Ready for the Grove...

I am so ready for the Grove this year! Some years I am not quite as excited about football season-- oh, I'm ALWAYS excited about football season, but in previous years, specifically the season or two after I graduated law school, it was harder to go to Oxford. Its such a great place and I have so many wonderful memories, both from college and law school, that it was, frankly, a harsh reminder, at that time, of where my life had been and where it was then. It made me take a hard look at my life, my happiness, and my decisions and I didn't always like what I saw. Now, this year might not be much different-- I'm still not where I thought I'd be, or where, in a perfect world, I would like to be, but I'm thankful for the many, many blessings I have, and the place God has put me. It enables me to enjoy Oxford for the times I've spent there and to make new memories to add to my life. I'm sure, in time, I'll be thinking of how nice and simple my life was, back in 2010, when I could go to the Grove and visit my friends and see my family, before everyone started having kids and stopped going to games, and we quit tailgating, etc. So, someday, these days will be my memories and I will wish I was back here, sitting with Katherine, David, Courtney, Greg and Robie, enjoying the Grove.

Bittersweet memories aside, I am super excited about Saturday! I don't give a rip about Ole Miss's Masoli (truth be told, I think we should be above semi-shady matters such as this, and I would like to think we are ALWAYS about Mississippi State-- I've laughed for years at some of the players they've had arrested-- something like 9 former players are serving federal time even as we speak. I prefer to think of Ole Miss as above that-- when you are given much, much is expected, so I would have rather this entire stink be erased and, in the future, try to have players who are respectable and wonderful both on and off the field.) but I'm ready for some football.

Things I am looking forward to--

1. The debut of my new ice cooler-- isn't it wonderful? I am so excited about it-- I've been planning it for months now, but it took a really long time to find a suitable large cooler and then get it painted. (Alert readers will notice the light blue floor-- my new porch paint color. More pictures of the newly remodeled porch coming up... as soon as I finish. Its rained a lot lately!!)






2. Finger foods-- appetizers/finger foods/party foods are my favorite foods in the world. I love any type of dip (even with sour cream!) and sausage balls, little sandwiches, mini-versions of anything, and pigs in a blanket. I don't know if its the fact that I practically grew up eating Grove food, or if one of the reason I love the Grove is because of the finger foods. Regardless, the menu for this week consists of pigs in a blanket, sausage balls, Captain Rodney's dip, veggie dip, Chinese slaw and some other stuff.

3. Seeing everyone back in the Grove-- not only will I see my friends from law school, and probably some of my friends from college, but you see all sorts of people in the Grove-- people from Newton, people from Laurel, acquaintances from college and law school, old friends, Grove neighbors, etc. Its so much fun! Everyone is in good spirits (probably most because of the spirits!) and its colorful and fun and exciting!

4. Parker will be there! She has an adorable Ole Miss cheerleader outfit that I bought for her. It cost more than most of my clothes, but it looks so cute! I think she's really excited.

5. Getting chills from hearing the band play and the student section start screaming the "Hotty Toddy"! In previous years, I've had to beg, borrow or steal a ticket as I didn't have season tickets. While my sweet dad would always buy me a ticket if I wanted one, I always felt bad to make him pay a lot of money to get me a ticket on gameday. But this year, I've got a season ticket of my own!!!

Hotty Toddy!!