I had so much fun the last time I went to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, I planned another trip this past weekend. This time, instead of taking my niece, I decided to bring along my hubby, Dale, and our good friends, Crimson and Joey.
We were looking forward to spending a full day digging for diamonds in the great outdoors, but our plans were almost foiled. Last week, before the trip, I started experiencing excruciating back pain. Turns out, it was my sciatic nerve acting up.
As I nursed it with heat and ibuprofen, wondering if I would recover enough to wield a shovel all weekend, I got a photo from my friend, Crimson. Not a cute selfie, or a pic of her latest shopping conquest – a shot of an elevated, swollen ankle. She sprained her ankle while walking at work.
It’s not fair, is it? We’ve reached an age where we’ve finally got our heads together, and now our bodies are falling apart! We nursed our injuries throughout the week, and by Friday, we both felt like we were up for the challenge of the park. Shiny diamonds we would get to keep – in exchange for a $10 entrance fee – are a really good incentive!
By 8am on Saturday morning, we were at the park with shovels in hand, ready to unearth a couple of carats we could cut and polish and set into some incredible jewelry. By 3pm, we were tired, dirty, sweaty, and every muscle in our bodies ached. Looks like this Christmas, our husbands are going to have to find precious stones the way Mother Nature intended – at the jewelry store!
We may not have scored any shiny gems, but I’ll take consolation in the fact that my team scored on the field. Later that evening, we dragged our aching, tired bones out to a restaurant where we enjoyed appetizers and cold beverages while watching Alabama dominate Tennessee – Roll Tide, Roll!!!!!
And, Dale – if you’re reading this – I thought you’d like to see this treasure I discovered. You see, I may not be so great at finding diamonds in the hard Arkansas soil, but I have no trouble finding them online. Why not combine two my greatest loves this Christmas – diamonds and The Crimson Tide – for a perfect present? It will even match the Christmas tree (hint, hint!).
Happy Monday,
~Mary
