I have joined Willow and her friends with a writers group. We'll write postings by Tuesdays and I'm pretty excited about it. She gives us a picture each week and we write a story or poem about it. I'm putting her Magpie Tales stamp on my sidebar so if you would like to join us please come along.

As I think back nearly fifty years ago I remember a cold winter day that changed my world forever. I had been staying with my aunt for several months. My mother had died when I was a baby and my father was always traveling with his job. I knew he had an important job and it always seemed so secretive. I had lived with different relatives for the past ten years and I was so tired of trying to make friends only to have to leave again.

We had arrived from the airport and Aunt Elizabeth had rushed me up to our room. The Presidential Palace was just across the street. I remember all the lights and I was anxious to see the building in the daylight. I was told to sit by the fireplace and that we needed to talk. After she tipped the man for bringing our bags she walked over to me and stood directly over me.

"There was an accident and your father has been killed. We will wait for other relatives and then discuss where you will live." I looked down at the box of matches and all I could think about was that as long as I lived I would never forget this moment. My daddy was gone forever and I would have no one that cared.

I picked up the little box and put it in my silk purse. The edges are worn and I still can remember the coldness from that room. No fire could warm me that night.That beautiful hotel became like a prison and I lost all interest in seeing that palace across the street. That night I felt my frozen tears and I still long to say goodbye to my daddy.

Finally Warmer Weather

Here's a picture from last year when it started warming up. This is what Mark and Avery were doing yesterday, playing at the park, but they were riding their scooters. It feels like spring and it's a wonderful relief.

I got to go to church here in Atlanta this morning and it was like a slice of heaven. The worship and music were off the charts and the preaching was dynamic. I felt like I could be lifted up any second. God is so good and He is bringing me through so much these past few weeks. Fighting with pain is exhausting. I feel guilty mentioning it because some of my sweet friends have it much worse than me. At least I can go to work everyday and at times I do get some relief from the pain. Wednesday my anti-inflammatory will be back in stock and I will be a happy girl to get back on my medicine. It has been back ordered for weeks and the doctor tried me on another type and I'm probably repeating myself, but the indigestion was horrible. I only took it 3 days and back to same old, same old. Thank the Lord He has given people the wisdom to discover what can help suffering.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend. I just went to the laundry mat to do a load of clothes. I hadn't been in years and it was an experience. I won't be back to SC until Friday so I had to have some fresh clothes. Did you know it costs $3.50 and $4.00 per load of wash and 25 cents for every 8 minutes of drying time? What happened to 25 cent and 50 cent washers? Bless those people's hearts that have to always use the laundry mat. I felt so blessed. Sometimes I think He puts us in situations so we can stand back and say, "Thank you Lord for what you've given me." I'm always thankful, but this brings you into a different reality.

I pray you are all having a great weekend. I'm sleepy so I'll stay at work for a couple of hours and then head to the apartment. Life is so good!

Frosty in South Carolina

Last Friday night we received quite a bit of snow in South Carolina. Avery loved it and played and romped in it. She and her daddy made this snowman Saturday morning and I think it looks great. It's so seldom that we get snow that we all get giggly. I know, those of you in the north are thinking, Whoopee. It's different for us and Avery is certainly scrunching up her eyes from the sun.

I'm staying in Atlanta this weekend as we have a mock inspection tomorrow and I need to get prepared for it. I wanted to let you know that I finished the Guernsey Literary and Sweet Potato Pie book, or whatever it's called. I know I picked up that book about 20 times and would start and couldn't get very far with it. Then I saw where my friend, Brenda, from Coffee, Tea, Books and Me said it was a keeper and that got me determined.

I believe all the letters back and forth from different people kind of threw me. I usually think in pictures and it kind of blew my mind getting it straight who everyone was. Well, I kept going and I loved it. It's such a sweet, tender story. The writing is great and post WWII. Avery had questioned why it was so hard for me to read. She reads a lot of historical diaries and she thought it must be similar. Well, it's not. I needed to get it straight every time who was writing or receiving the letters and I must have some kind of learning issue.

Project Runway was neat last night. I didn't get to watch it last week so I got to watch the redo and Anthony from downstairs won the challenge. He's a hoot in person, so it doesn't surprise me how excited he gets with everything. I feel like I practically know Heidi Klum by knowing Anthony.

I will be putting a storyboard together next week for my business trip to Palm Springs on March 1st. At least that will be something a little different from my everyday stuff. We have been working on a collaborative project for the past 3 years and I need to show our project accomplishments. I'm telling myself it will be fun, fun, fun. Right.

I think I'll head to my apartment. I have such a challenge with my laptop so I thought I would post while I have a computer that is fast and easy to manipulate. I hope you guys have a great weekend. I believe I'm rambling at this point, but I'll try to zoom around in bloggyland tonight and catch up with you guys. I've been working too much and need to chill.

Wonderful Weekend

I must tell you we had an absolutely wonderful weekend. Please indulge me. I like to read about what you guys are up to, so here goes. Thursday I came home early from Atlanta to go to a Christian concert with my husband and Avery. It was Winter Jam and had the following groups: Third Day, Newsboys, 10th Avenue North, Fireflight, Revive, Sidewalk Prophets, Robert Pierre. It was lots of fun and my husband brought us earplugs so we were prepared. When we were waiting outside I had to sit down and wait until the end of the line because old Arthur has been giving me a fit lately. In all the thousands of people we saw one of Avery's little friends, Taylor and her mom. They were thrilled and hugged each other and her and her mother sat by us. It made it so nice for AT. and of course, that made us happy.

Then Friday schools let out at noon due to the snow and bad weather coming in. We picked her up from school and we had promised her we would take her to see Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. She had a great report card so it was a reward.

We went for Chinese and it started snowing. Avery only eats cold noodles at the Chinese restaurant. They don't have mac and cheese. Anyhoo...we were leaving to head for the movie and some light snow was falling. We enjoyed the movie, but she, of course, said the book was so much better. She has read the series multiple times now and is fascinated with Greek mythology. Now she wants to go to Greece and see everything firsthand. It's an action packed movie and I thought it was pretty neat. When we left the theatre it was snowing hard and there were several inches on the truck.

We dropped Avery off at her house and she and her daddy and Mark were throwing snowballs and playing in the snow. We don't see much snow so it was a huge treat. They got up the next day and made a huge snowman.

We watched the race(Daytona 500) and I slept and read through most of it. It was the longest in history. I think around 7 hours or more. I had taken my car in for service and we were to pick it up Saturday morning, but the dealership shut down due to the weather. Therefore, I had to wait to come back to Atlanta this morning. Now you have some of the details of my weekend. I won't bore you with all the fun stuff like laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping. Overall it was truly a super wonderful weekend. What did you do?

Random stuff

I haven't been able to get on my laptop at the apartment very well. I guess I need to have someone check on it. So I thought I would post a little here at work. I am allowed breaks sometimes. :)

Remember how last week I was thinking about being a secret agent. Well, the other night I was behind a Red Bull Mobile. I guess that's what you call it. It was a truck type vehicle with a huge, probably 8 foot tall can of Red Bull. A few months ago I was behind an Oscar Meyer Wierner-mobile. I was thinking that driving one of those vehicles must get you lots of stares and funny looks. I don't need to do that with my new secret agent job. I got the sweetest comments about my dream to go undercover and learn all the scoops. I decided that I could use my cane as a weapon since I am not really into guns. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I may have to protect myself. I'm glad my daughter doesn't read my blog. She would already be ready to put me away somewhere. Avery reads it, but she has the same imagination I have and she would understand.

News flash. We may get some snow Friday in South Carolina. I hope so, Avery wants snow and the last time we got it here in Atlanta they didn't get any. I know the folks up north and around D.C. are tired of it by now, but here in the south it doesn't take much to get us all excited.

I wonder how many of you have hubbies that are crazy about NASCAR. It's almost embarrassing that I know so much about so many of the drivers and their families. Mark is very excited about Daytona this week and that will be the big theme of the weekend. Going around in a circle is what I call it. Sometimes he will watch races from back in the 70's or 80's and I don't even realize it's an old race until they start calling out names of the drivers. I guess when you enjoy something it doesn't matter that you already know who won and they just keep going around in circles.

Let me know if you will be sitting there with your honey watching the race at the same time as little old me. I need to get back to work and reality. My Colts didn't win Sunday so I'm not even going to pick a driver for the big race. It might jinx them.

Pull the Plug or Never Give Up?????

I went to church last night and we had a great session where the senior pastor sits at a table and is asked questions that the congregation has emailed about a specific subject. It's very interesting and he is brilliant so I often hear things in ways I have never thought of in my whole life.

He has memorized most if not all of the Bible and has a PhD in counseling and theology. He's very humble and I just enjoy hearing his view on things. Well, last night he was getting questions such as, "What if you feel like you have made a wrong decision, what should you do?" He answered that, "Pull the plug, if something is not working, try another avenue." Then later when someone was asking about feeling they can't go on with things, he was talking about never giving up. Life is such a constant decision of what to do and what not to do. I know this isn't very profound or anything, but lately I have been thinking about my posts not being very interesting at all. I love blogging, but I read some of the most clever posts on my friend's blogs and I can't help but think, "Trish, you have what sounds like a very mundane life."

I was talking to Avery the other day and I told her that perhaps I could be a secret agent. No one would ever suspect a senior arthritic plus sized super model. It, of course, doesn't help that I really don't like guns and I can't move very fast. Maybe I could get the scoops. Of course, in crowds I don't hear that well, so I may have to ask the bad people to speak up a little so I could hear their clandestine conversations from the next booth.

You know what, maybe I better pull the plug on the whole secret agent career. Ya think?

Random Stuff

I apologize for not posting in so long. I just don't know what happens to me. I get busy with work and reading and watching wonderful shows like Masterpiece on Sunday nights. This past week was the conclusion of Emma by Jane Austen. I loved it. I must get the DVD. The acting, the clothes, the story, the beginning, the middle, the end.

I enjoy learning more about my blogging friends....so I thought I would list some things that make me happy...

Purple
All kinds of art
Books
Learning about authors
Purses/handbags (they really make me smile)
Project Runway
Watches
Seafood
Going to work
Reading books Avery reads so we can discuss them
Starbucks
Baked Potatoes
Office supplies
My blogging friends
Learning more about the Bible
Tea parties
New makeup
Nail polish (all kinds)
Crossword puzzles
My husband and his love of animals

Some things I really don't like:

Self-absorbed, arrogant people
Hearing people eat ice (it drives me crazy..it always has)
Spicy, spicy food
Flying
Driving in the mountains
Riding on boats, watching them is great

I believe I'll go visiting my blog friends. I want to learn more about you.