The Turners go partying

Saturday night, Jason and I had a rare occasion to get all dolled up.


We went to a gala!


Our local arts council has one every year, and this year I went to cover the event.

The house where it was held was spectacular. We pulled up, and there was even valet parking - to put everyone's car in the pasture out back.

(The house sits on 18 acres of "rolling hills")

Jason and I sat with our friends the Tallos. And a great time was had by all.

There was a silent auction, and a live auction, and of course, lots and lots of fancy food.

And for a few minutes, I felt like I was in the "upper crust" of society. Never mind that at 10 years old, mine was probably the oldest car in that pasture. Never mind the day-to-day struggles of our real lives.

We were just like everyone else. At least for a while.

Sitting under the stars, in the slightly chilly night air, we could almost forget our problems as we watched the local society types get into several-hundred-dollars worth of bidding wars over original art pieces and trips to New Orleans.

Life, at least temporarily, was good.

I didn't intend on being there long. I had sent Anna Marie with my mom and aunt, and promised to be back in an hour or so.

Then I looked at my watch, and it was 9:00.

We didn't end up leaving until it was over at 10:00, but that was OK - because the Coley girls took AM to Memphis, and had just gotten back when we left the party.

Anna Marie's bed was full of stuff off her floor (her version of cleaning her room) and it was 11:00 when we finally got home, so I put her to bed with me while Jason stayed up to work on the music for church the next morning.

And as I looked over at my daughter, with her hair in pigtails, sleeping on my pillow - life was good.