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Posted on August 3, 2012 by thebluehutch

Dear Mr. Nolan,

My husband and i went to see The Dark Knight Rises and really enjoyed our first Imax film experience. We saw the film on it’s release date and thoroughly enjoyed it, but watching a second time with our seats literally trembling from the sound. . . that was awesome. It makes me wish we had seen the entire trilogy that way!

The real reason for my letter is to thank you for such a beautifully written story and the tight ending you created. Throughout the trilogy you have given us characters we can love, villains we must hate, and themes worth chewing on. These pieces of work were a magnificent balance of fun, emotion, action, and storytelling; such a gift to us.

I was reading an article today about a television show entering it’s last season. The director was quoted as saying that they planned for eleven more episodes and potentially a twelfth that would be a montage homage, of sorts. The director said that people “need to say their good byes to the characters, their friends.”

I thought about that quote tonight as I watched this beautiful story end and found that you handled the goodbyes in a different way. Like JRR Tolkien at the end of “Return of the King” you quickly revisit each character we have grown to love and allow us our good byes in the glimpses of their life after the movie’s conflict. We walk out of the theatre knowing that these characters will face trials of life but we are at peace with their futures. You wrapped the ending up like a bow – tight and full.

In direct contrast to all I have written about you, I have prattled on too long! And so I say, “Thank You, sir” and close out this letter.

Sincerely,
A Fan at The Blue Hutch

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Being Left Doesn’t Feel Right

Posted on July 19, 2012 by thebluehutch

We have several dear friends leaving this weekend to start the next phase of life in a new city. When you are the one leaving there is excitement to combat the sorrow. There is the hope of new friendships to make, a new home to decorate, a new schedule to master, and new roads to learn. There is always the sadness of leaving those you love, but there is always the hope of the future and the distraction of SO MUCH CHANGE.

For the majority of my life I have been the one leaving. I was born in a hospital in Chattanooga, TN and lived my first year in nearby Soddy Daisy. At a time very close to my first birthday my family moved to Locust, NC and my father became the pastor of a Presbyterian Church there.

When I was ten we moved to Manning, SC. I was to enjoy three “Striped Bass Festivals” before we moved again to Birmingham, AL. My parents have been in Birmingham ever since, but I moved away for college, came back for almost three years,
moved to Georgia for three years,
Australia for two years,
Birmingham for two years and
we’ve been in this lovely metropolis for the past ten years.
All of this to say, I have usually been the one leaving.

Well it seems the Lord is telling us we are home for awhile and we are entering a season of watching others leave. All through seminary we had friends graduate and move on and one (or two) each year caused real deep sadness. But only once have I really felt truly “left”; once before now.

My dear friend, Jean, is moving away tomorrow. She has sold her house, packed up all her belongings and has been living in a hotel until it is time to go. She is taking a job on the East Coast and the Lord has provided the most amazing opportunity just minutes from two of her three children and three of her four grandchildren. She’ll be doing a job she loves, close to the people she loves and in a place she loves. It really seems that Jeremiah 29:11 has come to life for Jean in the most remarkable way I have ever witnessed.

I feel bad being so sad.
I feel selfish for feeling so “left”.

It’s odd to feel such joy and such sadness simultaneously. It’s ridiculous to see the goodness of the Lord so vividly and to turn and sin so blatantly. It’s SO ridiculous, in fact, that I am finding it hard to wallow. It’s nearly impossible to be selfish for any length of time and I have to admit that this is throwing me off a bit.

When I find myself asking, “But who will listen when I need to talk about. . . .?” I hear a still small voice reminding me that my God shall supply ALL my needs. When I wonder where I will fit in to the church without this mentor to guide me, I remember “the LORD directs his steps”. And when I get jealous (yes, that’s me being ultra vulnerable here) of those ladies in Washington and the time they will have with one of MY favorite people, I remember we have eternity to worship together at the throne of our Father – the one who authored this whole plan in the first place.

So, today I am going to have lunch with Jean and a bunch of other women who love Jean. I WANT to cry already; I just can’t. I WANT to wallow and sulk; I just can’t. I feel like my world should stop moving for an hour (or two) of silence but it can’t. What I can do is recognize the way God has used this woman in my life, rejoice that emailing and texting makes the miles shorter, and refrain from feeling “left”.

I am not being left. . . I am remaining.

Posted in family, friends | 5 Comments

It Isn’t Humerus. . . or Funny Either!

Posted on July 12, 2012 by thebluehutch

Bubba broke his arm last week.

He was at the park with his sister and jumped out for the monkey bars, something he has done 100+ times, and his hands slipped and he fell. On his wrist. It hurt. He threw up. (That’s just how he tells it.)

I wasn’t there and I was/am so very grateful. I was at the eye doctor with Little and our Marlice had the kids at the park. I would like for everyone local to believe Marlice did a crummy job handling the situation (that way they would QUIT CALLING HER TO BABYSIT), but she was JUST the person one would want in this situation. She called me to let me know, calmly, that Bubba had fallen and she thought he needed to see a doctor. I was already on my way home so I just proceeded, honestly thinking that it probably wasn’t really a big deal.

When I got home Bubba and Marly were sitting on the couch – Bubba was screaming and Marly was trying to calm him. I kissed his forehead and then, of course, took a photo!

It really wasn’t quite that immediate. I took a look at the bottom side of his arm, almost puked, and called our friend, Dr. Billy, to see if he should take a look at it. Turns out Dr. Billy would look at it but would just send us to the emergency room, so we decided to bypass Dr. Billy. Honey came home and took Bubs to our nearby hospital. Marlice asked if she could do my grocery shopping to keep her mind busy (who says no to that?) and I “hunkered down” to wait for news from Honey.

Turns out Bubba broke two bones just above his wrist – both the radius and ulna. He was a trooper at the hospital and came home in a splint. Three days later he got a cast and will return next week to get a smaller and waterproof cast. It will be six to eight weeks before he gets it off; six weeks being August 11 and just four days before school starts. THAT is what we are praying toward. School starts August 15 and Bubs is VERY concerned that he be able to write his name with his “strong arm”. Would you pray this with us?