Yes, our trip was a success…in several ways. Most of all, we had a ball. Just having the chance to spend some alone time together was wonderful! And, of course, we were able to find some cute “stuff”. We left home and our first stop was Sikes and Kohn’s, a large clothing and shoe barn…full of a great assortment of styles. Mom and Joy bought a pair of Yellow Box flip-flops each, and I bought Suzanne, my DIL, 2 pairs of the same. Then, on to Birmingham. Mom was on a shoe buying mission, so our first stop was Unique Feet, a specialty shoe store with hard to find sizes. Oh, did they have the shoes! I think she bought 5 or 6 pairs. Mom likes those Fancy Nancy shoes…very stylish and dressy. Ian, son #3, met us there. We thought we would just hit the food court at the Galleria, but he had other plans for his 3 favorite ladies. “I’m taking you some place special”, he said. So, off we went. And ended up at Cobb Lane, a quaint little restaurant on a back street. They had outside dining, and we chose to eat there. Delicious chicken salad and fruit plate. What a treat. It was a nice respite after a morning of such hard, hard shopping. Ian had to head out, so we bade him good-bye, and turned our thoughts back to sharing our dollars with B’ham. Our next shop was perhaps my favorite shop in the big city…a little place in Mountain Brook called White Flowers Gallery. Oh, if you live in or near B’ham, you MUST shop with them. Everything in the store is white. Gifts,, trinkets, decor for home or self, baby items,perfumes, lotions, candles…something to please all. If you are looking for a gift for a friend…this is the place to go. Now…they also sell clothes. all white with black designs and some gray. The shop owner, Dianne, is a most delightful lady and a pleasure to shop with. They do the most beautiful gift wrapping on anything you buy. Oh, and the clothes are a sporty, casual look…cottons and linens. She always has an abundance of fresh flowers (white) and the walls are covered in glorious angel murals, and heavenly music is above it all. A delight for all the senses. We spent at least an hour there. Afterwards, we traveled over to the Summit area and checked into our hotel. Got some supper, caught up on a lot of girl talk, and went to bed early. Next morning, after breakfast in the motel, we left the motel, and realized the stores didn’t open till 10:00…luckily, we found World Market opens at 9:00, so we managed to find some necessities there, and werr ready when Talbott’s opened up at 10:00. We comandeered a corner of their dressing rooms, and comenced to trying on practically every cute thing in the store. We all 3 left with an arm load of summer frocks. Then, on to Coldwater Creek, J.Jill. Anthropologie, Parisian, and Smith and Hawken. Not only were we out of money…our feet hurt, too. So, that’s a clue it’s time to head on that 4 hour trip home. Made a quick stop in Montgomery to pick up something at their Talvott’s…and on to home. We managed to make it home before dark, which was a good thing, since we all had church the next morning. We all attend the same church we have since we were girls, Joy is the pianist. We have a new pastor who started Sunday morning, so it was an exciting day. Let me just say this, though. I. Did. NOT. Buy. Any. Shoes!!!!. There just wasn’t enough time to really search…but I am so glad Mom was able to find hers. And, I’ll possibly, maybe, probably do some shopping in Hawaii in a couple of weeks. All in all, a wonderful week-end, with my wonderful Mom and sister. I am blessed beyond measure with them both. Below, I’ve posted some pics for you. You’ll see us as we left, then at Cobb Lane, with Ian, at the Summit, and 2 of my new sweaters…cute, huh?

Even though my dream department store is not built yet, it’s still time for a quick shopping trip. My Mom, my sister, Joy, and myself are leaving in the morning for a couple of days in Birmingham. Mom and Joy have the teeniest, tiniest feet, and Birmingham is the best place for them to find any selection at all. Of course, lucky for me, I don’t have that problem…I can find cute shoes wherever I go. And they always are calling my name…saying,”take me home…take me home…we belong with you.” And soft heart that I have, I can’t bear to leave them at the store. You DO understand, don’t you? And you would do the same thing, right? Good! We are on the same wave length. 🙂

We always have the most fun when we are together. And I am so blessed that we all live in the same town and can take these little trips together. We just build beautiful memories.

So, please say a little prayer for us as we are gone. For safety and for health. I’ll catch up with you friends when I get back.

A few weeks ago I saw a meme going around about shopping mall, and picking the stores you would want in it. No one tagged me, so I decided to take the idea and put my own slant on it. I have always wanted to own a shop for the stylish and fun-loving woman. Not just clothes, but shoes, bags, jewelry,gifts and who knows what else. In my dreams, I will build a large department store, and here is the line-up of floors.

!st. floor: FACE IT!…a selection of beauty items…make up, my Niven Morgan scents, hair
products,etc.
2nd. floor: BOTTOM’S UP!…a selection of the finest lingerie…including Spanx, and all cotton
underwear, cute things in ALL sizes.
3rd. Floor: LET’S PLAY DRESS UP!…pant, tops, dresses, and other clothing items…stylish
in every size.
4th. floor: SOLE SISTER!…only the cutest shoes in styles for every age woman, sneakers,
heels, athletic, flats, and FLIP-FLOPS
5th. floor: CARRY ON!…the finest collectiom of handbags available…small, large, totes,
shoulder bags, clutches…in REASONABLE prices
6th. floor: EMBELLISHMENTS!…every thing you need to add the finishing touch to an outfit…l
scarves, jewelry…real and costume, hose, socks,etc.
7th. floor: TREASURES!…gift shop…for any occasion and for any age…even gifts for yourself..

8th. floor: HOMEWORK!…home decor and accessories, linens for bed and bath

9th. floor: EYES AND EARS!…a selection of the finest books…all kinds except naughty
a selection of the best in music…but NO rap or heavy metal
10th. floor: LET’S EAT!…here there will be a P.F.Chang’s, a Cheesecake Factory, an Olive
Garden, a Krispy Kreme Doughnut shop, and a Godiva Chocolate
store…and a Sonic.

Would you like to shop in my department store? Oh…you want to know the name of the store? …..Why…GATHERINGS, of course. A gathering of all the best!

Tuesday evening…..

Oh, where do I start this post? Wise Woman that I am…let me share some advice with you. Be very careful what you post…and what you pray. And, if you say a prayer IN a post…be extra, extra careful. First, read the last paragraph of yesterday’s post. I’d call that a prayer, wouldn’t you? Well, as I was writing it, that’s the way I meant it.

Today was haircut day for me, and as I was walking out the door, the telephone rang. It was Sweet Amy, my hair artist. Amy is the daughter of Tina, one of my BFF’s, and I love her dearly. She is the same age as my Adam, and they have been friends forever, too. Well, Amy asked if I would stop by the store and bring her some dog food and a large leash. She went on to tell me that she had rescued a dog and he was inside her salon. But, she had a hard time getting him in, and since most dogs have to potty at some point, she was going to have to take him outside. And she wanted to be able to get him back in. I was happy to do as she asked…and I did. When I got to her salon, there was the most beautiful dog. I don’t know much about breeds, but I think he is either a Golden Retriever or an Irish Setter. But his eyes…they were so sad. And mesmerizing. They looked just like a tiger’s eye…golden colored. Amy took him out and sure enough, he did not want to go back inside. It took us a little while to finally coax him back in. He ate up his food and then lay down on the floor and went to sleep. My heart was breaking, ya’ll. Amy could not take him, due to her living arrangements, so ..what to do? After my hair cut, I got in the car and called Don to ask if there was any way WE could keep him with us. I knew he would say no before I called, but I had to try. He told me to call the Humane Society. Well, friends…I just could not do that. This baby was so sad and skittish, and certainly had been traumatized. Every time a car horn would blow, he would jump and start shaking. What had he been through? He had been hanging around the salon for about a week and some other folks had fed him, but turned him back out. And it is on a very busy street. Makes me shudder! How could anyone throw this dog away? So…on to plan B. I called my son Adam, who happens to be celebrating his wedding anniversary today. He HAPPENED to be about a block away, so he came on to the salon. I think he lost his heart immediately. He and Suzanne already have a Rotwieller mix…a beautiful animal and a real sweetheart. They rescued her from a shelter. Adam picked him up (by this time, I had named him Sunny) and put him in the back of my SUV. And he got in beside him. Off to the vet we went. He would not walk into the office, so we had to carry him in. And, he never barked or snapped or made any move to stop us. We left him at the vet, to clean him up and check him and all the rest. They called Adam a few minutes ago, and said that he was fine…just a few parasites. Adam is on the way to get him as we speak. Now what am I going to do with this dog? OH, and he is NOT a he…she’s a she. She is 2 years old and a Golden Retriever/ Australian Shepherd mix.

Wednesday morning…..

Hi again.. the saga of Sunny continues… Adam thought that maybe he and Suzanne could keep Sunny, but things did not go well when the 2 dogs were introduced to each other. They began fighting, and they had to keep them separate all night. This morning, I have called every vets office here and no one has reported her missing. So, at this point, she is going back to Sweet Amy at the salon, while the rest of us try our best to find her a home.

Pray with me please about a place for her to live with lots of love. I believe if the Lord led all of us to rescue this animal, He has a place for her to live.

EDITED TO ADD: WEDNESDAY EVENING…

Just got word that Tina, Sweet Amy’s mom, has called a vet who goes to our church to tell him about Sunny. He is going to board her and try to adopt her out to a good family. Dr. Holland is a fine person and we all feel sure that he will do the right thing for her. So, thanks for your prayers andgood thoughts.

On May 10 I showed you pics of the sweet critters at my house. Sweet Thing and Chubby Hubby. Well this morning when I got up at 4:30 to let the dog out…there was Sweet Thing…sitting on her egg. When I got up for real at 7:00…she was gone, and she hasn’t come back..neither has Chubby Hubby…I have not seen them all day. We have been so careful going in and out of the house, and they had gotten so used to us that they would just watch us as we would enter. So, I don’t think we did anything to scare them. The egg is still there, and is not cracked. Now I am not a nature expert, by any means, so do any of you know why the birds would abandon their nest and egg? I would love to know what happened.

Another thing I don’t understand…why does this make me feel so sad? I mean, it’s just 2 wild birds, for heaven’s sake. I guess my heart has been touched by these little creatures. Seeing them work so hard building their nest, and watching how they would take turns sitting on the egg, has been so sweet. Seeing how the Chubby Hubby would sit on the limb over the porch keeping watch over them has been amazing. And even though I am 53, I have still been in awe at the working of our Lord. How He put this love and caring and knowledge into even the smallest of creation fills me with awe. As a preschool teacher for many years, one of the Bible thoughts I have taught many children is, “Think of the wonders of God…”Job 37:14. This has been running through my mind . And I also know the verse that says”…He knows when even the smallest bird falls…” So that says to me, that even our mighty God knows about this little bird family who made their home on my porch.

I hope I never get so old that I cease to be amazed at the wonders of God, large or small. I pray that I will never take for granted what a wonderful world He created for us. And my desire is that my heart will always be tender for the weak or the hurting in this world…human or not. We are all God’s workmanship.