Saturday, November 22, 2025

Mugs, Books, Lost MCD and Childhood Friend

 Oh there are stories to tell and just a whole lot of things to write about but if I did, I wouldn't be walking in peace and God's wisdom. Nothing earth shattering but just those observations that somehow get me in trouble from time to time. 

This morning Roy and I both drank our coffee out of the new Christmas teddy bear mugs from Marshall's. They both hold a lot of coffee but the cuteness kind of inhibits easy sipping. I am willing to forgo the ease of sip for more ounces and less trips to the coffee maker. As for Roy he likes the extra ounces but isn't too excited about the cuteness of those mugs. He did it this morning cause he loves me but in the future he will probably only drink out of them if nothing else is available. If Roy is too cranky about the teddy bear mug, I think I will order this one.



In choir last night we worked on Christmas music. Ah, the memories of Pageants and Celebrations and whatever they were called in between. As we sang the familiar carols some traditional and some in new arrangements I remembered those long ago memories. I was talking with CourtneyS, after she won the second year in a row the MCD contest, I'm not bitter, in my ordinary life I have gotten to do some very fun things and many of those from Pageant days. Or maybe even choir days. I wish I had been in choir more for the music but I was in it to spend time with friends and laugh...oh yes and worship the Lord, but that didn't come too much in practice. Now, I am in choir and I am the only one that can't read music, so when Debbie says make note of the, then uses a music term, she'll say for my benefit, make an upside down smiley face. 

My confession is, I have never been an avid fan of Jen Hatmaker. Her books didn't really have too much to do with my life back in the day. Maybe I started one and never finished. I do not know what compelled me to buy her memoir, AWAKE. Read some reviews and thought this will be good cause her short chapters and subject matter will keep my distractions at bay. Well, I was wrong. I didn't like the book but it is one book I didn't like that I finished reading. Well, the last half of the book was skimming. While she is dealt a blow by a cheating spouse from then on it is all about her, her wonderful supportive friends and all that affected her and her family. Guess she deconstructed her faith but she hasn't started repairing and rebuilding. Me thinks there might be a sequel in the works. Her stories reminded me of friends who are walking down that same path of deconstruction of their faith. Not being the same but being the same is a blogger turned author, turned speaker...turned whatever, granted she is funny but my goodness the entitlement and availability of options that more likely than not, most cannot afford. AWAKE seemed to be on that same pattern of luxury whether it be time, places, or people. One reviewer said, no bridge or encouragement is offered, we just learn of their story whose conclusion is more personal than anything. Gee, that's a lot of words for a book I didn't particularly enjoy but read with no prejudice. 

I didn't win the MCD contest this year. CourtneyS heard Merry Christmas Darling before I did, although it came up on a playlist this past summer but I couldn't really count that. 

Our front yard and half of the back received a nice trim and shape. Mike came and cut down two dead trees, shaped up the shrubs and cut back the hybrid hydrangeas. He will be back after the holiday to conclude trimming the rest of the backyard. He also took the decorative pumpkins so that we can begin the minimal Christmas decorations. 

I learned this morning that my first childhood best friend Leah Rae Montgomery passed away several weeks ago. She lived around the corner and down the street. We met in kindergarten and got in trouble usually every week while playing. The time I remember the most is playing in the bayou better known as the ditch and her brother Brian falling in, getting his socks all muddy and we tried to clean them with the insides of a buttercup weed. Leah told me she had heard that this would take the mud out. I was in trouble before I got home cause Mrs. Montgomery called my mom to let her know we had been playing in the forbidden ditch. Then they moved to Ft Worth and came back around junior high time. Leah and I would walk the neighborhood and talk. Her plans were to go to the University of Texas and my plans were as soon as I got my drivers license, I was going to run a car into a big tree on a curve and end it all. I had no plans for the future, not much hope and few options. I knew this in the 9th grade. Thankfully, the Lord stopped all my morbid plans when I truly came to know Him. Still had no clue on my future but I had hope and faith it was all in His hands. Leah got to go out of the zoned school district because she was half Hispanic. She came back to Westbury later and our paths took different paths. She was a cool, smart, popular drug using...I think, person and I was just athletic and goofy. The last time I saw her was in college my freshman year. I stayed a night with her at UT. I don't remember why I was at Texas and I don't remember too much of the short visit. She kept her dorm room dark with only a small lamp shedding any light while we talked. 


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