Read. Write. Mom!

In That Carnival

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Mandy

I haven’t been on a ferris wheel in almost 12 years, and really don’t plan to ever again, but I almost had a moment of weakness and gave in a couple of weekends ago when E.B. begged to get on.

I mean, look at the beautiful colors. The blue sky with cotton candy clouds as our backdrop….

The gentle high climb of each basket….

and the slow, stomach-dropping fall of each basket…

And then I remembered that he was only 6 years old, had never been on a ferris wheel in his life, and wearing puke on the way home probably wasn’t going to be my best look.

So we didn’t.

Taken with my Windows 7 phone using a photo editing app.

Royal Wedding 2011 Recap

Posted on May 1, 2011May 1, 2011 by Mandy

While the general public who could have cared less is probably glad the hoopla surrounding the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is finally winding down, I still can’t get enough of the spectacular display of pomp and circumstance that made the ceremony absolutely beautiful. I’ve watched it twice on television, when it happened live (yes, I got up at 5 AM Central time) and on replay the next evening. I’ve had time to savor and digest the whole experience and have come to the following conclusions.

THE ARRIVAL

The bells ringing in the background and the roar of the crowd as Kate stepped from the car just gave me goosebumps. The arrival of each member of the wedding party was planned to flow perfectly, and it did just that. It was also interesting to see who was in attendance and what they chose to wear that day. As an American, the spectacular display of hats and fascinators the women wore were amusing, as we don’t generally wear these.

THE DRESS

Admittedly, when I caught my first glimpse of Kate stepping out of the car after her arrival at Westminster Abbey, my initial thought was that her dress was quite plain. In my mind, I fully expected to see something as billowy and over-the-top as the dress that Princess Diana wore, but after further review I’ve decided that this was a most appropriate choice. Designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, the dress was modest, yet modern. This is a dress that is classic and will still look as appropriate in the years to come as it did on April 29, 2011. The bells ringing in the background and the roar of the crowd as she stepped from the car just gave me goosebumps.

THE MUSIC

The trumpets, the choir, the bells. All of the musical choices for the wedding were just beautiful. My very favorite was the piece played while Kate walked down the aisle. The piece was entitled, “I Was Glad”, composed by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry in 1902 as a coronation anthem for William’s great-great-great grandfather Edward VII. It was regal, reverent, and just the perfect choice for their ceremony. Since I am not a huge fan of cheesy contemporary songs played at most American weddings, I was so pleased to see that each selection was thoughtfully chosen and captured the essence of what a marriage ceremony is really all about. I fully admit to crying the entire time she walked down the aisle. Seeing Kate look so beautiful on the arm of her father coupled with the beautiful music turned me to mush.

THE CEREMONY

Hands down, the charge given to the couple by the Archbishop of Canterbury was the most beautiful and befitting of a wedding ceremony I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. It was genuine and honored the Lord with every sentence. The couple seemed as comfortable as they could be while 2 billion people worldwide were watching their every move.

THE PROCESSION TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE

The couple looked very happy and at ease as they made their way to Buckingham Palace for the reception after the wedding. There were big smiles and waves from both Kate and William and I’m sure they must have felt some relief to have the ceremony over with. I was amazed at the huge throngs of people that turned out to line the streets of London. The British clearly love the new royal couple.

THE KISS

The much-anticipated kiss on the balcony was short and sweet, but the couple also wowed the crowd with a second kiss as husband and wife. Some say the kiss was too brief and “business-like”, but I think it was appropriate and probably the best anyone could do with so many people watching something that is often times a private moment for many couples. The chuckles of their family behind them showed the happiness that was surely felt by all of them on this much-anticipated occasion.

CONCLUSION:

The single word I choose to sum up the royal wedding is “exquisite”. It was definitely worth getting up early to watch and did not disappoint in any way.

Tornado Weather-Southern Storms

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Mandy

It’s been a scary few days in the Mississippi Delta. We’ve fared much, much better than our neighbors in Arkansas, Northwest Mississippi and the Memphis area, but it has been really alarming hearing the tornado sirens go off in our town a few times. I’m ashamed to say we completely slept through one siren the other night and I’m still trying to figure out how we managed to do that considering the nearest siren is right across the street from us. I guess I was really tired. Thank goodness we were kept safe.

The Mississippi River (about 20 miles and separated by a levee from us to the West) is also rising. This is nothing new, but all of this rain and snow melt run-off from up north is even scaring the casinos in Robinsonville, MS (north of us) enough for them to issue a staggering closing schedule. Casinos in Mississippi almost never close (unless in a case of a hurricane or a flood), so I hope this isn’t a warning sign of things to come. It concerns me a little.

So, trying to keep my fears at bay, I remember the bravery of this guy last week when tornados ripped through our capitol city.

To my southern friends, I remind you….hold on to your hamburgers!

Flies Through The Air With The Greatest of Ease

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Mandy

You know your kid is growing up when he proclaims all of the kiddie rides at the fair as “lame” and prefers to do this instead.

Easter Reflections

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Mandy

Especially today, I’m appreciating the ultimate sacrifice that was made to take away MY sins.

Especially today, I am thankful that I can worship my Savior with my family in the church that I grew up in.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

Cupcake Coma

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Mandy

We have a new sweets shop in town (appropriately) called The Sweetery. My cousin Jessica and I had never had a cupcake from there, but drooled about the flavors of the day we would read about on Facebook. I’m glad to report we remedied that situation today at lunch and taste tested the Snickers and Mochachocalatta cupcakes, which were so divine we might have had to try another one just to make sure our taste buds did not deceive us. And then we fell in a sugar coma and died.

Here Comes The Sun

Posted on April 22, 2011April 22, 2011 by Mandy

So, yeah. That’s been the view outside pretty much all week it seems. Hardly conducive to the fair that’s in town, the baseball games we were scheduled to play, and just about everyone’s mood in general. I’ve passed most of my time this week suffering on the couch with a sinus infection, walking around resetting all of the digital clocks in the house because of weather-related power outages, and threatening to shave my head because the wind, humidity, and rain just does wonders for a head full of naturally wavy hair that I insist on using a flat iron on each morning.

The sun is supposed to come out today. I sure hope so, because grey is not my best color.

Pressed Flowers

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Mandy

As a little girl, I often passed the time during the weekly church sermon by drawing pictures on the church bulletins (and even my own Bible!! *gasp*), crawling under the pews, sleeping, or flipping through my mother’s Bible. I remember my mom had a dried flower pressed between the pages and I thought that was the neatest thing. I don’t know what the significance of that pressed flower was, and still do not to this day, but it was something that fascinated me and I didn’t dare disturb it.

Fast forward thirty years or so and it seems someone else in our family has discovered that flower.

A couple of weeks before we moved, E.B. came running to me on the patio to show me a tiny flower he had picked just for me. I’ve received many a flower in my lifetime, but any weed or wildflower this baby brings me just puts them all to shame. It always will. He was so excited because we had to save this flower. “Save it, Mama!!”.

He then ran to my bedside table and picked up my Bible, opened it to a page and placed the tiny flower offering there.

He then shut the Bible tight and instructed me to “leave it there and don’t touch it!”.

I think it’s amazing that the flower in the Bible caught his attention, just as it did mine at the age he is now.

I know exactly where he learned it from, and that makes me treasure this little flower even more.