Sweet Sounds From Heaven

We went to the beach to spend some time together in an attempt to let God’s ocean waves wash away our sorrows. Miss Jeanette went to Heaven suddenly, without warning in September. It was a shock to all of us as she was only 74. We did not know if the trip would help, but we owed it to ourselves to find out. Donna Raye missed her mother, Susan missed her good friend, and I missed my mother-in-law. We were arm-linked in an endeavor to find healing.

There were some things we needed from the grocery store before returning to the condo. A Dollar Store was in the same shopping center and drew us like a moth to a flame. Found some Groucho Marx Glasses complete with the huge nose, fuzzy eyebrows and teeny weeny mustache. Had to have ‘em! Why not just put ‘em on! No one will know her here. She’s from out of town. The fact that the nose nearly fit was more than disconcerting. Once inside Publix, her red-faced friends distanced themselves from this buffoon, in an attempt to save grace. There were plenty of people to entertain, not a problem.

Before long this anonymous clown needed to find a restroom. Enquired from a cashier, thinking it’d be in the back of the store, or at one end or the other. The cashier pointed to a door directly in front, right across from the registers. O.K.?!?, the door was labeled restroom, but locked. Patiently waiting directly outside the door for what seemed like an eternity, legs crossed, still entertaining anyone who noticed her disguise.

After about three extremely long minutes, suddenly the door swung open and a gentleman emerged. He was in such a hurry, he blasted past the masked female and fled without even a glance in her direction. She was so shocked, her head turned nearly 360 degrees around following the male figure as he headed for the exit.

She said, “is this a women’s restroom?” Evidently, Mr. Speed Demon had excellent ears, as he turned on his heels and charged back in her direction. Once face to face, no doubt seeing her incognito for the first time, he said, gawking at her in disbelief, “No, Uh… Ma’am?!?, if that were a women’s restroom, I would not have been in it.”

It was obvious he was concerned that his gender was considered controversial. When he got a good gander at the masked individual, you could just tell, he’s thinking, you’re questioning my gender, please, give me a break! You could really read his mind. This camouflaged girl got so tickled, she could almost hear over the intercom, “management needs clean up on the main entrance isle.”

I’m thankful God looks on our heart and not on our nose. Everyone manages grief differently. O.K., I admit it, I’m weird.

She was expecting the air condition maintenance man early in the day. She had finished her prayer time, her breakfast and coffee. It was almost time, so she retrieved her under garment from the bedroom and placed it on the arm of the couch. She would simply sit in her prayer chair and continue praying where she could see plainly out the window when the maintenance man arrived. This girl don’t like to waste her time.

She had not been in the prayer chair more than 5 minutes when she saw a white van passing by slowly with the words Air Conditioning on the side. Here they are, she thought. She arose from her chair, retrieved her under garment and put it on.

Out the door, jogging across the yard to help the new maintenance man enter, she noticed that something was just not right. My goodness! I know I put my bra on. Somehow, things didn’t compute. She was self conscious, so she kept her arms down and close to her side. She opened the gate and pointed to the back of the house where the air conditioner was, only moving her arms from the elbows. This tall, good looking gentleman struck out for the back of the house. She struck out for the inside of the house.

Once inside, she discovered her mind was still intact, however her bra was still around her waist. Oh my goodness! She got so tickled, she could hardly stop laughing. She’s wondering if God is laughing too. Of course He is. She could only hope the good looker was not aware of her dilemma, and was having himself a good laugh. She’ll never know will she.

We were traveling to California in a camero with no air conditioning. We three cousins and grandma. We were, for the most part enjoying our trip and making good time. I’m driving, grandma is side saddle with Barbara and Teresa bringing up the rear. We were in the desert and had been driving for miles. There was nothing in sight but straight roads with desert and sagebrush on either side. No houses, businesses, people, cars, nothing.

I sure did need to find a bathroom. Finally, grandma said, “Sandra, why don’t you just pull over, no one will ever see you out here.” Sounded good to me and my bladder was rejoicing at the thought. I pulled the car over to the side of the road and went around to grandma’s side and opened her door to kind of shield me from the front. Breathing a sigh of relief, I took my liberty.

I don’t know where that car came from. Hadn’t seen one for hours. Grandma could not stop laughing and I couldn’t stop either. Barbara and Teresa just hoping the tales weren’t true about rattlesnakes lurking along the side of the road in the bushes. Grandma slapped her leg and laughed and laughed. She tried to console me with, no one will ever see you again. I’m thinking and if they do, hopefully, they won’t recognize me in that position, unless of course, they remember the whites of my eyes.