the following is something i considered putting into my annie's pantry blog to announce the new direction and prepare my customers for the restructuring of my business.. having second thoughts about that. i'm kind of thinking perhaps i don't need to make a big deal about things in that respect. a conversation i had with nic the other day made me realize that my children perhaps don't know some of the facts about my life prior to them. so ima just reprint it here with a lil' addenda at the end.....
I've
been lots of things thus far in my life. I wonder if you can say the same? The
odds are probably most definitely in your favor on that I would
suppose? :) Life can be SUCH an adventure. I happen to be one who
believes that mine (and yours) was gifted with definite purpose and that
seeds of destiny were implanted while we were still yet a sparkle in
the Creator's eyes. (liking that imagery yeah). I believe that I was
created in a unique way that enables me to accomplish certain things
that God planned for me before the world began.
One of
those things of course, is making delicious desserts and cakes for my
wonderful customers and friends:) But there are a number of other
things that I have already accomplished in the span of my years here on
planet earth. There are also some that I am yet to accomplish.
One of them has come to the forefront these days that is going to take
me down a path I never imagined I would take, especially at this time of
my life.
When I was a 17 year old junior in high school I dreamed of spending
the rest of my life with my sweetheart. Since we couldn't wait to begin
this new life together I graduated a year early from high school to
marry him. Yes, while my classmates were doing the Srs. '75 thing, here
I was settling into a life I could not imagine without him by my side.
It's a funny thing to be a "married lady" at 17, let me tell you.
Here's a little tidbit for the hometown crew: For one thing, being a 17
year old married lady definitely does NOT make you immune to being
kicked out of Tropical Gardens during a raid for minors in the bar. Can
I tell ya? No matter how much I tried to explain it to the cop he was
not buyin' it, hell no not never. And it obviously didn't help that my
quite creative and quirky "wedding ring", a thing of '70's beauty being
the coolest design in the head shop, could never pass for a wedding
ring to save my soul. Not that we didn't have a proper church wedding,
mind you......hmmmm I could hilariously digress, but we don't have all
day.
I attended business school and worked as a secretary at LSU
for a number of years. The Tuscaloosa Trend phenomenon was VERY good to
us, and after 7 years of wedded bliss (mostly...we were practically adolescents for
pete's sake) I dreamed of starting a little family. He was agreeable
and so we began. Three of the most diverse and beloved children you
would ever want to meet. So proud of them to this day and forevermore.
My objective: Train up a child in the way he should go......I dreamed
of being the most fantastic of moms. I tried my best and God did the
rest. Plenty of mistakes along the way, but so much love. So much
love. Well. You probably know what I mean. ;)
As time progressed I became (and continue to be) a bona fide born
again Christian, ya'll. For real. I dove wholeheartedly into the
vibrant community life of my local church. Leading in worship,
directing the infants and children's' ministries, heading up church
hospitality teams. For MANY a year. So much fun. So many beautiful
beautiful people. So many high hopes and dreams. Some realized, some
not so much. What a ride. As usual......I did my best and God did the
rest :)
Time came when I found myself wanting to develop yet
another facet of this life gift that was given to me. I dreamed of
owning and operating my very own catering business as a vehicle for
blessing the world with my abundant gift of hospitality, lol! So I went
out and worked in the catering world, gathering up skills and
experience to take back home when the time was right. I discovered I
have a knack for dreaming up the sweet stuff. Love it. I strive for
taste above anything else. And I do believe on pretty much every
occasion I succeed because, well you know, I do my best and God does
the rest. He's gotten me out of many a scrape, from the terrifying
all-nighter of building my very first wedding cake to the
teeter-tottering not-so-sturdily-built four tier in the back of the van
giving me heart palpatations all the way to the reception venue. And
much much, so much much more :) I've learned so much.......and aren't
you glad, lol?!
And so, much to my surprise, I find myself at yet another crook in the
road. I'm looking at this path not yet taken stretching out before me.
I've prayed and listened and sought the guidance I need to be secure
in my decision. And BOOM! Just like that....I'm off on a new
adventure. Those who are my peers, of the same age, are more than
likely going to laugh me all the way to kingdom come. 'Cause at 55
years of age I'm goin' back to school ya'll.
Obviously, there will
not be time to run a proper bakery business. For the time being I will
continue to take on a couple or three cakes per week. Whatever I can
handle while hitting the books and chipping in on the Fox sitting and other family activities. Wedding and groom's cakes will be in the forefront,
as they will generate a larger chunk of income for expenses.
I'm
gonna miss my faithful customers, those who have stuck with me from
their wedding cakes to their children's birthdays. I want to thank
ya'll from the bottom of my heart for putting your trust in me and
coming back for more time and time again. It's been an honor and a
privilege to serve you and to get to know you. I do hope we can connect
again from time to time.
I believe with all my heart that some of God's
best lessons can only be learned on the journey. That journey is the life
we have been so blessed and gifted with. God has put His dreams on the
inside of us all. And it has been my experience that if we partner
with Him We can make them happen! There are a number of factors
involved in our success. Timing is one of them. Integrity is of the
utmost importance. And if we will only trust Him and do our very
best....He will always, Always, ALWAYS do the rest. And that my
friends, is the icing on the cake. (ummmm, ok, had to do that ;)
like i said at the onset, i'm having second thoughts of making some big announcement to my customers and getting everyone all riled up. better perhaps to fade on into the sunset. still haven't decided on what to do about that yet. 'cause you know they gonna drive me ca-razy. can't help it ya'll. ima pillar. the niche has been carved and i inhabit it. it's gonna be hard.
and now to the title of this post. no regrets. in spite of the inevitable frustrations of each season, by God's grace , the Life and Power of His Spirit within me has somehow enabled me to find a way to dig deep down and enjoy each and every phase of my life. as i fully intend to do in this next one. as i look back upon my life thus far, it is without any deep regrets. i have learned so much and been enriched in so many ways....both through the experiences i have had and the people who have been a part of them. i suppose there will always be things we are sorry for and wish perhaps they would have went another way....especially the hurtful ones. but even those are woven into the tapestry that has become my life. i pray that there are still yards left to weave, or as the poet says.....miles to go before i sleep?:) oh yes Lord....many more miles to go before i sleep!
:)
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