Hear ~ Speak ~ See: Surprise, Surprise!

I love a surprise! And I really love to be the one who does the surprising. It's the joy of seeing one's face or hearing their excited voice on the phone. It's just happiness that swells the heart to overflow. Both the surpriser & the surprised share the joy.

Sunday, July 20th, I made a surprise visit to my hometown of Bennettsville. Dothan knew that I was traveling. Cruising early morning down Hwy 431, almost a lone traveler, gave way to listening & praising in song. Missing my church family but loving the nature viewing & joy of singing praises to God.

The trip is a long one. Familiar sites along the way...new ones to remember. Stories unfold in the mind from these sites. Curious living among the ride. I make it in 8 & 15 mins.

Brother hears & believes I'm cruising a Hwy38N in Bama, Sister hears voice & believes "someone" needs help @ the door and mom's mouth hangs low ...SURPRISE! And I was a little surprised too with seeing my nephew Jacob at my sister's. He is spending 3 weeks in Bville attending 2 weeks at Camp Pine Hill and the other at their home.

Life goes on and the Bville calendar stays its course.

A nice visit, after mom's Monday dr appt., with cousins from Columbia who were coming for an already planned lunch with their aunts. It was so nice to get to surprise them too! We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and had a great time together.

Smyrna Church held a banquet that night to honor the "Woman of the Year 2014". As planned, Mom joined Susan & others for the festivities. I, on the other hand, visited my brother & his wife. SIL had knee surgery this morning and was home beginning her recovery.

Three of mom's good friends gather at her home every Tuesday & play bridge. They have such a good time together. My afternoon was spent just relaxing, writing & preparing some dinner for mom & me.

A scheduled trip to Florence to return some items began our Wednesday. I made several purchases for the outside flower beds & patio at a very good sale price. Our lunch was at one of mom's favorite restaurants, Lizards Thicket. With a quick trip by the new Ollie's and a peach milkshake purchase from Chick Fil A we started back home. The day was so beautiful, and Susan, mom & I had a wonderful time.

~Just a little photo playing~

Thursday afternoon Susan & I revved up the riding mowers and set out to cut the fields. Starting at the fence by the pond, we worked our way down the side of the woods by the entrance road. Moving over to the front fields we were able to cut most of the field until the rains came down. I listen to tunes as I cut and have such a good time singing out loud.

Mom has been letting her hair grow for some time now, and I have not really liked it. (sorry mom) She has a standing appointment on Fridays with her hairdresser. I finally asked mom to consider having her hair cut like she use to wear it. Well, I really asked her to do it for my birthday.

Mom sends birthday cards to us. With my birthday right around the corner and a new beginning of a decade, I asked for a special gift...a haircut for her. She paused a moment to think about it, and then said she'd consider.Whoo-eee!...wish granted, and I think she is glad that she got her hair cut. I am too!

With a new hairdo mom & I traveled to L'burg to visit the patient. But a quick stop @ Micky D's for ice cream really made the ride even better. All's well at the G2 home, & the patient is recovering very well. Before heading home we shopped at WM for a few items.

A little sleep-in on Saturday morning was nice before I got back out on the mower to finish the field cutting.

After lunch mom & I went to R'ham to their Ollie's & to WM. I found it! I found it! I found it at WM.

Some time ago I visited the Coke Rewards website and created my very own Coke Zero personalized label "Mel". Don't care what anyone says............this is my creation....hahaha...gotta believe y'all!

Dad's nephew & his wife along with their 2 grandchildren called mom earlier in the week to say that they would be stopping by for an overnight visit. They arrived at the house and my aunts & Susan, David & Jacob along with us went to a favorite place to eat...Stanton's. After eating we stopped by the cemetery to view the difference it made when tree limbs had been cut by someone. We then headed back to mom's house.