Birthday Philosophy

I have a very definite birthday philosophy that I wish the world would adopt. So, knowing you won't go back into the archives and read what I wrote regarding birthdays last year, the teacher in me feels it is time for a review.

• One day is not long enough to celebrate the life you have been given. It was for that reason I celebrate the Twelve Days of Catherine, starting on November 1st and ending on my actual birthday, the 12th.
• By dragging out your birthday, you are doing your friends a service. No longer are they pinned down to one day to pat you on the back. They have 12 days (in my case) to do something. Pick a day my friends....it's all good.
• Enjoying your birthday is your responsibility. It's all about attitude....or should I say gratitude.
• Have humble expectations. Don't dream up wild birthday wishes that no one can fulfill. Learn to acknowledge the life you have been given as "the gift". The apostle Paul wrote that he "learned" to be content whether he abased or abound.

With this review in mind I would like to say that today I am filled with inner birthday struggles. The Young Life Annual Fish Fry is also scheduled for November 12th. I don't mind sharing the night, after all, what a great night to have 200 of my closest friends in one spot for dinner. The problem lies in the fact that every day leading up to the Fish Fry I am responsible for coordinating all the little details that go into pulling something like this off. UGH! When am I going to find the time to coordinate all the little details that go into the 12 Days of ME! It's enough to drive the most stable person crazy.

Now you see my dilemma. I feel like the kid who's birthday is December 25th. My heart goes out to all you holiday babies. So this year during the 12 days of Catherine I am really being tested. I'm having to walk the walk in spite of the circumstances.

That being said, "the review" was for my benefit. God bless me.

On the First Day of Catherine

The government gave to me my Medicare card. I applied for it two years ago and got it in August (of this year). It became effective today. So on the first day of Catherine I took it down to Dr. Haun's office and got a flu shot.
The accountant told me the bill was $30.00 but when I whipped out my card she said, "Oh, then it doesn't cost anything."
I took a picture of my Medicare card to share with you but then I realized it had my social security number on it. I didn't feel posting that information on the enterweb would be prudent.

Surprises!

I want to record for posterity Carlene's 81st birthday surprise at Starbucks in Pearland, TX.


On October 17th I drove to Freeport to spend the night with Mom in order to take her to Starbucks the morning of her birthday (Oct. 18th). The closest Starbucks to Freeport is in Pearland (45 miles) and Mom was all for it.


What she didn't know was Glory was flying into Houston the same morning for her Brazosport High School 40 year reunion. We didn't know who would get there first, but either way, it was going to be a surprise.

As Mom entered Glory pats the chair next to her and says, "Hey, why don't you go ahead and sit here." Mom stared at the chair, then looked at Glory for a minute. .....processing.....then it hit her. Next came the hugging and some weepy babbling. Then in a moment of clarity Carlene looked at me asked, "Did you know about this?"




We all had our coffee and told Mom all about our scheming. Bill called my cell phone to say happy birthday, so I gave her the phone and they talked for a bit. Then about two minutes later HE WALKED IN and kissed Mom on the cheek. I had no idea and neither did Glory. It was such a good switcheroo that it felt like it was my birthday too. We all sat there together, drinking coffee and basking in our cleverness.

Happy Birthday Gweema!

Halloween or Hallowon't?

Halloween is hard. I am conflicted. I have taken two approaches to this night. The first is to turn off all the lights and hide in my house, sometimes I just evacuate all together. The second approach is a mild participation in the "festivities". I buy a bag of candy and wait for the little ones to come to my door dressed as ghouls, ghosts, pirates, and hookers.

Tonight I sit here with a bag of candy and NO ONE has knocked on my door. Such is the case with me and Halloween. If I don't buy the candy they swarm my front porch like scary moths, but if I buy the candy they stay away like vampires avoiding the sun. I remember last year going outside and snagging kids off the street trying to get them to take my candy.....then I saw this strange look in one dad's eyes and I thought maybe I was being a little pushy. So I retreated to my house and turned out the lights.

My friends Gail and David mailed me this coin purse with a Starbucks card inside for Halloween. The card came with a sticker on it saying I could download two iTunes for FREE. What a great, goofy thing to get in the mail. Sue sent me a cute card with a kitten wearing a witches hat. It is this goofiness that makes me like Halloween....and my goofy friends. Thank you friends.

I also want to apologize to all the people over 40 for the orange font color. I KNOW IT IS HARD TO READ!

State of Mind

Glory and I covered a lot of ground during our trip. We have roamed the USA several times in our lives together. This got me to thinking about all the different people I have taken road trips with and all the place we had been.

Let this post serve as my official 2007 State Visitation Inventory. The criteria for this inventory is NOT that I had a quality experience. All I had to do was cross over the state's boarder, if only briefly, by land (not air).

TEXAS - born here

Oklahoma

Kansas

Iowa

Minnesota

Nebraska

Missouri

Arkansas

Louisiana

Mississippi

Alabama

Georgia

Florida

Virginia

North Carolina

Tennessee (I think, with Glory once)

Washington D.C.

Maryland

Delaware

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

New York

Connecticut

Rhode Island

Massachusetts

New Mexico

Colorado

You might want to think about taking your own inventory at this time.

Dorothy Was Right

There's no place like home.

Reconnecting

Back in Atlanta I got to reconnect with a friend of mine from my college days in Dallas. She and I both attended the same megachurch and met in a home cell group. I haven't seen Anita in 15 years (since my last road trip to Florida). I had to google her several months ago to find her in fact. Isn't Google convenient and scary?

We all met at P.F. Changs (hence the horse sculptures) and it was like NO time had transpired between us. I love that. I love you Anita; our lunch was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Everyone needs to think of someone they need to reconnect with RIGHT NOW....who is it?
Call them.

Lost in Harlem

Glory and I spent our last night in New York in a town called White Plains. I strategically suggested it because I new that the oldest pet cemetery in America was on the same road several exits up in the Hamlet of Hartsdale.

We had to get on the road and return the medical equipment, the rent car, see the Statue of Liberty and make a 3:00 p.m. train to Washington D.C. Glory demonstrated great patience in humoring me on my odd adventure. So while Glory sat in the car with the motor running, I ran around the cemetery like a girl "picking daisies" in a meadow. It was fun.

The last picture you see here is of the War Dog Memorial where heroic dogs of "the world war" are buried. When they made the tombstone, little did they know another world war was on it's way.

We continued our trek into the city and got lost in Harlem. Then we got locked down in traffic by Central Park. Then we got lost in Battery Park. Finally about 2 hours and 45 minutes later we could see our destinations with our eyes but didn't know how to get to them with the car (major road construction as it was Ground Zero).

We were able to return the equipment and rent car, but I never got to see Lady Liberty. I did however get to see Malto Mario in Penn Station. Those of you who watch Food TV will know of whom I am speaking.

For those of you who are interested, I added more pictures to the "Road Trip" album; click and see.

Why Would a Friend Do This?

I received this in an email WHILE I was on vacation. Doesn't Cookie look PITIFUL?

Divine Providence

When leaving Cape Cod I suggested (repeatedly) that we we drive through Providence, Rhode Island to get a picture of the First Baptist Church in America.

My history with the Baptist has been short, therefore I felt I could benefit from a "pilgrimage" of sorts. I met a lady named Diane and told her about joining my first Sunday School class. I told her we were studying Matthew and she said, "That's an undertaking." I could tell I was talking too much so I grabbed a brochure and got the hell out of there.

http://www.fbcia.org/