weather, Weather, WEATHER, WEATHER! Whether you like it or not

Who would’ve guessed a Veggie Tales tune that was played for my young children on repeat would influence a blog two decades later? The “Homophones” song (a song about words that sound the same but have different meanings, thank you Larry the Cucumber) is still sung by my twenty-somethings children whenever bad weather is expected. Armed with storm essentials (flashlights, batteries, candles, water and non-perishable) we faced down hurricane Helene.

The good thing about the timing of Helene is that she came while I was at my oldest daughter’s house. That would be the daughter with a meteorology degree and a brand-new fancy weather station. I had no fears. She guided us through blizzards in PA since she was ten years old and I knew she had been watching Helene’s Florida direction for much longer than the average person.

Helene came and went and we quickly realized how lucky we were this time. There were thousands without power, extensive flooding and/or sand washed on to their streets. I’m not talking about a little bit of sand, there are several feet of sand on the streets and on the cars. Some people have completely lost their houses. All of this is so tragic, but it only reinforces how lucky we were to have wind and rain that sounded terrible, but with God’s arms around us, we were safe.

Here we are a little over a week later and this time we’re taking things more seriously. My meteorology daughter and fiancé are boarding up their house (where I stayed so safe during Helene) and getting out of town. Their plans are reviewed and modified on a regular basis, depending on what Milton is doing at that particular moment.

In life we all face our own storms to “weather” through. Sometimes we choose to dance in the puddles from small rainstorms, like if the grocery store is out of stock on a favorite item. While at other times life deals us a hurricane, like a death of a close family member, a lost job or as is the case now an actual hurricane. Whether we allow the weather of our lives to penetrate and shut us down or if we try to move on in a positive direction is our choice- whether we like it or not.

Good thoughts being sent to all Helene sufferers trying to find normalcy in a day, and everyone bracing for what Milton is bringing. It’s weather, whether we like it or not.

When I write my blogs some of the hashtags I use are kindness, smile, hope and resilience. These are words I have taken from the experiences in my book and my life. They aren’t words I flippantly throw at the end of a post. I like to think about and implement them in my life every day. Some days are easier than others.

I have spent much of my life trying to pick up the pieces of my self-esteem in an effort to make myself a whole functional person. Sure, I can write a book about my hurt, betrayal and subsequent healing. However, deep down remains that little girl who wants everyone to like her. When people act unreasonable it chips away at the invisible, protective shell I have built around me and pokes holes in my self-esteem allowing negativity and sadness permeate into who I am. After too much of this chipping eventually the heart of the little girl inside me breaks once again. Sometimes it breaks for a short amount of time, while at other times it takes a bit to repair the hurt and damage. When strangers are irrational and rude I have learned to let it roll off my shoulders fairly quickly, but when it is someone I know who is treating me poorly it is much more difficult. The more I love that person, the more unrelenting the pain is, making it much harder to let it go of the hurt.

And now it’s Monday. The day grumbled about from Sunday evening until Tuesday morning. As you walk through today and every day remember how kind words and actions towards others and a smile given to a stranger or a loved one can make a positive impact on their lives. It gives hope for the day, or longer, and allows that person to be resilient and strive for their best life. If you poke holes in someone else’s shell make sure it is in a positive way; help bring that tough exterior down instead of giving reason to make walls higher and more difficult to penetrate. Strive to be a person who patches the negative holes of others to make them feel whole and loved.

Happy Monday to everyone out there. I’m sending smiles and good wishes all around. Share the positivity to all whom you encounter.

Life has taught me the simplest things can strengthen a bond between two people. This summer my youngest was home from college yet still taking online classes. Sometimes she (my Buddy) and I would work together in my home office, while other days we would sneak off to our other office – Starbucks.

For many years I did not understand what the big deal was with Starbucks. At the time I wasn’t much of a coffee person and I was mildly intimidated by the Starbucks language that I did not understand. After visiting this newly found home away from home with my Buddy it didn’t take long before I heard myself saying I’d like a venti cold brew black rolling off my tongue like a simple child’s nursery rhyme. We especially fell in love with their pre-ordering. On each trip to Star-b’s (as we called it) we placed our orders before leaving home and when we arrived our favorite baristas had our cup of Joe waiting for us as if we are royalty and they have spent the morning preparing for us. Pre-ordering allowed us to grab our coffee and quickly find a table to begin working.

With our drinks next to us my Buddy and I each did our work coupled with the sporadic amuse of funny comments about what we were doing or people who were around us. We must have spent hours this summer sitting on the outside patio of our favorite Starbucks with a breeze blowing, sometimes rain pounding, and enjoying our work and coffee. This quickly became a time not only for work and coffee, but for moments that my Buddy and I were turning into memories. What did we talk about? I’m not sure. What did we laugh about? I couldn’t tell you, though I know we did both of those things. My Buddy and I both remember working and having fun. Simply being together was enough to leave an imprint on our hearts. Sometimes making a relationship stronger is as easy as a cup of coffee.

My Buddy is back on her college campus and I haven’t gone back to our Star-b’s to sit outside and work because without her it doesn’t feel the same. I miss her every day but with each cup of coffee I drink I think of her and the bond we share not only in life, but in coffee as well.

Greetings! Recently the world of Annie Lynn has been upside down. As you can see Thursday’s post never came to be, but here it is now!

For most college students, Sunday means sleeping in and/or having a nice afternoon nap. Not with my Gigi. We turned in at a timely hour on Saturday night to prepare for an early alarm Sunday morning. To follow through with the goals of the weekend (hang out with her closest friends on campus, study, eat) our final achievement was to go to First Baptist Church of Jacksonville – the Nocatee Campus. Gigi attends weekly and she was very excited for me to meet her “church lady” friends. These women have supported her through so many ups and downs of life and are incredibly kind to her. I could not wait to put faces to all the names I had heard- many of those names are Susan!

First thing in the morning, after packing the car with my belongings, Gigi and I made our way to Nocatee. The large church is so friendly that it feels like a small-town church. They gave warm welcomes as if I was best friends with everyone, even though we had just met. Our first stop was the Sunday School class Gigi attends, where I was greeted with smiles and kind hellos. I am so grateful for how these women have taken Gigi under their wings not only to help her grow spiritually but also mothering and grand mothering her through her days in university. While our weekend together was wonderful, I cannot always be there with Gigi. It is comforting to know when I am not there she has these women to lean on. I am so proud of my daughter for forging her way through and finding this “family” who supports her and brings joy to her life.

After Sunday School our next stop was the worship service. (Honestly, it was to get coffee but who’s counting my cups?) We sat with Gigi’s women friends then quickly stood to sing along with the band. Pastor Spencer delivered a sermon worthy of taking notes to reflect upon later. It seems many churches base their sermons on pop culture with a splash of the bible. This was the word of the bible explained in an excellent fashion and then dug further into it by showing how it is applicable today. (Notice the “Greetings!” at the beginning of this blog? Thank you Pastor Spencer!) It was a fantastic morning and I was sad it seemed to end too quickly.

After church we headed to one of Gigi’s favorite Italian restaurants for lunch. We talked and laughed a little but it was bittersweet as the weather was rainy and both of us knew what was coming very soon. When lunch ended I drove her back to her dorm but this time I would not be going in with her. I gave her as many hugs and kisses as I could without embarrassing her.

On my way home I thought about our weekend. Rest assured I don’t want to go back to college life, however going to college to spend a weekend with my baby girl is one of the best ways to spend my weekend.

As an adult I fondly look back on the years I spent in college. I have thought about returning to college to further my education, but it never crossed my mind to live as a student in a dorm – until this weekend. My youngest daughter, Gigi has been back at university for one month and we were missing each other. We planned a trip for me to visit her. I was going to get a hotel room however, she thought it would be more fun if I stayed in the dorm with her, soooo I went back to college.

Friday night was like many Fridays I had as a young student; I stayed in Gigi’s room reading while she was working across campus. As a student I did not appreciate the quiet time but as an adult I crave a few hours alone with a good book anytime I can get it, so it was a glorious night! When she returned we talked and laughed with our friends Ben and Jerry then settled in for the night. I fell asleep quickly but as the night turned into morning I discovered that dorm bunks are not as comfortable as I remembered. I was pretty sure my bed was better than the air mattress where Gigi slept so no complaints. I was happy to have this time with her.

The next morning we went for breakfast and we spent hours reviewing Anatomy and playing games on the floor of her room with one of her besties, Ash. The dorm where I spent most of my college days had rooms and shared bathrooms amongst those in the same hall. That was it. Her dorm is more like a hotel. We ventured to the first level where we played (terribly) several games of pool while our noses danced to the delightful smell of french fries coming from the full-service convenience store across the hall. Gigi had me bring my swimsuit in case we would decide to go to the beach or swim in their dorm pool which has a lazy river for floating. In my dorm we didn’t even have a bath tub! We dressed up and went out for a nice dinner, Gigi, Ash and me. We had a great time and fantastic food.

Do I expect to live full-time in Gigi’s dorm anytime soon? No, I am too far past my early twenties for that. Would I suffer through a few nights on a dorm bunk so I can spend quality time with my baby girl? ABSOLUTELY!

What did we do on Sunday? I will let you know in Thursday’s post.

I cannot believe it is September already! The summer months always seem to zip by too fast. When September arrives I know that Christmas is right around the corner. I am not sure if that is good or bad.

Since it is the beginning of September it is time for me to share our September family traditions. We kick off the month with a Labor Day pool-picnic with some family. Though the kids are grown, we still observed this special time this past Monday. It is usually our last big pool day of the season – but the pool is not closed just yet! When we lived in PA we had a hot tub and we began “Friday Night Hot Tub Nights.” Getting back in the groove for school was tough on everyone. We created these Friday nights to be a big stress relief at the end of the week for the entire family. We would choose an easy to prepare dinner that would please everyone. When we finished eating, school and work clothes were traded for swimsuits. The early fall darkness had set in and we ventured out into the chilly fall air to dip into the steamy hot tub. It gave us a chance to catch up on everyone’s week while still being a little silly and having fun. Some of these evenings included the firepit glowing. I am not sure if there is anyone in the family who loves s’mores, but we do enjoy the extra large marshmallows; brace yourself, this is where we get weird. We love to burn our marshmallows and pull off the burnt part and eat it. Then we take the same marshmallow and put it over the fire to burn and eat again…repeat, repeat, repeat! Our Friday nights became the highlight of the week with the kids giving up other activities and/or inviting their friends to join us. It is a time we will always cherish. Make Fridays special!