One of Tyler's degree's is in AgEc (agrocultural economics). So one day when he was over for lunch, I cut open an avacado and he said, "You know you don't have to buy them, you can just grow them from the seed of an avocado. Emma jumped all over that and asked how! So after we grew the seed in water, it was finally ready to plant! We got a "grow" or "plant" light to help it grow... just as Tyler instructed. Emma said, "Hey, I should do this as my SAE project!" I'm like, "Yep, you should girl!"
Whoever said tennis isn't a dangerous sport! One of my tennis bestie's accidently nailed me with the ball when we were volleying. Thank goodness she didn't hit me in the face! And on the top outside of the same leg, I I still have remnants of a bruise from a ball a vollier hit at me 3 weeks ago. I've left a few bruises on players myself, so I'm not gonna whine about it:)
Last week, my friend Ginger, went for a ball and somehow fell into the net, gashing her hand open and giving herself a bloody knee and elbow. She should have retired the match and gotten stitches, it was a really deep cut, but she wiped off the blood and bandaged it up and kept on playing. She was hurting really bad the next day!
I was running errands last week and my little butterfly showed up when I walked out of Payless shoestore. I nodded a friendly hello and then went into Target right next door. When I came out, she was still there, so I bent down and put my finger out and she climbed aboard. I was petting her and 2 college kids came up and took my picture. I walked to my car expecting her to fly off, but she stayed on my hand. So I got in my car and she rode with me to Walmart. I went in and picked out a few pumpkins and picked up a few items and she stayed on my hand the whole time. No one seemed to notice a butterfly on my hand. Even the girl at checkout didn't notice. It goes to show you how we all walk around asleep to what's happening around us. I walked back to the car and we got in. She fluttered around the car as I drove home and then settled herself on my water bottle. I ran inside (leaving my car door open), grabbed my tennis stuff and ran down to the courts. She sat on my water bottle while I played tennis, then when it was over, she flew away.
Emma came home from school the next day and said that she was at recess and the black, blue, and orange butterfly fluttered all around her. Her friend said, "Wow, look at that beautiful butterfly!" Emma said, "Oh, that's my grama." Then the butterfly landed on Emma's head, lol.
Later, Emma came downstairs with a tiny gold butterfly ring on her finger and said, "Remember when grama gave us this ring?" I said, "Omg, I totally forgot about that!" Then I remembered that she also gave us 2 gold butterfly necklaces...
The next day, I went to play round robin tennis and my partner had on a beautiful deep blue sapphire butterfly necklace. I said, Lisa, that's beautiful, where did you get that? She said, Oh, I've had it for years... What are the chances she would wear it this week???
They went to Anime weekend in Atlanta and dressed up as Cosplayers. Everyone dresses up for their favorite anime characters. Nellie didn't want her picture posted, but she looked awesome too. It's so weird to see Ellie in a brown wig, doesn't look like my daughter... They had a blast!
Emma's class read the book The Outsiders together. Half the class dressed up like the Greasers (poor kids) and the other half like the Socs (rich kids). It was an eyeopening experience as they had to play their parts all day.
Mom loved living in Clearwater. Her and dad would go fishing and go shell hunting on Honeymoon Island!
On her Birthday, I came home from teaching tennis and Emma noticed this beauty on my window sill, fast asleep.
The next day, we found another one on the same window sill, also fast asleep. This book, My Utmost For His Highest, was mom's constant companion after Ginger died. She read it daily and found much comfort in it. After Christmas Day, when mom died, I remembered she gave the book to me and began to look for it everywhere. I couldn't find it anywhere. Then I heard something fall and I went to the kitchen to see what made the noise. I didn't see anything, so I went back into my bedroom to look for the book. When I walked out, I saw a book that had fallen over on my bookshelf in the living room. I thought, Oh, that must have been what made the noise. I went to set the book up and froze when I saw what book it was. Yep, it was My Utmost For His Highest. I got chills all over my body and opened it up. Inside was a bookmark of Ginger's obituary. As the tears rolled down, I felt a great peace, as though God was assuring me they were together again.
A while later I had a dream of mom and a tiny baby that looked too small to even be a newborn. I told Keith I couldn't get that vivid dream out of my head and wondered what that was all about? Later that day, Jeannie called and I was telling her about it. As I did, I suddenly remembered mom in the hospital reassuring us that if she didn't make it through brain surgery, it was ok. She was ready to go. She missed Ginger and wanted to meet the child she miscarried after Dawn.
Friday, my butterfly stayed on the court the whole time I was teaching. She stayed on the ball between these two kids and seemed content. After we picked up the balls, she landed on the little boys racket. I told him to be gentle with her, she's special to me:)
Saturday, when Keith and I got back from our lunch date and running errands, she was there to greet us and fluttered all around me when I got out of the car.
My sweet friend Shannon is used to seeing my butterfly around me on the courts and in my driveway. She bought me this necklace on the way back from her father-in-laws funeral.
So, since mom passed, there has been some weird connection with this black, blue, and orange butterfly that seems to be my constant companion. Seriously, almost a daily occurrence. Not sure what to make of it??? Butterflies are a symbol of transformation to me... the caterpillar becomes a cocoon, then transforms into a butterfly... Same essence, yet takes on different forms. This one is more blue than black, with orange on tips, but same three colors. I was surprised today to get a friend request on Facebook from a lady that plays tennis way above my level. I checked out her Facebook page and saw her most recent post... it was the picture above of this butterfly that she saw in her garden. She said, "I think this beauty is at the end of her life." I commented... "... or is she at the beginning? Maybe just transforming, once again, into the next phase?" Do we end, or is the end just another beginning into the next phase of life???
