A TRUE Fairytale

I have for you today a delightful fairytale that happens to be completely true.

It begins (as most fairytales) with a journey.  A journey involving these three little girls and these three little boys.

There was a lovely mommy who needed a full morning to complete an assignment for school.  The daddy was not available to care for the precious children because he was completing a work assignment.  Enter the grandmother and aunt who fully believe in the childcare mantra "Divide and Conquer!"

It was decided that the three little girls would take their giggles and wiggles for a visit to Grandma's house.  The boys with their rough and tumble ways would go home with Aunt Memeh and Uncle Nathan for slaying dragons and such.

Arrangements were settled.  Seat belts were buckled.  Radios were set to play music the little pilgrims could sing along with.  And off they all went.

The three amigos had a splendid time being outdoors with Uncle Nathan.  Their time involved moat jumping (trampoline time) and rock hurling (basketball) and even some crusading (baseball at a park.)  Kudos to Sir Nathan!

But the little girls were in for quite a different experience.

You see, Grandmother had recently stumbled upon three frilly frocks at a yard sale.  She gladly spent the $9 required to purchase princess dresses replete with satin and tulle and sparkles and all manner of princess-y material.  She had then tucked them away for just such a moment of adventure.

Once the little girl travelers arrived, Grandmother announced her plans for their morning.  The house echoed with squealing and giggling and cheering.  The lovely gowns were donned post haste by the trio of lasses.

(In case you're concerned, the grandfather was safely hidden away in his office at church finishing his sermon.)

Here we see the result of ordinary little girls being transformed into extraordinary, lovely princesses.

You're right, that's a LOT of pink.  But they were each delighted with the dress that best fit them.  And have you ever seen such genuine smiles?

Fortunately the eldest, Princess Abigail, had remembered to bring her travel kit containing some blush, a bit of clear lipstick and nail polish.  Every lady knows these to be key elements for dressing well.

Grandmother felt it best to move the poofing and pampering activities outdoors.  Fresh air is SO vital for the formation of healthy lungs, rosy cheeks and for the safe painting of tiny nails.  Please notice the intensity with which these sojourners worked.  Nothing could be left to chance.  

Noni - uh, I mean Grandmother - did eventually come on the scene to aid in the final application of nail polish.  That way only nails would be pink, not entire fingers.

As the day was cool, the damsels requested moving their party to the tower (aka playground.)  The motion was seconded and they quickly took over the "tower, carriage and moat swings."

Princess Madison Riley directing the tower.

Princess Abigail Grace joining her for a carriage ride.

Princess Ava Quinn conquered the moat swing.

Naturally, the refreshments for this day of travel included hot tea and biscuits.  These damsels are well acquainted with fairytale fare.  We carried on with pretending and even some photographing as such journeys are so rare these days.  

All too soon, the time allotted for travel had come to an end and it was time for the Grandmother to release the lovely ladies to the dads who love them best.  That's when an idea hit the Grandmother and she begged them to tarry one minute longer.

She wanted to capture the modern equivalent of a picture from long ago.  You see, these little princess girls are the daughters of an original trio.

The Original Trio

 The Trio of Today

Do you recognize the matching eyes of sweetness?  (Please bear in mind that all nine of our grandchildren look just like their fathers.  Any sign of our daughters' features is a moment of celebration I assure you.)

Needless to say, the Grandmother kissed each precious head tenderly before sending them off on the second leg of their day-long journey.  While doing so, she remembered kissing her original trio only yesterday it seemed.  

The transporting dad rolled down the windows of the departing carriage (aka Dodge Ram) and Grandmother echoed the Princesses as they called out their customary farewells.  "See you later alligator."  "After while crocodile."  This went on until the carriage exhaust drowned out the echoes.

The tired Grandmother walked slowly back into the castle.  She swiped at a stray tear then plopped on her couch . . . contentedly. 

The End

Fake Flannel and Flipflops

Ah, the joys of living in Florida!  Our famous tropical climate and tourist attractions draw people from all over the world.  But this is the time of year when every full time FL resident envies the rest of our country.

We see your pictures of colorful leaves, brilliant reds and yellows.  We follow as you drive along country roads taking in the gorgeous fall scenery.  We imagine the crisp air that startles your lungs causing you to begin wearing cute jackets and boots.  We drool over your lovely scarves and perky hats.  We long to enjoy the laughter and camaraderie that accompany warming your cold hands over a toasty fire.  Sipping hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows with friends.  Fall as it should be.

Back in Florida?  It was 92 degrees here last week!  92!!  Factor in the humidity and you'd think it was still summer, not fall.  Please remember, I lived in North Carolina for over 25 years.  I know what the change of seasons feels like.  This ain't it!

So, how do we Floridians compensate for our lack of cool weather?  We fake it.  Yep, faking is totally allowed in certain situations and this is one of them.  For instance, this picture . . .

This was taken Saturday at a local fall festival.  Colorful leaves . . . Fake.  Hay bales . . . bought them.  Scarecrow . . . on a stick.

Frank and I are both in shirts that look just like ones we would be wearing in NC, only they aren't.  Mine is fake flannel.  It looks like flannel but it's really cotton, so is Frank's.  You'll notice he's wearing shorts.  You can't see my flip flops but I'm wearing them.  And if you look closely, we're both sweating! Not just perspiring, Sweating.

We rendezvous'd with Kristin and Meagan to enjoy some festival time with the babies.  (Unfortunately, the Schrecks were sick and couldn't attend.)

Riding the Train with Smiths

Grayson needed a close up

Why yes, that IS a narrow train

Many of the people we saw were making an effort to wear fall colors.  However, stores don't typically sell shorts in the rich hues of autumn.  I was wearing jeans but we've already established how HOT I was in them. 

Cody's department planned this fun event

The festival was scheduled for 10-2  which is the best time for people to walk around without experiencing heat exhaustion.  We rode the train.  I dared the teacups.  (Only because Madi and Noah really wanted to ride.)  We watched the cloggers dancing.  We snapped pictures and listened to music.  We bought water - definitely not hot chocolate.

I especially loved this picture of Frank holding Grayson and Parker.  It looks like the three of them are sharing a secret.

Papa and his boys

As soon as I got home, I peeled off my fake flannel shirt and jeans opting for a lighter sleeveless number and shorts.  Whew!  Did I mention we're topping out with record heat indexes?

I can hear some of you now.  "Whine!  Whine!  Whine!  Sheri, you'll be thankful for those temperatures in January."

And you're right!  I will be grateful.  I have gotten spoiled with our ability to be outdoors during winter months.  I am grateful for the lower humidity that keeps the air from enveloping my face like clear plastic wrap every time we step outside.  I'm glad we can turn the air conditioning off for most of January and February.

Believe me, I do count my blessings.  But every so often, I miss cold weather.  And when I can't make a trip to NC or TN, I make the air conditioning colder, break out my fake flannel shirt and sip hot tea in front of my fake fireplace.  It's the next best thing to being there.

Hope you're enjoying a fabulous fall in your neck of the woods!



How about you?  Have you lived in multiple locations and had to adjust to different types of weather?  What signals "fall" at your house?  Are you enjoying snow already?  We'd love to hear about your experience in the comment section.

A Really Big Deal

I promised a post describing a realization I had this month that is a Really Big Deal.  Here goes.

Several weeks ago, we received the same advertisement we always receive in September.  Shiny graphics and photos heralded the soon-to-be Homecoming Celebrations for our alma mater, Southeastern University. 

Dear Friends, Deb and Phil Stephens

Frank and I have only attended Homecoming sporadically since moving back to central Florida.  Our calendar is usually filled with family or church events for the same weekend.  While reading the brochure this September, I suddenly had a realization.  Homecoming 2019 would be more significant for me.
Here's the Really Big Deal.  I didn't graduate from college in 2009.  Not in 1999.  Nor in 1989.  I walked across the stage to receive my B.A. in Secondary Education and Bible in the year of our Lord 1979.  FORTY YEARS AGO!! Told ya, really big deal.

Dear Friends, I barely feel forty years old now.  How can it be that I've been out of college for that many decades?  My days of living in Bethany Hall seem too clear to have been that far back in my personal history.  Granted, I did graduate a year early.  But still,  Forty Years?!

Unbelievable!

As I sat shaking my head at the impossibility of it all, I began realizing just how significant the year 1979 was for me.  Graduation from college was only the beginning.

Two weeks after graduation, Frank took me out for a very fancy celebration dinner. He knew the significant mile-stone it was.  I was the first college grad on either side of my family.  I wanted desperately to be a teacher and finally the training was mine.  It was time to celebrate.

We both dressed to the nines and headed for Orlando.  We drove to Disney where he had made reservations for us to dine at The Top of the World restaurant.  It was a dream come true spot.

The restaurant sat atop the famous A-frame hotel which still operates at Disney.  The circular room boasted no exterior walls, only windows making it impossible to miss the twinkling lights below.  Each table had a private waiter wearing a tux and even white gloves.  Mel Torme was crooning love songs as his pianist played along.

For us, two young kids who grew up in more modest settings, the atmosphere was truly magical.  Just as dessert arrived Frank looked at me and said, "Sheri, will you spend the rest of your life with me?  Will you marry me?"

The question startled us both.

Frank really had intended the dinner to simply be in celebration of my graduation.  I had seen how nervous he was and sensed he wanted to say something but had no idea marriage was rolling around in his head.  There was no advance thought. There was no ring.  He just went with the emotion of the moment.

"I'll have to think about that, Frank."  It was my honest reaction.

So, 1979 brought college graduation in April and a marriage proposal in May.  I eventually said yes to the proposal and we determined we would get married the next spring.  Really Big Deal.

In June, I left for the trip I'd been planning since August, 1978.  I was part of a team of student volunteers for a mission in Athens, Greece.  The professor leading our team had been to Europe many times and suggested we go early to experience a few highlights.

Professor James Ferrell who led our team

We landed in Frankfurt, Germany where we rented a car and started driving.  In four days we hit five countries and many of the places one only dreams of visiting.  We then worked for five weeks helping promote missions efforts in Athens and Porto Rafti, Greece.  Really big deal.

The night I arrived home Frank picked me up at the airport and announced, you have an interview with Mr. Friar tomorrow morning.  The principal of the prestigious school where I so longed to teach had contacted Frank.  They were considering me for a position they had in middle school.

At 7AM I donned the least wrinkled outfit in my suitcase and hurried to the school office.  They offered me the position that very afternoon.  So, in August of 1979, I realized the dream that had been in my heart since I was fourteen years old.  I became a teacher.  Really Big Deal.

That same week, my dear friend Tricia and I settled on an apartment to share. I moved into grown-up life full-force with a car payment, insurance, rent and utilities.  Good thing I had a job.  Really Big Deal.

At the end of August, Frank came up with another proposal.  Why should we wait until the following spring to get married?  I had two weeks off for Christmas.  He could easily arrange time off, too.  He wanted to get married in December.

So on December 30, 1979, I donned a lovely white gown and beautiful veil.  I walked down the aisle of a church in Pensacola, FL to stand at the altar with the man of my dreams.  Really, the Biggest Deal of All.

Yep, 1979 was a whirlwind of dreams fulfilled for that twenty-one year old girl.  Actually, we're still living out all the dreams that were launched that year.  And even though my knees are a bit stiffer and my hair is a little thinner and my eye-sight has grown worse, I'm still a grateful girl.

Birthday Lunch in Winter Haven

Thanks for running down memory lane with me today.  Your friendship is a really big deal, too.

Looking Back and Ahead

So, today I'm excited to announce Embrace the Grace crossed a major threshold.

We've now had over half a million views!!  (Definitely merits two exclamation marks!)

While that is a tame number for more experienced bloggers and media personalities, it's definitely encouraging for me.

That means at some point over the past ten years, almost 50,000 people annually have clicked on here to see what's happening in our lives.  Now, I fully understand that probably many of those were accidental visitors.  My husband and girls have stopped by a few thousand times.  And friends are the go-to team for blog reading.  

But I've also had people visit from such far away places as Ukraine, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Fiji and Thailand.  I've always enjoyed traveling in order to share hope, encouragement and Good News.  Who knew I could do that from the comfort of my very own prayer chair located in my dining room beside the big windows looking onto our back yard?  Who knew, indeed!

I remember discreetly asking Amanda Bock (now Hoggard) to help me get set up.  She created the graphic, chose my font, instructed me on how to save, edit and post. Becky Smith was the mentor whose writing I still emulate.  And my family (much smaller then) cheered loudly, urging me almost daily, "Press the publish button.  Put it out there.  You never know until you try!"

Amazing, isn't it?  How one decision leads to another which then opens the door to possibilities you never could have imagined.  That first year of attempting to always write something of value, humor or encouragement involved a LOT of failure.  But I kept trying and now the "publish" button on my computer is not nearly as scary as it was in 2009.

So, that's looking back.  What's ahead for Embrace the Grace?

I want to become proficient in posting pictures which I believe really add to the quality and experience for you, the reader.  Besides, with NINE adorable grandchildren, I have a bounty of fun pictures to share.  Doubtless one for every topic one might chose to feature.

Also, I've been working the past few months on becoming more consistent again; I want to post more often.  The key lies in not waiting for the lightening bolt thought to hit me, rather writing and hoping the words will be powerful for those reading.

Today, that meant coming home from work and making myself finish this post before anything else, including dinner.  Not glamorous but definitely productive.

So for each of you who have been making time in your hectic lives to read Embrace the Grace, I pray blessings, courage and joy in abundance.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for those who have gone so far as to comment, some even a year later.  Your visits and expressions tell me this blog matters.  And I'm Grateful.

PS:  Last Friday, I had a wild revelation about how big a deal this year really is in my life.  Stop by soon for the full story.  



How about you?  Is there a milestone you're celebrating this year?  Does it cause you to look back and ahead, as well?  We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Quiet

Normally my posts are filled with the stories that make up life for Frank and me.  Most are humorous.  Many cause tears.  More often they simply create a reminder that life is both rainbows and rain clouds.  We determine which we will make our focus.

Today, I'm taking a cue from my many friends who have found the joys associated with solitude and silence.  (Well, total silence isn't really an option as long as my cell phone stays charged. But the alliteration was too good to pass up.)

Last Thursday morning, I left with five other ladies heading to Daytona Beach for a women's retreat.  There we connected with another friend of our church and moved into a veritable sea composed of 1800 other women from across peninsular Florida.  We had all converged on the Ocean Way Convention Center for the sole purpose of connecting with one another and with God.

GGC Ladies Always have Fun

Those three days were equal parts memory making, marvelous services and a bit of mayhem.  I mean, just think of trying to navigate restaurants or the hotel elevators when almost two thousand other people are moving at about the same time as you.

I would have chosen the hotel stairs a couple times but our room was on the 14th floor.  Perfect for stellar views, all wrong for step counting.  Taking the stairs would have left me needing oxygen I'm sure.  So, our group exercised patience instead and made new friends from other churches while waiting.

Our state women's director, Deanna Shrodes, is an organizing genius.  She kept things moving at a steady clip, kept trouble mitigated, kept women smiling and kept showing up looking like she had never had a problem in all her lovely life.  I know better!  Where there are that many women, there are almost as many problems to solve.  But Deanna and her team handled it all and kept us moving forward like a well-oiled machine.

Our group made the most of our time choosing early mornings and late nights.  One of our ladies had only been to the ocean one other time in her life.  Of course, she had to make time for a long walk on the beach and some wave jumping.  We actually had two birthdays in our small group.  And one lady had just transitioned from being the major care-giver for her 93 year old mother.  We were all looking forward to the time away for different reasons.

We got back to Winter Haven around 5:30 on Saturday and I was at church around 7:30 Sunday morning.  We hosted a baby shower for a precious young couple Sunday following service.  Then I came home, ate a salad and went to bed for a nap.  Deserved and Delicious!

Frank and I ended up talking with several neighbors as we walked Sunday night.  (One even stopped by our house around 8:30.)  By the time this morning dawned, I was ready for Quiet.

Because I work from home on Mondays, I was able to create a quieter than normal atmosphere for myself.  It's been overcast and a bit rainy all day.  Believe you me, I have delighted in it.  Even the phone calls, emails and appointments that needed attention have left me with time to quiet my heart in between.

I've been meditating on a song we sang at the conference. The chorus says, "Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness, My God that is who you are."  Just about any solution you or I may need can be found in one of those.

I've also been pondering a favorite promise from Philippians "His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Don't you love both of those?  I'll be back with a story soon.  But for this moment, I'm going to enjoy the quiet as much as I've enjoyed the excitement.  I'll lean in to the One I love most and let Him guard my heart and mind with His peace.

Blessings!

Can You Believe It?!

Look what we've FINALLY accomplished!

Yes, you are looking at the first ever photo to be included on Embrace the Grace!  Of course, I would choose a picture of our tribe because they are the reason I write; they are the ones I write about; they are the ones who encourage my writing; they give my writing life.

Regular readers will immediately note this picture is inaccurate.  It was taken Thanksgiving, 2018 before anyone had even a clue Andrew Ryder would be joining us in 2019.

Last week, Becky Smith (of Smithellaneous fame and mentor to many writers like myself) was visiting the newest baby we co-grandparent (that would be Andrew.)  She sat down with Frank and I one morning to show that it would only take five minutes to teach us how to add pictures to the blog.

Well, things like adding photos to a blog site are easy if you have a good tech foundation.  When you're icon-dependent (like me) it's a different matter.  That explanation session actually took more like an hour.  Then I opened my site today and couldn't remember any of her clear and simple instructions.

So, I waited for my hero to come home and work at it with me again.  After another tedious hour of trial and error and trial again . . .Viola!  He did it.  Frank managed to find, edit, drag and click our way into the 21st century of blogging.

I have no earth-shattering news to report.  I have no thought-provoking illustration to share.  I have no story to weave for your enjoyment.

What I DO have . . . is a photo.  And I couldn't be more excited!



I'd love to hear about something new you've tried that took effort.  Would you do us the honor of sharing in the comment box?  

Mama and Ms. Anne

So the two ladies in my title never met one another.  They were very much the same and completely different all at the same time.  Their love for me and my love for them - absolutely certain.  Their lives intersected this afternoon.  Allow me to explain . . .

My morning had a routine start.  Some reading; emails; a couple phone calls.  Then it was off to the imaging center for a mammogram I had put off too long.  Oh, Joy!  I took two Tylenol and was out the door by 10 AM.

(Oddly, I could NOT find my car keys and after a desperate search, I gave up and used the spare.  When I came out of the imaging center and reached into my purse,  the keys floated right to the surface from a pocket where they'd been hiding all along.  Perhaps my subconscious mind just refused to see them hoping to avoid the procedure all together.  Sigh!)

I decided to make a quick stop at a consignment shop and one other store before heading back home for lunch.  Many of my friends call this "Retail Therapy" but if I spend too much time shopping, I need therapy when I've finished.

The consignment store yielded an item Meagan needs for baby Andrew.  And as I had suspected, the other store had a couple of sections marked 75% off.  My kind of section!  I'm traveling to Pennsylvania this week to do a women's conference and to speak for a church.  If a new outfit happened to be on the 75% off rack, it would certainly merit investigating.

Unfortunately, the two dresses I tried on both left me less than thrilled.  But there was this pair of pj's that had caught my eye.  I must admit, pajamas are a special delight for me at this point in my life.  These were soft and snuggly.  The bottoms were just long enough to cover my feet and the top had short sleeves which I especially like.  One problem, the top button was missing.

I took the pj's to the register and asked if they were reduced any more because of the missing button.  It may surprise you that I would ask given the pj's were already 75% off.  But I happened to know this store is great with customer service.  The manager came over, paused a moment then asked me, "Would another 20% be okay?"  "Absolutely!  Thank you," was my prompt reply.

When I got home, I decided to look for a button to sew on right away.  I was afraid that waiting would allow me settle for a safety pin and that would never do for such a cute top.  Now please bear in mind, I'm no seamstress!  But I do keep a Tupperware box under my bed which had belonged to my friend, Ms. Anne.  It was among the many things she gave to me before she died.

There were a few buttons in the box but none that would fit.  I started scrambling to find a button.  (Some of you will be appalled to learn that I typically toss spare buttons because I so seldom need them.  It's my attempt to keep clutter at bay.)

Finally, I spotted a tiny ziplock bag in the corner of my jewelry box.  The bag held one earring and a tiny blue button.  I knew immediately, Mama had given me the bag.  She had found the earring at her house and thought it was mine.  The button had such a lovely pearl look she had saved that for me, too . . . just because.

I used the needle and thread Ms. Anne had given me to sew on the little pearl button Mama had given me and got tears in my eyes thinking how they'll both be remembered every time I wear my new pj's.

Don't you find yourself hoping you do things that will cause people to think fondly of you even when you aren't around?  Mama moved to Heaven almost eleven years ago.  Ms. Anne moved there last year.  But today, both ladies felt very near because of small acts of love they probably considered insignificant at the time.  (Yes, I'm crying again in case you're wondering.)

Mama and Ms. Anne . . . feisty, funny and forever etched in my heart.  They didn't meet here but I look forward to introducing them some day in Heaven.  When I tell them the story of the button, they will both make fun of me for being so sentimental, I feel certain!