December Newsletter

I thought I'd post my newsletter on here, since we've had so much trouble with the pictures showing up in the e-mail that I usually send out. My, my what a month November was. It went too fast and brought winter sweeping in with it. There wasn't a glimpse of fall to be found. Nope, straight to winter.
It began with a wonderful trip to Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cartersville, GA. What a wonderful time we had together. Two evenings of great food, wonderful music, a sweet word from the Lord and some of the sweetest women I've ever met. My friends' Angie and Jineen, who are sister-in-laws, took to the highways with me, where we ate sweets, drank coca-cola and solved all of the world's problems in the three and half hour trip. I took them to my favorite restaurant in Atlanta, Buckhead Diner, we did some shopping at the mall and had a wonderful time.
(Angie and Jineen)
I also had the privilege of meeting a precious lady, Susan Kennedy, who has been an e-mail encourager to me for months now. It started one day when she sent an e-mail at just the right time, saying just the right thing e-mails let to a special friendship and the reason I had the privilege to be at her wonderful church. She is truly an example of a woman who operates in her gifting. She has sent countless e-mails of encouragement to me and God has used her in such a special way to impact my life.

I took the trip to South Carolina for the Thanksgiving holidays to spend some time with my family. There are some wonderful things about going home, mama's cooking, Leo chicken wings, seeing my nieces and nephews. I have three nieces and a nephew that I just don't get to see enough. So, anytime I get the opportunity to love on them, I take advantage of every moment. Regardless of the fact that all of that loving has given me my 2nd round of bronchitis in two months...worth every bit of it. It also gives me the opportunity to spend time with my older brother and my sister-in-law. Something that I cherish. Many of the childhood stories in "Flies on the Butter" are some of mine and Darren's best memories. The good ones only...plus he's my favorite brother because he is a Gamecock fan. We still aren't sure where Damon got so screwed up.

Mom pulls out all the stops on Thanksgiving. There is enough food to feed the neighborhood, but we enjoy enjoying it. We've got it all, turkey, fried turkey mind you, yep, we're southerners, ham, rice and gravy, butter beans, corn, sweet potato souffle, collards, (still can't eat those) and more desserts than we need. Even though she spent the rest of the week convincing us we needed to eat more.

The kids sit at the kids table, so glad I'm not there anymore, the grownups sit at the grown up table and Georgia just sat wherever she wanted to and when it was all over dad did exactly what any good dad would do. He helped mom with the dishes...You've got to be kidding me! Something about this picture is slightly scary...Maybe it's the way he crossed his hands.




The day after Thanksgiving we had a packed day. Damon, Sarah and I headed out for some horseback riding with our precious friends, Julia and Clarence. They once again, shared their precious horses with us, but this time Julia gave me one that didn't quite bruise my booty like Ole Dee did last year. My word, I couldn't walk for three days after that. Seriously, I had to speak that Sunday morning at my dad's church, and I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to walk up to the platform.

The full story of our journey is posted below this. Trust me, it was full of all kinds of experiences, a trip through the woods, that had no path, Monkey just made his own, as well as a bathroom excursion in the woods that Sarah and I took while Damon waited patiently. Gotta do what you gotta do. And I did hurt for two days, but not three. So, we're grateful for the improvement.

Then we headed out for the Family's Turkey Bowl Off. We do this every year, even though I can't ever remember who wins. I guess it's clear that I don't. I'm thinking I would remember that. Nana went head to head with Hannah. Not really good for any of us, because all three of my brother's girls are on a bowling league. Even the little one now. Thankfully I had two of them on my team and it didn't do me a lick of good. That's why I finally went to the Granny bowling technique. Which honestly, didn't work out much better for me either.


Saturday had us doing the other things the family loves to do Thanksgiving weekend. Shopping...My wonderful friend Joan and her husband John came up from Charleston, and off we went to Charleston to enjoy a wonderful day of catching the sales. Georgia even got into the event for her first Thanksgiving weekend shopping trip. And she was styling to boot!
It honestly was a perfect month. From beginning to end. I pray your Thanksgiving blessed you too. I hope you ate till you were stuffed, laughed until you cried, and we're thankful for things you had even forgotten about. In case you didn't take time to remember, take a few moments now. It will remind you of how in spite of what a tough year it's been for some, there is still much to be thankful for.




Alive Moment
This month's alive moment was experienced with my mother. I have people ask me all the time, "Is you're mother like Victoria in the Savannah series?" I laugh. Then I say, "Only the good parts." My mother and I are alike in a lot of ways. Like this frightening picture that was taken of us that we didn't know about. But we are different in a lot of ways. And she is like Victoria in many ways.
Yes, my mother has to be fully accessorized by seven am. She never goes any where with out heels on and I think she owned one pair of jeans years ago that she wore once. Until the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I'm not sure what switch flipped inside of her after all these years, but she saw Joan in a cute pair of jeans and she said, "Where did you get those?"
I saw my window. And trust me, sister has learned when to take advantage of her windows. I said, "You know, you'd love some jeans if you'd just try them on." And that was when she said it, "I think I want to go try some on." Well, honey no dust settled on that. I took her straight to Ann Taylor and had six pairs of jeans in her hands before she could protest.
I went into the dressing room and watched as my mother put on jeans! Jeans! It was fabulous. I was giddy. And she liked them. She liked them so much she I went into the dressing room and watched as my mother put on jeans! Jeans! It was fabulous. I was giddy. And she liked them. She liked them so much she put them on as soon as we got home and wore them all evening then put them on the next day and wore them again. There are moments in life that are life changing, transforming you to the core. There are other moment that are simply sweet, longing to be enjoyed. This was one of those moment. My mama in jeans. She looked good too! And I felt alive watching her do something I didn't think I'd ever see. You go mama! Now, if I can just get you into tennis shoes!

(Look at that smile!)





December Book Pick
The book pick for this month is Skipping Christmas featured in the right hand column at the top of the page. I read this a few years back and then the movie, Christmas with the Kranks came out, which is absolutely hysterical. If you can't read the book at least rent the movie. It is delightful and perfect for the whole family.

My heartfelt wishes to you for a wonderful Christmas. May our hearts take a few moments this season to remember why we celebrate, those less fortunate and that the greatest gift we ever received came 2000 years ago, and changed the world. And my life...blessings to each of you. Thank you for being my precious friends. Oh, what will the new year have in store! I can't wait to find out.