Test Scare Me!

My 7th Grade Science Teacher, Mr. Law,

Once Told My Mother,

"If I Ask Julia Every Question On The Test, She Can Answer Correctly & Without Hesitation.  But, When I Lay The Test Paper On Her Desk I Can See Her Tense & Freeze."

I Continue To Feel That Way About Test . . . Almost Any Test!

Even Medical Test . . .

I Mean Really, It's Not Like You Can Study For A Mammogram or EKG To Improve Your Final Grade.

But I Get The VERY Same "Test" Feeling!

My Mind Fills With The Same Thoughts. . .

What If I Don't Pass?

What If My Friends Think I Am Not As Smart As They Are?

What If The "Teacher" Thinks I Didn't Apply Myself?

I Know, I Know. . . How Ridiculous!

I'm A Grown Woman, Top-Of-My-Game,

Three Wonderful Children All But Grown & Out-The-Door,

Organized, Talented, Blessed By God . . . 

Uh Oh!!!

I Think I Found The Problem - I Might Be An...

(shhhh - don't tell)

Over-Achiever

With A Secret Fear Of Rejection and Failure.

Well, The Last Few Weeks Have Been Full Of Tests.

I Applied To Display & Sell My Items At Several Fall Shows/Bazaars/Festivals Throughout The Southern States, "Juried" Shows

You Know, Where You Send Them A Sample, They Evaluate Your Items And Determine If They Are "Good Enough" For Their Show.

Well, Guess What - I PASSED!
This Week I Received TWO Acceptance Letters!
The Southern Fried Festival and Downtown Bell Buckle Shows,

Both Recognized By The Southeastern Tourism Society As A Top 20 Event,

I Am Thrilled To Be A Part Of Both Events!

In The Next Few Weeks, I Will Be Receiving Another Grade...
This One In The Form Of A Product Review.

Lena, Over At Mom2MemphisAnd Ruby Will Be Reviewing

A Bounced Blessings Product.

PRESSURE!!!!!

Be Sure & Visit Her Often,

I Would Love For You To "Hold My Hand" As She Shares Her Opinion On One Of My Custom-Created Items.

In The Meantime, I Gotta Bounce. . .

There Is Much Creating To Be Done!

Gonna Need Lots Of  Pretty Things To Fill My Spaces Over The Next Few Months.

Thanks For Stopping By And Remember. . . 

Keep Bouncing!

Celebrate Freedom

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Sodas, Beer, Flags, Family & Fireworks . . . 

Yep, Sounds Like An All-American July 4th Celebration!

Let's View It In Photo Form, Shall We?

Plan Carefully To Avoid Mishaps!
Andy Always Knew The Right Thing To Say, Didn't He?

Pull Out All The Red, White & Blue To Show Your Patriotic Pride!

Take The Children To The Parade
Teach Them The Meaning & Cost Of Freedom

Top Off The Day With A Big Bang

 But Let Us Not Forget The Cost Of Today's Celebration . . .

This Young Man & His Comrades Are 6 Months Into Their
Deployment to Jalalabad . . .
Their Mothers, Wives, Girlfriends, Fathers, & Friends
Have Been Holding Their Breath Since They Left
They Will Continue To Pray & Wait For 6 More Months
When Their Young Men Return To The Safety of United States Soil

Take A Minute - Reflect On These Words

And Remember....

I Wish Each Of You ~ A Wonderful Celebration of Freedom

But Most Of All, I Pray That Every Man & Woman Charged With Defending That Freedom,

Both Near & Far,

Return Safely To The Waiting Arms Of Their Family,

A Grateful Nation

& 

A Appreciative Community

God Bless You All!

Do You Know Her???

I Received This Card In The Mail Last Week . . . 

A Thank You For A Small Hostess Gift

The Note Was Appreciative, Complimentary & Very Sweet

But The Most Important Part Is The Envelope.

Did You Look Carefully?

Check Out That Return Address & Recipient?

I Was Crying Tears Of Laughter Before I Even Got It Open.

Of Course, I Recognized The Return Address Immediately.

It Was From My Friend - My Friend Of Many Years

But More Than That, She Is A Friend Of My Heart.

Do You Know Her?

She Is A Friend Who Knows The Ugly Parts Of My Past

And Isn't Afraid Of The Ugly Parts Of My Future.

She Is A Friend Who Is The Same In Good Times And Bad

Who Doesn't Change When Time Slips Past & Neither Of  Us Make Time To Catch Up.

She Is A Friend Who Will Hold My Hand When I Am Scared

Whisper Words Of Encouragement When I Am Down.

She Is A Friend Who Isn't Afraid To Laugh Out Loud

At Herself or At Me

She Is A Friend Who Loves Me, Inside & Out

Beginning To End.

Do You Know Her?

Of Course You Know Her!

Her Name May Be Sue, Joan, Cindy, or Madame Butterfly

Whatever Her Name, However Long It's Been-

Don't Wait Another Minute

Tell Her What She Is To You . . .

Call Her, Write Her, Pay Her A Visit.

You Know Her!!!

And You Know Your World Is A Better Place With Her In It!

The Background For This Post -

As You May (or May Not) Know Since November, 2011

My Life Seems To Have Been A Series of Milestone Moments, Rolling Through At Rapid Fire Pace.

Most Of These Events Have Not Been Of A Joyous Nature,

But There Have Been A Few That Were Quite Celebratory!

It Was One Of Those Joyous Milestones That Brought About A Friendship Re-Connection Of Grand Proportions.

There Was A Time When These Eight Folks Rarely Went

24 Hours Without Face-to-Face Contact

We Were A...

Hard-Working

Fun-Loving

Living-Large Group

Oh, The Stories We Can Tell!

Perhaps The Best Way To Explain The Depth Of These Friendships Is To Share A FB Caption Placed With These Photos, By My 29-Year-Old Daughter, Who Was A Pre-Teen During Those Years . . .

"They Say, "It Takes A Village To Raise A Child"
Folks...This Was MY Village
Yes, This Group Raised Me...

Explains A Lot, huh?!?

I Love All Of You!!!!

It Is Those Less Than Joyous Milestones That Have Caused Me To Examine Life's Blessings With New Eyes.

I Have A Renewed Appreciation For So Many Simple Things

The Sound Of A Friend's Laughter

The Warmth Of Their Company

The Security and Stability Of True Love & Friendship

And Perhaps Most Importantly, The Value Of Each & Every Friendship...

Whether New or Old ~ Near or Far

Each Is Priceless!

So, I Ask You Again...

Do You Know Her?

Reach & Out And Connect (or Re-Connect)

You Won't Be Sorry!

One More Thing -

To The Seven People Surrounding Me In The Photos Above

I LOVE YOU AND AM BLESSED TO CALL YOU FRIEND!

To All My Friends Not Pictured Above

MY LIFE IS RICHER BECAUSE OF YOU!

I LOVE YOU!