)

2. Once the potatoes are fork tender, add tomato sauce, corn and chicken.

3. Cover and simmer.

Guys... This is good stuff. It's a perfect fall meal. Thank you, Melaney!

Way Back When...

This was first posted in October of 2010.

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER by Erma Bombeck

This was written after she found out she was dying from cancer.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life. (I LOVE this one!)

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

I would have said "I love you" more.

I would have said "I'm sorry" more.

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute. Look at it and really see it. Live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.

Instead, cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

She was a wise woman... and these are words to live by TODAY!

Weekend Happenings

1. Tonight I will be making a huge amount of chicken salad for a Wedding Tea I'm helping with tomorrow. If all goes well, I will post the chicken salad recipe Tuesday.

If things do not go well, we'll pretend I didn't mention it here on the blog.

2. On Saturday, Josh will be doing the football thing. He's worked some long hours this week, so his plan to sit on the couch and eat during a multitude of football games sounds good to me... for him... not for me.

3. Roxie and I will be attending a Wedding Tea for Katie, my niece. The wedding stuff never ends in our family, or so it would seem.


Katie and T. J. will be getting married January 17.

At this point in the game, Bev and I are professionals at being Mothers of the Groom.

Can being the Mother of the Bride be any more difficult?

Please.

Do not answer that question.

4. On Sunday, I'm cooking Sunday dinner for any interested takers, and then Roxie, Mike and I are going to pack up and head to Auburn late Sunday afternoon.

We have to be up bright and early Monday morning for War Eagle Day on The Plains.

Mike is so excited, he can hardly contain himself. He has a big ol' smile on his face every time I mention it, and I'm beginning to wonder if he is going to enroll as an OLD incoming Freshman this Fall along with Roxie.


My empty nest may be emptier than first anticipated if that happens.

I hope y'all have the best Halloween/First of November weekend ever. I'll be back Tuesday with pics from Katie's Tea, pics from War Eagle Days, Way Back When... and much, much more.

Take care, and I'll talk to you next week.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

P.S. This is a picture of Sparkle in the leaves from last year...


Just because.

Weekend Wrap-Up, Wedding News. Blog Linkage, Way Back When... (A Zumba Story)

Good Tuesday morning!

RANDOMNESS #1 - The Rehearsal Dinner was held Friday night at the Gardendale Civic Center. Because of distance, we decided to have the dinner in town and rehearsal was held on a makeshift aisle in the back of the suite...

And it worked out pretty well, I think.

Now it is confession time.

I love tablescapes, but I am not very good at creating tablescapes.

I can copy tablescapes if someone gives me a very large picture of it as a go-by...

And someone else goes to Hobby Lobby and buys EVERYTHING needed to recreate the tablescape...

And someone else provides the table linens...

And someone else remembers to bring the matches to light the candles.

Or, I could just ask Debbie Lindsey, a talented friend of mine who has posted a few pics on Facebook of her beautiful tablescapes.

When she said, "Yes. Yes, I can," I was giddy with relief.

Giddy, I tell you.

She did a beautiful, beautiful job.






What did I tell you?

Elegant, tasteful and a feast for the eyes.

I did good asking Debbie to help me, didn't I?


And then there was a little matter of a party favor.

My friend, Cam, and her husband, Jeff, made these Bride and Groom Pretzel Rods for each and every place setting...

And they were a huge hit.

A better party favor has yet to be given at a Rehearsal Dinner, I am sure.

You are probably wondering what I, The Enchanting Belinda, did to contribute to the Rehearsal Dinner.

And that is a good thing to wonder, I guess.

Since we had decided to have Jim 'N Nicks cater the event months earlier, I had to think really hard to come up with something to put my mark on the party.

And then it hit me.

A Family Dessert Bar.

The women of the two families made homemade desserts and filled a table with very tasty treats.

The Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake made an appearance (thanks to Melia's Mom, Lisa), as did cobblers, pies, cookies and other cakes.

It was a very good thing.


Melia.


Roxie and Josh.


Roxie checking out her official Wedding Day flip flops!


Zac, Katie, Stephanie, Brad and Zac Smith.


Tommy and Bev.


Brad, Austin and Zac Smith... just a couple of the groomsmen.


Melia, Austin, Brad and Stephanie.


Melia, Austin, Zac and Katie.


Grandpa, Grandma, Austin, Melia, Jared, Lauren, Brandi, Aunt Becky, and Uncle Guy... and Matthew down front.


Lauren and Brandi.

Lauren was our Flower Girl...

And just so you know, she didn't come to the party in her pajamas, but she certainly left that way.


Melia, Austin, Roxie and Hunter.


Kayla, Melia and Cassie.

Kayla and Cassie are Melia's friends from WAY BACK.

Since birth, I think.

They were two of the lovely bridesmaids.


Austin and Josh.

I don't know if Austin, Josh and Roxie discussed it, but gray was obviously the color of choice for the Faulkner siblings Friday night.


Sara, Melia, Kaitlyn and Tabitha.

A few more of the bridesmaids!


Melia, Austin, Mike and ME!


Melia's fam... Tim, Melia, Austin, Lisa and Payton.


Tim, Melia's Dad, made a wonderful DVD of pics of Melia and Austin from birth until NOW. We had it set up in the corner so people could come and go and watch.

I LOVE this DVD.

RANDOMNESS #2 - The following pictures are of some of the "details" of the wedding day... mainly the flowers at the Chapel.

I know I'm just a tad bit biased, but the flowers were out of this world beautiful.


We left the house in two separate cars, and Roxie had to tell Austin "see ya later" one more time before we headed to Columbiana.



Keep in mind, pumpkins, hay and a bunch of mums had not been set up when I took these pics...

And I thought it was perfect when I saw it.

Can you even imagine how pretty it was when Melia walked down the aisle.

Hopefully, Friday I'll have some pictures of the finished product and you won't have to imagine!


This cross was my favorite part of the Chapel decorations.

It just made me happy all over.


Lisa, Melia's Mom, made this wreath for the wedding and for their home.

Lisa is one of those chicks who can probably create unbelievable tablescapes.

It's good to have her in the family!


The flowers.

Oh... my... goodness...

The flowers.


This was Austin's...


And this was Melia's.


This is Melia with wedding hair...

Minus the wedding dress...

And holding the wedding flowers.

And then...

RANDOMNESS #3 - Wedding News - In the grand order of things, this is where I would now display the pictures of everyone in their fine wedding garb...

However, I did something unprecedented Saturday, October 25, 2014.

I put my camera down in the Bridesmaid Room when everyone started getting dressed...

And I didn't pick it up again until we were getting ready to leave for home.

I took a deep breath and left the picture takin' to the professional... Karen Waters.

Fun fact for you... Karen was Austin's 4th Grade Teacher at Snow Rogers a few years back. She was an excellent teacher.

And guess what... She is an excellent wedding photographer.

She was funny, sweet and she just made the picture takin' part of the day very, very easy. Most of the time, we didn't even know she was in the room.

So now, I am waiting to see all the photos she took that day, and hopefully, I'll be able to post a few on Friday's blog.

Something to look forward to, Folks!

RANDOMNESS #4 - More Wedding News - Austin and Melia arrived back in town last night. They took a short "mini-moon" to Gatlinburg and are taking the actual honeymoon during Spring Break.

They were happy, refreshed and eager to start their new lives as husband and wife.

And I was happy, refreshed and eager to see them starting this new chapter.

Blog Linkage - Go to www.kellehampton.com to see her pics from the wedding she attended in North Carolina a few days ago.

Beautiful, beautiful.

Way Back When...

This post was first written in October of 2010.

A Zumba Story

I had every intention of attending the Thursday afternoon Zumba class. Unfortunately, I had also set up a doctor's appointment for 2:00 p.m. downtown. I was headed to a new doctor at a different doctor's office. However, after ten years working downtown, I had no qualms about finding the office. I had the address. I was familiar with the area, etc., etc. I had plenty of time to go to the doctor AND make it back for the Zumba class at 4:30. Uh... WRONG!

As I made my way to the address, I couldn't find the name of the doctor's office on any sign. However, UAB Hospital was sitting where the doctor's office should have been. I made the perfectly practical assumption the office must be INSIDE UAB Hospital. I made my way to the 6th Avenue South Parking Deck.

Fun fact for you... The Big Gold Van is not an easy vehicle to park unless you happen to be a licensed bus driver (which I am not). It doesn't bother me. I park one to two miles away from any and every event and walk. (My walking regimen is one of the reasons I am so adept at picking up Zumba and other complicated dance/aerobic exercise classes! Just saying.)

Parking decks are not my friend. Especially old, downtown parking decks. They are extremely narrow, dark and even if I find a parking spot, I cannot fit into it... EVER!

On the fifth floor of this parking deck, I started calling the doctor's office to see exactly where they were located in the Hospital. Guess what? They were not located in the Hospital. They were not located downtown. They were not located anywhere within a 30-mile radius of where The Big Gold Van was driving in very tight quarters.

They were located off I-459.

Let me break it down for you. I had to get OUT of the crazy, narrow parking deck (preferably without hitting a doctor's Lexus), make my way across the downtown area, and jump on Red Mountain Expressway. I then had to go across the big curvy bridge and get on U.S. 280. That's right! I said U.S. 280.

Once I made it to the junction of U.S. 280 and I-459, I had to go to the Acton Road Exit. The doctor's office was located behind McDonald's.

I knew exactly where the office was now because they had given me THE one landmark with which I was 100 percent familiar. I know where EVERY McDonald's within 100 miles of my home is located. No. I'm not brilliant. But when I need a Caramel Frappe', I NEED a Caramel Frappe'. Thus, I have dedicated all McDonald's locations to memory... and it has served me well.

By the time I left the deck, I was 32 minutes late for the doctor's appointment. But they were gracious. They told me if I could be there by 3:00, they would still let me keep the appointment.

Surprisingly, I did make it by 3:00. As is the universal doctor's office custom, I waited the minimal time of 33 minutes in the waiting room and 17 minutes in the office itself. I then met with the doctor for 13 minutes. If you're keeping up, it was now 4:03.

Ignoring the many, many "NO CELL PHONES ALLOWED OR THE BUILDING WILL EXPLODE" signs plastered on the walls, I made a sneak call to Joan, my Zumba buddy.

"I'm about to leave the doctor's office off of U.S. 280. I'll try to make it to the class. Find my orange sarong and have it ready for me."

She laughed... a lot. "Unless you're Mario Andretti, you aren't going to make it to class in 27 minutes."

"I don't have to be Mario Andretti. Have you forgotten I'm driving The Big Gold Van?"

She laughed some more and said good-bye... in a way that made me think she didn't plan on seeing me in 27 minutes.

And she was right. I pulled into our lovely little city at 5:17. And I missed Zumba. And I was sad.

But there's always Saturday morning... and I do NOT have a doctor's appointment Saturday morning off of U.S. 280. I should be able to make the 1.2 mile drive from my driveway to class with no interruptions!

NOTE - In case you don't remember, Zumba is no longer my friend, AND I no longer attend the classes.

Zumba and I parted amicably.

Have a tremendous Tuesday. I'll be back Friday with more pics from the past weekend, Weekend Happenings and much, much more.

Take care, and I'll talk to you the end of the week.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda (a/k/a Mother-in-Law Extraordinaire)

Weekend Wrap-Up, Blog Linkage, Wedding News, Way Back When...

Good Tuesday evening!

RANDOMNESS #1 - Melia's Bridesmaid Party Saturday night would be considered a success by anyone's standards

One of the reasons I loved it was because the two bridesmaids who live out of town (Massachusetts and Tennessee) were able to be there using an I-Phone and a computer.

Technology is truly a wonderful thing.

Especially if you are not the one who has to figure out how to make it work!


Melia loved her tiara and veil.

A lot!


Morgan and Melia.


The lovely bridesmaids.


The lovely gifts.


Melia unwrapping a gift in front of Sara (the bridesmaid on the computer from Massachusetts) and Cassie (the bridesmaid on the I-phone from Tennessee).

Very, very cool.

RANDOMNESS #2 - Austin's Bachelor Party on Sunday night turned out to be just the thing the groom ordered. Shooting friends and family members with orange paintballs is like the most fun EVER.

And then throw in a dinner at Mugshots afterwards...

Well, a more wholesome Bachelor Party has never been had, I am certain.



Semi-Funny/Semi-Sad Story - I wanted to meet the guys at Mugshots AFTER paintball to take a few pictures.

BUT Mikie said that was totally unacceptable.

So I didn't go.

Heavy, heavy sigh.

When Mike, Austin and Josh came home, the first thing I asked was, "Did you get any good pictures?"

"I took one and Kerry took two really good ones," he replied.

Okay. Three pictures is not my idea of an ideal number of pics to have from a once-in-a-lifetime event like a Bachelor Party, but it was definitely more than I had expected.

Mike sent all three pictures to my computer.

All three pictures were exactly the same.

At first I was sad...

But now I am just thankful.

I must be growing as a human being.

RANDOMNESS #3 - Wedding News - Okay. Here are the details for the upcoming nuptials in a nutshell.

1. Tomorrow, Lisa (Melia's Mom) and I are going to pick up Melia's wedding dress.

Talk about precious cargo.

I am also going to pick up a few little items for the Rehearsal Dinner tomorrow afternoon... and that will be done.

I am going to try on my dress again... just to be sure I haven't gained 12 pounds since last Thursday.

2. Thursday, Roxie and I are getting mani-pedis.

I will also be helping Austin with any last minute errands he may have.

And that is all I'm going to talk about right now, because the rest of the weekend will be covered under Weekend Happenings in Friday's post.

It looks like such a tiny list, doesn't it?

I know I've left out something HUGE, but for the life of me I cannot figure out what it could be.

And that's making me extremely nervous.

Blog Linkage - Go to www.kellehampton.com and read today's post about her trip to North Carolina with her three kiddos. Beautiful, beautiful pictures.

Way Back When...

I feel the need for a little Becky Freeman today. I'll share some of her thoughts in "Germs of Endearment" from Humor for a Woman's Heart 2.

Who in their right mind would willingly hold out their hand to accept donations of a half-chewed Tootsie Roll, a freshly blown tissue, or a wriggling worm?

Who rushes to comfort a child with a virus, knowing full well that as soon as she reaches that child, her robe will be wearing the remains of last night's predigested pizza?

Whose saliva can slick back the wildest curl, clean the toughest jelly stains from a five year-old's cheek, and promptly cure infectious lesions?

Who can talk on the phone, fold a diaper with one hand, scold a child with one raised eyebrow, and elbow the front door closed while performing two sets of leg lifts?

Who runs in a panic when her toddler squeals "See what I've done!" and breathes an enormous sigh of relief when she discovers the excitement is over a properly pooped-in potty.

Who calms all fears, cleans dirty ears, and though she grows weary, also grows more dear through the years?

Who exchanged the Days of Wine and Roses for Nights of Whines and Runny Noses?

No one else, of course, but mothers.

Now that's a resume'! I just love Becky Freeman. Sometimes she really makes me think about what my life used to be as opposed to what it has become.

Forget about the degree in Early Childhood Education, ten years as a legal secretary and three years teaching music to preschoolers. Forget about eating lunch with adults every day, and wearing suits, matching shoes, accessories and full make-up. Forget about always being well-coiffed, well-manicured and well... just smelling nice!

Forget about birthday parties (for ME) in the conference room, flowers on Secretary's Day and bonus checks. Forget about a car whose backseat isn't full of car seats or backpacks or clothes or groceries. Forget about being able to carry on a grown-up conversation with actual grown-ups and understanding what they are saying.

Forget about all of that... because whether those things are a part of your past or mixed in with your present, I bet most of the moms would agree we wouldn't trade the "messy" stuff for all the fringe benefits the world has to offer.

Am I right?

No. Really? Am I right?

Have a fantastic Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I'll be back Friday morning with the last post pre-wedding. I know. I can't wrap my head around it either!

Take care, and I'll talk to you Friday.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

Weekend Happenings, Devotions from a Pumpkin Patch (Mum Pumpkin), Halloween Party Games, Wedding News

Good Friday afternoon!

Betcha thought I was a no-show, didn't ya?

I had a busy, fun Friday, so I'm a little late, but as long as I post before midnight, we should be okay.

NOTE TO ANDREA - Hey, Girl... I decided to answer your Comment Questions in the blog this week.

Katie and T. J. are moving to a place called Pittsburgh, Texas. (Mike and I spent some time in San Antonio about eight years ago AND loved it!)

I'll post a pic of the entire Mother of the Groom ensemble after the wedding, I guess.

Roxie is wearing a beautiful dark purple dress along with the other bridesmaids.

Austin and Melia are going on a mini-moon after the wedding to the mountains, and they are planning a big honeymoon during Spring Break.

That is all I know right now!

RANDOMNESS #1 - I haven't taken any new pics since Monday's Pumpkin Party, so, here are some favorite photos from October, 2011 to hold you until next Tuesday...















RANDOMNESS #2 - Wedding News - This time next week, we'll be having the Rehearsal Dinner for Austin and Melia's wedding.

That seems totally and completely unreal.

This weekend, Melia is having a party given to her by her Bridesmaids...

And Austin is having his Bachelor's Party (a/k/a PAINTBALL).

Things are quickly approaching warp speed, and there are only EIGHT MORE DAYS UNTIL THE ACTUAL WEDDING!

It is an exciting time for all of us (the Vines and the Faulkners), and I'm thankful our family will be growing in just a few more days.

And the pictures...

The very idea of having a professional photographer taking hundreds and hundreds of pictures of EVERYTHING that will be happening next Saturday makes me very, very happy.

I can hardly wait!

Devotions from a Pumpkin Patch

Mum Deliveries

I am going to challenge you to buy a nice pumpkin or a beautiful pot of mums to take to an elderly neighbor or relative this week. They are not very expensive. Take the gift (with your child or children) to the neighbor. (Always let your children see you doing a good deed. They learn so much better by "seeing" than by being told.)

If you want to make some muffins and take the neighbor one or two for their breakfast the next morning along with the pumpkin or mums, that would make it even better.

There's nothing better than receiving an unexpected gift on a pretty fall Wednesday or Thursday... except for giving one.


Way Back When...

These two items were first posted in October of 2009.

Halloween Party Ideas

As you all know, I'm a big Scavenger Hunt fan. Here are some ideas for a Halloween Scavenger Hunt.

Scavenger Hunt - Make a list of objects to gather. They can be themed or completely random. Make sure you have a copy of the item list, too. See below for suggestions to get you started:

AAA battery
Acorn
Apple
Black fingernail polish
Blood-red lipstick
Broom
Candy corn
Golf ball
Gourd
Head of garlic
Indian corn
Lock of black, red or gray hair
Map of USA
Miniature pumpkin
Orange sock
Pie tin
Sewing needle
Spider (real or fake)
Thread
Today's newspaper
Toothpick
Tootsie Roll
Whistle

Get the permission of your neighbors, particularly if the scavenger hunt will be on foot. Let them know the types of things everyone will be searching for and discuss what limits and rules you intend to share.

You'll need a clear set of rules for participants. What are the boundaries of the search? The timetable? Of course, make it clear that stealing or "borrowing" is not allowed under any circumstances; nor is driving unsafely or running through anyone's hedge or garden.

Halloween Games

Mummy Wrap - Divide guests up in pairs. Give each pair a roll of toilet paper. One team member will be the wrapper, the other will be the mummy. The first team to use up its roll wins. Or you can give each team two rolls of toilet paper and after the mummy is wrapped, he or she must wrap their partner.

Doughnut Race - Divide guests into teams. Hang as many doughnuts as guests from a tree limb or clothesline by string. Without using hands, each guest must catch and eat a doughnut. The first team to finish their doughnuts wins.

What Am I? - Pin or tape a Halloween-themed picture on each guest's back (without the guest seeing what it is). While others can only give yes or no answers, each guest must guess what he or she is.

Pass the Pumpkin - Have one fewer small pumpkins than players. Sit kids in a circle. Play Halloween music while they pass the pumpkins around the circle. When the music stops, the player without a pumpkin is out, but he gets to take a pumpkin with him. The rest of the players continue to play until there is a winner.

These ideas were taken from my Taste of Home Halloween Party Favorites Cookbook.

Slightly Amusing Halloween Story - Whenever we go camping at Guntersville, we always stop at a place called Mike's Warehouse. This building has a little of anything and everything, and we enjoy browsing through the store before we head home. On this particular October Sunday, I noticed a rack of gold lame' Elvis jumpsuits with gigantic black belts and even bigger bell bottoms. There must have been 20 or 30 of these identical Elvis costumes... and they were only $10 apiece.

"Buy one. Buy one NOW," something inside me said.

"No. This is a stupid, stupid purchase... even for only $10," I replied to myself. And then we left Mike's and the rack of gold lame' Elvis jumpsuits on sale for $10 apiece.

Three days later, I was asking the kids what they wanted to be for Halloween. Josh wanted to be a Power Ranger (shocker), and Roxie wanted to be a princess (another shocker), and Austin... Well, Austin wanted to be Elvis.

"What do you mean you want to be Elvis?"

"I think it would be fun, and we already know where we can get a costume."

"Yeah. I'll just make a 2 1/2 hour round trip to pick up a $10 costume and everything will be just fine!" I thought to myself.

"Why didn't you say something three days ago while we were standing in front of the costumes?" I whined.

"I didn't want to be Elvis until today."

Of course. That made perfect sense. How many of us wake up one morning and suddenly want to be Elvis. It happens all the time.

I decided my best course of action would be to get on the phone and see how much it would cost for Mike's to ship me a costume. I spoke to a very nice young lady, and when I told her what I wanted and asked if there were any left on the rack, she started laughing. "Oh, there are plenty on the rack. We have to sell them as a set."

"What does that mean? You have to sell 20 identical gold lame' Elvis jumpsuits at the same time to the same person? What does that mean?" I repeated.

"I know. It doesn't make any sense, but that's what my boss told me."

I sat there quietly trying to figure out how to get her to work with me... and not get fired. Before I could come up with a solution to this ridiculous problem, she cleared her throat and whispered, "I'm going to send you one."

"What?" I couldn't believe my ears. I wasn't going to have to guilt her, or coerce her or bribe her.

"It's stupid to think someone is going to buy all 20 at the same time. Can you pay over the phone with your credit card?" she hissed.

"Yes, I can," I whispered back.

"I'm going to walk down the street to the Post Office at lunch and drop it in the mail for you. You should get it in a couple of days."

"But what about postage?" I asked.

"It's on me," she said. "The day after Halloween the other 19 Elvis jumpsuits are going to be marked down to $1.50 anyway."

Two days later, I held in my hands a beautiful gold lame' Elvis jumpsuit. We had gotten such a deal on the costume, I was able to spring for black hair paint AND an inflatable guitar.

It was one of Austin's finer Halloween memories. And mine, too. I love it when you run into an incredibly kind person. It doesn't happen often enough, does it?

Weekend Happenings

1. Austin is working at Donoho tonight.

2. Josh is at a movie theater with a friend.

3. Roxie is at a football game.

4. Mike and I are about to watch something on Netflix...

And that takes care of Friday night.

5. On Saturday, Roxie and I are going to be taking care of a few miscellaneous "this and that" wedding things before attending a party held in Melia's honor by her Bridesmaids.

6. The guys are on their own Saturday.

7. After church on Sunday, Mike and Josh have planned a Bachelor Party for The Boy/The Man, and paintballs will be flying.

They will not let me come to the paintball field to take pictures, and while that bothers me greatly, I understand my place as Mother of the Groom...

And I know it is highly unusual for the Mother of the Groom to be invited to such an event.

Even to take pictures.

I will abide by the Rules of Etiquette and not attend.

Heavy, heavy sigh.

I'll be back Tuesday with pictures from at least one of the upcoming wedding events, and more Fall stuff for you and your family to enjoy together.

Take care, and I'll talk to you next week.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda