Good Friday evening!
I'm missing the mountains this year. Here are some old pics from our 2013 trip.
Tommy and Bev.
They are especially photogenic in the mountains.
Roxie at Pancake Pantry before heading to Ober Gatlinburg.
Josh.
Brad.
Josh...
Again.
It was SO cold.
Roxie.
Austin.
Katie.
Zac.
Grandmother and THE GRANDS.
Mikie and me.
NOTE - THE NEXT TWO STORIES WERE FIRST POSTED IN 2013.
RANDOMNESS #1 - Blind Date Story #11 - Since it is the "LOVE" month, I'm going to leave you with this OLD post about a blind date. (I had 16 blind dates in my dating career. Do you remember me telling you about those over the past four years?)
All of my blind dates had names, but I remember this one fondly as "Coach."
At certain times in my younger life, I was blessed (or cursed) with friends who had other friends they wanted to "fix up." Although the dread was almost unbearable, I would ultimately agree thinking, if nothing else, one day 20 years from then I would have something to blog about. (Just so you know, I know people weren't blogging 20 years ago!)
This particular story is probably number 11 or 12 in my Blind Date Career. I was, if anything, prepared for the absolute worse date in the history of the world... so you see I had a great attitude going into any and all blind dates.
My friend at work and her husband knew this wonderful guy who "would be just perfect for me." They would come along on the date (a UAB basketball game and dinner) to make things go more smoothly. (Actually, that was great. Having another couple I knew with me on a blind date was something I had never experienced before. No worries about conversation lapses; no talking through an entire date with something in my teeth because my friend would let me know; someone "talking me up" here and there.) This date already had more potential than all of my other dates combined.
I prepared myself for my blind date by buying a new sweater (I love sweaters... always my favorite form of clothing), a new pair of jeans and new earrings to match my new sweater... that I loved. If nothing else came from this date, I would have a new outfit.
I rode with my friend from work to the restaurant where her husband and "the date" would be meeting us. She had told me he was cute, and she had told him I was cute, so neither one of us was really expecting anything great or wonderful. However, Coach (not his real name) was a lot more than cute. Very, very handsome. Wow! I wish I had taken my camera. He was not blind date material at all.
Of course, being cute was not my strong point. I was, on occasion, funny. I was a good listener (if what you were saying was very interesting). I was tall, thin and had the softest hands on the planet because I slept with tons of Vaseline on my hands and feet with socks on them every other night of my life in my 20s. And usually when I first met someone on a blind date, I was wearing a new outfit. Those were my strong points.
I didn't know what Coach's strong points were other than he was very, very handsome. Have I already said that? During dinner, I also found out he was funny, and he thought I was funny (a plus). I'm not sure if he was all that interesting, but staring at someone without blinking because they are so handsome translates into attentiveness, so he thought I was a good listener.
At the basketball game, we talked and talked and talked, and I found out he had gone to church when he was a kid, but wasn't really interested in going at that particular time in his life. Well, I've got to tell you, with an ugly blind date that would have been considered a "deal breaker." No, no, no. I'm just kidding. With me, that was a "deal breaker" with anyone.
My relationship with God came first, and anyone I dated seriously (meaning more than once) had to have that same commitment. It was the number one rule. The big one.
Gosh, he was handsome!
No! A rule is a rule. So then and there, I "churched" him. I started talking about how I had accepted Christ as my Savior when I was 12 years-old, how much I enjoyed playing the piano at my church, how much I loved being Children's Choir Director, how I used to spend every Saturday in my teens visiting and working on the bus ministry, how my Granddaddy was a minister and my Daddy was a deacon, etc., etc., etc.
On the ride home from the basketball game, it was just the two of us. The conversation was very easy and natural... no awkward pauses. (Very rare in "blind date" circles.) We laughed, we joked and I "churched" him a little more by asking him to come visit my church with me sometime. At the front door, he looked at me and grinned, "It's a shame this isn't going to work out."
"Yeah, it really is," I agreed. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to come to church with me?" I asked hopefully.
"Maybe sometime," he said.
"Nope. The right answer would have been 'Is this Sunday okay with you?'" I said, only half kidding. He told me he just wasn't interested in church right now, and I appreciated his honesty.
Then he reached out and held my two hands. "Boy, you do have the softest hands in the world." My friend must have told him about my Vaseline/sock regimen.
"I know," I said with a sigh. He squeezed my hands, told me he had a great evening and then... drove off.
The next day my boss (a combination benevolent uncle/big brother) asked me how everything went. "Oh, it was fine," I replied.
"I'm sorry. It obviously didn't go well."
"No. It was a great date and he was a great guy... but I had to 'church' him."
"Oh, good grief. Why do you keep doing that?" my exasperated boss asked.
"One, it's important to me... and two, three and four, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME," I tried to explain.
He shook his head, grinned and walked away. It was futile to try to talk "some sense into me," as he well knew.
My friend who fixed us up knew it, too. She came around the corner smiling, and said everything seemed to have gone well, but she had talked to Coach and he had told her the final verdict (attorney talk). "Well, maybe next time," she said cheerfully.
However, it wasn't the next time... and it wasn't a blind date. I waited patiently on the Lord, and was rewarded with the "whole enchilada" (a/k/a my Mikie). He loves it when I call him the "whole enchilada!"
I endured four or five more blind dates after Coach, knowing the "right one" would ultimately turn out to be the one God had planned for me all along.
But, I'll always remember Coach fondly, because he was by far my "best" blind date. And having become a "blind date" professional, no one knew better than me that the words "best" and "blind date" rarely go together.
RANDOMNESS #2 - Elf Boots - As promised, I'm re-posting my "Elf Boots" story from a year or so ago. This is what happened when I dressed myself (without Roxie) for a speaking event at my church.
What I'm about to tell you will let you know about a side of me I have kept to myself... up until now.
I was asked to speak to a group of women at a Christmas event, but my topic I would be speaking on was about living in the "fall" season of life.
I could have worn festive/sparkly Christmas garb, but instead I wore a burnt orange sweater with a dark brown camisole and a print skirt with a myriad of fall colors splashed all over it. My only problem with the outfit had to do with footwear.
I have pretty brown pumps that go with the outfit, but since no one wears hose these days (even in the winter), I had to decide whether the outfit needed boots OR tights. It wasn't a "tights" kind of outfit, so I opted for a new pair of boots. Suede boots. Brown suede boots. I tried them on. They felt marvelous. I bought them!
I left for the event before Roxie came home from volleyball practice that particular day. I thought I looked pretty spiffy in my autumnal outfit and my brand spankin' new brown suede boots. I walked with confidence to the podium. I gave my talk knowing I looked ultra-fine. And I left the event with warm feet AND calves because of the new boots.
I walked into our home, and I was immediately met by Roxie at the door.
"How did it go?" she asked. And with one quick glance up and down, she didn't give me time to answer the first question before the second question came out of her mouth.
"Tell me you did NOT wear those boots with that outfit!"
"Well, yes, I did. I wouldn't have changed shoes in the car on the way home. I thought you would like them. Look. Feel them. They are suede! So hip! So happening!"
"Do not use the word 'hip,' and I am NOT believing you wore those boots." The only thing MORE dramatic than Roxie would be me... Roxie's Mama.
"Why? What is wrong with them?" I was beginning to think I had gone color blind and maybe the boots were gray suede which would explain why Roxie was getting SO upset.
"You do not wear flat boots with a long skirt. You only wear flat boots with a shorter skirt and tights. You should have boots with at least a two-inch heel with that outfit."
"Well, I didn't want to trip in front of everyone, so I opted for the flat instead of the heel. These are fine. No one but you would ever notice that little detail."
"No, ma'am. Everyone noticed it. You broke a 'boot rule.' Promise me you will only wear those boots with a short sweater dress OR skinny jeans."
"Roxie. I am not wearing a short sweater dress. Those things are tight in the wrong places. And if I'm wearing skinny jeans, it is just because I ate too much the day before and my regular jeans are unbelievably uncomfortable. And I will NOT tuck my uncomfortable regular jeans inside boots... because then my boots would be too full."
I'm afraid at this particular point of the conversation, I may have been whining.
A lot.
"All I know is you cannot wear those boots again with the clothes you own. You look like an elf."
And with that, she hugged me and headed to bed.
Roxie is good, but I was sure she was exaggerating... until I headed to Wal-Mart the next day, the mall that weekend and church on Sunday. Her "boot rules" were exactly right.
I did look like an elf...
In front of over 500 women...
Who probably already knew the "Boot Rules."
And it normally would have bothered me a great deal except for how warm and cozy my feet and calves were that night.
And that confirms any doubt I might have had about being in the "fall" of my life. Comfort before style. That's my new motto... and I don't care who knows it!
Just don't tell Roxie!
Weekend Happenings
I am going to have such a good weekend!
1. Mike and I are keeping Judith for a little while in the morning while Courtney and Josh run some wedding errands. We are SO excited!
When Courtney and Josh return (in time for lunch), I am going to have the dining room table set with the red heart plates, and we are going to have heart-shaped pizza, drinks in red heart glasses and candy and Valentine's cards for everyone!
SO, so excited.
2. Mr. Faulkner's 89th birthday is Monday of this week, but everyone is heading to Oxford after church to wish him a very happy day.
Best part of Sunday...
Roxie is coming from Auburn and meeting us for this birthday milestone.
SO, so excited.
3. Mike and I are going on our Valentine's Day date Sunday night. We are planning on going to see Bridge of Spies (LOVE Tom Hanks) and getting a coffee on the way home.
This will be the first time since Roxie was five months old I haven't had a family Valentine's Day Banquet with pink food and gifts with everyone present, so Mike and I are starting a new Empty Nest Valentine's Day tradition. I'm not sure what we're going to do every year, but it's just us now...
And it's going to be epic!
NOTE - Just so you know...
I am leaving Austin and Melia a little Valentine's Day gift on their doorknob Sunday afternoon...
And Roxie will be receiving a very wonderful Valentine's Day gift before she heads back to Auburn from Oxford Sunday afternoon.
I've got it covered!
Have a lovely weekend. I'll be back next Friday with a bunch of preschool stuff I've been doing with my "Nana B" kiddos, a new recipe I tried this week and SO much more.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
