Honoring Moms

Mom working on her Mini-Memoir

Happy Mother's Day
I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful Mother's Day in this beautiful month of May. I, personally, don't expect a great deal of fanfare for Mother's Day, but I do want to brag a little bit about my Mom. She's amazing, independent, loving, caring, resourceful, spiritual, and an inspiration to me. To know that every day I have a Mom who prays for me and for our entire family is a blessing that I can't even describe in words. It literally brings me to tears. I can tell her anything, and she's a willing listener. I can be silly, and she will laugh. If I'm sad, she'll cry right along with me. Every time I visit with her, we have a time of prayer together before I leave, and this has cemented a bond between us that no distance will ever separate. So this is a special tribute to my Mom, Clara. So much love to you, Mumsy.

Upcoming Workshop Announcement
On two Mondays, June 14 and 21, 2010, I'll be teaching another "Writing Your Treasured Memories" workshop series from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at The Sand Trap Room, located at Tupelo Bay Golf Center in Garden City, SC. Learn how to easily write your life stories to share with future generations. Or if you have older parents/relatives, learn how to capture their stories while they are still obtainable. Call me at 843-215-4676 for additional information or to register. Don't lose your family history! Please spread the word to others who may be interested!!

Memoir Writing
I am working on a publication relative to the process of working with parents and loved ones to preserve their stories. In my research, I heard from Carol Berman, President of City Girl Media, http://www.citygirlmedia.com. She talks about her experience in working on her Grandmother's memoirs, a process that has spanned the past eight years. She says, "Grandma was cooperative. She loves to tell stories. And I made sure there was the absolutely lowest-tech option for her to record them: a cassette player and a load of blank tapes. I told her not to worry about chronology, just talk into the tape recorder when she remembered a good story. Then I had a family member transcribe the tapes and I tried to put it all in order. I had Grandma review the stories and she had corrections. When she "re-remembered" the stories seeing them in print, some details needed to be changed. I guess I'll never know in some cases which was actually correct!"

What a treasure it will be for Carol's relatives to forever enjoy those stories! It is so worth the effort.....A special thank you to Carol for sharing her experience.

Incredible Books
A few years ago, I attended a conference in NYC, sponsored by the International Women's Writing Guild. I met some fascinating ladies, all at various stages of completion in their writing projects. That is where I connected with Judy Abrams, who was working on a book that would compile the stories of Holocaust survivors. Her book was published in 2009, and it is truly a book of inspiring stories that I'll always remember. Written from the recollections of a frightening time that these people experienced as children, it is such a gripping perspective. The name of the book is Remember Us: A Collection of Memories from Hungarian Hidden Children of the Holocaust. God bless Judy Abrams and Evi Blaikie, along with all of the Hidden Children Contributors to the book, for publishing this history.

I heard recently from Jeanette Friedman, who co-authored a book with David Gold, entitled Why Should I Care? Lessons from the Holocaust. She also interviews Holocaust survivors to obtain their memories, a challenging--yet rewarding experience. I applaud Jeanette for seeking to preserve the stories of folks who have undergone such tragedy and pain. It is so important to capture history through the eyes and hearts of those who have actually experienced it.

Memoir Writing Boot Camp Cruise
I am investigating the possibility of formulating plans for a 2011 Memoir Writing Boot Camp Cruise. This will be for beginners, as well as those who are in different stages of their memoir writing projects. There will be loads of free time, in addition to seminars and writing time. I'll keep you posted as the details emerge. If you think you might have an interest, depending upon the plans which are finalized, please let me know so we can be certain to keep you apprised! This would be a fabulous time!!

Stay tuned......

Promoting Memoir Writing and Exercise!

General Info:
Here I go again--beginning a blog post with an apology for having been absent for a long stretch of time. The month of March flew by like a windy day in the Palm Springs desert! I blinked my eyes, and here we are in the month of April. March was so busy with holding memoir writing workshops, working on the manuscript for my new novel, Never Say Perfect, transcribing stories recorded by a special client who is writing his memoirs, and enjoying time with house guests. I did manage to squeeze in a couple of rounds of golf also, which was so enjoyable when I'm able to keep my brain focused on the game instead of running through a mental business "to do" list while I'm trying to putt.

Memoir Writing:
One of my fervent goals is to find ways to influence younger people about the importance of adapting a pro-active role in obtaining the stories of their parents, grandparents, and other loved ones and preserving them for future generations. Many times I am told by older folks that they would like to write their stories, but they simply don't have the energy or they feel that the project is too burdensome, or they question their writing abilities. With a little bit of help from a loved one, their stories can be captured before they are forever lost.
I recently heard from Nancy Wurtzel of Westlake Village, CA, who said, "Last year, my daughter (Katie, age 16) and I conducted interviews with my mom about her childhood and up until the time she was married. Mom is almost 90 and is the last living family member of her generation. She is still fairly sharp and we realized that we needed to ask her our questions now. There were boxes and boxes of old pictures and items from when she was young, but we really didn't know who was in the pictures or the significance of the other items."
Nancy continued by saying that the idea was actually Katie's, as she is very interested in family history and genealogy. She wrote out a list of questions and brought a tape recorder when they visited Nancy's mom in Minnesota. Their investment of time and energy produced eight single-spaced typed pages of the memories of Nancy's mother and afforded both Katie and Nancy the opportunity to learn about an aunt and uncle who had died at ages 21 and 20 of typhoid fever, stories of growing up on a farm in Iowa, attending country school, family scandals, and working as a young adult during World War II, etc.
As a birthday present, they gave Nancy's mom a scrapbook of her childhood. Her mom said that it was the best gift she had ever received.
Although I don't know Katie personally, I am so proud of her for her instinctive awareness of the importance of undertaking this project. She will never regret having spent this time gaining a better understanding and perspective of her grandmother through obtaining her stories. If you have living parents or grandparents, won't you resolve to do exactly what Katie and Nancy have done? Being prepared with a list of questions and a small tape recorder are invaluable tools in succeeding in a memoir project. The results are truly priceless!

Exercise:
I'll readily admit it. I'm so hung up on finding easy ways to keep from gaining weight because I find that with each birthday that I celebrate, the task becomes more difficult. Last week, the big news flash on television, radio, and newspaper was that it takes one hour of exercise EVERY DAY to maintain our current weight. This wasn't recommended for LOSING weight--one hour of daily exercise required to avoid GAINING weight. My heart sunk when I heard this. How would I ever squeeze a solid hour of exercise into my daily routine? I co-chair the production of our neighborhood electronic newsletter, and there are five families who do not have computer access so we print a copy for each of these residents and deliver them to their homes. When the news broke last week about the daily one hour recommendation for exercise, I was in the process of printing the newsletter for the computerless families. I made the decision to walk to their homes for the purpose of delivery. I didn't stop to consider that I would be winding through various sections of our community and not just walking the main road. I was walking for an hour and a half before I gave up and trudged back home to hop into my car to deliver the last two copies. I'll have to gradually work up to what could be a two or more hour walk!
Speaking of walks, beginning with my next blog post (hopefully very soon) my plan is to feature one of 20 Great Walks in the Grand Strand. Each post will describe one walk--including the location, length of the walk, pertinent information, and a photo. Stay tuned for this new presentation!

Inspiration:
For anyone who is struggling with difficult economic or general stress of life situations right now, take comfort in Jeremiah 29:11, which says "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God bless you and keep you safe until next time!

Memoir Writing Workshops

New class forming:

On the next two Mondays, March 1 and March 8, 2010, I'll be holding another two session series to help people jump-start their memoir writing projects. This series will be held at The Sand Trap Room at Tupelo Bay in Garden City, SC from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, and I always eagerly look forward to meeting the new group of writers and giving them the tools to get them started. Call me at 843-215-4676 if you'd like to attend.

The stories that emerge from these workshops are beyond imagination. It takes immense courage to exhume the skeletons of the distant past, snippets of dark experiences long buried, and shine a probing light on them--even momentarily. I have tremendous admiration for those who have been able to do this because there is a healing that can bind those ancient wounds when you view the past trauma as a mature adult. Bitterness eats at your heart from the inside out, and if you are a survivor of any kind of childhood abuse, expelling that burden that can produce hatred and anger, allows you to forgive and move beyond it. As I learned from a recent student, those experiences, as unfair and unconscionable as they are, can make you a person who wants to avoid the same type of behavior. To your monumental credit, you want to be someone who treats people with love and respect. My heart goes out to those who have been victims of childhood abuse--there is no excuse for it and no child should ever have to endure it. God bless you in healing those scars.

Writing at the beach:

Sometimes on sunny, but chilly, winter days when the breeze from the ocean is a bit too brisk for setting up my writing camp on the sand--beach chair, small folding table, bottled water and a snack, mini-pillow for my back, and ample supply of sun screen, I drive to one of two or three special locations where I can park my car and enjoy an expansive view of the ocean or the inlet. I might bring my lunch to enjoy while gazing out at the massive body of water that stretches as far as the eye can see, and/or bring a writing or reading project or my womens' Bible study lessons to work on in this inspiring atmosphere.

For the past couple of afternoons, I've done exactly that, and I love every moment of this solitude. Although yesterday, I took a long beach walk, I also spent considerable time just sitting in my car, working on my projects. The interesting thing is that I'm not the only one. At one of my favorite locations, I often see the same people sitting in their cars--reading the newspaper or a magazine or a book. Some people drive in, park, and just sit there mesmerized by the crashing waves, puffy white clouds, people walking their adorable dogs, and the sheer serenity.

If you are an ocean lover, there is a magnetic force that pulls you toward the shore line just to capture a glimpse of the scenery that lowers your blood pressure and sends a wave of the peaceful, easy feeling through you as soon as the foaming water is in view. This is evidenced by the steady stream of cars, many sporting northern license plates, that I witnessed pulling into the parking lot during my automobile work time in the past two days. They drove in, maneuvered as close to the beach as cars are allowed to venture, drivers and passengers stared out at the rolling sea for a moment, and then exited the parking lot. Perhaps this is a daily routine for them during their Myrtle Beach area stay, or perhaps this was the last day of their vacation, and they just wanted one final peek at their beloved ocean. The fascinating aspect was that there was a steady stream of such vehicles, countless drivers in the quest for one last view. The parking lot was so busy with this activity that for a moment, it reminded me of the drive through at the bank or a fast food restaurant. I totally relate. That's why I'm sitting there working on my next novel....or making my "to do" list or my grocery list or my prayer list. It's where I feel closest to God--where He breathes down on me and says, "You are My child." So rather than being annoyed with the ocean gawkers driving past me, temporarily partially blocking my view, I say, "Enjoy, my friend. I totally understand."

Exercise:

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am somewhat exercise obsessed. That's because if I don't stick with it almost daily, my clothing begins to strain at the seams. I know that it's a lifetime commitment--along with making the appropriate food choices. As a friend said a couple of days ago, "It's all about calories in vs. calories out." But I have to tell you that I made an amazing discovery the other day. How often do you pull on a pair of pants that suddenly seems to have reduced by one size while in the dryer? Then you say to yourself, it's me--it's not the dryer. I must be gaining weight. Well, I have some news for you. A couple of years ago, I found a particular pair of pants that I liked. So I bought them in two additional colors. I had black, brown and khaki. For some reason, I seemed to wear the black and brown pairs more frequently and, therefore, they experienced the force of the washer & dryer on a regular basis. Okay, same style, same designer, same size, but the khakis fit much more loosely. So, it really COULD be your drier and not your chubby body that makes your clothing feel too tight sometimes. I'll admit that this isn't always the case, but this semi-scientific study does prove the possibility. So I feel better just knowing that! It's time for me to close this post and hop on my jogging trampoline!

Until the next time.....may God richly bless and keep you!

Future Personal Historian

NEVER TOO YOUNG TO CAPTURE OUR FAMILY HISTORY:

At Thanksgiving, 2009, my eight year old niece, Lauren, (okay, Lauren, I know you're nine now, but you were eight then) was working on a school assignment that involved interviewing a relative to obtain portions of their history. I was beyond delighted to see her asking Mom the questions, as I've been working on Mother for ages to capture as many memories as she is ready and willing to share. Somehow, she seemed to be more cooperative with Lauren than she is with me! I'm only joking, Mom, as I know you'll be reading this!!
In my opinion, as a Personal Historian, who teaches workshops and works with individual clients to help them preserve their stories for future generations, it is never too early to begin interacting with relatives, asking questions, recording answers, and gaining a deeper understanding of the life experiences of these folks while the opportunities remain. The driving force behind my decision to participate in the Soleil Lifestory Network program to certify as a lifewriting instructor was relative to a tour of Pearl Harbor where I recalled that my own Dad had been in the Army, stationed at Schofield Barracks and was at Hickam Field when Pearl Harbor was bombed. I was stricken with emotion when I realized that now, after being right there on the memorial, hearing the historical details, and having a heightened sense of what had occurred there, I had tons of questions to ask my Dad about his experience, but it was too late. He had passed away about five years prior to my trip to Hawaii.
I realize that many Veterans will tell you that they really don't offer much dialog about their experiences, particularly if it was as traumatic as his story must have been. What saddened me is that I had never asked. If I had ever sat down with him, small tape recorder in hand, and asked him the appropriate questions in a gentle, loving manner, I'm certain that he would have told me everything that he could recall. Shame on me for never taking the initiative. So that is why I drive my Mom crazy about wanting to preserve her stories, and why I think it was fabulous that Lauren has a teacher who understands the importance of giving an assignment of this nature. Kudos to all teachers who require students to spend some time interviewing a relative!
Tomorrow morning, I have a telephone consultation scheduled with a gentleman whose daughter-in-law was stuck sitting next to me on a flight last fall. Anyone who has the misfortune of being my captive audience usually gets to hear exactly what I do and why. She loved the idea that helping people capture their stories is my business, and she ordered a gift certificate for her father-in-law's birthday. She had recently given birth to her first child, and after her conversation with me, she knew that she wanted her son to be blessed with his grandfather's history. I don't know why it always amazes me that God brings certain people into my path at His perfect timing, but He perpetually does. As I teach my upcoming memoir writing workshops in Litchfield, SC, I know that I'll be touching precisely the people who will benefit from the knowledge I'll be imparting. The best part is that what I teach them will also positively impact their future generations. It's a warm and cozy feeling.

God bless & see y'all again soon!

First Blog Post of the New Year

Delinquent Blogger:
Believe me when I tell you that I wish I could blog twice weekly, but given my current schedule, that's not going to happen. Some of you are probably saying, "Thank you, God!" and others are thinking, "Aw, that's too bad. I'd like to see more." I seem to be lucky to sit down and write once a month for this purpose, but will continue to issue new posts as often as I can get my act together.

Christmas Holidays, 2009:
We had a wonderful visit in the Albany, NY area with friends and family. Our advanced ages are beginning to get the best of us, however, as we sometimes become exhausted with the schedule. We simply want to cram as much into the visit as possible and love seeing everyone. We always enjoy a sleepover with adjoining rooms at our hotel with all three grandchildren. Now that they are 14, 11 and 8, I keep wondering how much longer they'll even think it's fun to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa! They grow up so quickly.

Novel-in-Progress:
Most people who have read Eyelash ask me at one time or another, "When is your next book coming out?" One of my new year's resolutions is to finalize the manuscript for book #2 this year. So far, it has had a few different working titles, but right now I'm leaning toward Never Say Perfect. Once you read it, you'll surely know why.....I'll keep you posted on the progress, but I feel that the first draft is approximately 3/4 written at this point. Once complete, it will require review, editing and re-writing, but finishing this year is a distinct possibility. I maintain a list of projects that I would love to sink my teeth into, but I have to resist the urge to begin anything new until the present projects are "in the can".

Help 4 Kids:
Friend and neighbor, Sandi Blood, and I co-chair the electronic newsletter production for Blackmoor, our beautiful community here in Murrells Inlet. I usually interview a long term resident and a newer resident for each issue, and when I spoke with a resident this past week, they told me about an organization with which they are associated. It is called Help 4 Kids, and they volunteer in the program called "Backpack Buddies", which serves 10 Horry County schools and approximately 1,000 underprivileged children. Snacks are donated or purchased to send these children home with juice boxes, mac & cheese, oatmeal, cereal, crackers, pudding, applesauce, breakfast bars, etc.--anything that is small and reasonably nutritious and can be placed in these special backpacks for them to take home for consumption over the weekends. These children receive a free breakfast and lunch at school, but are in danger of going hungry on the weekends.
When school is not in session during the summer, outdoor camps are held and the children have fun doing projects, Bible schools, and other activities. They are given a hot lunch and plenty to drink during this time. Volunteers are especially needed at that time.
Once school resumes in the fall, new book bags are filled with supplies, new shoes and clothing. Help 4 Kids works with Toys for Tots to make certain that these children will not be forgotten at Christmas.
I visited their location in Murrells Inlet and met Barb Mains, the dedicated founder of this organization. Her goal is to provide the necessities for these children in a manner that will not embarrass them. She is energetic and amazing, and told me about a benefit that will be held on Friday, February 5, 2010 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Villa Romana Italian Restaurant, 707 South Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 at $8.00 per person. Tickets will be available until February 2, 2010. If you would like more information, please call (843) 651-4310 or visit www.help4kidssc.org. Barb's e-mail address is barb@help4kids.org. Monetary and snack item donations are always welcome at 12053 B Hwy 17 Bypass South, Garden City, SC behind Bedding World, next to the K-Mart parking lot of Inlet Square Mall. Their office is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please give some consideration to helping these children!

Choices:
I am determined to get into the habit of making better food choices during 2010--more fruits, veggies, water, and fewer diet drinks, cookies, and chips--more walking, less sitting. Of course, I HAVE to eat popcorn at the movies, but that's a given.
Also, I would like to be more conscious of how I can be helpful to others this year. Even a kind word, understanding smile, listening ear, and an offer to pray for more folks would be a good start. It's always beneficial to have a goal.....

God bless you, and

Until the next time:
"Flatter me and I may not believe you; criticize me and I may not listen to you; but encourage me and I'll never forget you." Anonymous

Eyelash, Moms, and Memories

Another few weeks have passed since my last blog post. They say that as we age, the time seems to zip by more quickly, and I must agree!

EYELASH:
I had the privilege of participating recently in an independent author's book fair at The Litchfield Exchange in Pawleys Island. It was an amazing experience to visit with all of the other writers, view the variety of subject matter represented, and feel the excitement and energy in a room full of creative people. Each of them knows exactly how it feels to be in the middle of a writing project and have to temporarily put it aside to deal with more pressing life issues. They have experienced waking up during the night with a thought that must be captured before it vanishes. They know what it's like to spend time in solitude while transferring their ideas from the brain to the written word. It was a wonderful time because in addition to chatting with potential customers about my novel, Eyelash, I had the opportunity to bond with other writers who understand the struggle of producing a book that people indicate is an enjoyable read, yet not having the capability of readily exposing it to the world, the nation, or even their own state. That doesn't stop us, however. We continue to write because we love the process, and there is always hope that eventually the "big break" will miraculously knock at the door!

Kate Jensen & her Mother,
Dorothy McGuirk Lewis
in February, 2009

MORE ON MOMS:
On my last post, I talked about Mom visiting us and how much we enjoyed spending time with her at Thanksgiving. She is such a treasure, and we are so thankful that she is in good health! I'd like to tell you about the Mother of my friend, Kate Jensen. I met Kate through Pawleys Island Women in Business and Coastal Power Women, and she's a fabulous cruise agent. She's incredibly personable and upbeat, and I immediately liked her from the moment we chatted. I had recently worked on a project for a local senior center. Ordinarily, I would go to the center and give a speech about writing our life stories to pass along to future generations. After visiting this center, however, I knew that my usual speech was just not going to work there. Desperate to devise a way for these folks to be able to share a snapshot of their lives with loved ones as well as with each other, I developed a list of questions that they could simply fill in the blanks to capture some of their history. I call it the Mini-Memoir. As I gently instructed the seniors at this center about the project and what we would be doing, I distributed the sheets for their use. Some immediately went straight to the task at hand, obviously taking a moment to reflect and then write. Others appeared confused and uncertain about what they should be doing with this piece of paper. For those folks, I sat down and worked with them to capture their thoughts--even asking the questions orally and writing down their answers for them. During this process, I met the most adorable lady whose hair was adorned with the most beautiful flower! She was so sweet, and was one of the seniors who decided that they'd like to take the paper home with them to give their answers some further thought. When I returned to the center a couple of weeks later to pick up the sheets, there she was again--this sweet lady with yet another brightly colored flower in her hair. I learned that her name was Dorothy, and she was 88 years old. I collected all of the sheets, turned them into a booklet for the seniors, and returned to the center to distribute the publications. I felt that if they all had the opportunity to see the entire collection, they might have more to talk about and be able to relate to one another. Most of the seniors seemed delighted that someone actually cared about knowing some of their favorite things from the past. I was impressed with Dorothy's answers. For an 88 year old, she came up with some snappy comments!
A couple of months later, Kate and I were talking at one of our meetings, and knowing that her Mom had been staying with her, I inquired about how she was doing. She told me that her Mom had been having a wonderful time going to the local senior center. I told her that I had just recently done the Mini-Memoir project there, and she said, "My Mom is Dorothy, and she always wears a brightly colored flower in her hair." I told her that I knew exactly which lady was her
Mom. I'll never forget her because of that distinctive flower and her clever answers to some of the questions.
Kate told me the origin of Dorothy's floral hair accessory, and this story is precious. It seems that many years previously when Dorothy was trying to reference one of the ladies at church to her husband, she had said that the woman had gray hair and glasses. Her husband said, "That describes all of the ladies in the church!" Dorothy determined at that moment that she needed to distinguish herself from all of the other gray haired ladies with glasses, and began wearing a flower in her hair. She was absolutely correct. Everyone would remember her because there was something pleasantly unique in her appearance, and besides that--she was adorable. Dorothy passed away on November 3, 2009 at the age of 89, but I will never forget her or her collection of flowers.

MINI-MEMOIR:
The aforementioned Mini-Memoir sheet is located on the bottom of the page entitled "Write About Your Life" on my web site, www.awriterspresence.com. Feel free to print it and share it with parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts--anyone whose life is important to you. This is my gift to everyone in 2010, and I urge you to use it to capture just a glimpse of the lives of your loved ones while it is still possible!

I wish everyone a blessed Christmas and a wonderful new year!

Thanksgiving and Moms

A FABULOUS THANKSGIVING...in spite of a cold!

We had the most wonderful Thanksgiving, although on Thanksgiving eve, I was stricken with a horrible cold. The timing could not have been worse. Mom was here from North Carolina, and John & Amy & family were in town as well. I'm not sure if the meal that I prepared was good or not because I really couldn't taste anything. I felt like I was having an out of body experience that day--I think I was semi-delirious. Everyone said that dinner was good, and I hope that they weren't just being kind.
Mom's birthday was the day she arrived here, and I was telling her that my dear friend, Dee Dee, says that when it's her birthday, she celebrates her "birthday week"--not just the day of her birth. So I told Mom that we were going to do the same--celebrate her birthday week, and we had a great time. She went to church (Beach Church) with us on Sunday, and I wasn't absolutely certain how a long term traditional Southern Baptist would enjoy our contemporary service. She said that she thought it was great, and also very much enjoyed the sermon. Whew! I was glad to hear that. Then we went to breakfast at the Prince Creek Diner, and we all liked our choices there.
On Monday, we went to Mom's favorite store, Hamrick's, and did some shopping. Then we were off to lunch at Damon's on Ocean Blvd. It was so pleasant sitting there with my Mom, just chatting and visiting and eating a leisurely lunch while we looked out at the beautiful ocean view, observing the various groups of birds soaring along the water in single file--headed to southern destinations for the winter.
Tuesday evening, we headed to the Alabama Theatre to see the Christmas show, and Mom thoroughly enjoyed that outing, as did we. She loved Ricky, the comedian, and thought that the show was really well performed. She especially loved the traditional Christmas hymns, which were saved for the last segment of the show. She could see that we have many talented musicians and performers in the Myrtle Beach area!
Wednesday was spent preparing for Thursday, but I was already feeling horrible. We were supposed to go out to dinner with John and family Wednesday night, but I just couldn't do it. All I seemed to be able to do was sleep after the preparations made on Wednesday. Thursday was a blur, but I surely did enjoy seeing everyone. Fred was a huge help on the cleanup, wanting to give the rest of us a chance to visit while we could. I'm sure that they didn't find me to be very lively, however!!
I drove Mom back to NC on Black Friday, and traffic was very light--surprisingly, even around Charlotte. That was a treat. I returned to SC on Saturday, and again, traffic was extremely light, for which I was very grateful. I know for sure that our Heavenly Father was with me on that trip because I felt so horrible and the entire trip both ways is a blur. From the time I returned on Saturday and straight through Sunday, all I did was rest and sleep. Sometimes that's all you CAN do. But I'm so glad that Mom had a good birthday week because we certainly enjoyed having her here. These are special memories to treasure always!
Hoping your Thanksgiving was fabulous! We are very blessed.