THE STITCHIN' NOOK

THE LOVE OF MY LIFE...

2011-08-16T22:36:00.012-04:00

Andrew David Woody, Sr.

4-11-64 - 7-07-11

It has been nearly a year since my last post. And what a year it has been...especially the last 6 wks of my life.

On July 7th, my boyfriend, Andy, died unexpectedly in his sleep and was found by his son that morning as he went to get him up for work. Andy was only 47. He suffered from sleep apnea and had a heart condition called Atrial Fibriluation (A-fib as it is more commonly known). It is unknown at this time what the cause of death was. Autopsy results are pending.

Andy & I were together for over 2 yrs. We celebrated two years together on April 24th. Losing him has been the hardest and most difficult experience of my life. There was never any doubt who I would be spending the rest of my life with. Little did I know when we met that I would be spending the rest of his life with him instead.

Before posting tonight, I was reading my previous posts about him. They still ring so true of the man Andy was. He was undoubtedly the best thing to ever happen to me and there will never be another to take his place. At 44 yrs, it seems so young & mindless to believe that I will live the rest of my life without someone else to share it with, but I'm truly okay with that. Andy was the best of the best. He was easy to love and he made me laugh every day. It was just easy with him. Our relationship was easy....no struggles to speak of. Just two people in love and happier than either of us had ever been before.

There is no doubt God put Andy in my life. It occured to me recently that of all the women God could have chosen to grace Andy's path with, He chose me. I can't help but feel a sense of honor and priviledge for having had the opportunity to love someone so amazing and wonderful; someone so much in love with God who really had a handle on life and what mattered most. What a cherished gift! Andy was not of this world. He didn't believe in having the best of the best. What he relished in was seeing everyone he loved happy and enjoying one another to the fullest. Those were his rewards of living life here on earth. It is no surprise why God called him Home so soon. Andy had certainly passed the many tests his life faced and earned the status of "Sainthood" while he was here.

*last picture taken of us on July 3, 2011

I will love Andy for the rest of my life and forever cherish the many memories and love that has passed on into eternity for all time. I know he is happy, at peace and the cares of this world no longer plague him. As much as I miss him each and every day and as much as my life has changed without him being here any longer, I could never ask him to return here if I had the chance. Just knowing he is in a much better place and with Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is a great comfort. I know where he resides now and I have ever confidence I will see him again one day real soon.

Until then....

THE 'REAL' NORMA RAE...

2010-09-29T09:48:00.014-04:00

Many of you may not know it, but my aunt, Crystal Lee Sutton, was the 'real' Norma Rae. She was my mom's sister. She passed away a little over a year ago on September 11, 2009. If you knew my aunt, you could almost believe that she hand-picked the date she would pass away on. Both dates are historic yet tragic in nature.

My aunt was known for her role of standing up for the rights of herself and her fellow workers at a mill in Roanoke Rapids, NC in the late 70's. (Yes, she is the one who stood atop that table in the middle of the mill & held up the sign that read, "UNION"....just like you saw Sally Field do in the movie.) She believed in the rights of the working poor and the irony is upon her death, she was in a fight with the insurance company over coverage for the brain cancer she was suffering with. They denied her coverage of the medicines she needed to sustain her life. In reality, I don't know that there was anything that the meds could do other than prolong her life for a bit longer. She would have suffered regardless.

I recall the Tuesday prior to her death, something told me that morning to go see her. It was the last 'good' day she had before she was transported to our local Hospice home and slipped into a coma. On her last 'good' day she had incredible recollection of her past memories of family and friends. She, my mom & my other aunt shared some laughs and for a brief moment in time you almost believed she was going to be okay. But I knew that was the last day she would know laughter, tears and a sense of joy.

My aunt was a fighter. She fought for those she believed in and for those values that were instilled in her long before she ever knew what a union was. She was one of the strongest women I have ever known. She was a realist. She had a no-nonsense way about her that was loving and all too inspiring. She once told me when I was a young girl, "Dawn, you are gonna grow up to be President one day." She believed in people and made them believe in themselves.

While her legacy might be about what she stood for that made history, to me she was just "Aunt Lee" who was a family staple, who drank black coffee and sat around my parent's kitchen table in my early days growing up talking about how she would one day change the world. She wasn't far off base. She did just that. She took a stand for what she believed in and for those who deserved it and made her mark on this world...never to be forgotten.

I share all this because many of you know I'm an avid crocheter. I have been working on an afghan for my mom that will have my aunt's picture stitched on it. (See below....this is the pic I'm stitching.) It will be my mom's Christmas present. When I get it done, I will be sure to post pics. My aunt certainly deserved more than having her picture stitched on an afghan, and I can't imagine what she would say to that. One thing is for sure, just as her legacy will live on indefinitely, so shall this afghan prove to be a keepsake that will be handed down from generation to generation as a reminder of the person my aunt was and the person she is being remembered for.

If there was one thing I could say I took away from my aunt it would have to be to always believe in yourself and never give up on your dreams. She always had this saying, "if you worry why pray, and if you pray, why worry". Makes alot of sense if you think about it. That's just how she was...practical, simple and always full of hope. Her faith in God sustained her even in her darkest hour. She was an inspiration to me and so many of the lives she touched.

IT'S BEEN AWHILE FOLKS.....

2010-09-05T08:55:00.008-04:00

Well hello world! I'm sure you thought I'd fallen off the face of the Earth. Not so...it's just been a busy year, this last one. So much has gone on & so much accomplished! Gotta feel good about that.

I left off a year ago telling you all about my "Prince Charming". Well...Prince Charming is still very much in the picture & we're still going strong. Life is good with PC. (From now on when I post about my wonderful man, I'll refer to him as "PC".)

And now a year later, here it is the start of another new school year. The big news for this year is I decided to go back to school. I started back in the latter half of the summer after being accepted to Liberty University. I am taking all my classes online & pursuing a Bachelors in Education. I won't be the traditional college student however in which I take my summers off. No sir...my plan is to take classes through the summers so I can obtain my degree in 3 years. I was doing the math the other day & realized my son will be graduating from high school the same year I'm graduating with my Bachelors in Education.

So you ask yourself, what in the world is a forty-something doing going back to school 25 yrs after graduating high school? The answer is easy. This is something I've wanted to do since graduating from high school. Back then circumstances prevented me from doing so. I never gave up on my dream though. And with God's blessing my dream has become a reality.

Once I've achieved my Bachelor's in Education, I will continue on & pursue my Masters in Teaching (Secondary Education). My goal is to teach high school (hopefully in the next 3-5 yrs). Along with my Bachelors, my studies will allow me to obtain a double minor...one in Psychology and the other in Special Ed.

So far, so good. I finished my 1st two courses over the Summer and currently hold a 3.50 GPA. I have started Fall classes and love the setup. I'm a full-time student. Online courses are different than resident courses. It's set up where the semester is broken into two sections. I take 2 courses every 8 wks. What that also means is that in 8 wks I'm covering the same amount of material that I would be over the entire semester if I were attending classes on campus. It's a lot more work but I love the fact it fits into my hectic lifestyle & work schedule.

I never thought I would ever see the day when my dream would become a reality. But now that it has, my goal is to outdo myself from my old high school days. You see, when I was in high school, I was an honor roll student. I was inducted into the National, English & Spanish honor societies. I was in the 1st 4-yr graduating class at my high school & was voted my high school's 1st Freshman class president. I made good grades back then in preparation for college after high school. So in achieving this milestone in my life now, I am striving to maintain 4.0 GPA status throughout my college career. The sky is the limit!

I've got something to prove to my kids. I've encouraged them and taught them all through their schooling careers the importance of school work, doing homework, studying and making good grades. It's always been a rule in our house that when they get home from school they get a snack and then get on their homework so that they can have the rest of their evening free to do what they wish. It's worked out pretty well considering one of mine has already graduated and my other two are in middle & high school & their lives are filled with lots of extra-curricular activities. All the more reason why it's important to keep to this. They are at the point now where I don't even have to remind them anymore it's become such second nature to them. And it goes without saying how very proud I am of them.

This has always been my favorite time of year but this year in particular it is even more meaningful. I'm thrilled to be back in school after all these years. I'm equally thrilled that my college career is off to a wonderful start.

Well...gotta run...gotta hit the books! (I just love saying that!) Until next time.....

LIFE IN FAST FORWARD MOTION...

2009-09-06T09:37:00.010-04:00

I recently perused through some of my blog posts that I entered around this same time last year. While I was a happy camper back then too, I marveled at the thought of how our lives are always changing...especially from one year to the next.

A year ago, the most exciting thing I had going for me was beginning to get hyped about the coming holiday season. I was almost done with writing my 1st novel. And I spent the early part of September loading my internet radio station with Christmas music to prepare for the season kick-off. It was a joyful time for me. I was at my personal best within & happier than I'd been in years.

Fast forward to one year later and again I'm still a happy camper. I'm in the midst of loading my internet radio station with Christmas music once more. I've started to work on some Christmas gifts and my novel is currently undergoing it's first edit. There is just one thing that sets this year apart from last & it's the presence of the most wonderful man who I've been fortunate enough to be blessed with by Almighty God.

A year ago, I didn't think life could get any better...well...at that point & time...I was thinking a book deal would be kinda nice! But I'll be the first to admit I never thought in a million years I would ever find the love of my life & my thinking would go from one extreme to another in the love department.
I mean, heck, I'd practically swore I'd remain happily single & carefree for the rest of my life. It just goes to show that we are never in control of our lives. God ultimately is all-knowing & has the plans for us all laid out ahead of time. We are only in control of what God allows & even then depending on the choices & decisions we make with regard to what He hands us determines the outcome each & every time.
If there was ever a time in my life where I was given the blessed assurance that God is in the driver's seat, it would have to be upon meeting Andy. The way our relationship has seemingly unfolded before our very eyes, makes a believer out of me each & every day. I know without a doubt there is a Higher Power at work in the universe orchestrating events & circumstances. There are just some things you 'know' would have never happened otherwise had God not had a hand in it.

I suppose everything that occurs in our lives is just like that. God controls it all, owns it all & blesses us beyond measure. Sometimes the hurdles of life sure don't feel like blessings, but to be sure a blessing can always be found amongst a thorn. I've made plenty of mistakes in my life & often wonder how it is that God can bless me so immensely in spite of that? I have been given the most precious gift from God outside of my three children. Andy is truly God's work. I'm amazed at not only how God could create such an incredible human being that has the heart & compassion of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, but that He ultimately chose Andy as the one He wanted to grace my life with.

I often wonder had I not been a sinner if God would have had need to bless me in such a huge way. It is a surety that despite our shortcomings God doesn't hold them over our heads. Instead He holds out His arms to us, waiting to shower us with all of His goodness. If only we humans could have the same level of compassion for each other. Imagine the blessings that would come from it.

HONESTY IS ALWAYS THE BEST POLICY!!!

2009-09-05T22:07:00.011-04:00

I've often pondered throughout my adult life just what it is that compels people to do the things they do; be it for good or for bad. Granted when someone does something that is of a good nature it can be assessed that person has a deep love & passion for it. However, when one does something that is not of any benefit to themselves or those around them, I have been hard pressed to understand the logic in it. We are all complex human beings. I certainly don't profess to be perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just as human as the next person. But what amazes me is how society has gotten away from old fashioned morals & standards & replaced them with their own way of thinking forcing those remaining few to deal with what is dished out.

There is a complete lack of love & respect among the human race these days. People are more concerned with how to get ahead with little or no regard for how they will get there or who they have to step on to do so. Most form their own agendas by which to further their cause. Oftentimes motives & tactics take shape as a means to manipulate or control others.

There is a key word that sums up what society lacks today; effort. It is far easier to look to someone or something to make things happen in one's life versus putting forth the effort needed to see something come to fruition. Granted there are those who honestly don't know any better. However, the vast majority of those out there have figured out that they can successfully accomplish what they set out to do by being dishonest with others & more importantly, themselves.

At the end of the day, no one wins though. It may seem to someone they have prevailed, when in essence all they have managed to do is deceive and cheat themselves out of the true satisfaction of what it means to handle the scenarios of life in an honest & fair way.

When we encounter those difficult individuals in our lives, it can be taxing to say the least. I often like to think certain people are put in my life to teach me something or at best I should strive to learn from their mistakes by never making them myself. Sometimes we are graced with people of this nature because it is an opportunity for us to teach them something instead. We draw from one another and realistically it should inspire us to be better. It doesn't always work out that way.

Some people are so wrapped up in themselves they can't see the opportunities that are presented to them as the blessings they are. They claw & fight their way through the scenes of life as if they are starring in a daytime drama. Their sense of reality is marred and confused with fantasy. They relentlessly wait for their curtain call so they can enact the dramatic ending for the chapters in their lives.

Life is not meant to be lived in this manner. Every event that occurs in our lives does so for a reason or miriad of reasons. Everything that we experience is connected and prepares us for the next phase of our lives. We are constantly being prepared for what is to come. That is life. How we live it determines the outcome time & again. Our choices, decisions, & expectations are all part of it. Our shortcoming and failures are equally as much so. We each have to reach a place within us of true contentment. It is not up to those in our lives to ensure that we are happy and at peace. Everything we do must first begin with us before we can even begin to share our lives with another or give of ourselves in the most positive ways.

When we take shortcuts in life to get ahead we are not only cheating ourselves but cheating ourselves out of experiencing life to the very fullest. Life is what we make it. We get out of it what we put into it. We only get one chance to give it all we got. There will come a day when our opportunities, blessings and chances will run out. It is then & only then when we will realize that life is indeed too short so what we do with it while we are here is up to us.

WELL, WELL, WELL.....LOVE DOES IN FACT PREVAIL!!!

2009-08-31T21:23:00.016-04:00

Yep...you read the title right! For all the naysayers out there, I'm here to tell you that I've been made a believer again in the one thing that I had become numb to...L-O-V-E!

I know, I know...if you're a regular follower of my blog you've had the uncanny experience of reading of my past relationship tales. As a matter of fact, one of my last blog posts (some months ago) had me all but swearing off men forever because my last (brief) relationship took me right back to the same place about men that I was at before my 2-yr hiatus from dating. After all, that experience was a grim reminder why I took a 2-yr hiatus in the 1st place. That relationship once again proved to me that staying single for the rest of my life was my destiny.
But then just when I least expected it, I met someone who over the course of the past 4 months has completely refuted & dismissed every notion I ever had about that little 4-letter word & relationships of my past. I guess it's true what they say, 'love will find you when you least expect it'. Maybe that was part of my dilemma in the past...love was never finding me. Or maybe I was just a magnet for the wrong guy to find me. No matter how you look at it, this relationship completely caught me off guard.

My favorite social networking site, Facebook, was the place where I met "Mr. Wonderful"...(please stay with me...no need to grow nauseous...just yet anyway...). I received a friend request from him in December of last year. His credentials stated he was someone I attended high school with, but in the far reaches of my mind, I couldn't place him. His good looks alone was enough to make me add him....(as that was all I had to go on at that time). We exchanged brief hellos & emails by way of Facebook here & there. We even chatted some inbetween. He seemed like a nice guy but outside of his good looks, pleasant demeanor, & deep intellect, I had nothing more to go on. Early on following one of our chat sessions, I had this sensation that told me that somewhere down the road, something would occur between he & I but just wasn't sure what. It wasn't a thought I studied or lost sleep over. I put it out of my mind & continued onward.

This type of interaction between us continued for several months following my acceptance of his friend request. Then one day, the tides began to turn. For fun, he posted a pic from his high school days on his profile & turned it into a fun little quiz. The 1st person who could name when & where the pic was taken would win a free Starbucks. All I needed to see was the word Starbucks & I was on it like white on rice!! And ironically (or maybe no so much so) I was the winner of said Starbucks!

We set up our chance meeting at our local Starbucks. Mind you, it is only fair to add that I never for one second thought he was serious about actually awarding a prize to the 'lucky' person who won the quiz. But he made good on his promise. And little did I know what would then unfold between us following.

Four months later, I've been made a believer in love again. Suffice it to say, before Andy I 'thought' I knew what love was. Heck, I even thought I'd 'found' it a time or two. It wasn't until meeting Andy that all my previous ideas & notions about love & relationships were blown right out of the water.
Being with Andy is something like right out of a movie. Each day feels like we're on the big screen watching our lives unfold magically before us. He is everything I have ever dreamed of, hoped for, searched for & believed existed. My previous relationships put a damper on my true inner beliefs about love & relationships to be sure. But now I have a real understanding of why things happened the way they did before him. Why my other relationships failed & for that matter, why those who graced my life did so. I was being prepared for Andy. My 2-yr hiatus was all part of it too. I had to go through everything with the others in my life to get to where I was meant to be & who I was meant to be with. Everything fits together now. He is the missing piece that I've been searching for.

I look back on my life & time before Andy, and I silently chuckle inside to myself. I had gotten to a point where I all but swore off men forever. I was content being happily single the rest of my life. Men had proven to be anything but a positive in my life. Why not just stay single? I had more success it seemed as a single woman than a 'taken' one. I refused to ever sell myself short for the sake of having a relationship ever again. I would just 'wait it out' & live my life in the meantime. And that is what I did for 2 yrs.

But Andy came along & literally swept me off my feet...truly before I even knew what was happening. You'd have to know Andy. He's not a charmer or player. He wasn't someone looking for a 'good time'. But what he is undoubtedly is the best thing to ever happen to me. He's kind, gentle, loving, considerate, compassionate, honest, and a real modern day knight in shining armor. I've never experienced a love so real before. He's exactly the kind of man I've referred to in previous blogs that women look for & want in their lives. He doesn't have 'man drama'. He knows exactly who he is and what he stands for. He's true to himself, his beliefs, and makes each day with him a true journey that reminds me exactly what life is all about. Most importantly, he comes from good stock...meaning he was raised & taught how to treat a woman by seeing the example set by his own father growing up. You have to admire a man who in this day & time isn't afraid to be sensitive, old fashioned, a true gentleman, & looks to his past experiences of upbringing to be his guiding hand in everything he does. Andy is the 'real-life' version of what every woman yearns for when they watch their favorite big-screen romance. Chivalry is certainly not dead with Andy. He loves life...so much so...that he embraces each day to the fullest. It's his passion to give all he has to me...not materially...but from within. He doesn't hold back but truly has allowed me to see time & again inside his heart & soul. I tend to be pretty philosophical & feel I have a good grasp on the meaning of life...but I've learned since meeting Andy that even I have room for improvement in many areas. He inspires me & motivates me to be the very best I can be every day. Life with him is a true journey. I can barely remember the time before him when I was completely resigned to remaining single for the rest of my life.

I've always heard you just 'know' when you find the right one. Like many other notions I had about love, I found myself scoffing at that...(especially given my past relationships). But I fully understand what that means now. I did 'know' almost from the get-go with Andy that he was 'the guy'. I can't explain how I knew but I just knew. There's a huge difference in knowing something & wishing & hoping for it. There was never a question of whether or not Andy was the one. There have never been any doubts. Now I can't imagine living the rest of my life without Andy, especially when it feels like he's been a part of it forever.

So this is what the 'real thing' feels like. I'm truly blessed because undoubtedly God had a hand in all of this. There was a plan. Despite my misgivings about relationships, I never gave up on love. Perhaps that is the very reason why God has given me this wonderful gift of a man who is in my life now. God never wants us to settle for mediocrity and I stood firm in waiting forever if that is what it took so as never to sell myself short in the love department ever again. Not only did I win a Starbucks that day back in April, but I won so much more. Andy is far greater a man than I could have ever envisioned, dreamed of or asked for in my wildest dreams. I pinch myself every day to make sure I'm not dreaming. When the sting of the pinch becomes real I know I'm not. Dreams do come true & can be played out in real life...just like on the big screen.

FINDING COMFORT....

2009-04-02T10:26:00.014-04:00

I've never considered myself an overly religious person. Throughout my life, I've waivered to & from God in fleeting moments. Like most, in those times when I've seen trials I've leaned on God for comfort, compassion, and prayed like there was no tomorrow.

In my quest to find God time & again, I've often wondered why it is so easy to fall away from God when times are good versus in times of tribulation. I think I may have found the answer last night.

My ten year old daughter took ill in the night. She awoke with one of those nasty stomach bugs that every parent dreads. It was about 12:30 AM & I knew we were in for a long night. When my children get sick, I don't sleep well. Last night would be no exception. To pass the time while my daughter rested I did something I do don't enough of...I read the Bible.

Being awakened so abruptly put me on edge. It wasn't like I hadn't been through this before with my kids, but I was anxious for this storm to pass. It hadn't been that long ago when my daughter had another stomach bug. Typically when my kids come down with this type of illness, I usually don't have to worry about them getting it again for a good while.

Unlike before, I found myself worrying about my daughter like I'd never done before when she's taken ill. I needed something to help contain my worries & put my mind & soul to rest. If you read my earlier post, you know this hasn't been the best of weeks for me. So her getting sick was almost the icing on the cake & definitely made me glad we are on the downhill slope towards Friday.
I read several passages in my Bible. I prayed on what I'd read. I asked God to lessen the blow of this bout of this stomach bug in my daughter & help her to feel better sooner rather than later like last time.

Flipping through chapters and pages throughout the New Testament I came upon a passage in 2 Corinthians 1: 3-11. I was immediately blown away because it was as if the words jumped off the page at me & were speaking to me. The passage talked about suffering and how when we suffer we turn to God for comfort. God's comfort is what allows us to show comfort & compassion towards others. I couldn't believe it! There was my answer to the question I had pondered so many times before.

Not only that, but that answer gave me peace about my daughter's illness. It was as if the moment I read it, I had a full understanding of the grace & mercy of our Father. God allows suffering to take place in our lives so that we never become totally dependent upon ourselves to find the answers to the struggles we face. If there were no suffering, we would never find our way to God & seek His wisdom so that we might find peace & comfort to know all is going to be okay in the midst of the storms of life.

It is such a comfort knowing that I don't have to shoulder life's burdens all by myself or feel alone in the midst of them. God knew what He was doing when he designed that plan for each of us. We can grow apart from Him, but we can never live without Him.

A HEAVY HEART GIVES WAY TO LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE...

2009-04-01T18:17:00.020-04:00

This week has been a little bit of a tough one thus far for me. On Monday I ended a relationship I had been in since mid-January. It isn't so much the end of the relationship that's got me bummed, but rather the reflection of it all.

It was the first time in well over two years that I'd taken the opportunity to get involved with someone. I had been on this long 'dateless' hiatus due to my misfortune with past relationships & had had enough. I decided after my last relationship that I would just take a break & do some things for me for a change. And it's been nice. No man to worry about, deal with, impress, look after, etc...okay...well, I think you get the picture. But most importantly, no 'man drama' as I had experienced in past relationships. NEWSFLASH: We, women, are not the only ones to have drama in our lives. I think 'man drama' is much worse than anything we women could come up with!!!

So it goes without saying that for the past two years, I've not had to deal with 'man drama'...that is until I got involved in the relationship I just ended on Monday. Sheesh! You'd think in the time that I've been out of the dating loop, that the all too common negative things one finds in relationships would have improved. But no, quite the contrary, as I quickly learned, 'man drama' still looms large & in charge among men.

The 'man drama' I was unfortunately privy to, concerned past relationships. The guy I was involved with had not fully dealt with the past year of his life and the relationships gone wrong. He got involved with me because as he put it, 'I was not like the other women he had dated'. (I guess not! I've been out of the dating scene for awhile & had ample time to get over my last break-up!!)

So, what in the world did he think I was going to be able to do for him? Help him get over his man drama??? Believe me, we talked about his man dramas & talked about them until I felt as though I had been through his man dramas right along with him when they happened. It was exhausting & it didn't take long before that inner peace (that I'd spent the past couple of years finding without the presence of a man in my life) to leave me!! What's worse, his past followed him into the present, which was cause for most of the 'man drama' I experienced.

While in the throes of this relationship, I was reminded why I had elected to remain happily single & carefree for the past few years. And I'm not convinced that there's a man out there who has it together emotionally. (At least not the ones that have graced my life anyway!!!)

The older I get & the more I learn about people, I find that everyone has issues to some degree and most people are just emotionally unstable & generally unhappy. Life has a way of throwing curve balls & that's a given. But what most don't realize is that how they handle catching the curve ball determines the outcome!

I don't think I've set the bar too high on my expectations when it comes to men. I believe I'm no different than most women. We all want a good guy in our lives who can have issues but knows how to handle them. We want guys who are emotionally in touch with themselves & us. Above all, we just want a guy who has his act together. Is that too much to ask for????

I have yet to know or understand why I've had the relationships I've had. Granted I've learned something from each one. A good friend once told me that each relationship was a stepping stone to where we were meant to be. I wonder how many of those stepping stones I'm supposed to step across before I reach the final one along my path of life???

Ultimately my post-relationship reflection has been mostly trying to grasp why I was graced with someone in my life at a time when I've been my most content? I wasn't looking for this person when they arrived. Just minding my own business, doing my own thing, bouncing right along, all by myself. To me, the aftermath feels a little bit like a shake-up to my normal routine over these last couple of years. For the past ten weeks, I've tried to balance (and have completely abandoned at times) my daily routine for this relationship.

I'm now trying to figure out why God felt it was necessary to put someone in my life? I'm sure there's a lesson in there somewhere, but all I've been able to see thus far is the past two months of my life were a waste of my time because the end result was the same as in the past. It was what prompted me to take time off from dating in the first place!!!

I'm also trying to assess if this person was sent to me to help teach me something. This person told me on our first date that maybe he was opening me back up to the possibility of dating again! Hello, but I don't think I summoned him to 'rescue' me from my happily single status!! After all, as I told him, if I'd wanted to date, I would have been out there dating. There's a big difference in not being able to get a date & not wanting a date!!!

Now I'm left having to regroup & return to my normal routines of life. It's one of those things that tells me in time I will know why I had this moment of togetherness with someone, but I sure feel like I've lost a lot of ground in spite of it all. I'm off track & trying to get back on is proving to be a much, more difficult feat than I would have imagined.

Oh the trials & tribulations of the dating world. Why does it seem that there are more trials than tribulations?? And then one wonders why I've chosen to be single? But never fear! I typically bounce back pretty quickly from a break-up (most of them anyway...there have been 1 or 2 that threw me for a loop). I don't feel spending two months with someone will warrant eating a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's!!! But time that I could have & would have otherwise spent on all my other 'non-man related' projects has been lost! That is time I won't get back. Heck, if I wanted to goof off for ten weeks, I could have done that, not had to deal with 'man drama' & not had my peace disrupted in the process!!

Many of you know that I am an aspiring writer & have recently finished my first fiction novel. Thus far, I'm thinking maybe this experience was the making of a good book! Hmmmm...now there's a thought!

Until next time.....Dawn

AMERICAN IDOL CONSPIRACY THEORIES....

2009-03-27T09:14:00.015-04:00

Okay...I admit it...I'm an American Idol junkie! There I've said it. I didn't actually become interested in AI until the finale of Season 2 where the showdown between Clay Aiken & Ruben Studdard took place. I don't know, I have never been very interested in reality tv. It has always seemed to me to be anything but. However, after hearing all the talk about the awesome singer from NC, I figured I'd better tune in to see what all the hype was about. And from then on I have been hooked.

But is it me or does Season 8 seem a little over the top? I've read & heard all the various conspiracy theories from season's past regarding everything from the contestants to how they were voted off. This year I've tuned in like I have in year's past & usually by this stage in the competition I have a really good feeling about the show. This year I am just not getting that. I feel like something is missing.

Undoubtedly I believe this year has some of the best overall talent on the show of all past years combined. There are so many likable contestants. And yet, the show almost seems for me a bit boring. Maybe it is the fact that I simply don't have a favorite as of yet. I know being from NC I should be pulling for Anoop right? I do like Anoop & he's a great singer, but there is just something about the fact that he isn't a true American (regardless of whether or not he was born & bred here, he ultimately is another nationality...his parents come from another country) that doesn't fit the ideal model to the be AI winner when all is said & done. It's kinda like having Sanjaya in the mix a couple of season's ago. I don't understand why AI allows those from other nationalities to try out no matter if they are American citizens. I mean the show is called American Idol after all. (But that's another blog post for another day.)

The show just bothers me this year. So why do I watch you ask? Well, it has kinda become a tradition to watch the show & like so many others, I just have to watch to see what is going to happen next. But so far, I've been more irked at some of the outcomes than I have been happy. And it goes without saying that more than ever before, I am convinced that AI is rigged. I mean, really, how do we know that the votes each week truly count or are the determining factor as to who stays & who gets booted. It's no secret that the judges have a tremendous amount of pull on swaying voters towards their personal favorites.

Let's start with new "Judges Save" rule that has been implemented into the competition this year. And let's also begin with Alexis Grace. I think most folks were shocked to learn she was not only in the bottom 3 last week, but the very one who received the lowest number of votes & was sent home packing after the judges decided not to use their "Judges Save" to well, save her. I really tried to assess how she could have gotten booted off so early in the season. I mean I agree her song choice was not the best one for her. I could almost have seen her doing a bang-up job of "Fancy" by Reba McEntire. I think she would have kicked butt after the previous weeks' performance during Michael Jackson week with "Dirty Diana".

But for me it did leave me questioning why she was let go so early. I had heard the speculation earlier in the week about an AI staffer 'leaking' to the press who the judges Top 4 picks were. Alexis Grace was among the 4. So why didn't they save her? Was it to refute the rumors & show viewers that the show was not, in fact rigged? Or was it that she simply was not the best of the best? I highly doubt it was the latter. It was a no brainer that they would not use their "Judges Save" so early on in the competition so ultimately viewers knew Alexis Grace's fate when all was said & done.

Now let's talk about this week. I was short of being appalled when I saw Matt Giraud in the bottom 3. What??? I couldn't believe it. He nailed that Marvin Gaye tune, made Smokey Robinson proud, & kicked off the show in ways that hadn't been done before. Let's not forget the guy has got an awesome voice. But with all that, he is being overlooked or perhaps overshadowed by some of the other more prominent talents in the competition. He is definitely one of the judges favs, although apparently not a fan fav.

Again, this lends itself to the show being rigged. Even if Matt Giraud doesn't have the legion of fans that Adam Lambert or some of the others have, I think it can safely be assumed that he would not have been one of the chosen bottom 3 for this week. My bottom 3 picks were Michael Sarver, Megan Joy & Scott Macintyre. So what if Matt had been the one who had the lowest number of votes? I wonder if the judges would have used their "Judges Save"? The outcome was so predictable. Matt was returned to safety & Michael got the boot. Given the scenario I knew the judges would not use the 'save' as a means to save Michael Sarver.

Let's move on to Adam Lambert. Never before in all my years of watching the show have I disliked a front-runner more. Usually the front-runner is an overwhelming fan favorite early on & it stays that way until the end of the season. But I just don't get what the hype over Adam Lambert is all about. Somehow I don't think he's an overall fan favorite. I won't deny he is an immense talent. But then I guess anyone with a background in musical theater could fare just as well. He does have amazing vocals & can hit notes along the same lines of Mariah Carey and the like. But do I want him as my next American Idol? No, not by a long shot. His presentation each week bothers me. Simon put it best after Lambert's performance of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" that it was 'indulgent rubbish'. Lambert comes off each week as being indulgent, cocky & over-confident. His gothic looks bother me. Call me old fashioned, but he scares me that should he become our next American Idol that his musical style will be likened to that of Marilyn Manson meets porn star meets Satan meets the depths of Hell. There is just something about anyone that wins over multitudes of folks & has them almost bowing down to them that makes me nervous. (Kinda reminds me of our current President!) Yikes...my apologies to those Obama supporters out there. (Again, another blog post for another day.)

So what is this season truly all about? I can't decide if the show is trying to 'shake' things up a bit by throwing in an element of surprise each week to give viewers a moment of suspense. It might be a little more believable & realistic-like had they chosen someone like Megan Joy to put on the chopping block or fan favorite, Scott Macintyre this early in the season. But last week Alexis Grace was sent home way too soon. And this week Matt Giraud was holding his breath for what seemed like an eternity to find out his fate. The look of disbelief on his face said it all, didn't it? I think he was as appalled by the whole thing as much as the viewers were.

I'm disgusted enough at this point to want to discontinue watching, yet, I feel compelled to watch because I dislike the very controversial Adam Lambert enough to do so just to see if he finds himself in the bottom 3. Although not likely, should he get booted then we will all know the show is definitely staged & solely on tv for the purpose of bringing good entertainment to viewers everywhere. To believe that he could actually be voted off by the viewers is a stretch at this point.

VALENTINE'S DAY...SO WHAT HAVE WE REALLY LEARNED ABOUT LOVE & ROMANCE??

2009-02-11T19:38:00.010-05:00

Valentine's Day is fast approaching! Yep, it's that time of year when pressure is at an all time high for guys to be their most creative. Not to mention, it's this same time of year when women expect their man to delve into the deepest reaches of their heart and show some sensitivity.

Recently, I heard that on Valentine's Day, 70% of couples don't have sex. This was quite astonishing as most would assume that Valentine's Day would be the one day throughout the year that couples are 'doing it'. But not so! Apparently, because of the pressure put on the guy to produce that unforgettable Valentine's Day for his beloved that when he falls short, the last thing the gal wants to do is have sex.

So why all the hype? Do we really need a day during the year to remind us of how much we love someone? Shouldn't that be an everyday thing anyway? It would certainly seem so, however, that isn't always the case. For most, it is very difficult to share how we feel with those we love most in our lives. Valentine's Day is that one day a year when it makes opening ourselves up to expressing feelings & emotions (outside of the bedroom) politically correct and completely acceptable.

But relationships shouldn't just be about special days alone. Relationships give us opportunity to grow and learn about another person on so many levels. And if we are investing in the relationship in the right way, it becomes part of our daily lives and should never be reserved strictly for a designated holiday about love. The special days that commemorate our relationships should be just that...special. Those days in particular give us pause for reflection of the memories made and shared with that special one in our lives. Every day should be spent showing and sharing our thoughts and feelings with one another.

Just imagine if more couples did that on a daily basis. There would be less insecurity, jealousy, doubt, or discord in relationships. But it becomes so easy once we 'have someone' in our lives and the courting is over to take that someone & the relationship for granted. We develop an attitude of 'we don't have to' because we feel that all the important work has been done on the front end for the future of the relationship.

So, how will you spend your Valentine's Day with the one you love? Valentine's Day for some can be that opportunity to redeem oneself if you've fallen short in telling & showing the one you love how you truly feel. It can also be an opportunity to make a renewed commitment to that special person in your life to the relationship that you share. It isn't so much about what you do that matters but more how you go about it. A lot of thought and creativity you put into the day can go a long way. This can be done without it costing an arm & a leg. Anyone can go through the motions of life, be it in relationships or in other areas. But it is the memories we make and the lasting impressions they leave that make all the difference.

THIS MYSTERY WE CALL LIFE....

2009-01-25T09:23:00.009-05:00

Have you ever noticed how life just sometimes catches you by surprise? There is no warning, no sign of things to come. It just unfolds and you wonder what you did or didn't do to warrant the outcome. It's really funny that way.

The old saying goes, "The best things in life are FREE"...but have you ever thought about how the best things in life can also sometimes be those things that you least expect. If we really look back over the course of our lives, we find that everything that has ever happened to us is all connected. If you start from the point of where you are and work backwards as far as you can remember, the pieces fit. The hows & whys of certain things that made no sense at the time of their arrival, soon make perfect sense when the next thing shows up in your life.

It was said to me once by a good friend of mine that relationships work the very same way. Each one is a stepping stone to where you are supposed to be. Think about that for a moment and look back over all the relationships you've had in your own life be it relationships with friends, family or love interests. People come in and out of our lives for reasons. Each person is placed in our lives at the right moment and is there for a purpose. We may not know why they are there, but can be assured that their purpose in our lives will be fulfilled. The outcome of that purpose is always determined when the next phase in our lives comes along.

We're constanly traveling on the road to our destiny. Where we were 5 years before, may or may not be where we are today. And 5 years ago, 1 year ago, or 6 months ago even, we had no idea of the things that would reveal themselves to us at the present time.

Life is a journey, full of discovery, challenges, ups and downs. We must embrace every moment and be grateful for the moment we are in. It is said, "Nothing lasts forever". That may be true to a point, but if we look back at some of the things in our lives that have occurred, we can quickly find many things that we are thankful did not last forever.

Life is not so much about whether or not something lasts forever, but rather how things just happen in the proper moment and time and not a moment too soon. As we think about where we are today, the things and people that are currently in our lives are there because they are supposed to be. If we travel back in time to 1 yr ago or even 5-10 years ago, and think about where we were at that point in our lives, the current people/things/events would not have fit into our lives at that moment. We were in a different place back then and the people, events and experiences of yesterday were preparing us for the current moment we are in.

Life is indeed a mystery. Some would say they prefer to know what is going to happen at every turn as it would certainly determine many outcomes. But isn't it nice not knowing because when life's unexpected surprises show up, it makes them all the more cherished and bittersweet.

HERE'S A PEEK...

2009-01-12T23:06:00.003-05:00

I thought in this posting I would give you a little peek inside my 1st fiction novel that I have just completed. Bear in mind that the book is currently undergoing major editing work. My goal is to have it ready to pitch to agents/publishers by early summer. Please feel free to offer any comments and feedback that you may have. In the meantime, enjoy!

The deafening boom of the plane explosion jolted Carrie Thomas awake and rattled every window. She sat straight up in bed unsure of what was happening; breathing heavily as if she had been running. Her eyes darted around. Rain beat against the window above her. A flash of light swept over the room momentarily before vanishing into the darkness.

It took a moment for Carrie to get her bearings. Still groggy, she reached over and switched on the lamp on her bedside table. She rubbed her eyes and forehead. And then, jarring her as much as the thunder had;, came the realization that she had been dreaming about Brad again. “It was only a dream,” she said to herself, repeating it slowly in an effort to calm her racing heart.

After a few minutes, Carrie settled back down in her bed, leaving the bedside lamp on for comfort and rested her head on the pillow. She closed her eyes and attempted to fall back asleep. Ever since the dreams started, even though she hated them, she equally despised waking up in the middle of one. No matter how hard she tried to induce sleep in the hopes of finishing her dream, it never worked.

The dreams had started some time back. She couldn’t exactly recall exactly when. At first, they occurred every so often. Then they became more frequent until they were part of her nightly slumber. The dreams weren’t fleeting in nature or ones she couldn’t remember. Each was vivid and stayed locked within her memory. Carrie had always heard the adage about such dreams being messages or signs of things to come. But she had never allowed herself to buy into that ridiculous notion. Until now.

As Carrie pondered that concept, panic again flooded her heart. After the most recent series of dreams about Brad, she reluctantly began to wonder what they were trying to tell her. Could it be? No, she thought. Don’t be silly. They were only dreams.

After lying in bed tossing and turning, Carrie decided sleep was not her friend. She looked at the clock. It was 2 a.m. She kicked off the covers, got up and headed to the kitchen to get a drink of water.

This had become her pattern on many nights. There was nothing worse than being awakened so abruptly and being cheated out of precious sleep. Of late, she wasn’t quite sure what it meant to get a good night’s rest. Sleeplessness did not bode well for someone who had to be up at 3 a.m.

Most nights, she could stumble around in the kitchen for a drink of water until she felt relaxed enough to sleep. Carrie uttered a soft curse as she realized that wouldn’t work this time. This particular dream about Brad had rattled her to the bone.

THE DREARY DAY BLUES....

2009-01-11T19:15:00.010-05:00

Today has been one of those days when the blahs have set the tone for the entire day. I concluded earlier that the amount of cloud cover and rain we've had of late has been a huge contributor to my current mood. I've spent the better part of the day wishing for an early Spring to help lift my spirits.
There's just something about sunshine & weekends that make for a good combination. Most would argue in light of the football playoffs, that this weekend provided the perfect kind of weather for taking in all the televised games. After the Panthers loss on Saturday night, it's difficult for me to find solace in the arms of the Steelers or the Eagles at this point.

Then there are those who would argue that today was a perfect day for curling up with a blanket and a good book and just reading the day away to help combat the dreary weather outside. Does going to the library and checking out a book that I have yet to sit down to read count?

Or maybe some would say that its been a good day for doing nothing but sleeping the day away. Laundry prevailed over sleep today, I'm afraid.

So, if not taking in one of the above recommendations on a day like today, what does one do? Well, I think I may have just found the perfect solution...coffee!! I think I'll go brew me a soothing pot of coffee and allow its rich, robust flavor to take all the dreariness of this day away! I feel better already!

HELLO 2009!

2009-01-09T22:05:00.013-05:00

If my lack of blogging entries at the end of 2008 is any indication of what's to come in 2009, then I am definitely in trouble!

Yes, I've been away from the blogging world for the past several weeks. As anyone knows, the holiday season is one big hustle, bustle whirlwind time of year that is over before we know it, followed by a brand new year that comes in almost as quickly as the holiday season spins in and out of our lives.

Over these last 9 days, I've seen it repeated often that most believe this is going to be 'their' year. Whether it is the left-over remnants of Obama's mantra of 'change' or the simple fact that 2008 was just a less than memorable year for many, most would agree that this is the first time in as many years that so many have their hopes pinned on this being the 'best year ever.

The masses are not alone. I, too, join in the crusade for making this the 'best year ever'. I am not one, however, who believes 2008 was my 'worst' year on record. Believe me, I've seen years past that get my own personal endorsement of being the all-time worst year ever!

But I'm really psyched about this year. For one thing, I just finished my first fiction novel at the end of last year. To even finish writing a book is an accomplishment in itself. But now I've started the editing process which is the next step in line of preparing to submit to agents & publishers alike. The project is in motion and I'm excited about the anticipation of where this process will take me.

Then, new years are all about new beginnings and of course, resolutions. I decided that I would avoid the whole resolution trap altogether and enact any possible hint of a resolution before the New Year began. Yes, you guessed it, I'm on a weight loss mission! My goal is to lose 40-50 pounds. (Must have been all that sitting in front of the computer last year!) Thus far I'm down 6 lbs. Yay Me!!

Starting something new at the start of a New Year isn't necessarily a bad thing. The 1st day of the year serves as a good starting point for many, but it can also be an unneccesary evil that puts incredible pressure on the individual who uses January 1st as their day that marks the start of something new in their lives. I mean if someone gets going on their new outlook and they falter then they soon realize they were on the wagon of change for 'x' number of days before they fell off and watched the cloud of dust looming ahead of them in the distance.

I guess it isn't so much about when we enact new beginnings in our lives. The important thing is that we are always growing and changing to make ourselves better human beings.

So here's to 2009! May it be everything we dreamed of and so very much more!

THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS!!

2008-11-27T17:50:00.014-05:00

This week I have been fortunate enough to have the entire week off from work for the first time in my working career. That in itself is something to be thankful for. While on hiatus from the daily grind of career life, I promised myself that I would take some downtime and just sit and watch tv for a change at least one of those days. In the world of satellite tv there is much to choose from but I resorted back to the days of watching daytime drama! (Okay...I admit it...I'm a CBS daytime drama junkie!!! BUT...watching the soaps now is few & far between.) And even with being away from the storylines & characters for awhile, it didn't take long for me to catch up on the million episodes I've missed since I last watched.

But in watching I had forgotten that one of the things I loved about the soaps was the holiday season, especially around the time of Thanksgiving & Christmas because in the midst of the latest mid-life crisis, forbidden affairs, etc, for a few days during this time a year, the soaps really play up the holidays. This week I was privy to the 'special' monologues on each CBS daytime drama by the given designated daytime patriarch expressing with heartfelt gratitude for the many blessings in their lives and reminding all fellow castmates of how much they have to be thankful for.

As I watched, it occurred to me that never once in all these years had I actually taken the time on the very day designated for counting our blessings to do just that. I realized that the days leading up to the holiday are filled with preparation. The holiday itself is filled with the hustle bustleness from visiting one place and then another, eating, sharing with loved ones, eating some more, and then winding down too full & too tired to ponder much of anything.

But then something within me clicked! As Thanksgiving Day unfolds before our eyes each year, so do the many blessings that grace our lives not just on this day but every day.

The blessings of family joined around a table.

The blessings of watching our children in amazement at how much older they look this year than last.

The blessings of eating a big meal that was prepared with love and the appreciation that there was a big meal to eat.

The blessings of putting away the laptop, cell phones, text messaging, etc and spending real quality time with family if for only but one day every year.

The blessings of receiving a phone call from loved ones who's presence is missed around the dinner table and yet knowing that they are with us in spirit.

The blessings of sending greetings to close friends wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving and feeling so lucky to have people in our lives we can call friends

The blessings of celebrating a birthday on this special holiday and feeling exceptionally twice blessed by having two reasons to celebrate on the same day!

The blessings of health, live, love & happiness.

The blessings of knowing that no matter how tough things may seem for our country that for one day we are given the opportunity to come together and celebrate despite it all.

The blessings of being able to carry out continued traditions & being able to create new ones.

The blessings of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Once I began really thinking about all the many blessings that have graced my life both past & present, it didn't take long to realize I have much to be thankful for. God has been so very good to me. I couldn't ask for better children, a better family, better friends, a better place to live, and the list goes on and on. I have been blessed far more richly than I deserve!

And so as this Thanksgiving Day winds down, I'm grateful for everything and above all, thankful for being given the wonderful life I've had the privledge of living to this point.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!!

THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE!! :)

2008-11-06T13:26:00.009-05:00

It's that wonderful time of year! Yes...it's hard to believe but the holidays are upon us.

When it comes to this time of year, I'm like a little kid on the inside. It never fails when I hear that first Christmas song of the season, the excitement swells within me allowing the nostalgia of the season to set in.

Speaking of Christmas songs, I have a confession to make. I've been listening to Christmas music since late July...(well...not every day or anything, but just here & there until I felt it was absolutely acceptable & permissible!!!) And yes, the time has finally come! As far as I'm concerned the coast is clear now & anytime after Halloween is fair game! Bring on the Christmas music!!! I own my own radio station called Jukebox Junction Radio (the name changed to Jukebox Christmas Radio for the holiday season). Since about mid-September I have been working to get my Christmas library of music uploaded to the station. You would think by now I would be sick of hearing the same songs over and over. But not so. I made myself refrain from playing it full-on until it was absolutely acceptable & permissible!!! If anything, I've merely been teasing myself which in turn has only made me want to break all the rules and begin playing Christmas music a lot sooner than is absolutely acceptable & permissible!!! As I sit here on this gorgeous Fall day that holds multi-colored leaves against a bright, beautiful backdrop of our famous Carolina blue skies and a temperature of about 75 degrees, it is hard to believe that we are officially in the holiday season and Thanksgiving is just two short weeks away. It feels more like Spring than Fall no doubt! But I won't allow that to dampen my Christmas spirit! I have my Christmas music playing & I'm thinking about the Christmas gifts I am currently working on that will hopefully make friends & loved ones smile when opened on Christmas Day. (As I get them completed I'll be posting them here for all to see.)

This is without a doubt my favorite time of year and the music of the season is a wonderful enhancement to it all! Since launching my Christmas station last weekend, already I'm finding out that I'm not the only one in Christmas mode. Listeners have flocked to my station in full force & I couldn't be happier! So if you need a little pick me up or nudge to get in the holiday spirit, head on over and take a listen. I guarantee you even the biggest of Scrooges couldn't help but smile at some of the great holiday music playing!

I guess it goes without saying that there are many of us who really start to get in the Christmas spirit immediately following Halloween each year! And from the looks of things over at Jukebox Christmas Radio, I don't have to feel guilty any longer. Maybe I'll start pulling out my Christmas decorations.....HMMMMM!

HALLOWEEN FUN...PART 2

2008-10-26T12:46:00.010-04:00

Do you know where the origin of Halloween pumpkins or known to some as 'jack-o-lanterns' came from? Legend would have it that a miserable man named Stingy Jack who was a drunk, and known for his love of playing tricks on people, ran into the Devil, himself one night while out and about. Stingy Jack decided he was going to play a trick on the Devil. He offered his soul to the Devil if he would have one last drink with him. The Devil, falling for Jack's antics, turned himself into a silver coin to pay the bartender. Stingy Jack snatched up the coin as quick as he could and deposited in his pocket next to a silver cross he was carrying. The Devil was unable to change himself back and Jack refused to allow the Devil to go free until the Devil promised not to claim Stingy Jack's soul for ten years.

The Devil agreed and ten years went by. One day Stingy Jack came across the Devil once more while walking down a country road. The Devil tried to claim Jack's soul. But before he could do so, Stingy Jack decided he would trick the Devil again. He asked the Devil to grab an apple for him from a nearby tree. The Devil obliged and jumped up into the tree to retrieve an apple for Jack. Before the Devil knew it, Jack had placed crosses all around the trunk of the tree, trapping the Devil so he could not get down. This time Stingy Jack made the Devil promise he would not take Jack's soul when he died. The Devil seeing no way out of his predicament made Jack a promise he would not take his soul.

The day finally came and Stingy Jack died. When he got to Heaven, he was not allowed to enter because he spent his life drinking, was stingy with his money and was constantly deceitful. So he went to the Devil's house but was refused entrance there too. The Devil would not allow him to enter in keeping his promise he'd made to Stingy Jack some years earlier. The Devil told Jack to go back to where he came from. Stingy Jack pleaded with the Devil to provide him a light so he could find his way in the darkness. The Devil tossed Stingy Jack an ember from his place of residence. Jack placed the light inside a hollowed out turnip that he carried around with him.

From that day forward, Stingy Jack has been resigned to a life of roaming the Earth carrying his hollowed out turnip with the light inside.

**The idea of incorporating carved pumpkins originated when Irish immigrants brought with them a tradition of carving out turnips when they migrated to America in the early 1800's. They would place coals or a small candle inside and place them on their doorsteps on Halloween to ward off evil spirits. It didn't take long for the Irish immigrants to realize that jack-o-lanterns could be carved much easier out of pumpkins as they were rich and plentiful in the New World. Turnips and rutabegas tended to be more scare. It didn't take long and the practice spread all throughout America. The jack-o-lantern is the most well known symbol of Halloween today.

The broom is now ready for its annual flight. Now I must go prepare my jack-o-lantern and summons Stingy Jack for a little help!

Until next time....(mu-wa-ha-ha-ha)....BOO!! Broom Hilda a.k.a. Delta Dawn

HALLOWEEN FUN....PART 1

2008-10-26T08:26:00.009-04:00

Since Halloween is just 5 short days away, I thought it would be fun to blog about the different aspects of Halloween that we all enjoy...and in some cases, don't enjoy so much...(like the scary movies for instance.) I realized that I didn't know much about the holiday beyond dressing my kids up to head out and score loads of candy in one single night. So won't you join me in learning about this 'spooky' time of year.....if you dare!!!

Let's talk about how Halloween originated. The history of Halloween goes back 2000 years and its origins are derived from Ireland, the UK, and northern parts of France. Halloween means 'All Hallows Eve' and occurs the day before "All Saints Day" on November 1; also considered New Year's Day by the Celts. It is believed that All Hallows Eve marked the end of summer and the start of the cold, dark winter months on November 1. The Celts associated this with death.

Some of the earliest traditions that paved the way for 'trick or treating' as we know it today included people setting bowls of food out on their doorsteps to keep the ghosts that were wandering the earth from entering and poor people would beg for food from rich people and in return the rich would ask the poor to pray for their loved ones who had died.

Dressing in costumes came about when European and Celtic people considered winter to be a frightening time. Fears of it being colder, darker and running out of food were prevalent. They would don costumes and masks in order to keep the ghosts that they believed returned at this time of year from recognizing them.

Halloween was brought to the US in the early 1800's by Scotch & Irish immigrants. Believe it or not, at that time, the elements of spookiness was removed and it was created to be a fun and festive holiday. Through time, scary themes evolved to add to the overall celebration of the holiday.

So...pardon me while I go dig out the broom from the dungeon. It needs a tune up and a few repairs before Halloween night!

Until next time.......(cackle, cackle)...my pretties!! Broom Hilda...a.k.a....Delta Dawn!!!

RAINY DAYS & SATURDAYS...

2008-10-25T19:44:00.011-04:00

Today has been absolutely one of those days I don't get very often. It was a rainy Saturday, fall day. When it was predicted that rain was in the forecast for today, all I could think was it would be the perfect day for making a big pot of homemade vegetable beef soup and watching some Halloween flicks!

More importantly though it was a day for relaxing and just kicking back! Suffice it to say I don't get days like this very often. Life tends to run along the 'hustle-bustle' lines the vast majority of the time. So when a day like this presents itself, its best to embrace it and make the very most of it.

So today lent itself to the wonderful smells of homemade soup brewing in the Crock pot preceded by freshly baked cupcakes that were decorated in the colors of Halloween.

Yes...today was indeed that one of a kind perfect fall day. The rain subsided in the afternoon, followed by glimpses of the sun before it faded into the darkness of the evening hours. The ground looks like a leaf covered canvas; a result of the drenching rains. The cooler temps have encouraged the trees to change into their fall decor; providing the beauty of a colored landscape that can only be seen this time of year.

Its been a near perfect day. I say perfect because there's only one thing left to do...that's go get under a warm afghan with a good book while I listen to a little smooth jazz...oh...and let's not forget that nice cup of coffee tinged with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla creamer! Ummm! What a perfectly unforgettable fall day!

Until next time....Dawn :)

OLD FRIENDSHIPS NEVER DIE....

2008-10-08T10:57:00.008-04:00

Of late, I have been a constant visitor on Facebook! You know that site where you can connect & stay in touch with family & friends. I guess you could say I've quickly become addicted (and not so sure I don't need some sort of 'rescue plan'!!!).

What has caused my intense attachment to this website, has been the sudden onslaught of my fellow classmates & alums of my high school alma mater, Hugh M. Cummings High located in Burlington, NC. The Class of 85 (okay...so I'm telling my age here!!) I'm proud to say that I belong to perhaps one of the best classes if not THE best class to ever come out of Cummings High School.

Through the years, I've worked very hard to help keep our class connected. It might have something to do with the fact that I was Cummings 1st Freshman class President. The year our class entered the school as Freshman was the 1st year Cummings had 9th grade on the high school level. Many years prior to that the 9th grade classes from both Cummings and cross-town rival school, Walter Williams High were sent to Sellars Gunn Junior High School for the one year.

**Everyone's favorite Principal, J. A. Freeman**

After all these years our class remains just as tightly close knit as we were in high school. Our class truly cares about one another and never fails to rise to the occasion when a fellow classmates loses a parent or loved one, or when a fellow alum is shipped overseas to serve our country in the military, or when one of us has a triumph to share, we all cheer and celebrate, or when a classmate has learned they have a tumor that requires us fighting right along with them to beat it. No matter what the cause, our class truly lives up to our class motto, "Nulli Secundus" which means "Second to None".

**Class of 85's very own Amanda Smith Swan**

I have no doubt that as the years continue to tick away, we will continue to stay connected and up to date with each other. That's just the kind of class we are. We're friends & Cavaliers to the end!! :)

Until next time....Dawn

THE SHOWDOWN OF THE CENTURY!

2008-10-03T08:01:00.019-04:00

Last night's debate was perhaps the most watched event on television since the American Idol finale in May. I even go so far as to say that I would venture a guess that more people tuned into the VP debate than the 1st Presidential debate between McCain & Obama.

Leading up to the kick-off of the showdown between Governor Sarah Palin & Senator Joe Biden, set the stage for the greatest amount of hype known to American's over the course of the last century. Would Sarah Palin fumble her answers to posed questions by a Barack Obama supporter moderator or would she once again rise to the task at hand and surprise us all? I think the latter certainly took place last night.

Poor Joe Biden. Everyone expected him to do just exactly as he did. He's a great Senator who has been around Washington long enough to know the political game like the back of his hand. But what set he & Palin apart last night was his inability to answer the questions asked without bashing John McCain at every turn. He was playing politics to the hilt. While on the other hand, little ole Sarah Palin (a virtual unknown to the vast majority of American's prior to 5 weeks ago...I mean really, could you have named the Governor of Alaska before all of this? I didn't think so! Neither could I!) who just answered the questions as honestly and plainly as she could for all of us.

She wasn't worried about impressing Americans with the fancy political mantra that spews forth from the mouth of every politician that embraces Washington (i. e. our Congress...a few names come to mind...oh, heck...how bout all those politicians up there who voted for the insane $700 billion bill to save Wall Street..and has a spokesman like Nancy Pelosi speaking for them....Sheesh!!! I bet Sarah Palin doesn't look so dangerous now!!) (Sorry, a little rant there!)

Sarah didn't have to pretend to get on the level of every American feeling the Washington squeeze because she's lived it. She's a mom, a wife, a taxpayer, & someone despite what she does for a living, lives a normal, ordinary life with her family just like most of us out there. She goes to her kids hockey games. She drives her kids to school. I mean heck, her 17 yr old daughter got pregnant out of wedlock just like some normal, average American families have experienced. If that doesn't put Sarah Palin on our level, I don't know what does!! She didn't just become Governor and say, "Well, now I think I'll hire a nanny to pIay mommy for me!" When was the last time we had someone running for our country's 2nd highest office that actually knew what the American people were thinking and feeling? (And don't say...well, Obama does because he used to organize communities...he came from humble beginnings, grew up poor!)

With all due respect, I don't discount that Obama has 'made it' & he's done very well for himself, I might add, and I'll admit until Sarah Palin came on the scene, this Republican was actually considering leaning towards and possibly voting for Obama. Obama seems like one of us too, to an extent & someone who also can identify with the American people & all the things we deal with on a day to day basis. I don't know though, there's just something about Sarah Palin that sets her apart from Obama. Maybe it is the fact that she's a woman with emotions, passion and drive. Women can identify with that. When we women get fired up about something, nothing & no one can stand in our way...(and forget about changing our minds...not gonna happen!!)

I've heard it said over and over "Sarah Palin scares me!" "I fear for what our country will turn into if John McCain kicks the bucket and Sarah Palin takes the helm." Okay...for all of you out there who have said that or feel this way, let me point out a few things:

1. Everyone has bought into the media conspiracy of trying to pick apart Sarah Palin, just like they would a celebrity! (Let's not forget that prior to 5 weeks ago, no one had heard of Sarah Palin. There was nothing being reported in the media about Sarah Palin. Why? Because the media doesn't pride itself these days on reporting 'good' things to the American public! It's not their style...(and to think I wanted to minor in Journalism in college...I would have a hard time working in this industry now!!)

2. Everyone keeps saying "Sarah Palin is not qualified to be Vice President." Hello! Has everyone forgotten she is Governor of Alaska...not a Senator, Congresswoman, etc...but Governor people...and she has the highest approval rating of any governor in the ENTIRE United States!

3. It keeps coming up that "Sarah Palin doesn't have a clue about major issues going on in the world." Okay...maybe she's not as schooled on the world as she could be considering she's running for the second highest office in the US. BUT...let's look at it this way...maybe she's has the highest approval rating as Governor in the United States because her focus has been on her state rather than the nation and world as a whole. Maybe that's why she's been able to accomplish what she has in Alaska and make her people love her and give her that 80% approval rating. Or maybe, what America needs is Sarah Palin in Washington...someone who is not in touch with the political game that is constantly being played by those currently in office there. (I mean just take a look at the hoopla that took place this week when Congress was trying to pass that stinking bill that all American's hate???) Need I say more??

Yes...Sarah Palin has fumbled in the few interviews she's given, but last night showed that when prepared Sarah Palin can take on anyone and their questions and give it her all and best! Personally I don't want someone in Washington who is like everyone else. Just look at the shape our country is in. I don't want another politician telling me they will do one thing to get elected and then another once in office. I believe in Sarah Palin. I like her style and I like the way she doesn't care if 'straight talk' offends anyone. She talks on the level of Americans everywhere that if given the chance to take the podium in her place would pretty much say the same things. We don't need another eloquent politican in Washington...we need someone who tells it like it is, means it and then will stop at nothing to get things done! Sarah Palin makes us believe that she is someone to be reckoned with! (I don't know why but when I think of Sarah Palin, I think of Annie Oakley!) That is what will turn this country around. And if Sarah Palin could take on the corrupt officials in her own state to enact reform and win, I have no doubt the Washington cronies will be any match for her!

My philosophy is this, America has had enough of the same ole people in Washington running the show who strive to get elected so they can get a piece of the corrupt 'good life' pie which in turn makes our elected officials forget about the people who voted them into office. The fact that Sarah Palin doesn't have all the answers doesn't bother me. The way I see it, how could she do worse? We've already seen that Sarah Palin does her homework on issues & after much study and preparation, she can answer the questions. She's not afraid to learn and then act on what she knows. Heck, even as adults we're still learning...we learn something new every day of our lives...so why should Sarah Palin be any different? We have to ask ourselves if we were elected to go to Washington, would we know any more than Sarah Palin? I mean there's having an opinion and really knowing what in the world is going on. Sometimes lack of experience can make a person better because they don't know how to get involved in the political games of Washington which in turn makes them and us American's better off for it.

We've elected people throughout the decades to go to Washington and make changes for the good of our country. Time and again, history has proven that more times than not, our country has suffered at the hands of those who 'claim' to know what's going on or have all the answers and we've ended up in worse shape than if well enough had been left alone. I think our most recent example is the failed bank, mortgage lending, & credit crisis threating to turn our country into a Socialistic system. For some reason, I just believe Sarah Palin, if elected along with McCain, will go to Washington and do everything for the good of the American people. I realize she'll have her work cut out for her and she'll be met with opposition from the Democratic party and the likes of Nancy Pelosi, (boy, would I love to see her take on Nancy in a little debate...now that would be better than WWE RAW! If you think Nancy Pelosi gives off the deer in the headlights look when things are calm, could you imagine what her expression would be once Palin was done tearing her apart?) So, regardless of all the naysayers out there who 'fear' Sarah Palin, I'm giving her a chance to get things done & get them done right! Maybe once she shows America what she's made of and able to accomplish despite her limited knowledge of the world's affairs, we'll all be believers and will stop the "Sarah bashing" and realize that maybe, just maybe, Sarah Palin knew what she was talking about after all!

AT LAST...WELCOME FALL!!!

2008-10-01T20:27:00.009-04:00

Finally after many, many weeks of excited anticipation, Fall has arrived & I couldn't be happier! This has to be my absolute favorite time of year. For weeks I have been ready for this season of cooler temps that prompt the leaves to change into gorgeous colors and fall from their trees. It's the only other time of year besides Spring that I love getting outside and taking in the beauty that surrounds me.

There's just so much to do this time of year! From going on hayrides to building bonfires, to creating fall scenes in the front yard & decorating the house and filling it with the smells of fresh pumpkin pie or a cinnamon spiced candle, the Fall season is one that offers something for everyone!

The thing that I love most about this time of year is that Fall is the 'kick off' to an entire season of wonderful events and happenings. Halloween looms just around the corner, followed by the Holiday season consisting of Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Year's celebrations. It is mind blowing to say the least to think that we were just celebrating July 4th what seems like a few short weeks ago, and here we are saying hello to Fall & October 1st! Time will only get faster as the year pushes onward to the end of 2008!

Despite all the talk of late about our economy, I refuse to allow any of it to dampen my spirits about this time of year. I plan to enjoy it no matter how bad things get. I've come to realize over these last few days of watching our country's impending financial crisis unfold, that no matter how tough things get, its hard to ignore the fact that God is in control of it all when you look around at the splendor and beauty of the season that He provides to us each and every year. And as I watch the gradual change in the color of the leaves, I'm reminded that just as Fall passes into Winter, our country's woes will pass too!

So, get out and enjoy this wonderful season and soak up all that it has to offer! Fall is one of the few things in life we get to enjoy without it costing a thing! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm headed over to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin. Won't you join me in celebrating this wonderful time of year!

TOO MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE...& THEY'RE ALL SMOKIN'!!!

2008-09-23T18:05:00.005-04:00

Do you ever find yourself in a major funk???? I'm talking about what I like to refer to as 'burn-out funk'. This results when one has too many irons in the fire or too many projects going at once & yet, feeling as though none of them are getting done. And then as a result, lack of motivation sets in & then its difficult getting started again.

I've just described myself to a tee!!!! I'm the world's largest proponent of having so many projects going on at the same time & finding there's never enough time to complete them all. My biggest problem is I have too many hobbies. Unlike most folks who can be completely content with just one hobby, I find the busier I am the more content I tend to be. I don't like being idle and yet when faced with everything I'd like to accomplish versus what I am actually able to accomplish, I almost drive myself completely nuts. You see, I'm a perfectionist and I strive to do many things. My life is full of hobbies & projects which I all equally love! I haven't managed to find that perfect balance (if there is such a thing) between all my projects so I at least feel like I'm getting somewhere.

I'm convinced that this must be some form of mental illness. First of all, if you love cross-stitching as much as I do, then it can safely be assumed that you have to be a little bit on the insane side. We start projects that progress nicely and then all of a sudden we hit a brick wall. No...I'm not talking about the project becomes too difficult to finish. Rather we get distracted. We visit our LNS, Michaels or Hobby Lobby and we see new stash that we convince ourselves that we just have to have. We are constantly finding new patterns to stitch. So what do we do...instead of finishing the current project we're working on, we start the new project that we lie to ourselves once more that we will stitch 'this one' until we finish. The same is true of crocheters & knitters. (I'm in this group of people too!!!) We buy yarn like its going out of style. You let Michaels downsize one of their yarn brands, and we knitters & crocheters will think we've died & gone to heaven when we can purchase skeins of yarn for $1/skein!!!!

I'd like to think I'm no different than the next person when it comes to my hobbies, but I'll let you be the judge. Besides cross-stitching & crocheting, you may have read in earlier posts or on my other blog that I am also writing a book. This is yet another favorite past-time that I've dabbled in since I was about 9 or 10 yrs old. Last August I decided I'd try my hand at writing my 1st fiction novel....a romance/suspense novel. I'm down to my last 5 chapters and all of a sudden I just feel like I have no clue what to write. The entire book has flowed from start to finish and it isn't like I don't know what I'm going to write in those last 5 chapters. But the urge to write has left me. I'm anxious to get the book finished by the end of the year so I can begin pitching it to agents & publishers early in 2009. And thus far, the entire book has been written in spurts of writing urges that have hit me here & there for the past year. I don't think its writer's block as much as it is the simple fact that up until now I've been relaxed about the whole thing. There's been no deadlines to meet, and now that I've set a goal for myself to try and be done with it by the end of the year, I've just locked up. I keep telling myself that time is running out.

Another hobby that I have is my internet radio station called Jukebox Junction Radio. Now of all the hobbies I partake in, this keeps me the least busy. Outside of keeping the station updated with all the latest hits & rotating out my playlist from the thousands of songs I have in my music library, it basically just runs itself. Recently I spent an entire afternoon uploading my Christmas library of songs to prepare for the upcoming holiday season. It was quite time consuming and I thought I would NEVER get done, but am glad now that I took the time to get it taken care of. Now when the time comes to begin playing all that Christmas music, I'll be one step ahead of the game.

And then on top of that, I had mentioned in an earlier post that I'm currently working on my daughter's Christmas stocking as well as 2 crocheted afghans and a set of crocheted placemats for my stepmom. Everything is coming along, but I'm feeling the pressure & keep telling myself that I'll never be done in time for the holidays! I honestly don't know why I work so hard to put so much pressure on myself!!! I've always been this way. I'm an overachiever in the worst way!!! Hobbies are supposed to be enjoyable...otherwise, why in the world would we ever engage in them??? I have to admit I'm just a little bit stressed!!!!

I need a schedule & I need one bad!!! I tend to work well when my life is all planned out. Hey, don't laugh!!! Who says kids are the only ones who need structure in their lives????? One thing is for certain, no one can ever accuse me when I'm gone one day of not having lived life to the fullest!!! Now whether I will have accomplished half of what I've set out to do remains to be seen....

Please excuse me while I go do a little stitching. Or wait, did I mean to say crocheting? No, that's not it, I meant that I have a chapter waiting to be written. No, scratch that...I've got some more new music to upload to my radio station. Oh, heck, I think I'll just go workout instead!!!

Until next time....Happy Stitching! :)

OH THE HORRORS OF EXERCISE....

2008-09-22T18:47:00.008-04:00

There is no way to describe how much I loathe (and I do mean loathe) exercise of any kind! Call me lazy or call me unmotivated, I just hate it!! I'm sure there are many like myself that would do anything BUT exercise, especially if it meant being able to avoid it altogether.

Okay...so maybe it is a mental thing. I tell myself I am too overweight for my height. I stand a mere 5' 2" so I'm at a disadvantage when it comes to my weight. I'm not tall enough to allow for extra weight to be evenly distributed throughout my body without it landing in places where I'd rather not have extra weight...boobs aside. Granted I don't weigh as much as some and have never had to resign myself to heading to the Plus size section in a department store to purchase my clothes. I've always managed to stay within (barely) the confines of the 'original sized' women's clothing...you know the size range from Sz. 2-16. I've never reached Sz. 16 and quite frankly have never seen a Sz. 2 on my body. The days of wearing a Sz 6, 8 or 10 even, have been apart from me for quite a few years. I guess I've just settled for being a Sz 12 or 14 and yet have continually thought about my weight & how I look through the years.

*me in Summer of 2007

I was never so discontent with myself before. I figured if I could still wear a pair of 'normal' sized jeans then I was good. But being the perfectionist that I am, good is never good enough. I'm my own worst critic.

*me Fall of 2007

I've always been in this back & forth struggle with myself; you know the one that convinces you that your current size & weight are perfectly okay & then there's the one that gives you a major guilt trip every time you eat something that you shouldn't & see other women you wished you looked like. It's a vicious cycle that never ends.

All the pictures that have been snapped of me in recent years never thrilled me but yet again, I would succumb to the notion that I didn't look 'that' bad in them. Until a recent pic was taken of me and I knew it was time to finally do something besides sit around wishing I would do something, I realized I had run out of excuses. I had to take action.

*closeup of me taken in August, 2008

(I hate closeups!!)

*another pic taken at same time in August, 2008

(Even though pictures don't lie, I look completely different in this pic.)

After seeing the above pics, I knew I couldn't make myself believe any longer that I looked okay. It was time to do something. It was time to get real. If I wanted to be healthier, stronger, and look better so I'd stop beating myself up about how I looked or my weight, I needed to just get up off my lazy behind and DO something about it for a change. I mean after all, merely thinking about it was not going to enable me to think my way thin.

So..I suppose you wonder if I've acted on my thoughts. Well..the answer is "Yes, I have!" I just started an exercise program at home last evening. I purchased these DVD's that help tone & sculpt the body called, "Turbo Jam". There are different levels to the DVD's to enable someone to follow the exercise level that best suits them according to whether they are beginner, advanced or intermediate. I must say I had forgotten just how long it had been since I did aerobic exercise. Thinking back it was well before Megan (my oldest, who will soon be 18) was ever conceived and after she was born. I haven't so much as done a lunge, crunch, or stretch since that time unless it was absolutely necessary or part of my normal daily movement. But surprisingly the exercise wasn't that bad & needless to say, I knew just how out of shape I was at the end of the routine by the amount of sweat that had excreted from my pores and was running amuck upon my face and rolling down my back.

As much as I have dreaded even hearing the word 'exercise', it was actually a lot of fun. And the sense of accomplishment I felt at the end of the routine far outweighed all the negative thoughts I've had about myself or my weight over all this time. What a great feeling!

So...over the coming weeks, I'll be recording my progress right here on my blog (and pics) once I have something to show for my efforts! LOL So, wish me luck! I'm gonna need it! Hey...and prayers are good too that I don't collaspe during this first week of working out!

Well..gotta run...I've got a workout to do! Until next time....Happy Stitching! :)

THE DOCTOR IS IN!

2008-09-16T21:10:00.006-04:00

It's that time of year! (No...I'm not referring to the wonderful season of Fall that is just right around the corner.) Rather, I'm speaking of that time of year when school has now been in session for a mere four weeks and my kids have already begun to get sick!

The very first week of school, my son, Cameron, came down with a bad case of strep throat. He missed three days. (You know he was sick! After all, he's a big 8th grader this year, and no 8th grader alive would want to miss their first & easiest week of the school year!!) But it happened to him.

Then the following week I was sick. I blogged about it in a previous post! I NEVER get sick! So this bug was NOT nice. The ever living nerve of it making ME sick of all people!!! I guess the little critter didn't get the memo that moms are exempt from being sick!!!

And as if that wasn't a heck of a way to kick off a new school year, then my daughter, Hannah, started complaining of her throat hurting on Friday. By Saturday she was coughing, had fever, fatigue and runny nose, and off to the walk-in we went only to find out that she had a sinus infection. Being that she had her tonsils out a little over a year ago, I knew it couldn't be strep. But shouldn't having surgery to remove her tonsils & adnoids also make her exempt from any future germs that might come her way??? Guess, those germs didn't get the memo on that either!!!

And yet again, this past Sunday, Cameron told me his throat felt scratchy. Now mind you, he just had been off antibiotics for strep a little over a week. Low & behold, he awoke this morning, coughing his head off!!

Oh while I'm on my soapbox, I guess its only fair to share the part of this story about how both my kids have asthma and when school resumes they begin to endure various sicknesses throughout the fall & winter months. Oh, we do all the necessary things to prevent their asthma from flaring, including the hand washing thing to ward off germs. And we've been dealing with 'seasonal sickness' for pretty much all of their school life to date, but if I could figure out a way to keep them well during this time of year, I think I'd have a lot of parents buying into the formula & I'd be one rich cookie!!

So now, the school year has officially begun! Yea, I know it technically started four weeks ago, but not by my standards. Until the kids have begun to sniff, sneeze, & cough, things are not in full swing! If it weren't for this one little issue that crops up every year for my kids, Fall would be my favorite time of the year. Okay...looking on the bright side, I suppose it is my favorite time of the year because it leads into the holiday season which I am a huge fan of! There is always the hope that this year won't be quite as brutal as the last! Who has time to be sick? There's too much to do this time of year! Now if I can only get those little germy bugs to understand that!!!

9/11...THE DAY AMERICA CHANGED FOREVER!

2008-09-11T17:29:00.008-04:00

When I awoke this morning and thought about what today signifies, it's still so hard to believe that 7 years ago today, our Nation was attacked by terrorists. Today is Patriot's Day or the anniversary of 9/11...however you like to remember it!

It's a sad day of rememberance for Americans and yet a somewhat triumphant day when you think about what lengths our Nation has exhausted since that fateful day in order to make us a safer & more secure country.

So in thinking about what today means to me, I think about where I was that day. I was working for a local sawmill and remember someone coming into the office from our yard to tell us to turn our television on. Work was immediately halted. The scenes were surreal and we all stood in disbelief as we watched our country being attacked.

Each one of us has a connection to that day in someway, because we each have our own story to tell. And each one of us will forever remember this day as being the one in which America was changed forever.

(This post is dedicated to all the many men & women who lost their lives on 9/11/01. May God continue to be with the families who still grieve, give them peace and provide hope & understanding to us all who will forever remember this day & mourn its loss of life from now until eternity. May God Bless America!)

LIPSTICK ANYONE?????

2008-09-10T19:55:00.004-04:00

I was humored greatly on my drive into work this morning as I listened to one of the local talk radio stations discussing the 'lipstick' comment that Barrack Obama made yesterday and how the McCain campaign has reacted to it. Aside from being humored, I also quickly became aggravated once again at the antics of this political campaign season.

While it has been assumed that Obama had an underlying motive behind making the statement 'lipstick on a pig', the reality is no one but Obama, himself knew what he meant behind the comment. Had he uttered the phrase a mere few days prior to the now famous speech made by Sarah Palin at the Republican National Convention, no one would have given his analogy any thought, especially since John McCain, himself, used the same phrase less than 6 months before.

This was indeed an opportunity for the McCain campaign to jump all over Obama's misstep in words and relate it to Palin's off the cuff joke during the RNC. What we must realize is those in the campaign who have taken the liberty of bringing to the world's attention, are speaking on behalf of the McCain campaign itself. Nowhere has it been reported that John McCain or Sarah Palin are offended and I highly doubt they have spent much time putting a whole lot of thought into Obama and what he is or isn't saying on the campaign trail. They pay people to create the chatter that evolves just as much as Obama does for his respective campaign.

Regardless of whether Obama meant what he said as an belittlement of Sarah Palin or not, remains to be seen. It was a bold choice of words and the timing of stating them could not have been worse. Will this hurt him? I think it could. Before the RNC and the arrival of Sarah Palin to the McCain campaign, I doubt anyone would have cared one way or the other what was said or not said about McCain. Obama was the man to beat and he undoubtedly had the momentum. The tides have changed somewhat in McCain's favor. There are those diehard Republicans who would have voted for Obama before Sarah Palin came along because they disliked John McCain that much. The difference in then and now is they happen to like Palin more and that is enough reason in itself to bring them together to now come to McCain's defense no matter how petty & enough to vote for him in November. Obama can't afford to say anything now that could be a bad reflection of him that bounces off of McCain in a positive way.

Even though we, as Americans strive to make our decision for who we will vote for come Election Day based on the issues of our country alone, the waters tend to become muddied to distract and disillusion us from the task at hand when silly, gregarious things such as this crop up. It's unnecessary and unfortunate that our country as a whole has to be subjected to this to take our focus off of where it truly needs to be. Maybe moving forward when these type stories are presented to us, we need to stop and pull back and try to glean something from the outrageousness of the story itself. So in this instance, it does make one think...if only choosing the man best suited for the job as President of the United States were as easy as choosing a shade of lipstick.

MY OTHER PASSION & HOBBY!!!

2008-09-07T07:37:00.019-04:00

With my recent fascination with the Olympics, politics, and never-ending preoccupation with working on my first novel, stitching and crocheting, it occured to me that I had let my other 'passion hobby' (as I like to call it), fall by the wayside. But I guess with everything I have going on almost all the time, I wouldn't be human if one of these things didn't get neglected.

So on Saturday I decided since Tropical Storm Hanna pretty much rained everything out & forced me to stay inside for the day, that I would dedicate some time to updating my internet radio station, Jukebox Junction Radio. You know how plans NEVER unfold the way we intend for them to. Mine were no exception. MY plan was to dedicate the morning to this project so that I would have the afternoon to resume my stitching on that dang Christmas stocking (that is going to be the stitching death of me yet!!!). Little did I know that time would turn into all day and move on into the evening. (I had more work to do than I thought. LOL) My initial intention was to update my station with new music and remove some songs that had run their course with the listening audience. It seemed easy enough and actually it was for the most part. And it didn't take all that long. But then....
THEN...I started thinking ahead to my programming for the upcoming holiday season. BIG MISTAKE!!!! I pulled out my library of holiday music and playlists from last year. I started uploading the music to the station (thinking it would only take me a little extra time to get it on the station!!!). HARDLY!!!! Somewhere between the end of the holiday season last year and yesterday, I had forgotten just how much holiday music I have!!! It's absolutely insane. I think I have every single song ever heard on the radio during the holiday season! (That's a GREAT thing if you are a listener, but not so great thing if you are a radio station owner!!!)

At about 9pm EST last night, I finally decided to stop fighting with my heavy eyelids, (especially since my eyes had formed a somewhat impressive glazed over appearance as I looked into the computer screen), and resume this larger than I had anticipated project for another day.

I'm in total holiday mode and have been since late July I think!! Last year I began playing continuous Christmas music from the 2nd weekend in November until just a few days after Christmas. For the most part, I was able to upload just about all of my Christmas music library to the station on Saturday and only have about 1-2 more hours of music to upload to be completely finished. Now that it's on the station, I'm so tempted to start playing hints of it here and there until the time comes. However, I'm reluctant to do so for fear of committing the ultimate betrayal to Halloween and Thanksgiving that occur BEFORE the Christmas music season is supposed to kick in officially! That's the great thing about internet radio, I'm in control without having to worry about the FCC breathing down my neck dictating what I need to play when.

And believe it or not, there are stations on Live 365.com that are strictly all Christmas music that play 24/7, 365 days a year. You wouldn't believe the folks that listen year round. I don't know if the listening audience for those stations are from outside the US or if the audience is made up solely of diehard Christmas music fans from the US. All I do know is when I played Christmas music exclusively for those 6 weeks during the holiday season last year, I had more listeners and listening hours on my station than I'd had at any other time during the entire year.

I'm not sure yet, what my decision will be regarding when I will begin playing holiday music 'officially'. Rest assured you'll be the first to know. I may sneak in a 'taste of Christmas music' weekend or afternoon here and there between now and then. But the one thing I do know, is getting the station ready for the upcoming season is a lot of preparation and hard work and at least once it gets here I'll have the work behind me and can enjoy listening right along with everyone else!!

(**Yours truly above manning Jukebox Junction Radio!**)

So onward to the holiday season!!! Feel free to check out my station, Jukebox Junction Radio any time & offer your feedback or make a song request. I love hearing from listeners! And remember my slogan, "Jukebox Junction Radio, where we feed your musical soul!"

Until next time...Happy Stitching! :)

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM!!!

2008-09-05T09:08:00.006-04:00

Tropical Storm Hanna is on her way to the coast of North Carolina. I happen to live in NC and although I live about 3 hours inland from the coastal area, each time we get wind (no pun intended...LOL) that a hurricane or tropical storm is headed to our coast it still makes those of us inland pretty nervous.

It goes without saying that hurricanes of the past are responsible for us being on high alert when new storms are forecast to hit our coast and work inland. The last big hurricane that slammed the Triangle & Central regions of North Carolina occurred about 10 or so years ago when Hurricane Fran decided she wanted to pay us a little visit. I have to say her visit was not only unwelcomed but she overstayed her welcome. The aftermath was days of no power & water for some and lots of clean up for all! Outside of the fact it gave those who work a few days off, its no doubt everyone worked harder doing clean up and just dealing with the post-hurricane mess than they would have had they been at work on a normal day.

The last few days, our weather has been absolutely beautiful. North Carolina is notorious during the summer months for its formidable humidity that lingers until early October. This week has been indicative of what looms ahead this weekend as there has been virtually no humidity in the air, the skies have been that bright Carolina blue that we all love here in the Tarheel state, and yesterday looking outside, everything just looked so crystal clear unlike the normal hazy view that is so evident this time of year. So, no doubt we, North Carolinians have definitely been experiencing the proverbial 'calm before the storm'!!

Even with the unavoidable fears and concerns each time a 'new' hurricane or tropical storm threatens to visit our state, I'm still a firm believer that North Carolina is one of the best places in the country to live than anywhere else! With living in Central NC, I'm only 3 hours either way from the mountains or the coast which allows for a great day trip when the mood strikes.

So..I guess I'll get ready to hunker down for a Saturday of rain and wind all day as Hanna moves through. Sounds like its gonna be a good day for doing a little stitching!!

Until next time...Happy Stitching!

BEING UNDER THE WEATHER IS NO FUN!!!

2008-09-04T20:01:00.005-04:00

I always thought one of the cardinal rules for any mom is that a mom can't get sick under any circumstances whatsoever. Well...as a mom I would like to know when the rules changed!

You see, I've been sick all this week with a sore throat that started as one of those annoying scratchy sore throats on Sunday over Labor Day weekend. At first, I just thought I had my annual scratchy sore throat that I always get this time of year when the weather starts to change. But by Monday, I soon realized that this was not my typical sore throat. My throat's scratchiness had increased to the point on Monday that I thought a cat had been turned loose on me during the night before.

Then on Tuesday, I arrived home from work with a fever, aches and chills. Normal body temp for me is below 98.6 degrees. My temp was 100.2 degrees, which to most folks feels like 102-103 degree range. My throat had turned from scratchy to just plain sore.

Next came Wednesday. I actually felt better overall on Wednesday...no chills, aches or fever, but the sore throat continued to persist. When I awoke on Wednesday morning I noticed that my throat felt swollen, so I took a look inside and the entire back of my throat had swelled up overnight. Because I felt okay outside of the whole throat thing that was going on, I went on to work and worked all day. By the time I got home, my throat was really giving me a fit.

Today when I awoke, my throat felt like a combination of the week's different levels of pain and soreness were all combined into one! I promptly called my doctor when they opened and went in to see him. He confirmed my suspicions that I have strep throat. It comes as no surprise given my son, Cameron, had the same thing last week for several days. But I thought I had worked hard to keep the germs away. I washed my hands and sanitized everything because strep is so highly contagious until it has been treated with antibiotics for 24 hrs. And besides that, I'm a mom for crying out loud and I've done a terrific job of following the mom's cardinal rules for not getting sick!!! So, I just have to wonder what germ I missed & where????

Anyhow...its the end of the day and I have taken 2 full doses of my antibiotics as prescribed to me by my doctor earlier today and you would think that with over 1700mg of antibiotic in my system that I would be feeling instantly better!!! NOT!!! I don't feel much better and am just before hitting the sack for the evening with the hope that when I awake tomorrow I will feel tons better!

Now you know I have to be feeling poorly to risk missing John McCain's acceptance speech later on this evening. I don't know if I'll make it until then, but I'm gonna try!

So...hurry and click off of here before you catch all my germs that are rapidly working their way into the world wide web atmosphere (quicker than I can type this) & contaminating everyone through my computer screen!!! But thanks for stopping by to visit!!

Until next time & Happy Stitching!!

THE VOTES ARE IN...WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

2008-09-03T23:28:00.007-04:00

During this entire campaign season...(all 18 months of it now)...I've been reluctant to get on board with either candidate running for our country's highest office. Like many Americans, I have been undecided. With both Obama & McCain, there are things to like and dislike about both candidates, so much so, that it has kept me straddling the fence. For quite awhile I'd begin to wonder if in fact America would be able to make a decision, myself included. In fact, I'd even contemplated briefly, not voting in this election. So many factors have played into this year's election. This has undoubtedly been the most controversial and bizarre (and perhaps longest) election year in the history of America.

When John McCain announced he had chosen a woman as his running mate less than a week ago, again, like many Americans I had never heard of Sarah Palin, nor could I have told you who she was if asked. My first thought was this was a political 'in your face' maneuver backlash at Obama as if to say, "If you won't pick a woman running mate, then I will."

Once the world was introduced to Sarah Palin, as the week unfolded, the media had their heyday with Governor Palin when she announced that her 17 year old daughter, Bristol, was 5 months pregnant. The media could not take Mrs. Palin at her word and leave it at that. They attempted to not only sensationalize the story in every possible way, but also spent countless hours working round the clock to try and uncover any possible spec of dirt on her and expose it for all the world to see. The entire media storm was enough to leave Americans thinking, "What was Senator McCain thinking?" Not me, because you see, I was simply amazed at how quickly once again Louisiana was forgotten because there was 'some other story' making headlines. The media once again proved that taking the low road was the way to go. I guess once the Louisiana storm was 'over', the media decided it needed to create a little storm of its own.

All these previous months of wondering and mulling over the facts, the smut, and the inbetween on both these candidates, finally led me to the realization that the tides were beginning to turn in one candidate's favor. At last!!

Last weekend when Hurricane Gustav hit LA, I saw leadership being exhibited. One thing that Americans want most in a candidate is proof that he can lead our country in crisis. If there was ever a better opportunity to show our country who could be the best leader, Hurricane Gustav provided such a chance. John McCain wasted no time in appearing on television before millions of viewers and announcing that the opening to the Republican National Convention would be suspended until further notice so the country could 'take off their political hats & put on their American hats'. He put our country first before any other order of business. And he got down to business. He had his campaign staffers organize a huge phone bank that was manned by numerous volunteers asking for and receiving donations for the hurricane victims. He moved quickly to go to Louisiana to see the aftermath and spent time, despite his busy schedule to help prepare care packages for those in need. John McCain acted like a leader and he also acted like a fellow citizen. He took charge and took the liberty to do whatever it took to ensure America was well taken care of. He understood what was more important and didn't mind rolling his sleeves up and getting his hands dirty. He acted in a manner in which Americans want in a President. We want someone in office that isn't afraid to get their hands dirty if that's what it takes to do what is right and just for our country.

Senator Obama on the other hand was also shown on television in front of millions of viewers. He was shown being interviewed by the press about his reaction to Hurricane Gustav. He was shown being asked what his plans were to do about it. He was shown telling the press that 'we are going to wait and see what is needed before we act'. (I had to question if our country faced a crisis, would he 'wait & see' before he acted, or would he be courageous enough to make a decision, stick to it, and act on it!). Initially when I heard Obama's remarks I thought to myself, "Okay, I can see & understand that. That makes sense." But then a day later, he was interviewed by Anderson Cooper during Anderson Cooper 360 and was asked if he was planning to go to Louisiana to access the damage and see where his help could be utilized. Obama's answer was he had discussed this with his campaign and they felt that instead of going to Louisiana and running the risk of police & fire personnel being pulled away to aid him with Secret Service duties to ward off possible photo ops, that they would refrain from going to avoid that and allow them to do their jobs during this critical time. I found this to be extremely arrogant. I would think at a time like this , the people of Louisiana have far greater things on their minds to deal with and think about than the possibility of getting a photo op with Senator Obama. I highly doubt many took their cameras with them when they were placed under mandatory evacuation. And again, he eluded to his earlier explanation that his campaign would wait to see what was actually needed and that there was a request on his website for his supporters to donate money towards the cause. What this said to me was instead of Obama being willing to do whatever it took for our country during this crisis, he was relying on his supporters to do the job for him.

And then there was Sarah Palin giving her acceptance speech tonight in the face of the media who has judged her, chastized her, scorned her, and rebuked her these last few days for being a woman, a mother of 5, a mother of a special needs child, a person who holds the highest office in the State of Alaska and has a 17 yr old pregnant daughter. Her morals, values, and convictions have all been critiqued by the media. She's been put on trial, if you will, all because there are those that are appalled at the idea that a woman can hold the next highest office in our country. Despite what she & her family have had to deal with over these last few days, Sarah Palin, showed everyone tonight that she is indeed a force to be reckoned with. She's a gutsy straight talker, a straight shooter and is not intimidated by anyone. She didn't have any problem giving the media a lashing without concern for how it would make her look tomorrow. She showed America why she's America's most popular govenor. She's tough and after hearing what she had to say, I had no doubt that she means business. Maybe its because I'm a woman and understand as only women can when it comes to standing our ground. But then when you think about it, most women do mean business.

I've often been a believer in the fact that the one thing Washington has always lacked is a woman with backbone who wouldn't take any junk and without fail could put all the Washington politicians regardless of their party affiliation in their respective place. Sarah Palin is such a woman. I'm glad she was a virtual unknown less than a week ago, because that is the kind of person we need in Washington. The same ole thing that has existed for decades now has been the result of our country electing the very politicians who have been in Washington and all they know are what they have always known. And that is why it has to stop. So be it if it takes a woman to do it. If elected, Sarah Palin, will make history, and more importantly, she will forever change the way things are handled in Washington.

With that said, John McCain is no pushover either. He's also never been afraid to stand up for what he believes in. I believe he will not only fight for Americans but he will make darn sure that America never has a fight on its hands under his watch.

If we needed a preview of what we can expect from Senator's John McCain and Barrack Obama as our country's top leader, I think we got a real taste of what's to come last weekend. The way I see it, Hurricane Gustav was the 'perfect storm' that didn't allow for any dress rehearsals or time to draft eloquent speeches. It was a real live situation and both Senators showed us how they would handle crisis in our country.

So...I have to admit, in these last few days I can finally say with clarity and certainty that I have made my decision. It was a long time coming and for a moment I began to wonder if I would ever be able to make my choice. As far as I'm concerned, the past 18 months have meant absolutely nothing, because in the course of a brief week, by demonstration of actions over words, I was able to determine who would be the best choice for the United States of America.

And that is why I will throw my support from here on out behind John McCain & Sarah Palin and come November 4th they will most definitely have my vote!!

IT'S TIME TO GET EXCITED!!!

2008-09-03T20:20:00.012-04:00

Even though it's not OFFICIALLY fall just yet, now that we've entered September, I can't help but get excited that it is just right around the corner!! Throughout the summer months, I've read numerous posts by many in my various cross-stitch Yahoo groups that share in that same excitement. Maybe it's a cross-stitching thing.

Think about it. If you cross-stitch, then you know that most projects can't be whipped up in record time. It takes time, perhaps weeks or months to complete one project for some (and years for others). Avid, die-hard, cross-stitchers will begin thinking about the fall & holiday seasons long before they are due to arrive. Unlike most folks, we, cross-stitchers start getting geared toward the final quarter of the year along about mid-summer! I read in one post that someone's holiday season officially began July 25th because that was their kick-off date for making Christmas gifts for the upcoming holidays. Most would find that absolutely absurd, but who am I to make fun of someone for getting in the holiday spirit so early. I have already been listening to Christmas music as I work on my own Christmas projects for crying out loud!!!!

And now we're into September. I mean, where in the world did August go???? I can't help but feel slightly panicked somewhat! I've got several things that I really want to complete for this year's holiday gift giving. Aside from cross-stitching, I also crochet. So my project base for this year consists of a little of both.

(Please note the above is NOT my work. Found this image on the internet & LOVED it!!)

Here's the rundown:

For my youngest daughter - a Christmas stocking that I started when I was pregnant with her over 10 yrs ago. This won't be a gift but I would like to complete in time to put on display with the others when I decorate for Christmas in November.

For my oldest daughter - I have started a crocheted afghan that will include a graphed pattern that says "Class of 2008" with a mortar board & diploma. The graphed pattern will be cross-stitched over top of a white crocheted background. The afghan will be in her school colors. Considering Megan is now a Freshman in college, this was supposed to have been a gift for her high school graduation in June. Since I didn't make that deadline, I really need to get this done for Christmas or either just scrap the whole idea and move on to something else.

For a dear friend of mine - I also have started another graphed crocheted afghan that will have the logo for his 80's variety band that he put together. He designed the logo himself. The logo is black and white so the afghan will have a black border and white center with logo cross-stitched over top of the white background.

My stepmom - A set of crocheted placemats done in red, green, & predominately white varigated cotton yarn. Last year I gave her a set of placemats that consisted of the colors in her kitchen. The yarn was country blue, light brown, and white varigated cotton. My stepmom couldn't believe how closely they matched her colors and decor in her kitchen. She's used them all year. So I decided that this year I'll do a set of Christmas placemats for her and in the years that follow, I'll pick a holiday and do a set so she'll eventually have sets all year round to switch out and use.

Possibly my mom - I am taking part in the MSAL with the Oakhaven Designs Yahoo group. This is my very 1st SAL. I'm torn between keeping it for myself since its my 1st SAL or giving to my mom when done. I've made great progress and currently am working on Part 7 of 15 total parts. I know at the rate I'm working on, I should have completed well before Christmas.

So...now can you see why I'm panicked????

And then I am reminded of all the opportunities I'll have to do stitching during this season. You see, I tend to gravitate towards the television set more during this time of year (outside of Tuesdays & Wednesdays every week from January to May when American Idol is on) because there are just so many great shows on. Fall just isn't Fall until you've seen a Peanuts show or two.

And then, if you're a QVC addict like I am, can I get a...QVC, QVC, QVC!!! Now don't get me wrong. I'm not an addict in the sense of not being able to control my urge to purchase everytime my finger accidentally stops the remote from channel surfing when it lands on QVC. But during this time of year, QVC starts to transition towards the holidays and I just LOVE watching to see what they have to offer. Call it crazy or call me unusual, but there's something about this that's just festive to me. I don't normally partake in 'watching' QVC during any other time of the year. For me, when they have their Christmas shows on, its like watching a holiday favorite & another little something that gets me into holiday mode this time of year. And the best part about this unusual traditional pasttime is I'm doing two things that I love simultaneously...stitching & watching QVC!!! It's like having the best of both worlds to me!! And I can't even begin to tell you how relaxing both are!! So now do you understand why I love this time of year???? To think some of the best things in life are the little things! :)

What else can I say???? I'm totally stoked & ready for what lies ahead! I'll be posting pics soon of my progress on the projects mentioned above...(all but the MSAL as I can't post pics until that project is complete...you'll just have to take my word for it & trust that I'm churning along on it!!!!) And besides all that I've posted here, I haven't even gotten into the October stuff that we do around here....there's music festivals, pumpkins to carve, houses to decorate, hayrides....so...I'd better maximize my September. Tomorrow will already be September 4. I'd better get a move on!!!!

Until next time....HAPPY FALL & HAPPY STITCHING!!!

GOODBYE SUMMER...HELLO FALL!!!

2008-08-30T15:29:00.007-04:00

This is it! It's Labor Day weekend! In the interest of the holiday and also given I, too, am trying to enjoy my long weekend, I thought I would take the 'lazy' approach on these last few lazy days of summer and share with you something I wrote in honor of Labor Day some time ago. Please enjoy!

When we think about the upcoming holiday in the sense of what the holiday represents, Labor Day most definitely was created to honor workers. Whether the holiday itself is truly celebrated in that sense is debatable depending on who ask.

This is a recognized holiday in America. However, there are lots of businesses who will not observe Labor Day and treat it as a normal working day. It is somewhat of an oxy-moron to have a holiday in place that celebrates working Americans and yet there are American employers who refuse to acknowledge their workers by allowing them a day off with pay.

I recently was speaking to a client of mine outlining my company's upcoming schedule for the Labor Day holiday. I was completely surprised when she shared that she would be working on Labor Day. The irony of this is the company she works for has the word "America" as part of its business name. It is so easy to assume that with the Labor Day holiday, the vast majority of working America outside of the service industry...police, fire, etc, would have the day off. So in speaking to my client, the very idea that she would be working on this day in particular, seemed appalling to me. What employer refuses to honor their workers on a day set aside just for this purpose? After all, without workers, where would the employer be?

In essence Labor Day has evolved as a holiday with a two-fold purpose. It is a holiday that celebrates the American worker and a holiday filled with nostalgic reflection of the summer season that has so quickly passed. It marks the end of one season while rolling flawlessly into the beginning of the next. As American workers, we celebrate the end of the summer, but we are never quick to forget how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to work and be free to enjoy all of life's celebrations.

I'm taking the next few days off, so enjoy your weekend and I'll see you back here real soon!

Now, get out there & go make it a good one!!

Happy Labor Day & Happy Stitching!! :)

Doesn't the picture below just make you yearn for cooler temps, & seeing the leaves changing colors?

I have this sudden urge to go out and buy a pumpkin!!!

Can't wait for Fall!! I'm so ready for it!!! :)

THE TIES THAT BIND KEEP US JOINED TOGETHER FOREVER!!

2008-08-30T12:40:00.011-04:00

The raw emotion of the past several days was finally given peace this morning as I attended the funeral for my former father-in-law. What had been so difficult to deal with the day before, suddenly all fell into place as my 'other family' and friends joined together to say goodbye.

It wasn't until after the service that I realized that everyone who my former father-in-law considered part of my 'other family' at one point or another were all there in the end. The scenes played out in real life as if I were watching a movie on the big screen. One of my former husband's stepsisters embraced her 16 yr old son who had moved to LA from NC several months ago to live with his dad. He arrived with his dad (her former husband) with just ten minutes to spare, having driven all night to get there. What made this reunion so special is she had been told he would not be coming to his grandfather's funeral, in an effort to surprise his mother on this most difficult day for her.

Then there were the moments following the service where my own children found comfort in their father's arms and then in mine. Never once did any of our children rely on their stepmom to pull them through. I couldn't help but feel for a brief few moments that for the first time in as many years we were as close to being a real family again as we had been since my former husband & I split all those years before.

Together a former sister-in-law who once was married to my former husband's oldest brother and I stood and embraced; allowing the tears to flow. She & I both were feeling the ache of what these past few days have held. The many memories that we both shared in, the laughs, the good times and the bad. There was no need for words for we fully understood the depth of things. The hug was sufficient.

As I drove away from the cemetery, I thought about how in the end, my former father-in-law was without a doubt smiling down upon us all beaming with pride to see family, both past and present come together to bid farewell. Of all the things he did or did not accomplish in his time here on Earth, his greatest accomplishment rose in his death. His passing made us as a whole forget about past differences and for a short while today we were able to bridge the gaps as we gathered one last time.

I would be remiss if I didn't say that as with everything, my former father-in-law's passing, happened for a reason. It goes without saying that his health issues ultimately took him from us, but God had a plan today. God took people who all live different lives, and some who have gone their separate ways and brought us together with one common goal in mind which mirrors His master plan for our lives in eternity where we will not only see my former father-in-law again one day, but live forevermore with our Maker.

For all the anguish and heartache I've felt over these last days, I now find myself smiling as I write this. No matter where life takes us or what happens to us, we are all intertwined as one. Our paths cross and we continue to move forward in different directions where eventually one day we will meet up once again. Life is just like that. We experience life in all its splendor. We take the good with the bad and in the end everything works out okay.

I have a sneaking suspicion knowing my former father-in-law the way I do, that he got busy right away working to pull off this ultimate feat of today. This is one life experience that has definitely changed me for the better and one that I will never forget. It has opened my eyes more than ever to what is important and what isn't. Going forward from here, I will do things differently. I'll visit friends and family more often (this includes my 'other family' too!) and touch base with those who I might not have occasion to see on a regular basis. Its too important and life is too short to live with the regrets of yesterday. Never again, will I feel the inner prompting that tells me to go visit a loved one who's time is limited and then believe I have all the time in the world. We have to live for the moment we're in rather than thinking we can always do it at a later time. For that is truly the only way to embrace life and gain all that we can from it while allowing ourselves at the same time to give back to it and live without having to face the 'what ifs'.

So I close this by feeling grateful for the ups and downs of my own life. They have helped to mold and shape me into the person I am today & because of everything I've experienced in my life, I am better for it.

(This post is dedicated to James Elmo "Jimmy" Farrell who will be greatly missed. And I live with the reassurance that one day I will see him again and can visit for as long as I wish without any worry that our time is limited.)

May God Bless his life & May God Bless us all!

REFLECTIONS OF A LIFE GONE BY....

2008-08-29T22:55:00.005-04:00

Today I had the unusual yet wonderful opportunity to visit my 'other family' due to a death in their family. My former father-in-law passed away on Wednesday.

When my former husband and I split over 8 yrs ago, it was amicable. Ours was a rare parting of ways. Although the circumstances were all too common, our life after the fact of love and marriage transitioned into one of a positive experience not only for us but our three children. We had our differences that drove us to end our marriage, but the one thing we had going for us is that we were always on the same page with respect to our children. That single element of our marriage was carried forth & paved the way for us being able to parent successfully as a divorced couple and avoid the pitfalls and mud-slinging that becomes an all too often occurrence when there are children involved.

With the end of our marriage, many other things came to an end. Our lives as we knew it with our respective families ended as well. Gone were the holiday celebrations and other special family times not just with us and our children, but with our extended families. All too often when divorce occurs, it creates a tremendous crack in the old familiar routines of life. You go your separates ways and life takes you down paths and twists and turns you could never anticipate even if you tried to imagine. And as a result time slips away and before you know it, you have gotten far away from staying in touch with each other's families.

For the first time in as many years, I went to see my former in-laws today. My mom, God love her, was sweet enough to offer to go with me for support. Even though when my former husband & I parted ways and there was no animosity between our respective families and either of us, I felt really nervous and awkward going to my former mother-in-laws house to visit with her during this difficult time. I don't know if it was the fact that I hadn't seen her and my former father-in-law in such a long while or if it was a twinge of guilt in knowing that my former FIL had been sick for quite sometime and I kept telling myself that I needed to go see him over and over and time ran out on me before I ever took the notion to.

When I arrived inside and greeted my former MIL, the tension I felt within immediately disappated. I was at peace and at ease. It wasn't so much about the fact that she made me feel welcome after all this time as did the rest of the family, but for a brief period of time, things felt 'normal' to me again for the first time in many years. Seeing everyone and having the opportunity to visit with them and get caught up, took me back to days of old & remembering all the chats we all had in that very same setting, in that very same room, and with the same group of people who were there back then too.

Later this evening, I went to the funeral home with my dad and stepmom to pay my respects, and came away with yet more reflections as I saw even more people who were part of that era of life as I knew it back then. In being taken back, I couldn't help but feel a sense of regret that my former husband and I didn't work harder to save our marriage instead of letting it fall apart. Back then we weren't thinking about years down the road when we would be older, as would our kids, as would our relatives and their children, and that as a whole we would all be getting older and life would become more precious and short. We weren't thinking about loss (outside of the marriage itself) of loved ones and how that would come to affect us all.

Throughout the course of the day the memories came flooding back. I think the hardest thing for me to deal with today is the realization that we never really fully heal from certain chapters in our lives that reach their end. Sure, we go along and live our lives, keep moving forward and never really stop to think about it. We push the past down and as far back in our minds to stay locked up forever...until life sneaks up on you and reminds you of what was.

My 'other' family made me feel welcome today just like they always did even when my former husband and I were married. The irony of it all is the things his family had to say to me and my parents was incredibly loving. My ex has been remarried for 4 years and while that is another story for another post for another day, I couldn't get over the fact of how his family embraced me as if we were still married, even despite the fact I had not seen them except here and there through the years.

What made today even more incredible is how I couldn't decide if I would have rather they embraced me or shunned me. While it felt good to know they still consider me family, in some strange way it would have almost been easier to face this day had they not been so nice to me. I think I could have handled it much easier. It further didn't help matters knowing inside that his family has always made a point to embrace and accept me far exceedingly over the 2nd Mrs. O'Neal. I don't say this with malice nor to come across in a negative way but to simply explain that they don't do it intentionally. You see, there's an old saying that goes "you get what you give" and well it goes without saying that the 2nd Mrs. O'Neal has never strived to make the necessary investment into 'my other family' for the sake of building those relationships. Most 1st wives would be thrilled about this, but I'm one of the few that just feels sad on the inside because she's failed to do this not only for herself but for the sake of my former husband and most importantly for our children, who have been a witness to this from day one of her being in the picture.

Today was indeed a time of true reflection. The woulda, coulda, shoulda thoughts of the past I had long since put behind me ran through my mind and of course, I wouldn't be human if I didn't wonder if they had entered my former husband's thoughts too as he watched things unfold between his family and I. Thoughts can be ignored, but it is truly difficult to deny or feign off actions as they happen.

That part of my life is over and done with and the memories of that era with my 'other' family will stay with me for the rest of my life. The likelihood that my former husband and I would ever reconcile is slim to none given he's married and the fact I've not spent a great deal of time over these last 8 yrs putting a lot of thought into it. But today was filled with melancholy moments for me. I was forced to look backward at life as I once knew it and ask myself a few critical questions that I would've never embarked on back then. While stranger things have happened and we never know what the future holds, we can never go back to the way things used to be and we should never look back, but sometimes its necessary in order to keep moving forward.

NEWSFLASH!!! BARACK OBAMA IS AN ENABLER!!!!

2008-08-29T10:18:00.005-04:00

Like most folks out there, I find that I am also one of the undecideds. Or at least that appeared to be the case until Thursday's nights acceptance speech! I was impressed and motivated; so much so, that I'm now on board and I have Barrack Obama to thank for it!

NO...I'm not talking about becoming a Obama supporter all of a sudden or even the fact that his monumental speech will most likely go down as one of the best in history. What I'm referring to is Barrack Obama is an enabler. While he stood in front of 80000+ people in Denver and millions of viewers across the Nation on Thursday night, he had no idea that he was aiding and abetting me to partake in a little stitching! OMG...you say!!!

YES....it's true! While BO spoke, I sat and stitched! He inspired me to do great things! He inspired me to enact change! He inspired me keep moving forward! He told me "now is not the time for small plans". He said "Eight is Enough"! (Okay...so it couldn't be all motivational talk...he needed to remind me that its been eight years since the last time I picked up my daughter's Christmas stocking prior to just a few weeks ago. The truth hurts, but it helps build good character!!) But the thing that spoke to me the most was when he told me that "together our dreams could be one". I tell you, I am completely pumped up & stoked! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that as long as I have Barrack Obama spurring me on I can get alot of my WIP's & UFO's done! I just have to keep repeating the mantra from last night in my head.

I've never been much on politics and make no mistake this election year is perhaps one of the most critical and pivotal in our country's history. But just knowing that Barrack Obama is a cross-stitch enabler has certainly made all the difference to me!

Oh my! Time is of the essence & its time to get back to my stitching that I interrupted to share this great news with you! So, just remember, Barrack Obama now has our backs as the Honorary Spokesman & avid fan of the cross-stitch community! Maybe now that we have a public figure speaking out on our behalf, cross-stitching will finally receive the true recognition it deserves!!

HAPPY FRIDAY & HAPPY STITCHING!! :)

IS IT FRIDAY YET?????

2008-08-29T08:45:00.014-04:00

Yay! Today is FRIDAY!!! Yippee!! (Okay...so that's a little over the top! Forgive me...I've had my morning dose of Starbucks and I'm FULLY awake now!!)

Let's face it... if there was one day during the week that the vast majority of folks look forward to, it would have to be Friday, hands down. Now for me, of late, I've traded having Friday's off for working longer hours during the rest of the week in order to try & save a few dollars at the pump. So for the past month or so, Thursdays have become my Fridays.

So if there is anyone who has no reason to say "Boy, am I glad its Friday" it would have to be me. But I AM glad it's Friday, but not in the spoiled brat kind of way that you would expect. You see, this week has been full of ups and downs. It has been one of those weeks that one is glad to have behind them. lt has been a tough week of sorts.

The week started with a bad hair day...(okay...that's sounding spoiled!!); let me back up! The week started with my kids beginning a new school year. This included my oldest daughter, Megan, who started college classes. That was an UP! Then on to Tuesday. It rained and the hair rebelled! My ex-husband shared that his step-father was in the hospital on life support and that per his stepfather's wishes, the family would be taking him off of life support that evening at 8pm. That was a DOWN!

Then there was Wednesday! In the South we sometimes refer to Wednesday as "Hump Day" because its the middle of the week and all downhill to Friday. But on Wednesday of this week, it almost felt like a Monday; Mondays being considered by some the worst day of the week (okay...most ALL consider Mondays to be the worst day of the week!!) But it was a less than stellar day because Tropical Storm Fay decided to make a very grand, and not so welcome entrance into North Carolina bringing rain, high winds, tornados and flooding. It was a day that had me on pins and needles as Megan spent her afternoon gathered with her dormmates in a stairwell at UNC-G anticipating the arrival of a tornado. On the very same day, I learned my ex-father in law, had passed away about the same time my daughter was holed up in the stairwell. BIG DOWN OF A DAY!!!

Then on to Thursday. Well, the rain had ceased and the sun shone brightly for the better part of the day. It was the last day of the work week for me. My mom & I were able to have dinner together (if you follow my blog you know just a little over a week ago, my mom was hospitalized for a staph infection). I watched Barrack Obama make history and give a speech that will undoubtedly go down as one of the finest ever heard by our Nation! And the day for the most part was uneventful! It was an UP!

And now on we come to Friday! So far today I've taken my kids to school and traveled fifteen minutes to Starbucks to pick up my favorite coffee concoction...a Grande Peppermint Mocha. (Somehow when I go to Starbucks I abandon all sense of reality, mentally block out the thought of high gas prices, and conveniently forget that this particular stop is completely out of the way, and in no way can be justified as a necessary errand that needs to be run!!) But after the week its been, I deserve my Grande Peppermint Mocha! From the very first sip, I can feel all the sorrows and dilemmas of my week being erased and inside I am being returned to that happy place of balance! AHHHH!!!

So far...so good today! As I'm writing this I look out my window and see the sun emerging from behind the clouds and shining brightly causing a smile to stir within my heart. I'm reminded in this moment, that no matter how dark the skies become or how clouded, that the sun always finds a way to break through and shine again. Hmmmm...guess I've just been given a sign that its okay to look forward to Fridays & things are definitely now looking up! I suddenly find myself at ease! Now I think I'll go enjoy the rest of my day and look forward to the long holiday weekend!

Until next time...Happy Stitching! :)

(This post is dedicated to my ex-father in law, Jimmy Farrell. May he rest in peace & God bless his soul!)

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD DRENCHING RAIN TO WASH IT ALL AWAY!!!

2008-08-27T21:45:00.006-04:00

Well...today was another not so good day for the hair! I'm convinced the hair must be suffering from HHD (Humid Hair Disorder). If you are not familiar with this, please allow me to explain. It seems that the hair is most affected during the summer months and especially when there is tropical like weather taking place. There are no symptoms and can flare up on a whim. It doesn't even have to be raining outside. All it takes is the right combination of warm temps, muggy air and wind to bring on an episode.

But today I refused to allow the hair to get the best of me unlike yesterday! Today I had other things on my mind that proved to be a little more concerning; like the fact that the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay came barreling through the state of North Carolina very fast and furious beginning early this morning, continuing non-stop on through the late afternoon. Just when we thought we were out of the woods, we were merely being shown what the calm before the storm feels like...literally!!! Unlike yesterday when she only brought light, steady rain and a slight tropical breeze, today she sparred numerous tornados & flash flooding all throughout the state. In several of my neighborning counties, school systems emptied their classrooms into the halls where kids found themselves participating in a real life tornado drill versus the make-believe practice kind that they are normally accustomed to.

My daughter, Megan, was caught in the throes of the storms today as well. Inside her dorm, the announcement was made to take cover in the stairwell. While it seemed that the tornado that was spotted in the next town over from where she was at was moving her way, thankfully, it never touched down there.

One local mobile home community was flooded and its occupants had to evacuate. One couple lost everything inside their basement. Another family lost their dog during a tornado that later showed up shaken but unharmed.

During the monsoon like rains, my yard quickly became a small pond. Never in my life have I ever seen or experienced flooding like I did today. Being located in central North Carolina, flooding is not a common occurence and only resigned to watching on tv. Fortunately my home was fine and once the rain slacked off, the flooding receded rather abruptly. It was a scary feeling none the less. Weather is definitely one of the few things in life we have no control over. I marvel at how natural disasters have a life of their own and more importantly I am amazed at how something like that can cause so much damage all by itself. It's times like today when I really do question God's work. My mom always told me to never question the work of the Lord. But it falls right up there with all the other questions I hope to ask Him someday like why does He allow bad things to happen to good people. Or why does He allow children to become missing or harmed? So many questions and yet no way of understanding the things that happen in our world.

I guess the one thing that we can all be assured of is that there's a reason for everything just like there was a reason why NC was impacted so hard with the leftover remains of Fay today. Good things always seem to come out of bad things most of the time. The good thing about today's rains is that now our state has cut its drought deficit in half. Even when we can't always see the rainbow after every rainstorm, one thing is for certain, the sun always shines again! Tomorrow should be an absolutely gorgeous day!

THE HAIR IS HAVING A BAD DAY!!

2008-08-26T20:33:00.006-04:00

This morning when I awoke, I heard an old familiar sound outside. It was raining!!! For the first time in as many weeks, it decided it was going to rain. Oh, I'm not complaining because we certainly needed it. And besides there was no way to avoid it. The radar showed rain that stretched from NC to 3 states over. I guess Tropical Storm Fay wasn't ready to totally dissapate just yet.

How do I know it was Tropical Storm Fay????? Well...let's see...when I walked out my door to get in my car, the air hit me square in the face. There it was, that thick, hot, muggy air that can only be found during falling precipitation in late summer in North Carolina OR when the remnants of a tropical storm are crossing your state. It was breezy and for a moment I began to wonder if I was at the beach. Had it not been for trying to dodge the raindrops to my car, I would have closed my eyes and pretended to be.

And then without any warning, my hair decides to turn on me!!! The hair was not having it...no sirree!!! The hair decided that it did not like Mr. Humidity one bit!!! So instead of behaving and minding its manners, it decided to throw a fit for all the world to see. Far be it for me to try and get it under control. The hair wouldn't hear of it!! No...the hair decided it was going to have a mind of its own. All my early morning efforts of shampooing, conditioning, drying and straightening were washed away with the rain. Down the drain and the hair just stood by and laughed in all its glory. The hair didn't care how it made me look...this morning was all about it and only it!!! The hair went from super straight and styled to wavy and frizzy. I attempted to run my hands through it to calm it down, but to no avail. The hair just continued its tiraid on me; leaving me helpless and waving the white flag of surrender.

By the end of the day, the hair had whipped me in my face, created little waves all over my head, and had its complete way with me until it finally had its fill of fun and games at my expense. The hair was no longer angry & aggravated because those emotions had been transferred onto me.

I decided it was time to enact my revenge. I arrived home from work and without hesitation I not so politely pulled my hair up into a bun (using a huge, orange scrunchie as my ally) and showed it who was boss. This immediately quieted the hair. There was no mistaken who was in charge of this head of hair. And what a peaceful evening it has been. The hair is settled down upon my head and I am once again feeling in total control!

EXCUSE ME....COULD I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE??

2008-08-24T13:24:00.005-04:00

It has just been announced that Dawn O'Neal, famed writer of the blog post, The Stitchin' Nook, is officially re-entering the world of cross-stitching effective immediately! It was speculated that over the summer months due to all the busy activity that summer brings that this writer found herself stretched and pulled in many different directions unable to fulfill her desire to stitch.

It has been rumored that the start of a new school year and sudden loss of occupying the time of her kids will result in more time to devote to her favorite past time.

Over the summer this writer had several WIP's going that came to a standstill. One being a MSAL that she has now completed 6 of the 15 parts and currently working her way through the 7th part as this is being written. Our sources tell us that she also is hard at work on a Christmas stocking that she hopes to complete just in time for the upcoming holiday season!

THIS JUST IN!!

We have just received word that Ms. O'Neal will begin a new project this fall called Monopoly SAL! This is a replica of the famed Monopoly game board by Parker Brothers that will be stitched to full scale size on...wait for it....18 ct White Aida! This is exciting news as this is a project not for the faint of heart or those who have a closet full of UFO's currently! From what we understand, she has purchased all her materials and is ready to get started any day now.

We have requested an interview with Ms. O'Neal, but she's declined due to her very busy upcoming stitching schedule. She did agree to release photos of her work so that we may continue reporting on her progress.

Please keep it right here on the American Stitching Network for all the latest developments as they unfold!

READY...SET...GO...IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!!

2008-08-24T09:25:00.017-04:00

Today is the last day of summer vacation for my youngest two children. (If you can count weekends as days of summer vacation.) And of course, my kids have mixed feelings about returning to school. Who could blame them? The summer came and went like a whirlwind blur.

(Oh my...it's the last day of summer!!!)

I thought since I have highlighted and showcased my daughter, Megan's, trip to college, that it would only be fair to introduce you to my younger two.

This year my younger two will be at the top of their grade levels in their respective schools.

Meet Cameron!

From the looks of the picture above you would never guess he's going into 8th grade! (Actually, big sister, Megan was having a little fun with him during her graduation party...and as you can see Cameron was practically begging me to shut the camera off.) I couldn't resist...after all...these are the kind of pictures that are worth a thousand words!

A little about Cameron...through the summer he's grown. He now stands taller than me...(but then, I think half the world does too!!!)...he's now almost the same height as his big sister (although you can't really tell from the pic above)...a whopping 5'4" to my 5' 1.5". He is a 1st Class Boy Scout and working towards his Eagle Scout achievement. His passions are playing video games and anything having to do with soccer. He currently is playing on a Fall rec soccer team with all of his peers and hopes to make his school soccer team again in the Spring. He is an A/B Honor Roll student.

Presenting Hannah!

I'm sure you've guessed from the picture above that she either likes to dance or enjoys dressing up in costumes!! (Actually...this was taken from her dance recital last Spring. She took Jazz and really enjoyed it!)

So what can I tell you about my "Hannie". She's an absolute ray of sunshine. She's the last of my 3 and my heartstrings are already being pulled this year because this will be her last year of elementary school. She is going into 5th grade and is probably the most excited of my 3 to be starting school on Monday. She loves animals and babies. She vows and declares one day that she is going to have lots of children running around and lots of animals to boot. Of my 3, she will be the best parent because she has such a loving, nurturing nature about her. She has a wonderful sense of humor and keeps me and her brother in stitches most of the time. (Actually if they both get to going...watch out...you won't be able to breathe!!!) She's decided she's not taking dance this year. She wants to work hard and make straight A's. She also is an A/B Honor roll student which has always been great, but I guess she wants to leave elementary school on a high note! (I'll take it!)

Of my 3, I believe time has gone by the fastest with Hannah. It seems like yesterday Megan was starting 5th grade (the same year Cameron started Kindergarten). One day recently Hannah said to me, "Mom, you know Cameron & I will be at the top of our schools next year and Megan will be starting at the bottom of college.") Oh...from the mouth of babes truth always emits forth!

So...here we go again! Another school year is upon me! I just love this time of year. Back in the day, the first and last day of school were the most exciting for me. The anticipation of heading back to school after a long summer (summers WERE a lot longer back then) and getting to see all my friends. There was no Facebook or Myspace back then to stay in touch through the summer. Most summers you didn't see your friends until school cranked back up. Even once the 'newness' of a new school year wore off and I became settled in my school routine, it was still fun and exciting. I loved school! I'm probably one of the few who would openly admit that if I could have found a way to make a career out of going to school I would have done it in a heartbeat! Times have definitely changed and my kids don't seem to share in that same excitement, although try as I might to get them to!

This time of year doesn't just bring on school, but Fall soon follows with all sorts of activities. There are Fall festivals....stitching....hayrides....stitching....bonfires....stitching...the changing leaves....stitching...raking leaves....stitching...cooler temps...stitching....wearing sweaters and sweatshirts & jeans...stitching...high school football games that span into early November or December if your favorite team makes it to the State Championship...stitching...the State Fair...stitching...soon to be followed by Halloween and then Thanksgiving and Christmas! It is such a time of celebration. For most parents, they rejoice for a different reason when school starts! But not me....I enjoy my kids and love their company!! They are at a wonderful age and when we share in experiences together this time of year, it always proves to be very special and memorable!

So...I'd better get busy....it will be here before you know it. Don't want to miss yet another year of partaking in some of my favorite things with my kids!

...decorating for Fall

....visiting the pumpkin patch

...drinking hot apple cider

In the hustle, bustle of this week, if you find your kids are starting school too, stop and take a moment amidst it all and just enjoy it! It's a great time of year for many reasons!! I hope by pointing out some of the best things about this time of year that you are now just as excited as I am and I invite you to join me in making the very most of it all!

Until next time....Happy Stitching! :)

OOH....I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!!

2008-08-23T14:09:00.007-04:00

Friday night kicked off the start of my favorite time of year. For the last several years the start of school getting cranked back up is marked by the area high schools playing their first game of the season prior to the first day of school. Woo Hoo!

This year was no exception. In our school district the big game of the week (which also was the home opener of my oldest daughter's now Alma Mater (boy, is it strange to say that...my daughter is now an alumnus!!!) was between cross county rivals the:

Eastern Alamance Eagles & the Western Alamance Warriors

Western Alamance came into the game as defending champs of last year's State 3-A Championship with the cards stacked against them; having lost their starting offensive and defensive lines to graduating Seniors. Eastern Alamance on the other hand didn't fare too badly last year given Western was the dominate team in the conference & had nothing to lose in this latest match up. It was speculated that Eastern might beat Western due to the dilemma Western Alamance faced coming into this season. And the critics were right.....Eastern Alamance beat Western Alamance 26-15!!!

On the other hand, my Alma Mater that I graduated from 20+ years ago, didn't have as good of luck. They lost 29-14!

So...there you have it...Friday Football Fever is in full swing and before you know it another summer will soon be behind us in just a few short weeks. So I say bring on the cooler temps, the trees changing colors, and the fast approaching holiday season for that's what makes this time of year so exciting and special!

See you at the football stadium! Until next time...Happy Stitching! :)

I THINK I'M IN LOVE!!!!

2008-08-23T09:00:00.003-04:00

Just when I think I have cooled down from Michael Phelps superhuman feat in the Beijing Olymics, and returned to life as I knew it, now I learn that this is a guy after my own heart...(and it has nothing to with swimming!!!). MICHAEL PHELPS IS WRITING A BOOK!!!!

Please forgive me for posting yet AGAIN about our American Top Male Model, but you see, I can't help but notice that MP is not only athletic, talented, but now SMART as a whip too! He wants to be a writer. I think about this....I want to be a writer too!! I'm already preparing to purchase his book as I am putting the finishing touches on mine!! While his will be a tale about his experiences of winning 8 Gold medals and a fundamentals book about swimming, mine is a romance novel. His is based on facts...mine on fiction. Let's face it we're a match made in heaven!!

On a serious note, I find this to be incredible given he has publicly announced that he has suffered from Attention Deficit Disorder most of his life (which I believe he will also address in his book). I know from firsthand experience that it takes a great amount of concentration to be able to sit down and write for long periods of time. Fortunately for me, I write when I get the urge so I have never really dealt with struggling to find the words to put on paper. For someone with this disorder, it makes concentrating on even the most mundane of tasks difficult. I'm amazed that in spite of it, MP didn't let it affect his ability to achieve greatness in the sport of swimming. He has shown that even with having that to deal with, if you put your mind to something you can do anything!

So...I'm anxious and ready for MP's book to come out. I hope it includes that section in the middle of black and white photos of him! I may have to buy two copies...one for keeping on my bedside table for reading at night and the other so I can rip out the middle section and make a collage out of them to hang on my bedroom wall so I can look at him when I'm not reading his book!! LOL

Kudos go out to Michael Phelps...Greatest American & World Olympian of all time and soon to be published author! Hmmmm...I hear a plot brewing in my head for my next book about an Olympic swimmer.......

Until next time...Happy Stitching! :)

AND THE DAUGHTER CRIED....MAMMA MIA!!!!

2008-08-22T22:25:00.015-04:00

Who would have thought that on this first college weekend I'd be getting a call from my newfound college bound daughter asking if I wanted to 'hang out'. Yes...it's true! It happened. (Okay...so she was bored...no I think she told me that all her friends from high school who are attending the same college as she had decided to come home for the night to attend their high school football game home opener against a major rival, or no...on second thought, it could have been the fact that her 'roomie' ...(that's what they call roommates these days) would be out spending the evening with her boyfriend). So what if I was last resort? I was stoked! My daughter actually WANTED to spend the evening with her mom!! How cool is that???

So I drove the thirty minutes to the college town where she now resides and picked up my daughter. We set out on our evening of hanging out and of course after eating three days worth of 'caf' food (cafeteria) as Megan put it, it was a must we grab a bite to eat. After a couple of missed turns (you would think I would know how to navigate my way around one of the busiest thoroughfares ever...maybe it was all the excitement of getting to spend this quality time together), we (she) finally decided on O'Charleys.

Then it was off to the movies and after scanning the list of not so great ones out there right now to choose from, we chose "Mamma Mia"...one of the great summer movies...that I failed to go see when it came out. I've never been much of a movie buff and could probably be one of those considered to be "Big Screen challenged. But I have to say that this movie is a MUST SEE!!!! It is definitely a chick flick. So gals don't take your guys to this one...unless they are into chick flicks or like the musical group ABBA! For those of you who have not seen the movie then I won't spoil it for you. However, I will tell you, that as I watched the movie with my daughter I couldn't help but notice the many parallels between the movie and real life of my daughter and I.

There was a scene in particular that I completely lost it on. It was a sweet scene in which Meryl Streep helps her daughter, Sophie, get ready for her wedding. The song that played during this exchange was the ABBA hit "Slipping Through My Fingers". As I listened to the words I couldn't help but totally identify with them especially given this is the very week that my daughter left home for college.

Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning

Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile

I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness

And I have to sit down for a while

The feeling that I'm losing her forever

And without really entering her world

I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter

That funny little girl

Slipping through my fingers all the time

I try to capture every minute

The feeling in it

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Do I really see what's in her mind

Each time I think I'm close to knowing

She keeps on growing

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table

Barely awake, I let precious time go by

Then when she's gone there's that odd melancholy feeling

And a sense of guilt I can't deny

What happened to the wonderful adventures

The places I had planned for us to go (Slipping through my fingers all the time)

Well, some of that we did but most we didn't

And why I just don't know

Slipping through my fingers all the time

I try to capture every minute

The feeling in it

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Do I really see what's in her mind

Each time I think I'm close to knowing

She keeps on growing

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture

And save it from the funny tricks of time

Slipping through my fingers

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Schoolbag in hand she leaves home in the early morning

Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile

The movie came to a close and I drove my daughter back to her dorm and dropped her off. As she walked away I thought about that song and its words. My, the years certainly have gone by, oh so fast! My daughter is practically a woman now...finally off to college and embarking on a brand new chapter in her life. This evening was a stark reminder of just how we are always right where we are supposed to be in every given moment. What were the odds that my daughter would call me and we would go see a movie about a mother and a daughter that contained a song that truly spoke the words of my heart, in the very week that my daughter headed off to college and I had to learn to let my 'little girl' go. Life is indeed full of pleasant surprises and those are the ones that are the most bittersweet!

HERE WE GO AGAIN...TALES FROM THE WORLD OF DATING!!

2008-08-20T19:45:00.004-04:00

(This blog post is dedicated to all those women out there who have their own dating horror story to tell. This also goes out to Meari
who I can totally relate to!!)

It was the year 2000, and I found myself back on the dating scene for the first time in over 13 years. Boy, how things had changed. I was no longer eligible for the high school crowd and having a status of separated with children made dating very interesting not to mention challenging. Little did I know how much dating had changed in 13 short years.

I decided to embark on internet dating. I didn't go to clubs and didn't believe in finding or meeting "The One" in that environment. So I searched the web and perused a few different dating sites and decided on one in particular. I posted a profile, a pic and was ready to go! Before I knew it I was meeting guys left and right who would check out my profile and email me. This was fun...or so I thought until I met Cecil. Cecil was a looker to say the least. He and I hit it off. Cecil was a smooth talker and before I could get really comfortable in the relationship, Cecil was buying me jewelry, nice gifts, flowers, etc. (Okay...so I was suddenly separated and the gifts and attention flattered me. ) What I didn't realize is Cecil was a con artist and he was seeking his next permanent mate.

Cecil lived about 1.5 hours from me and he didn't seem to have any trouble driving the distance. This was incredible I thought. Ever heard if its too good to be true, it probably is? This was all well and good until one Sunday afternoon Cecil decided to visit unannounced with his 5 year old son in tow. I was put in an incredible position because I didn't want to be rude, my kids were at home and after all he had his son with him. But it infuriated me.!!! How dare he intrude on my Sunday afternoon and time with my kids unannounced as if he owned me and the situation at hand. RED FLAG #1 & the first new rule of dating in a world after 13 years of marriage. DON'T SHOW UP AT SOMEONE'S HOME YOU HAVEN'T BEEN DATING LONG UNANNOUNCED!

Okay...so he came to visit unannounced. I overlooked the mishap and decided he must really like me to drive all that way AND bring his son. We continued to see one another and during the time of getting to know one another Cecil had discussed his ex-wife and marital situation which was no biggie as I had been through similar circumstances so I could relate. What I didn't know or realize is that Cecil left out a lot of details about his past.

I took Cecil to visit my dad and stepmom. This was the first time my parents had met Cecil. I never knew until after the fact, that my dad got a bad vibe from him in that initial meeting, so much so, that he took the time to have Cecil checked out. My brother had also met Cecil and one day in talking to my brother he said in passing that even though Cecil seemed like a nice guy, maybe it might be a good idea to check him out. Mind you I still didn't know at that time that my dad had already checked him out and he had done so by having my brother who was in law enforcement look into Cecil's background.

I took my brother's advice to heart and checked out ole Cecil. Well....remember what I said about if something is too good to be true then it probably is? Well...it seems that Cecil had been married not once but twice. That was a minor detail he left out...still no biggie. However, both ex-wives had filed domestic violence charges against Cecil..a BIG detail he forgot to mention. The real shocker was learning that Cecil's dad had pulled time in prison for MURDER. He must have had a complete memory lapse on that one. Wonder where he got the violent streak from? Needless to say, I never saw a violent moment in all the time that I dated Cecil and would not have guessed that Cecil was a violent person whatsoever. My guess is he was saving it for the honeymoon.

I'm very thankful to this day that my dad has the sense of perception when it comes to people that he does. He and my brother saved me from making a terrible mistake. And as far as Cecil goes...I kicked him to the curb shortly after I learned the truth. I also said goodbye to internet dating.

UNDER EVERY CLOUD...LIES A SILVER LINING!!

2008-08-20T18:08:00.014-04:00

The past several days have lent themselves to several black clouds showing up unannounced and uninvited in my life.

As mentioned in an earlier post, on Friday of last week my mom was hospitalized for an infection that had gotten completely out of control. Over the course of her hospital stay she was given a scare that she might have a blood clot that was not related to the infection. As it turns out she did not have a blood clot, is doing much better in response to some powerful antibiotics, and was released from the hospital earlier today.

During all of this, I found myself preparing for my daughter's departure to college and some personal growing pains of my own as this new chapter in mine and my daughter's life will be written. Sure I know she'll do fine. She was an Honors student all through high school and I expect no less than Dean's list status from her in college. She's always had this uncanny ability to make friends; some of which will one day be considered life long friends despite the miles and space between them now that college has taken them in different directions. But the sudden realization she won't be around as much during the school year as before is quite a wake up call. (Okay...so maybe her Senior year of high school should have been preparation enough between her studies, working a part-time job and having a boyfriend didn't lend much time to seeing her then either.) It just feels different now. I know she's only thirty minutes away from home but for her first year she won't have a car on campus and won't be coming home on a whim like she did when she still lived at home. Oh the trials of life transitions. The upside is that in less than 24 hours after her move in on Tuesday she's already called me to say her 1st "THANK YOU". She thanked me for organizing her lingere drawer as we unpacked yesterday. I thought she was kidding. She said, "No, mom I really like the way you put everything in its place." Guess that's a testament to the fact at how she's been keeping her own lingerie drawer at home organized over these last few years. Now with mom's 'special' touch, let's see if she can keep it that way!!

And then today despite the emotional roller coaster I have been on the past few days between taking care of my mom and seeing my daughter off to college, I get notified by not 1 but 2 different 'blogger friends' that I have been nominated for an award!!! I was so excited especially because I have only been blogging a little over a month now & really enjoying it. But more importantly, since I've found cross-stitching again, I've already begun to make some wonderful friends through a few Yahoo cross-stitch groups I belong to!

A special THANK YOU goes out to SHARI & MEARI for thinking enough of me & my blog to nominate me for the "I Love Your Blog" award. ! I feel so honored! :)

Here are the rules I received with the award:

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated.

In return I'm recognizing a few of my favorite bloggers below:

Laurel's Stitching...All Things Christmas

Spinster Stitcher

The Stitching Teacher

Jenn-X Stitch

Just Another Stitching Blog

Carolina Dreams

Pip Stitch

Here's to all my blogging friends & stitching friends too!!! Cheers & Kudos to you all!!

So...all in all the past few days, while trying on the ole nerves, patience, and emotional stability, I've been reminded that no matter how dismal things may seem, in no time we can rest assured that good things will come to those who wait if we will just stay the course and not give up!!! Hey...isn't that like cross-stitching????

Until next time....Happy Stitching!!! :)

WHEW!!...NOW I CAN PICK UP WHERE I LEFT OFF!!!

2008-08-17T01:22:00.009-04:00

Have you ever had this huge wave of relief come over you??? That is exactly what happened upon Michael Phelps & Team USA taking the GOLD on Saturday night at the 2008 Olympics!!

I was relieved because Michael clinched his 8th GOLD medal at the Olympics; relieved (and yet, a little saddened) that this was his last race of this Olympics, (guess if I want to see that perfectly shaped physique now I'll have to resort to the million or so pics posted on the internet) and relieved because there would be no more nailbiter moments to come in anticipation of MP breaking the most important world record in Olympic history.

But what I found to be the most pivotal moment for me during this last week, is NOW I can FINALLY resume partaking in my favorite passion...CROSS-STITCHING & get back on track!!! Sure, I strived very hard to stitch while I watched this week, but I found that especially when MP & Company were competing, I would sit gripped firmly to my needle and floss until my knuckles turned blue (or wait, was that my face turning blue from holding my breath)...in agonizing suspense of whether or not MP would win his next GOLD in line. NO matter how hard I tried to work while he was on, nothing I did worked. It would be one thing if MP wasn't so darn easy on the eyes. Had he been anything less than absolutely GORGEOUS, I could have stitched away to my heart's content...(and most assuredly had that Christmas stocking for my daughter all finished by now & possibly a few other WIP's as well). But it was not to be.

So...now with MP & friends having won the GREAT 8 & the Olympics are slowly winding down over these next several days, I can now rest easy knowing I can pick up where I left off before the fact. Oh no...new sudden wave of emotion has just come over me...This time it is not relief...but rather one of PANIC!! What will I do now that there will be no more MP on tv to watch...no more swims...no more races for the GOLD...no more abrupt disruptions in my stitching efforts????

Guess I'll just quietly resort back to my old ways....to the days before this week took place in my life...before Michael Phelps...and just deal with it!!! (Hey, if anyone out there has already created the 1st Michael Phelps pattern to stitch, I'm first in line to cast dibs on it!!) BEWARE! If that happens the rest of my WIP's will be in trouble quick & headed for UFO status!!

THE GR-8888-EST EIGHTH WORLD WONDER!!!

2008-08-16T23:25:00.008-04:00

Well...it's official!! Michael Phelps is undoubtedly the BEST Olympic athlete in the world!!!

Watching Michael Phelps & Team USA win the GOLD just moments ago was one of the few rare moments in my lifetime where I just swell with pride inside to be an American. What further propelled that feeling was watching the interview after the race that showed the best in team spirit and team sportsmanship that I have seen in a very long time. It takes more than talent and hard work to be the best in the world. What makes an athlete great is having the full support of his teammates behind him & its no secret Michael Phelps not only has the support of his team but support of his country cheering him on as well.

This Olympics for me will best be remembered as one of my personal favorites. It goes without saying this is THE Olympics for the history books! And as these games come to a close a few short days from now, we will not feel the need to question or wonder "What if?"...instead we will just revel in the phenomenon known as Michael Phelps!!

STITCHIN'...THE OLYMPICS...& OTHER TIDBITS!!!

2008-08-16T20:44:00.024-04:00

Try as I might I've been too engrossed by the Olympics & life events this week to get as much stitching done as I'd have liked. There has just been too much that has proven to be a distraction in watching the Olympics. I mean...weren't our Women's gymnastics team just fantastic the other night... Nastia Liukin winning the GOLD & Shawn Johnson taking the SILVER!!! YAY TEAM!!! What a way to finish up this event & making the USA proud in the process!

And then Michael Phelps did it AGAIN by winning his 7th GOLD medal by a nano second! We, Americans, were amazed and Michael Phelps showed us and the world once again why he's the best there ever was!!!!

On Friday I was met with the unexpected when my mom was admitted to the hospital for a staph infection that had developed from a sinus infection she'd had for about two weeks. After oral antibiotics failed to cooperate, her physician felt it would be best to put her in and get her on IV antibiotics. It's amazing what a difference 24 hours makes. Today mom's swelling in her face had gone down considerably which was evidence that the doctor's decision was the correct one!

Despite the distractions & the diversions...all was not lost. I did manage to get a little stitching in. I thought before my stitching groups disown me and discredit my membership, I'd better post some pics to show that I'm still making progress even though it has been a slow go this week. First off, I managed to finish my Christmas ornament for an ornament exchange I'm doing as part of my ILCS Yahoo group.

I also made some more progress on my daughter's Christmas stocking. (As I work on this project, I'm constantly reminded why projects like this are called WIP!!!) Sometimes I think to myself "will I ever get this done by November so it'll be ready to use when I'm ready to decorate the house for Christmas"...guess we'll all have to stay tuned on that one. At least I belong to some great cross-stitching groups who will keep me motivated. My biggest challenge on this is the many color changes. Just when I think I'm getting going on a certain color...it's time to change!!!

So...it's on to another week. Maybe Michael Phelps will get down to business & win his 8th GOLD tonight! And then maybe, just maybe, I'll finally get back to the business of stitching!!!

Until next time...Happy Stitching! :)

MICHAEL PHELPS...AMERICA'S NEWEST HEARTTHROB!!!

2008-08-14T19:49:00.013-04:00

Okay..is it me or is Michael Phelps the newest best looking, sexiest heartthrob to hit the television screen since Dr. McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy?? Before you get the wrong impression, I'm happily NOT married...so I'm free to drool all I like!!! :)

I've been hooked this week on the Olympics! Funny thing is I think the Olympics is a true testament to my coming of age...meaning...I'm no longer young enough not to care about the Olympics. But I was thinking the other night as I was watching...(and yes, I've watched other sports during this Olympics besides swimming!!)...what was it about this Olympics that has made me want to watch!

Well..for starters...there's the Women's & Men's Volleyball team that have had an impressive showing thus far. Then the excitement of watching our Women's Gymnastics team compete against China for the Gold and even though they lost...was like watching a basketball brawl between Carolina & Duke & I found myself yelling at the tv as our American women competed trying to spur them on!!! And then the other night I had the amazing discovery that Ping Pong is an actual Olympic sport...I mean has my head been in the sand folks or is this a new entry to the Olympics this go round. But the whole week, nothing has been quite as exciting or stood out more to me as watching Michael Phelps do his 'swimming thing'. Absolutely astounding...(oh...I was referring to his swimming...not his muscles...just to be clear...LOL). Breaking the world records and winning a total of 5 Gold medals thus far has propelled him very quickly to super sports star status alongside the likes of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods & Jeff Gordon! I mean, heck the Chinese even love this guy so that tells you he's got that "IT" factor! And who knew you didn't have to be on American Idol to acquire that label???? I think the thing that I've been most happiest about this week is for once the media is hyping something that actually has some merit for a nice change. I don't feel duped that the media has made Michael Phelps out to be some kind of superficial 'Swim God" because I've seen with my own two eyes what he is totally and fully capable of doing in the water that could be done regardless of the extensive media coverage and attention paid to him.

Every now and again, we get a true sports champion and hero that makes us proud. It's my guess that even if Michael Phelps doesn't win the remaining three Gold medals up for grabs that would only make him break more world records, we, as Americans would still love him anyway. He's the epitomy of what a sports figure should be and lends a perfect example to us all of what it takes to be a great American.

Oops...gotta run....Michael (we're now on a first name only basis) is up to compete in less than an hour...oh did I just say that...what I meant say is...oops gotta run...the Olympics are on!!! Well..I think you get the picture. Hey...and just for the record...the Olympics are a wonderful source to stitch to! Now...I wonder what it would be like to stitch Michael Phelps???? HMMMM!!

Happy Stitching! :)

WRITING & STITCHING...TWO OF MY FAVORITE PASTTIMES!!

2008-08-11T19:27:00.014-04:00

(Grab a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage, for I've got a story to share!)

Ever since I was a small girl, I have loved to write. Finding the words to put on paper have always come easy for me. I've written short stories, poems, essays and even a play at the tender age of 12. But beyond that, I never pursued writing or took it seriously. Oh, I took it seriously enough to want to minor in Journalism in college, but then my plans for college fell through the floor when my parents divorced when I was in high school. So like the forgotten book on the dusty bookshelf, I put my hopes, dreams and goals aside for living what I thought was the life I was supposed to live. You know that life...the one after high school that one believes is supposed to happen when college is not an option. I went to work full-time, got married and had kids. I don't regret taking that path in my life because had I traveled a different road, I would not have had my three kids who are my heart & soul, pride & joy!

Even with the joys & rewards that motherhood brings, I've always felt like I'd missed my calling somehow. That inner part of me...(motherhood, marriage and job aside, the one that has a tendency to tap us lightly on our shoulders when it's trying to get our attention), has nagged me for years. I've often been amazed at what I've been able to put to paper. I reflect that if I'd had anything to do with it, there is no way I could have made it sound so eloquent. I believe my passion for writing comes from somewhere beyond just inside of me. I find when I write I can only do so when I am prompted. I get this urge within to put my thoughts on paper and when acted upon, I am in awe and convinced that what I possess is a gift from God and I am merely a vehicle through which He speaks.

I remember what Alan Jackson said when interviewed after he wrote the song, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning". He said the words just came to him when he awoke one morning and he knew he had a song to write. He said that God sent him the song. Every time I am prompted in such a way, I think about those words and can fully relate. I'm also a firm believer that when God wants us to do certain things, He won't stop trying to gain our attention until He succeeds.

Even reinforcement by friends and colleagues through the years when they would tell me, 'you have a way with words', 'you have the gift of gab', or 'have you ever thought about writing..you're good' wasn't enough to make me believe that what I was destined to do was write. I think to a sense we all believe we are destined for great things in life and I am no exception. The truth is, I have thought about writing, but pursuing it seemed so far out of reach...until now.

My story is very similar to that of Alan Jackson's. I awoke one morning last August with an idea and knew I had to get it on paper. To start, I had a mere few thoughts with no idea of what direction those thoughts would take me. As I began to write, it didn't take long for me to realize that I was on to something. I kept writing and words became sentences, turning into paragraphs, then pages, and then from there grew into chapters. Now fifty chapters later, I will soon be completing my first novel. It's a work of fiction; a romance/suspense novel. As this story has unfolded, another idea has been given to me for a spin off novel that will be a sequel to this one which will involve some of the same characters from the first book. And from there, one of my book's characters will have her own book down the road. Most writers experience writer's block, which is something I have yet to be privy to. As I mentioned, I have only written when I've been prompted to do so and the words have flowed without fail. The entire book has been written that way. Just when I think a given chapter may unfold a certain way, as I begin to write, it literally unfolds on its own.

As time has gone on and the book has progressed, it's become increasingly more apparent that this dream of being a published author is closer to becoming a reality more than ever. If I ever needed a sign...(outside of being hit square on the forehead from the Maker, Himself), I got that sign today. I work for a University and received in my mailbox a brochure of courses being offered on campus for the Fall. As I opened the brochure to the first page, the first course listed was one entitled, "Write Your Life" and then as I perused the brochure in full I came across another course entitled, "Almost Ready to Publish". I couldn't believe my eyes. What is the likelihood that the timing of these courses would be made available to me about the same time I am just before completing my first novel? Too coincidental you might think. I think not! Everything happens for a reason, in its own season and time.

Ironically all of my former passions have now come back around again. I spent well over a decade away from cross-stitching because I believe now that my love of this craft was not meant to be a part of my life during the past ten years. Now since writing has also resurfaced in my life, I find as I stitch my two greatest passions become intertwined and I draw inspiration from both that help to further enhance the creativity that dwells within me.

So...yes...I could have tried to find a way to attend college back then which would have put me on a completely different journey over these last twenty three years. I have no regrets about the many turns my life has taken along the way. I kinda like the way the plan has revealed itself as I've gone along rather than having it mapped out as a graduating high school Senior beginning on the road to success all those many years ago. It's almost as if my life has come full circle and I can't wait to see what lies up ahead!

SO MUCH TO STITCH & SO LITTLE TIME!!!

2008-08-09T14:12:00.000-04:00

Okay...is it me or are there just too many stitching projects out there to choose from???? It's never ending! It's bad enough that I already have a closet full of stash (yes...my stash is stored in a box in my closet...GASP) and I have more UFO's than I care to admit! And now since I've started stitching again, there are more needlework sites on the internet than one can count!!

So what's a gal to do???? I think I need to stand by the cross-stitch code of belief (whatever that is)...and be true to my past with finishing all those works that were started well over a decade ago. If you are a regular reader to my blog, you already know I've pulled a Christmas stocking out of the archives that I began working on for my youngest daughter.....OVER A DECADE AGO!!!! And then just the other day...I came across another seriously overdue UFO that I started for my son when I was pregnant with him...OVER 14 YRS AGO...that was an Alma Lynne piece called "Noah Ark Collector". I'm very bad, folks....because this piece was being created to go in his NURSERY!!!! I ended up buying a really nice framed picture that I used as a substitute instead!!

But..but....but....I protest...there's so MANY wonderful NEW things out there to stitch!!!! Just one more won't hurt!! Okay..let's face it, I'm an addict!!! I had a wonderful ride on the cross-stitch wagon over the past decade, but when I made the decision to finish my daughter's Christmas stocking as a goal of one of the things to accomplish for this year, things just got out of hand almost instantly. It wasn't long before I had fallen off the wagon and was watching it travel on down the road without me leaving this huge dust cloud instead because it'd taken off so FAST!!!

HELP....I need a 12-step plan....QUICK!!

Happy Stitching!! :)

MSAL....COMING SOON TO A COMPUTER SCREEN NEAR YOU!!

2008-08-09T13:57:00.000-04:00

This is WIP on the MSAL that I've been working on through my Yahoo Group, Oakhaven Designs. As mentioned in an earlier post, this is my first SAL and this is shaping up to be quite a nice piece. Above you see the 1st 4 completed parts. This MSAL has 15 parts overall. I've just received Part 5 but I'll have to wait to post pics of the finished piece once I have it completed so I don't spoil things for those who may visit my blog who are also working on the piece.

Not to worry, once I have it completed I will post pics of my progress as it unfolded along with a pic of the finished piece. So hang in there! MSAL coming soon to a computer screen near you!!!

MY 1ST 'MYSTERY' SAL!!!!

2008-08-08T10:38:00.000-04:00

It's official...I'm participating in my very first SAL! I had never heard of this particular fun stitching activity until I recently started stitching again and joined a few Yahoo groups that are all about cross-stitching!

This particular SAL is a 'mystery' SAL and is being done through the Yahoo group, Oakhaven Designs

The way this SAL works is there are 15 parts to this mystery pattern. The group moderator is releasing each part individually on a time schedule. In the event there are stitchers in the group who are wizards and can stitch faster than others, those folks can email the group moderator directly for the next part of the pattern in order to keep working. Everyone is encouraged to post a picture of their 1st 4 completed parts in the group album and then beyond that is where the mystery lies. Everyone will work on the remaining parts until completed in full and then post their finished piece in the group album. Above is a picture of Part 1

This is Part 2.

A just completed Part 3!!

I've just started Part 4 and will be posting pics of that very shortly!

For a 1st time participant of a SAL, I'm stoked!! Something about not knowing what lies ahead is the driving force behind this project that makes me want to stitch fervently on each part so I can get to the next one...FAST!!! (Funny...I've always had a fear of the unknown!!! What is it about cross-stitch that makes us women nuts; abandoning all sense of self, household chores, motherly duties, and WORK ....for the sake of stitching!!!) It must be the overwhelming feeling of being relaxed as we stitch away that can't be found in other things we partake in!!! Or wait...maybe it is the feeling of accomplishment when we've finished a piece. Whatever it is, I have no doubt this is one WIP that will NOT become a UFO!!!!

OH...& one last thing. If I've managed to cause major excitement to swell within you over this piece, & you have the overwhelming urge to now stitch this piece...SORRY..the sign-up for this SAL is now closed! BUT...there will be others!!! Boy...am I ever glad I started stitching again!!!!

Happy Stitching!! :)

MONOPOLY SAL TABLE IDEA!!! THIS IS TOO COOL!!

2008-08-07T19:46:00.001-04:00

So...how is this for a neat idea???? I came across this from a link that someone sent to one of my groups. http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1526592972082310674zbpJON

I had planned to stitch this and make this a nice picture for my wall, but I already knew that my wall space was very limited given I live in a very small house. When I saw this, I couldn't help but think...'what a GREAT idea'. I love things that are considered multi-purpose. What a wonderful conversation piece!!

Okay...that's it...my stitching plans have just changed for the weekend. I am working on an ornie for an ornament exchange all day tomorrow and had planned to dedicate my weekend to working on it as well in the event I don't get finished on Friday...but now it looks like I might just have to get started on this Monopoly SAL!!! I'll try to have pics posted if I'm able to get started like I hope!!

BTW...if you are interested in stitching the Monopoly board yourself, there is a Yahoo group called Monopoly SAL. You can find them here.

I'm really excited now!!! Monopoly anyone????

LASTING FRIENDSHIPS...ONE OF LIFE'S LITTLE TREASURES

2008-08-07T16:41:00.000-04:00

Last night I had the rare opportunity to have dinner with an old friend from high school that I had not seen in over 25 years. This 'mini' reunion was spent reminiscing about old days and things we did in middle and high school. It was a great evening playing catch up and one that won't soon be forgotten.

As the evening came to a close and I was driving home from said restaurant, I was thinking about how lasting friendships can be likened to cross-stitching. The excitement I always feel when I'm stitching never gets old. There's always something new to learn or embrace. Each pattern is created differently and depending on what type of fabric and floss is used determines the outcome. My excitement builds in the anticipation of completing a project. Just when I think I've got a piece all figured out, I take a second look and see something I didn't see before. And then when the project is all said and done, the lasting effects are there to be enjoyed forever.

Lasting friendships are like that. Friends are the fabric of our lives. We cross paths with many in our lifetime. Some friends are considered mere acquaintances; while others become cemented within our beings, helping shape and mold us into who we become as time goes on. Friends grace our lives in such a way that they can't be forgotten with time. They are a part of us. Each and every one leaves a lasting impression that remains with us indefinitely.

MONOPOLY SAL HAS ARRIVED!!!

2008-08-05T10:08:00.000-04:00

Well folks, it's here!!! When I got home yesterday, I had received in my mail a copy of the Monopoly game board pattern booklet from Shelley Tompkins, moderator for the Monopoly SAL group on Yahoo Groups.

As I looked through the booklet, I could just feel the excitement building inside me! In all my many years of cross-stitching, my habit has been to make things for others and give as gifts, resulting in only stitching a couple of things for my own personal enjoyment. Well...this go round, I'm gonna be a little bit selfish....this one's for ME!!!

Depending on how it turns out, I might just get generous and stitch this again someday for someone special....but that remains to be seen! I currently have several WIP going and hope to start this baby soon! I'll be sure and post my progress here for all the world to see!!!

Boardwalk & Park Place...here I come in that little silver sports car!!!!

Happy Stitching, Everyone!!! :)

I LOVE Gas Prices!!!!

2008-08-05T09:01:00.000-04:00

That's right, you read the title of this blog posting correctly! (This was not some clever attempt to get your attention so you'd read on.) I DO love gas prices!!!! Okay...so before you think I've completely gone mad, let me explain!!! Don't get me wrong...I complain as much as the next person about how high gas prices are...but my mom always says, 'try and find the good in everything' and believe it or not something good has come out of high gas prices for me! :)

I am now one of the many American's out there who have a 4 day work week because of high gas prices. I no longer work on Fridays & that is something definitely to cheer about!! I recently left the corporate world working 40 hours per week and took a job working 32 hours a week for a local University; which was before gas prices decided to skyrocket through the roof. My weekly work schedule to this point has consisted of working 4-7 hr days and 1/2 day on Fridays. So when gas prices started rising, I worked out a new schedule with my boss of working 4-8 hr days per week, thus giving me Fridays off!!!

Having Fridays off is a GREAT thing to someone who's worked an 8-5 job her whole working life. It doesn't quite make up for having to give up eating out, going out and about in the car unless its absolutely necessary, cringing every time I drive by my local gas station, or giving up my annual summer vacation, but it helps dealing with the sacrifices I, along with so many others have had to make over these last several months.

It's a fact, high gas prices are most likely here to stay (at least for awhile anyway), so in the meantime, I'll take advantage of the fact that while I may have had to give up a few things on account of high prices at the pumps, what I've gained in return has been far greater than rising gas prices could ever be....the chance to have Fridays off spending precious time with my kids that otherwise would be spent working! So...I'll take high gas prices & keep right on enjoying being able to kick off my weekend a little bit sooner than most!!! HERE'S TO OPEC!!! IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM!!

TO BE SINGLE OR NOT TO BE....THAT IS THE QUESTION!!

2008-08-04T09:23:00.000-04:00

It happened again this weekend. He popped up on my radar screen...my cell phone screen that is, and I don't mean the man of my dreams. As I read the text, I was reminded why I LOVE BEING SINGLE!!!

Before I can share what he said, I have to give you a little background on my history with him. I tried my hand at internet dating a little over five years ago after the breakup of my marriage & that is where I met him. We dated for a period of about three months or so and I really grew to like the guy. He seemed like my type and for the most part we got along...except when it came to the relationship itself. You see, he had been in a previous relationship that didn't go so well and well, the baggage from that relationship was carried into our relationship and was the perfect excuse for why he couldn't this or couldn't that; among other things. We lived about an hour apart and in the time that we dated never once did he ever invite me to come to his town to see where he lived and his side of the world. That should have been first red flag number one...or wait, maybe the fact he hadn't gotten over his past relationship should've been.

Anyway....it didn't take long for me to figure out this relationship was going nowhere fast. He had never been married, no kids and still lived at home with good ole Mom & Dad. That might have been okay had he still been in his late teens or early 20's, but this guy was a 30 something, okay!!! Or at least that's what he told me. I had my concerns that maybe the reason why he never showed me where he lived was maybe because he was married or either embarrassed about where he lived. Who knows? Needless to say, his issues were enough for me to end the relationship. After some time had passed, we made the attempt to become friends. It's no mystery that most men & women can NOT be friends after a relationship has ended. Either they hate each other because of the wounds inflicted upon each of them, or they try their hand at being friends since the relationship didn't work out, which always somehow gives that underlying expectation or 'hope' that things will go back to the way they once were.

Back to present day. Such is my case with this guy. Yes...we've tried our hand at being friends and have even gotten together for dinner on a rare occasion since that time. But I always get the feeling that there's that underlying expectation thing going on. I've noticed that in the times past, if I give this guy even remote time of day, he's calling me and asking me to go out....he terms it 'hanging out' which I've since been informed by my 17 year old daughter, that in this day in time means 'DATING'!!!!. If I'm nice to the guy on a friend level, that just evokes encouragement on his part and he calls, and calls and calls!!!! (HINT: You reckon he has a few regrets for the way he treated me before...I can just hear the mantra in his head..."If only she would just give me a chance!!!)

So...even with putting time and distance between me and said guy, I still get the occasional pop-up on the radar!! And without fail, I'll get the email greeting card wishing me a Happy whatever for the given holiday or special occasion. And let's not overlook, the text messages. They don't come often, but the timing is such that just when I think he's FINALLY gotten the message, when I least expect it, I'll have a text from him telling me that he was thinking about me and hope that I'm doing well. (So....I hate to burst his bubble!!!) I guess not texting him back wasn't enough of a hint!!!

And such was his latest text received this weekend! What's a single girl to do???? Even with making it known to him that I am LOVING SINGLE LIFE, I'm convinced he has selective hearing!!!! (And did I mention, not texting him back should be hint enough!!!) This must be interpreted to a persistent single guy (or possibly married...I never found out for sure..) that if a girl is single that translates to AVAILABLE to the persistent, single guy!! Or not getting a text back means a girl is playing hard to get...so PRESS ON!!

Just so there's no confusion...last time I checked being SINGLE to a woman meant one of several things...
a. A woman has either just dumped or been dumped by her ex.
b. A woman isn't being so lucky in love and it's not her choice.
c. A woman simply MAKES the choice to be single without option A or B having occurred (at least of late anyway.)

Sheesh...you would think it couldn't be any clearer??? Well...to us women, the rules are pretty clear, but why is it some guys just can't get a clue????

So...I'll wait with not so baited breath for the next text to appear...and mark my word, if I was a bettin' woman, I would place bets that within the next 90 days I'll be getting a text 'out of the clear' blue once again from this guy. While he continues to persist at being somewhat subtle in begging for a 2nd chance, I'll equally continue to persist by shouting it from the rooftops if I have to that 'I LOVE BEING SINGLE'. And I'll continue to keep rolling right along on the SINGLE WOMAN & LOVING IT train!

BRILLIANTE BLOGGER AWARD

2008-08-02T16:14:00.000-04:00

I have to say a huge THANK YOU to Joy from Newnan, GA for nominating me for the Brillante Blogger Award!!! This is such a honor for me because I have only been a blogger for a very short time...and when I say a very short time, I mean I've only been blogging less than a month now!! Who knew!

Here are the rules for the award:
1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blog.

Here are some bloggers who I think are "Brillante." Check out their blogs when you get a chance to see some beautiful and enabling work.

Meari - http://meari.blogspot.com/
Rene - http://renelafrogsramblings.blogspot.com/

Carolyn - http://xstitching5.blogspot.com/

Michele - http://michele11wa.blogspot.com/

Angela - http://hookedonstitches.blogspot.com/

Laurel - http://lovestostitch.blogspot.com/

Becky - http://beckysc.blogspot.com/

And I felt there was one more worth mentioning. This one is not stitching related but I came across it while bouncing around online one day and truly loved it! Enjoy!!

Ruthann - http://warmpiehappyhome.blogspot.com/

The world of blogging is indeed wonderful!!! To all my blogging friends, here's saluting you for always inspiring me with your words of wisdom and humor too! :)

TIES THAT BIND

2008-07-28T18:45:00.000-04:00

Over the past week, my time was divided between many different events and tasks, thus there was little time for stitching.

The beginning of the week met with being a Crew Leader at our annual Vacation Bible School. This year's theme, Power Lab, was a pretty popular choice among area churches and ours was no exception. I have to admit in all the years of my working with Bible school, this year proved to be one of the most exciting for both children and adults alike. As much as I enjoy helping out with this wonderful event, I couldn't help but feel as though I was neglecting my cross-stitching. (Okay...so I know nothing is supposed to take precedence above our Lord & Savior...especially when it comes to doing His work.) But the human side of me wanted to be at home stitching each night. It hasn't been that long ago when I picked my cross-stitching back up after more than a decade, so I wanted to be a little bit selfish in spite of my good deeds last week. I guess the war between good versus evil never ends. :)

Try as I might to steal a few stitches here and there through the course of the week, it was not to be!!! My week quickly turned into the weekend and I was off to travel out of town on Friday with my mom & youngest daughter to be with my aunt who was having a complete hysterectomy done as a result of being diagnosed just two weeks before with Stage 1 Cervical cancer. She came through the surgery without incident even though the surgeon found an undiagnosed tumor that first lab tests showed no invasion of cancer & there was no evidence of cancer having spread to the lymph nodes; which was incredibly good news! Time will tell as to what my aunt's recovery process will hold, but we are praying for her full recovery.

Then Friday went into Saturday and I was off to my family reunion on my dad's side. This reunion is held every two years and it is a wonderful tribute to my grandparents who were the glue that held my family together when they were living. My grandmother on this side is the same grandmother who I mentioned in an earlier post that was responsible for my learning to crochet and cross-stitch. She was very big on family and prided herself on the fact that she & my grandfather had a huge family that they were the patriarchs of! It is without a doubt that each time our family comes together for this gathering, my grandparents are smiling down upon us in their proudest moment in time. These reunions are a wonderful reminder of times past when we as a family would come together to celebrate holidays or one of my grandparents many milestone anniversarys. It also is an awakening to the fact that now that my grandparents have passed on, that those next in line to pass on will be the next generation (my aunts and uncles). While a couple of my aunts and uncles have already made it into their 70's, I'm reminded each time I attend one of these reunions, that time does not stand still and that sooner rather than later we will all one day meet with the end of our roads in time.

(There I am sitting on the end. My youngest daughter, Hannah, is sitting next to my dad & step-mom. On the back row is my oldest daughter, Megan, my son, Cameron & my step-brother, Nathan, his wife, Janelle and their 4 month old son, Caiden. LOVE MY FAMILY!)

Family has become a very important thing for me personally. With the graduation of my oldest daughter from high school in June, never has it been more apparent than this year alone just how quickly the years have clicked off one by one; and how fast time seems to accelerate as it moves constantly and consistently forward. It has truly made me cherish the family time that I do have. Our time is limited and we never know what tomorrow will hold.

(Here are my wonderful 3, Megan-17, Cameron-13, & Hannah-10)

So...another week has gone by and all was not lost. I did manage to get a little cross-stitching done on Sunday night after a long day of playing catch up on chores and the like that had been put to the side to make way for all the other week's activities. But suffice it to say, as anxious as I was to stitch, nothing could possibly compare to the feeling of being among family I had not seen since our last reunion two years before, or the fact that I was doing something worthwhile and pleasing to our Father above.

Maybe we cross-stitch enthusiasts love the craft so much because each cross-stitch we make is tied together to create a pattern. When one thinks of a cross-stitch being made by crossing two stitches, it is very much like that in life. We cross paths with people, be it family or friends who leave an impression on our lives. We think of the Man who died on a cross for our sins. Just as the ties that bind our SAL's, WIP's & UFO's together, the same can be said for the ties that connect us all.

THE CROSS-STITCH BUG HAS BITTEN!!

2008-07-20T14:50:00.000-04:00

Well, it's happened all over again. I've been bitten by the Cross-Stitch Bug...and this time he's bitten me bad and I've been left with the 'itch to stitch'.

It happened a couple of weeks ago. I had been doing a completely different type of stitching as in that of crochet and the ole cross-stitching bug had not visited me for several years. But I happened upon this really cool cross-stitching group on Yahoo groups called "I Love Cross Stitch" and it wasn't long and I had an infestation on my hands. Pouring through the various posts online and visiting many of the blogs of various members of this group, soon gave way to that little critter infiltrating my system and leaving me with this huge urge to stitch.

This time I've been affected differently than I can recall from past dealings with the Cross-Stitching Bug. I say different because since my absence from cross-stitching, there are new fabrics, threads and even BEADS, that I can use to create beautiful works of art! Who knew??? And that doesn't even include all the new acronyms for different cross-stitching terms that I have to learn if I want to keep up with the many posts online. Can anyone say, Cross-Stitching dictionary????

But that will have to wait for the time being because I've got a little WIP that could also be called a UFO (I think that is the term) because I started it over 10 yrs ago and due to the bug biting me, I now have pulled it out and am working diligently on it. (It's the only remedy I've found to keep the itching under control.) Here is the latest photo of my progress as of today (7.20.08).

Yes, I've been bitten bad this time around!!!! All of a sudden I'm finding myself late at night browsing the many, many cross-stitch websites out there that offer FREE patterns or patterns at a fraction of the cost. And then there's EBAY...with its many things to choose from. HELP...I'm overwhelmed! Too much to stitch and soooo little time.

And then that ole bug has caused me to have a problem with indecision. I can't seem to decide what to stitch next after my latest project. Should I finish all my WIP's or just start something brand new...again???? I mean there are just so many cute and elegant projects alike out there. And then Fall and the holidays are right around the corner. The things that I could stitch just for that wonderful time of year. I can feel myself getting excited just thinking about it!!! Oh, no...now I think I've developed a fever! Quick...someone hand me a needle & DMC floss! Oh, well...the bug is here to stay, so might as well learn to deal with being bitten. :)

HAPPY STITCHING!! xxx

Hi & Welcome!

2008-07-15T18:12:00.000-04:00

This is my 1st post of my new blog & I am so excited you stopped by for a look. Here you can keep tabs on me, meaning you can check out my progress on all those cross-stitch & crocheting projects I have going. You can help keep me accountable!

You see, I've been a slacker over the past few years. My fascination with crochet came at age 10 when my late paternal grandmother taught me to crochet. One of my fondest memories is of going to visit my grandmother and sitting beside her on the couch watching her crochet at a speed that I could barely keep up with, yet slow enough to pique my interest and be utterly amazed at how a skein of yarn could be turned into a blanket. To my knowledge no one else on my dad's side of the family dabbles in crochet except for me. I remember making 'mini blankets' as I liked to call them because they were just big enough to keep my baby dolls warm at night. I remember making my dad this Carolina blue and white scarf because he was a huge UNC Tarheels fan. I very proud of my accomplishment because making that scarf came under the guidance of my grandmother to ensure I was doing everything just right! But then after a brief stint of a year or so of making various things, I lost interest and put the crochet needle down for other things that took precedence back then like turning 13, then 16, 18, graduation, marriage, kids...well...you get the picture. So it wasn't until last year that I picked up crochet again at age 40...almost 30 yrs later!!! I had to basically reteach myself because my grandmother is no longer here to guide my hand. I made a few scarfs for old times sake and even crocheted my very first afghan for my mom.

Then there was cross-stitch...I am self taught; although my influence again can be credited to that same grandmother who also liked to embroider. So at the ripe ole age of 20 I took up cross-stitch after getting married. One would think at age 20, there would be much more to life, but after marriage and before kids what else was there??? I discovered cross-stitching when my ex-husband worked 2nd shift. It helped pass the time and I found it to be quite relaxing. I have made everything from pictures, Christmas ornaments, blankets, Christmas tree skirt and Christmas stockings. Most of the items I made I gave as gifts and only a mere 3 things I've cross-stitched in my lifetime I actually did for myself. I have 3 children, 17, 13, & 10. The older two had the honor and privilege of my making them a Christmas stocking that was done just in time for the 1st Christmas each. However, my 3rd child, sadly to say, has never experienced the feel of having her own cross-stitched stocking from MOM. Suffice it to say, my intentions were good. I started the stocking when I was pregnant with her and well...what can I say...life got in the way. It's been almost 11 years since and still a WIP that is so very long overdue. So.....after all these years, I finally have the stocking out and working fervently on it in hopes of completing in time for this Christmas.

So what was my excuse or reason you ask for waiting a mere decade to complete this particular WIP? Well...maybe it was the fact that I've recently joined a fabulous cross-stitch group who has inspired me to no end. Or wait, maybe life has finally slowed down a bit...(okay...that one was a stretch)...or perhaps it is the simple reality check I had this past June as I watched my oldest child graduate from high school! Suddenly it occurred to me that my Megan was my youngest daughter's age (10) just last week (okay...so it seems that way) & now she's college-bound in a few more weeks & these last years have really flown by! So, that can only mean one thing...I'd better get busy. My Hannah's stocking is a Needle Treasures Counted Cross Stitch from Red Farm Studio called "The Christmas Blessing" that I purchased in 1997.

In addition to that, I am also working on a couple of crochet blankets for Christmas gifts and want to try and squeeze in a set of placemats for my stepmom as well. I've definitely got my work cut out for me between now and Christmas, but if things keep going like they have over the past few weeks I believe I will meet all my deadlines.

Needless to say, I am very happy that I've decided to take up both cross-stitching & crocheting again after all these years! So far its been fun and I'm looking forward to trying a lot of new things in both that weren't around 30 years ago. I know somewhere up there my grandmother is smiling down and watching my every stitch!