Fish Fry Weekend!

It's been a beautiful, fun weekend so far! It was so nice to wake up slowly this morning and not have to rush off to a meeting or work!

We had a Scattering Seeds mentor luncheon this morning. About 30 of us went to Highland Oaks for a lunch. My mentee couldn't go, but I picked up Lynn and we went along with the group! Then tonight we had a fish fry at MawMaw's with Greg and Jessi, and Gary and Carolyn (who are in town from Trussville for the weekend). Great to see them and Jessi again. Got to see Jessi's senior portraits -- very good, of course -- she's a beautiful subject! She's enjoying her senior year.

We get to see baby Kate next weekend at Auburn's first game! Maybe I need to stay with Kate while everyone goes to the game!!! Wouldn't that be nice of me? She's sitting up all by herself now! Here are some of the latest photos Casey took of her for her 6 month story board!

Check out what Casey's been photographing lately -- in addition to Kate on her website.

Mouth of the South

Every year, the American Advertising Federation 7th District has a very important competition in July called "Mouth of the South." Actually, it's a "lip-sinc" competition that they take very seriously. The teams spend a lot of time selecting songs, choreographing, costuming . . . keeping each AAF club's songs and plans a secret until the night of competition.

Dothan's AAF club entered the competition for the first time last year, but we didn't place. So this year, we enlisted the assistance of choreographer extraordinaire Ron DeVane to help us with our skit with a 1974 theme. As this year's president of AAF-Dothan, I felt it was my duty and obligation to assist my team of board members Kerry Farrell, Gina Burdeshaw and Patrick Liester in our quest for that elusive trophy. Competition's tough! Some teams have 15 or more members and are much larger than our club.

But this year, we brought home 3rd place! That was from 11 teams that entered! We were very proud of ourselves and had a lot of fun in the process with practices! Kerry and I braved tickly mustaches, twirling nightsticks and having to walk through the hotel lobby wearing police gear -- but that's nothing to what Patrick and Gina had to do with Gina dressed as a teenager and Patrick as a 70's lounge act with a "fro"! But our selfless obligation to upholding AAF-Dothan's honor was a success!

Thanks to everyone who helped! We may look ridiculous -- but it was so much fun!

But it all wasn't just fun and games! We also attended many meetings and workshops that will help us to benefit our club -- and got to meet "Scott the Nametag Guy" (that's Scott in the middle) who spoke to the group about branding. I would say all around it was a good weekend!

Anna's Family Weekend

Anna and Zach spent the weekend in Huntsville with John, Casey & Kate! She says they had a blast, and she's posted the photos on her All Things Design blog. Kate laughs and giggles now, she is so cute and funny! I'm jealous! It will be Labor Day weekend before we get to see her again at Auburn's first ball game. Can't wait to see her decked out in her Auburn gear!

My girls' weekend in Buckhead

It's seemed like a long week at work, even though I took Monday off! I spent a wonderful extended weekend with Anna last weekend -- just us girls! We got to see Casey, John and Kate when they stopped in on their way to a friend's wedding in Warner Robbins. Anna was thrilled to see how much Kate has grown and interacts now! Then Anna and I saw the movie Julie and Julia Fri. nite -- a great movie. It was fun to find out about Julia Childs' life since I can remember her on TV -- as the "first Food Network Star"! Meryl Streep can play any part, I've decided! She was so good.

Then on Sat. we took a Calligraphy class at Paper-Source at Virginia Highlands in Atlanta. I didn't do too bad, but we found out it takes a lot of patience (I like to do things fast and get them done) and practice (where's the time?)! We had fun and feel like we can try it on a few things now -- maybe not professionally, but for fun! That store is wonderful! I bought some plain cards to try my new embosser tool on -- Anna had just got one and it's really neat!

We ate lunch at the Swan Coach House -- a beautiful tea room restaurant at the Atlanta History Center. I had the chicken salad and shrimp salad -- delicious. But I should have worn my hat, dahlin'!


We had fun shopping and eating. Anna lives in a house with three other girls -- soon to be two if you know someone looking for a place to live in Atlanta -- and we destroyed the connections to their big TV trying to hook up her roomie's DVD player to watch Ballet Shoes. Never did get it to work -- Zach is going to have to fix it! I'm usually pretty good with connecting cords, but this one beat me! So we watched Ballet Shoes (great movie - watch it!) and Twilight (I don't get the obsession with this one, but everyone loves it, I laughed through most of it!) Anna and her roommate Ansley - and Tiffany at work - are obsessed with that movie.

And then on Sun. Anna took me to Scott Antique Market -- and I was in antique heaven! It is absolutely huge and filled with wonderful jewelry and furniture and things you won't see anywhere else. We talked to a guy who handmade beautiful tables with unusual metal legs. I can't wait to go back -- hopefully before Christmas!

We had a great weekend -- maybe next time Casey and Kate can join us! Casey, John and Kate stopped by MawMaw's on Wed. on their way home from the beach. Nanny came over too, so the great-grandmas got to see Kate -- and me too! I just can't get enough of her!

And now Anna has offered her talents on Etsy's website. It's a neat place where people can sell unique items they make and produce. Her Whatever Is Loveley site: "Present in style with Whatever Is Lovely Prints, a noble stationery and design company by Anna Hatcher Design, llc. I’m Anna and my goal is to create a praiseworthy and stress-free design process that has an end result that you will not only love but will present you or your event with style!" So if you need anything designed or printed, check out her Etsy site or her All Things Design blog.

Kate is growing up!

I'm late - I know I'm late with posting my photos from the weekend visiting with baby Kate. Although my photos aren't "professional" -- she squirms a lot, so some are blurry -- she's just too cute and we love her! Enjoy!




As Stacy said, "She's on full feed now!" No, she's not fat! But she sure has filled out! She's now eating cereal and applesauce and some squash her mom Casey made with her other "mom friends." I remember doing that when the girls were babies. I smushed up sweet potatoes and other vegetables and froze them in ice cube trays. (Do they still make ice cube trays?)

Kate interacts more now and smiles and makes cute little baby noises! But when she gets hungry -- you better feed her! I was trying to stick to Casey's schedule when we baby sat, until Stacy said, "Fix that girl a bottle!" as she was screaming!

Her Pawpaw is so funny with her -- they spent a good bit of time outside on the porch "having a moment," as Stacy said! Until she had a poopy diaper, then he held her like a sack of potatoes and hollered, "Someone get her!" Oh, it's funny! Can't wait to see her again -- and see how much she changes!

Our sweet girl!

I'm sooooo excited -- we're going to Madison this weekend to visit Kate. Well, we're going to visit Casey and John too -- of course we are! And we get to babysit Saturday while they go to Birmingham! Here are two of Casey's latest photos of Kate. I can't believe she's almost 5 months old!

Casey has updated her photography website and blog. Check them out!

Since I'm plugging Casey's business -- I have to make a plug for Anna's design business. They're both very talented! Anna's done some beautiful work. Check it out here.

One Small Step

This week is the 40th anniversary of the famous "Walk on the Moon" in 1969. There were many skeptics back then who thought it was some kind of Hollywood production -- these were the same people who thought "wrestling" was real, by golly!

There are many life events where I remember where I was when it happened -- when President Kennedy was killed (in school) -- when Martin Luther King was killed (living in Memphis and on my way to the community center and having to go back home because the city was going bezerk) -- when Richard Nixon resigned as President (a sophomore at Auburn Univ.) -- when Elvis died (working at a small newspaper in Camilla, Georgia, and I drew an editorial cartoon for the paper) -- when the World Trade Center was hit by "terrorists" (working at Wiregrass Electric, and we couldn't tear ourselves away from the TV, for days).

But the landing on the moon the summer after 9th grade was one of the most poignant memories of my youth. I was at a bowling alley in Memphis with my best friends Kathy and Rose -- and I'm sure some boys were involved there too. Why else hang around a bowling alley? We watched it on the TV there and were amazed. The pictures are a little grainy -- but hey, we didn't have HD back then!



What an era growing up in the 60s! We went from full skirts with petticoats to bell-bottoms and halter tops! We were only allowed to wear dresses to school until 1969 -- and then it had to be pantsuits. By my senior year we could wear blue jeans -- bell-bottoms of course, with embroidered flowers down the leg and the hems frayed out! Those were the days before pantyhose -- when you had to wear a girdle or garter belt and hook the hose on!

Kids today complain that there isn't anything to do, but there wasn't much for teenagers to do back then, either! Hanging out with my friends at Shoney's in my family's Rambler stationwagon -- baby blue, no less, with the little wood strip down the side! Sneaking into the drive-in in the trunk of a friend's car -- to watch werewolf and vampire movies! And you better remember to take the speaker out of the window before driving off! Stores weren't open on Sundays -- and the stores owned by Jewish families closed on Saturdays. Going to church or community dances on the weekends -- always with a live band. That was when the dirtiest dance was the "gator" -- nothing like this booty stuff they do today!

We were living during the "cold war" and worried about nuclear war. My friend Susan had a bomb shelter in her basement -- and all public buildings had signs for where to go in case of a bomb. I had many nightmares during those years about trying to get to a bomb shelter -- you know, where you're running but you just can't get anywhere? It was the beginning of technology and computers -- and the end of innocence. I can imagine how my parents must have felt back then -- kind of how I feel now when I see kids with pink hair, tattoos and piercings all over their faces -- how I feel when I see "big brother" becoming real life.

One of our required readings in high school was the book "1984" by George Orwell, written in 1949. The novel has become famous for its portrayal of government surveillance and control and its increasing encroachment on the rights of the individual. The government was "big brother" and ruled every aspect of their lives. Orwell may have had the date wrong, but the changes I see now in our government are closer to big brother every day.

Sorry, I had a Nanny moment and got sidetracked! Get off your soapbox Cary and back to Apollo 11 and the first moon walk! For those of us who were between kindergarten and college in 1969, the "walk on the moon" was the biggest thing that had ever happened in our lives. It marked our lives just as the Great Depression and the Second World War marked our parents' and grandparents' lives -- and how "September 11" will mark my children's lives. Wow, where have the last 40 years gone!