At 3:45 pm Lee loaded the kids in the car and headed to Madeleine's softball game. I needed to leave at 5:15 pm to officiate at a wedding so I read some of my book, started a load of laundry, and watched some TV. At 5:15 I was all ready to go so I got my preacher robe and my Book of Worship and grabbed my purse and got in the car. I could not find my keys. They were not in my purse. I got out of the car and looked on the kitchen counter, but they were not there. I looked on Lee's dresser in the bedroom, but they were not there. I began to run (in my preacher high heels it was more like walked quickly) all around the house looking for my car keys. The extra key is on Lee's keyring, so I called him. Maybe he knew where they were. He had to walk to the parking lot to tell me that my keys were in the console of the car that was at the softball game 20 minutes away. The wedding started at 6 pm at the Mansion on Turtle Creek! I had told the couple that I would be there at 5:30 pm and it was already 5:20!!! Panic began to set in.
Lee offered to drive back, but I knew that I would not make it to the wedding in time. So, I called my neighbors. Three did not answer their phones, so I went next door and began to knock on doors. The first neighbor did not answer, but the next one did. I explained the situation in a very panicked voice. Just then Lee called and said that he thought that we had an extra key. So, I ran (preacher high heels so again walked quickly) back home, found the key, and was frustrated when it would open the car doors, but not turn the engine. So, back to the wonderful neighbor. She offered to drive me herself, but she was unable to leave right then so she offered to let me borrow her car.
I instilled great confidence in my wonderful neighbor when I could not figure out how to take off the parking brake and started pushing and pulling all the buttons. She reminded me about the parking brake lever and then I was off. It was 5:36 pm. I was on the freeway racing downtown when I realized that the hood was open. I must of opened it when I was pulling all of those buttons to turn off the parking brake. I had visions of the hood flying up and me crashing my generous neighbor's car. I exited the freeway, closed the hood, and arrived at the Mansion at 5:49 pm. I thanked God for the valet and ran to the top floor balcony where I officiated at a wedding of two very kind people.
As I was at the gas station filling up my neighbor's car I had many thoughts of thankfulness. Thankful (I think) that the rapture did not happen today at 6 pm, thankful that my neighbor was willing to let me borrow her car, thankful that I did not crash, thankful that there was no traffic, thankful that I live in a neighborhood where I know my neighbors well enough to ask them to let me borrow their car! I have a very thankful heart this evening...
Lee and Madeleine
Grandpa (my dad) and Madeleine
Madeleine with Aunt Kristin (my sister) and cousin Sydney. Forgive Everett's head on the bottom right of the picture...
Madeleine with Mrs. Joy. Mrs. Joy was Madeleine's Sunday School teacher when she was 3 years old at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church. Mrs. Joy lives 2 doors down from the piano teacher so every week Everett and I go play at Mrs. Joy's during Madeleine's lesson and then Madeleine joins us. We are blessed to have Mrs. Joy in our lives! (I am also in a great book club with Mrs. Joy that she started 25 years ago and is still going strong!)
Madeleine moved her corsage to her hat, it is more fashionable that way I suppose...
