November musings

I love the Fall in Alabama. The trees FINALLY start changing and the temps FINALLY start getting cooler. Usually the threat of tornadoes are rare ,  however, YESTERDAY, go figure--tornado warnings all day! But, thankfully, no injuries , to my knowledge... I am so excited that Saturday I am going to Tuscaloosa with Michael! What a FUN TIME we will have! I can't REMEMBER the last time just Michael and I have been together for any length of time and just the 2 of us. He is such a sweetheart and I am thrilled to be able to spend some time with just him!!! It has to be hard to be the # 2 child in a family of 5 children! But, somehow, it only affected him positively as he is so sweet and well rounded. AND, he makes me LAUGH!!! For game day I got some new BOOTS (yeah, UGG boots!) today and a new pair of jeans and  BAMA sweatshirt to wear on Saturday! Hey, I can't look shabby with my son! Right?!. BTW, ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! only one loss (LSU, boo hoo) but we have had an amazing season. LOVE MY BAMA BOYS!!!!!!... I enjoyed taking my 97 year old mother aka MIMI to get her hair fixed last week. She is so feeble but still wants to look pretty! Would you believe the lady who does her hair is 87 years young herself?! I know there won't be that many more days to take her  out so I am trying to enjoy those times as well. Hopefully, she will be in good health and feeling good for the POWELL RE-NEWAL CHRISTMAS PARTY at Charles/Rachel's house in December!!!!! All the cousins/aunts/uncles invited. Looking forward to that!!!! Charles LOVES family and just was feeling very nostalgic and I'm so glad! I can't wait to see the Bryants/Powells and everyone!...Looking also forward to Thanksgiving next week. I am thrilled to have lunch here, as usual, and those coming are Michael/Kadie/Lily and Kadie's mom/dad: Leigh and Alan and Katie/Jon/Carter and Natalie/Brad/Kemp/Daisy and of course, me and Big T. Patrick/Kelley/Ryder cannot (sadly) be here but will be here in spirit! Charles/Rachel/kids are having lunch with her family. I always enjoy shopping for the bargains/ getting TWO turkeys( the Frys love turkey!) and making my usuals; Sweet potatoe casserole and dressing. Kadie/Leigh/Natalie/Katie are all bringing dishes, too. This year I'm making a cute dessert that I just saw in the paper! An IRON BOWL cake!!!! half orange and blue and half red and white!!!  I wouldn't THINK of putting orange/blue in it if it weren't for my sweet "auburn lovin'" in-laws, Kadie and Jon! HAHA! I hope it turns out! If it does, I'll post some pix!!! HAHA!!!....I will end on a sad note...My sweet neighbor/friend, Marie, died today around lunch time.Strangely enough, I was fixing to go there this afternoon and take her some soup mix.. Don, her husband called and he said, "I just wanted to let yall know Marie passed away around 11:00 A.M. " Talk about SHOCKED! Of course, I knew she had lung cancer (no, not a smoker!) but she was doing fairly well. In fact, she had BUNK-O at her house TWO WEEKS ago!  Don said she suddenly got sick and one of the treatments had a dye in it that she was allergic to and that set everything awry in her weakened body. She just couldn't recover from that. He was so sweet and kind and when I got off the phone I just cried. Life is so short, really. Wasn't it just a few days ago it seems, that we were laughing about the tomatoes? As the summer progressed, however, she couldn't go out to check on the tomatoes as much. She would go early in the morning . The last time I saw her outside was May 13. How do I know that? I happened to have my camera and I snapped her picture as she was tending hers! She said, "Oh, I look terrible!" She had on a cute little pink bandana and she looked cute. Anyway, it just seems so surreal that she's gone. I always know she is THERE. How many times over the years have I said, "Call me if you need me!" But she would only call when the cable went  out (to make sure hers wasn't the only one!) or when they were going out of town or just to say hello. I will miss her terribly but so thankful that she is now FULLY HEALED and sitting in the lap of Jesus. What a relief for her not to have that oxygen anymore and she can be free of all pain. Praise God! *the last 3 pictures are of Marie, tending her tomatoes last May. .........So, on that note, let's remember to be THANKFUL for health and family and friends. What a gift to be able to be together. As I said in my last entry, I'm not buying many material gifts this year. Except for the grandchildren of course. I don't think they would be that happy with a home made gift from GranJan! HAHA! But, for my friends and family? Your gifts are being made from the heart. To hold IN the heart. For we all know that there is absolutely NOTHING we take with us when we leave this world. No money/ no computer/ no cell phone/no THINGS. We leave this world with the expectation of meeting Jesus and all we have when we arrive are the hopes and joys in our hearts. What will we show Him? The latest and greatest electronic gadget? Or the latest and greatest love we have shared with our families while together? It's all a matter of time, till we, like Marie, will say good-bye to this earth and enter into the portals of heaven. I am praying that when I arrive and see Him face to face that I will hear, "well done, good and faithful servant". In the meantime, I have a lot of work to do.