Sunday, May 9, 2010

Prom and then some

so for the past few weeks the salon has been PACKED every saturday with young girls coming in to have their hair "upstyled" for prom. this season evokes so much anxiety into the lives of so many people...most of all...mine! not because i cant do the required "updo", no, my fear runs much deeper than this simple curl. you see, where the salon is located i have the...uh...pleasure (???) to service families with mom's that only want the best for their daughters, especially for this extremely important night of their lives. i mean, i know that prom is a very important right of passage, a night that girls dream about and a night that mothers spend lots of money for. here again is here i come into play :) yes, it is true that i make decent money curling, spraying and pinning hair for prom. and if that is all it was i would be just fine...just fine i tell you. but as we all know, beauty is not all it appears to be. here is how it really happens during prom season...the said prom date comes to the salon accompanied by the mother. i greet them with a smile knowing how excited the girl is for this huge night...well, day actually...to get started. we, all three of us, go to my station in front of the large front window. the beautiful high school student sits down and we begin to talk about her dress and what her ideal "event style" would be. then outta nowhere here comes mom, all up in my grill about what her duaghter HAS to have for her special night. i smile and nod knowing that, well, here we go again...a mother always knows best! i proceed to do what i have been trained for...training that mommy dearest does not have, i mean if she did would she be paying me to do this? in the meantime mom sits in the sill pointing out every imperfect curl and uncrossed pin. really lady...really??? gimme a break! the really crazy part is that this happens more times than not and we could do 3 or 4 on a given saturday...ugh...makes for a long day! prom is not always bad though. it does remind me of how much fun my friends and i had at our "prom" or lack thereof. i mean, i loved getting dressed even with the dress code requirements and sitting all night NOT dancing. no, but seriously, i loved high school and i loved all that came with it. and thankfully my mother was not the doting type. my mom was helpful, encouraging and always a gracious host! thanks for making my jr./sr. so fun, mom, and for not being a momzilla!!! :)

blessings, ALo

Monday, May 3, 2010

Grandpa Southwick

my grandpa had this laugh, a true belly laugh, in very sense of the phrase. even if he was making pokes at you, you couldnt help but laugh if he got going....truly contagious laughter.

my grandpa loved being outside. he loved birds and plants and flowers and everything outside. he loved the warm months, but he always loved God's creation.

my grandpa hunted for indian artifacts. he found hundreds of arrowheads over the years and knew thousands of trivia facts about all tribes...he really knew his stuff and would light up when he talked about it.

my grandpa once held me for hours when i was sad and confused. i am not sure that i have ever told any one this... i was staying with my grandparents and i was crying in my room in the basement. he heard me and came in to hold me...i can only imagine what he was thinking. he didnt have to say anything, he just held me and let me cry.

my grandpa loved our family. he and grandma have been married since 1950...60 years!! he and grandma raised 5 kids, 23 grandkids, and 11 great grandkids. he always made sure to tell us that he loved us, but he didnt need to...we knew.

my grandpa was a crusty old man....but only on the outside. he loved to poke fun and then would turn right around and be encouraging and supportive of whatever we were doing.

my grandpa was a great teacher. he taught us to fish, taught us to drive, taught us to laugh, taught us to pray.

my grandpa loved God, with all his heart. out of all of the things he was, the one i am most proud of is his love for and faith in Jesus Christ. he always made his faith evident in his life and made sure he told others about his changed life.

my grandpa will be missed, greatly! our family will be so sad and life will be different without him. but i know that today my grandpa is not sick. my grandpa is able to breathe without an oxygen tank, and today my grandpa is worshipping his Lord and Savior without any limitations! we have been blessed to have him for all of these years and we cant wait to see him soon!

I LOVE YOU, GRANDPA!!!




ALo