Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Apparently I Should Be a Trolley Tour Guide

Well, I don't know about you all, but this past weekend was way beyond busy for me; but, it was fun and entertaining and all around great.

Friday, I took off work at noon so that I could take The Pip to the vet to get weighed for the month and get her monthly heartworm medicine. I also needed to go by the grocery store and then had an appointment scheduled for 3:00. My appointment ended up being cancelled, which freed up a couple of hours so I ended up going to see Maleficent at at the movie theater which was really great and I would definitely recommend.

After Pippa and I returned home from the vet, I spent the rest of the night doing a little bit of cooking and also taking care of some laundry. I had thought about mowing the grass, but it rained and therefore grass mowing was out of the question. It was a rather low key night which was needed considering how busy the rest of the weekend was.

Saturday morning, I finished up the cooking from the night before and took my dishes over to my grandmother's house. My cousin Jessica and her husband Nathan have just moved back to the States after living as missionaries in Africa for the past year. They have agreed to live with my grandmother for at least tree months as a trial run and then if it works out they will make it a permanent arrangement. I think it is so great for my grandmother and for Nathan and Jessica too.

Jessica is in her mid twenties and as sad as it sounds, we really don't know each other well. We grew up seeing each other at Thanksgiving and Christmas and that's about it. Since these two are brand new to Huntsville, they have no idea what Huntsville has to offer. So, Jackie and I agreed to take them around town and show them some of the highlights of our fair city. We all met for breakfast at my grandmother's house first and my dad and aunt and uncle also came. It was a fun morning having breakfast with everyone.

When breakfast was over, the four of us headed out. I thought we might be gone for a couple of hours, but it was four hours before we would return. We went everywhere from Hayes Nature Preserve, Monte Sano State Park, Lowe Mill, The Botanical Gardens and just about everywhere in between. We had a great time. It was nice to spend some time with Nathan and Jessica and to show them this city we call home. The lot of them told me I should be a trolley tour guide so, maybe when I'm retired I'll take it up. It would no doubt be loads of fun!

Upon returning to my grandmother's house, my cousin Brittany ad her husband and Sydney and the new baby were all there, My grandmother had us granddaughters go back to the "Alabama Room" and stake our claim on what items we wanted and we were allowed to go ahead and take them with us. She was doing some cleaning out and needed us to go ahead and take what we wanted. I got two Alabama mugs, a photo of my dad as a boy, and a whistle my Papa used when coaching football. I also got a Madison Academy button which I will absolutely be wearing come fall.

The best prize of the day was a rather gaudy Alabama ashtray. It is a white ashtray with a red elephant on it. My grandmother said it was the first Alabama gift she had ever gotten for my Papa. She said it used to have beautiful ivory tusks and that my cousin Benny had broken them off - this did not surprise me. She also told me that I'd better not be putting any butts in there.

I also came across a fantastic picture of my Papa on Bourbon Street at, no doubt, the Sugar Bowl. My grandmother wasn't ready to part with it, but when she is, it is mine. Jackie said I should pose the same way the next time I am in New Orleans and I think I will, friends; I think I will.

It was such a fun morning with my family and my bestie. I am so thankful I got to spend some time with these people whom I love so much. It was no doubt one of the best Saturday mornings I've had in a while.


2 comments:

Erika said...

oh you should TOTALLY be a trolley tour guide - You would be awesome!
That was really nice of you and Jackie to show them Huntsville, and how sweet of your grandmamma to share some Alabama treasures with you.

Jackie said...

I loved tagging along. It was fun to see Huntsville through someone else's eyes.