It's Cool

Possible rain showers today across North Texas and I couldn't be happier!  My poor plants desperately need rain!  Although we water regularly, our plants and flowers are so burnt from the excessive sun and heat.  We had 11 straight days of triple digits, temps dropped for a few days (when I say dropped, I mean they dipped under 100), and then they were back up into triple digits.  This week we should be in the low- to mid-90's and it seems like everyone is over the heat and ready for football season.  I think I read somewhere that as of the other day, we had 5 Saturday's to go for college kick-off. 

We've finished season three of Last Chance U on Netflix.  Loved the first two seasons, season three was just as good despite a different state, different JuCo team, new coach, new players and, as one of the coaches states, "a whole new set of knuckleheads."  BTW, "knuckleheads" has been Coach's go-to phrase for years.  We first noticed him saying it when he coached high school but basically, everyone's a knucklehead -- the guy driving in front of him, someone at work, the person at the grocery store who leaves their shopping cart in the parking lot rather than walking it back to the store, etc. 

We had such a nice relaxed weekend.  Friday we grabbed a bite to seat, I had a hair appointment Saturday and that night we saw the new "Mission Impossible" movie.  Say what you want about Tom Cruise and his Scientology beliefs, the guy just doesn't make a bad movie (with the exception of "Vanilla Sky" and that weird movie he made with then wife Nicole Kidman).  "Mission Impossible" was kind of long (over 2 hours) but it had a great story line and, of course, it was action packed!  Tom Cruise is 56 and does most of his own stunts and if he's had plastic surgery, it's been subtle.  He looks fabulous.  And I was surprised to see Vanessa Kirby (she played Princess Margaret in Netflix's "The Crown") as the White Widow and Rebecca Ferguson as Ethan Hunt's love interest (she's from "The White Queen" on Starz -- she portrayed Elizabeth Woodville who eventually became Queen Elizabeth).  Oh!  And Henry Cavill (aka Super Man).  He's so good looking but had a horribly cheesy mustache in the movie.  I love it when my Hollywood worlds collide! 

I was also very happy to watch the trailers for two new Claire Foy movies:  "The First Man" (Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong, Claire Foy his wife) https://www.firstman.com/ and "The Girl in the Spider's Web" https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/girl-spiders-web-trailer-claire-foy-plays-lisbeth-salander-1117969  A far cry from her role as Queen Elizabeth in "The Crown." 

Sunday afternoon we watched some videos from KJ's childhood as a little walk down memory lane before she heads off to school.  Holy cow.  She was freaking adorable.  She had that accident falling off a friend's swing and lost her front teeth way too early.  So she was even cuter.  We watched some video from Prince of Peace pre-school holiday programs, Halloween at the pumpkin patch, a couple of Christmas's in NY and PA, sledding, shooting guns, bears walking around, visiting Santa, fireworks, getting our puppy Buddy, my beautiful nephew Brandon as a baby (he was a GORGEOUS baby!), t-ball, soccer, cheer and princess camp @ the local My Gym. 

July

"Answer July—
Where is the Bee—
Where is the Blush—
Where is the Hay?

Ah, said July—
Where is the Seed—
Where is the Bud—
Where is the May—
Answer Thee—Me—"
-  Emily Dickinson, Answer July 

 

 

July is more than halfway over and it's been a wonderful month!  We got to see T-bone and the Dew twice (on their way out west and on their way back to Birmingham to pick-up KJ).  Coach and I had a very, very relaxing week while KJ  was gone.  Cruised around in her convertible a couple of times (drives her crazy when we send her Snapchats of us in her car!), hung out in the pool a lot, watched a couple of good movies, got a few things done in the house.  She had an awesome visit with her big sister and called me from the airport yesterday crying.  It was all good; happy tears.  She got to see some old friends, spent lots of time with T and they went to Sloss Fest with friends over the weekend.  She gets like me . . . I get overwhelmed with happiness and being incredibly blessed and cry for no apparent reason but it's really happy tears.  T was crying too when she took KJ to the airport and Coach said KJ was crying when she got off the plane.  She just really had a good visit with everyone. 

T and the Dew had an amazing trip out west.  T's pics are incredible.  They hiked, went on a hot air balloon ride at dawn, did the Grand Canyon again, camped and hiked some more.  They never sit still. 

 

It's been very, very hot the last couple of days ~ high 90's with the heat index putting us in the triple digits.  All I can say is, "thank God we have a pool!"  When we were moving here I told Coach I could not move to Texas without a pool.  We luv, luv, luv our pool.  We are in the pool almost every night and pretty much all weekend.  We just float, talk, relax, listen to music or watch TV (Coach bought a TV to attaché to one of the breezeway's post and it flips around so we can watch it from the pool or from the cozy corner of the patio.  Despite the heat, Coach is still playing men's league lax once a week.  Fortunately, it's late at night when the sun goes down (some games start at 9 PM) but it really doesn't make much of a difference when it's still in the low 90's. 

 

My job is winding down this week.  Because I haven't been here a year I don't qualify for the FLMA and the company is not legally obligated to hold my position while I'm recouperating from surgery.  I've had a couple of clients take me to lunch and my Front Desk and Housekeeping buddies are sad.  I've enjoyed this job very much.  I've learned a lot and met some wonderful people.  But, at this point, I'm just glad to be getting this over with.  I've suffered for so long and now I finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. 

 

 

#MyMississippi

Back in MD after a wonderful, wonderful trip to MS!  Despite a rocky start with my luggage on 4th of July, we still had a great trip and couldn't be prouder of T! 

I cannot even begin to describe how professional and organized the Miss Mississippi pageant is.  Everything is top-notch . . the production numbers, the costumes, the choreography, the girls are treated like rock stars throughout the week and are very well cared for.  T's hostess mom was awesome and extremely protective of her two girls.

Sunday was her official check-in and Monday evening was the parade through Vicksburg followed by an autograph party at the Outlet Mall.  The weather in Vicksburg was perfect the entire week and the parade was so much fun!  T's two little princesses, Lydia and Sterling, were super sassy and T absolutely adored them!  One of the great things about the Miss Mississippi pageant being in Vicksburg is how the whole town gets behind the pageant.  Everywhere we went people asked if we were in town for the pageant, asked what our daughter's title was and followed it up with a "good luck" or "I'll cheer for her!"  Wednesday Cosmo, KJ and my parents all arrived and prelims started that night.

T had evening gown Wednesday night, swimsuit Thursday and ending prelims on Friday.  T wore a red, strapless, mermaid style gown with a layers of ruffles on the bottom -- KJ said she looked like a flamenco dancer!  It fit her like a glove and I love the color red on her!  The gown was very elegant, timeless, classic and totally T.  She also had on-stage question that night and did great!  Interestingly, everyone else's questions were about their platforms so they were able to give thought out responses.  For some reason they asked T about lacrosse so her response was a little more impulsive.

Thursday morning was another autograph party, this time in at the Coca-Cola Museum in Downtown Vicksburg.  Contestants were situated at various stores on Washington Avenue and the public popped in and out to talk to the girls and get to know them.  From there the girls had lunch with the Rotary Club at the Country Club.  Thursday night she totally rocked swimsuit.  Poor Coach!  He had never seen her bouncing across the stage in a bikini and looked at me and said, "Holy Shit."  It was pretty funny!  Honestly, I thought she should have won swimsuit prelim.  She really did look amazing.  Some of the girls were very muscular with extremely broad shoulders, T is definitely fit and athletic but more feminine.

Friday afternoon the Dew and T's best friend Tana arrived in Vicksburg and we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant before heading to the Convention Center.  T did an amazing job with her talent and the audience was clapping along.  She tweaked her routine a bit since I had seen it last and added a split and a few other moves.  She hit all of her turns and I really thought she had a shot at possibly winning a talent prelim but then the girl after her totally nailed her lyrical dance.  She was the clear winner that night.



All week I kept thinking that T was holding her own against the veterans and more experienced contestants and I was right.  Saturday they announced the top 10 and a little later in the evening they announced scholarship winners.  She placed 14 out of 41 girls.  Now, that may not seem great but this is Mississippi.  EVERYONE has participated at a pageant at some point in their lives!  The top 10 consisted of several returning contestants and even a couple of Miss Mississippi's Outstanding Teens.  These girls have been competing for years and most have pageant coaches in addition to their pageant directors, most have had vocal lessons or choreographers assisting with their dances, trainers to get their bodies in shape and unlimited budgets when it comes to wardrobe.  Some of the girls even had specially prepared meals brought in for them all week.  T joked around and said Tana was her trainer!  They worked out together almost every day.  T's directors were awesome and helped her with mock interviews and wardrobe selection, T said she taught herself how to walk in evening gown and how to pose for swimsuit.  She had a make-up lesson from the MAC counter at the mall in Tupelo before she left for the pageant and her hair and make-up looked amazing all week.

After each night of competition there was a visitation for the families to meet with their contestants and Friday and Saturday nights were cocktail parties at the casino.  That was a lot of fun because the Dew and Tana came to those and we really got to spend a lot of time with Taylor.  The Dew likes to dance so he and T hit up the dance floor each night. 

T had an amazing week in Vicksburg.  She met some wonderful new friends, learned a lot about herself and I think she'll be back next year!  (if she wins a local pageant!).