Female in Motion

We returned from Texas last night. At least my body did. The rest of me is still MIA. I feel as if I am going through the motions today: get up, make coffee, check email, shower, laundry, cleaning, errands, and on and on. Is there such a term as "car lag?" This trip was a great opportunity to reconnect with not only The Hubster's relatives, but also with our daughters and their boyfriends. We had lots of time together on the long car ride to talk about life, relationships and funny memories. We remembered how their Uncle David chased Sarah, Rachel and cousin Danielle through Granny's house with a camcorder, the girls shrieking with laughter the whole way. They spent a lot of time visiting with their cousins and catching up on their lives. Seems like yesterday that they were playing together. *** Exercise update: Three workouts last week, four days of calisthenics with hand weights. Oh, and on Saturday we walked all over a huge flea market in Cut-and-Shoot, Texas!!! (B...

A soft, warm glow left the earth on Sunday morning. The Hubster's sweet Granny passed over to Heaven and we will miss her terribly. Granny was 88 years old and had been in very poor health, so it was not unexpected, but I find myself remembering the little things. She loved to read, could make anything grow, was a great Southern cook, enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, and her sweet tea was unbeatable! Open wide, heaven's gates, and welcome this sweet spirit! *** Spring is busting out all over, to misquote the old musical, Carousel. Our lilac has leaves and is ready to bloom, the red bud bushes are already blooming and the robins are belting out love songs to match Andrea Bocelli! We had a huge thunderstorm this evening, though, with lots of rain and a little hail, to boot. I hope the sweet young buds are not totally gone. And the flowers, too! *** I just started a new book, "The Shack," by William P. Young. I find it compelling and hard and very well-written. It is a popular bo...

Why can't I accept a compliment? A friend asked me that recently, and I promised to think about it. It's nice to hear someone say, "You look great!," but if it comes from my loved ones, I usually don't believe them. How messed up is that? Most women like to receive compliments, and we all try hard to look nice, smell nice, etc. I just think my family is saying those things because they feel like they should, not because it's true. If another person (not family) says they like my (fill-in-the-blank), I thank them and change the subject quickly. I should do some serious work on my gratefulness. Note to self: add this to the list of stuff I gotta do on Project Carol! *** I went to see the Ark City High School's production of "This Must be the Place" on Saturday night. This fast-paced comedy was small, but powerful with great performances. Two stand-outs were Jessica Coldwell, as the karate-chopping momma, and Russell Swanson, playing a bachelor arti...

Last Saturday, the stars all aligned. I sat at dinner with a table full of family. And it was lovely. We laughed, and made jokes, and made fun, and ate a lot! There is no time as precious as time spent with family. It just kind of fell into place. First one daughter, and then the other said she was coming down Saturday night, then my mom mentioned she could make it. Voile'...a party! Just add ham and potatoes! *** I've been working on a long-term project at church that is about to come to fruition. Last fall, I talked with a few members about Jewish feasts. We all agreed they were beautiful and symbolic and we all wanted to know more. One person suggested buying a video and doing some research. I mentioned that I had always wanted to witness a Passover Seder. Six months later, I'm in charge of organizing the first Passover celebration at Missionary Baptist Church. Yikes! The good news is, folks at my church love to pitch in, so I have loads of eager helpers. We have no idea...

Okay, this line is a blatant ripoff from my pastor, Charles Whaley. I just couldn't resist, though. So very true. I hope this will be the last blast of winter. My poor little lilac bush has very chilly baby leaves on it. This cold spell has given me a chance to work on one of my birthday gifts from The Hubster, a jigsaw puzzle. I really enjoyed them when I was a kid, then moved on to bigger things. When visiting The Hubster's granny in Texas several years ago, I rekindled the romance and haven't been able to get them out of my system. I think it's the order and symmetry of puzzles that speak to me. Or maybe it's just the fact that I'm a maniac and can't leave anything half-done! THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT RED DRESS I know it's shallow. The economy is in the tanker, unemployment is at an all-time high, and yet, I still need to find an Easter dress! Maybe because times are so tough, I want to find a pretty dress that's not incredibly expensive. Red is ...