Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Two Movie Reviews and Weekend Update
I had a very busy weekend…yesterday was the fullest day! I did some things around the house in the morning, went to Myra’s for breakfast, went to Southern Jewelers to redeem the gift certificates I got in the Jewelry Raffle at the Gala (I picked out a really pretty tri-gold bracelet for myself), tried to go to the ARTober Fest at Depot Park, but couldn’t find a place to park so decided to try later, went to the movies to see “The Secret Life of Bees” (more on that in the Movie Review section), went back to Depot Park and wandered around the ARTober Fest for a little bit (more on that later), went to Walgreens to pick up a few things, picked up an Ultimate BLT sandwich from Arby’s, and came home to crash! WHEW! Today wasn’t as full, but I still did a lot – I met some friends at the Dairy Bar for breakfast, came home and lounged around watching TV, went to the matinee showing of “W” (more on that in the Movie Review section), tried to get a manicure/pedicure at “Queen Nails” in WalMart Plaza, but they were closed (it was 4:30 and the sign said they are open until 6:00 on Sundays…hhmm), had dinner at the Dairy Bar, and came back home!
ARTober Fest — I really enjoyed wandering down Carthage Street seeing all the stands! We have some really talented artists in Sanford (no surprise, I several pieces of local art in my home). I stopped at Amy Burns’ booth and talked to her for a little bit – and bought some toffee – YUM! There were several other items I gave serious thought to getting, but the one that reached out and grabbed me was a set of Sanford Christmas Ornaments — 3 pieces — 1 of the Railroad House Museum, 1 of the Chamber bldg, and 1 of the old train at Depot Park — all made by Sanford artist Karen Walker (visit Karen’s web site). Here is a picture I took of the ornaments (you can also see a much better shot of them on her web site):
As I mentioned, I saw two movies at Spring Lane Cinemas this weekend. Here are my reviews:
“The Secret Life of Bees” stars Queen Latifa, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, and Dakota Fanning. It is set in 1960s South Carolina – right at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Dakota Fanning plays Lily, a 14 year old girl who runs away from an abusive father in search of information about the mother she accidentally shot and killed when she was 4 years old. Her nanny, Jennifer Hudson, runs with her after she is severely beaten for attempting to register to vote under the newly enacted Civil Rights Amendment allowing coloreds to vote. Their search takes them to a small town and a family of sisters (Queen Latifa, Alicia Keys, and Sophie Okonedo) who make a living by working with bees to make the best honey in the south. The sisters take them in and allow them to stay in their “honey house” while they work off their keep. The presence of a young white girl in a family of black women and the young man who works with them brings controversy and trouble. Through it all, love and friendships blossom and Lily learns about her mother and the strength that the sisters pass on to her. It is a warm and sometimes heart wrenching story that touched me deeply. I am very glad I went to see this movie and give it a solid A+++!!! I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys having their heart strings tugged! The characters are strong and realistic – the actors are genuine and perfectly cast – the story is enjoyable, well told, and exquisitely filmed. This is one to be bought for my library and watched again and again!
“W.” stars Josh Brolin as George W. Bush and chronicles his story from wild college student to the President of the United States, ending at his decision to invade Iraq. About the only good thing I can say about this movie is that the actors all do a fantastic job of imitating the real life characters they portray – all were spot on with characteristics, looks, and mannerisms – Brolin does an excellent job as G.W. Bush, as does Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush, Ellen Burstyn as Barbara Bush, James Cromwell as the elder G.H.W Bush, Thandie Newton as Condolezza Rice, Scott Glenn as Rumsfeld, Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell, and Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Chaney. But, my praise ends there…. The movie bounced around between time eras – it didn’t make it confusing – it was actually easy to follow, but it just didn’t flow well – they would have been better off doing it in chronological order. Although not technically categorized as a comedy, the story has been billed through the promos and trailers as a comedic look at the situation, but I didn’t find it at all funny or entertaining! In fact, I found it quite boring and came close to leaving a couple of times and not even bothering to finish watching it. If it wasn’t for my commitment to not leave a movie before it ends – just in case it turns around – I would have left! I should have paid attention to the ratings I read this morning — the critics are averaging a “B-” for their reviews, but the Yahoo Users are averaging a “C” and many of them mirror my thoughts! My rating: C- and the only thing that keeps it from a D or less are the amazing impersonations by all the actors! My recommendation to those considering this movie — don’t bother — if you watched any news over the past 8 years, you already know everything the movie will tell you – no new revelations or deeper insight to be found here – and the news reports were actually more interesting!!!
Poor Neglected Blog – boo hoo
OK — I’ve been a bad blogger, lately! You’d think I’d have a lot more time to write now that life is back to normal – and I do – but I don’t really have that much rattling around in my brain screaming to jump out onto these pages!!! No – my brain isn’t EMPTY – I just don’t have a whole lot that is appropriate or worthy of saying on here!
Some things of note:
The girls let me sleep until 8:00 this morning!!! SHOCKER!!! They woke me about 6:30 to go outside, but were content with going back to bed after that and actually going back to sleep for another 1.5 hours! Usually, once they wake up and go out, I can try to go back to bed, but they just won’t have any of that! they usually lay down and humor me for a few minutes, but then go right back into the “wake up Mommy, let’s play” mode!!
I had to turn the heat on this morning – not high, just enough to take the chill off!! It was pretty brisk in the house when I woke up! There was one other morning a couple weeks ago that I had to take the chill off before I could bring myself to get into the shower, but other than that, I haven’t had to use the heat at all so far this season!
I moved into a new office at work yesterday — I’m so happy! My office was at the Training Center and now I am in the Admin Bldg — no more trips back and forth between the TC and the main campus!!!
On Weds evening, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Annual Board Meeting for the Boys and Girls Club!! I was one of the judges for the Youth of The Year contest they had and the winner was announced Weds night, so the judges were invited to attend! Connecia Brown was the winner (read all about it in Friday’s Sanford Herald). This was an amazing experience for me — a few weeks ago, we read essays and interviewed 5 young ladies and 1 young man competing for this honor. They were ALL incredible individuals and were so worthy of the title – it was such a hard job picking just one! They were all winners in our minds and will all surely succeed in their goals – and they all have some pretty impressive goals for themselves, too. But we could only pick one — and Connecia was it! I’m sure she will be an excellent representative of the youth of Lee County in the state Boys and Girls Club competition — and we’re hoping she wins there and goes on to the regional and then the national competitions! I wish her luck, not only in the competitions, but also in all that she pursues in life! Connecia is truly a “Phenominal Girl”…she’s going places!
I’m trying to decide on whether to go see “W” or “The Secret Life of Bees” today! I need to go by Southern Jewelers and redeem the two gift certificates I got from the Jewelry Raffle at the Gala! I wonder what I’ll buy with them….hhmm! I’m also thinking of popping in at Myra’s for some breakfast — and there’s the Artober Fest in Depot Park, too, and I have to get some groceries!!!! Rut Ro — sounds like a busy Saturday is in store for me — guess I’d better get in the shower and get myself in gear!!!
Getting Over The Hump…
Everything appears to be in slow motion for me this week! It is like someone found my speed knob and turned my RPMs down significantly! It isn’t that I’m dragging or tired – it is more like time has found a way to slow itself down and stop speeding by me like a sonic jet. I know it won’t last, but at least for now, I’m rather enjoying it and finding it frustrating all at the same time. I actually thought Sunday was Monday and almost got ready for work when I got up Sunday morning (what a wonderful surprise to realize I had another day of my weekend left) — and I thought yesterday was Thursday and that I missed getting the trash out to the road for the Thursday pick up!
So — today is Wednesday and I am wondering what will happen when I get to the top of the hump and start my decent into the back end of the week. Will it be a slow, relaxing ride down to the weekend? Or will I be slung down the slide to Monday morning at lightening speed and lose the rest of the week in a blink of an eye?
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On a side note: I am losing interest in this season’s Dancing With The Stars! I’m not finding the usual excitement and anticipation for wanting to see who has improved over the past week and who gets to stay and who goes home! I think that watching Cloris Leachman make a total “ass” out of herself and still manage to hang on every week has something to do with it, but that’s not all – there doesn’t seem to be any of the usual chemistry and I’m not finding myself routing for anyone in particular. By now, I usually have a favorite underdog to cheer on and one that I am absolutely convinced will take it all the way home! Maybe it is because I am not familiar with most of the stars this season. Of course, I know Susan Lucci – she has made an appearance in my living room every day since the ’70s – we grew up together (so to speak). She’s been doing really good and I’m behind her all the way, but she’s neither an underdog nor a sure thing! I don’t get that feeling of excitement to get me all worked up over her performances. I also know Cloris Leachman and have been a big fan of her’s for many years – I always enjoy her in the roles she portrays on the big and little screens! I was really excited about her being on the show – I knew she couldn’t be a major contender, but I admired her gumption for at least trying it at age 82!!! She was one I thought I would find myself routing for as the underdog for the first few weeks! BUT – she has left a really bad taste in my mouth and I don’t think I’ll ever view her the same again! Her antics were funny the first week, but then they turned into being ridiculous for a woman her age and of her stature! She took the competition more seriously this week and actually did a fairly good performance – but when the judges gave her two 7s and an 8, she still complained and ridiculed them! I don’t get it – I don’t know why she’s still getting the votes! Next week HAS to be her last week! I’m also finding myself disappointed in the judges – I usually find them entertaining and enjoyable, but this year they are kinda blah! So — Tuesday night I tuned in to watch the competition and dozed off through most of it and last night I tuned in to the results show and fell asleep before it started and woke up just as it was ending! I’ve lost the excitement that keeps me alert and interested in watching every single second of it!!! I hope things pick up — I want to love it again!
Mmm-Monday, Massage, Myra’s, and More…
Today was mostly an “M” day – but not everything began with an “M” – some things fall into the category of “More” – for instance: I did have a really good day at Work and had a delicious plate of chicken strips for lunch at Cafe 121 – I LOVE Chef Hamm’s chicken strips and today’s didn’t disappoint me at all — and I got a Strawberry Smoothie to take back to the office and enjoy at my leisure – YUM!!!
But, the rest of the day was filled with “M‘s”:
- It was MONDAY!
- I had an appt for a MASSAGE after work that can be best described with the phrase – “mmmmmmm“
- I had dinner at Myra’s Kitchen
- More…
I’ll start with the massage: Natural Balance Medical Spa makes it so easy to pamper yourself!! They advertise monthly specials on their web site (October’s special is “90 minute massage for the price of a 60 minute massage) and if you’re a client, they send emails with other specials and discounts for birthdays and other reasons……BUT – what I use to make it easy to pamper myself is a Membership! Last month when I was in there taking advantage of the monthly Facial special, I bought a membership — the benefit of the membership is that you get either a 1 hour facial or a 1 hour massage every month plus other discounts and perks……this makes it easy for me to do something special for myself every month whether or not I can afford to do it – cause it is already paid for AND it averages out quite a bit cheaper than if I were to get the services without the membership!!! So — I plan to alternate the facials and massages every month — today was my first one and I chose for it to be a massage and booked it the Monday after the Gala cause I knew I would be in need of some relaxation!!! It was PERFECT!!! By the time my hour was done, I was a total limp dish rag! ha-ha
Then, I went and had some Chicken ‘n Dumplings at Myra’s for dinner – which was very nice in itself, but the best part was that I ran into a friend from work and her mother and they joined me for dinner and we had the BEST time!!! We sat there eating, talking, and laughing for almost 2 hours!!! It was such fun!!!
More to include under “More”: I got home just in time to watch Dancing With The Stars – Cloris and Rocco are tied for the bottom of the leader board – we’ll see who gets voted off tomorrow! One or the other are most likely to go, but I’m totally done counting on common sense to assume Cloris will be it!! Tonight she did take it a lot more seriously and did a fairly decent Tango performance – the judges were even pleased with her and she got two 7’s and an 8!!! But, tonight’s scores will be added to last week’s and then the votes will be added in to determine who goes home tomorrow!!! I’m still predicting Cloris, but I’m not that confident about it…….
So that was Monday — wonder what Tuesday will bring…
The funny thing about “age”…
Age – I always find the subject of age to be a strange one! There are almost as many different view points on age as there are people with view points!
I am writing about this topic because over the past few days I have seen several babies and, although this is not a new revelation for me, it struck me funny to hear how people respond to the question, “how old is he/she?”. Ages for children up to about the age of 3 months are defined in weeks – 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 7 weeks, 11 weeks, etc. Why say “12 weeks” instead of “3 months”? Then, from then on to about 2 years, age is defined in months – 4 months, 9 months, 13 months, 24 months, etc. Is this because using weeks and then months makes it “sound” older (24 months “sounds” like more than 2 years)? Or is it that parents think that using weeks and months keeps their babies in the baby stages longer because maybe “years” makes it sound like the growing up process is progressing too fast?
Whatever the reason, this is the only period in our lives where our age is specific and told exactly as it is!!! The rest of our lives is spent either overstating or understating or just plain avoiding the topic all together!
After that, the rush to get older starts to occur – age is defined as “almost 5” or “going on 16” or “8 and a half”! Up through the teen years and into early adult, everyone tends to want to jump right on to the next age point almost as soon as they hit the one they are at! They spend so many years wishing their lives away by not just taking in and enjoying the age they are!
At some point (some earlier than others), we start to define our age in decades – “twenty-something”, “thirty-something”, “fourty-something” and so on or “in my twenties”, “in my thirties”, etc. What’s that all about? Are we afraid to say exactly where we are in each of those decades? Does saying “thirty-something” make a 39 year old sound as young as a 31 year old? It does put them on the same playing field, perspectively speaking! It is in these decades, usually the later ones, that you hear responses to “how old are you” that sound something like “old enough to know better, but don’t”, “older than dirt”, or “it isn’t polite to ask a lady her age”!
When I was a young child in elementary school, my teacher asked me how old my mother was – I don’t remember why she needed to know, but it was on some questionnaire she had. I didn’t know the answer so I was instructed to go home and ask her and come back the next day with the answer! So, I did – that evening, I asked Mom how old she was, but didn’t tell her why I needed to know……her response was “sweet 16 and never been kissed” – of course, at my young age, I didn’t see the humor in this because I had no perspective to help me understand just how ridiculous the answer was! I went back to school the next day and told my teacher that my Mom was “sweet 16 and never been kissed” — she broke out into a chuckle and then asked me to go back and ask how old she REALLY was. I don’t remember the rest of the story, but I assume at some point I must have told Mom why I needed to know and she gave me the answer my teacher was looking for!
My point to all this is that I just don’t understand why age is such a controversial topic! It is what it is! The day after you turn 15, you are not “almost 16″…… Why do we go through life working so hard to find ways to avoid admitting exactly how old (or young) we are?
I don’t remember ever being that sensitive about my age – I freely admit it and celebrate it! I did have one year that really “bothered” me — it was 27! I don’t have a clue why, but it really upset me to be 27 and I don’t think I actually said 27 once in that entire year! There was no “almost 27” during my 26th year and I remember dreading that birthday! I don’t think I even went out and celebrated that birthday, either (which is odd because I LOVE birthdays)!!! Then, the day I turned 27, I started right in with “I’m almost 28″…..so, it wasn’t the idea of getting older or closer to 30 that bothered me – it was just that number! Strange! But, I haven’t had any numbers that have bothered me since!
Last week, my baby brother turned 50! I made my annual phone call to him to sing “Happy Birthday” — each year I call and as soon as he picks up the phone I skip the “hello” and go directly to “Happy Birthday to you…” and he sits on the other end quietly listening to the entire song! When I’m done, he usually makes some snide remark about having to listen to my crappy singing voice every single year (this year the comment was “you’d think after 50 years we could stop doing this”)…..but he loves it!!! ha-ha This year, I had all I could do to refrain from cracking some “half a century” remarks, but I think he’s more sensitive to age than I am, so I contained myself…..didn’t want to contribute to the old fart feeling any older! ha-ha-ha
In 12 days, I will be 52……since it is less than two full weeks away, I think it is OK to say “almost 52” and not have it mean I am “wishing my life away”!
It’s all over and it was FABULOUS!
The CIS Gala is all over for another year — the 3rd annual event was held last night and it was perfect! We started to get a little nervous when it sprinkled some in the morning and then a light shower that popped up around 3:00 or so necessitated pulling the linens off of tables that were out in the open! But by around 4:30 we were able to put everything back where it belonged and the rain stayed away the rest of the evening!
Everyone who attended were dressed to the nines and some were even dressed to the tens! They were impressed by the beauty of the Stewart’s home, enjoyed the incredible offerings of the amazing restaurants, be-bopped to the live music, bought beautifully wrapped boxes containing numbers for the jewelry raffle, and bid on the array of silent auction items. For one magical night, life was elegant, care free, and festive – and everyone felt special and had a wonderful time!
I regret that I didn’t take as many pictures as I usually do — I got so wrapped up in things I totally forgot to snap pictures after things got into full swing! I have some early shots and a few at the end of the evening, but both groupings make it look like there were only a handful of people there! ha-ha If anyone got any good shots, I would really appreciate copies for my album!
I was disappointed that I didn’t win the Jewelry Raffle Grand Prize – that actually went to the wife of one of my co-workers! But I did have the winning bid for the Teeth Whitening Treatment that Dr. Fisher donated to the Silent Auction! So – at some time in the near future when you see my shining face, there may not be a sparkly blue topaz necklace to add to the shine, but my teeth will definitely brighten it up!
I went to bed about midnight and slept like a baby! When I got up this morning and looked in the mirror, several old sayings went through my head — “I feel like I’ve been rode hard and put up wet”, “I look like 70 miles of bad road”, “I feel like I’ve been pulled through a knot hole – backwards” – ha-ha-ha! But, it was all so well worth it!!!
Today was getting life back to normal – a group went out to the Stewart’s to finish cleaning up, I went to pick up the girls from Rae-Zor’s Doggie Day Care (I took them over there yesterday morning so they could play and not be couped up in the house while I was tied up all day and all evening), and then I went to Myra’s for breakfast! The rest of the day was spent curled up on the couch napping and watching The Food Network!
It is here!
Yep – Friday, October 10th is here! CIS Gala Day! My most stressful and most wonderful day of the year! The tents are up, the weather prediction has improved, everything is in place, we have volunteers coming to the house to help us with the final set ups, there was a great article about the event in today’s Sanford Herald — all is good!
Gala Teaser – Just 1 Day To Go!
Well – we’re in the home stretch now! I’m absolutely THRILLED to see that the weather system that was predicted to bring what looked like a lot of rain our way on Thursday and Friday has fizzled out and shifted way south of us!!! As it looks now, we may have some scattered showers while they are trying to set up the tents on Thursday, but Friday is going to be PERFECT – a little cloudy, but no rain is likely!!! WOO HOO!!! A big thank you to everyone who sent some “no rain mojo” our way — it worked!!!
The focus of this teaser is some of the special touches that add to the ambiance of the evening…
One feature we get rave reviews on every year is the chauffeur service from the parking area. Having an event like this at a private residence tends to create parking constraints — a couple hundred cars don’t work well in most driveways! So, we find an appropriate place to park near by and chauffeur the guests to the home! So far, all three homes have had a long circle drive that provides a lovely view of the home as the guests are driven up to the scenic front entrance to the home. When guests arrive at the front entrance, they feel like a celebrity being let out at the end of a red carpet in their elegant Gala attire! Cars make regular circles from the parking area to the home so that there is always a car available to pick up guests whether coming or going! Wilkinson provides the cars and a team headed by CIS Board Member, Ty Stumpf, serve as the professional chauffeurs.
The home and grounds itself is always the primary source of beauty, but we also add some festive flairs — twinkle lights on bushes, spot lights shining across ponds and up into trees (provided by JS Howard Electrical), tents, and elegant linens on tables. We also have chandeliers in the tents to provide lighting and give the essence of being in an elegant ballroom. CES Lighting and Design donates the use of the chandeliers! The linens are a different color scheme every year. This year, we chose black and silver. Here are a couple shots of the linens at last year’s event in the back yard of Fred Von Canon’s home – this year’s tables/linens will look the same, except for the color:
Another classy touch is the use of Sorority Girls to perform volunteer duties – everything from assisting guests, answering questions, clearing tables, and whatever else needs to be done. The girls get community service / volunteer credit for their Sororities and we get several extra hands to help out! They all come dressed in classic little black dresses. We’re working on doing it again this year, but haven’t finalized the details – I hope it works out – we get a lot of positive comments about them!
One of my very favorite pictures from last year was taken by Dana Atkins of DWA Photography – it appeared in the Sanford Herald in their coverage of the event – it is of Charles Hayes all dapper in his tuxedo and several Sorority Girls all gathered around him! I thought it summed up the “look” of the Gala in one perfect photograph! Here is it:
So – there you have it! I think that is all the teaser details I have… Thursday we start the set up activities – the tents and tables/chairs are delivered and erected, we plan the final layout for how the restaurants, bars, cocktail tables, and silent auction tables will be positioned (we have a rough plan, but won’t know for sure until the tents are set up and we know if we need to account for rain), and last minute details are worked out! Then, Friday we spend the day putting on all the finishing touches – put out the linens, set up the bars, put all the signage up, set up the Silent Auction, Sammy Poe comes in with the floral accents, and on and on… Then, the event will go off without a hitch and it will be all over for another year!
Congratulations to Myra’s Kitchen!
I went to Myra’s for lunch today – had the Italian Sausage sandwich with peppers and onions, onion rings, and corn nuggets! That was well worth the trip in itself….but there was more!!! As I sat there eating my lunch, I noticed a lady sitting at another table doing paperwork and she had a bunch of stuff spread out in front of her – I wondered about her, but didn’t give it a lot of thought. That is, until I saw her get up and walk through the swinging doors to the kitchen and return after a few minutes with what looked like a thermometer in her hand and then went back to her paperwork! That told me exactly what her story was — she was a restaurant inspector!!! Myra’s was getting inspected!!! I knew it wasn’t likely that the result would be anything but glowing, but you never know…… So, I sat there wishing all was fine!
It wasn’t long before Myra went and sat down with the lady and they chatted and Myra was smiling and thanking her and saying how happy she was……then, I watched her start to glow as she put her new certificate in the frame and hang it on the wall — the certificate posted a 102 – up from the 98.5 that the new cert replaced (which, if you ask me is pretty dog-gone good)!!! Of course, 2 points were for completion of the soon to be required course, but that still means that the restaurant received a PERFECT SCORE!!! Myra was so happy and proud — her head was so big I could have burst it like a balloon!!! It was all I could do to refrain myself from standing up and applauding!!! Good Going, Myra and Buddy!!!
This, of course, does not diminish the other wonderful restaurants in Sanford that post high inspection scores — and there are many of them and they should all be commended!!! It just so happened that I was there to witness the receipt, posting, and how happy Myra was!!! So, I just had to call it out for all the Myra’s Kitchen fans out there!!!
(have I mentioned Myra’s is one of the Gala restaurants this year????? ha-ha)
CIS Gala Teaser…continued
We spent the evening at the Stewart’s home checking out the lighting after dark and meeting with the tent company to talk about the tent positioning. Jason Howard of JS Howard Electrical has done the lighting and electical work for the Gala every year and takes all the worry out of whether or not there will be enough light for people to see who they’re mingling with! He is an incredible asset to the success of the Gala!!!
Someone else who does an amazing job of helping with the decorations is Sammy Poe of Four Season’s Florist. Sammy works with us every year and brings plants and flowers to add an elegant and pretty touch to the setting. Each year, the home where the event is held provides the tone and beauty for the evening – it is definitely the primary decoration!!! But – Sammy comes in and has a knack for making the tent areas look like they are part of the event and not take away from the beauty of the yard and home!
The main focus of this teaser is the Silent Auction…..First, I want to mention the Silent Auction Committee: Parker Normann, Nikki Plunkett, Sherrie Read, Linda Rhodes, and Elizabeth Smith – this group of women put together an amazing Silent Auction!! Here is what will be included in the Silent Auction:
Home Decor
Mother’s Love Picture Frame – donated by Added Accents
“Railroad Winter” Print – donated by Beverly Brookshire
Chinoiserie Red Lacquer Box – donated by Ray & Lori Baker of Baker-DuPree Interiors
Spruce Up The Garden – donated by Cole Pottery
Framed Garden Painting – donated by House of Lights
Painted Picture – donated by Lisa Mathis
Silk Flower Arrangement – donated by Floral Designs by Eddie
Holiday Shopping
Care for Your Pet Gift Basket – donated by Myers Animal Hospital
3/4 Carat in 14k White Gold Diamond Earrings – donated by Brenda’s Jewelers
Men’s Dual Toned Seiko Watch – donated by Kelly’s Diamonds
Four $50.00 Gift Certificates – donated by Four Season’s Florist
16 x 20 Portrait and Photography Session – donated by Dana Atkins of DWA Photography
Pamper Yourself
Laser Hair Removal for the Lip and Chin – donated by Natural Balance Medical Spa
Teeth Whitening Package – donated by Dr. David Fisher
Microdermabrasion Treatment – donated by Sandy Lyerly at European Skin Care
Sports & Entertainment
Carolina Panther’s Football, four tickets to the Carolina Panthers vs. Cardinals game on Sunday October 26, 2008 1 pm game – donated by Normann Financial Group at Wachovia Securities
Carolina Hurricanes Hockey, two box tickets and parking pass to the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Detroit Redwings October 13, 2009 donated by Normann Financial Group at Wachovia Securities
NCSU Basketball Tickets, four tickets to a NCSU vs. ACC team (to be announced) and autographed Bobcats basketball donated by Normann Financial Group at Wachovia Securities
Vacation Getaways
North Myrtle Beach Trip, four day trip to North Myrtle Beach, 3 bedroom condo, lazy river, indoor & outdoor pools, and on-site grill – donated by Kel and Parker Normann
Two tickets on Southwest Airlines to any of Southwest’s destinations – donated by Southwest Airlines
$500 Travel Voucher – donated by Lee Builder Mart
Perfectly Paired Packages
“Couples Night Out”, $50 gift certificate for Brewer’s Flame Steak House and two Spring Lane Cinema Movie Theater Tickets
“Self-Care Package”, Manicure and Pedicure by Nails by Kimberly, Haircut & Blow Dry from Ginger Jernigan at Hair Associates, One-Hour Massage and Private Yoga Session from Megan O’Donnell at Massage and Yoga Therapy: A Wellness Center
“A Kid’s Dream”, Painted wooden toy box created by Unfinished Furniture filled with an abundance of toys from the Welcome Wagon
“Let’s Play Golf”, Round of golf for four with cart at Tobacco Road Golf Course, cooler, koozies, golf shirt, visor, golf balls and tees
“Professional’s Assistant”, Lunch for two at Applebee’s Restaurant, Manicure and Pedicure at Nails by Kimberly, $35 gift certificate for Dry Clean Express, and $100 gift certificate for R&N Motor Company
“Couples Night Out”, $60 gift certificate for Davison’s Steak House and two Spring Lane Cinemas Movie Theater Tickets
“Night Out on the Town”, Dinner for two at Bella Bistro and two Temple Theater Tickets
“Kid’s Birthday Package”, Western Birthday Party for 10 kids at Marsh Stables, Sub Tray from Lil’ Dino’s, Decorated Birthday Cake from Lowes Foods, and assorted birthday goodies
“Quit Your Wine-ing”, Wine rack filled with a variety of fine wines and wine glasses from the CIS Board of Directors and the Gala Silent Auction Committee and Handmade Wine Glass Charms from Emily Page
There you go — if you’re going to be at the Gala, start thinking about what you want to place your bids on!!!
The next teaser will focus on other details that make the Gala so very special…….
Kim's Thoughts 
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