Surprises!

I love surprises! Isn't it fun when something unexpected happens to interrupt an otherwise ordinary day? Of course not all surprises are welcome ones. There are some that one would rather not have.

Yesterday brought a couple of surprises. Fortunately, both of them were welcome additions to my ordinary Wednesday.

The first came with the felling of a tree in my front yard. We decided to cut the tree closest to the pond because we were having trouble getting grass to grow underneath it. The soil would wash into the pond with each heavy rain.



Since my dad and John wanted the tree to fall up hill, I couldn't watch the actual cutting of the tree. John used the tractor to push the tree in the right direction, and my dad made the appropriate cuts to send the tree where he wanted. Although I knew that my dad is very experienced at this, I still get a little nervous at the thought of the tree not cooperating with them.



All went as planned, and the tree fell exactly where they directed it. The surprise came after it was down. We did not know it, but the tree was completely hollowed out in the center. This is something that occurs naturally in some trees, and must have been like that for years. Since the tree always looked healthy and full, we never knew that it was hollow.



As they were cutting the tree, they noticed a squirrel jumping out of the top of it. There was a hole near the top where squirrels could come and go as they pleased. (No wonder my bird feeders have been invaded, their home was just a few feet away from them!) We were worried that maybe there was a nest of babies in the tree, so my dad made each cut carefully. Fortunately, there were no babies to be seen!

I was a little concerned about the squirrels losing their home, but my dad said that he has found many trees like this; so they will likely find another easily. Isn't it amazing how God provides homes for the animals He created. His provision is evident all around us!

The second surprise came in the form of a phone call asking me what my plans for Wednesday night were. Usually I work with the children at church, but since this was a fifth Wednesday night we did not have our children's meetings. My cousin wanted me to go with her to the Blumethal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte to see Jersey Boys- The story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I was so excited! I love musicals and couldn't wait!



I don't normally do anything in the middle of the week, so this was a treat. The show was fantastic! Although the language was rough at times, the music was incredible! When the show was over we walked out onto the street, the temperature was still around seventy at 10:30 at night. Even though I'm a country girl, I have to admit that there is a certain beauty in the city when it is lit up at night. It's nice to live close enough to have the best of both worlds.

It's nice to have surprises that come in the middle of an ordinary week, isn't it?

Girl's Day Out

Although I am perfectly content to spend every moment of every day in the country, It is sometimes necessary for me to visit the big city. Country life does have a few drawbacks, such as a lack of places to buy clothing and specialty items. For those things we have to make a day trip to Charlotte or some of the surrounding towns. Fortunately, Charlotte is only about an hour away from where we live. This makes it fairly easy for us to go into the city for shopping for the day, or for a cultural event in the evening.

Today the girls and I enjoyed a day on the town. Catie's prom is coming up at the end of April and she needed a dress for the occasion, so we ventured out to shop. I love spending the day shopping with my girls. We have so much fun together. Most of the time, they laugh at the fact that their mom is so uncool.

You would know that the first thing they laughed at today was the fact that I couldn't even go into the mall without noticing this beautiful blooming tree. I had to grab the camera and start taking pictures right in the middle of the parking lot. Carson was so embarrassed. I just couldn't help myself! I love pretty flowers, especially ones that grace an otherwise dull landscape.



I don't think taking pictures of a tree in a parking lot is strange. Do you?



Of course my favorite pictures today were the ones of my beautiful Catie in her dress. After trying on numerous dresses, she finally got excited about one.



It suits her personality perfectly! She is certainly not afraid to be different from everyone else. I think she looks beautiful! I can't wait to see her all dolled up for the prom.



After buying Catie a dress for the prom and Carson a dress for an upcoming wedding, We had a nice lunch at the Olive Garden and visited some family who lives in the area.

Driving in the heavy city traffic makes me love the country roads that lead to home more than ever.