Realizations

So much occurred last week that it is a bit of a blur now. The end of last week was all about Genie, her mom dying, the visitation and this week was about her mom's funeral on Monday. It also meant I got to see by other best friend Penny and her family again, but I regretted the circumstances.

Saturday Market Days was a bust again. I know Lynn, I need to pray over this more! LOL One of the organic farmers had the most beautiful sunflowers. I was unsure if he'd let me take a photo of them since he was selling them so I asked him if I could take a picture of him behind the sunflowers. I told him I'd bring him the photos this Saturday and I shall. He seemed pleased that I would do this. I did snap one of a lemon sunflower. He also had some orange sunflowers. I'd never heard of either. I thought of writing encouraging words on the center of the lemon sunflower and putting them in my shows. Should I give the organic farmer a commission? LOL

I did see Gail, a girl I went to elementary school through high school with and we talked for a long time. I gave her one of my business cards. She is on Facebook too. It was good catching up with her. I realized I needed to watch what I am saying when I am talking. Not that I said anything bad or untrue. On Facebook she said she liked my art.

Saturday nite, I uploaded some photos but didn't have time to send out all of them to friends and family as is my Sunday nite ritual. I knew I'd be at Genie's mom's visitation instead. While on the computer, I wondered if Penny would be arriving and trying to call me while my cell phone was charging. I had not heard from her or Genie. So by Sunday after church, we were headed to Cici's which is on the way to Genie's. Penny was headed down Genie's street. So I called Penny on her cell. She told me they were eating lunch with Genie. The old green jealousy monster came out. I feel like family yet I wasn't invited to lunch. I reared in the green monster and we went on to Cici's which was good then to Fred's. We went on to my folks' house because we were driving them to the funeral home for the visitation.

Genie was doing fine at the visitation until I arrived. She just held onto me longer than she has ever done before. I held her back. It made me cry. I think that is the way it always is for us... when we see someone who means a lot to us when someone in the family dies, we sort of lose it with them. It can be someone we are not really close to also as was the case with my Aunt Bea at my cousin Ken's funeral when I was pregnant with Rhett. I lost it with her and I am not very close to her. I tried to break the sadness by telling them about Rhett having a hissy fit because there was a moth in the truck earlier. Don stopped to get it out. The moth was on the back of Don's seat. When he tried to make it fly out of the truck, it lighted on a cup holder. Don couldn't see it on the cup holder. Don took the cup holder out which was holding a feather and flag. This just struck me so funny I couldn't stop laughing. By then I was crying and complaining about ruining my make-up. It was one of those moments you had to be there.

I swear Genie's mom had one eye almost open so it looked like she was seeing who came to peer at her! She had on a lovely pink suit she had picked out and was hanging out for her funeral. I also noticed you could barely see some of her fingernails almost as if she were missing them! Upon a closer look, they were there, but they blended in with the color of her skin. Later it thundered during the visitation. I whispered to my BFF Penny, "You reckon that's Alma?" We all laughed, but agreed it probably was her! Then Penny retold this later as we were about to leave the funeral home.

I had forgotten to order flowers so I had to go do that at almost the 11th hour from the funeral home's office. The florist was across the street from the funeral home. They wanted me to come over to there to pick them out! I explained this was my best friend and I was not leaving her. I requested something pink. Then they wanted to send sunflowers but I said no way! They told me they had something with lavender, white and pink. They arrived and they were just perfect. The pinks were roses! All in a white basket. I took pics of them. Jena loved the roses. I need to call the florist to tell them how lovely they were.

I noticed there were not as many folks for Genie's mom's visitation as there were for her Daddy. It was mostly church folks. Some I had not seen in years. It had been so long, some did not know me. Our two friends Elise and Ginger were there. I thanked them for being with Genie the day her mom died. There were Johnstons there that Penny wanted pictures of so we went down the hall to take photos on a lovely golden couch with beautiful artwork over it. I got one of Penny's family in a golden glow. I told her she didn't need to go to a professional photographer now! LOL Then they went to get Don for family pics of us. I guess we were gone quite awhile. By the time we went back into the visitation room, two of our high school classmates were there. It was good to see Mary and Kim again. It is my time to go through a phase of seeing folks all at once.

I knew Penny and family were invited to eat afterwards. Penny's girls kept asking if we were going and I'd say I wasn't invited. But then we were invited. We all went to Cheddar's. We had to wait almost 2 hours for a table. My mom almost waited too long to eat. We were not really hungry after eating at Cici's. Genie ordered onion rings for everyone. I got potato skins. We took lots of pics here too. It was hard visiting when you are at a long table. Then I treated everyone to a box of Krispy Kreme donuts for the next morning. Krispy Kreme was located across the street. There we all clowned around with the paper hats and took pics there. Still can believe my elegant friend Genie had one on! But we have pics to prove it. We got home in time to see the end of "The Gates".

Monday was the funeral. Rhett and I picked up my folks to drive them to it. Before the service, I met Genie and Penny's cousin Billy who I went to high school with. I thanked him and Dick for taking her Daddy places and almost broke down. I had to got out to get tissues. One of Daddy's old friends who he went to church and school with was one of the preachers. Genie's gran had encouraged him to become a preacher. He told funny stories of Alma when she was younger. They were hard to believe.

The funeral was to be private. Once again, Penny's girls were asking if we were going and I'd say we were not invited. Jena said we could come to Grace and Rhett, but then I felt like I was dismissed by Genie. There was no way I was crashing a funeral! She told me she'd see back at the house after the funeral. I over looked it because her mom was dead. At mom's, I tried to occupy myself by clipping out coupons. I changed into slacks and shirt. I took my time. I did not head on over in an hour. I did not pass go nor did I collect $200. As we were about to leave, Grace, Penny's middle daughter was calling to see if she and Sarah could stay with Rhett & I while Penny, her mom and Rob went down to Hatchachubee. That made me feel so good they wanted to stay with us! Later they called to say they were fixing us a plate. That bewildered me. Were we to be handed a plate upon arrival then take the girls back to my mom's?

Someone had made the best squash casserole. Some said church food is always the best food. While eating, I chatted with Billy again. The family albums had been gone through. There were even a few of me holding Jena as a baby. It was a good hair day that day. Looking at them, I saw how much Tony looks like Genie's Dad. I learned her grandma was in love with someone else but her parents wouldn't let her marry him so she married Genie's grandfather instead. There was a wedding picture of them as well as Genie's parents. Genie wore her mom's wedding dress but Jena doesn't want to wear it.

We took more photos. Rhett and I both had on matching orange shirts. He would be on one side of the photo and I would be on the other. It was sort of neat. Like matching bookends. LOL Later I realized I should have kept my dress on because Genie and Penny still had theirs on. Jena began showing pics from her camera of the bridal gowns she had tried on. We didn't think anything about this. I took pics of the many dolls. One was a Scarlett O'Hara doll. When I told Genie I did this, I knew she sounded funny. I thought I'd done something wrong. I asked what was the matter. Jena picked that day of all days to discuss her wedding in two years with her Daddy! Genie and Tony agreed this was not the time nor place for it. Genie said she may have to leave later. I was about to take the girls to my mom's so I told her she could come over there.

Grace just loves my mom's house. I asked her what she loved about it, she said it was so comfortable. So much so that she fell asleep on the couch! She said Sarah kept kicking her and kept her awake most of the night. It just make me feel good that she said this and she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep there. While the kids played their Nintendo games and Grace slept, I doodled. I had no idea Grace was watching me do this. She liked one I was not particularly fond of so I gave it to her. When they were about to leave, I noticed she did not have it in her hand. She had put it back in my art journal. I am thinking of mailing it to her.

A storm was coming as Penny and family were headed back to Savannah. I prayed for their safe journey.

Life has been rather uneventful since then. I had a mammogram yesterday which really hurt! It almost depressed me but I wouldn't let it. Later I listened to Michael Bolton thru ear phones to drown out Illy listening to Rush Limbaugh at work. I think "Soul Provider" is my fave song by him. It was Eden and Cruise's theme song on the soap opera "Santa Barbara".

I'd read in a magazine about making "Smile" boxes where you put things that make you smile on a piece of paper and put inside a box decorated to your liking. I bought several boxes for $1 each at Jo-Ann's for Rhett's Wednesday nite Bible class. Jo-Ann's had a really good sale. I got so many things for 50 cents each! I did not have the illustration with me. I realized these were the kid's boxes to do with as they will yet I wanted them to look like mine. We had no paintbrushes so I improvised. I traced a white chipboard piece that looked almost like the cloud in the illustration on top of a box for our room. I used my finger to fill in the white could. It gave it a neat effect. It may be hard to write the word "SMILES" evenly on it now though. We'll see....

I realized a lot of things this week. It was not about me. It was about others. It was about being there for your friends. I realized that old green monster can rear it's head anytime. It is up to us to keep it at bay. Art is not to be done just my way. No one can see inside my head to see what I am seeing or thinking. People are not mind readers. That may be a good thing sometimes! LOL Still I was thankful I could be there for both my BFF's. I am thankful for the time we got to spend together again despite the circumstances. I am thankful for all the many photos we took which will have to last us until next year's visit. I pray that will happen.

What are you thankful for? If you would like to share please joing us at laurie's at the following...
http://womentakingastand.blogspot.com/

P.S. PLEASE read my previous post!