Month: March 2012

Just a few quick things

I’m going to make this quick. Mainly because I have a goal to get in bed at a decent hour and that isn’t going to happen if I get into writing a lot of nonsense.

But here are a few things that I thought y’all might want to know about.

1. I’m going to be in Houston this weekend at a new LifeWay event called Abundance. My excitement knows no bounds because it’s going to be the trifecta of time with friends, hearing some amazing speakers, and eating guacamole at one of my favorite restaurants.

The good news is it’s not too late to go if you’re anywhere near Houston on Friday and Saturday. Click here to find out more information.

And, if you go, I really hope you’ll come say hi and not judge me because I hadn’t been to the dentist in three years before this past week.

2. Dave Barnes, who might be one of my favorites ever, has a new album that came out last week called Stories To Tell. And you can download it on iTunes right now for $9.99.

Y’all it is so good. SO GOOD. In fact, it’s almost all I’ve listened to since I first got it.

And no one is paying me to say this. I just want to share the love. Get it. It will make your entire springtime. Maybe even your summer.

3. I believe that I have mentioned once or eight thousand times that we are big fans of the Duck Commanders at our house. Which is why we were thrilled to discover they have a new show on A&E called Duck Dynasty.

We watched the first one last night and I think I laughed from start to finish. It is genius. You have to watch it. I think I want to move to Louisiana and live next door to them.

4. This is Caroline. Holding a tortoise that she found at the ranch.

I really don’t know what else to say.

Except that I’m glad it didn’t make it’s way back to our house.

And that P just corrected me and told me it’s not a tortoise, it’s a turtle. I appreciate that he thinks that means something to me.

Y’all have a lovely Thursday.
A pirate looks at forty

I didn’t really plan it but this has turned out to be a week of maintenance on myself. Which has really come just in time because I’ve begun to notice that I’m waking up in the morning looking like Jack Sparrow.

And when I say Jack Sparrow, I don’t mean in the dreamy Johnny Depp from 21 Jump Street kind of way. I mean like a hungover pirate with dreadlocks and permanent dark circles around my eyes. I’m not sure what is happening.

But, pending more research, I’m choosing to believe that the dark circles are from the lasting power of my new mascara and not from being forty years old.

On Monday I woke up to the cruel reality that is a school day after Daylight Savings Time when it’s still dark outside. I packed Caroline’s lunch, helped her get dressed and got her to school on time. Then I came home and drank a cup of coffee which hurt my tooth that had decided to become sensitive to hot and cold over the weekend.

Fortunately, I’d made an appointment with a new dentist for Monday morning at 9:00 in anticipation that my tooth wasn’t going to feel better. So I brushed and flossed because I wanted to make a good first impression and drove to the dentist.

They’d asked me to come in early to fill out new patient paperwork which doesn’t take too long when you don’t have dental insurance. And I came to a crossroads of conscience when I got to the part that asked me when I’d last had my teeth cleaned.

Do I admit that it had been at least three years? Maybe four? And that part of the reason I was at a new dentist was because I was too ashamed to go back to my old dentist and face up to my poor dental hygiene ways?

In my defense, I used to be a faithful twice a year girl. But the trauma from my adult orthodontia and getting four teeth pulled with questionable anesthesia left me scarred and a little reticent to let anyone near my mouth unless they were holding a bag of Oreos.

So I sat in that chair, weighing my options. And then I lied. I lied like a big lying liar. I put that it had been about a year since my last dental visit. Which is technically true if you round up by three years.

I’m just glad that I actually have started flossing every day so I didn’t have to lie twice. Because once? Acceptable. Twice? Probably straight to hell where you’ll spend eternity in a dentist’s chair.

The sweet dental hygienist came in and I told her about my tooth pain. She took x-rays and then called in the dentist for him to take a quick look. He said everything looked good from what he could see, but there was a possibility the tooth could be dying.

Well. That does not sound good.

I asked if we could replace it with a gold one to further my resemblance to Jack Sparrow. I don’t know why he didn’t answer me.

Anyway, the dental hygienist began to clean my teeth and I immediately realized that she either knew I lied about how long it had been since I’d been to the dentist or that I have some kind of condition that causes excessive plaque build up. It was a wonder that she could keep cleaning my teeth without the chair bursting into flames because I was a LIAR, LIAR PANTS ON FIRE.

But, to her credit, she just gently said that my next visit would be better if I came back after six months. And, to MY credit, I was cavity-free. Thus, my record of ONE CAVITY EVER still remains. I wish I could get a trophy. Or maybe a plaque. Get it? Plaque. It’s dental humor.

The sore tooth remains a mystery. It appeared alive and well on the x-rays and the roots are fine. He suggested that I might be clenching my teeth in my sleep. Which is the same diagnosis that many of y’all gave me FOR FREE in the comments. If only you knew how to clean my teeth I could save a fortune.

So he filed it down a little bit to try to readjust my bite and said to give it a week. I’ll keep you posted. It’s all so suspenseful. And possibly a new low that I just wrote over 700 words about my teeth.

Then yesterday I got my hair cut because my hair was out of control. I nearly took to Twitter with my internal bangs/no bangs dilemma, but decided I had no business getting bangs with hot weather on the horizon. That never works out for anyone. I need to have the option to get all my hair off my face and so I opted for long, side-swept shorter pieces that I can still pin back which will keep me from wanting to throw my hair brush at the mirror and cry about the unfairness of life and bad hair decisions.

And this morning I have my annual exam scheduled.

That’s all I’ll say about that.

Who knew being a pirate required so much maintenance?
Fish story

I’m not sure who has caught who in this picture.

Caroline told me at one point she was reeling him in and he tried to “make a run for the structure to get away”. She said she pulled her line and told him, “NO SIR. YOU ARE MINE”.

And, apparently, he listened.
The things they handed down

Today is my Pa-Pa’s birthday.

But he’s been gone a long time now. Almost fifteen years. I can always remember how many years because he died a month after P and I got married. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t make one last trip to Beaumont to see him before he died, but I guess I was busy getting settled in to my new life as a married woman.

And I also believe there was a part of me that was in denial that he was going to die. I’d never lost anyone close to me at that point and I kept believing he was going to be okay. Especially since he’d spent every Christmas of my life gathering all of us around and saying, “This might be Pa-Pa’s last Christmas with y’all.” It became a family joke for twenty-five years.

Then he was gone.

I think about him all the time. Caroline will do something I know he’d think was funny or my dad will make a comment that sounds just like something Pa-Pa used to say to me. And my mind can picture him as if I just saw him yesterday, standing in his backyard with a cigar in his mouth.

Last week while we were in Houston, we invited my cousin Lisa to go out to eat with us one night. I hadn’t seen her in almost four years. Which is so interesting considering that my Me-Ma and Pa-Pa never lived more than a few miles from most of their family. To them, family was the most important thing, the only thing. But that was back in the days before life sent families in all different directions.

Anyway, I keep up with Lisa through Facebook but we hadn’t all been together in a long time. I was the oldest grandchild on my dad’s side of the family so in my mind all the cousins are a lot younger than me. It caught me by surprise when Lisa said she was thirty-two. I would have said twenty-six. But I guess I just felt older than them because I was a very mature eight year old who had moved on to playing with my Donny and Marie dolls complete with soundstage set while they were all just toddlers who still wore diapers.

So we spent a few hours catching up on life and what we’re all doing now, but eventually began to talk about old memories. And we laughed in that way that you can only laugh when you’re reminiscing over shared experiences. Because as many people as God brings into your life over the years, there remain a small handful that know exactly what you’re talking about when you reference your Me-Ma’s spaghetti sauce or turquoise polyester pants with the elastic waistband.

We talked about the formal living room with the sliding door that Me-Ma always kept barricaded except for the most special occasions. And how it was always a special privilege to be allowed to go in that room with Pledge and a dust-cloth to polish the dining room table until you could see your reflection. Or to play with the little porcelain figurines on the built-in shelves.

And how sometimes Me-Ma would call you over in a loud whisper to show you that she had a stash of Little Debbie oatmeal pies that she’d been hiding from the other cousins but was going to let you have one. Looking back, I think she used that same line with all of us to make us feel special. Food was one of her big love languages.

We laughed about how we’d all eat in the garage on Christmas Eve and how Pa-Pa kept the windows of the garage covered up to hide his Friday night poker games from any nosy neighbors. We remembered the picture of the dogs playing poker hanging on the garage wall and the statue of Mary that had a place of honor in the center of their patio. And how the floor of that patio was composed of a mosaic of colorful tile.

There was the white flocked artificial Christmas tree with the snowballs made out of styrofoam and the gray couches that were made of some kind of fake leather. Pa-pa’s black leather chair that he sat in all the time and how he could swivel it around to open the front door without having to get up. The pink bedroom in the back of the house that we thought was the most beautiful bedroom ever.

We remembered Me-Ma’s spaghetti and how no one can make it quite like she did. The black Lamar University windbreaker that Pa-Pa always wore. The way he’d wrap a banana in a piece of white bread, call it a banana dog, and eat it. The Christmases and Easters and just normal weekends when a steady stream of family and friends would walk through the door to visit and everyone would get hugged and kissed whether you were interested in being hugged and kissed or not. It wasn’t optional.

Later on that night, after Lisa left, I couldn’t sleep. I laid awake and thought about how funny it is that things from so long ago can be remembered in such vivid detail. Especially considering that I can’t even remember what time I’m supposed to be at the dentist on Monday morning.

I can recall every corner of Me-Ma and Pa-Pa’s house and the way she used to climb into bed with me and read The Little Match Girl until I fell asleep because she knew it was my favorite. I can remember every bedroom and all the smells and what they had in their closets. I can remember all the lipsticks in Me-Ma’s drawer and the picture of Jesus that hung in Pa-Pa’s bedroom. And I can remember walking through their back door with my sister and our rainbow duffle bags every other weekend when my dad came to town to visit.

What I don’t know is why I thought it would never end. I thought we’d always walk up their driveway and Pa-Pa would swivel around in his chair to open the door while Me-Ma hurried toward us from the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron. I know that sounds silly. But when you’re young, you take it for granted that things and people will just always be there.

In a way, I guess they always are. Caroline has Me-Ma’s bedroom furniture in her bedroom. My sister has their furniture in her living room. We all have bits and pieces of the things that belonged to them. And, more than that, we have the lessons they taught us, the memories they gave us, the stories they loved to tell, and the way they loved their family. The things they handed down when we we didn’t even know we were paying attention.

For that, I am forever grateful.

Happy Birthday, Pa-Pa. You loved us well.
Fashion Friday: Edition Spring trends

So yesterday morning I thought it was probably a good time to work on a post about trends for Spring and Summer. And then my day went on and I burned my arm pulling a pork roast out of the oven and my front teeth continued to hurt and Caroline spray painted her hair pink.

Thankfully, it was temporary hair color spray.

But the point is that I started to get overwhelmed with my day. Yet it felt like now or never for the trends because fashion waits for no man. Or something like that.

Anyway, here are five trends. I’ll wait until next Friday to write about the last five.

1. colored denim

I think this is universally known at this point. You can’t throw a rock without hitting someone in a pair of colored jeans. And, really, you shouldn’t throw rocks at people.

Unless maybe they’re a size zero and look perfectly darling in a pair of tiny hot pink jeans.

There is also another level of this trend to enhance denim. It’s known as the printed jean. I’m just not sure I can go there because it brings back memories of some pinstriped Guess jeans I had in eighth grade.

And, also, because I’m forty.

Yet I could be persuaded by something like this pair of stilleto polka dot jeans.

I also tried on a pair of celebrity pink jeans the other day and they are so soft it’s unbelievable. But I didn’t buy them because the hot pink color was just a little too hot pink.

And my friend that works at Nordstrom told me that not your daughter’s jeans come in a million different colors and are so comfortable. Plus you don’t have to worry about your rear end hanging out. Which is always a bonus.

But you can find colored jeans just about anywhere. Gap, Target, Old Navy. They’re everywhere.

2. embellished flat sandals

I’m in desperate need of a new pair of flat sandals that I can wear all summer long because my old ones are literally hanging on by a thread. It’s just a matter of time before they give out on me.

I really like these grason sandals.

And I ADORE these braidey sandals. But they’re a little pricey.

But the good news is that Target has these darling emeline braided sandals in a bunch of cute colors and they’re only $14.99.

I may also be leaning towards these jessica sandals by Yellow Box.

I’m very indecisive.

3. blazers

Blazers are a big trend right now. And I am ALL ABOUT the blazer in the cooler months. But blazers don’t really lend themselves to summer wear when you’re in South Texas. Unless you’re inside in the air conditioning.

But this isn’t just about me. And I do love the way they look paired with a pair of cuffed jeans, sandals and a tank underneath. Or maybe with a pair of shorts if you still wear shorts.

This pop color blazer is great and comes in a few different colors.

And I love this vintage eyelet blazer from The Loft.

This linen one-button blazer from Nordstrom is also a good option.

Or you could go with something like this color-tipped blazer that is a huge hit with people who normally shop at Brooks Brothers. Which is to say that it would look great if you have any yachting trips in your future.

And I realize this isn’t a blazer, but I kind of like this green denim jacket for something a little different.

4. lace/eyelet

Lace is a big trend. Or eyelet. Or basically anything white with holes in it. Except for underwear.

But it looks great dressed down with colored jeans. Or you can dress it up with black pants and heels.

This eyelet bateau dress is so pretty.

I believe we all know I’d wear it with some turquoise jewelry.

And this dollface dress is really cute and comes in lime green or red.

This vintage eyelet dress is a really affordable option.

Or you could go with something like this lace flutter top from Forever 21.

Speaking of, I just bought a dress that’s really similar to this tulle lace dress from Forever 21. I’d show it to you but I can’t find it online. Anyway, it’s too short for me to wear as a dress but I’ve worn it with leggings and boots. I’ve also worn it belted with skinny jeans. Either way works.

I keep waiting for this watermelon ice dress to go on sale because it looks so cool and comfortable for summer.

And if I had ANYWHERE to wear a one-shouldered dress, I’d buy this karlie one-shouldered dress in a heartbeat. I’m looking at you, Auburn and Florida girls.

5. bold prints

Prints. It’s all about the prints. Graphic prints, floral prints, geometric prints. It doesn’t matter. They should be bright and bold and maybe a little mod.

I love this windblown anemone dress from Anthropologie. But it doesn’t go with my life.

But you could do something like this smock waist printed dress with a bright foliage print.

Or I love this soul to steal dress with all gold jewelry.

And this in her own league dress is so different. I love the blues.

Or you could always just go with a geo print blouse. There are a million different tops out there with various prints.

And I believe God intended for us to wear our prints on top. Not on bottom.

But maybe that’s just me.

Y’all have a great Friday.
Some more thoughts from the road even though I’m home now

This road trip marked a turning point for us. Gulley and I realized that our kids have all reached the age where they are more than 76% sure that we don’t know how to do anything and that we’re wrong most of the time.

However, they are geniuses. They are experts on how to drive and buying tickets to baseball games and know all the facts about Mount Rushmore and can explain the workings of the water table in full detail.

At one point I finally said, “Wow. Y’all know A LOT of stuff.”

But they don’t know sarcasm because they took it as a compliment.

The only thing they don’t seem to know is that I am perfectly capable of determining if my car can fit in a certain parking place or that Gulley knows to wait to walk in front of a group of people during a baseball game.

Anyway, Saturday was a cold, rainy day. Will and Jackson opted to go ahead and go to the baseball game with Big, but Caroline said she’d rather stay home in her pajamas and watch a movie. Which just goes to show that Proverbs isn’t kidding when it says to train up a child in the way that she should go and she won’t depart from it. I’ve never been so proud.

But later that afternoon she got bored so I took her to Target to buy paper and crayons. Then we went to Kroger to buy a few groceries and I got the delight of my life when the cashier told me she was about to go on “Fraternity Leave” as soon as she had her baby.

I’m not sure how the SAEs are going to feel about having a mother and her newborn baby around the fraternity house, but I wished her all the best.

On Sunday morning we hoped the rain would end and we’d be able to make it to the baseball field, but it didn’t look good. Then it finally stopped in the early afternoon and we couldn’t get dressed and to Olsen Field fast enough. Even if it was cold and wet.

And that’s when I ruined my purse.

And the Aggies lost the game.

But we still had a good time just being out of the house and all together eating big tubs of popcorn.

We woke up Monday morning and it was time for Caroline and I to head to Houston to visit Mimi and Bops. But we stopped for lunch at Newk’s first because I am in love with the chicken salad there and we don’t have a Newk’s in San Antonio. Will someone please open a Newk’s in San Antonio? Please? Anyone? I need it in my life on a regular basis.

The drive to Houston was perfect because the bluebonnets are blooming and they are one of my favorite things ever. We made it to Bops and Mimi’s house by mid-afternoon and waited for my sister and her daughter Sarah to get there. A little while later we all went to eat dinner at El Meson which is this great Cuban place in the Rice Village.

(I don’t know why you need to know all this. I’m just recording it all so I’ll have it later. Feel free to skim.)

The next day we all went to Ikea because every child dreams of going to Ikea and looking for spice racks on their Spring Break. It’s second only to Disney World in terms of pure family fun. But my sister saw some shelves on Pinterest that were made from spice racks at Ikea and wanted to copy the idea. Apparently, so did everyone else in the greater Houston area because they were flat sold out of spice racks. But they are getting more in at the end of May.

Seriously. The end of May? It’s a spice rack. Not a cure for whatever is making my front teeth hurt.

Did I mention my front teeth are hurting? I’m not sure what’s going on. It feels like maybe they’re moving which is alarming because I had a permanent retainer put in the back of them at the end of my unfortunate adult orthodontia experience and I don’t think they should be moving. But I also don’t think it’s gum sensitivity because hot and cold drinks don’t bother them.

(I believe I just took a serious subject detour.)

(I realize you don’t want to know about my teeth. I just don’t know what’s going on. It’s like I got punched in the mouth and don’t remember it.)

Anyway, my sister has to wait until May to turn a spice rack into a shelf. But I guess it’s worth the wait because the whole world knows spice racks are the new shelves. At least everyone on Pinterest knows.

After we left Ikea we went to the Galleria where, THANKFULLY, Caroline had no dreams or desires to ice skate. So we just looked around in different stores and I got out of Justice without having to buy anything and that felt like a victory. My niece, Sarah, found a Happy Napper pillow that looked like a unicorn and declared that it was the happiest day of her life and Caroline got a darling new shirt that she may actually wear more than once. I’d say it was a success. Who needs Disney World?

The girls were ready to head back to Bops and Mimi’s house so we went back there to hang out and relax before dinner. I took the opportunity to start reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and I am FASCINATED so far. It’s the kind of book that is totally readable, but makes me feel like I’m learning all kinds of useful, interesting facts to throw out at dinner parties.

Not that I ever really go to dinner parties.

And not that my child will ever really believe I know any useful, interesting facts.

I don’t even know how to park my car.