I haven’t had a drink in 10 months and no one is more impressed by that than I am.

I didn’t always drink. I would have a drink here and there to celebrate or when out to dinner but I never started drinking to relieve stress until we moved to Ghana.

Trying to get used to living in a country so different from ours was difficult for me. In addition to the general situation, we brought our little puppy, Frankie, along with us. He was a handful. And I’m being nice.

Every day, David would go off to work. I didn’t know anyone and would be stuck in the house with Frankie. It all seemed too much and suddenly, a nice refreshing Gin and Tonic seemed like a really great idea. After a couple, I could nap the afternoon away until David came home and we could go out and grab dinner. And Club beer.

When we started traveling overseas, checking out the local beers became a thing that David and I loved to do. i remember the first time was in Amsterdam. I loved how the city was set up and that on practically each corner you’d find a bakery, a cheese shop, a chocolate shop, and beer. Tables with umbrellas dotted the intersections. Heineken was the beer we’d drink there.

Eventually, we made a Top 5 list of our favorite beers:

1. Club Beer – Accra, Ghana
2. Belekin Beer – Belize City, Belize
3. Fiji Gold – Suva City, Fiji
4. Tiger Beer – Singapore
5. Red Stripe – Strawberry Hill, Jamaica

After we returned from Ghana, I continued to enjoy beers with David almost every place we went but I wasn’t stress drinking until I became a REALTOR. As the real estate market got crazier and the deals got harder, I started drinking. Sometimes every day.

I hated that. My dad and grandpa were alcoholics. I could see that drinking out of stress was a slippery slope. I would beg God to help me stop drinking. I’d wake up with fresh resolve and then, at the end of the day, give in and drink. The more I couldn’t stop, the more I hated myself. I pleaded with God to please help me stop.

On July 2, 2022, we went out to dinner with a couple who were some of my very favorite clients. It had been a tough day. I was so looking forward to visiting with them and just relaxing. I proceeded to drink my face off. I HATED myself the next morning. I was so embarrassed.

David said I wasn’t obnoxious but I couldn’t get past the fact that I drank way more than I should have. I was so mortified and that was the last time I drank. God did a miracle and I haven’t even wanted to drink since then.

I could not have done it without Him. He is still in the miracle business and I’m so glad to have experienced one.

I fondly think of drinking beer on a street corner, with David, in another country but I don’t ever have a taste for alcohol and I’m glad. God is good. Thank you, Jesus!

This past Saturday, I competed for the title of Classic Ms Crawdad Days. And I won!

I was SO excited. I did my first pageant in 1998 and, while I’ve had a lot of at-large titles, I’ve never won a pageant and had the crown placed on my head on stage.

It was awesome! But it went so fast. As soon as I digested the fact that they called my name, the lady beside me through a hug on me so big and so hard I almost fell off my heels. It was great. And a little te3rrifying.

The day was long. I didn’t need to be there for so long but I didn’t know that. In the end, I’m glad I was because I got to visit with the other contestants in my division and they are some pretty special women. To me, that’s been the very best part of pageantry and I’m still friends with girls I competed with in my first pageant.

What I was hoping to achieve at this pageant was to just have a good experience. To have fun and meet new friends. Last year, I competed in a pageant that wasn’t like that. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn’t want my last pageant experience to be a bad one. Because, after that weekend, I was never going to compete again. Last year, I was so stressed from work which compounded the bad feelings I took away from the weekend.

This time, I did things easy. I did my own hair and makeup. I love, love, love Jill and her talents are way up there but I didn’t want to bring her away from her business for the entire day. I thought I’d try it on my own for once. Boy did I miss her when it came time for the eyelashes! I did my own pedicure.

I did my own nails. You know, I got a package of glue on Nails for $6 at Walmart and they look fabulous! I did have to have David help me with the second hand after I stuck a finger to the other nail. But it took us about five minutes with no noxious fumes. And, if I can get them off (LOL) I’m hoping my nails aren’t destroyed for three months like they would be if I had gotten a gel manicure.

I did not diet. LOL! I’ve been trying to keep our food intake on the healthy side but, for the first time in my life, I do NOT want to be pageant skinny. I do not want to be a frail old lady who gets taken out when she falls and breaks a hip. I’m sturdy. It’s who I am. I’m going to start owning it.

The pageant was extremely well run. There were over 130 contestants from babies up to me. I was the oldest contestant in the pageant. It moved along smoothly and, while it seemed to take forever for our group to be on the stage, there were no holdups.

I am excited to hold the title and to reign, along with the other nine titleholders at the Crawdad Days Festival May 19-21. I hope to see you there!