To Charles, Nashville means school meetings; To me, it means LifeWay friends... two very different views. I don't think he ever REALLY tires of school stuff and I never tire of church stuff. We AREN'T a divided household either. He goes to dinner with my LifeWay friends and I dine with his school friends when we're over here, but there are times when we're more or less "on our own". Like today, for instance.John D. and I had arranged for me to drive to LifeWay to meet him there. No problem. Most of the time he and Carolyn pick me up at the hotel for us to grab breakfast or lunch, but today Carolyn is the 'patient' and we decided to pamper her a little at her house. Charles and I even did a "dry run" last night from the hotel to LifeWay and I took notes - we went through town and not on the interstate (I'm scared silly of interstate driving, especially over here).
Left at 9:15 this morning to meet JD at 9:45, called him from the hotel parking lot to tell him if I wasn't there within reason to call me. Charles was in a meeting and I might be in the ditch somewhere. He laughed good-naturedly as always and said he'd do it, and gave me 30 minutes or so.
There are some new people reading this blog. They have emailed me, so for their sake, I'll take a minute to explain our/my relationship with John. He is my editor @ LifeWay but he is our dear friend also. He and his wife and girls have been to our lake house and spent the night, and he and Jerrie, his wife have been without the girls. They were with us for a night during the week of Thanksgiving, 2003 - just six weeks before their middle daughter, Ellen was killed on her way to high school one morning.... Charles and I dropped everything and went to Murfreesboro to be there with them....so John and Jerrie and CT and I have a kind of "history". He wants to retire to east TN or maybe Western NC in several years and CT and I would love that. We eat with them or meet them at a restaurant most every time we're in Nashville. My nickname for John D. is appropriately, "bro"...
Anyway, I followed the directions to the "T" and arrived in the parking lot at 9:43, even! I think he was shocked when I called upstairs and announced, "I'm HERE!"
He came to the car, gave me the big hug, and we went to his car in the parking garage to drive to Hendersonville, Tennessee to take lunch to Carolyn - our friend and John's long-time co-worker. She has had surgery in the past couple of weeks and will recoup. at home until the first of the year.
It's always a Sunday School lesson with JD and me. This man knows more about the Bible than anyone I have ever known and I could talk with him for hours. We were catching up on one another's life and family, work, and I was bemoaning that I'm trying to get weight back off again. He reminded me that when we get to heaven, we won't have to worry about weight and bad backs and all of the things that get TO us here - and mentioned eating in heaven like we are going to ...uh, DINE in the here-after. I'm going - yeah - from the Tree that changes fruit every month.... OOOH NO!.... We are going to DINE in Heaven. "You know...," he says," there are numerous mentions of the wedding feast in Heaven. We are going to eat!" ..... "But we aren't going to be hungry anymore, I sputtered" ... "You don't HAVE to be hungry to eat!" he insists. Well he IS right about that, I'm living proof!
I had not thought about actual EATING in heaven. I thought I wouldn't have an appetite for sausage biscuits anymore because there wouldn't be any or the need for any! Maybe they will go under the menu listing of "heavenly hogmeat".... I'm trying to grasp this idea you know.
We got to Crac*ker Barr*el and I'm thinking... Cracker Barrel food in Heaven.... NAH... and while we were waiting on the food we continued the conversation.... He is good to ask logical questions about this stuff that gets me to thinking.... like, "Why wouldn't God give us food we LIKE?" Makes a point.... but then my taste may not be the same in Heaven but it STILL may be what I like because it's heavenly food. Sort that one out. ???
I dunno... but he says we are going to eat in Heaven and not get sick from it and most importantly - NOT GAIN WEIGHT. I'm ready!
Got to Carolyn's house and it was good to see her, even if in her night gown and bathrobe with a brace around her middle. Did I say NASTY surgery? She looked GOOD from having been through what she's been through.
We ate at her kitchen table - beautiful, huge house - and chatted, then we made a couple of pictures and left. We had a nice time with her.
Drove back to LifeWay, talking every breath. It's always good to see bro and Carolyn. Of course I got lost coming back to the hotel. Somehow got off onto a parallel street from where I was supposed to be and spent 30 minutes or more trying to get my barrings back. And boy was I lost! Had a short harsh talk with myself that went like this: "Linda. If you call Charles, he won't have a clue as to where you are. If you call John, you won't be able to TELL him where you are. If you panic, no one will ever see or hear from you again." I sweated and prayed and straightened up and finally found the right road.
Made it back to the hotel and received a phone call. "I'm watching you. I can see you right now." It was Charles Thomas standing in the window of the hotel room. He thought he had left a school improvement plan in the car and was on pins and needles for me to get back... of course it wasn't in there. He finally decided he had lost it after going to a LOT of trouble to track it down. Then a call came to the room. "Charles, where are you? You're missing the meeting." Well WHAT meeting - no meeting was announced. So he trots back to the meeting room and at first break took all of his papers out again... there was the school plan but someone had stapled a piece of paper to it, covering up the cover sheet. No wonder! I received a phone call asking me to call room xxx and tell the gentleman in that room he was missing the meeting too. I did. He was incredulous. Walked into the meeting room with both arms up in the air like he was being held up, Charles said. It has been like McH*ale's N*avy around here today!
CT and I went out tonight to grab a salad... and of course a trip to Marshall's. Ran into his partner in crime in there and Elaine's cart was full of Christmas shopping. Was great to meet her. She's late sixties and has been a consultant for years... graduated out as a high school principal years ago.
Came back to the hotel tonight and Charles announced he could NOT sleep in this king bed another night it was so awful last night. It WAS.... We've stayed here numerous times and this is a " high end" hotel... but this bed "ain't right"... so he decided to rotate the mattress tonight. How funny! Seems to be content now. He's sound asleep and I'm headed there.
People have said for years we should write a book. Today was extremely "tame" for us. If we wrote a book, nobody would believe it anyway!
