I ventured to Midland and Big Spring to attend Chandra & Michael's engagement party this past weekend. The majority of the weekend was spent spending precious time with Dad watching football and with Brenda cooking in their new kitchen as well.
As I drove into West Texas this weekend the sun was setting gently across the horizon. I felt a wave of warmth sweep over me and I felt like I was home again. I love the city lights and the everchanging opportunities of my life in Dallas, but peace is so often found in the sunset and the bright stars that light up the skies of the life I knew for 23 years.
After a day of football Dad, Brenda and I headed to Big Spring. Poor Dad was deathly ill with allergies, but he has known Chandra since we were in daycare so he sacrificed to be there for her.
The party was beyond imagination for me. I did not have one drink of alcohol, yet felt like I was walking on air with personality and having the time of my life. It was as if old friends and good conversation were my drug that night. Many of our Dallas friends came in. It is funny we all live here and went to hang out in our hometown!
I was standing talking to Lauren and Tara when I turned around to say hello to Chandra's aunt and in walked my dear friend, Heddy and her husband! I was thrilled! Heddy just had two babies... she is living a wonderful life.
We had a heck of a time getting all of the bridesmaids together for a picture! It takes a lot of poses to find one with perfection with eight women!
Overall being there with my best friends and with my family meant the world to me. I was standing in a little piece of my own Heaven.
Blair, Me, Cody
Chandra's Future Sister in Law, Tonia
I drove away out of the stars and sunsets, but with a feeling that some day I would find my own sense of peace in my own place to call home. I do rest in the blessings that God gave me in my hometown, my friendships that span decades and my amazing loving family.
My media diva life tonight consists of cooking some weird chicken casserole for my boyfriend then playing tennis. I have played twice this week! My uncle is a tennis professional at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, my mother and grandfather were coaches... so I should have it in my blood!... I played for a few years, but Nick thinks he can beat me. He's had a hard few weeks with the economic crisis so I figured he needed a home cooked meal... well, or maybe I figure he needs me to be nice.
I am so ready to visit home this weekend. I get to see Dad and Brenda's new kitchen! More importantly I get to visit with them! I miss them so much!!! And I get to go to Chandra's engagement party and see all of my Big Spring folks!!! It should be a lot of fun!!! It's weird that Hayley, Tara, Lauren and I are all going "home" - but, our parents don't live there anymore. Big Spring is just a different place than where we grew up. Things change...
I'm tired of the presidential debates. I'm tired of the crazy economy. I just want some things to go right in our political world. I'm one of the least political people I know, but I am getting fed up listening to lies and just leaning on the hope things will get better. Sarah Palin does make me smile though. Tina Fey's impression makes me smile even more.
Lindsey is having her double mastectomy tomorrow. I wrote her some words of encouragement, but really words are meaningless. I told her that this was her way to change the world. She's only 25 so she has such a message. She is so upbeat and Christian about it all. I told her in "Why I Wore Lipstick to my Mastectomy" the woman did whatever made her feel fierce. Lindsey says she is going to put on make up before she is wheeled in that room... just to make her feel good. When Lindsey was young a preacher told her she was destined for great things. She is so blunt, serious and a warrior. We thought it was missionary work. I told her maybe this is the fight to change the world. This is the beginning of the rest of her life. It's not simple, but it's godly in a sense. She has her wonderful new husband standing by her side, even wig shopping with her. She has her family right there. And she has all of us just praying in the wings. We don't choose many of our battles. We are all fighting a harder battle than the other. I tell Lindsey it's the way you handle the storm. It's either a blizzard covering your world in a fog or it's a storm passing by for a short while. Bitter or better... one letter makes all the difference.
We went to Nick's parents for dinner tonight. It was such a nice treat. I can sit and talk to his parents for hours. It makes me laugh that his mother and I are the odd ones out between his dad, his brother, his best friend and Nick. It was so nice to have another woman to understand when they annoy me about football and meat. I get very tired of hearing about it. They did let me watch "Desperate Housewives" though! Nick was in a horrid mood after the Cowboys lost so we sat in silence most of the way driving to his parents' house! He is so lucky to have them nearby. They are building their dream house in Ruidoso and will move soon though. I LOVE going to visit my Dad and Brenda. It is one of the best times to just chill out and enjoy the company. Before we left I sat outside watching Nick and his brother play basketball. A big grin came across my face. This was my heaven. I really enjoy just being in good company with good people. Don't get me wrong though... if I have to hear about football, hamburgers or cars one more time I might become a nun.
I must say it annoys me to just have to buy designer jeans. I will never be the gal that can wear Levis! Maybe I am just a snob, but inexpensive brands don't seem to fit right. I have this thing where I like my jeans to be thin material, very long and also stretchy! Yesterday I went to TJ Maxx because they have a designer section. I walked out with a pair of Seven jeans - still for $100!!! Of course the Paper Denim ones for 50 just didn't work! My friend has this GREAT boutique in Longview called The Denim Lounge where she sells them for as inexpensive as she can - one time I modeled for her in a show so she gave me a pair of Antiks for free!!! My Dad forced me to buy a pair at American Eagle trying to prove a point to me... Well, I hate them. They aren't stretchy and they make me look fat. I am built really weird and I like my jeans to not make me look fat! My good friend put a pair on Craig's List of Rock and Republic for $50 and I quickly scooped them up... I think all my friends should sell me their jeans :)!!! I'm just annoyed that I have to spend so much money for jeans! Why can men go to Wal Mart and be happy and I cannot?!! Oh well... atleast people on the street will think I am rich. My obsession with clothing may be the death of me!
