I was supposed to be there at 1:00 but rolled in a little late—and jumped right into party prep with Bob. The two of us fussed over every last detail, determined to make Barb’s birthday celebration a success. Bob wanted everything outside and said “it’s a pool party”. We ran down our checklist, rearranged, adjusted, and by 2:45, we were done. Proud of ourselves and ready to go.
It was hot—really hot—so we held off on setting out the food. Ice was melting the minute it hit the trays. We figured we’d give it just a few more minutes and pull everything out right before guests arrived.
And then… five minutes before 3:00—boom. Rain started pouring sideways, thunder cracked, lightning lit up the sky, and tornado warnings started hitting our phones. Mother Nature showed up before the guests.
The pool? I never even dipped a toe in. Bob’s plans to hide inside were dashed.
We couldn’t sit under the lanai because the wind drove the rain straight through.
But none of it mattered—because everyone still showed up. Barb had 22 people come to celebrate, and the best part? She had the best time. It was exactly what she envisioned for her milestone birthday, and we were so excited to be part of it.
My Florence crew came through—Lisa and Beverly made it!
Cassandra couldn’t get off work early and didn’t want to risk the drive in that wild weather, she planned to meet us first thing the next morning for our 9:30 a.m. warehouse sale adventure.
We danced, laughed, filled the house with energy, and shared the homemade sangrias Barb and I had been perfecting all week. Let’s just say… they were a hit.
We wrapped up around 9 p.m., soaked in fun and gratitude for the amazing people who showed up, storm or no storm. One milestone down… one shopping spree to go tomorrow on Barb’s actual birthday!
Happiness is Possible 