Wow.  The last two weeks have been absolutely nothing short of a whirlwind.   Let’s backtrack to Labor Day weekend and work our way up.  So, Sanctuary competed at a Battle of the Bands…and WON!!!!!

  I was so excited!!  I sounded like a middle school girl squealing when they make the cheerleading squad.  But, this was my first Battle of the Bands ever, and I’m pretty sure for the Sanctuary Blues Band too.  So, yay!!!!!

Then, the following week, Buck and I fly to Vegas for the Big Blues Bender music festival!  

It was a lot of fun and had all kinds of blues artists playing by the pool, in the theater, and the showcase room.  It was cool.  No, it was hot actually.   Very hot.  But cool music!

Then more jet lag, and back to work.  Well, until Wednesday night around 10:30pm.  That’s when one of the sweetest women ever to grace God’s green earth passed away:  my Grandma.

This is a picture of her and my Granddaddy.  Their names are U.S. and Doris June.  Yes, you’re reading this right.  I can’t make it up.  Their love for each other was as unique as their names.  This year, we’ve lost them both.  Granddaddy died in January, and now Grandma. 
My husband Buck lost both his parents last summer, 2 weeks and 6 days apart.   I have NO idea how he handled that as well as he did.  But, I’m trying to take good notes. 🙂
Grandma was the kind of woman who wanted two things for the family: 1) To love Jesus and 2) keep the family closely knit.  She did a darn good job of it too.  She could cook it, sew it, tell you where to buy it the cheapest, took care of her mama when she was sick (yes, I got to know and love my great-grandma too, Grandma Baker), manage a crew of women around a church or house, wrap it, give it with love, and do it all in her immaculate outfit, with matching broach and “ear bobs”.  I wear the same shade of lipstick as she did:  Revlon “Wine With Everything “.   A woman like her is rare, and comes only once in a lifetime.   What a treasure.   I mean that. 
So, the song I sang at her memorial service was The Anchor Holds.  And, she certainly was an anchor for our entire family. It’s so tough. But we’re gonna be alright.  She loved my Granddaddy for 76 1/2 years.  They were both born in 1918 and married since June 17, 1938.  Together, they raised both sons to be good men, and they’ve in turn, raised us with those same high standards, who continue to pass it on down. 
I’m so glad I didn’t assume I could ask her tomorrow how to make her sweet potato souffle.  I asked her years ago, and I even have it in her handwriting.  Amazing how an index card can be so special,  isn’t it?  Only because SHE was that special.  Please tell the special people in your life how much they mean to you.  Do it today.  Hug your mama, call your daddy, text your brother, Facebook your beautiful children, love on your nieces, and be a friend to all.  No one will believe that what you believe is good, if you don’t exude goodness yourself.  Be good and be for real.  Grandma June surely was.  God, help me be more like her.
Thanks again everybody for sharing these moments with me.  Love you all.