Easter Hair (not hare)

Easter 2011 is now in the memory books. We enjoyed a delicious meal at our daughter and son-in-law's home with family and friends, came home where hubby and I sat in our favorite chairs and napped. The perfect Sunday afternoon...

You're about to read a story my hubby loves to tell on me that goes back to our first Easter in Alcoa, Tennessee: 1996

When I need to have my roots touched up, I run to my hairdresser and get that taken care of as soon as possible. But before that happens and my hair is in need of a 'root-job' I take extra steps to get it whipped into shape for the day. This particular Easter Sunday morning, I was in bad need of a root-job, so I went through each step to assure my short, frosted hair would look a little thicker/taller.


Step 1: wash hair

Step 2: mousse it and blow it dry

Step 3: hair spray all over, then go do something else

Step 4: come back and use curling iron

Step 5: hair spray all over, then go do something else

Step 6: come back and tease hair all over

Step 7: hair spray all over, then go do something else

Step 8: come back and style hair

Step 9: use one last blast of hair spray to hold the creation in place


But on this particular Easter morning I'm referring to, I somehow stopped at Step 7. Not sure how it happened, but I'm guessing that I was rushing around, making sure my 10 year old daughter was ready for church and maybe the phone rang or something. Whatever happened...it made for an "interesting new look" for me. My daughter never said anything to me about the way I looked, so I went on my merry way.

Keep in mind as you're reading this that many churches have a large amount of CEO's who attend our Easter services, so some of them were meeting their new minister and his wife for the very first time...even though we'd been there since June of '95. CEO's are the members who "Come on Easter Only."

Folks at church greeted me warmly and many of them glanced at my hair. Will Shelton, one of our senior high youth (who is now a UM minister/seminary student) commented on how great my hair looked! Some of his friends did the same...

I never had occasion to look in a mirror while at church because I didn't need to use the rest room. Oh how I wish I'd had too much water or juice that morning...but if I had, Joe would have one less funny story to tell. I sat in my usual place at church and some visiting friends (who would be lunching with us after service) were there with me. During the musical benediction, just as I always do, I walked out of the sanctuary holding hands with my minister/husband, stopping at the main doors so we could greet the church family and guests as they left the church.

Cut to lunch back at our house:
Delicious food is on the table...we enjoy our guests...dessert and coffee are served...and then we retire to the den to extend our visit. I finally make a visit to the "powder room" for the first time since Step 7. Screaming, I ran out to my husband, daughter and guests and asked, "Did my hair look like this at church?!?!?"

Husband: Yes

Me: Why didn't you tell me my hair looked like this?!?

Husband: I thought you were trying out a new hairstyle.

Me: (insert sarcastic tone here) Well, what do you think of it?!?

Husband: I don't really like it.

My sweet daughter and our friends all agreed with my husband in thinking it was a new 'do! Duh! I don't think so...!


End of story. My husband is kind enough to ask me before he shares this story publicly. But since I've finally started to learn that life is much better when we can laugh at ourselves, it isn't so humiliating to tell it on myself.

Will Shelton still remembers my hairdo from that Easter morning. When he gets married someday, and his wife is preparing for their first Easter service in a new appointment...I hope he'll be sure to check out his wife's hair before they leave for church.



Remember: if you have a pulse, you have a purpose...so make your life count!

Company is coming...!

There is no better way to get me to clean my house than the knowledge that company will arrive soon! We live in CHAOS...the Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome...a big part of the time. That is sad, because I used to teach organizational seminars. Key words here: used to.

Actually, I practice what I preach/teach, but when life gets a little too busy, which it has been lately...things sort of fall by the wayside.

In the past month, I've:

begun teaching a young lady to sew (she hasn't come back for any more lessons, so I don't know if she hated it or me...or decided it wasn't as fun as she thought it would be or it could be that she's a teenager and has a LIFE!)

led the worship music for three separate weekend retreats

wrote/acted in the comedy sketches for one of those retreats

did my stand-up comedy routine (sitting down) for about 160 ladies at Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church

been practicing with an awesome director and choir (as a soprano and one of the narrators) for our Easter presentation/cantata which will be presented this weekend (no, it isn't Easter, but that's when we always do it!)

had the wonderful privilege to participate as part of the worship teams at our church every Sunday night and on some Sunday mornings

reorganized my kitchen, switching everything into cupboards on opposite sides of the room (poor hubby is still baffled)

cooked a few meals (key word: few)

kept up with the laundry (clean skivvies!)

bought some new clothes to fit my (hopefully) continually shrinking body because my daughter can't stand to look at me in my baggy jeans (the make-me-feel-skinnier-even-if-they-DO-look-awful-on-me-and-I-wear-them-anyway-when-I'm-not-going-to-see-her jeans)

attended more committee meetings than I wanted to...but ended up being glad I was there for each of them

repaired a couple of knit shirts for my neighbor, did alterations on several prom dresses, a wedding dress, a mother-of-the-bride dress and a couple of pants for a woman (whose legs were way too short for the amount of denim in the legs of those jeans!)

taught a Bible study for my hubby one Wednesday night

spoke to our Junior and Senior Youth about "Mercy & Grace" last Wednesday evening

did all the regular stuff that I do on a day to day basis

and shaved my legs every single day just like i have for the past two years. Okay, shaving my legs isn't that big of a deal, but it is the only new years' resolution I've ever kept in my LIFE!!!

I'm sure I've left out a thing or three...but you get the idea. It is Monday night and company will be arriving on Wednesday. The downstairs is nearly clean and the upstairs rooms will be tackled in the morning. What is funny about all this is the people who will be visiting are the very people who are so easy to have as guests that I really don't have to go to all this fuss. But I am...because I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!!!!

Hope they notice that I've dusted. Last time they were here, they could have written their names in 3-D on my table in the den...



Always remember: if you have a pulse, you have a purpose...make your life count!