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May 30, 2010

Progress Report on My Area & A Deal on A Dress

Still working on this...



Audra and I went to a wedding yesterday. I wore my $4 dress from the thrift store! It fits perfectly and is a great length on me. By the way, mid-knee looks fabulous on most women. Check your hem lengths. Too long and you may look a bit dowdy. Shorter lengths are best worn with lower heels. Remember to find your "diamonds" for your best hem lengths.

My daughter, my MAD BootY Camp partner and my pal.

May 28, 2010

Mad Dog & A Win~Win

Very early in the morning...last Sunday morning, our alarms went off at 4:45. We arose in the dark, dressed and drove our girl to Madeira Beach for her first triathlon. She swam in open water for a 1/2 mile, biked 15 miles and ran a 5k in the Madeira Beach Mad Dog Triathlon.

Before it began...

The swim ~ She's the one in the white cap!

Transition from biking to running

Afterwards with Dad


With Mom
Saturday night we were sitting in the living room discussing our game plan for the Mad Dog Triathlon when this exchange ensued.
My husband: "Audra's built for triathlons."
Me: "What am I built for?"
Son: "Making sandwiches."
Wamp, wamp, wamp, waaaaaamp.

Sunday morning my husband left me with the car so he could help Audra set up her bike.
I had my first cup of coffee on the 25 minute drive. And I brought our giant Tervis tumbler filled with ice water.
I waited and waited, finished my coffee and sipped on the water.
And then I held it and held it. Know what I mean, Vern?
We were parked in a dentist's office parking lot. I got out to cross over to the Winn Dixie. Not open 'til 7:00. It was 6:15. CVS - not open 'til 8:00. I walked a little ways to the staging area for the triathlon in search of a porta potty. Desperation had set in. Ah....yes! Porta potties! Ah....no way. A long line of triathletes waiting their turn.
So I high tailed it (pun intended) back to our car. What to do? What to do? Bushes...too public. Knock on a stranger's door? Too embarassing. (Yes, more embarassing than the bushes!)
Look in the back seat for something. Anything. Another Tervis tumbler. But it was the regular size not a giant one. And I drank a lot of water.
Let's see. A tumbler and a beach towel. What would MacGyver do? Forget MacGyver. I didn't have a rubber band anyway. What does a desperate woman with a full bladder do?
A glance at my watch. 30 more minutes 'til the Winn Dixie opens.
I opened the back door of the car. If I scrunch down and cover up with the towel and...
"What are you doing?" My husband! Yes!
"Well, I was about to tee tee in a Tervis tumbler."
"Get in. There's a McDonald's around here."
So I didn't have to use the Tervis and I got a sausage biscuit for breakfast.
Win ~ Win

May 26, 2010

What Shall I Render To You?

Lately, I've been drawn to the broken shells at the ocean's edge. Even in brokenness, there is beauty.


"What Shall I Render?"

By Melanie Dorsey


What shall I render to You?
Like the mountains I melt in Your presence.
My inner parts laid bare.

What shall I render to You?
My roots are firmly planted.
Your pruning pains, yet a promise of fruit.

What shall I render to You?
In a desert, still there are hidden springs.
No mirage; It is You.


What shall I render to You?
Broken and fragmented.
In silence, lips move, “Beautiful.”

May 24, 2010

Love & Honor

Sometimes NOTHING helps. In an effort to "get better," I have spent a lot of time in the sun (vitamin D), running (endorphins), laughing ("A merry heart does good like a medicine."), sweating in this Florida humidity (eliminating toxins) and TRYING to get better, be happier, not so sad. But truthfully, there are many moments scattered throughout my days and nights when I hurt so badly from missing Andrew that NOTHING helps.

There are moments when all I can do is say, "Jesus, I miss Andrew. Please hug him for me and tell him I love him and I hope to see him soon."


My husband and I have talked about how we feel so differently about some areas of our lives now. And my response is that it is all a part of the grieving and we just have to move through it.
Feel it.
Know it.
Keep moving.


"Oh my sweet boy, how my heart longs for you. If tears could bring you back you would be next to me now. But it just doesn't work that way."


I had a dream last night that I had a baby girl. I named her Andi for Andrew. Her second name was Honore (prononced ON or ay). French for "honor." The name Andi Honore is not a name I have ever put together. Ever. And although I had French classes in college (language degree), I don't remember ever using the name "Honore." Odd.


Andrew never liked to be called Andy or Drew. Of course, in the hospitals he was asked a million times what he went by.
He got sick of it. We got sick of it.


The only thing I can think of is that this dream was symbolic of newness in my life. Newness that will honor Andrew's life. I'm ready for a new dream. I'm ready.


"Andrew Christopher Dorsey, I love you and I long for you. One more morning. One day closer, Son."






Andrew & Me at an outdoor Art Show (spring 2009)

This picture is my screen saver.

May 19, 2010

It's Time...Before & After Pics

Before & After pictures below. Thanks, Susan! You're the BEST!!!

I like the sticker on the bathroom mirror at Susan's shop. It says:

"There's A Cool Chic in the Mirror."

Kindergarten

It's time...(time for what answered at bottom)

It was picture day for the kindergarteners. I lived in Pascagoula, MS, and my teacher's name was Mrs. Dot. According to my School Records Book, my favorite activity was "saying ABC's."


For picture day, Mother cut my hair. I think she may have used her pinking shears on the bangs and I'm pretty sure she pulled out her pink rat tail comb to tease a little pouf on top.



Not Kindergarten

First Grade
(Workin' my Brooke Shield eyebrows!)


It was picture day for the first graders. I still lived in Pascagoula, MS, but now my teacher's name is Miss St. Pe (pronouced "Pay"). I got a "satisfactory" check mark in everything except "silent reading." That one needed "improvement." My favorite activity was "lerning." 'Guess I had a little more lerning to go.


For picture day, Mother cut my bangs. Short. At least they're straight.


Miss St. Pe


Not First Grade


It's time for a haircut!

Tomorrow is haircut day! I'll post a before and after.



Before

After
(Sorry, Jen, I couldn't resist texting about the pixie!)


Another After


The Back

I love this pup!

The End

May 15, 2010

Faves



Summer Faves Head to Toe


Hair ~ conditioning with the tube that comes in the hair color box (I seem to have lots of those little tubes...wonder why?)


Face ~ enjoying wearing just mascara and lip gloss


Neck ~ adoring my pendant from a recycled skateboard (here on the blue side)


~adoring my husband, too~

Heart ~ loving my family "Forever 5"


Summer wardrobe ~ finding lots of great buys at local thrift stores (some new with tags)
favorite "thrift"purchase so far...White House Black Market white shorts ($2.50)

~skateboard pendant on the gray side here~

~detail on shorts~



Daily (almost) destination ~ sunning on and running on SandKey Beach


Workout ~ running barefoot on beach is a great workout and pedicure, too!

Shredding with Jillian


Bible ~ reading 5 Psalms and a Proverb


Prayer Book ~ perusing The Valley of Vision (a collection of Puritan prayers)


"Let me find thy light in my darkness,

thy life in my death,

thy joy in my sorrow,

thy grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty

thy glory in my valley."


Projects ~ creating, writing, organizing

Eating ~ preparing this salad: spinach, pickled beets, crumbled goat cheese, red onion rings, sea salt and ranch dressing
poaching this dish from my friend Jen: black bean & corn salsa


Florida's official footwear ~ skipping around in the flip flops my daughter got me for Mother's Day

May 12, 2010

MY DESK ~ It's Under There SOMEwhere

I have a confession to make. Although our 1960's home is sorely lacking storage space, most of my home is well organized. (Just don't open the linen closet.)
However, I feel that my husband and daughter may be plotting an intervention regarding my cluttered desk and surrounding area.
Every inch is covered in cards, projects, pictures, a receipt or two or twenty, cd's and books. Oh and lots of "notes to myself."
If you have ever sent me a card, chances are it is at my fingertips as we "speak."

And to my slight embarrassment I am posting pictures of this train wreck because my goal is to get "my area" organized and looking good AND make my family PROUD.

When a guest walks into our front door, they enter a small foyer and then, most often, they make a right into our "keeping room" which is where "my area" is fully exposed. (To the left is a hallway leading to the living room.)

Now if "my area" were to be say, chic, stylish or even cute, then all would be well. BUT IS IS A WALL OF SHAMEful CLUTTER.
Here. I'll show you.
Broken desk drawer...it works but, apparently I am the only one who can open and close it without spilling its contents.
There is my new canvas from The Chubby Dove...can't wait to hang it somewhere on this wall.
The Walk to Emmaus (leaning against the file cabinet) is another special print by artist, Betty Shoopman. She is a friend of BHisGirl. (You can find Betty in the sidebar at BHisGirlblogspot.) Andrew was able to enjoy this print, as well as be covered often in the blue and gold prayer shawl from B.
I took the print from its home on another wall and am going to reorganize my walls, too.

Beach bag at the ready...
Bible resting on the computer brain...and wires, wires, wires

Just for those of you who like some details (like I do):
desk was a freebie in a brown stain which gave it an Early American look (which I really don't like); husband painted it and distressed it a few years ago; daughter says desk is "distressed" because it is so unorganized
chair was a great buy in the back room CLEARANCE section of Haverty's; just happened to already match the desk
cushion & pillow probably came from Marshall's
filing cabinet does not match but holds lots of stuff: teaching notes, school papers, gift wrap ribbon (b/c I can't throw it away)
cubby storage was an attempt to help corral more stuff
mirror over desk was a genuis move because it allows me to have "eyes in the back of my head"

(Link is to a Southern Living video on home offices)
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid7049087001?bclid=7057255001&bctid=7244813001

So...my challenge to myself is to clean up the clutter and without spending any money, make "my area" chic, cute or charming...or, at the very least, unCLUTTERED.
Too bad I can't make that happen at the beach! (Have you tried grapefruit flavored Tic Tacs? Really good.)
Audra said she would help me with "my area." Maybe then my desk won't be in such "distress." She and I are working on becoming Beach Bums. We've got the magazines and the snacks!

The picture that is peeking above my coffee cup is of Andrew when he dressed like Woody for Halloween. Avery, his brother, was Buzz Lightyear.
I love this little pardner. I miss him terribly. We spent a lot of time together. I think of those times every day and I am so grateful that I had so much time with him.
One more morning...one day closer.

Bonus video: Tilt your head to the right.
Audra and I don't just read magazines and eat snacks at the beach, we also make serious documentary type videos. Watch. You'll see.
P.S. That's Audra's thumb.


May 10, 2010

This Mother's HEART

Look what I got! Saturday's mail brought a smile and tears. This sweet canvas of "Momma and Chicks" was an unexpected, handmade gift from The Chubby Dove.

What could be any "tweeter" than this?

See my baby chick wearing a crown of life and skateboarding in the clouds?


'Thinking of my chick in Heaven...my sweet boy, Andrew.

'Loving the card he made me one year for Mother's Day.

'Holding hands in the sun, under a blue sky!


I love you, too, Son...with my whole HEART.

~~~~~~~

"I Love Mother's Day" 5k

My Girl & Me

Before the run


3.1 miles ~ Done!

~~~~~~~

Her HEART is always next to mine.

The pendant I am wearing is made from a recycled skateboard. Is that not the coolest?

My son ~ My deep thinker ~ My HEART beats for you!

~~~~~~~
"Life is Best Lived In the Company of Friends"
My very good friend and her sweet daughter ran the 5k with us.
Our "running club" name ~ MAD BootY Camp ~

"Yeah, we can take 'em."

Mothers & Daughters who run together have fun together!

Very Important Post Run Strategizing

"So they've got donuts, bagels, bananas and peanut butter over there..."