Saturday, September 27, 2008

Sunday Scribblings - Wedding - 9/28/08


When I saw the prompt this week instantly I thought of Betty. Several years ago I worked with her and we were friends. She had six children, two boys and four girls. By the time we met, her children were older, three already out of her house and on their own, two still in college and one a senior in high school.

We had almost every day contact for over ten years. During those years, I heard updates on all six children often. I remember the day she told me that her baby girl was getting married. I thought she might be emotional since Ginger was the last one at home so I just let her talk. I wanted to be a shoulder if she needed one.

Betty started talking about Ginger’s plans for the wedding. She talked about the church, number of attendants, flowers, and colors for the wedding, food for the reception. As she talked I thought, “I wonder what all of this is going to cost?”

Betty was excited about the upcoming wedding or so I thought. And then she told me of an offer they had made to Ginger. Betty and Gene offered Ginger the money for all new kitchen appliances including washer and dryer, new furniture for her entire house plus $20,000 for a down payment on a house they wanted to buy if she would just elope. Ginger declined their offer.

The wedding was gorgeous and just, as Ginger wanted. Betty and Gene paid for everything. The pictures were beautiful, something a couple would cherish always.

I want you to know Gene and Betty were not against the marriage just the wedding. For you see with experience comes knowledge and by this time they had been part of five other weddings and they knew what could happen.

And much to their sorrow it did happen. In less than 3 years Ginger and her husband were divorced. Here in North Carolina, it takes a full year of separation to get a divorce so their real marriage lasted less than 2 years. So what Ginger really got for all the money Betty and Gene paid was beautiful wedding pictures with a man who cheated on her.

So if they had eloped, she wouldn’t have all those beautiful pictures in the white leather wedding book to remind her of the loser she married. But she might have had the house she wanted so much. (They never purchased that house; they didn’t have a down payment.)

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Sunday Scribblings - Invitation - 9/21/08


I was talking with my daughter, Julie, last week. She was going over her schedule for the upcoming week. It is something we have done for several years now. It helps us stay in touch a little better. And we seem to worry less about each other since we started exchanging schedules. Now I want you to know it’s not like we go over every tiny detail just an overview. She mentioned a Sunday afternoon football party. I thought it sounded like a lot of fun, but she went on to tell me more about it and then I knew she didn’t really care to go, but she was going. She believes you should go when invited unless you have another engagement already on the schedule. In return she believes people will attend your parties when ask.

Later on in the week Julie called to tell me about a situation that occurred with a friend of hers. She mentioned the football party to a friend just in general conversation and found out that MK had NOT been invited. MK was very upset! The host has been to her home on several occasions for parties including football parties. MK just couldn’t understand why she wasn’t invited.

After several minutes of talking about the situation, MK told Julie she wouldn’t have attended the party, but thought she should have been invited.

I have thought about this many times over the years, but for the life of me I can’t decide why most women feel this way. It doesn’t really matter about the event, whether you want to go or not…..actually it’s all about the invitation.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Sunday Scribblings - 55 Flash Fiction Friday - "Coffee" - 9/14/08


Here early working on HIS paperwork so I can get mine done in time. I hear the sounds of co-workers arriving. The minutes of my precious morning time have slipping away. Everyone is now hard at work. Thirty-three minutes late I hear HIM arrive. And then the dreaded command…..COFFEE!!!! I am not a waitress……….

Friday, September 5, 2008

Sunday Scribblings - Miracle - 9/7/08


When I saw the prompt for this week, my mind flashed. I saw replays of many things I consider to be miracles in my life. Sometimes I feel I am the luckiest person in the world and other times I seem to forget how lucky I am.

I watched a beautiful person I love very much change their life of addiction and become a productive member of society.

One night several years ago (I had just gotten my first computer a few months before) I was on Yahoo, looking around and found a site where you could post comments and ask for others to respond back to you. I responded and met a friend and soul mate. The site was gone the next day. (We both looked for it.)

Birth, this is for sure a miracle. Two beautiful, healthy children, three perfect grandchildren. I am so lucky to have them in my life.

I don’t think it is possible for me to list all of my miracles. I know that I experience many each and every day and for that I am so very thankful……..




Another miracle........my beautiful Outer Banks........

55 Flash Fiction Friday - 9/5/08




It has been several weeks since I have posted. I am blaming summer for my blank mind but it’s other things. Each week I have checked the prompts, but no thoughts. Finally this week a thought or two came. A tiny miracle has happened! It feels good to be writing again. I hope to continue.