Hi everybody!

Well, I believe it is time for me to give an account of myself!  I have been AWOL for a few months, so does that mean I am no longer a blogger?  Probably!  My sweet, sweet friend and former co-worker at the Wyche law firm, Joy Priest, has been missing me and noted that I had not posted an entry since January!  I am so, so sorry.  I have missed touching base with everyone and will try to redeem my wayward self!  Perhaps one reason I have failed to write more often is that some of my life has been filled with not-so-happy happenings, so I will try not to linger too long on those phases, but I will touch on them because life is not all happy, after all, is it?

As I mentioned in my January entry, there were various medical issues going with me, and thankfully, I am so happy to report that the results were all good and I have had no further problems!  Thank the Lord for this good news and His continued blessings.

February 1 I loaded up my little Camry with a month’s supply of everything I considered essential and headed to Texas – all by myself!  Now, the only way Bill would let me leave for that long – alone - and that far, was if I promised to stop somewhere along the way to get some rest.  (You see, once upon a time I did drive the entire way to Texas without an overnight stop and he’s never forgiven me, so I have to be a good girl now and mind him if I ever hope to maintain my freedom to get out into the highways and byways again all by myself!)  My sister, Bea, had been hospitalized for quite some time due to a fractured hip and she really needed some assistance when she was discharged.  She is 82 years old and does amazingly well, but she had had several setbacks and just needed some extra TLC.  Our brother who lives nearby does really well and is very attentive to her, but maybe he needed a break, too.  So, I left here early on Monday, February 1, and drove to Texas to see how I could help. 

While there, after Bea was discharged from the rehabilitation hospital, I was able to assist her in several things that needed to be done for her and around the house.  She is now hooked up with Life Alert, and should she fall again and be alone, she can just press the little medallion around her neck and someone will come to help her!  Isn't that cool?  She now has hearing aids - at my insistence, so we have to be very careful and not talk about her too much. J All in all, we got a lot done and had several good sister times together.  (As an aside, she is undergoing another hip surgery today to correct something that did not heal properly and hopefully will take care of the ongoing pain she has had since her surgery.)

A highlight of my visit with Bea was when I treated her to her very first pedicure!  She absolutely loved the experience!  The massage chair was an extra treat for her!  Earlier that day she had gotten a long overdue haircut, so she was really feeling beautiful and special after having her feet and legs massaged and some stunning nail color applied to her toes!  She kept admiring them for days and she told me a few days ago the color is still very pretty!  I don’t know who was happier – she or me!  Other days were filled with visits to various doctors, numerous trips to Walmart, of course, (we couldn't run out of Blue Bell, the ice cream of choice in that area), and just doing the usual things that we all have to do to keep on keeping on.  In all, it was a huge blessing and privilege for me to get to spend some concentrated time with my sister.  Our other two sisters have been with the Lord for many years, so our times together are special and enriching for both of us.

I left Texas on Saturday February 27 and arrived back in Lancaster on Sunday just in time to attend church.  My daughter-in-love, Merritt, was singing a solo in our choir special that Sunday and I did not want to miss it, so I applied the pedal to the medal as I left Conyers, GA very early that morning and made it to church by 10:30!  Merritt did an amazing job as usual and I was happy to be home, but it was somewhat bittersweet because there was still much to do back in Texas.  I missed my hubby and he missed me, so it was time to return. Now you have a taste of what went on in February.  While in TX I did very little on the computer because of Bea’s dial-up computer service and it can be rather sluggish and involves a lot of waiting – which admittedly I am not very good at doing, so this is one excuse/reason for not blogging. 

Shortly after arriving back home, I began getting the house ready for a visit from my great-niece and her hubby, Kamilia and Ryan Smith, of Dallas, TX, and their two precious little ones, Cooper and Charlee!  It had been quite some time since we had been together, so this was something we were looking forward to with great anticipation!  They lead very busy lives and had chosen this time to come visit us and show off little Charlee whom we had never met!  Accompanying them on their trip were Ryan’s mother, Lana, and his cousin, Laura.  Other family members on Ryan’s side met them at the airport and they spent the first night with them in Monroe, NC. 

Little did we know that little Charlee, almost one year old, had contracted a terrible virus on the plane and was sharing the love with everyone who smooched on her!  They all came to our house the next day or so as planned, with almost everyone in various stages of recovery!  Feeling much better the next day, we all went to Charleston (except Lana who had other commitments) for a few days of relaxation and sightseeing.  Bill and I stayed with our dear friends, Sam and Elisa Chaney in Mt. Pleasant, while the Smiths stayed downtown Charleston.  We all did relatively well during our stay there.  We loved on little Charlee while Ryan, Kamilia, Cooper and Laura strolled the streets of Charleston, visited the Aquarium and other sites in beautiful downtown Charleston.  We had a delicious dinner together and were happy to have Sam and Elisa join us for dinner, as well.

Next on my agenda, I got busy doing some fun stuff!  I began preparing for a small recipe shower that I, along with Lenda Wilson, were giving in honor of my first granddaughter, Anna; it was set for Saturday March 27!  The idea for a recipe shower came from my mother-in-law, Anna Belle Morris, who often hosted these small parties for various young women in Kentwood who were engaged to be married.  The idea is this: the guests are mailed a couple of recipe cards by the hostesses when the invitations go out; then on the day of the party they bring their recipe cards, hand-written with their favorite recipes and one or two non-perishable ingredients called for in their recipes!  It was so much fun and we all enjoyed exchanging hugs and sharing with each other our recipes and our favorite memories of Anna!

March was full of all sorts of other things, too.  Our dear friend Don Miller passed away.  He had suffered with cancer and was such a wonderful Christian man.  His memorial service was such a beautiful tribute to his life.  We were privileged to be home and were able to attend the service.

As you can see March was busy!  April got even busier!  We met some casual friends in Monroe, NC for dinner; I went with Benita Miller to Charlotte to visit Don’s grave; I attended a wonderful concert at the Governor’s School in Greenville with Merritt and Max.  Sara Parker, from Lancaster and a senior at the school, did an outstanding job with her three solos!  Oh, how I miss beautiful Greenville, especially in the springtime.

Next, we began preparing for a week long visit from Bill’s sister, Gail, who flew from New Orleans to Charlotte to be with us.  Specifically, she came to attend the wedding of our granddaughter, Anna Lynn Morris, and Justin Beam on Saturday April 24 at North Anderson Baptist Church in Anderson, SC.  Both the bride and groom graduated Anderson University and they will make their home in Anderson upon their return from their honeymoon.  Anna was a very lovely bride – just beaming!  Justin was a handsome groom, too!  It was a very special occasion, and thankfully, my tissues held out! We enjoyed being with so many family and friends who came from far away places like Louisiana and Texas, to be with us and share in this happy time. 

I do have a deep, dark secret that I feel compelled to reveal:  I had my first ever real dance at Anna's wedding!  A dear friend, Pete Dutton, grabbed me, and before I knew it my feet were moving!  He said I did great!  I said, "I want to twirl!"  He said, "Step back a bit ..." and the rest is history!  My friend Benita said I'd better watch out because Baptists weren't supposed to dance and that I might be ex-communicated if the preacher got wind of it! She said she'd miss me.  I then said, "Well, I may have to become a Presbyterian!"  Then she (a former Presbyterian!) said that I had really messed up!  Oh, well!
 

Now, Joy, (and any other brave souls), I have bored you with a blog that is way too long!  Thanks for enduring it and for being such a sweet friend.  I hope to do better in keeping up with everyone from now on!  Thanks for nudging me!

At the moment, I’m putting the finishing touches on my packing to head to Texas very early in the morning – along with Bill, this time!  The mail has been stopped, the newspaper is on hold, the clothes are washed and folded, the trash is ready for pick up, a neighbor just came to take the refrigerator items that we can’t transport to Texas, and the dishwasher is about ready to be turned on for the final time.  I believe we will soon be ready to leave after one more trip to Walmart! 

Till next time, I love you all … on the road again!  But wait!  The best part is below!  A candid shot of Anna and Justin at the reception!