Archives

The Final Chapter

Oct6

I closed a book this week…..the final chapter was complete and the story has ended.  As with all books you truly love reading, the ending came with mixed emotions – on one hand the story will always remain with you in memories, but on the other hand coming to that last page is usually so sad……and then comes the excitement about moving on to the next really good book.  When I finish reading the last page of a great book, I usually sit there for a while holding the book and thinking through the story ensuring I won’t soon forget it.  I felt that way on Monday.  The book analogy is just that, though - an analogy – I didn’t literally finish reading a book.  I did, however, close the book on a chapter in my life – cut the final physical ties – said goodbye to something I treasured.

Monday was the closing of the sale of my home in Sanford, NC.  Last November, I retired, put my house on the market, and moved my life back to my hometown in Albion, NY.  It was a good decision and a good move for me.  But, I found that selling my home was not going to be as easy as I envisioned – physically or emotionally.  It was an adorable, charming home with excellent curb appeal in a great neighborhood and perfect location at an affordable price – it was sure to sell before I could get settled in Albion, right?  Wrong!  One week shy of eleven months later, the sale officially closed.  I assumed and hoped I wouldn’t have to manage mortgages and expenses on two houses for much more than 4-6 months, but also knew that this economy might dictate a longer duration.  So, now it is done and from a financial perspective, I am over joyed!  From an emotional perspective, it was sad to close that book.

Putting a solid period at the end of this chapter of my life was more than just selling a possession I no longer had a need for.  I was selling a home that I put a lot of my love and personality into.  I had every intention of it being the last home I ever lived in, so I put a lot of time and thought into making it my own.  I purchased it in 2003 and every year I’d take my bonus and tax return and plan out the projects I wanted to accomplish that year.  When all the stars were aligned perfectly to form my decision to retire and move back home, the house was almost exactly the way I wanted it — just a couple minor projects were left on my “to do” list.  But, that’s OK — that’s the way life goes — just when you think you’ve made it to where you thought you wanted to be when you grew up, another goal, twist in the road, or exciting destination pops up and you take it from there!

It also means that I have no more physical ties to Sanford.  I still have friends there, so I’ll have good reasons to visit occasionally, but the sale of my home was the last of the tangible ties I had to a community I enjoyed being a part of.

So, that is that!  On Monday, I waited patiently all day to hear that the closing was finished and when I got the word, I felt relieved – a big financial weight was lifted off my shoulders, I felt excited – definitely cause for celebration, and then I cried – my lovely home was no longer mine!

And then I wandered through my home here in Albion and smiled at the work I’ve done, so far, to make THIS home my own.  And I got the warm fuzzies when I thought about how so very happy I am here – in this new home so close to my family, childhood friends, and new friends.  And the tears went away.  And I felt good, comfortable, and content.  And I put the book I just finished away on my memory shelf – it is done!

Goodbye, Sanford house……..I hope your new owner loves you as much as I did!!!!

The Wind

Mar3

Wind.  A word that can summon up a lot of emotion.  It can feel good, make wind chimes ring out a beautiful melody, give clothes hanging outside a fluffy feel and fresh smell, air out a house, ruin a perfectly good hair-do, and power a sail boat.  But, it can also wreak havoc and cause utter devastation.   Almost a year after a series of massive tornadoes ripped across the south and mid-west – including my “other” home town, Sanford, NC – we are seeing them, yet again, ravaging a path of destruction across many of the same areas of the country.  So, today I want to write about “WIND”.

I love a strong breeze – something very typical of the area I grew up in.  Living so close to Lake Ontario, we seemed to always have a nice breeze and quite often a rather stiff one.  I loved to go out in the middle of the yard, stretch my arms out, tilt my head back and just feel the breeze swirl around my body, kiss my cheeks, and run its fingers through my hair.  I loved riding my motorcycle and feeling the wind on my face and the way it whipped the hair that hung out under my helmet and any loose clothing I may have been wearing.  My grandparents had a cottage at the lake and I adored the calming sensation I got from sitting at the cliff top feeling the wind and listening to the waves blow up onto the shore.  My Grandma and Mom used to say “go outside to play and let the wind blow the stink off you!”  Yes, I loved the calming force of a good strong breeze.  I missed that constant feel of the breeze when I lived in Sanford.  There were times when there’d be a breeze strong enough to go out in the yard and feel the wind brush through my hair, but it was rare.  I often found myself sitting in the still air wishing for a breeze and thinking about how much I missed the wind off of Lake Ontario.  That is why I love my Mustang so much.  Yes, it is a beautiful car, but the main joy is getting out with the top down and creating my own wind in my hair!

Yes, in Sanford the air was mostly still, but when it did get windy, it was VERY windy!  Typically, a strong wind meant the tail end of a tropical storm or hurricane or even a random tornado – all of which can be very scary and unsettling – not the calming winds I was used to enjoying.   I’ve had some up close and personal brushes with severe winds.  When Hurricane Fran and Floyd came far enough inland to impact Sanford, I was living in a mobile home.  Fran came through in 1996 – I sent Puddles to stay with her Daddy and I went to stay with a friend and her family.  I barely closed my eyes all night as I tried to sleep in their guest room listening to the wind howl like a monster and the cracks and crashes of limbs and trees coming down.  When we got up, there was a tree that had fallen in their yard and just missed my car and the window of the room I was staying in.  There was a lot of debris and streets blocked by downed trees on the way from their house to mine.  As I drove up my road, I slowed down and held my breath until I saw my home was still there and untouched by the storm.  When Floyd came in 1999, I was not going to hang around and listen to it roar through again.  I packed up my car with photos and valuables, including my precious dog, Puddles, and headed out-of-town.  I drove to Fairmont, WVa – the (close to) half way point between Sanford and Albion and spent the night at the Red Roof Inn that I stayed at when I would drive home.  I figured that it was far enough out of the storm’s path to be safe and I could decide my plans in the morning – if I called and found I had a home to go to, I’d drive back – if I called and found I didn’t have a home to go to, I was already half way to Mom’s, so I’d go there!  Luckily, the news was that all was fine and I had a gorgeous, leisurely drive back home.  There were other strong storms that I waited out in my mobile home – terrified!  Once I bought my house, I was less terrified of storms……..that is, until April 16, 2011!  Tornadoes had a tendency to bounce around Sanford, but this one boldly carved out a wide path of destruction from one corner of the county to the other – leaving behind devastation and heartbreak.  I was one of the lucky ones – there wasn’t even a limb down in my yard.  But, that is far from the story of many in our beautiful city that awful day.

Since I’ve moved back to Albion, it has been mostly too cold to enjoy the strong lake breezes I remember so fondly.  But, also, there have been many days where the winds were so much stronger than I remember them being.  Maybe it is just because it is winter, but there have been several occurrences where the winds remind me of the more scary winds that Sanford’s proximity to the outer bands of hurricanes and tropical storms brought.  It has been very unsettling sitting in my new home listening to the winds howl and the house creak.  Last night and today, for instance – the wind is blowing up to 45 mph with gusts up to 65 mph!  When the gusts come (which are so frequent, you could almost call them sustained), it creates a loud whistle around my sliding patio doors, roars past the windows, shakes and creaks the walls of the house, and lifts the hedges along the front of the house in ripples like a crowd doing the wave at a baseball game.  Leaves, limbs, and debris are blowing rapidly across the yards and street.  My front porch had green outdoor carpet glued down on the cement floor in two sections.   A previous storm ripped up one of the sections and threw it out into the yard.  The remaining section is holding on by just a small bit of glue on one end, so every time we get a wind storm (today included), it flops up and bangs against the house making a hell of a racket – I really need to get out there and loosen the last part and get it off of there!

On days like today, I sit in the house listening to the wind howl and it reminds me of that day – April 16, 2011 – when I was shut up in a small guest bathroom with three dogs and my iPhone waiting out the tornado in fear that at any moment my house would disappear around me.  I remember the terror………………and the tears of joy when it passed and I went outside and found no damage……………and the heartbreak when I saw the damage that so many suffered!

The sound of the wind brings a much different feeling for me, now – after Fran and Floyd and April 16, 2011 and other brushes with monster storms.  I still look forward to the constant gentle breezes that I remember from my prior years here in Albion, but I wish the strong winds would stay away.  Bring on the gentle summer breezes and blue skies…………I long for those days and will truly enjoy them!!!

Miracles and Angels……they do exist!

Mar1

Miracles and Angels…….two things people talk about in the abstract…….many believe in one or the other or both, some don’t believe in either, but you rarely hear of someone who has proof of either…….they are typically more of a ”feeling” or a figure of speech to explain when something wonderful happens.  I believe miracles can happen, but I’m not sure if you can consider them divine intervention.  I don’t know, maybe I do.  It is a difficult thing to get to the bottom of and, I’m sure, takes a lot of soul-searching.  I absolutely believe in angels, but always think of them as an unseen presence that keeps you safe or helps guide you in the right direction – if you listen to them!  But, within the last several months and the last couple of weeks, in particular, I do believe I’ve seen both miracles and angels working over time to bring two people together on one amazing day to put an end to a very, very long struggle and provide a happy ending………no, make that a happy beginning!

I’ll make a very long, agonizing story as short as possible because I want to get to my point, but the background is a critical part of that point:

A friend from Sanford that I think a lot of has a sister, Ashley, who has been very ill all of her life with Cystic Fibrosis.  She went through and survived a life saving lung transplant, but the medications needed post transplant have destroyed her kidneys.  So, she was faced with the realization that another life saving transplant was necessary – this time a kidney transplant.  She is a vibrant, caring young woman who has a LOT more to give this world – giving up was not an option!  But, there would be obstacles……..lots of obstacles!  Her insurance carrier pretty much told her that her life expectancy, even after the transplant, would likely be short, so they refused to cover the costs of the operation.  Even if the insurance carrier did cover the expenses, she would still need to raise about $50,000 to cover the uncovered expenses, so the thought of raising enough money to cover all the expenses was overwhelming.  But, her family and friends kicked into high gear and the fund-raising began!  The Kidney Cutie campaign was born and went viral!  There were local fundraisers, t-shirts with the Kidney Cutie logo, blogs, a Facebook page, and so much more!  Little by little the money came from near and far.  Don’t let me give the impression this was easy……..it most certainly wasn’t!  But, it was so heart warming to see so many people, some who never even met Ashley or her family, come to the fundraisers, donate money online, donate items for auctions, and send their love and prayers.  To date, over $41,000 has been raised!  An amazing feat, for sure.  But, would it be enough?  Well, it isn’t the $50,000 she’ll need if her insurance carrier were to provide coverage and certainly no where near enough if they continued to refuse coverage!  So, the legal battle took off.  Say what you will about Legal Aid Attorneys, but the ones Ashley had in her corner really kicked butt and came through for her………and the insurance carrier gave in!  The transplant would be covered and the legal and (much of) the financial hurdles were overcome.  But, there were more hurdles to overcome in the coming months, including raising the rest of the $50,000!  They had what they needed for the procedure to be given the green light, but there are a lot of post-transplant expenses that will continue for some time, so the rest of the money still remains a hurdle.

The part I deliberately left out (because I wanted it to stand alone, even though it is an intricate part of the story) is that Ashley already had a donor!  That’s right – she had someone willing to give her one of their kidneys so that she could live!  And the most incredible part is that it wasn’t a family member, which you would normally assume.  It was the husband of Ashley’s best friend in college – don’t get me wrong, he is not just someone who is married to her friend.  They had become very close friends, as well, but the point here is that they might never have met if it wasn’t for Ashley’s friendship with his wife and in the grand scheme of things, they have only known each other for a relatively short time.  In walks Jeremy with his own set of hurdles – lots and lots of tests, interviews, and counseling (both physical and psychological), he lives in Florida, so he and his wife, Kate, had to travel to NC for tests and the surgery and, of course, will need to stay in NC for the recovery process so they are close to the transplant team.  And then when everything was a “go” and a date was set, they found out there was a chance that Ashley’s insurance carrier may not cover Jeremy’s portion of the costs!  Waiting for that decision pushed the date out and gave everyone yet another wave of stress and anxiety – luckily, that worked out!

But, it all came together on Feb 21st!  I was glued to Facebook all day, with the rest of the world (believe me, not that big of an exaggeration), watching for updates and crying with emotional relief when I read they were taken into surgery, when they were out of surgery, then when I read they were awake and alert, and when “Jash” (the name they gave the kidney – combo of Jeremy and Ashley) first made urine!!!!  Both Ashley and Jeremy are now out of the hospital and doing well.  I was in shock to learn that you can go through a kidney transplant (both the donor and the recipient) and get released from the hospital in less than a week!  They both have a long, rough recovery to go through, so any prayers and well wishes they continue to get will be greatly appreciated.

I feel like I am trivializing their story by this brief summary, but that is absolutely not my intention.  This is a story that has gone on for well over a year………and longer than that for Ashley!  I am in awe of those closest to Ashley and Ashley, herself, for making it through it all and not giving up hope…………and for succeeding against all odds!  It is an amazing story and one that is an inspiration for me and I’m sure many, many others.

So, now that you know the story……in a nutshell, so to speak……let’s get back to my point.

I am sure that a miracle (or probably “miracles“) happened here.  Just the fact that doctors can take an organ out of one person and put it in another and both can go on to live healthy lives (knock on wood) is an absolute miracle!!!!  How incredible is that?  For so many people to come together in the effort of overcoming the mountainous financial and legal hurdles Ashley was facing is yet another miracle.  For Ashley to have a friend who loves her so dearly to risk his own health for her’s is the biggest miracle of all!!!  Miracles?  Absolutely!  But, divine intervention?  Again, I don’t know – it is a difficult thing to wrestle with.  On one hand, there were literally thousands of prayers going out from all over and from many different faiths.  That has to count for something!  But, on the other hand, there were a TON of people working very hard to knock down those hurdles – each one that came up, a team of family and friends and attorneys hacked away at it until they made it through.  You can’t convince me that if they weren’t all so determined to get to the end goal that the prayers would have made it happen.  But, then again, I’m sure the prayers helped keep them motivated and helped them see the light at the end of the tunnel (even when it seemed to be blown out).  You know what they say……..”God helps those who help themselves”!  So, I leave the divine intervention question to you to decide what you do or don’t believe in.  I only know (and, frankly, it only matters) that the end result was a wonderful miracle and that a lovely young woman has a chance at the life she so very much deserves – no matter how it all happened!

Now for the angel part.  That is much easier!  Even though I’ve always believed in angels, I’ve never known a living, breathing one……..and, to be honest, I have never actually met this one, but I do know he exists.  Jeremy is absolutely an angel on earth and I hope that some day I am lucky enough to meet him!  Just to make the decision to look into being a live organ donor is, in itself, an incredible thing.  But, once the decision was made and he started the long battle through hurdles and stress and anxiety, no one would have faulted him if he had suddenly realized “this is too overwhelming, I just can’t do it”, but he didn’t!!!  He stayed the course……….he knew what he needed to do in his heart and he did it!!!  At great personal risk, he gave a friend the precious gift of life and for that he deserves the title of “ANGEL”!  I truly admire him and his determination to help a friend at all costs!

If you want to read Jeremy’s story, click here to go to his blog — you’ll want to go back to the first post in January and read backwards to get the best flow.  Also, Ashley still needs your prayers and, if you’re so inclined, your donations – no donation is too small – they add up quickly and are so very much appreciated!  If you’d like to find out how you can make a tax-deductible donation to the balance of Ashley’s fundraising goal, click here for more information.

And, finally, the picture that touched me most of all the photos posted on Facebook and the blogs……….this photo was taken when Ashley and Jeremy first reunited and saw each other after the surgeries – two hands linked in friendship……..two lives forever connected!  My proof that miracles and angels do exist!!!

Review – Temple Theatre Presents Guys and Dolls

Sep25

The new Temple Theatre season has begun and the first show of the season – Guys and Dolls - provides that season opener “WOW” factor that the theatre has become known for!  Of course, you can never go wrong with a show at the Temple Theatre, but the first show of each season is generally a show stopper that sets the mood for the entire season (think last year’s incredible production of Chicago) and the last show of each season is another big ticket show that leaves audiences wanting more in eager anticipation of the next season!    This year, the opening show is the classic musical Guys and Dolls (Sept 15 – Oct 2) and the closing show will be the super fun cult favorite Little Shop of Horrors (April 26 – May 13) – the perfect bookends for an amazing season of quality entertainment right here in Sanford!

Last night, my friend, Lisa, and I started the evening with a fabulous dinner at Cafe 121.  We sat and talked and talked – we had a lot to catch up on, since we hadn’t gotten together since I returned from my Labor Day week trip.  Then, we moved on over to the theatre to join the nearly sold out house to see Guys and Dolls.  We had a GREAT time enjoying the best that Sanford has to offer – amazing local restaurants and high-caliber cultural art and entertainment.

If you haven’t had a chance to see this show, you need to!  The cast is a cohesive ensemble that brings this classic story to life before our very eyes.  The stage was full of singing and dancing gamblers and thugs in expensive suits looking for a floating crap game, dolls all decked out for love and to perform for the night club crowd, and Salvation Army soldiers out to save all the sinners in NYC.  Nathan Detroit, portrayed by Temple’s resident Michael Brocki, runs the floating crap game, but is having trouble finding a new location because the cops are putting the squeeze on the owners of the usual spots.  Nathan has been engaged to the lovely Miss Adelaide, played by our own Peggy Taphorn, for 14 long years.  Adelaide is pressuring Nathan to finally stop gambling and marry her.  Among the big rollers in town is Sky Masterson, brought to us by Corey Brunish, who loves to dabble in unusual wagers.  In an attempt to get the $1000 deposit needed to secure the location he has his eyes on, Nathan tries to engage Sky in a sucker bet that he doesn’t fall for, but does end up wagering the $1000 that Sky can’t get a woman of Nathan’s choosing to go with him to Cuba.  Sky, considering himself a lady’s man who can get any woman to do whatever he wants, agrees to the bet, but loses confidence when he finds that the woman Nathan chooses is Sarah Brown (Meredith Betts Smith), the leader of the Salvation Army’s Broadway Save A Soul Mission.  The entire cast brilliantly takes us through a fast paced series of musical numbers and scenes detailing the elusive floating crap game, Adelaide’s desire to marry Nathan, and Sky’s relationship evolution with Sarah.

If you’ve seen the Broadway play or the movie starring Frank Sinatra, you’ll thoroughly enjoy the highly recognizable musical numbers, like Fugue for Tinhorns, where Nicely Johnson, Benny Southstreet, and Rusty Charlie argue about which horse to bet on in the next race, The Crapshooter’s Ballet (my personal favorite), where the entire ensemble of gamblers play an entertaining game of craps, and Luck Be A Lady, where Sky Masterson prays that the next roll of his dice wins him the bet he made with the others to go to a prayer meeting so Sarah can save the Mission (or, if he loses, he’ll owe them each $1000), among others.

Everyone did an incredible job and made the show a huge success and an enjoyable evening.  But, a few did stand out for me.  Of course, whenever Peggy Taphorn takes the Temple stage I am in awe of her talent and genuine love of performing.  I also always look forward to seeing Michael Brocki perform – he brings a unique, child-like quality to all his characters that makes him so endearing.  I’ve become a huge fan of Corey Brunish, as well – he’s been in several Temple shows, now, and I get excited when I hear he’s coming back.  I was captivated by Meredith Betts Smith’s voice – so beautiful!  But, the one that I found the most “fun” and memorable was Michael Murray as Harry the Horse!!!  What a hoot he was — I found myself searching the stage for him and focusing on his mannerisms!

All in all, a wonderful show!  I loved it!  Please don’t miss this show – get your tickets now – every performance has been nearly sold out, so you could find yourself missing out if you wait too long.  Remaining performances are today at 2:00 – Thursday, Sept 29th at 2:00 and 7:00 – Friday, the 30th at 8:00 – Saturday, Oct 1st at 8:00 – and the final opportunity is Sunday, Oct 2nd at 2:00.

What I’m looking forward to…..and what I’ll miss…..

Sep22

As I reflect on my plans for the future and get closer to finalizing my decisions on when, how, and other specific details that are still being mulled over and analyzed (to death, as usual), I find myself thinking a LOT about what I am looking forward to……..and what I will miss!  I am literally starting my life all over again – starting fresh – beginning a new chapter – reinventing myself.

This is all so very exciting………….and so very scary!!!

It should be easy, this time.  After all, it is not the first time I’ve packed up and moved to a whole new state and started a whole new life.  This time should be easier because I’m going home to a familiar place where my family and old friends are…….not like that other time when I moved to a new location with all new people to meet.  Of course, I was much, much younger and more fearless that other time and I didn’t do it alone (I had a new husband and son to share the excitement and fears with).  But, as much as I know in my heart it is the right thing to do at the perfect time in my life, it still isn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done.

Every day I do at least one thing that makes me stop and think about how it will be different soon or that I will need to add it to my list of things that need to be considered or worked out.  Of course, there are the big things, like how much I adore Dr. P and now I’ll have to find a new doctor – I finally found my way to Dr. Hincks and love him, but now I’ll have to find a new dentist – and Dr. Cindy is such an amazing Vet and the girls actually get excited about going to see her and now I’ll have to find a new Vet that we’re comfortable with.  Then there are also smaller, less significant things that I find myself reflecting on daily that are going to make for a lot of changes in my life.

So, I thought I’d get some of them off my chest……..here they are…….the big and the small…….all the things that I’ve been pondering:  What I’m looking forward to in my new life in Albion and what I’ll really miss about my current life in Sanford!

What I’m looking forward to – in no particular order (except the first one):

  • Spending unlimited time with my Mom

No more planning trips to spend physical time with her……no more relying on Skype or Email or IMs to communicate on a daily basis.  We can sit and talk over a cup of coffee or tea, go to lunch or shopping together, cook together, or share an adventure whenever we want to.

  • Un-rushed access to family and life long friends

It will be such a pleasure to not have to cram visits with people I want to see into a short vacation trip.  Inevitably, time runs out and I miss seeing someone (or several someones) and we end up apologizing for not connecting while I’m there and promising to ensure we make time on the next trip.  Soon, it won’t matter if we’re busy when we’d like to get together because we’ll be able to do it “whenever”.

  • Time

I can’t tell you what peace I feel when I think about no longer being on a set schedule and having to find time to fit in the pleasures in life around work and other obligations.  Of course, I’ll still want some structure to my days and I won’t turn into a lazy lump (well, maybe I will do that “occasionally”), but I won’t have to plan out everything that needs to be done and when it’ll get done.  No more stress over juggling that “work / life balance” thing that no one ever really finds the secret to.

I look forward to time to unpack and set up my house the right way right from the start.  I look forward to time to just sit on my patio and enjoy my back yard and watch the girls run and play and wrestle – for as long as I want, not just an hour here and an hour there.  I look forward to time to really get back into reading and enjoying books, again.  I look forward to time to ride my mower around the yard and maybe even have a garden and have the time to tend to it properly.  I look forward to time to enjoy a hobby.  I look forward to time to go for long rides and day trips to discover new and exciting adventures.  I look forward to being able to just decide that if Mom and I want to go to the Adirondacks for a few days to see the mountains in the fall or to Henderson Harbor for a little trip, we can just do it without having to plan for it months in advance!  And, I look forward to time to blog about all my new adventures and experiences as I enjoy my new life!

  • My new home

A couple of months ago, I bought an adorable little cape cod style house that I will be living in after I make the move.  I love it – it was like it was made just for me!  Everything is sized just right, the dormers in the upstairs bedrooms are HUGE and I can picture myself sitting and reading in a comfortable chair in the one in the master bedroom,  and it has a lovely, inviting yard that I had fenced in for the girls to have a safe place to run and play.

  • The lake, etc….

I’m going to love being able to spend time at the lake watching boats pull in and out of the point, listening to the seagulls and waves, skipping stones, and maybe even a little fishing.  I’m also looking forward to walking along the canal tow path and hoping for a passing boat.  And, if that isn’t enough, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Finger Lakes are close enough for nice little weekend get aways.

  • Friends

There is nothing like spending time with people you’ve known for most of your life and that you share fond memories with.  A few years ago, I started reconnecting with friends I had lost touch with over the years.  That is easy to do when you live in different states, but oh, so sad when you realize it has happened.  I have made a conscious effort to find ways to get together with those I could and ways to stay connected in some fashion with those I couldn’t get together with.  I am sad to say that we have lost several of them over the years and others that we know are still here, but aren’t sure where they ended up in life.  So, I am hoping to coordinate a regular “get together” for those of us in and around Albion – maybe a monthly lunch date or dinner parties or something…..not sure what, yet, but I’ll figure it out and make it happen for any who may be interested.

  • Snow

Yeah, I know – I’ll get over this one pretty quick – probably by the time the first big one snows me in for a few days!  But, I am surprised at how much I am looking forward to my first winter back home.  It will be fun watching the girls react to the first deep snow drift they’ve ever had to romp through in order to “take care of business”.  They have experienced snow before, but in very small doses that went away in a day or two.  This will be funny!  As for me, I’ve been home during the winter a few times over the years and that has always been more than enough for me —- not a big “snow” fan!  But, I’m looking forward to getting used to it and Christmas decorations against a snowy white backdrop and looking out at the yard blanketed with snow from my nice warm house while sipping a cup of hot chocolate!  (The fact that I’ll be retired and won’t “have” to go out and clean off my car and drive in it to get to work every day will go a long way in helping this idealistic view of snow become a reality……hehehehe……..at least for the first winter, anyway!)

  • Milder summers

The older I get, the less tolerant of the heat I get!  I have gotten so that I practically hibernate through July and August, except when I really have to go outside.  The heat bothers my asthma and I just don’t feel well when it is as hot as it gets here in the height of the summer months.  I can’t imagine living in a state that gets even hotter and stays hotter longer than NC does.  So, yeah, I’m looking forward to milder summers.  Sure, Albion gets pretty hot at times, but it is like the snow, here – maybe a little here and there – nothing prolonged or unavoidable.  I’ve been told that I’ll have less days where I can sit outside comfortably and ride around with the top down on the pony because of the long winter season.  But, I think I may actually have MORE days to enjoy those types of activities because of less sweltering hot days.

  • WalMart

Yep, you read that right!  I’m actually looking forward to WalMart!  I was concerned that the only place to buy necessities and household items will be WalMart in Albion, unless I want to drive to Brockport or Batavia.  I hate WalMart……..let me say that again……..I HATE WalMart!!!  But, it is actually a much more pleasant experience shopping in WalMart in Albion than it is in any WalMart I’ve ever been in before – including the one here in Sanford.  Here, you have to drive around for an hour to find a parking spot even remotely this side of the north-forty, put up with aisles crowded with crazies, and spend a minimum of 20-30 minutes in the EXPRESS lane to check out!!!  OK, I exaggerate – but only slightly!!!  I dread it when I have to go there!  But, in Albion, you can go shopping on a Friday evening, Saturday morning, or any other typically super busy shopping day, and still get a parking spot within a slot or two from the front door and find almost no one in the store!!!  But, at least one of those 1/2 dozen or so people out shopping will be someone you know and were hoping to run into!

  • Wegman’s

I am soooooooo looking forward to making a trip in to Brockport (20-30 mins drive) at least once a month to shop for groceries at Wegman’s!  Enough said – those who know Wegman’s are smiling and nodding right now!

What I’ll miss – again, in no particular order (except the first one):

  • Ronald and Lisa

I’ve known Ronald since about 1966-67 (my 5th grade year in school), when my family moved to the home my Mom still lives in.  I didn’t know him really well, though, until we started dating about 1983 or so – I knew his younger siblings better and I dated a close mutual friend through much of my high school years.  Then, we got married in 1985.  Although the marriage didn’t last, our friendship did and we’ve lived in the same town and been close for all these years.  Ronald is my very best friend and I can’t imagine not having him nearby.  His wife, Lisa, and I have grown very close, as well.  I also can’t imagine not being able to spend time with her and our talks.  I’m going to miss them most of all!  But, we have Skype and email.  And Ronald still has some ties in Albion, so they will be up for visits.  I won’t allow any circumstances to result in us losing touch – it won’t happen!  That doesn’t keep me from getting really sad when I think about moving away from them, though.

  • My Sanford friends

 I have met so many wonderful people here – especially in the last 5-10 years.  There are some who I’ve grown very fond of and will miss very much.  I hope we’ll stay in touch – we have Facebook and my blog and email and we can actually even break down and write letters!  hehehehe  For those with children, I’ve enjoyed watching their babies grow into little people and hope that I can continue to keep up with them.  Ya’ll know who you are………if you “unfriend” me or stop following my blog, I’ll come back and slap you silly!  (just kidding – sorta)

  • This community

I love this community!  It has a small town feel with city benefits and citizens with hearts of gold!  I’ve known it for many years, but never to the extent we saw it after the tornado that ripped through here earlier this year.  The way this community came together, rolled up their sleeves, and rebuilt (a lot of which is still ongoing) was an inspiring experience I’ll never forget.  The same for a lot of other situations — non-profit fundraising events, community involvement, and most recently the way folks have reached out to help a friend of mine whose sister needs a kidney transplant and has to raise an unbelievable amount of money to cover the costs her insurance carrier has denied.  I don’t remember any other community I’ve lived in being this willing to do whatever it takes to help their neighbors in need.  I hope I find the same sense of community when I move back home or, if not, that I can influence that in some small way.

  • Mild winters

HA – I know – I mentioned above that I was looking forward to snow, but that will absolutely fade once I get into that first winter – right after the beauty of the first big snow fall and a very white Christmas – most likely about the time I realize I’m into the second consecutive month of knee-deep or deeper snow in the yard and remember how much I HATE snow!!!  hahaha  Not having to shovel sidewalks, plow driveways, scrape windows, and wear 10 layers of clothes to keep warm EVERY DAY for MONTHS, is something I will desperately miss!

  • A few special mentions

Dr. P – I adore Dr. P and can’t imagine being able to find a doctor that I trust so completely and who is one of the sweetest men I know!

Dr. Cindy – she is the most amazing veterinarian on the face of the earth!  I’ve never known a vet who has cared so deeply for my animals and me.  She has helped me through many difficult decisions and illnesses with my girls.  This is the most difficult one to leave – I may just have to put the girls in the car and make the 16 or so hour trip down here for anything that isn’t an emergency!

Dr. Hincks - it took me a long time to settle in with a dentist that I love as much as Dr. Hincks and everyone in his office!  I hope it doesn’t take me that long to find someone half as good!!!

Rae-Zor Grooming, Boarding and Day Care – Rae and her crew are wonderful!  The girls love going there for their “vacations” whenever I have to leave town and I never worry about how they are being treated or if they are safe.  They enjoy going there and are treated like royalty!  I likely won’t need this type of service as much after we get settled in, but there will be times when I will OR just to take them for doggie day care to socialize with other dogs.  I’m not getting warm fuzzies about finding anything like that in fairly close proximity to our town.

  • Work

Yeah, I’m retiring, but it will likely be more of a semi-retirement.  First – I will miss the people I work with and the fact that I go in to work every day and contribute to keeping healthy babies healthy because of the life saving vaccines we produce.  But, also, I can’t imagine not working at all!  I plan to focus on settling in to my new home and getting re-acquainted with the town over the winter, so I won’t look for work until at least the spring.  Then, I plan to look for something that I can feel good about and enjoy doing that is low to no stress and feeds my creative energy!  AND – I plan on work being PART TIME, not a full 40+ hour week.  I still want to enjoy that “time” I’m so looking forward to!  Hhhmmm – I’ll be giving that a lot of thought while I’m looking out my window at the snow this winter!

  • My current house

I love this house!  And, aside from a couple of things I haven’t gotten to, yet, I have renovated and upgraded it to be just the way I want it……..and now I’m gonna sell it to someone who’ll likely not particularly like my color choices and change it all to suit them!  I don’t want to know, if they do – it will make me sick to think the new owners may not love what I’ve done to the place!  But, that is life!  As perfect as my new home in Albion is, I still have some things I’m changing to suit my personal preferences.

So, there you have it — I’m sure I’m forgetting something major in both categories, but you get the picture!  I have a LOT that I’m so excited about and a LOT that I’m going to be so sad to leave behind and a LOT to be nervous about.  I’m totally reinventing myself and starting a whole new life for myself!  I’ll let you know when I finally pick a move date – I plan on one hell of a going away party in Sanford and one hell of a welcome home party in Albion!

A Big Day For Sanford

Jun23

Yes, today was a big day for Sanford…..a major milestone in the evolution of our town……a long awaited arrival finally came to fruition!  At 6:30 this morning, the newest Chick-fil-A location opened and at 9:00 the ribbon was cut with more anticipation, hoopla, and ceremony than a visit from  a sitting President would get!  OK, so maybe I exaggerate just a little – but not by much!

Of course, I had to head up that way after work to get an opening day meal.  I’ve been to lots of Chick-fil-A restaurants, but never on an opening day.  To be honest, I was really quite impressed!

To tell the story adequately, I need to back up a bit.  For as long as I can remember, a free-standing Chick-fil-A has been on every wish list I’ve ever seen for Sanford.  When it was announced that a deal was set to open one on an out-parcel lot at the WalMart shopping center, the excitement began to build.  It was all people could talk about.  As the highly anticipated opening day grew closer, the excitement turned into a frenzy of eager fans hungry for a chance to eat one of those amazing chicken sandwiches without having to go out-of-town or to the hospital.  (Side note for those who wonder why I mention the hospital:  Sanford does have a limited menu Chick-fil-A location in the hospital cafeteria).  Then, yesterday, the first 100 customer challenge began.  You see, whenever a Chick-fil-A opens a new location, they offer a free meal (sandwich, fries, and a drink) every week for a year to the first 100 customers who meet certain criteria.  They have to arrive at the restaurant at 6:00 am the day BEFORE the opening and stay there for at least 24 hours – camping out in the parking lot – to be eligible.  If more than 100 customers meet the criteria, the 100 winners are selected via a lottery drawing.  Crazy, right?  Well, the Sanford opening had well over 200 people show up for the challenge!  Tents were erected, lawn chairs were set up, games were played to pass the time, and the 200+ people – mostly strangers – shared a fun-filled 24 hours together!  (BTW – I was NOT one of them!)

Today was the grand opening and the ribbon cutting ceremony.  From the pics I saw from the Chamber of Commerce, it looks like all the local elected officials and many happy citizens were on hand to welcome the new business to Sanford.  It sure looked like everyone was having a grand time – lots of fun and enthusiasm on everyone’s faces!

Since it was a work day, I had to wait until after I got off to go check it out.  I figured it would likely be crowded, so I decided to just go through the drive thru and take my opening day meal home with me.  Traffic heading in the direction of the WalMart area was thick and slow.  I wondered how many were actually going that way for the same reason I was – to eat a piece of history in the making.  I pulled into the parking lot – barely – and got into the very long line for the drive thru.  But, here is where I became impressed!  The line was outrageously long – I assumed I would be there until midnight!  But, it moved surprisingly fast!  And then there were the “greeters” – men in dress shirts and ties that I could only assume were high in the managerial ranks of the Chick-fil-A organization were standing along the drive thru line.

The first I came up on was welcoming every car and handing out a photo sheet of the menu board so that we could decide what we wanted to order before we got to the speaker to place our orders.  He was very cheery and friendly – commenting on how I should have my top down on such a beautiful day!  Then, right at the bend where the line split into two lines for two order boards was the famous Chick-fil-A mascot – a cow wearing a jersey with words begging people to “Eat Mor Chikin” – waving at everyone.  Thankfully, his costume hid his face, cause I’m sure it was beet red and not very happy to be wearing a fur outfit in the almost, if not right at, 100 degree day we were having!  (don’t let the sky in the photos I took fool you – it was HOT and it was SUNNY and the breeze that was blowing in the threat of a possible rain storm was NOT at all cooling)

 

When I got to the speakers and placed my order, I was greeted by a cheerful voice that said “Welcome to Chick-fil-A, how may I help you?” and then after I told him what I wanted, he said “We’ll be happy to serve you at the pick up window.  Enjoy your meal and have a great day.”    As I pulled ahead, there was another important looking man with a tie directing the two lanes back into one lane to proceed to the pick up window.  He, too, was very cheery and welcomed me and wished me well.  Then, there was an employee in a Chick-fil-A uniform and another important looking guy in a tie running up and down the line waiting for the pick up window taking money and bringing bags of food so that no one had to wait at the window - smiling and joking with customers as they went about their job of keeping the flow of cars moving along smoothly.  It really was quite impressive - from the time I got in that incredibly long line until I pulled out of the parking lot with my food, I’ll bet no more than 10-15 minutes had passed!!!   I’ve waited longer than that at McDonald’s with only 1 or 2 cars ahead of me!  And to top it all off……..my order was CORRECT and HOT – VERY HOT!  And I left with a smile on my face and a commitment to return again!

And those important looking guys in ties?  Well, they had to have been there doing their greeter thing and more all day long cause they were the same guys in the photos posted by the Chamber of Commerce giving speeches at the ribbon cutting ceremony.  They sure didn’t look it, but I’m sure it wasn’t easy to stand out there in this heat with a long sleeve dress shirt and a tie all day!  Way to show enthusiasm for becoming a part of our community, guys!  I sure appreciated it and I bet a lot of other people did, too.

So, why are Chick-fil-A sandwiches such a hit?  Afterall, it is just a chicken sandwich, right?  WRONG!!!

I don’t know what makes them so different – a breaded chicken breast on a bun with a couple dill pickles – but they are!  The flavor is amazing!  And they are so juicy and tender – NEVER dry like chicken breast can be sometimes.  I am not a fan of white meat chicken, but I LOVE me some Chick-fil-A!!!!  It doesn’t matter what makes them special – they just are!  So, help out the cows that really need you to “Eat Mor Chikin” and less burgers and go check out the newest Chick-fil-A location in Sanford!  Enjoy!

Recovery…Renewal…And Life Goes On

Jun20

It has been two months and four days since the devastating tornado ripped through our town and a week and a day since I took my tumble at the movie theater in Cary.  Both seem like forever ago.  The two events, of course, can not be compared in any way, but both are evidence that things can happen in a split second that stop you in your tracks and both are evidence that life, indeed, does go on.  Recovery and renewal abound.

As I drove through town yesterday, it was a pleasure to see the Lowes Home Improvement store – the one that made national news after the tornado of April 16th turned it into a pile of twisted steel and debris – actually looks like it is almost a Lowes Home Improvement store again.  The company dug right in and cleared the lot and started rebuilding.  They anticipate the opening of the new Lowes in the fall.  Then, I read in the paper this weekend that the Tractor Supply Store across the street has decided to rebuild and will likely reopen by the end of the year, as well.  Although there is still a lot going on and a lot to do - clean up efforts, rebuilding, and donations to help those who lost so much that day, Sanford has picked itself up by the boots straps and is moving on.  I’m sure the reopening of Lowes will be a big event for our town.  Although it never diminished the horror of the many homes that were gone in a flash and the impressive way the city pulled together to start the recovery process as quickly as the devastation occurred, it was the defining picture of the storm, so it will surely be a defining picture of renewal when it reopens.

And there is new growth, as well.  The long anticipated opening of a Chick-fil-A in Sanford will be a reality this week.  For as long as I can remember, a free-standing Chick-fil-A has been on every “wish list” I’ve ever seen for Sanford.  I say “free-standing” because we DO have a Chick-fil-A in Sanford, but it is in the hospital cafeteria and not so easy to just run by and grab one of their famous chicken fillet sandwiches.  It will be quite an accomplishment to have one with a full menu and a drive thru and right there in the middle of the WalMart plaza parking lot!  Woo Hoo!

As for my tumble last Sunday……I gave in and went to Urgent Care on Monday and the doc confirmed I had a cracked rib.  So, I’ve had a very painful week.  For some reason, the anti inflammatory meds were helping a lot until Friday, when I had a major set back and could barely move or breathe!  But, I took it easy over the weekend and didn’t do anything to stress it – something I should have done the beginning of the week – and now it feels like it is recovering quite nicely.  Oh, it is still very tender and reminds me if I turn just right or cough or sneeze, but for the most part, it is obviously on the mend.  I considered going to the movies to see “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” this weekend, but pictured myself getting to the door of the theater and freezing in fear and turning to run screaming from the memory of the “accident”!  hahahaha    Seriously, I just decided to lay low this weekend and will likely go see this movie in a week or two.

And so, life goes on……….make the most of every moment for you never know when life will throw you a curve ball!

Terrified…..Heartbroken…..Grateful

Apr17

As I stood out on my deck this morning watching the girls play in the yard, I looked up and noticed this gorgeous blue sky with birds singing in the trees and squirrels racing along the branches.  So peaceful, so lovely, so calm!  It brought the first smile to my face since a little before 3:00 pm yesterday.  Until that moment, I had no smiles, no sense that the near future had any hope for peace and calm in this community.  My emotions over the past 24 or so hours ran the gambit of terror, fear, sadness, compassion, and relief.  My heart is breaking and, yet, I am eternally grateful.

Yesterday, our community was hit by a devastating tornado that resulted in lost homes, lost businesses, and lost lives.  The day started out as a normal spring time Saturday morning and the only potential wrench in what should be a gorgeous day was the threat of some severe thunderstorms later in the afternoon.  Regardless of the forecasted rain, people went about enjoying the day — shopping, errands, routine Saturday activities, community events – including the annual Broadway Our Way event in nearby Broadway, NC.  But the day ended with mass destruction, fear, chaos, sirens, emergency rescue efforts, news helicopters, the National Guard, tears – lots of tears, blessings being counted………and a broken community coming together to assess what may be needed to overcome the wrath that nature bestowed upon us.

I am choosing to only post the picture of today’s beautiful blue sky in an attempt to remind myself and others that life does go on – even after something like this.  But, I would also like to share the powerful photos in this link to a slide show put together by Sanford Herald photographer, Wesley Beeson – they show the devastation, but also the compassion and immediate “rush to aid” that was so impressive in the aftermath.  Click here to see them!

As for me, I am OK!  The storm pretty much stayed in the South Horner Blvd, Lee Avenue / Industrial Drive, and St. Andrews / Lemon Springs areas and then moved on out of our community to unleash more evil on the Raleigh area.  When I saw WRAL’s Facebook post saying “Sanford, take cover NOW”, I gathered up the girls and shut us up in the small guest bathroom, which is the only room in my home that has no exterior walls.   I have never been so afraid of a storm  – I live in a solid house that is well-built and sturdy – I typically don’t get nervous or scared with the threat of storms, but the warnings of this one just felt different!  I heeded the advice and took shelter in the bathroom that never felt so small until I was in it with the door shut and three dogs.  I never lost power, but did lose internet and cable, so my access to news updates and information came via my iPhone’s Facebook app.  When I emerged from my safe haven, I found that we and my neighborhood was spared – no damage, just signs of some minor leaf and limb debris and a very saturated yard from the massive rainfall.  I am truly grateful to be able to say that and am heartbroken for those who can not say it!  But, as heartbroken as I am, I didn’t cry last night – something I found very odd and disturbing!  I am a very emotional person and cry at the least little thing that touches my heart – good or bad – so, why not over this?  I wondered if it was because it hadn’t sunk in, yet – maybe hearing the reports and the few photos I saw didn’t make it seem “real” – maybe I was just too stunned.  All that changed this morning when more photos came out and more reports were posted – I started to cry and couldn’t stop!  I felt helpless!  I had to be realistic – I am not physically able to get out there with a chainsaw or to pitch in to haul large debris in the clean up efforts.  But, there was a lot more that was and still is needed – I dropped off a donation at the Lee County Red Cross and some food and cleaning supplies at a collection point at Lowes Foods.  It is a small contribution to the overall help that is needed, but at least I did what I could and that helps me honor my pride in our community.  Yesterday, right after everything settled down, I went out for a bit – I know I probably shouldn’t have ventured out, but my best friends are out-of-town and I couldn’t tell from the postings if their area was hit.  So, I drove out to check out their home – thankfully, all was fine and I was able to call them and put their minds at ease.

So, as I reflected last night on what had occurred here and my personal experience, I found that I am blessed and grateful for many things.  Some of them may seem trivial or self-centered in the grand scheme of things, but isn’t that what blessing counting is all about – recognizing the things in your life, big or small, that give you something to be grateful for and taking the time to consider them blessings to be counted?  Here are some of the things that went through my mind during my time in the bathroom and throughout the evening that followed:

  • I am so very grateful that the worst thing I personally had to endure was being terrified and locked up in a small bathroom with three dogs for an hour or so.
  • I am grateful for Facebook for several reasons:
    • the WRAL posting that made me realize this was to be taken seriously because there was a potential I could be in imminent danger!
    • the postings of friends passing on information about what was going on
    • the postings of friends saying they were OK
  • I am grateful that my family lives 800+ miles away – WOW – that is the first time I EVER thought that!!!  But, knowing they were all far away from the storm meant that I didn’t have to wonder if they were OK
  • I am grateful that I had a slow start yesterday morning and didn’t get out and about as planned – I got up rather late, was slow to get motivated to do anything, and then got tied up and didn’t go out to do the things I had planned for Saturday.  Popping in to Lowes and Big Lots were on my errand list and, if things had gone as planned, I likely would have been in one or the other or at least in the general vicinity right about the time the storm hit!!!!
  • I am grateful that it happened in the middle of the day in broad daylight so that people could see what was coming and get to safety, where possible, and see to assess the situation immediately afterwards
  • I am grateful for all the emergency responders who seemed to be there and working to care for those in need in a flash!
  • I am grateful for my decision to purchase THIS house – not only because it is located in an area that didn’t get hit, but more so because one of the top three I was considering was located in the St. Andrews subdivision!!!
  • I am grateful for the beautiful weather we are having today and over the coming week – it will help a lot as our community needs to get out there to clean up

Yes, I have a lot of blessings to count……..if you are counting your blessings today, as well, please consider sharing your time, money, supplies, comforting words or support, or prayers – whatever you can do that may help someone who has a few less blessings to count today!  A lot is needed right away, but more will be needed as our community begins to rebuild.  If considering a monetary donation, please be sure to donate directly to the Lee County NC Red Cross at 507 N. Steele Street to ensure the money stays here in Lee County and is applied to this disaster relief effort.

It is a sad weekend in Sanford, but I am so encouraged by the way everyone is pulling together and helping out in whatever way they are able……….shows the strength of character of a community and this community is overflowing with it!

Weekend Words

Mar20

What a great weekend this was……perfect weather (until it got a little cooler today, but still nice), and lots of thoughts clanging around in my brain!  So, it is time for  a brain dump and to just ramble on about the things I did this weekend and other random thoughts.  Not sure where to start, really, guess I should just jump in with the weekend activities and go from there.

Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day – we had Irish Pub music playing in our office area all day, which was interesting.  I went by Southern Jewelers to drop off the items I gathered for their Scavenger Hunt contest – I am now in the running for the Grand Prize – a pair of 1/2 carat diamond earrings!!!  Yes, that is a 4-leaf clover on my cheek!

Friday evening wasn’t all that special.  I thought about going out to eat, but ended up just staying home.  I didn’t want to be out too late, anyway, because Friday night is my night to watch “The Defenders” and “Blue Bloods” on TV.  I LOVE those shows!  Yeah – I DVR them, but I’d still rather watch them when they air, unless something really special takes priority over them.  But, when I got all settled in and comfortable in front of the TV, I discovered that – for the second week in a row – both shows were preempted by basketball games!  Uugghh!  When is the basketball season done so that we can have our TV back???  At least last week, was just local games, so there was a “new” episode of each on and I was able to catch them on HULU the next day.  This week must have been wider spread coverage or they were reruns, because I haven’t seen new episodes posted on HULU, yet.  So, I ended up watching a couple of hours of back-to-back “Say Yes To The Dress” episodes – most of which I saw before, but sat through again cause there wasn’t anything else that interested me on!

Saturday was cool, though.  The weather was FABULOUS!!!  80+ degrees, sunny, and totally enjoyable!  The weather has been very good the past several days, but Saturday, I actually got to enjoy it because I wasn’t inside working all day!  I bummed around the house and played with the girls most of the day and took a much-needed afternoon nap.  Then, I got ready and went out for the evening.  First, I had a perfectly cooked rib eye steak dinner at Cafe 121 – YUM!!!  Then, I went to the Temple Theatre and got a ticket to the Saturday performance of the current show – “Proof”.  The show wasn’t to start for an hour, so I took the opportunity to stroll around downtown and enjoy the gorgeous evening.  It was still 70+ degrees and so quiet and peaceful.  I looked in all the store windows and just wandered around in an attempt to walk off just a little of the delicious dinner.  I got back to the theatre and it was still a little early, so I sat on the bench outside and continued to enjoy the evening.  Between dinner, my stroll, and my time at the theatre, I was able to say hi to several people I know and that was so nice.  The show was good — as always, the Temple Theatre did a very nice job of bringing the performances to life.  After the show, I went back home and had the chocolate pound cake I got “to go” after dinner at Cafe 121.

The other neat thing about Saturday night was the moon.  It was not only a full moon, it was a super “pedigree” full moon!  Apparently, it was the closest it has been to the Earth in about 20 years, so it appeared much bigger and brighter than the typical full moon.  It was quite beautiful.

So, today – the last day of the weekend, but the first day of Spring – is Sunday!  It was cooler today – a friend on Facebook said it best:  “Only in NC can the last day of winter be 84 and the first day of spring be 54!”  But, I don’t care – it is still the first day of Spring and I am so happy to see this day come!  It was a rough winter for just about everywhere in the country this year!  I love Spring!  It is my favorite time of year – with the exception of the pollen weeks!

I went out for a little bit.  I needed to fill my gas tank — something I dread, along with most of the rest of the world!  I started to head to Lowes Foods to fill up there, but decided to go to the Murphy Express station at WalMart, instead.  I’m glad I did!  Along the way, most of the stations I noticed were posting gas prices of $3.50 – 3.51 a gallon and there was one place I noticed that was $3.49.  Murphy Express price was only $3.46!!!  Five cents cheaper than most other places.  Then, I was REALLY glad I went up there, instead of Lowes Foods — I went by there on my way back and their price was $3.52!!!!  What’s up with that???  I thought they were supposed to be a discount gas station!!!  I usually go there because it is closer, but will definitely go to the other end of town from now on!  Six cents a gallon less is absolutely worth the drive to save!

Then, I had lunch at the Dairy Bar and went to get some groceries. 

Other thoughts:

  • The Food Lion on Hawkins Avenue is going through major renovations.  I mostly like the changes – looks more like some of the higher end grocery stores and is very pleasant to shop in.  The only problem I have found, so far, is the produce section.  They have fruits and some vegetables on old-fashioned looking market carts – very appealing to the eye!  But, they are high to begin with and then they put some of the items in baskets on top towards the center of the cart – nearly impossible for short people (and I’m sure some elderly people) to reach.  I wanted to get some pears – they were in those baskets – I looked around to see if there were more somewhere lower, but there weren’t and the baskets were no longer full, so the pears were down inside the baskets, almost hidden from my view.  So, I stood on my tippy toes and reached the basket and pulled it forward to dump a few pears out onto the next shelf so I could pick out a few and then put the rest back.  The same thing with the sweet onions I wanted to get!  So, I stopped by the Customer Service counter and told the lady there that I had some feedback for her about the new design.  I said it all looks great, but that the carts in the produce section make it very difficult for short people (and also mentioned the possible elderly it may impact) to reach.  I told her my story about what I had to do to get some pears and sweet onions.  She seemed genuinely concerned and promised to pass the information on.  Even just putting some both in the baskets and within reach would be a big help.  I know - all stores have high shelves that have always been a problem for us short folks, but I can deal with that - I can usually get up on my toes and use my finger tips or a pen from my purse to knock a box off the top shelf and if there aren’t any within reach that way, I either get a different brand or sometimes a kind fellow shopper reaches it for me.  These baskets are different – you have to reach over the lower shelves on the cart and then down into the basket!  Not good!  I hope they fix it!
  • Pet peeve of the day — people who think they are the only ones in the grocery store and that no one else needs to get down the aisles or look at the stuff on the shelves!  I linger longer than I probably should when trying to decide what to get, if not something I normally buy, but I do try to stay over to the side and watch for people who may need to get around me or may want to get something in the section I might be blocking. 
  • I had to get new tires on the pony this week.  Ronald changed my oil last weekend and noticed several spots with exposed threads and bald sections!  So, I went to Perry Brothers and got new tires and a front end alignment.  The guys at Perry Brothers were great, but it was still a hefty expense I wasn’t planning on…….oh, well!!!  Them’s the breaks!  (oh, dear – don’t let the use of the word “breaks” be a trigger for new “brakes”, too!)  The old girl may be 6 years old, now, but she only has 52,000 miles on her – I would think that tires would last longer than that!
  • With all the stories about purse snatching and other such crimes we hear about far too often, it was a real joy to read the letter to the editor in today’s Sanford Herald about the happy ending for the lady who left her purse in the cart in WalMart parking lot.  Apparently, when she realized she left it, she went back assuming it was long gone, but discovered that someone actually found it and turned it in – there it was waiting for her!  Sad, though, that the person who turned it in didn’t leave her name so she could be properly thanked! 
  • I got a little bloody nose this morning — I was wrestling with Megan on the bed and we were having fun, until she rolled around the wrong way and banged her hard head into my nose!!!  It didn’t bleed much, but man, it was sore for a couple of hours and still tingles a little!  That’ll teach me!  hahaha

I think that’s all I have to talk about today………

Movie Review – The King’s Speech

Feb6

I haven’t been to the theater to see a movie in quite a while — since before the holidays, I believe!!! No particular reason. It isn’t because of lack of interest – quite to the contrary, I am still in love with movies. It isn’t because of lack of time – I’ve had several weekends where I had opportunity. It isn’t because the current movies don’t interest me – there are several that look like I would enjoy them. No excuse – I just haven’t made the effort to go.

But, I can say that most of the ones out now that I think I would enjoy are all ones that I think I could easily wait and see on NetFlix. And, while I still love the feeling I get from sitting in a dark theater watching a movie on that giant screen, I also find that some of the other experiences associated with going to the movies aren’t as appealing as they used to be. For instance – I used to LOVE movie theater popcorn! I believed it to be against some moral code or law to go to a movie and not have a bag of popcorn! Lately, the popcorn in movie theaters is less than desirable with a large portion (I’d go so far as to estimate 50% or so of the bag) made up of crumbs scrapped from the bottom of the bin, stale taste, and that oil they mistakenly call butter. I also find myself considering the cost more than I used to. Even with my practice of going to matinees and avoiding paying full price, it costs $7.00 to see a movie!!! And it costs more for the snacks than it does to see the movie! Case in point – yesterday, I went to Spring Lane Cinemas in Sanford to see the 4:35 showing of The King’s Speech. It cost me $7.00 to get in and $8.75 for a small popcorn (that was mostly crumbs) and a bottle of Dasani water! So — the two-hour excursion cost me $15.75!!! Outrageous!!! Luckily, the movie was worth it…..but often, I find it really wasn’t. Hence my feeling lately that I could just wait for NetFlix.

So, enough about how the experience of going to the movies is diminishing and on with the movie review:

The King’s Speech is up for, like, a gazillion Academy Awards. The previews looked good, it is based on a true story with historical interest, and has a prominent cast. So, of course, I was interested in seeing it. The critics AND Yahoo Users all rated it an A, which rarely happens — either the critics love it and most real people don’t or the critics hate it and most real people find it enjoyable. So, I decided to pay the $15.75 to spend two hours checking it out for myself.

What I got for my $15.75 was a totally enjoyable time. There are three Oscar worthy performances – Colin Firth as King George VI (nominated for Best Actor), Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue (nominated for Best Supporting Actor), and Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) – and an absolute top contender for the Best Picture Oscar. I haven’t seen many of the other nominated films and performances, but I think it will be an injustice for some or all of these nominations to not be the ones to bring home the statue.

The story, if you aren’t already familiar, is of King George VI, the current Queen Elizabeth’s father, who had a life long struggle with a speech impediment – he stuttered. This was viewed as a weakness and defect that was not something a King should suffer from. Obviously, this was a huge problem when he was required to speak publicly and provide comfort and strength to his people. The movie starts before he becomes King – his father is still the reigning Monarch and upon his death, George’s brother, Edward, becomes the King of England. However, Edward is in love with an American divorcee currently in the process of her second divorce, which is strongly frowned upon by the Church and English Government. So, Edward abdicates the throne, leaving the role to a reluctant George. George’s devoted wife, Elizabeth, finds an unconventional speech therapist to work with George – Lionel Logue. The two work together so George can overcome his stuttering and become close friends.

It is a touching story and, even without the historical interest, conveys an important message. I found it to be a powerful movie with strong performances portraying endearing relationships – George and Elizabeth, George and Lionel, and George and his daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. I highly recommend this movie and rate it a solid A+!

On another note – after the movie, I went to Cafe 121 for dinner and had Chef Hamm’s special for the evening – Shrimp and Scallop Scampi!!! YUM!!! The only thing that would have made it better would be to toss in some angel hair pasta….then it would have been beyond perfect! I took home a hot Caramel Apple Cider to sip through the rest of the evening. A perfect end to a very nice outing.