Dear Reader:
Dr. Seuss was certainly right yesterday when he said “Life is a balancing act.” Between sunshine and rain, long lines and anticipation, trolleys and fire trucks, waiting and playing, umbrellas and crowds…there were still plenty of smiles at the Guinness Book of Records Largest Tea Pitcher Award for Summerville!
The tea was really sweet…thus the smile on Rutledge’s face…Mollie and I decided beer went well inside the mason jars too. But we did taste the tea…becoming part of history.
It was very crowded, hot and sticky, rainy and sunny…a typical summer party….and we did have fun….just wish we had found someone selling the t-shirts…we asked and asked but no one seemed to know where the t-shirts were located.
Maybe they will have some left over….maybe.
Lachlan slept through the whole thing…even with the band music blaring… we did find Jo and Colby in the trolley…we managed to get a quick photo before heading out again…Colby had made me the sweetest pink ribbon pin. Love those gals!
We bumped into the Pattersons….the boys were playing on the firetruck…the highlight of the celebration for Rutledge…he did not want to leave!
We finally managed to get home with our historical mason jars…all intact…but not all of us quite intact…poor Mollie cut her hand trying to get one of the baby strollers back in car…Eventually we got home…got a little food in us…got in some dryer clothes…and we were happy that we participated and now had the memories forever…locked away.
When I came across a poem by our favorite Irish poet, John O’Donohue, on balance and equilibrium in our lives…I found it fitting for celebration day…because I think God was smiling down on the town’s big victory…watching His children having fun!
A BLESSING FOR EQUILIBRIUM.
BY JOHN O’DONOHUE, from ‘Benedictus – A Book of Blessings’
Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore,
May the music of laughter break through your soul.
As the wind wants to make everything dance,
May your gravity be lightened by grace.
Like the freedom of the monastery bell,
May clarity of mind make your eyes smile.
As water takes whatever shape it is in,
So free may you be about who you become.
As silence smiles on the other side of what’s said,
May a sense of irony give you perspective.
As time remains free of all that it frames,
May fear or worry never put you in chains.
May your prayer of listening deepen enough
To hear in the distance the laughter of God.
………………………………..
So until tomorrow…We love it when you smile God because it makes us just as happy as You.
“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh
* I told Mollie that my goal yesterday was to get Lachlan to smile….and he did!!!!!!!!!!!!! My sweet boy!
Rutledge loves his baby brother and is very protective of him at pre-school.
Rutledge’s legs are now long enough to ride Hope the dolphin and he had a hard time tearing himself away from her to go home.
So glad I got to get my picture in front of the award-winning sweet tea container early yesterday morning (by accident) after using the ATM at First Citizens…. because I got to witness history.
There is no way we would have waited in that line yesterday (that we opted out of for a photo snap) by the tea container….too long a line for a toddler and little baby.
Dear Summerville: “Loved you yesterday, love you still…always have…always will.”
* God is also laughing in delight at the latest “Lucy” (a.k.a. moon flower bloom) that opened last evening…they just keep getting bigger and more beautiful.
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
Good morning, Becky!
I’ve been watching Facebook posts about the Big Tea and found it interesting that the “local” channel we watch for news (out of Johnson City, TN) had a segment on the Biggest Tea Pitcher yesterday afternoon! Good ol’ Summerville made the TN news!! Evidently a reporter passed it along – including live shots of the mixing and stirring! Quite a big to-do for the sleepy ol’ ‘ville, eh? Just thought I’d tell you.
Enjoyed the post today, too. These two grandsons are adorable and Rutledge DOES have a winning smile! Know you’re loving having them around!
Heading back to Fuquay tomorrow to be around some of our grands — for a dance recital!! We’ll be back up here Monday, but it’s SO nice that we are able to do this!
Sis
Becky, You always amaze me that you can find a “smile” in every situation!!
Just being alive is enough to make me smile!
I looked and looked for you at the Tea festival. That’s what I have named it anyway. But there were so many people after the rain stopped, it was nearly impossible to find anyone. We arrived early thinking parking would be at a premium any where close and it was filling up quickly. But to our amazement there was already a line for the T-shirts and tickets for your glass of tea and it was only 4:00. We thought we would go look around some get a bite to eat and then join the festivities but decided to go straight for the T-shirts and our tea. We were among some of the first to get our picture taken and get our tea. Then we decided as the rain began to then go for a bite to eat and went into Zest grill and had front row seats right behind the free Dixie sugar stand. When the rain stopped we combed the area looking for familiar faces. We found a couple of friends but so many others didn’t come at all. I couldn’t believe they would miss History in the making! But I looked for you and Mollie knowing at this point I could pick you, Mollie, or Rutledge out of a crowd. We combed the exhibits and listened to the band. Then I decided, lets walk the tea line for friends and friendly faces! So we did and I looked at every stroller that I saw searched faces, but much to my dismay I never found you all, should say y’all it was a Southern Sweet Tea event after all. Then as you know with my recent back issues and having just had injections the week before, well let’s just say my back began to say find a spot and sit or think about getting home. My wife turned and looked at me and said, I think I have had enough. That saved me from having to tell her I was in some discomfort at about that same time. But as i have heard it said, I got the mug, the T- shirt and my picture taken, I had certainly been part of something special. Summerville has never ceased to amaze me from the little sleepy town I knew as a youngster even to this day with all the growth, hustle and bustle it has become today. I love my hometown! I lived in the North Charleston area my earlier years, was born in St. Francis Hospital in Charleston, but I am proud to call my Summerville my hometown and will likely be here until the Lord calls me home, but I am betting there is a Summerville section of Heaven, there must be it’s so close to it as is!
Sorry I missed y’all. I would love to have met you and Mollie with Lachlan and Rutledge in person. But I have a very strong feeling we will meet yet!
Johnny…we were the same way…I kept half-expecting to hear some one shout out “Becky’ and it would be you. We must have been circling each other. .Where did you find the t-shirts…we were there at 4:30…I stood in line for the tickets and got our mugs….but never found the t-shirts. And you are right…we will definitely meet one day.