Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

Well, it's here. The weekend. And while this time last week we were waiting for our promised Winter Weather Event, this week we're going to enjoy highs in the upper 50s. Is it just me, or does it seem like we had our Event a year ago instead of a mere seven days?

The Gallery Pics are from Roxie's Heart to Heart Banquet Tuesday night, AND the band concert last night. I had a lot of pictures to share this week. You'll notice there are no major appliance photos in the Gallery.

TOPIC OF THE WEEK - The Mikie and Belinda Story - Part Four

The ball was now in Mike's court. We had discussed the situation calmly and rationally... while I was in the kitchen and he was in the den. We had agreed to begin dating. He had been told how the friend/church division would play out if the dating did not work. (In case you forgot, I would retain custody of all the friends AND the church... but I had found another fine church for Mike to attend IF everything fell apart.) All the bases had been covered. Or so I thought.

I saw Mike at church that very night. We always sat in a big group and whoever you sat beside was usually luck of the draw. Mike and I did not sit together. The group went out to eat after church that night. Mike and I were comfortable with each other... except for the stupid grin he wouldn't wipe off his face. The same stupid grin was on Kerry's face, too, so I knew he was "in the loop."

We all said our big group good-bye in the parking lot of the restaurant, and each of us went our separate ways.

Kerry called when I walked in the door of the apartment to say he thought everything went very well, and Mike was excited about the prospect of us dating. Okay. A little more confirmation. I needed that little bit of encouragement very, very badly. Now I would wait.

And wait I did. I waited Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday was the last possible day he could ask me out for a date for the upcoming weekend. I would not accept an invitation from him on Thursday or later. It was just not done.

Wednesday nights we both were in different sections of the church. I worked with Children's Choir, and he went to the regular service. It was not unusual for us not to see each other on a Wednesday night. But it was HIGHLY unusual for us not to talk for three days in a row. It was unheard of. Hmmm.

I saw him a couple of times the next weekend, and things were starting to get a little awkward. No stupid grin. Maybe a little avoidance. I decided the following Monday morning I was making a call to Dawson Memorial to get their service schedule and New Member Package. It looked like Mikie was going to need it!

The next week was more of the same. I didn't hear from him. I saw him the following Sunday (two WEEKS after our initial agreement), and things were more awkward still.

I received another phone call from Kerry. "Just be patient. Mike has to take care of a couple of commitments before he asks you out."

Well, you don't have to be a brain surgeon to figure that one out. He had to finish dating. Three weeks of pre-arranged dating with three different girls. Hmmm. I told Kerry to tell Mike he could pick up his New Member Package any time. In fact, next Sunday looked like a great time to start!

One more week of no calls... nothing... nada. And then came the third Sunday morning since our infamous "agreement." I was sitting in a pew in between my chicks when I heard a voice say, "Could you scoot over just a little, please?" I looked up to see Mike standing in front of my friend. She looked at me to see if it was okay. Technically, Mike was supposed to be sitting in a pew ALONE at Dawson Memorial at that particular moment, but I nodded my head and she scooted over... and he sat down.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Fine," I replied. And as everyone in the entire world knows, when a girl says "Fine," it means "You are SO dead."

"I need to talk to you a minute in private after the service today, please. Would you like to go to lunch?"

"I already have plans, but we can talk before I meet the girls." I wasn't changing my plans... but he did have a lot of explaining to do.

I'll finish the tale next week. Needless to say, things became much easier after our talk, and luckily for you, the rest of this story goes by much more quickly.

Weekend Happenings

Let's see. This weekend is going to be fun, I think. Tonight is a little up in the air, but we have several things which may or may not be happening. I'll report on those Monday.

We're going to share a Mardi Gras meal with another family tomorrow night (chicken gumbo, potato salad, dirty beans and rice, moon pies, King Cake). I'll let you know how that turns out. The only food I'm certain will be edible is the potato salad. (I make a pretty good potato salad.) Oh, and the moon pies. I get to buy those!

Austin is playing in a BCM Flag Football tournament in Montevallo all day Saturday. He is so pumped, and I'm excited for him. A whole day of doing one of your favorite things in the world! Life is good when you're 18 years-old (almost 19) and your body parts still work. I remember it well.

We'll be celebrating Austin's 19th birthday Sunday after church. My goodness. That is such a huge number, isn't it? It has been the best 19 years of my life though. I wouldn't trade them for anything, and I stand amazed at the man he is becoming. It will be a good day.

His actual birthday is February 23, but he'll be at school. However, the Faulkner Five and Grandmother are heading to Gadsden to take him out to eat at Top of the River for a little "day of" celebration. (I'm getting the fried pickles... just so you know.)

I hope you have a great weekend. I know there are many things to celebrate in this life, but I'm also aware of many, many people who are going through some very dark times right now. Even if your life is going well, do not forget to reach out to those who are not so fortunate. I promise... It will not bring you down. Helping others with a kind word or deed is an uplifting experience. And it will always, always leave you feeling grateful for your own blessings.

Take care, and I'll talk to you on Monday.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda