Coffee Cups & Friends

I am just starting up some friendships with a few women who I find fun and interesting.  We met for the second time today at a ceramics shop in Smyrna.  A fund raiser is being held in town for the benefit of the Smyrna LaVergne Food Bank.  The way it works is a free concert is being held at the Sam Davis Home and all attendees are asked to buy a coffee cup for all you can drink coffee, tea and hot chocolate.  Plus you get to hear a band concert for no extra cost.

Showing Off Our Coffee Cup Donations-l. to r. Me, Wendy, Carolyn, Shelia & Cathy

We are supporters of the food bank as they distribute over 7,000 meals annually.  So we buy and paint a ceramic cup and it is donated to the fund raiser.  That probably means that we end up buying them back but no problem.  The money goes to the food bank and we get to party again together.  The ladies pictured above are all getting to be good friends as we work together and have fun too.  Today's conversations included where we were when the Beatles first came to America, the joys of waving goodbye to grandchildren and the antics on "Downton Abbey".

After we painted our cups we went to Cracker Barrel for lunch.  The conversations continued and while there we decided to go to a movie together next week after our Red Hat meeting.  It is the beginning of making a close knit group, I hope.

Olympic Memories

Walter & I have been watching the winter Olympics in Sochi Russia for the last three evenings.  We enjoy watching the figure skaters and the downhill runs.  We can relate to the games a little more this season due to a stop we made while on a trip to Colorado this past fall.  While in Colorado Springs we visited the United States Olympic Training Center.

While there we saw the US Olympic Hall of Fame Rotunda, the Shooting Center and the Aquatics Center.  We had a great time and came away with a renewed support of these dedicated athletes and their desire to represent the United States to the best of their considerable abilities.

Lifting Weights with Palms Only

Here I am having fun with a "looks like it weighs a lot" prop in the lobby of the training facility.

Large Weigh Lifted after an Energy Drink

Walter got into the fun too!

Bobsled Riders

Walter and I Sit Tight and Have a Laugh in the Bobsled

We goofed around with the items in the lobby while awaiting our tour of the facility.  We got to see the shooting range, the weight room and the aquatics pool too.

Weight Center

Wrestling Partners in Practice

Lap Pool



The facility is beautiful.  We have a new appreciation for the dedication that goes into producing gold medal winners for the United States.  This was an unexpected pleasure that we will never forget.

A Dress to Remember

I gave my daughter, Patricia, a gift yesterday that I hope she will love.

I had a memory shadowbox made to hold three of my favorite childhood pictures of her and her first shoes.  I also included a dress that I have kept for her for 42 years.

Custom Made Shadowbox for Baby Outfit

This shadowbox brings back many memories to me.  The dress was given to Patricia by her great aunt Irene Burks.  She was my father's sister.  She was a town resident as opposed to country people like my family was.  I always envied her lifestyle and determined early on in my life that I wanted to live in a town.

My aunt was a sweet person.  I am sure she was happy to select a nice dress for Patricia.  My husband, Patricia and I had visited her just a few days before she passed.  It was a surprise to us.  I think it was a heart attack.

The shoes are the first ones I bought for my daughter.  They were purchased from the JC Penney's in downtown Murfreesboro.  They are on her feet in the picture that was taken on her first birthday.  It is the one where she is in green overalls.  I love that picture.

The picture with the blue bow was made in her second year.  The picture where she is dressed in red and has a little locket on was taken at her kindergarten.  These three pictures are some of the most special to me of her young childhood.

I worked with the lady at Hobby Lobby for a long time to get the arrangement just right.  Tissue paper was added to the sleeves to keep them shaped nicely.  I ironed the little pleats into her dress so it would look ready for wearing. The shoes were put into the box without trying to clean them.  They still have the small scuffs on them just as when she last wore them.  Some people had their children's baby shoes bronzed but I am glad that I didn't do that.

Oh, the memories that flooded back to me as I readied these things for the shadowbox.  Was it really a lifetime ago that I rocked and sang to that sweet baby?  I hope she cherishes these things for the rest of her life.

God is good!