Musician's Widow

Weekly Winners is a fun little thing bloggers do to showcase some of their favorite photos from the previous week. It is brought to you, me and everyone by the lovely Lotus, aka Sarcastic Mom. Visit her site and find all the participants. See some amazing photos brought to you by bloggers around the world. Leave a little love when you do — its like food for the soul!

Photos taken using my Droid Incredible or a Sony DSLR A230.
View all of my photos on my Flickr stream.

♥♥♥

My entire focus this week has been my cousin’s wedding in Texas.  Therefore, all photos come from events surrounding the big day.

Sunset over the Brazos River, in Waco, Tx

Looking down the Waco Suspension Bridge

Looking up the Waco Suspension Bridge

This is a Longhorn-free zone!

Sanctuary

Personalized napkins

Wedding decor

Generations (Bride and her grandmother)

MOH on break

Thanks for viewing! Now go visit Lotus and find all the WW participants.
Leave a little love when you do — its like food for the soul!

Today was my last day in a quick trip to Texas to my family. It’s been a whirlwind trip, and I can’t believe its almost over!

My first day was relatively quiet. I worked in the office at the family business for awhile, followed by a trip to the store and late night sewing of hot pads to give to my cousin as a bridal shower gift.

Leopard print because the wedding is jungle themed, and leopard print is the most common “design” throughout the plans. I think they’re cool looking! Go Mom and me getting those done!

My next day here (Saturday) was spent at the bridal shower, and then spending time with Mom, some of my aunts and my cousin. After most of the day spent that way, we went to church, had dinner out and did a little shopping.

I spent over 12 hours in high heels. My feet and legs were NOT happy with me. But my soul and heart? Smiles all around from the day.

Sunday, since I was here, we celebrated Father’s Day early. My brother and his family came over for the afternoon, and we had a nice big barbecue lunch. I was overfed. And it was a good thing.

Later, I went to my brother’s house to see their new project car. I got to ride and drive my first convertible! WOO HOO!

I had another great day that day… priceless family memories.

But I was exhausted after two days running non-stop. So today? Today I slept. A lot. And it was wonderful.

Then I went to my niece’s softball game. When it was 103 degrees outside. And the wind was whipping.

And their team lost. In overtime. Sadness.

But once again. Priceless memories, followed by a really nice supper with my parents.

Tomorrow, I head back to Nashville with a suitcase full of good times and memories I wouldn’t trade for the world. It was a fast trip, but I successfully crammed a lot into it.

Soooo thankful for these days. So very thankful.

I got a jury duty summons.

And I laughed at it.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not against doing my civic duty and all that jazz. (Even though its not really high on my list of “things to do.”)  It’s because it came to my parent’s house.

In my hometown.

Where I do not live.

Oh I am here working, sure. But home is Nashville, TN. I have the driver’s license, voters registration, and even Social Security statements to prove it! Vehicle registration, too. Tax return. Legal documents. Insurance documents. Everything! Heck, I can’t even go to the doctor here and expect insurance to do much of anything, because I DO NOT live here.

And I haven’t lived here for four and a half years!

On top of it, they sent it to me with my maiden name on it. Which I changed over four years ago as well!

Needless to say, we all got a good laugh from this court mix-up, and I filled out the card explaining I don’t live here and that they even had my name wrong. I dropped it back in the mail to the court clerk; I’m pretty sure I’m safely exempt from it. Heck, chances are I’ll not even be here working on the date of the summons… they’d literally have to fly to Tennessee to find me. At home in my bed. With my husband and cat.

However, it was also rather disconcerting. I know I’m from a small town and all that, but you’d think after four years the system would have caught up to them. Literally, the only thing that was still coming here for me under my maiden name was a couple credit card statements… and those are currently in the process of being discharged.

I wonder if they ever send out jury summons to people who have passed away? How do you arrest someone for not appearing at court because they are dead?

Anyway,  mistakes happen and I got a good laugh from it. But it did make me question what kind of database they use for juror selection, and why is it so far out of date? Anything like this ever happen to anyone else?

I can’t remember if I have yet explained why I am in Texas long-term right now. If I have, forgive me for being redundant. If I haven’t, forgive me for my failure to share with the rest of the class.

My parents are small business owners. The “family business” is a bookkeeping and income tax preparation service. (Trying to find someone to do your taxes? We’re here for you!) I’ve worked with the business since, basically, high school. I do things like designing advertising and the web-site. Then I do a lot of basic office stuff, data input and stuff. I also put the final touches on the tax returns. In other words, I just make them look pretty.

So, for the last few years, I spend about 90% of my time from January – April in Texas with my parents. It’s when I’m the one “on the road for work.” My husband and I are pros at this, remember?

Even so, sometimes… sometimes the miles are felt a little more than other times. When you start to wonder if your spouse misses you as much as you miss them. Last night, I was having one of those nights. We were chatting online, but… I dunno. I just wasn’t with it, I guess.

Then he said it. “I miss you.” And… that made me feel really good.

Oh, I really deep down didn’t have any doubts that he did. I truly didn’t, in my heart. But sometimes the brain takes over and starts going places it doesn’t belong. It’s in those times, those little reminders mean the world. It’s like giving the brain a little kernel to lead it back to where it belongs… brings it back to focus on reality.

Generally, you assume your loved ones know how you feel, and chances are, they do. (Heck, there is SERIOUS sense of comfort in knowing how people feel about you, and knowing they know how you feel about them.)  But those little reminders… those moments when you truly say how you feel… those moments are priceless.

Oh, like I said, I knew my husband was missing me. I did. But man, I had an extra spring in my step all day today after he said it last night. Because sometimes… sometimes you just need that reminder. And last night, I got mine.

My alma mater competed in the state football championship tonight. Thanks to Fox Sports Southwest, I was able to watch the game online. Thanks to Facebook and Twitter I was able to watch it with fellow alumni, as we all screamed at our computer screens. Jumped up and down. And scared our children (literal for most of them, my cat just stayed far far away).

My Cameron Yoemen lost by 6 points in the last 30 seconds of a game that Hollywood could not have scripted. This game was what Texas High School football is all about. My friend told me via text that this game would be better than any collegiate or NFL game I’d watched all year…

…she was right.

I have always been proud of my alma mater. A school with family history. A school whose traditions so mirrored my college’s that the transition from one to another was seamless. But over time, I’d forgotten. I’d forgotten the adrenaline of a great high school football game. I’d forgotten the pride my school has. I’d forgotten how I am forever a Cameron Yoemen, with a loyalty that I find is hard to find in schools here in Tennessee. (Oh there’s a school pride, so no Nashvillians hang me for saying that. There’s just an almost rabid quality to it back home. There is a reason all the football movies made are set in Texas.)

I found myself glued to the computer screen, literally yelling and cheering for my team. I could hear the band play and found myself chanting old cheers along with the cheerleaders. I was 18 again for awhile.

To any Cameron Yoemen who might stumble upon this blog: HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH. What I watched tonight was the most incredible high school football game I’d ever witnessed. You’ll be back next year, fighting for that state title again. You played an incredible game, an incredible season. I wish I could have been in that high school parking lot in front of the athletic building, right along side dozens of other Yoe fans and alumni, welcoming you back home after a long ride back. You probably spent the ride going over the, “Coulda, woulda, shouldas” but they do no good now. No, now you need to bask in the glow of the best season this school has had in thirty years.

Congratulations, Yoemen. You did the whole Yoe Nation proud… you played an amazing game. Amazing. And when I come home at Christmas, I WILL be getting myself Yoemen swag to wear proudly around Music City… Because you have reminded me of a part of my roots I’d “forgotten” about, a part that I am ready to tell anyone who asks about.

GO BIG YOE!

It happens to all of us at some point, if you ever travel by car… getting stuck in traffic.

I’m currently on a quick little road trip to see my family in Texas. In fact, I write from my phone in the truck. WordPress app for the win!

Don’t worry, I’m not driving and blogging. Promise.

I’m in Northeast Texas on a state highway I’ve never been on before. It’s beautiful! Luckily, storms that were through here today have long moved on… blue skies and puffy white clouds, wide open fields.

This is not where I was supposed to be, though. I usually take the Interstate the whole way. I like to just keep moving. No small towns with Barney and his one bullet and ten stop signs. It’s fast and I can go into auto-pilot on that route.

However, today, we got about half an hour out of Dallas, and it was a parking lot. Our handy dandy smart phones informed us this was due to road construction. No love for TxDOT from me due to this. Especially when you see traffic as far as the eye can see, both ahead of you and behind you.

Oh okay, it was a little amusing until a Barney stopped people from cutting across a closed Interstate on-ramp onto the access road to catch an FM road away from the madness. Then I got annoyed. There seemed no way out. No end in sight. 45 minutes passed, we moved about a mile.

In comes the handy smart phone and a crossover and a state highway. Yay! Now we are moving and enjoying better scenery. Live in the moment and find the positive in the situation.

Stuck in traffic stinks, but it forced us to take the path we’ve never traveled. There is something cool about that.