My Blog

It’s that time of year. Parties, brunches, lunches, dinners, posadas.

Wall calendar Now

Wall calendar Then

As a technological troglodyte, I’ve come a long way, baby. I have actually learned how to use the calendar on my cell phone. I’ll admit that I am much more comfortable with the big wall calendar or my hand-written At-a-Glance. I can actually SEE what conflicts I’m creating when I write the activities down. The cell phone, not so much. Ant tracks are hard to see.

Yesterday, after writing my requisite Blog and beginning the chapter on Austin, I checked the ant-track calendar on my cell phone. My desk is so cluttered that I couldn’t see the wall calendar. The scheduling looked a little tight.

Let’s see: DRT (that’s the Daughters of the Republic of Texas) at 10:30, Yoga at 12:30, then Outlook (a reading group that discusses books) at 4:30. The first two meetings, by chance, were at the Huntsville Public Library Community Room—this is a small town, after all. The third at Elkins Lake, our one and only fancy neighborhood. The streets were designed by a crazed lunatic. There isn’t a straight street, connecting street, or through street in the entire area. They twist and turn and snarl like knotted yarn. You take the wrong turn at your peril.

The day started well. For once, I was NOT the speaker for the DRT, and got to sit and relax. But the City Hall Café didn’t deliver lunch until noon, half an hour late. That didn’t give me time to run home to change for Yoga. Miss the meal, run home, and change? Then, after Yoga, run home and change again for the Outlook Christmas party? NOPE, not happening. We live 7 miles out of town in Crabbs Prairie, fifteen minutes each way, even on the Interstate. Okay, yes, it’s the boonies.

Decision? I ate with the ladies of the DRT and got my friend, Kate, to loan me a T-shirt and sweats for Yoga. She was coming anyway. Changed in the bathroom. Fortunately, this was not your sweaty kind of yoga. Mostly just breathing and stretching. Didn’t even muss my hair. An hour later, changed back again into party clothes.

          Took time for a Chai Latte at Starbucks to swap stories with Kate about our mothers, then off to our new, immense Kroger (Huntsville is getting SO cool!). Put together a party-tray of salad for the Outlook dinner—Jarlsberg cheese dip, crackers and cherry tomato skewers. Had to use my lying GPS to find the Outlook Christmas Party. For once, it actually came through for me. Great party. Delicious food. Good friends.

Now, Friday I have to run down to Seabrooke (2 hours away, on the far distant Southeast side of Houston) to help Sister Sara with her Posada. On Saturday, I had planned to drive back across Houston to Nordstrom’s for the sale and meet my new Personal Shopper, Debra at 11:00. Oh, no! Can’t do that.

Someone came up to me at the Elkin’s Lake Lady’s Brunch on Monday and said, “Oh, we’re SO looking forward to hearing you speak on Saturday.” I stared, struck dumb. I had no idea which group, when, where, or what about. I’d forgotten to put it on my calendar.

Fortunately, she is a good friend, and laughed at my stunned expression. “Oh, you remember! It’s the Colonial Dames at the Masonic Lodge at 11:30. What are you going to talk about?”  Uhh, yeah, hmm, well, let’s see. . .

            Christmas Party Saturday night. Sunday, after church at 2:30, help with the Christmas Pageant at the Old Town Theater. At 5:30, back at the church to decorate the social hall and provide milk and cookies for the kids and Santa.

This Country Mouse is wore plumb out.