my Saturday

We had our photo taken for the church directory and it will be one of those happy memories that we reflect on when Austin is grown... He wouldn't smile... and told everyone who would listen how mean his mommy is. Ha! That's always been my goal... to be the meanest mommy ever! Honestly, the best picture they took of us was one where he had Austin assume the "thinker" pose and look serious. It looked like a portfolio picture.

Alas, I had not budgeted for Olan Mills this month... we're saving up for a pig, you know. I got the whole sales spiel including caution that I needed to pay the extra $23 for retouching of my photo that will go in the church directory... to take out the wrinkles. Austin giggled and the sales lady said, "We can also clean up acne". AS IF! How rude! But... the truth is that I think my wrinkles look just fine and the folks that are going to get the church directory see me every week. They get the "unretouched" version every week. Why would I spend grocery money trying to front like I'm ten years younger?

Apparently I've reached the age where my best lights are "candle" and "moon". Mercy.

I posted a picture of me in the sidebar of my blog that was taken before the photos were taken at church today. Before lipstick. I did wear lipstick in the official photo. I'm not completely uncivilized... although Austin and I looked like two homeless people from the waist down with his ratty jeans and my flipflops. You can see how ridiculously long my hair has gotten. I look like a long-lost member of the Duggar family.

Today has flown by. I guess every weekend does. I didn't work that long this morning... the cleaning guy came and he was up under me and made me feel like I was up under him so I went ahead and headed out. Other than one promising appointment, I didn't have much going on. The only phone call I had all morning was someone who thought they had called Walmart. You're gonna have that, I suppose.

I worked a bit, made my weekly run by the amish bakery... ok, this was awesome... four of the amish ladies were in the back of the bakery singing out of a hymnbook. I think they were practicing for church tomorrow but they were so precious... four part harmony... it really added to the charm of the place! And I bought our usual cheese bread, cheese straws and a treat.

I had my Auggie drama as previously noted... came home and fiddled with my hair to try to get it straight enough to be photo ready (not an easy job in August in Georgia)... went to have the church photo... had the drama described earlier in this entry... went and got ribs from North Georgia BBQ... and I've been home just relaxing this afternoon. Blink and the day is nearly over!

The good news is that I feel way better today. I am starting to regain my energy which is AWESOME! I still have the occasional cough but it's much better. I don't feel like I'm choking any more and I'm breathing better and my ribs don't hurt any more. It's all good stuff.

On the Georgia Traveler show on PBS they were showing Calloway Gardens and that general vicinity... they showed ALL the places that Purple Michael and I visited on my birthday weekend in 2005. Ah! Memories! Made me miss him...

Speaking of reminiscing... there are some notorious dates coming up in the next few weeks for me. I am getting my game face on and preparing myself spiritually. I wasn't prepared for the emotional upheaval that my wedding anniversary brought... I plan to prepare better for the upcoming "anniversaries". So much has changed in the past year... you think you know what you want and you think that you have your life figured out. Man plans and God laughs. I took a little time tonight and read through some blog entries from this time last year... Tropical Storm Fay had just gone through... Michael took the infamous trip to Philadelphia that was really a trip to Chicago with Andrea... and got fired... which was the beginning of the end for us. The 15th was the Bruce Springsteen concert we went to with Dean and Andrea... with Dean and I both in the dark that our spouses were cheating on us with each other... the 22nd was when the tropical storm came through and I opened his mail and discovered how deeply in debt he was... the 26th was when Michael got fired... the wheels just started coming off. September 26th will mark the anniversary of when I moved here... from hell to Helen... out of the wilderness...

I don't bring those days up to be bitter or wallow in self-pity but just to say that time (and God) does heal a broken heart. That what seems like the end of the world is sometimes just the beginning of a new, better life. I was miserable in Jacksonville. I love my life here! There was no way for me to even fathom the things that have happened for me in the past year and I have a feeling that the best is yet to come! So many people that I cross paths with are going through that worst possible scenario with unbelieveable emotional pain and I love being able to offer them hope. Just like the ring that replaced my wedding bands says, "hope"...

So the plan is to face all of these days with rejoicing and celebration at how far I've come... to praise the God who gives... and takes away according to His will for our lives and His goodness and mercy... to focus on the healing not the hurt... I think I'm going to be able to get through the next month without needing ribs and banana pudding to make me feel better.

Getting late... Cinderella needs to quit blogging. Love and hugs, y'all!