Still Discovering My Home Town

Durham is decidedly a different place from the town that I left so many years ago. Of course, I'm decidedly different too. 

When I was growing up in my hometown my travel radius was pretty small. In fact, most of my destinations were outside of the city limits in the "county". Tobacco fields were a staple for the area. Pastures of horses and cows were sprinkled throughout the area. 

It did not seem odd that the town I called home was known nationally as the "City of Medicine". Duke University Hospital and UNC Medical School are ten miles apart. I was fairly comfortable visiting the campus of both schools and felt that they both are a part of my home.

The schools brought professionals and academics from all over the world. My home town had a small town but a diverse flavor. 

While "I was gone" I lived in several places. I spent ten years in the state's largest city which is a banking hub. This is less true today than it was ten years ago. Mergers and reorganizations have changed that landscape. But, when I was there I felt I was living in the heart of the South's metropolis. Looking back I realize that the population in Bank Town was not nearly as diverse as my home town. 

I also lived in the Seattle/Bellevue, WA area for seven years before moving back to my home town. That was such a great experience. We lived in a downtown high rise and loved it. I had my first Turducken courtesy of my friend that relocated from New Orleans.  

When I relocated back to my hometown I paid very little attention to its foodie hype. I figured it was a sort of city self-promotion. Many of my work colleagues had relocated from Silicon Valley. One was from DC and one from Boston. I remember they talked about Chicken and Waffles. I don't think I had heard of this before and I could not imagine what this combination would taste like. I like chicken and I love waffles, but I had no desire to combine these.

But then I got curious. When I decided this was something I wanted to taste I found that the "Almost Famous" Chicken and Waffles restaurant always had a line. I mean always. But one afternoon one of my friends took me there. We got in because it was something like 5:00 (maybe earlier?).

Okay...I loved it. And I need to go back. 

I love that I am still discovering surprising experiences without leaving town.

A Very Fun Birthday Indeed

Yesterday was the anniversary of the day I was born.  A small gathering formed at our favorite local (though still a chain) Italian restaurant. I honestly love that place. Sissy and her husband came, along with Dad and Mamacita. And of course daughter and her husband. I nice small group. Sis (the middle sister) couldn't make it...but we will celebrate on our own later.

I started out with a lovely Moscato which I absolutely adore. I haven't had wine in a long while. This was so nice and refreshing. Jordan and I had the pork tenderloin, which may be my new favorite. 

Here we are outside our favorite restaurant.

We didn't get many pictures. Just a few as we were leaving the restaurant.

After dinner, we gathered at my house for an impromptu game of Password. Sissy has already proven to be the Password Queen. She is unbeatable! That is until Danielle used a secret weapon when I was on Sissy's team. Turns out I was the weakest link!

The secret weapon? More wine!! Lots of really good Riesling. The wine was so good I didn't notice how many times D. refilled my glass. After I missed a few clues Sissy looked at Danielle and said: "My partner is drunk!!".

What can I say? I wasn't at my best. But I had an enormously grand time.

Fun on the Drive Home

I've probably mentioned that my drive to and from work has been a nightmare. 

Well...since driving to and from work for 90 days the commute has become much less intimidating. In fact...it's sort of fun.

I a saw a  pink Jeep the other afternoon. I wish I could have gotten the front. The headlights had pink eyelashes! 

This is the kind of thing that makes my drive so much more interesting. 

St. Pat's Weekend

I have a friend that is a really good photographer. She is also a good teacher. Do you remember my Waterfalls Photography Vacation?  ~ I know...it will be 2 years(!) in June. Time flies! Anyway, she is the person that organized that trip.

This weekend J. had several of us over to her house to share tips for Pet Photography. J. had some really good tips and shared her doggies to be models for us to try out our new skills.

Happy Friday

Happy Friday. I went dark on ya didn't I? I only got posts up 3X this week. It was a personal goal of mine to post each day during the week. Oh well....that didn't happen this week.  So, we'll see how next week goes.

I'm getting excited about the SUPER BOWL. I'm really torn about who to pull for. I think it'll be a great game. Sunday plans are: watch football and eat chips and dip.

Sharing a Hobby

D came over Saturday. She brought Starbucks' lattes and lemon loaf and banana nut bread. What a good daughter! Here she is. Isn't she beautiful? 

I love when she comes over. She and I usually laugh so hard that I end up having to use my asthma inhaler. At one point yesterday, Jordan said, "Okay Danielle, stop being funny for a few minutes so your Mom can catch her breath". Which...only made me laugh more. 

Driving at Zero Dark Thirty

It's almost my bedtime so this will have to be short. 

So, you know I have to get up at Zero Dark Thirty now so that I can drive 25+ miles to work. {Yeah...the drive and wake up time are not my fav...but so far I'm enjoying the new job.} Yesterday morning, I drove out of the neighborhood and was driving on the hilly, curvy road on the way to the highway. I was maybe two miles from home...when I saw a person that had pulled their car off the road and he was moving something off the road. 

What I Did This Weekend

What I did this weekend was....VERY LITTLE. And I'm not sorry.

I'm still new at my job...which means I come home with a fatigued brain each night. Not to mention that I now drive over 25 miles to and from work. (!!) Yeah! Driving itself can be a little scary. It's several different highways that I have to merge onto and off of. I can manage that okay in the mornings...but at night? OMG it's tough. I don't know if it's my depth perception or the fact that I get blinded so easily by all the lights...but I absolutely hate driving on these highways after dark. So, when I get home it's all I can do to just sit and watch Jeopardy. Which, by the way, I'm getting so much better at!

Two Neighborhoods of NYC

I'm still recovering from my vacay in NYC. --You know the old joke: "I need a vacation to rest up from my vacation." TRUE DAT.

But I have to say the weekend was exhilarating! I came back physically exhausted but emotionally re-charged! Clearly, I am not from NYC. But, oh, how I love that place.

Let me tell you how I explore new places. I love to experience a new place in bite-size pieces. My first trip to Europe was two cities: London and Paris. I spent three days in both of these wonderful and vastly different cities. {And it was wonderful.} The key for ME is to take time to explore and taste and feel the place. And this means acknowledging that I won't be able to see every sight. In fact, I may not see some of the major sights. And, I have to be okay with that.

For this NYC trip, Jordan had a workshop (which was the purpose of the trip). This meant I was on my own. I was in the perfect frame of mind to explore on my own.

I mapped out a two-mile radius from our hotel to use as a baseline for my explorations. I used an old-fashioned paper map to sketch out the sights/places I hoped to find. And after many cups of tea, I headed out to see the local neighborhoods.

Here are a few photos of my first day's explorations. I hope you enjoy!

One More Pink Tent Post

Charlotte, NC ~ 1st Morning of Avon Walk

I've decided to give you the scoop on the things that I was not adequately prepared for. I need to state very clearly that most of this was my fault. Most. {I'm referring to Our Pink Tent Weekend}

Saturday with Sissy

Sissy & Me {And Jacob}

One of the nice things about being in my hometown is that I'm near my two sisters. And my two sisters are two of my best friends.

You may remember that Sis and I have had parallel playdates at her house. I paint, or scrapbook or whatever while she reads or does whatever. Typically I do very different things with each of my sisters. For instance, Horseback Riding with Sis as well as Moonlight (i.e. dark) Canoeing. {I don't think I've written about the canoeing.}

Sissy and I usually go shopping together. Sissy has real style and helps me make it fun. Sissy has a good eye and can find things and totally put together cute outfits. After shopping with Sissy, I almost always have at least one new outfit that makes me feel pretty AND that was on sale or consignment or some other gratifying purchasing experience.

Last weekend, Sissy and I went shopping for a new work outfit for me. We got a simply adorable skirt for an amazing deal and a leather jacket. I need to put that outfit together for you so you can see just how cute it is! 

Anyway, this weekend, Sissy and I decided to "shake things up". Yes...we decided to do something different together. We decided to paint! And by "we" I mean "she" wanted to paint! Of course, I always want to paint. So, when Sissy said "I want to paint", I wasted no time setting up the easel and paints. The paint supplies were all set up before Sissy even got to the house.

I have a new easel (you may have noticed). So I painted with my easel and Sissy painted at my kitchen desk with my desk easel (tabletop easel). I forgot to take a picture of Sissy's painting. But we both painted the Girl in Rain Boots. Mostly, we painted the boots. I'm super excited how this turned out. It's my first "big" canvas that I painted without a net (or instructor). The paintings I've done at Sis's house have been smaller canvases. I'm feeling quite inspired again.

The question is: What will I do with all these paintings I'm painting? I have to find homes for them. Think about it...let me know what I should do.

P.S. Here's one last look:  

Our Pink Tent Weekend~Part II

One week ago Danielle finished a MARATHON! We celebrated this by sleeping in a tent. Good Times!

More images of our weekend:

1 ~ CUPCAKES with dinner //\\ 2 ~ Our Tent //\\ 3~ D's side of the tent //\\ 4~My side of the Tent. And that's me inside the sleeping bag. ZONKED OUT. 

A Halloween Post {of sorts}

It's that time again. The time of year when people dress up like superheroes or vampires or monsters or zombies. 

I  struggle with the whole "dress up" thing. I enjoy seeing others dress up...especially if they are creative. Several years back, I saw a person walking down the street with purple leotards and purple balloons all over her body. (Grapes). How bold! But how perfect. 

Our Pink Tent Weekend~Part I

Danielle and I have been thinking (and she has been preparing) for this weekend since April. {!!!!}

Important stories need to have the ending told first: Danielle finished her walk! (Well of course!).

She walked a total of 30.2 miles, including the additional four miles she walked on Sunday.

I'm so very proud of her. And I'm so happy that she allowed me to be part of her journey.

When Danielle signed up for this walk she invited me to join her. I didn't feel confident that we would be able to raise $1800 each...so I signed up to be a part of the volunteer crew teams. 

I campaigned with her to help her raise the funds. But I have to say, Danielle did the bulk of the fundraising on her own. That was a huge hurdle (at least in my mind).

Once the money was raised, the physical commitment was paramount. You'll remember I was worried about her shin splints. Danielle got some shin splint wraps and powered through 26.2 miles on day 1! I absolutely could not have done it. 

Oh, and remember I was worried about being strong enough for my crew assignment? I was able to get my assignment changed so that the lifting requirements were doable for me. And get this...I did not have to use my asthma rescue inhaler a single time! 

This experience deserves more than one post...so be sure to tune in for Part II. 

In the meantime, let me leave you with something Danielle included in a comment as we were getting ready for our adventure:

I'm trying not to focus too much on how many miles I have to walk, rather I'm focusing on the fun things. As long as I remember to enjoy the moment and focus on one step at a time I should be fine...hopefully ;) 

And with that...this sign deserves to be seen again.

P.S. Thoughts going out to all in Hurricane Sandy's path.

That Weekend is Here

It's super late & I need to be asleep. Daughter (on the left) and I (on the right) will be driving 2.5 hours away to be part of the Avon Breast Cancer walk tomorrow. Eek.  I haven't packed.

But, I couldn't bear the thought of going into the weekend without a post to send us off to our adventure. So...that's what this is. A whew...I can't believe we are going to do this post.

Think about us!

I'm Out~Taking Photos

If all goes as planned, I am "out" right now. Yep "out". We have to leave early in the morning to get the morning sun. Have I mentioned I'm not a morning person? Well, it may not be obvious....but I'm no morning person.

My husband is a gifted photographer. {Really gifted}. I've been able to tag along on many of his photo shoots. 
When we were much younger I also got to watch him work in the dark room.  I watched as he mixed chemicals and managed precisely timed chemical reactions. I watched as he experimented with getting the image exactly "right". A second more or less made a difference. 
Everything about darkroom work is precise. I think that is one reason Jordan (Hubs) is so good in the dark room. His nature allows his precision.

You may remember I purchased a trinket as a nod to my youth and dreams of photography. In fact, one of my girlfriends and I actually took a photography class in high school. 
*Aside: Why is it that teachers who teach these really cool classes, like photography, actually rob the joy out of the class to prove that it is not a "crip" course?* 
It was my first time with a 35MM camera. Why did I have to focus on reflections and all of these really awkwardly staged photos to pass? And darkroom procedures? Are you kidding me? We're talking "burn and dodge" and "frame and focus". I don't think my husband knows about my high school photography course. I was sufficiently damaged to not want to pick up a camera again for several years. I declared myself only fit for snapshots. 
But, over time, and with improved technology and gentle coaching by my Hubs, I have gotten the bug for photography. Many of the photos on this blog are by my husband. ~I know, right? He IS good. 
A lot of the photos on the blog are also mine. Don't judge my photo skill by the pics above. That was all iPhone and taken indoors (the local art museum) and I was trying desperately to capture the woman whose outfit mirrored the colors of the exhibit. It was pure serendipity. The resolution is low, but I still like the image enough to show you here. 
If I had been prepared with a "real" camera the image could be so much better. But knowing it isn't perfect is okay. 
For fun, I'll re-share some of my photos (by that I mean photos by me) that I feel more confident about. 

I Think I Have a Cold

Seriously. I've had fatigue for the last two days. Last night I went to bed at 8:00. Ridiculously early. And? when it was time to get up...I still felt like I could sleep for another 8 hours. 

So excited that the weekend is almost here. I really need it. I'm hoping I will be enjoying lots of hot tea and milk this weekend. Hope you are having a good day (and weekend).

D's Walks for Cancer Awareness

Isn't this just the cutest picture That's my mother wearing the hat and gloves. It makes me happy just looking at the lovely green dress and jacket.

My two sisters and I are with Mom taking our Easter morning picture.  (Dad is behind the camera.) I talk about my sisters quite a lot. We are very close in age. I'm the redhead on the far right. Sis is on the left and Sissy is in the chair. {Aren't we just too cute for words?}

Jump ahead many years...and there I am with a daughter of my own. (Cute, right?) Sometimes Daughter reminds me so much of Sissy. They have very similar points of view. Somehow, they see things the same way and express themselves very similarly. 

Many, many happy memories of hanging out with sisters as well as cousins growing up. That's one of the neat things about growing up walking distance from where your parents grew up. 

Hubs and I weren't the "stay in your hometown" kind of couple when we got married and started making a life. So, until two years ago, we never lived in the same town I grew up in. We enjoyed our "big city" lives we built.
We are also enjoying being "home" now.

All of this is to tell you that today I'm feeling quite happy to be living so close family. So many happy moments include Daughter and my sisters as well as cousins and Mamacita.

You may remember I talked about Danielle (aka Daughter) signing us up for the Ovarian Cancer Awareness walk (last year).  Well, this year we are participating in the Avon Breast Cancer Awareness walk. This walk takes place in several cities at different times of the year. Our walk is in NC and takes place in October. Let me clarify. Danielle is WALKING.  I am part of the CREW. 

Both Danielle and I are passionate about supporting cancer awareness and fundraising. So many people are touched by cancer. Luckily, more and more people are able to survive and live full lives. I believe that is a testament to the advances made by research. We lost our mother to cancer (Ovarian). She was much too young. I have a friend that is a breast cancer survivor. My daughter works for a surgeon and sees many breast cancer survivors as part of her job. 

So, next month, just 48 days from now...Daughter & I will be wearing pink. She will be walking 39 miles. I will be doing whatever is required to support the effort. And, we will both be sleeping in a pink tent. 

To do this, we must raise at least $1800. We are less than $500 away from this goal. If you would like to donate, please use the donation link below. 

Any cancer is horrific. I firmly believe that when we support research and awareness for one type of cancer, we are vicariously supporting research and awareness for all cancers. I hope you will consider helping us reach our goal so that we can go walk our bootie off (Danielle's bootie) for a really good cause.

Summer Vacay is OVER

School is about to start again. College students have already gone back {I think}. It's funny how I don't have to keep up with this now that my daughter is out of college and in the working world.

My sister is a teacher and tomorrow she returns to work. I guess this is the teachers getting ready for the students...I don't think students go until next week {maybe?}.

Anyway, Sis & I were going to go Kayaking on one of the local lakes today. It was our last HURRAH to her Summer Vacation !!

Well...we woke up this morning to an amazing rain. It rained from sometime early before dawn until late in the afternoon. It was buckets and buckets of rain. Perfect for lounging in bed watching and listening to the rain and feeling cozy inside. But for being on the lake in an open vessel? Not so much.

So I don't have any cool, fun, or funny stories to tell you of Sis & me on the lake today. I'm hoping she's not too bummed about that. We will definitely be doing this soon.

In the meantime, I gathered up some snippets of things that make me laugh and some of them have to do with school. So I wanted to share them here...in honor of teachers everywhere.

You are welcome! Enjoy

Weekend Fun

Flowers in my kitchen are one of the things I'm really enjoying this year. It does remind me of Seattle...because so many people stopped by the "market" to get flowers. We never got our flowers from the actual market but definitely had flowers on our table quite a bit.

My weekend was fun. It included a fun little visit from my daughter. I don't remember what we talked about...but remember lots of laughter. She makes me uber happy.

Saturday night was a night out with my GURLZ. Again...good time! We had dinner and drinks and LOTS of laughter. You know the kind of laughter I'm talking about!?! For me, it was the kind where I should have broken out my asthma inhaler. Yep, asthma, I have it. I just didn't want to pull out the inhaler in this really nice restaurant (the kind with tablecloths). Nothing says "That's so funny I laughed my butt off" quite like pulling out the asthma inhaler.

So, yeah...lots of laughter. I need to figure out how to spend so much more time with these very special ladies. There are four of us that are local now and have been getting together since I moved back to town. These are friends that I've had since Jr. High School. It's really neat that we still click. Of course, we also have the luxury of "being real" with each other. So, not every moment is funny stories. Some moments are for hearing the stories that challenge us. Sharing moments that made us sad helps the healing. {At least it helps me.}

I hope your weekend was amazing!