Newlyweds' News Brief

8/8/10 My heart is filled to overflowing with gratitude for time with family these last few days---so rare, when various cities of distance and time zones become the “great separators.”
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
Our pleasantness always includes a lot of laughter. Yet, at the same time we’re missing anyone who’s not there. In Florida it was the newlyweds. This time it was the Texans. Usually even in the midst of the frivolity, a pall of “dreading the leaving” can settle over me if I’m not careful to stay in the moment. So here are those moments of joy, briefly.

• 8/5/10 Arrival of newlyweds, Josh & Megan postponed because flight cancelled again---they’re 2 for 2 with Delta this year---they arrived just one day late. (We & many others want Southwest Airlines to fly into Memphis---maybe we should begin a campaign.)
  

• 8/6/10 Typical Memphis welcome---golf for guys, shopping for girls and BBQ, sweet tea and Nora’s pound cake, served with homemade ice cream & Flippen’s peaches for OOT family visitors.

• 8/7/10 Electricity outage had breakfast changed from “cooked” & served inside to bagels & fruit served alfresco.

• Cooler temps and breeze help Memphis humidity but Uncle Josh still takes a wading pool dip (fully clothed) w/ his niece & nephews.

• “Young folks” from 5 states (7 if you count Evan, from S.C & John, IL.--represented by their parents) gather in downtown Memphis at the “classic” Earnestine and Hazel’s to welcome the newlyweds---soul burgers, fried dill pickles, and hot wings. Mmm-m-m good. (*classic is a euphemism for a seedy, former brothel turned bar, turned “the” party place for juke box dancing and piano sing-a-long)

My generation, in the 60s, had “Sing –a-long with Mitch Miller---as we followed the lyrics on our TV screens by watching the superimposed ball that bounced over the words. Saturday night, Josh & Megan’s generation had “Sing-a-long with Lex” as they followed the rhythmical bouncing of Mr. Bonner’s head and the creative words inserted if memory failed. Megan even remembered all the words to “ I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet.” The newlyweds loved it!!

• 8/8/10 Final breakfast with visiting family followed by church and Josh’s buddy, Les, coming for lunch, a Pottery Barn trek and a much needed Sunday afternoon nap. Owen joins Uncle Josh and Aunt Megan for dinner.
  

• 8/9/10 Not here yet but I’m already feeling that “hurt” that I get as I say good-by to my kids knowing it will be a long time (hopefully, Christmas) before I see them again. Maybe it will be 3 for 3 and their flight will be cancelled!!