Staycations and glow-pals

At 3:00 yesterday I was blessed to begin my ten day staycation!  I relaxed early and went to bed early. Ideal start I believe!  I have a huge to do list but that's okay because I will relax a lot better when we can park in the garage and the laundry is caught up. 

Today is Halloween and of course it's always fun to see the little ones all cuted out. It's also a special person's birthday. About four years ago I met a lovely lady named Kourtnay for the first time on a brand new tennis team. I had no idea at the time what a blessing she would be for me and my family. Lord knows we never would've survived house hunting without her. We have had many exciting beach weekends and some crazy tennis matches. We are probably the only thirty something's that sing the gloworm song during stressful tennis nights. I'm very lucky to call her friend.  Ready for some more adventures!

There it is, some of that confidence

Before I get started I would like to share what I learned tonight: bugs CAN nest in clay tennis courts.  And fly out. Watch that. 

I've been kinda down on myself tennis wise lately. Basically because I've been awful.  I know it's all for fun but I have self expectations and I've been falling short, that in turn hurts the team too. Anyway, tonight I played with one of the newer girls on the team that just started this season. I wasn't my best but much better than the last few weeks. At the end I asked if she would want to play wth me again and I was blessed to hear that she did because she learned stuff from me. That made me feel sooo much better and really boosted my confidence.  Now I'm ready for next week's match!! 

When the cat's away...the mice work!

The bosses are in training and away this week so it's a skeleton crew at the office. Which is totally fine. I've actually be fairly busy. Normally when they're gone the phone barely rings and no one comes in but the last two days it's been fairly active around there.  I actually don't mind. It's one of those weeks where I feel like I have learned something over the years and can help the clients. Don't get me wrong, I love marketing, but when I'm blessed to actually interact in a helpful or mind-easing way it's kinda awesome, even if it is just a quick answer or helping with paperwork.  

Ball o' cheese

You know how all good cooks have this signature recipe that no matter how close you follow the recipe it will never be the way they make it? Well, my mom has a few but the one that is probably the most popular is her cheeseball. My friends and I have been blessed to indulge in this culinary delight for about a decade now. We have had the cheeseball on vacations, throughout football seasons, multiple holidays, and just cause someone wants one. Charlie had her first sample tonight, it's safe to say there is now one more cheeseball fan. Mom made one of these masterpieces for me to take to work tomorrow to surprise a friend that really needs a little special right now. No doubt there will be lots of "um, where's mine?" texts!  Good for me we have extra!

Kickin' it

Today was the last Sunday for our kickball league. Even though we never won and I am no superstar I still feel blessed to have been a part of the team. Made some new friends and had a great time with some old ones. May even try it again in the new year!

Walk

After a late night it was still a blessing to be up and at 'em early this Saturday. Today was the annual Walk to End Alzheimer's. As everyone knows, I think this is a great cause and like to support it when I can.  Our office walk team raised around $1,000 this year. So thankful to all who supported us and this great cause!

Scarowinds (Delayed)

(Wrote part of this last night and then started to get sleepy so had to finish today...)

Late and awesome night!  I was blessed to go to Scarowinds with some friends. Scarowinds is (this is where I began feeling like I was going to fall asleep and stopped). Scarowinds is annual Halloween experience at Carowinds amusement park.  For those of you that don't know, it is in Charlotte and for a little over a month they turn the park into a haunted house extravaganza and run some of the rides too. All of this starts at 7:00 pm so it's quite a differnt experience to ride in the dark.  The creepers are all over the park, not just in the houses. It's actually a lot of fun for all ages. I laughed so hard at my friends who are a teeny tiny bit jumpy ;)

 

Un-routine

I'd like to start by saying whoever decided to mix salsa and pumpkin is a genius. And my cousin is even more of one for finding and sending it. 

It has been a very non-routine week. Half the office has been sick and half of the remaining half was preparing for today's audit. Nothing bad, just normal practice, but still stressful. Lucky for me during most of the audit I was blessed to play with the bosses' three year old granddaughter.  I love kids but I also felt like I got to help out the office during an important day too; and still stay away from the scary audit process!!

We passed with flying colors and with that sigh of relief came an early dismissal. WOO HOO!  This gave me time to get my contacts, go to the post office, clean the garage, spend some time with the fur babies, and still be sitting down to start the VT football game.  Guess the un-routine was alright after all. 

Paint and play

Late night painting glassware last night. I have an order that's got to go out tomorrow (love orders!) and I had to replenish my glassware stock. Yesterday after work I ran to the stores (yes, multiple) to get the sizes I needed and, to my dismay, one store was out of the glass I needed. 😱 Now, this isn't good.  What to do, what to do?  I decided to come home and dig through some glasses stored in the studio closet just in case there may be one hidden.  Well, there in a bottom box that I'm pretty sure I looked in the other day, sure enough, I was blessed to find the glass I needed!  Totally saved the day. 

Today is Wednesday so that means tennis. I'm in a funk, I can't seem to hit the broad side of a barn lately.  I can hit over and around it though. It was a good time, I got to play with a new team member, and we played against some fun girls. I was hoping to play strong and maybe help some but that's okay. Sometimes it's good to revisit the basics of anything, especially a sport. I think that's what I need to do. Step back and take a breathe.  I think it's actually a blessing in disguise that my playing has been off and with a few adjustments including attitude I'll come back stronger. Probably was getting a little cocky anyway! ;)

Selfless Healthcare

Someone brought something disturbing to my attention today; how much profit will the inventor of a successful Ebola vaccine make?  In turn, how much will it cost to treat the patients?  Will they be like Jonas Salk was with the polio vaccine or will they be greedy?  I hadn't thought about that. I had thought about the cost to make and distribute but never that someone may personally profit financially. This would mean those in third world countries may not get the help they need. 

I was raised in a medical family and taught that the Hippocratic oath means something. Sure, perks in any profession are nice but the practice of medicine is not a business. Is it?

A few hours later a friend told me about a doctor, a specialist, that spent two hours with one patient, a family member of hers, and determined a more accurate diagnosis and suggested a different course of treatment may actually reverse the problem. Then I think about all the doctors and nurses around the world volunteering to help Ebola patients, at great risk to them, and little compensation, some are missionaries working in far less than optimal working environments. I think about how Mom goes everyday to the lab to help those coming through her office. We are all blessed to have these selfless healthcare people working to keep us safe and well. No need to let a few bad seeds ruin the good name, and hearts, of others! I chose to think good sense and compassion will prevail.  

Bunnies

It would appear we have been blessed with some bunnies in the yard!  Well, at least one. Could be more but I've only seen one at a time and it was too dark to see the one tonight. The girls saw it though!  They both were pretty proud of themselves for chasing it under the deck.  

It's like we have our very own special ecosystem, complete with bunnies, butterflies, and even the crazy mole! 

Fair football fun

Football day!!!!!!  And today I was blessed to enjoy it with my mom and a young friend of ours, a very nice little boy going to his first football game. Good thing we won!!  Then we went to the fair and played around a little bit. I think a good time was had by all, I'm still the wack-a-mole queen, and it felt good to share our day with such a wonderful kid!

Yesterday and today

I was feeling better yesterday but not 100% and I was in bed before 8 so I didn't post. Feeling even better today though. Still have a yucky cough and Lord knows I'm grouchy but I'm getting there. 

I have to say that yesterday I was blessed to get through the whole day at work without being sent home and wasn't incredibly grumpy in the process. That's the toughest part sometimes, not being a crazy person when you don't feel good. 

Today I didn't get much of anything done.   I wanted to take a bath in the jacuzzi tub but the settings were off and I managed to flood the bathroom. Didn't get that bath but the floors got a half way decent cleaning. That was interesting. My mom did buy this new refrigerator she has been wanting forever. It will be delivered next week but she is so excited today, it's a blessing to see her like that. I like seeing her excited over stuff, kinda like when I geek out over electronics. 

Allergies can be good too.

Well Mother Nature bit me in the rear again. It's my own fault for not listening to all the little warnings. I'm officially in full blown allergy attack. I could bring in Santa's sleigh in a blizzard right now. I've been sent home from work twice this week - which normally I'd be like "yay! short day!", but for some reason when I'm sick I feel like I have something to prove by torturing myself (and those around me) by finishing out the day.  Anyway, I'm in bed, propped up, hoodie and socks on preparing for, hopefully, more sleep than last night with what's clearly not a great attitude. I do have some fantastic medicine from Italy though. 

Anyway, enough whining and fussing. I'm blessed it's just allergies. I'm blessed that I can be with my family and friends and not quarantined. I'm blessed that I know with time my allergies will pass. I'm blessed to have a runny nose while there are those battling a frightening epidemic. My prayers go out to the people all over the world suffering from Ebola and other sicknesses that wish they just had a cough.  Prayers to their families as well.  

Beauty and the Bully

This young lady is a blessing!  The video will speak for itself but I commend her on taking something so negative and making such a positive out of it. I wish everyone had her strength, and that people would know better than to bully. 

http://youtu.be/0zLteIn7IS0

Honey

Gonna be a short one tonight but I have to say that honey is a blessing. Not only is it yummy it has many health benefits. It has anti-fungal properties and can help heal wounds and burns among many other things. It's also amazing for an irritated throat, especially in tea. 

Yummy goodness

Today I was blessed with this:

Now let me explain. This yummy goodness is potato soup. Not just any potato soup, it's the closest this world will ever have to the one my Mawmaw used to make. Absolutely amazing how our minds work. Mom thought she had found a recipe very similar to hers, and it was. We were eating and both thinking it's close but something is missing. Mawmaw would have secret ingredients she would add when noone was watching. Suddenly I remembered something I hadn't thought about in years, a color and a taste!  Then I knew the missing ingredient (which I will respectfully decline to mention). Mom added it and voilà!  Nothing will ever be exactly like Mawmaw's, but this is so close I don't think many people could tell the difference. So we ate the whole pot. After 16 years I never thought we would taste that again.  And then we had yummy pumpkin cupcakes my cousin sent and now I'm full and tired!

Bryan and Breezes

Heads up: long post with lots of pictures!!! ;). 

No football game to go to this weekend, bye week for us. Although I did thoroughly enjoy some upsets today. Last night I didn't get home till after midnight because I was blessed to go to the Luke Bryan Farm Tour concert. 

He's a fantastic performer. Whoever decided it was a good idea to have a country concert on farms across the country is a marketing genius. That place was packed, the farm surely benefited financially, I'm sure Luke Bryan did since it was sold out, and as my friend pointed out, some people that normally wouldn't go downtown to see a concert, would go to a farm. Plus you can tailgate for concerts like that which is always fun!

So then today I got a slllloooowww start. When I did get started though I was a cleaning machine!  The temperature was just right and we were blessed to open the windows!!  Houses need fresh air too you know. ;) I really like being able to open the windows, reminds me of my grandmother's house, she didn't have (nor need) air conditioner. On the hotter days we'd sleep with the windows open. I always liked the smell of the breeze coming through the house. I still enjoy it and apparently so does Lexi!

Safe and scheduled

This is a craaaazy week and I don't have a good reason why...except maybe the moon. Anyway after tennis last night it was late and I was jacked up and not calm enough to post. 

It was an intense match. We are on an abnormal losing streak and have had some intense tennis battles on the court the last few weeks. It's not a lack of effort for sure. One of our girls playing doubles hurt her leg just a few games into the first set last night. She is okay and luckily my mom was there so I felt better after she checked and said she was okay too. It occurs to me though, that after most of us have played together for 3 and 4 years, that we have been blessed with no major tennis injuries. We've been banged up a little but as far as the sport goes no tears or breaks!  Knock on wood!  

Thursday's are my Friday's 8 months out of the year. This is fantastic for several reasons. It also means that 5 days worth of work has to be completed in four days. It's my responsibility to make sure the calendar is full. It's hard to go past a week at a time most often. Granted there is a week with no appointments this month, I'm blessed to say I'm only three appointments short for the ENTIRE month of October, and have started on November!  The other three shouldn't be hard to fill either. This is a big weight off my shoulders and gives me a chance to focus on other things and maybe, just maybe, get ahead for the end of year slow down. 

Importance

Thanks to this blog I'm becoming more aware of blessings throughout the day when they happen. I still have to look back on the day a lot, but I am learning to take notice. And I'm sure I miss more than I should. Sometimes it takes hearing something from someone else to realize just how blessed we are. I've said multiple times how blessed I am to be given the parents I was given. I realized today how blessed I am that they always made me feel important. They never made me feel any less. I knew I was a priority. 

There are so many children that don't get that feeling. So many that need loving homes and a self-esteem booster. Just think what a better place this world would be if all the children felt secure in themselves and their families. 

80 years ago today

On this day in 1934 a man was born in Covington, VA that, 46 years later, I would be blessed to call my dad.  He has been gone 13 years now but I know he watches over us all. 

Bill Harris was an incredibly stubborn man (yes, I get it honestly), he was rather quiet, probably cause he couldn't get a word in edgewise, didn't get the humor in many jokes (yes, again, I get it honestly) and was probably the smartest man I'll ever know. A brilliant doctor, he helped many people. Most didn't know he could draw, although I'm not sure there wasn't much he couldn't do if he wanted to. He was far from perfect but he loved us all very much and showed it in his own way. It's funny how you don't realize at the time exactly what the little things mean. Like Play-Doh Magic shows and plastic sword fights, chess matches and Jeopardy, and of course the best telescope a 16 year old could hope for. 

I just didn't realize it all at the time. 

Celebrate good times

Today I was blessed to help celebrate the upcoming nuptials of one of my nearest and dearest's little brother, who's kinda like my little brother too.  Today was their couples shower at the children's museum downtown. They have a nice setup downstairs on the Riverwalk for private functions. The museum itself is a really cool place and of course my friend and I had to sneak up and check out some of the exhibits.  We had a good time with some new dinosaur friends ;). It was priviledge to be a part of their special day. The petit fours my friend's mom made that are now in our kitchen added to the fun of the day too ;). 

Home day

I've been saying all week I wasn't leaving the house today and I didn't! I was blessed to spend the whole day in, as my mom put it, my little domain.  Charlie was kinda drunk on Benadryl so I'm glad for several reasons it was a home day. I spent most of the day in the studio or watching football. It made for a great day. ;)

A trip to the Vet

Today was Vet day for the girls. They did well and are blessed to be in good health!  Charlie was a little upset with me for a minute which is odd because I have never ever seen that dog get mad, but she is a happy girl now. Molly even laid her head on the doctor's arm which is nothing short of amazing. 

While we were there I asked what to do with some of the old medicines we have. He said that we can bring them back and while they can't resell them that they can give them to pets whose owners can't afford to get them the medicines they need. If you have extra meds please check with your vet to see if they have a program like that. 

Tastes like...Fall!

HAPPY THURSDAY!!  So looking forward to this weekend. Today's blessing- the taste of fall. We received a gift today in the mail and inside the most awesome package was pumpkin cupcake mix, maple syrup leaves (possibly one of my new favorite things) and maple cream. Last night I had pumpkin dip and little pumpkin cakes. Of course I still have Pumpkin Hershey Kisses around.  Mom was talking about making these apple pie like things today too. Maybe pumpkin soup will come soon!!

Lucky catch

After working late last night I got off early today. Thank goodness!  I had so much to do before tennis including pick up our shirts (yay!). I also needed to mail a glass. When I got to the post office however, much to my dismay, I discovered a problem with the paint. Lucky for me I held it up to the light first. Even though I had to totally redo the glass tonight after a loooong match, I feel like it was a blessing. Had I sent something out below standard I would have felt terrible and shorted someone on their product. It may even help business in the long run!