This has been an extraordinary weekend! Everything began on Friday, when I discovered that I had accumulated 197 of the 214 signatures of registered voters I needed to put me on the ballot for Associate Circuit Judge as a non-partisan candidate. That means I will be entering the race on Monday, July 28.
After that news, my good friend Kim Schroeder invited me out to dinner with her, her husband, her son, and her son's friend. We had a great time at Colton's, and I came home to finish up some work.
Saturday morning, I woke up and got a few more signatures just to be sure, and then I actually sat in the black leather chair in our living room and watched Air Force One, one of my favorite movies, starring Harrison Ford as an "ordinary man" President. I had just begun to watch The Parent Trap, staring Lindsey Lohan before she lost her mind (she was SO cute!), when a couple of clients showed up. We talked about their situation and I felt lucky to be able to help them. A little bit later, my friend from William Jewell, Judy Luxton, showed up with her brand new puppy, an English Mastiff named Finn. Finn is seven weeks old, and he was very cute and reminded me why puppies are simply precious!
Judy was here because I had invited her to sing at Broadway Presbyterian on July 27. I invited her to come to Sedalia on Saturday and spend the night (slumber party!) so she could sing at worship on Sunday without having to drive two hours before church. We sat around and visited and talked, had a couple of glasses of wine, went to El Tapatio for dinner, and about 10 p.m., finally decided what she was going to sing about. We then went to sleep to rest for the next day.
About 8:30 this morning, I got a text from a friend who said that she was coming over to sign my petition. I hadn't seen her for a while, and so I was excited to talk to her. I love the part of campaigning that allows me to see people and talk to them about what has been going on in their lives and with their children! She signed, and we talked some more, and then I got ready for church.
This is where the magic started happening.
Judy and I got to church and started practicing. The song we had decided on the night before was nothing short of spectacular. She sang beautifully, and I played well - even though the song has five flats. The service began, and Pastor Rob was talking directly to both Judy and me in his sermon, telling us that we needed to be "all in" for living our lives the way we were meant to live them. That, of course, included doing music. So when it was our turn, Judy sang her heart out, I played my fingers off, and we were stunned at the power of one little song.
I could barely see the music through the mist in my eyes.
Then we went to lunch and talked about being married. Judy's husband was killed earlier this year, and she is still reeling from the suddenness of that change in her life. Our discussion was frank and direct, something that I would never have expected even a year ago. But somehow, through that shared music experience, it seemed natural to share other things in our lives that were just as natural and right as the song we gave to the congregation that morning.
Though we were having a good time, I had to leave, and so I waved good-bye to Judy, knowing that next year, we will do this again.
The reason I had to leave was that I was headed to a 65th anniversary party for the parents of my BFF (really - she and I have been friends since we were babies). The party was at Highland Springs Country Club outside Springfield - so while Judy was heading back to Springfield, so was I - and I had bought a new dress for the occasion!
My friend Susan had prepared a short movie depicting the decades of her parents' marriage. I sat and wept hot tears as I saw the pictures of not only the things that changed the world since 1948, but also her mother and father through the years. It felt as if I were just reliving my entire life!
Another one of my good friends was at the party with her new husband. Jo Beth's first husband died several years ago, when her daughter was in high school and her son in the fourth grade. She raised her children alone, and then tragically lost her daughter to leukemia a few years ago. At the same time, Larry's wife Janice was diagnosed with and succumbed to ALS. About the time I left for Afghanistan, Larry and Jo Beth began dating, eventually married, and now are nothing short of moon-eyed for each other. Seeing them together made me really happy.
Part of my emotional reaction at the party had to do with the fact that Hazel and Joe - Sweet Hazie and Papa Joe - spent a great deal of time contributing to my growing up. Hazel fed me innumerable meals, and Joe gave me one of my first jobs - wrapping Christmas presents at the Five and Dime my freshman year. I spent many a Friday night at Susan's house, listening to music, giggling, and talking about what was happening at school. It was as if her family was my family, too. So I watched the movie that jogged my memory about a white leather chair, a house with a pool, and two little girls who grew up and still like each other.
And now it is 10 p.m., and this magical weekend has come to an end. I am still smiling - and weeping hot tears. But I am happy.
After that news, my good friend Kim Schroeder invited me out to dinner with her, her husband, her son, and her son's friend. We had a great time at Colton's, and I came home to finish up some work.
Saturday morning, I woke up and got a few more signatures just to be sure, and then I actually sat in the black leather chair in our living room and watched Air Force One, one of my favorite movies, starring Harrison Ford as an "ordinary man" President. I had just begun to watch The Parent Trap, staring Lindsey Lohan before she lost her mind (she was SO cute!), when a couple of clients showed up. We talked about their situation and I felt lucky to be able to help them. A little bit later, my friend from William Jewell, Judy Luxton, showed up with her brand new puppy, an English Mastiff named Finn. Finn is seven weeks old, and he was very cute and reminded me why puppies are simply precious!
Judy was here because I had invited her to sing at Broadway Presbyterian on July 27. I invited her to come to Sedalia on Saturday and spend the night (slumber party!) so she could sing at worship on Sunday without having to drive two hours before church. We sat around and visited and talked, had a couple of glasses of wine, went to El Tapatio for dinner, and about 10 p.m., finally decided what she was going to sing about. We then went to sleep to rest for the next day.
About 8:30 this morning, I got a text from a friend who said that she was coming over to sign my petition. I hadn't seen her for a while, and so I was excited to talk to her. I love the part of campaigning that allows me to see people and talk to them about what has been going on in their lives and with their children! She signed, and we talked some more, and then I got ready for church.
This is where the magic started happening.
Judy and I got to church and started practicing. The song we had decided on the night before was nothing short of spectacular. She sang beautifully, and I played well - even though the song has five flats. The service began, and Pastor Rob was talking directly to both Judy and me in his sermon, telling us that we needed to be "all in" for living our lives the way we were meant to live them. That, of course, included doing music. So when it was our turn, Judy sang her heart out, I played my fingers off, and we were stunned at the power of one little song.
I could barely see the music through the mist in my eyes.
Then we went to lunch and talked about being married. Judy's husband was killed earlier this year, and she is still reeling from the suddenness of that change in her life. Our discussion was frank and direct, something that I would never have expected even a year ago. But somehow, through that shared music experience, it seemed natural to share other things in our lives that were just as natural and right as the song we gave to the congregation that morning.
Though we were having a good time, I had to leave, and so I waved good-bye to Judy, knowing that next year, we will do this again.
The reason I had to leave was that I was headed to a 65th anniversary party for the parents of my BFF (really - she and I have been friends since we were babies). The party was at Highland Springs Country Club outside Springfield - so while Judy was heading back to Springfield, so was I - and I had bought a new dress for the occasion!
My friend Susan had prepared a short movie depicting the decades of her parents' marriage. I sat and wept hot tears as I saw the pictures of not only the things that changed the world since 1948, but also her mother and father through the years. It felt as if I were just reliving my entire life!
Another one of my good friends was at the party with her new husband. Jo Beth's first husband died several years ago, when her daughter was in high school and her son in the fourth grade. She raised her children alone, and then tragically lost her daughter to leukemia a few years ago. At the same time, Larry's wife Janice was diagnosed with and succumbed to ALS. About the time I left for Afghanistan, Larry and Jo Beth began dating, eventually married, and now are nothing short of moon-eyed for each other. Seeing them together made me really happy.
Part of my emotional reaction at the party had to do with the fact that Hazel and Joe - Sweet Hazie and Papa Joe - spent a great deal of time contributing to my growing up. Hazel fed me innumerable meals, and Joe gave me one of my first jobs - wrapping Christmas presents at the Five and Dime my freshman year. I spent many a Friday night at Susan's house, listening to music, giggling, and talking about what was happening at school. It was as if her family was my family, too. So I watched the movie that jogged my memory about a white leather chair, a house with a pool, and two little girls who grew up and still like each other.
And now it is 10 p.m., and this magical weekend has come to an end. I am still smiling - and weeping hot tears. But I am happy.
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