A Year in the Life

That should be the new motto of my state & city.  I stand in utter amazement this morning as I read about all the acts of kindness.  Is there anything more humbling than being served by someone? There have been pleas on FaceBook to rescue elderly grandparents, children, stranded motorists.  Churches opened their doors; neighbors opened their doors; businesses packed people in.  There were friends who abandoned their cars to start walking home last night, and stopped to rest at restaurants that were slammed with customers.  You know what they did?  They became servers!  How great is that?  (Kim & Jason)  Have hands, will serve. This morning an alert went out that there was a good Samaritan that didn't make it home last night & he was not responding to calls or texts.  He is also diabetic.  Oh yeah, and it dropped down to 17 degrees last night.  SCARY!  You know what a group of people did?  They formed a...

The snow had just started. Snow, it is the four letter word here in Alabama.  It sends fear into the heart of every mother.  Last night they predicted that we would get just a dusting.  Um, they messed up our forecast by just a bit.  Our favorite weatherman in town has called it a "horrible forcasting error".  We received around 2 inches, and it hit fast. My totally precious Zumba instructor, Kaitlin. Now, if you are reading this in a state that gets a lot of snow, I know you're laughing.  You know what, I would be too.  What you need to realize is that we don't get a lot of snow.  We are in the deep south.  We do summer really well, not snow.  As a matter of fact, after Christmas, I would be so totally ok if spring would come.  I am done with winter. Here's the Terrible, Horrible... The snow hit so fast that within 30 minutes you couldn't drive on the roads.  At this point in time (around 10:30 this morning)...

I'm going to send you over to my sorority alumnae website for a blog posting I did for the new year.  It's called Just Throw It Away . You better be careful if I get my trash can out, because I just might start purging a closet or two or three, or your room. :) It's a short piece, but good to remember that sometimes it's good to clean things out so we can start something new. Y'all have a great weekend of Celebrating Life, ~ashley

I need to learn that when I haven't had a lot of sleep I do not need to write on this blog or anywhere else. Oh.My.Goodness. They say that if you drive while you're very sleepy it's almost like driving under the influence.  Well, I guess that applies to writing as well.  I need to learn to just say no.  I wanted to get the pictures on Pinterest of the Magnolia leaves I used on the buffet table & wanted to  have a blog posting to go with it.  Well, that went well didn't it?  Thankfully a friend called me out...Allyson...yesterday over my phrasing.  I heard how I wanted the sentence to sound in my head, and it was fine.  But, the transfer to the blog was disastrous!  After I got over my mortification I had a pretty good chuckle.  I know y'all all laughed at me, so I might as well laugh at myself too.  But no worries, I promptly fixed it. I told everyone I had a huge breakfast & then I pooped.  So not what I was t...

Had a big breakfast, that I hosted this morning & can I just say I am pooped.  It's only 12 PM, but I feel like it should be about 5 or 6 in the afternoon.  I guess that's what happens when you start your day at 4:30.  I'll drink a Coke Zero & be fine in about 30 minutes.  Yea for caffeine! I have to say that I think it was a success.  You know when you know something will just work?  I had a feeling that this would just work.  It was happy food, so how could it not work???  I'll stop talking so you can see what I did.  Here is the room.  I know, it has an industrial feel, but it was not too bad.  I tried to go simple on the decorations. I was limited with, well, everything.  Maybe a better word would be steward.  I was trying to be a good steward with my resources.  There were five tables total.  I couldn't fit the last one, that would be at the bottom right, in the picture.  Every table was f...

You will be glad to know that I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up.  I know I'm 42, but hey, better late than never.  I have decided to be...a Disney princess.  I have thought about this and I have very valid reasons for wanting to be one.       Disney princess are smart.  I know most of them don't come across that way, but when you dig down into their personalities they are.  Most of them end up in some sort of perplexing situation and they have to use their resourcefulness to get out of it.  The only two, I think, who have to wait to be rescued are Aurora, in Sleeping Beauty & Snow White.   Disney Princesses are kind.  Every single one of them is kind to others.  Some may be bristly, but under that rough exterior is a caring young lady.  Some have to deal with hateful step-families, people who have kidnapped them, beasts, war, evil magic, and uncontrollable powers.  In the end they p...

How do you cram 20 years into 400 words or less?  How can it even come close to everything Hopson & I have experienced together?  In truth, it can't.  But, I'm going to give it 'the old college try'. I met Hopson at Auburn.  We were on a double date, with different people.  My life was about to change forever & he remembered my name.  It's funny what a difference it is when someone calls you by your name.  I will never forget that day.  Hopson was helping to build Fiji Island.  He was shirtless (which was not a bad sight); he smiled at me and said 'Hey Ashley, I'm Hopson'.  We talked for a bit & I went to visit my friends at the house.  May 7th my dad passed away & I was thrown into a funk.  I didn't a pretty good job hiding it, but I don't remember a lot from that summer.  Hopson says he called me to go on a date with him in June (I think), and claims I stood him up, but I don't remember it.  Then h...