Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Meal Time
Meal time is quite the ordeal at my house. It is full of excitement, energy, interesting moments, and unwavering rituals. Of course, I don’t mean MY meal time — I mean the girl’s meal time! Three very different personalities in every other aspect of their lives result in three very different eating habits and rituals. It also results in my active involvement in ensuring everything goes smoothly and everyone gets their fair share – and ONLY their fair share!
Katie
Katie is always the last to finish. When her bowl is placed on the floor, she meanders over to it, sniffs all over the food and around the dish, and then……slowly……methodically……eats one or two pieces at a time and chews thoroughly! She’s like those people who eat popcorn one kernel at a time!
Amy
Amy used to be the first finished every time! About a month or so ago, that changed. I’m not sure why, but she is now a much slower and more deliberate eater. I place her’s and Megan’s bowls down at the same time, but she waits until all three bowls are down, Megan and Katie are started, and I am sitting at the table ready to watch them. She sees me sit down and looks around at the others and then walks over to her dish. She starts to eat and looks at Megan’s dish to see how far she is along with her meal and then eats. She is typically the last to finish, now!
Megan
Megan inhales her food and would eat everyone else’s, if I gave her a chance! As I am setting her bowl down, she already has her nose in it and begins eating like it is the first meal she’s had in a month of Sundays and may just be the last one she has for who knows how long! She gobbles so fast she can barely breathe. Then she licks the bowl as if there is something more there she can’t see or maybe she’s trying to lick the design off the bottom of the bowl! Then, she stands there staring at the other two just waiting for a split second opportunity to dive into their’s! I have to watch her closely and get her to stand next to me as I sit waiting for meal time to end. I pet her and try to distract her, but with no luck. She is intent on staring at them, which makes Katie growl while she’s eating and intimidates Amy enough that she sometimes backs away from her food – at which time, I have to hold Megan so Amy can finish! Once the other two are done and walk away, she has to check both of their bowls to ensure nothing is left – she licks each bowl like there just has to be something there!!!
Routine Meal Time Conversations
Megan: {staring down her sisters in an attempt to steal their food}
Me: Don’t you stare at them!
Megan: {looks away, but keeps peeking out of the corner of her eye}
Me: Amy, don’t let her intimidate you – stand your ground, girl!
Me: Katie, stop growling and chew – you’re going to get indigestion!
Me: Megan, you had you’s! Don’t be a pig! Let them eat in peace!
Me: Slow down, Megan – you’re gonna choke!
Yep – it is an interesting time and it happens twice a day every day!
A Saturday Well Spent
Saturdays are often a struggle of whether or not to take care of business or sit back and enjoy the end to a long work week. You know – some business can only be taken care of on Saturday morning and there is all that housework and laundry that you really weren’t up to taking care of after getting home from work! But, then again, it is Saturday – a day off work – meaning NOT a work day! But there is all that personal work that needs to be done and who else is gonna do it if you don’t! So, what often happens? Saturday is a full and busy day trying to do it all – housework, shopping, and relaxing!
Here’s how my Saturday played out this week:
As usual, the girls woke me up about 6:00 am to go outside and take care of their business. But, I was able to get them to come back in quickly and go back to bed. This is getting to be a nice ritual that I’m glad they have taken to — better than in the past when I would try to go back to sleep and they would prefer to play and make sleeping in impossible!
I finally got up for the day about 8:30 – earlier than I had hoped because I had a pretty exhausting week, but it was nice none-the-less! I fed the girls and we curled up on the couch to watch a couple of the programs I had on DVR. Megan played ball with me and Katie and Amy snuggled. I was well on my way to deciding the relaxing option was going to win out. I thought about all the things I should be doing and then looked at the girls and just settled in for a quiet morning!
Then…….suddenly, at 11:00, I remembered that I needed to go to Sanford Animal Hospital to get some Advantix and Interceptor because I forgot to get them at All Animals the other day when I was there and I give those treatments out on the 1st of each month……..so, I headed out. And that was the turning point where the day became more about getting things done!
I made a long weekend trip to see my Mom last weekend and when I got in my car at RDU I found that I must have parked near an ant hill or maybe someone spilled a sweet drink beside my car or something — whatever caused it doesn’t matter — what matters is that I discovered the inside of the rider’s side door was a swarm of ANTS!!!! They were localized just on that door and a little on the rider’s side of the dashboard. So, I got in and drove to Lowes to get some ant spray. Bottom line, the pony needed a good cleaning to get rid of the mess all that left. So, from the vet I went on to the car wash on the corner of Horner and Wicker — all nice and clean, now!
I came back home to think about what else I needed to do — I decided to go to Cary to BJs and Party City to get supplies for Communities In Schools of Lee County’s Second Annual Dancing with the Lee County Stars event that is being held at the Civic Center on August 13th (how about if I take a moment here to add in an extremely shameless plug for the event — go to www.dancingwiththeleecountystars.com to purchase tickets, vote for the dancing couple of your choice, or get info on how to be a sponsor)!
I headed that way about 2:00 or so and I have to say that I really hate going in to Cary! Sure, they have a great selection of stores and restaurants and entertainment. But, the traffic and difficulty getting in and out of places just kills it for me! Crossroads Plaza is where I had to go for Party City and I also did a few other things while I was there — you get in that place and end up driving all around the world trying to figure out how to get out going in the direction you want to go! And I was parked in lines at stop signs and stop lights longer than it took me to take care of the business I needed to do!
I enjoy shopping in Sanford and usually find whatever I may need right here! I support shopping locally and have limited reasons for going out-of-town to shop. If Sanford could just get a BJs and a PetSmart, I could avoid Cary a lot more often!
The up side was that between BJs and Party City, I got all the supplies I needed and a few things for myself, as well. I also ran into a dear old friend I rarely get to see and we talked in the aisle at BJs for what seemed like an hour or more! I also took in a movie – scroll down to read my review in a post I wrote last night. I also planned to pop in at Macy’s and PetSmart while I was up there, but it got late and I got tired, so I decided not to!
The icing on the cake was dinner at Red Robin — YUMMM! Of course, the meal was good, but I really enjoyed the Speckled Lemonade – a quirky looking glass of nicely tart lemonade with fresh strawberries cut up in it! OMG, it was so good I had to take a photo of it:
No – there was no alcohol in it and my camera wasn’t drunk when I snapped the photo – that is really what the glass looked like! Funky and fun!
I got home about 8:30 or so and snuggled in with the girls to watch TV and play! A perfect end to a day mixed with relaxation and productive activities.
So, now on to Sunday — definitely a day of relaxation and enjoyment!
Movie Review – The Kids Are All Right
It has been a long time since I’ve been to the movies. In fact, the last movie I wrote a review about was “Date Night” on April 15th. I have been busy and away on a few trips since then, but that is no excuse! I’m a movie lover — I should have made time before now! But – today, I fixed that and went to see “The Kids Are All Right”. I had to go to Cary, anyway, so I checked out what was playing at the Crossroads 20 and decided on this one.
First, let me say that the popcorn at the Crossroads 20 theater is the WORST of any popcorn at any movie theater I’ve ever been to! I knew this from past times I’ve been there, but still got the popcorn and was so utterly disappointed! The bag is always 3/4 or better small crumbs with just a few popped kernels throughout and they measure the butter in a tiny cup before they pour it on the top! BAD!
Now on with my review:
Viewer Alert — this is NOT for kids!!! It is rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, and language. Quite often I find these ratings to be overly sensitive and not always warranted. But, this time — they mean it! There is a lot of blatant gay and hetero sex, as well as a lot of “F” bombs dropped. I only mention this because the previews make it look like it might be a nice movie a family might enjoy because it is about family relationships………I want to warn that it is really an adult movie and you should probably consider leaving the kids home.
The movie stars Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo. Bening and Moore are married to each other and 18 years earlier they went to a sperm bank to get pregnant. That visit resulted in a daughter, Joni. A year or so later, they went back and got sperm from the same anonymous donor to get pregnant, again. This time, they had a son named Laser. When Joni turned 18, she petitioned the sperm bank to find out who the donor was. Joni and Laser went to meet him – Paul, played by Ruffalo – and began a relationship with him. As they all get to know each other and Paul gets closer to them, the relationships ALL get complicated and broken.
I like all three key actors and they didn’t disappoint in this film. Mark Ruffalo’s character was the most likeable of all – he was fun and real. He comes off as the bad guy, but I still found him very adorable. Bening and Moore come across very genuine and comfortable as an on-screen couple. I also liked Mia Wasikowska as the daughter, Joni. She was sweet and natural. They all made me believe they were a real family that I was eavesdropping on and I got involved in their story, their love, and their pain.
It is a good movie about life and relationships and feelings and family and all the complications that all these things bring. It is beautifully acted and well told. It is rather slow at times, though, and I felt like there were parts that didn’t seem to fit – like the relationship between Laser and his friend Clay – I’m not sure it added anything to the story.
All in all, it was good – some really funny scenes that had the whole theater (and it was just about full) laughing out loud – some touching and sad scenes, but it wasn’t “great”! I took away points for being slow and having some parts that didn’t connect well. I rated it a B- because I thought it had mostly good qualities and told an interesting story.
Paradise
So often I, like many others, think that I have to travel to some exotic place to find Paradise. The image of what Paradise is reflects mental photos of secluded island beaches, pleasant breezes, relaxation, peaceful atmospheres, and the total absence of stress and the sense of urgency in life! Where else can you find all this in one place except for tropical islands and exotic locations? What in normal every day life can even come close to that?
It is mornings like this one that brings me back to my senses and reminds me that I don’t have to spend a lot of money and time taking myself to Paradise to find peace. I have a version of it right here – whenever I want to take it all in!
Picture this
It is the morning after the Fourth of July holiday – the day my work observes the holiday, so I am off on what is usually the first day back to work after the weekend. I woke up at the usual time to let the girls out to take care of business, but was able to convince them that going back to bed was better than starting a day of play so early. They let me sleep in until a little before 9:00! It is a lovely morning, so I cleaned and refilled their pools so they could splash around and keep cool through the day.
Now, I am sitting on my shaded patio. The temperature is in the mid-high 70s. There is a constant breeze that is mostly gentle with some stronger occasional bursts. The wind chimes are playing delicate music for my listening pleasure – two perfectly tuned metal chimes and one with bamboo that adds the perfect contrast to the sounds of the others and lends a tropical feel to the setting. I can hear a woodpecker in a nearby tree hammering away to complete his work responsibilities. The locusts are serenading me with a song that predicts the upcoming heat of the day. There are birds chirping to let the world know what a lovely morning it truly is. The girls are sunning themselves in the warm grass to rest after their play session of running through the yard, chasing each other through the pools, splashing around, and rolling around the grass to get dry. The sky is an incredible blue with no sign of clouds to break up the smooth, vibrant color.
If there is a Heaven on earth, it is here!
And the best part? It isn’t just today! I enjoy similar experiences all the time — either out on the patio or in my comfortable home. My home and my girls bring me such joy and happiness. I have learned to sit back and take it all in……leave the stresses of life at the door (for the most part)……and simply enjoy my own little Paradise! What more could I ask for? Life is good!
But, if you think that means I’ll never plan another trip to a more exotic Paradise, think again…….variety is, afterall, the spice of life! Hahaha!
Beginnings, Endings and Beginnings
The beginning? Well, I guess you can say the fall of 2005 was the beginning of the beginning. There was “some sorta” before that and it really truly began after that, but yeah, let’s go with the fall of 2005. Because it was then that I joined the 2005-06 class of LEEdership Sanford and met the people who would get me hooked on what became a passion for me – Communities In Schools of Lee County. It was also the beginning of a lot of really great friendships!
The “some sorta before” relates to why I had an interest in considering CIS. The place I work has had a long partnership with CIS and for some years prior to the fall of 2005, I was involved on a small level in volunteering for CIS through work – tutoring, reading to kids on my lunch break, collecting stuff for the Teacher Resource Room, etc.
Then, my boss and our plant manager recommended me for the LEEdership Sanford class that year. I was a little reluctant, but agreed. And, I’m so glad I did – I really enjoyed every part of LEEdership Sanford. I learned a LOT about the community I had lived in for 20 years, but really wasn’t overly engaged in. I met so many wonderful people, especially my class mates – many of whom are still good friends.
Through that amazing experience, I met Alison, who was the Executive Director of CIS at the time. Alison and I became friends and she recruited me and a few of our other class mates to join her Board of Directors. I was planning to ask her how to get more involved in volunteering, but didn’t quite plan to jump in with both feet! I had never been on a board before and didn’t know what to expect. But, Alison and the other wonderful board members made it easy!
I spent my first year learning the ropes as Program Committee Chair and fell in love! I told Alison when she signed me on that I would work hard for her, but to not expect me to be good at asking for money or organizing fundraisers! But, that was also the first year CIS held a major fundraiser – the very first Gala event and I assumed the role of Gala Chair and got thrown into the world of fundraising BIG TIME! It was so successful — the biggest and most elegant event Sanford had ever seen! It was a huge effort on the part of many people and I was so proud to be a part of it all!
Because of my work on the Program Committee and the Gala, I was asked to agree to being nominated for the position of Board Chair. I really didn’t think I was ready for that responsibility, but Alison and the board thought I was, so I agreed. And that was the beginning of a three-year run as Board Chair.
This past week was the end of that run……..after a lot of ups and downs – three successful Gala events, the economy hitting us with both barrels, almost having to shut down, multiple employee changes, and our coming back with a vengeance with the amazing Dancing with the Lee County Stars event last year – I have turned the role over to a new Chair who will be amazing and bring a whole new perspective to the organization! I thought long and hard about resigning from the board altogether, but I couldn’t do that – I have too much of my heart and soul in it. But, it was time for a change – both for me and the organization.
But that isn’t the end…….it is the beginning! I’ll continue on as a very active board member and am looking forward to great things to come! I am excited about being a part of the newly formed Public Relations and Marketing Committee and the chance to work with the person that was appointed as Chair for that committee. I have come to love that part of the work I’ve done with CIS the most and am really anxious to learn all I can about how to best promote and market this great organization!
The organization is going through new beginnings, as well — earlier this year, CIS-National rolled out a new logo and we started using it recently. It is so cute and a lot more representative of what we do in the community.
The old logo:
The new logo:
They also rolled out a new Mission Statement:
The old Mission Statement: “Helping Kids Stay in School and Prepare For Life.”
The new Mission Statement: “Empowering Students to Stay in School and Prepare For Life.”
Locally, we have a new Executive Director who I’m sure will raise the bar and do some amazing things for the organization! And, last but not least….for now….we are a little over a month away from the Second Annual Dancing with the Lee County Stars event! August 13 — Dennis A Wicker Civic Center! Visit our website at www.dancingwiththeleecountystars.com for more info!
It was a great three years and I am extremely proud of what we all accomplished together — but there are so many wonderful things on the horizon that I know it will be just a drop in the bucket of great memories associated with CIS!
Oh, and by the way – if you ever get the opportunity to be a part of the LEEdership Sanford program, I highly recommend it! If all you get out of it is the friends you make, it is so well worth it!
Happy Father’s Day – 2010
I always have mixed emotions about Father’s Day. Even today, I am sad that I am not able to physically hug and kiss the two men who were the strongest father figures in my life, but I am also filled to the brim with the “warm fuzzies” just thinking of them and remembering them. I always had and counted on my Grandpa – he took over after my father left us when I was a very small child and filled that void beautifully. But, I was often sad that I didn’t have a “Daddy” in my life. Until Charlie came into our lives in my mid-late teens and I finally had a Dad that made up for all the lost time! Charlie didn’t have to be a Dad to us, but he was proud to do so and we adored him for it!
It has been 12 years since I lost my Grandpa and 11 years since Charlie passed on. But, my heart is still filled with love for them. They are always with me – my guardian angels – my heros!
Happy Father’s Day Grandpa and Charlie — I love and miss you both so very much!
Here’s to my two favorite guys:
Marlin Freeman – my Grandpa
Charlie Culmo – my Poppie
Some songs that perfectly reflect my feelings today:
And a couple that hold special memories of Charlie. The first is “Teddy Bear” song by Barbara Fairchild – the one that Charlie and I considered “our song” and danced to whenever we heard it! The second is “Satin Sheets” by Jeanne Pruett – this one was Mom and Charlie’s song and one they both loved the most of any country song!
25 Years
The anniversary of a major milestone in my life is about to happen. It includes not one, but two major life altering events that, together, changed my life forever. The week of June 21st marks the 25 year anniversary of these two events and the start of a new life.
Friday, June 21, 1985 was a chilly day, as I recall. Sweaters were necessary as we worked throughout the day for the evening’s festivities. I had been planning for this day since October of the previous year when Ronald presented me with my birthday gift – an engagement ring. I wanted a simple, small wedding that reflected me as a person and I wanted to do it all myself – or as much as I could!
It was a perfectly memorable wedding – exactly what I wanted! We decided to have the ceremony at the Cobblestone Church in Childs, NY, which was built in 1834 and stands as the oldest cobblestone church in North America. It is part of the Cobblestone Society Museum Complex. The reception was across the street at the Village Inn restaurant. The Village Inn is also rich in history in that it began in 1875 as a stage-coach stop along the historic Ridge Road – a main artery for stage coaches traveling between the Genesee and Niagara Rivers. Both are historic landmarks listed on the National Registry and held special memories for me as I grew up. So, it was an absolute perfect choice to be married there! We also utilized the Ward House, which was located beside the church and built in 1836 as the parsonage for the church and also part of the Cobblestone Society Museum Complex and a historic landmark. This was where the wedding party dressed and prepared for the ceremony.
I worked so hard and planned every detail out…..it was going to be a candlelight ceremony befitting the venue. There is no electricity in the Cobblestone Church, so we planned to light the sanctuary with the kerosene lamps throughout the church, have candelabras at the altar, and my bridesmaids were to carry floral arrangements with candles. The ceremony was set to begin at 9:00 pm so that the candles and kerosene lamps would set the perfect mood! The picture of it all in my head was amazing! The one detail I didn’t consider – the one important key to the whole atmosphere – was the date I chose! It was June 21st – summer solstice – the longest day of the year! At 9:00, when I had assumed it would be dark – or at least deep into dusk, it was still daylight outside! And the church had regular windows – not stained glass, which might have helped to filter the light entering the sanctuary…….but, then, that was probably the point when it was built – they needed a lot of windows to allow the sun to shine in to provide light for their church services! So, it wasn’t quite the effect I hoped for, but it was still beautiful and we still used all the kerosene lamps and candles and it was amazing! And, it did start to darken up some after we started, so it all turned out OK!
Maid of Honor, Debbie, fixing my dress inside the Ward House
Mom securing my veil
My brother, Kevin, and I – Ward House photo-op before the wedding
Ronald’s niece, Jennifer, waiting for the wedding
I made her dress for the wedding
Leaving the Ward House to go to the church with my Poppie
Poppie walking me down the aisle with my Grandpa looking on
The vocalist sang The Captain and Tennille’s
“There is Love (The Wedding Song)”
Right after we lit the unity candle
while the vocalist sang Chicago’s “Colour My World”
Flower Girl, Jennifer, and Ring Bearer, Robby – my new son – leaving the church after the ceremony
Ronald and I outside the church after the ceremony!
Me at the beautiful fireplace inside The Village Inn during the reception
A fun photo at the reception
So, I mentioned that the week of the 21st marks not one, but two, major milestones in my life. The wedding was obviously one, which was a compound one given that it not only meant that I was now a married woman at the age of 28, I was also a new mother of two boys – Robby, 7, and Dusty, 13. Robby lived with us full-time from the start – in fact, since before we were married, but Dusty only lived with us for a couple short periods. That combination is enough of an adjustment……but, there was more to come!!!
My new family – Robby, Ronald, me, and Dusty
Yes, there was yet another major life altering event that happened that week – we moved to Sanford, NC! In the weeks leading up to the wedding, I was not only busy with the wedding preparations, I was also busy helping Ronald with yard sales to lighten our load and packing up all of our belongings to head south. We loaded everything up on a friend’s flat-bed 18 wheeler and watched it head out ahead of us.
Then, the morning after the wedding, we loaded two cars with stuff we didn’t want on the flat-bed. And amidst teary good byes, Ronald, Robby and I got in the cars with Easy (our beagle) and Roxanne (our pet racoon) and pulled out of my Mom’s driveway to move to Sanford. When we arrived in Sanford a couple of days later (we made some stops along the way), it was incredibly HOT! The flat-bed was parked under our new car port waiting for us to arrive. We immediately started working to unload it — and since I was not accustomed to the heat and it was still cool when we left NY, I passed out cold!!! hahaha Welcome to the south!
Ronald and me with Roxanne at Mom’s a day or two before we left.
This was a gutsy move that I don’t know how I managed the courage for, but I guess I was fearless at 28! The place Ronald worked in Medina, NY closed down and his family had moved to Sanford some time before that. They told him that there were jobs in Sanford, so he decided to start over there. He asked me to go with him, which led to the wedding. But, it meant that I had to quit a job I had at General Electric for 11 years. As it turned out, they closed that plant not too long after that, as well, but I didn’t know that was going to happen at the time. I didn’t give it much thought, though — odd for me — I can’t buy a pair of shoes without pondering my options for what seems like eons!!! I cashed in my 401K and the voluntary contribution portion of my retirement and Ronald sold his Cessna 150 airplane, a ton of antiques, and stuff he didn’t want to or couldn’t take with us. And that is what we lived on for a while……..because, get this, we didn’t have any jobs to go to!!! We had a house – Ronald’s parents found us a great house and secured the loan for us (because we couldn’t get one on our own because we didn’t have jobs), but we just figured we’d get jobs to pay for it when we got there!
Our first Sanford home on Steele Street
It took a little longer than we had hoped, but we did find jobs. Ronald got his job first and then changed to a better one that he was at for over 20 years before they closed down early last year. I did some odd jobs for a while – a horrible job at Eagle Electric, which I quit after about a month to go to Hardees (don’t ask – it isn’t a pretty story), a floral designer job, and I even cleaned houses for a while. Then got a good job in Apex, where I stayed for a little less than two years until I got a great job where I still work 22 years later!
So, all that was 25 years ago. Many of my friends in NY took bets that I wouldn’t make it a year in the Bible Belt as a “Kool-Aid Mom”! haha Guess I fooled them – I adapted better than they thought I would. But, it was a huge adjustment that I had to go through — one day I was single and care free, the next I was married and a Mom, and the next I was moving to a new state with no job and no family or friends – except, of course, Ronald and his family, most of who I really didn’t know that well.
As for my marriage, well, unfortunately that didn’t last. Ronald and I were married about 9 years. I regret that we couldn’t make it work, but it wasn’t a total loss. We recognized we weren’t good at being married and agreed to split before we ruined the friendship. And that friendship blossomed and got stronger over the years. We are still the very best of friends and always will be!
I continue to struggle with the fact that my family is all still in Albion. It is extremely difficult for me – especially after my marriage failed. I came close to packing up and returning when my step-son, Dusty, came to live with us and caused a lot of problems for me – but, he decided to leave to go back to his Mom, so I didn’t have to make that decision. I also thought long and hard about moving back when I got my divorce – but, I had a good job, I was going to college, I had a ton of debt, and the job situation up home was really bad. I knew it wasn’t the right time to make the move and I wasn’t as brave about jumping into an uncertain situation as I was when I was newly married!
So, if I could go back and change anything, would I? No, not really. Of course, I hate that we weren’t able to make the marriage work, but looking back, I’m not sure what we could have done differently and I wouldn’t go back further and skip that part – there was too much good that I would have missed out on and I wouldn’t have my best friend now. I also hate that I am so far away from my family – but, I make that work by visiting as often as I can and by being in contact with my Mom daily. I always believe that things happen for a reason. Right, wrong, or indifferent, the choices I made in my life got me where I am today and made me the person I am today. Not just these choices — all of them from the earliest life decisions to the ones I am still making for myself. I take full responsibility for all the good, the bad, and the ugly — and think I did OK!!!
So, when next week gets here, I’ll be reminiscing and thinking about all that has happened in the past 25 years and wondering why it flew by so quickly on me! A quarter of a century of my life – gone in the blink of an eye – and, yet, filled to the brim with adventures, laughter, tears, and change……..and there’s so much more to come – hopefully a whole lot more laughter and a whole lot less tears, though!
Saturday Morning in Sanford
I had the best Saturday morning in Sanford today! The weather couldn’t be more perfect – hot, but not too hot (but, just wait until the afternoon, I’m sure), with a nice breeze and a gorgeous bright blue sky! I had stuff on my “to do” list, but nothing that I needed to rush around for! And I just plain had fun!
I started out driving through town with the top down on the pony, Sanford’s WFJA 105.5 blarring out classic rock hits on the radio, and me singing along at the top of my lungs! I was bee-bopping and singing and having a big party in my car when I came up along side of a lady in an SUV with all her windows rolled up tight! I could tell she could still hear me or at the very least knew I was singing and having a party all by myself! When I noticed her starring at me, I smiled and waved and she instantly looked away as if to say “oh, no, the crazy lady saw me looking at her – don’t make eye contact – you might catch what she has!” hahaha I just kept having fun and enjoying my lovely Saturday morning! No prissy lady in a big SUV that doesn’t even want the breeze to come in her windows is going to spoil that for me!!! {giggle}
Then, I went to Marcello’s and Aprille gave me a much-needed pedicure – I now have soft, well-maintained feetsies and toesies and I feel so good!!!
From there, I went to Southern Jewelers to check out the new stuff my friend Lora Wright got at a show in Las Vegas! I fell in love with two amazing rings that I just had to have! So, that’s my shameless gift to myself for the day!
Then, I went out to the annual Arden sale and bought a really pretty umbrella for my patio table — just $35.00! Arden has a manufacturing site here in Sanford – they make high-end patio cushions, umbrellas, and other stuff like that! Each year about this time, they open up a warehouse full of discontinued pattern stock for sale – CHEAP!!! I just got all new cushions last year and they are still good, so I didn’t need any cushions. But, a big wind picked up my umbrella – table and all – and threw it across the patio and landed upside down, breaking the post and umbrella in several places! I loved that umbrella, but wasn’t terribly upset because I got it at Arden last year for $35.00, so I wasn’t out the big bucks it would have cost me in the store! So — I did need a new umbrella! I’m loving this one!
A biscuitville biscuit for brunch on the way home ended my morning adventure…………..now, I think I’ll curl up in front of the TV and risk falling into a nice nap!!!
Point Breeze – Rich in History and Rebirth
This is the view of the west side pier at the mouth of the Oak Orchard Harbor at Point Breeze, NY in 1871. Point Breeze is located on Lake Ontario in the Town of Carlton just north of my home town of Albion, NY. The lighthouse, as it is pictured here, was in place until 1916. A community non-profit organization is in process of rebuilding it. I’m so excited and can’t wait to see the finished structure!
I love being on or near the lake and especially love Point Breeze. I almost always include a drive to the Point when I travel up home for a visit. My Grandparents had a cottage on the lake at Sunset Beach near the Point and I cherished the time I would spend there as a child. We had a circle of friends who spent their summers there that we grew up with. I remember many, many warm summer nights playing kick the can, hide ‘n seek, and roasting marshmallows and pies around a campfire. In my teen years, I discovered how tranquil and calming being near the water was. I spent a lot of time sitting on a bench at the edge of the cliff that overlooked the lake – just sitting there thinking, listening, and writing poetry. One summer in my early 20s, my friend, Greta, and I rented my Grandparent’s cottage and stayed there for a few months. It was a great summer – we rarely had a weekend that we didn’t have a crowd there for a party! The memories moved to Point Breeze in my 20s – many nights sitting on the porch of the Black North Inn with some cold beers watching the boats enter and leave the harbor. Then, when I started dating Ronald, we’d take his sons to the point and the harbor to fish and feed the ducks.
The Black North Inn, Point Breeze, NY
Oak Orchard Harbor, Point Breeze, NY
So, Lake Ontario, Oak Orchard Harbor, and Point Breeze are very special to me and I enjoy any opportunity to go and reminisce. I also have a strong love for lighthouses. My dream home is a cottage-type lighthouse on the edge of a rocky cliff overlooking the water. Since that likely isn’t going to be a home I’ll ever actually own, I’ve settled for a lighthouse theme in my guest bathroom! hahaha
Given all that, I was so happy to hear that a group was raising funds to rebuild the lighthouse that was at the Point from 1871 to 1916. The lighthouse and keeper’s house were built in 1871. The light was visible for nine miles and safely guided ships from the lake into the harbor. It was maintained by the US Government until 1905, when it was left abandoned. A storm caused major damage in 1914 and another storm washed what remained of the building away in 1916. The keeper’s house remains and is now a private residence, but photos is all that remain of the lighthouse.
The construction is coming along nicely. I bet the next time I go home for a visit, it will be all done and ready to be enjoyed. Here are some pictures my Mom sent me a couple of months ago:
Since I made a donation to the fundraising efforts, I get a newsletter from them from time to time with info and progress updates. I received one today and read about another historic link to the Oak Orchard Harbor that I found fascinating! It is about another favorite spot to visit when I go home – Brown’s Berry Patch! This is a family owned farmer’s market with wonderful fresh fruits, vegetables, and berries. They have a great gift shop and ICE CREAM!!! Apparently, the Brown family holds a prominent spot in the events that took place in the Oak Orchard Harbor during the War of 1812. I had to do some more research to get the whole story. Bathshua Brown was the widow of Elijah Brown. They married and lived in Connecticut in 1774-1776, when the British took their livestock and supplies and burned their home and farm during the Revolutionary War. Over the next 28 years or so, they moved around and finally settled on a 100-acre farm along the Oak Orchard River on the south shore of Lake Ontario in 1804. Elijah, unfortunately, died during the move, which left Bathshua and her 12 children (five sons and seven daughters – the remaining of 16 children born to Elijah and Bathshua) to work the farm. During the War of 1812, British war ships patrolled the Lake Ontario coast to hinder commerce. A British Captain was captured and taken to Bathshua Brown — as it turned out, he was the same British Captain who lead the soldiers who burned her home in Connecticut in 1776! She gave him three choices: be turned over to the American forces; allow her sons to have at him; or return to his ship and never come back again! He was never seen again! The farm, Orchard Dale Fruit Farms, has been successful and kept in the Brown family for all the generations since Bathshua and her 12 children settled there over 200 years ago! Brown’s Berry Patch was opened by the family in 1984 and has been a thriving business ever since — I never stop in there without finding it crowded with shoppers!
I continue to be amazed by the history and legacy of the area I grew up in and that provided so many wonderful memories for me!
Research Credits: The majority of the historical information used in this post was found on the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum and Brown’s Berry Patch web sites.
Beyond Sad
A picture says much more than words ever can….why aren’t more people outraged by the devastation that has wreaked havoc with the wildlife and beautiful waters and beaches along the Gulf Coast? What will it take to convince people to send a powerful message to BP: OK, so the worst that could possibly happen did happen — now when are you going to stop making excuses and shifting blame? It’s done – own up to your responsibility and FIX it!!!
Look at these photos and then look at the pumps before you fill up and move on to a station that doesn’t have “BP” on the pump!!! Don’t support a company that takes something like this so lightly and makes ridiculous comments like “Louisiana isn’t the only place that has shrimp”!!!
Kim's Thoughts 
Recent Comments