Happy Little Trees

Life has been on a roll. My sickness has finally passed. All the tissues have been taking out with the trash. And I finally started back on my workout schedule. ...And I also had a Valentine! And, I got to celebrate President's Day with a day off from work for the first time in a few years! I feel very blessed.

I have two dear friends that are both getting married this spring. I'm in both weddings and they are a week apart. Due to a lack of extra funds after the holiday season, I waited awhile before I purchased the bridesmaid dress for the April wedding.

Okay, honestly, I was dreading it. Being a bridesmaid is something I do out of love for my friends, and I will leave my comments at that. But the procedure of buying a dress did not go as easily as I had thought. I've bought bridesmaid dresses before, so I didn't think it would be a bad experience.

I stopped by the dress store after celebrating President's Day with a massage, and walked in thinking I would say, "Size 0 for me!" [note: sizes have been changed to protect all parties involved] and then I would leave with maybe a dress in hand or order one. After being called, "sweet girl," "baby girl," and "sweet baby," while standing at the counter, finally the sales rep took care of my case.

"Okay, sweet baby, your dress is espresso [brown], and it's a number 7230, ohhhh! and the wedding is April, yeah, we're gonna need a rush order. It will be a $15 fee." said the lovely sales rep.

"A $15 fee?" said me.

"Oh, no, we better use the $30 fee!" said the not as lovely sales rep.

"A $30 fee?!" said me.

"Oh yes, you waited too long. What size are you?" said the not near as lovely sales rep.

Then, the next thing that made me not-so-happy was the dress size issue. Sizes are a sensitive issue with women. I have lost some pounds within the last year, and felt pretty confident with the size that I am. So, I said, "I need a '0'." I tried it on, and then decided, "ummm...I need the '2'." I wanted to be able to eat at the wedding.

The now evil sales rep came in my dressing room and said, "Okay, take the dress off and then I will come in and measure you."

WHAT? I am a bit of a modest person and generally prefer privacy when in my skivvies in a dressing room. I did not feel a bond with this woman and want her to see my in a personal way. But she came in the room and did my measurements. Thank goodness I have on decent underwear--not my best, but not embarrassing. I have a high waist, but she measured low and the results were pretty much what I thought since I do keep track of things like this.

I rejoined her at the counter, and she then gave me her results using a chart, "Here's where your measurements fall, "You're a 0 for the hips, a 2 for the bust, and an 4 for the waist. You'll probably be best with a 2." Exactly what I told her in the beginning before the strip session!

I was struck by a memory of my pastor telling a story about how his impatience at a store didn't appear to be very Christlike. So, I said a prayer for a rework of my attitude and bought the bigger dress and paid the bigger fee, and did all of it in the name of love for my sweet friend's wedding.

I forget about the poor. Sometimes I get a little too focused on my own needs and wants to remember them.

I read something in the bible today, and it's fuzzy in my mind. It was about the poor. It was about helping the poor, but I can't remember the exact reference or the rest of the story. I need to have my bible to check for book marks or other things on the page to jog my memory. I'm a bit upset with myself for not focusing on it more, because it would have given me some wisdom I needed.

I know some people who are dealing with being poor today, and I'm trying to put myself in a bit of a more uncomfortable position and help them in the way God leads me. The hardest thing about helping the poor is realizing that just because you help them doesn't cure their poverty, but I guess it's about one cup of cold water at a time.

After this crazy lingering sickness, which I have declared a mild version of some type of flu, I am still feeling a bit run down. Each day, I get a little better, but I know that I'm not at 100% quite yet. It's discouraging that all my New Year's fitness goals are laying on the shelf collecting dust while I try to collect energy.

At first I thought, I needed to press through the tiredness, but now I think I need to give myself a little more time before I start back up my relationship with gym equipment. I miss exercising. It's good for a person with ADD tendencies. And, the Y has free cable! Although sometimes I spend the entire time on the eliptical flipping through the stations.

Okay, posting this has worn me out. I'll save the rest for another day.

Tomorrow is haircut day. I like haircut day. I usually have the best hair before haircut day which always makes me nervous about getting a haircut. It's like my hair wants to play a trick on me that day by saying, "See how great I look? You don't need a haircut!"

Since I have a committed relationship with my hairdresser (as in, he is my main squeeze hairdresser), it's become a more pleasant experience. I trust him and his abilities. We can chat. He knows where my gray hairs hide. We can hug at the end of the cut and still be friends.

But the last time I saw him, he asked me about my move. I was a bit confused. Because I didn't move. Then, we both realized he had me confused with my sweet friend, Lisa, that also gets her hair cut there, and did indeed move. I accepted the confusion, because Lisa is beautiful and wonderful, so in his mind, we can be one and the same.

I went to Target yesterday for toothpaste, Q-tips, and hair gel. I was on the phone with my friend, Amber, while I walked into the store.

Me: Oh! This purse is so cute! But it's hot pink...do I need a hot pink purse?
Amber: I thought you were buying toothpaste?
Me: Oh, yeah...toothpaste...
Amber: Why are you in the purses??
Me: I don't know! They are right by the entrance...I just automatically go here...

I bet there are more people than me that go in Target for toothpaste, Q-tips, and hair gel and wind up in the Bermuda Triangle of Purses and Accessories, too.

This weekend, I will be traveling to a small little town in Texas for some "camping" with some teenagers. Part of me is excited, but another part of me is nervous that things that I covet will be interrupted: like sleep.

Last night, I was such a lazy bones and could not peel myself off the couch. I watched my Max Headroom-style HD converted TV as it stuttered its way through an epidsode of 30 Rock (by the way, that show makes me laugh), and then debated on if I should drag myself over to the YMCA to watch the rest of the show while burning calories. Before I knew it, I was asleep on the couch. Falling asleep on the couch happens quite frequently since I've hit my 30s. I remember my parents used to do that a lot.

I finally made it up to bed and dropped like a light. The next thing I remember is that it was 3:00 a.m., and I was awake ready to go. I tried going back to sleep, but in the interim, I entertained myself by watching Dave Barnes YouTube videos. If the X in me never met the other X, but instead met a Y, I wish I could be just like Dave Barnes. He is funny to the bunny.

So, perhaps with or without teenagers in my life, I don't always sleep well, so I will no longer fear the aspect of not having sleep this weekend.

Over the holiday, I paid a visit to Wal-Mart. In my home county in Kentucky, visiting Wal-Mart can be the major event of the day. While there, you run into old friends and can explore shiny new products. It can be fun.

But during this past visit, I was overwhelmed (and maybe because of the recent popularity of the site "People of Wal-Mart") by the fashion of my native people.

Now, I'm not claiming to be a hot commodity of fashion. I am a bit of a trend seeker, so I can hit some fashion whammies from time to time, but I have watched enough What Not to Wear to get by in life without being embarrassed most of the time.

But fot my native people, because I care about you and say this in love, here's some fashion rules delineated by the three major faux pas I noticed at Wal-Mart: Camouflage, Cats, and Carhartt.

Camouflage
Only wear camouflage during hunting season.

There is an exception to the rule above if you really love camouflage. In that case, wear only one camouflage item. Mix and match it with another solid, but avoid a solid from the other two categories represented in this guide.

Cats

By Cats, I'm referring to our beloved Kentucky Wildcats. If it's game day, go for it! Deck out! For a trip to Wal-Mart, a Wildcat shirt is okay, but Cat wear should not be worn on a date, for work, church, funerals, weddings, or for dinner.

A t-shirt sporting your college team can be cute for running around town, but again, be sure to pair it with another non-college item.

Carhartt

Carhartt is a great jacket and they make great overalls. Remember, these garments are made for work, not play. If you are a farmer, please use your Carhartt to protect you from the elements. If you are not a farmer, please do not wear Carhartt overalls as your daily wear.

The irony is that I rarely ever see the true 3% of the population of the county that are truly still farmers not following this rule.

The jacket can serve a purpose of finding that inner country-boy look, but do not pair it with the camouflage or the Cat-wear. Those items should not mix for outings beyond the woodline.

I realize it can be tough not to disobey the guide above, because everybody else it doing it, right? But I encourage you, to be bold, be brave, and wear something a bit more flattering. It will instantly make you appear dapper, take the look of ten pounds off your body, and ten years off your appearance. I promise.