So, I guess I will have to do a "Reader's Digest" version... again.
MAY Alright, the big news was that Jotty finally received his mission call! He will serve in the "Mexico, Mexico City South Mission". He is totally jazzed!
Also in the end of May, the pool liner got replaced. I was amazed at how fast these two guys got it done. Apparently, the bullfrog living either under the sand on the bottom or behind the foam on the wall of the pool was surprised as well. About a week after the pool was filled, I noticed something on the bottom, where it meets the side of the pool-at about 5 feet deep. The shape was darker than the liner...and shaped strangely...like a..FROG!? Yep, he was stuck under there with the weight of all that water on him. Dead, but not flattened. So, I called the pool company and then email them a picture... because it is OBVIOUS that there is a frog under the liner. In the end, we struck a deal and got a few hundred dollars off the original price of the job (suggested by Royal). I told the owner, "How about you give me a discount so that I can just pretend that I like that conversation piece down there?". He agreed. Afterall, I was making it easy on him...they wouldn't have to drain the water out,remove the frog, and put the liner back in again...and we wouldn't have to lose use of the pool for another week or more.
JUNE & JULY I didn't quite get things put away from doing costumes for the college's production of "Big River", before I was knee deep in fabric again. First I was commissioned to make a "Queen of Hearts" costume and then did the costumes for "The Depot". This time I was working for a new theater company in Enterprise called "Southern Broadway". They have done small dinner shows so far but decided to "The Depot" in the huge, wonderful, state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center at the new Enterprise High School. This production was actually the first theater production done on that stage and the first time most of the equipment was used. VERY nice to have a proper and roomy stage and FOUR dressing rooms!! They had a "costume shop" too but were using it for other stuff so I used a dressing room to hang the costumes in instead. It wasn't a problem because each dressing room is very spacious and each has a shower, two bathrooms, two long counters, a sink and 3 very big mirrors. For the production, we had a men's and a woman's dressing room, a make-up/hair room and my costume room. The show is an original script by one the the owner's of Southern Broadway and played 3 shows. The mayor has asked them to put it on next year too. It is a great story and was well done. The guy that has done the scenery for each show I've been involved in really outdid himself...fab-u-lous! I designed and made a few dresses, and made or put together the rest of the costumes. Oh, and this company PAID me! Whooo-hoo!
Summer was great and I even went swimming several times...
probably more than I've been for many years. Part of that was because I didn't work this summer. The average temp of the pool water was 94 degrees. Lovely, as there was no "shock" when you jumped in.
AUGUST-Royal and his family came to visit for a couple weeks and we had a blast with them! The kids behaved well and are cute (of course...I don't have a grandchild that ISN'T cute)! One of the most fun things I've done in a long time was go on a "Pirate Cruise" with them down in Panama City. Real ship that goes out into the ocean for a 2 hour trip. A captain and his pirate crew keep the kids busy for the whole trip. Absolutely delightful! The weather was great too. We all came with "pirate gear"...scarves and earrings. Mae was mostly entertained by all the action...she even got her "sea legs" fairly quick. I am so glad they invited me on that adventure!
August also brought the beginning of school again so back to work I went. Jotty and I also worked to finish getting his stuff together for his mission. At the end of the month Jim and I took Jotty to the Birmingham temple and Kira and our friend Dan came along(we went in Dan's van). Jotty loved it and was on a "spiritual high" until we came out of the temple and Jim listened to his phone messages. One of the messages was from the stake President, saying that the MTC had called him and let him know that Jotty would NOT be entering the MTC on September 14th as previously instructed. Instead, he would be part of a pilot program and would enter the MTC on October 5th. (The pilot program is a 5 week training in the MTC instead of the current 8 weeks). Jotty was soooo bummed-because he was sooo ready to leave-NOW! He snapped out of it soon enough and a "pro" to leaving later was that he can take me to the "Weird Al" concert in Montgomery on Sept 29th.
SEPTEMBER has arrived much too quickly and I am now starting into costumes for the college's production of "Nunsense". Lots of costumes but easy...15 Nun's habits. Before I start sewing, we are going to check to see if Dothan's theater group has any we can borrow. The nuns in the Catholic churches around here don't wear tradition habits.
Now, we are just two weeks before Jotty departs and 7 weeks before Miles returns from his mission. Lots of conflicting emotions are going to be experienced by all of us. Miles thinks his mission president will allow him to call Jotty before he goes into the MTC and I hope he's right.
I hope I won't take too long to return and blog again. Until then!
