Such a beautiful day today in a myriad of ways! The sky was overcast and vanilla white, thick clouds accented with blues and purples but inside my 103-year-old family home the sun was beaming down in my dining room on me and my friends. These women around the table are all such wonderful human beings, sharing love and grace in every moment of their lives. We laughed and cried, shared stories and photos of our grandchildren and children, ate tea party food like little piggies running up to the trough. We had the best titty tatty tea party.

My Aunt Margaret would be proud of me. l made pimento cheese sandwiches in star and snowman shapes, filled croissants with chicken salad, had little bacon and spinach quiches, pickles and olives, chips and fruit, and pecan pie and lemon pie with whipping cream for dessert. My friends always say, “Did you makes the pies?” And I always say, “Yes, I did and the crusts, too!” Real whipping cream…put a dollop in your hot chocolate or in your coffee, makes it delicious. If I didn’t have to walk down two flights of stairs to get it, and if it wasn’t midnight, I’d be tempted to have a third sliver of lemon pie with whipping cream on top right now. Maybe for breakfast!

It’s amazing how sitting around a table with people you love makes you feel good, releases stress from the struggles of your ordinary days. I think sharing meals with loved ones is a spiritual thing. I haven’t seen most of my Alexander City friends for months but gathered around the table and talking about our families made it seem no time had passed since we last met. Our hospitality in sharing meals with friends strengthens our friendships and gives us a sense of belonging to each. I could feel their love when we hugged goodbye.

My McMurray family has always celebrated special occasions with dinner with our family members. When Chief and I got married here we had a formal dinner following the wedding ceremony. Mr. Tom and Mrs. Julia Russell had asked Chief if they could come to our wedding. They loved Chief. He was writing a book on their family history then for them. Anyway, Chief said, “Yes.” Mama stroked but weathered the storm. I caught her sitting in various chairs in the dining room the day before the wedding, place cards in her hands, and asked her what she was doing. She seriously said, “I’m sitting in each chair to see where I can seat the Russells so they don’t notice the cracks in the plaster on the walls.” Got a good laugh out of that.

My dearest friend came for the tea party and is spending the weekend. She came laden with Christmas gifts for me and Stew. She gave me a book of quotes, one for everyday of the year! I loved it AND she brought matching pajamas for us to wear! Kinda a tradition we wear matching pjs on our weekend visits. We take turns buying them. I think the ones she brought today are the best yet! They have little dogs and Christmas trees all over them, noticed a few cats, too.

Been looking for a quote today and decided to use the first one in my new book of quotes. Turned out the the first quote in the book works great for today. “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” — Ronald Dahl

This quote just speaks to me about the beauty of friendship and the magic that happens when two people connect and form a life long bond of friendship. There is magic in friendship, magic of love and trust, magical warmth of belonging and togetherness. There is magic in all God’s creations in the heavens and on the Earth, too. So many wonders on this wondrous planet we call Earth but most of us are to busy with our lives to watch the sunset, or a butterfly flex it’s wings, or a squirrel stuff his cheeks with sunflower seeds. We all need to slow down and “smell the roses.” And I know that’s hard when you are climbing a corporate ladder and raising a family.

You really can’t find magic till you seek it. I’ve had so many magical moments with the sunsets and the songbirds. Never knew the night sky was so beautiful. But when I think of it as a dark velvet sky canopy, pinned with bejeweled diamonds and a luminous radiant moon, when I look up, I can see the magic of a nighttime sky.

Maybe you just have to be retired and porch ponder to notice all the magic around you. Hope there will be some magic in your life today!

“Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind, and the silence of the stars? Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic. It is such a simple and such an extraordinary part of the lives we live.” — Nora Roberts