Best Friday's of my Life

Greetings and Salutations!

Today is Friday. One of my most favorite things. FR-I-DAY!! I am saying that like Oprah would with my hands in the air.

When do you do your best thinking? Me? It's when I am in the shower washing my hair. The hot water, soapy suds, and scalp massage brings some of my most "ah-ha" moments. This morning was no different. I was excited and happy it was Friday and that got me thinking of  Things That Make Me Happy. It was a stroke of brilliance, I was grinning ear to ear as I was rinsing conditioner out of my hair.

Friday's are the days when I tend to treat myself with fancy coffee or going out for lunch. Jarret makes fun of me because we have causal Friday's at work and that makes me happy. If you work in a office, you know casual Friday is the cherry on top of your work week.

The memories I am going to share is about some of the best Friday's of my life........

Friday's were the days my Granddaddy and Grandma Miller came to Dalhart. They lived in Hartley and like most that live in Hartley trips to Dalhart were regular. This was before the highway was four lane and when the Hartley Cafe sat where the overpass south of town is in now. Remember the Hartley Cafe? I remember them having a great hamburger and the green sparkly plastic booths.

Grandma had Mom do her hair every Friday. Some of my earliest memories would be after finished she and Granddaddy would be at the house with us waiting for Mom and Dad to get off work. During this wait Shana and I would put on a show! Dressed up in our best sequined dress up clothes, dancing and singing our heart out that could rival a young Beyonce. They would sit and watch leading us to believe it was the best thing they had ever seen.

As we got older and could walk or ride our bikes around town we'd often ride to the beauty shop on Friday's. In the summer we'd show up after a day of swimming at the city pool. Grandma would be under a blow dryer or finishing up her manicure and we'd come in wet hair and bathing suits so Granddaddy would walk us across the street to the United parking lot to get a snow cone. I love a raspberry snow cone with extra cream. This will forever be my favorite snow cone because it's the snow cone I got with my Granddaddy. After snow cones we'd sit in the beauty shop waiting on Mom's next client and once they arrived we'd leave with Grandma and Granddaddy to go to the house.

When I say Shana and I were spoiled by them I am not exaggerating. They came to town and we'd be living the high life. Grandma never showed up without us each getting our own zip-lock bags full of candy. Once Mom and Dad got home from work we went to Pizza Hut for supreme pizza with pan crust and got to order soda. Getting a soda was a treat as we rarely got it. Finally, once home we'd plead and beg to go stay the night in Hartley. We were rarely told no. We'd pack our overnight bags and be on our way after a quick stop at the Total Entertainment Movie Rental to rent Pippy Longstocking. No joke, we rented this every weekend. My Grandparents were saints. It was always agreed upon us staying Friday night and coming home Saturday. More times than not we didn't get home until Sunday. Granddaddy would drive us back to town after a weekend of dress up, dazzling performances, Malt-O-Meal breakfasts pumped with brown sugar, Braum's ice cream, picnic's outside, and full access to their candy bar. Literally a bar full of candy.

Once in high school the weekends spent in Hartley became less and less. After Grandma passed away Shana and I spent a few weekends in Hartley watching movies with Granddaddy, but like most teenagers life was busy. These Friday memories have blessed me in ways I might not have even figured out yet, but today while washing my hair I was smiling thinking back on them.

I often think about what my grandparents would think of Hartley/Dalhart today. I like to think Shana and I would still make time to do some of our Friday fun with them. I encourage you to think back on some of your favorite Friday memories to make you smile today. They can be as simple as remembering a supreme pizza or a raspberry snow cone with extra cream 😊

-Love and happy Friday friends!

Level 35

Leveling up to 35

07/26/2017

I leveled up two days ago to the ripe old age of 35. I don’t feel different, older or wiser. I feel thankful, loved, and happy. I understand some people struggle with birthdays and the number that corresponds. I never have and I didn’t expect this birthday to be any different.

My birthday celebrations were awesome, not on the actual day of my birth, but the Saturday before (22^nd). Jarret with the help of Mom and Judy threw me a fantastic swim party. It was held at the Twisted Elms Golf Course. Jarret cooked fajitas with all the fixin’s. I got to have a delicious lemon birthday cake that Catherine made along with homemade ice cream Judy made. I enjoyed the company of family and friends while swimming. I lied before, I woke up sore Sunday from swimming laps and first thing I felt was my hip, so on Sunday, yeah, I may have felt a little older. Only on Sunday though!!

Now for my actual birthday, I got a case of the stomach bug, diarrhea and stomach cramps had me home at lunch time and in bed the rest of the day. Jumping to today Wednesday, July 26^th, I feel NORMAL! I wore a cute dress that I would have worn on my birthday, took special care with my makeup and I feel pretty!! Feeling pretty can change the attitude of a whole day!
**If women felt pretty every day, I believe the world would be a better place.

Since I am a planner, I am going to plan GOALS for myself and this 35th year of being on earth. Let me start out by saying, I do not use the word “resolution.” GOALS has a positive effect on me, “resolutions” are something I use to break every year. This means I always make GOALS on MY birthday instead of “resolutions” at New Years. MY birthday is about ME, New Year’s encompasses the whole WORLD.

GOALS:

#1. Take care of my body. I’ve discovered by focusing on taking care of my body and health that weight loss naturally happens. The focus being on healthy, whole foods and exercise. This focus was lost on level 34. I am unhappy with how I feel and look. The struggle for me is to remember, nothing happens overnight. I must be PATIENT!!

#2. Live in my life right now!! This is something I was working on before the 35th birthday. As mentioned before I am a planner, I constantly plan the next thing and that is necessary at times, but I also need to remember to live right now! Constantly planning the next day makes you miss the current day.

#3. Show love to those I love. Saying "I love you" to those I love is not a hard for me. It actually flows easier from the lips as you level up every year. However, saying it is different from showing it. I want to show it in whatever creative form I can come up with.

#4. CHURCH!! I go to church every Sunday. Church centers me and rejuvenates me. In my previous parishes before being back in Dalhart, I was an active volunteer. I’ve yet to step out and do that at St. Anthony’s of Padua, this year I change that.

I am excited and looking forward to what God has planned for me in level 35 and not the least bit worried about the actual number of 35. This will be the best year yet.

-Love to you friends.