April in the South

Okay...why I wrote a blog in August about April in the South, I do not remember. It's from 2008. Give me grace for I have absolutely no recollection of it. I just know I did. (Another copy and paste from my journal. I'm trying to makeup for not posting anything during our moving/selling of house). 

Our drive to Florida was visually serene with the beauty of the hanging wisteria, our sense of smell satisfied with the aroma of honeysuckle and our ears were assaulted by the non-stop chatter of a 4 and 6 year old.  The beach was beautiful with its sugary sand and the view from our balcony breathtaking.

Our friend's ceremony was a proud moment in friendship.  Dave's hard work and altruistic lifestyle was blessed by our Savior.  His parents and aunt were proud as they pinned on his new rank. Our hearts tugging at heaviness with his impending assignment to Iraq.  He feels the need to do his part now that the War has begun its fifth year.  We were told to be prepared for a long fight, it seems the media has forgotten this in this age of instant gratification.

We returned home and stopped in Montgomery where we lived in 2000.  Everything had changed our favorite places boarded up as progress moved the town east.

Sunday, we went to the much anticipated Talledega race.  I finally realized why Southerners are often called "rednecks" as I sat there watching all the necks around me turning deep shades of maroon as the afternoon progressed.  Everyone in the section was quite chatty with their race stories and how they came to be NASCAR fans.  We met interesting people one who has been in New Orleans working construction since 4 days after Hurricane Katrina.  An enlisted Army soldier whose wife just returned from Iraq.  His father, a lifelong NASCAR fan came just to visit the wife who just returned.  The couple behind us from Kansas and the couple from Ft Lauderdale who came all the way for the race, just to leave half way through so they could catch their plane home.  The majority of the fans were for Jr. and even wore the proper 88 attire.  However, this race...no beer cans were thrown.

Life in the South, it doesn't get much better than this.

Let me add to this blog, 6 years later that Matthew squirmed during the pinning on ceremony and my blouse completely opened up and gave my friend's boss a huge view of me in a bra unbeknownst to me...not funny then...in retrospect, it's a completely "Matthew Moment."