– blooming azaleas
– the new Hanson song (thanks, TT, for sharing it!)
– Tuesday night’s impromptu Greek pizza – oh-so-delicious
– watching a funny show and knowing that D and I would laugh in all the same places
– a great conversation Alex and I had before bed Tuesday night
– the “Hello” duet on “Glee”
– bright green leaves all over the trees
– Icees
– a hilarious voicemail message from a friend
– Ramona strutting down the catwalk on RHNYC
– Ramona doing anything on RHNYC
– the smell of the new Arm & Hammer Essentials detergent
– this excerpt from a Matthew Henry quote: “Let us not pull that upon ourselves all together at once, which Providence has wisely ordered to be borne by parcels…it is the will and command of the Lord Jesus, that His disciples should not be their own tormentors…”
– flip-flops
– longer days with lots of sunshine
– the sound of kids playing outside
– homemade Rice Krispy Treats

What about you?

So I really have tried to start a post about fourteen times in the last five days, and every single time I wind up staring blankly at the computer. Thursday night I almost just posted some pictures with the caption “So this happened,” but then I felt guilty for subjecting y’all to such staggering new levels of boredom. It’s bad enough that you had to read my detailed account of cooking for a crowd last week.

Quite frankly I have exposed you to more mediocrity than anyone possibly deserves. I have no idea why you put up with me.

Anyway, last week took a little turn towards DECIDEDLY NOT THE NORM when I hopped on a plane Wednesday afternoon and met Melanie and Ree in New York City. Honestly, I was as surprised as anybody that it worked out for me to go; at first I thought that there was no way in the world I could make it because of family and work and stuff that was already on the calendar. But to my utter delight, the dates for the trip landed on a perfect little window of travel opportunity. WHAT ARE THE ODDS, I ASK YOU?

I landed in New York around 6:30 Wednesday night, and I decided on the ride to the hotel that I will never, ever overcome my fear that Death Is Imminent when I’m in the back seat of some sort of big city cab. And while I can’t say for sure that my cab driver was annoyed by constant OH MERCYs and sharp intakes of breath, I’m guessing that he wanted me to pipe down and let the professional handle the no-look lane changes and the barreling through tunnels at white knuckle speeds. As well it should be, I reckon.

Once I got to the hotel and met up with the girls, we walked around the corner to a great Italian restaurant. Melanie and I told Ree that we would consider it a sweet privilege to hunt down the worst Mexican food in the city (remember: we have a gift), but tasty Italian food prevailed. We sat next to a family that I christened (in my head, at least) the Shouty McLoudersons, and THEY MADE ME SO HAPPY. One of the kids kept saying, “CAN WE GET SOME APPS, DAD? CAN WE GET SOME APPS?,” and I really wanted to ask if he was angling for some fried calamari or if he just wanted to download a new game on his father’s iPhone. You never know these days.

Thursday morning, while Ree was tending to some bloggy bidness back at the hotel, Melanie and I walked to a nearby salon for some (much-needed, in my case) pedicures. I told Mel and Ree beforehand that I was a little hesitant about the whole thing because I was afeared that my post-winter feet would frighten and perhaps even emotionally scar the salon personnel. But it turned out to be a great – albeit competely and totally atypical – way to spend a Thursday morning, especially since Mel was there to listen to me analyze the pros and cons of different nail polish colors. After all, indecisive overthinking is one of my most favorite hobbies.

Once our toes were all purty, we walked back to the hotel and changed clothes so that we could go to The View with Ree. Even typing that is sort of strange, seeing as how I’ve never visited the set of a talk show, well, EVER, but oh my word it was a kick and a half to get to see just a tiny bit of the behind-the-scenes stuff. In fact, while Ree was getting her make-up done, Elizabeth Hasselbeck stopped to say hi to the guest who was in the dressing room next door, and Mel VERY STEALTHILY crept to the doorway so that she could oh-so-casually get an up-close glimpse of our very tiny blonde pretend-friend.

Mel tried to look like she was checking her text messages while she stood a few feet away from our stranger-BFF, and I may or may not have whispered “THIS IS A DEFINING MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE” through clenched teeth to punch up the melodrama of the moment. Fortunately we did not succumb to the internal pressure to take MANY, MANY PICTURES, because a few minutes later one of the staff members walked in the dressing room and said, “You’re not taking a picture, are you? Because that’s not allowed back here.” And then we laughed nervously because WHO, WHO WOULD EVER DO SUCH A THING, CERTAINLY NOT US, MY WORD!

Finally it was time to go down (up? down? I’ve lost all directional memory) to the studio, and once we got up (down?) there, we went to the kitchen where all they were keeping all the food warm for Ree’s segment (see how I’m acting like I know TV lingo? by using words like “studio” and “segment”? please feel free to roll your eyes frequently). At that point the View folks gave us permission to take pictures, and as usual, I seized the photographic moment in the lamest way possible.

I totally took a picture of the pantry. Specifically, I TOOK A PICTURE OF MEASURING CUPS.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

Let me know if you’d like for me to photograph your wedding or some other special event. I’ll be certain to take pictures of coats and also purses.

Melanie and I got to sit backstage while Ree did her segment (THERE I GO AGAIN WITH THE LINGO), and we were so stinkin’ proud of her. She did such a great job, and everybody raved about the food (AS WELL THEY SHOULD). And in addition to the fun of seeing a sweet friend make her View debut, I also had a bit of a moment when I realized that All My Children used to film in that very building. It was the soap opera of choice during my teenage years, and I couldn’t help but think of all my buddies in Pine Valley when we were walking through the halls.

I’ll never forget you, Myrtle Fargate.

Once we were back at the hotel we grabbed a quick snack, then rested for a few minutes to gear up for Sushi Night. We had reservations for 5:45 because 1) we are a bunch of mamaws and 2) we wanted to get back to the hotel in time to watch Real Housewives of New York City (PRIORITIES, PEOPLE). A few of Ree’s friends met us for dinner, and listen: it was one of my favorite meals of my life. The food and the company were divine, not to mention that I actually took two whole pictures.

Sushi platter before:

Sushi platter after:

I think you’ll agree that our collective sushi-eating ability was nothing short of frighteningly impressive.

Ree left earrrrrrrrrly Friday morning, so Mel and I slept in and then did a little sightseeing. We enjoyed a special cupcake blessing and made a quick loop through a couple of stores (I may have seen a single tear roll delicately down Melanie’s cheek when she saw the wonder of the three-story H&M) before we shared a cab to the airport and said our goodbyes at terminal C.

Long story long: the trip was such a blast. As y’all know, it’s great to be able to talk and text and email with friends, but being able to hang out live and in person – well, that’s just a whole different level-o-fun.

And in case you’re wondering, we didn’t run into any of the real housewives while we were there. But if we had, I would have totally taken a picture of their knees. Or maybe even their elbows.

You’re welcome and the end.

I’ve been out of town for a few days and am about to settle in with the family for a spring day filled with yard work and soccer and maybe even pointing at the trees and screaming “LOOK AT ALL THOSE GREEN LEAVES!” But before I embark on all of that, I wanted to tell you this:

– Amy Grant “Somewhere Down The Road” winners will be posted later this afternoon – I’ll update this post with a link to the giveaway winners’ page are posted right over here.

– You can win a free leader kit for Vicki Courtney’s Five Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter Bible study over at AllAccess.

– I’m going to make it my goal for next week to compose coherent paragraphs again. We’ll see how it goes. I have a crazy case of blogger’s block. I feel like I have so much I want to say, and yet: NO WORDS. Just a lot of staring. VOLUMES of staring. Which, surprisingly, is not the most effective means of communication.

Hope y’all are having a great weekend!

So.

This pollinated Wednesday afternoon (seriously, we have WHIRLING CLOUDS OF POLLEN here) seems like an excellent time to wrap up a few loose ends that I have oh-so-carelessly left undone.

A thousand pardons.

– First, you will never know how much your sweet comments about Maggie meant to us. Y’all are the best. We are still missing her but doing so much better now. And Ally the Mutt has been the happy recipient of pretty much anything she wants. A piece of pork tenderloin? Sure. Neck massage? Certainly. Sleeping in the bed with humans? Absolutely. I’m surprised we haven’t run her a warm bath and presented her with a cheese plate, honestly.

– I’ll announce winners of the Amy Grant giveaway in the next day or two. Thanks for your patience with that.

– Dave Barnes’ new CD is sixty-four kinds of awesome and on near-constant rotation in our house. It’s definitely his best one so far, and if you’re interested in listening to great, grown-up music that is also totally appropriate for your kids’ little ears, then you should check it out. You can find it on or .

– I loved all of your ideas for cooking for a crowd. When I was reading your comments, I remembered something I did when we had some friends over back in the fall, and it met three of my favorite criteria: cheap, simple and delicious. I fixed a taco salad / nachos bar, and it was so easy: seasoned ground beef, black beans, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, Rotel dip, guacamole and tortilla chips. The kids made nachos, the grown-ups made taco salads, and all was right with the world.

– My friend Anne will be in Eastern Europe and Russia over the next few days.

Just click on the button to follow her story – and the stories of so many who don’t have a voice – while she’s there.

– Finally, here are two posts I’ve loved this week: one by Jon and one by Annie.

Happy Wednesday, y’all.

About twelve years ago David and I drove to Woodville, Mississippi one Sunday afternoon to pick up a 5 1/2 week-old puppy. We named her Maggie. And we loved her like crazy.

Six months later Ally joined the family, and she was the best thing that ever happened to Mag. They were fast friends.

Alex came along four years after that, and the dogs loved him instantly. Maggie especially seemed endlessly fascinated and maybe just a wee bit puzzled by the little creature who cried a lot, but she was always so gentle with him, and she always wanted to be wherever he was.

From the time Alex started walking, he could not get enough of the big furry dog. Whenever he saw her he would scream, “GEE GEE” – and then he would barrel toward her and pet her and giggle like crazy. Maggie pretended to be indifferent, but I’m pretty sure that all the attention tickled her to no end. She’d see that little guy coming and wag her tail in spite of herself.

Two years ago we noticed that Maggie had what we guessed was a cyst on her right side. We asked the vet about it at her check-up, and he told us to keep an eye on it. Over the course of a few months it got considerably bigger, so we went back to the vet for x-rays. The cyst was actually a tumor, and it was inoperable. Plus, the vet said that Mag would never recover from an incision that size, so he recommended some medication and told us that he couldn’t really give a prognosis. We just had to wait and see.

By this past Christmas the tumor was so large that it affected Maggie’s ability to walk and run. We held out hope that her medicine would help, but by February there were three new tumors, and we knew there were going to be some sad days ahead. A couple of weeks ago Maggie started to lose the use of her back legs. She would try to stand up, but her legs wouldn’t always cooperate. It was heartbreaking to see her struggle.

Last week David talked to the vet, and we knew the end was near. We explained everything to Alex so that he’d have some understanding about what was coming. It was the first time I’ve ever seen him devastated.

And last Wednesday morning, the little boy who has pulled on Maggie and patted her and sang to her and walked her and fed her and loved her like nobody’s business – well, he said good-bye to her. She died a few hours later.

It was a very sad day for our little family.

We miss you, Maggie Belle.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was about to start working on my spring playlist, and I’m happy to say that it’s finally finished. It was as time-consuming as you might imagine, what with the five to six and a half minutes that I spent typing out a list of songs that I can’t quit listening to right now.

You’re worth it, internet. That’s all I know to say.

Before I share the playlist, I just want to make my Official Disclaimer: Nobody asked me or paid me to include these songs. Nobody offered me a KitKat in exchange for a link. Nobody gave me a Popeye’s gift card, either, though if that were the case, I would certainly entertain all offers.

Anyway.

Here are my happy songs for spring 2010. I’m making a mental note that perhaps my summer 2010 list needs to include a shot or nine of estrogen. I don’t have any idea why this list is so fella-centric, but I’m gonna run with it since I love these songs so much.

“Washed By The Water” – Need To Breathe
“Takin’ It To The Streets” – Doobie Brothers
“Whisper” – Ernie Halter
“Live Like We’re Dying” – Kris Allen
“Sing A Song” – Earth, Wind & Fire
“Chameleon” – Dave Barnes
“Everything” – Michael Buble’
“Home” – Marc Broussard
“Ariel” – Diane Birch
“‘Til You’re Gone” – Gabe Dixon Band

By all means, feel free to dance.

What are you listening to and loving right now?