Chatham County, NC Blogs

At my home in North Chatham County, NC, I hosted one of the 10,000 Obama house parties held across the country in mid-December. Thanks to the powerful tools at http://my.barackobama.com, local Democratic Party email lists and a neighborhood online bulletin board, in just a few days the word was spread. I received 24 RSVPs, and 11 regrets. That’s a great response for a rural county AFTER the election. I was encouraged that more than 20 people showed up. There was a lot of energy in the room — people seem eager to bring change not only on the national level,…

Despite all the horrendous stories of newspaper layoffs, near bankruptcies, and even “bailout plans for journalists,” there’s some silver lining in the media world: blogging is blooming into a profitable financial and publishing enterprise for at least a few. The Huffington Post, which had 4.5 million unique visitors in September, just landed $25 million of new funding. It plans focused acquisitions, and currently has a valuation of $100 million. TPM Media, founded by Talking Points Memo blogger Josh Marshall, which has about a dozen employees, is hoping to expand in 2009 through micro-targeted advertising.And despite the decline of traditional newspaper…

The day has finally arrived. We made it. And it is my prayer that everyone who is eligible to vote will do so. It is a true privilege to have such a right as to choose our beloved country’s leader. Why would anyone simply choose not to be a part of that?

And regardless of the turnout, I think we’re in for - and ready - for a change. And while some changes we make in our lives are frightening and can almost be paralyzing, they usually end up being for our greater good in the long run.

Let’s exercise our right to vote today and in the coming months, let’s exercise our right to pray for our new president. For whomever takes this seat has a difficult road ahead. We need to be supportive and respectful Americans.

God Bless America and God Bless the future of our country…

Fainting Goats and Flowers at Fearrington
If you ask me what to do in North Carolina, I’ll tell you that there’s always another garden to visit!
Between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro there is a village that was created in the early 1970s by RB and Jenny Fitch. Fearrington Village was built on the 1500 acre site [...]

“It’s my birthday, not a holiday, but I’d like to say, it’s my birthday…go Joyce, go Joyce, go Joyce!!!!” (hands raising the roof)…

Yep, today’s my special day!! Yeah!! I LOVE birthdays, but I’ve already shared that with you. I just think it’s awesome to celebrate one’s being, our very existence.

I’ve had a WONDERFUL weekend! My parents arrived late Thursday night. Mom and I were up until after 1:00 AM catching up. Friday was a day of errands and some relatively minor mechanical work. Yeah, my folks had a little red trailer made for me for my birthday (I wasn’t quick enough to snap a photog or two before my dad tucked it in under a tarp for safe keeping. I’ll undress it one day soon and post pics for you). It is TOO cute. It’s a trailer to pull behind the truck/car to carry whatever you need (yard waste, mulch in the summer time, hay bales, trash, a cart load of puppies…hee, hee). See, there is no trash/waste collection in these parts - we are on our own! So, the trailer was a much needed and much appreciated gift! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Saturday mom and I spent tooling around Apex. We hit Home Goods and boy was it good!!! She treated me to some after Halloween goodies at unbelievable prices! I got the cutest rug to put at my kitchen sink; a black background with three white ghosts on it. And four great dessert plates (I have a china fettish…); two have these funny witches on them and the other two have pumpkins. I’ll have to post pics ’cause they’re very hard to explain. Let’s see…we then went to downtown Apex and strolled in and out of the shops - LOVELY. And then visited the Garden Supply in Cary - AWESOME. They were decking their halls for Christmas, while it was 75 outside! I love the South baby!!! Back home we changed and grabbed our dessert and blankets and headed for the church. It was our annual Fall Fellowship get together! This year there was a blow up boxing ring. There were two “stumps” to stand on and these “sticks” with these huge Q-tip looking things on the ends. The idea, very Survivor like, was to knock your opponent off their stump. We had husbands beating wives, children beating mothers, brothers beating sisters, deacons beating the preacher…it was GREAT!!! Then, it was time to eat. Fried chicken, barbeque, butter potatoes, green beans, cole slaw, biscuits and a table full of desserts. I LOVE the South baby!!! Then, it was time to hit the wagon. Two farm tractors get hooked up to two HUGE flat bed wagons. The wagons are filled with hay and we pile high with homemade blankets and sweatshirts. The closer you get, the warmer you stay. It gets pretty chilly back in those open fields! This year’s ride went perfectly. Not like last year when the wagon we were in ended up with two flat tires…yep, two flat tires in the middle of I don’t know where and boy it’s a long, dark walk back to the church - through the cemetary. Talk about a Halloween to beat all Halloweens!!! And that was my parent’s first trip! I never thought I’d see them again - Ha! But they laughed and were great sports and came back for more this year! But before we took off this time, the tires were inflated and the gas tank was topped off, just to be sure! We sure have made some memories here…I love the South.

I was also treated to some spending dollars from my brother - how sweet was he? And my DH gave me a gift certificate to get my nails done for the next six months I think! Thank you Mikey! Got some nail polish and a wonderful Rascal Flatts CD and countless cards and emails from friends and family along with sweet well wishes from my church family this morning. I really am a lucky girl. And I love my life and everything about it and all that it brings me…ALL that it brings me.

I’ve had an interesting year and I’m prayerful that this coming year will be even more memorable and that I’ll make a difference to someone. I want to work on staying healthy and continuing to run. I want to work on gaining a position in a company where I can be happy and be a quality employee and offer something special. I want to get more involved in my community. I want to join a committee of some sort in an organization that I’m passionate about - I have to research this further. I want to do more volunteer work. I want to be a better Christian, wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. I want to make sure I recognize the little things/moments in life. I want to say I Love You more. I want people to know I care about them. I want to have greater faith in the new leadership of my country and believe that things will get better for us all. I don’t want to take anything for granted. I want to celebrate my life everyday.

My sweetest thanks to those of you who sent birthday wishes to me. Please know how they touch my heart to the deepest. I treasure each of you and I treasure each and every birthday!!

Happy birthday to me!!!! Yeah!!!!

This is my grandmother, my mom’s mother. I’m not sure how old she is in this photo but I’m thinking it was taken in the early to mid 1940’s. Isn’t she breathtakingly beautiful?

Today is my grandmother’s birthday and I believe she’s 83. While I’m not able to celebrate with her today, she did get her celebratory birthday sing-a-long from me, my daughter and son-in-law with the dog as back up!

My grandmother was and is something else. She’s often referred to as “crusty”. And all things considered, she was a very young grandmother to my brother and me and an even younger great-grandmother when my daughter came along. She was a smoker for more than 50 years of her life. As a kid, I thought she was so glamorous when she pulled out her cigarette case. She sports a tattoo on her right shoulder blade. She cusses like a sailor. She is a jewelry hound - the bigger the stone, the better (that’s where Brandi gets it from!). She has always had the most beautiful smile. She’s never been a snuggler or hugger but she’s quick to tell us she loves us. She has a deep, soothing voice when she’s trying to comfort us. She will not hesitate to tell us when we’ve put on weight. She is ALWAYS on our side. She loves lipstick (that’s where I get it from!). She likes to shop but is an in and out kinda’ gal - no window shopping at all! She loves Chinese food. She’s never driven a day in her life. She is the last surviving child of 5. She had her last child AFTER my mom had my brother - yep, my brother is older than our uncle! She has the most infectious laugh and I’ve actually seen her laugh until she cried! She has always been there for me, never judged me and always supported me. She has the most beautiful blue eyes. As she gets older, she doesn’t hear as well so we can now make fun and laugh at her and she doesn’t even know it - although she tells us to shut up anyway (remember, crusty). She and my grandfather have lived in the same house for over 40 years. She loves me to her deepest core, and I’ve always known that.

How blessed am I?

Happy Birthday Ma! You rock - always have, always will.

I love you with all that I have.

I’ll spare you most of the commentary and just share the weekend in pictures instead. Enjoy - we did!!!

…and rained (hey, don’t laugh at the plastic “trash bag” rain gear! They were truly a saving grace!)

But sometimes the sun peeked out and we had to put on some bling! (Hmm…that little girl next to me musta’ ate some bad cotton candy…)

And that made us super happy!!

At this point, Brandi’s second guessing her willingness to participate in this event with us!! Ha!!

But she finally warmed up to the idea (and was able to pin her bib to her shirt) and told us she was here to save the day!!

Bran and I ran the 2.5+ miles in about 25 minutes…not bad for a first time trail runner and an aging “big block”! Here are Bran and Michael after the run relaxing and looking forward to some pizza!! Of course, if I didn’t eat so much pizza I could probably run a lot faster… Forget it, I really like eating pizza!!!

I’m getting ready for some post-race photo ops…

Michael and me cheesing and feeling pretty good about having put another notch in our running belts…and a little half notch because Bran got to play, too!

“It’s not easy to say goodbye, but it’s time. Thirty-nine years flew by so fast that trying to figure out what is the highlight of it became next to impossible. Well, there were those 26 trips to the Final Four. And that Duke-Kentucky game in 1992, which came a year after that Duke-UNLV game. Both came after a famous shot by a famous player in 1982, which came a year before a famous coach was seen in New Mexico, running across the court looking for somebody to hug. Yes, fabulous moments. Geez, has it really been this long?” Read the…

State Fair 2008
What is your favorite time of year? Mine is State Fair Time. I think it should be a state holiday! I look forward to seeing all the agricultural exhbits that celebrate our history of crafts, farming, and small industry.
I’ve included a few images from my visit on Monday. You have a few [...]

Fresh pasta in Pittsboro
If you happen to be in the vicinity of Pittsboro, NC, around dinner time, I highly suggest a stop for take out pizza and pasta, especially the pasta, at the Neighborhood School Pizzeria on Thompson Street.
A friend of mine had raved about this place for ages. I don’t live anywhere near Pittsboro [...]

Saturday I Went Out Voting….

I’ve never before voted early. I’ve never before even known it was possible, except for expatriates, etc.
This past weekend, I put on somewhat-better-than-the-usual-Saturday-gardening clothes and my Obama button and went (as promised here last week) to my county seat (pop. 2,226) of Pittsboro, NC, and eagerly cast my vote. [...]

Fearrington - Looking beyond the Inn
October 9, 2008 ·

If the Inn and Restaurant are all you think about when you visualize Fearrington Village, you may want to expand your horizons.  There is an incredible amount of programming going on out there.  Combine some of the daytime events with lunch at The Grainary or a light bite [...]

How appropriate that this Thankful Thursday would fall on the 16th of October. October 16th is a special day in our family…

Isn’t it amazing the things you remember about your life? I remember being in the first grade and crying on the days that it rained(?). I remember sneaking out during one of my father’s birthday parties to ride my older brother’s “sooped-up” bicycle, which I was forbidden to do, and wrecking, hitting my head and being taken to the emergency room (happy birthday, Daddy). I still have the knot on my head from that stunt! I remember “field days” in elementary school and after school dances in junior high. And of course, the football games and band camps and basketball games and homecomings in high school. I remember spending many spring breaks in the outterbanks of North Carolina. I remember dying easter eggs with my mom and brother. I remember sunbathing with my grandmother (we were a very young family - ha!). I remember my mom throwing great parties (we’re talking live bands, people) for any real reason she could find!!! My mom LOVES to celebrate an occassion! I have countless memories with my best friend Teri - oh the times we had together.

But the clearest memory I have is the birth of my daughter. Today is Brandi’s 26th birthday. And I cannot believe it. How thankful do you think I am? I remember the 16th of October of 1982 like I was experiencing it this very moment. From the moment I woke up that morning to the moment my mom finally made it to the hospital for Brandi’s arrival. That was a bittersweet day, my friends. For while I was delivering Brandi, my parents were in Southern Virginia burying my grandmother - my father’s mother. But God is good is He not? Because that baby was such - and continues to be - so very special to my father. I can’t believe that there is another grandfather out there that loves their granddaughter any more than my father loves Brandi Lee. I can’t begin to imagine how he felt that day… I know Brandi didn’t “replace” my grandmother for my father but she sure did help fill that void in his heart.

So, today we celebrate my wee one. My little schtoogy. My greatest accomplishment. That which I love more than life itself. My little ray of sunshine. My little woman. My Bran…
I can physically FEEL the love I have for this child. I’m sure you moms know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.

“God sent children for another purpose than merely to keep up the race - to enlarge our hearts; and to make us unselfish and full of kindly sympathies and affections; to give our souls higher aims; to call out all our faculties to extended enterprise and exertion; and to sing round our firesides bright faces, happy smiles and loving, tender hearts” - Mary Botham Howitt

“The beginning is scary, the end is sometimes sad but it’s the middle that counts and is so exciting” - Hope Floats

Happy Birthday my sweet Bran…I’m so thankful that I’m YOUR mom…

My cup runneth over

One Place Where the Dollar Stretches the Farthest
Jordan Lake State Recreational Area in North Carolina offers numerous opportunities for camping, sailing, hiking, birding, and more. A visit to the Pittsboro area, which is part of the Research Triangle Region, is a great driving vacation for families, groups, couples, and/or business travelers. Located in the heart [...]

Monday, October 13, 2008 Dovecote at Fearrington Village
October 13, 2008 at 6:33 pm · Filed under Post Sunday’s Post, Uncategorized ·Tagged Dovecote at Fearrington Vilage, Dovecote at Fearrington Village

For my December column in Metro Magazine, I’m once again listing great places to see Christmas design, places to buy wreaths, greenery and bows, plus places to buy great gifts [...]

Cornucopia - 1. “a representation in painting, sculpture, etc. of a horn overflowing with fruits, flowers and grain; horn of plenty”, 2. “an overflowing fullness; abundance”.

My cornucopia runneth over (with my little Bea…)

Oh, that is such a lie… I didn’t forget to post this event and these pictures. Truth is, I’ve just been in a funk, feeling sorry for myself and not very “perky” or creative - which I think is what makes reading these things so much fun.

But we had such a good time here that I didn’t want anymore time to pass without calling out a great date night with my DH.

I went to and graduated from (with a BS degree) a 4 year college. However, due to my circumstances I needed to stay close to home and chose a small college that I could drive to daily. My school did not have extra curricular activities; there was no basketball team, no football team, no marching band, etc. At the time, I didn’t miss those typical college experiences because I was so focused on school and raising my daughter and finishing college, a statistic that was really unrealistic and almost out of reach for someone like me in my situation.

But today, 20 years later, I am experiencing those things that were just out of my reach. And I am loving it! And maybe even appreciating it a little more because I’m old enough to really grasp what’s going on around me.

On Saturday October 4th my husband took me to the UNC vs UCONN football game. My first ever. This may not seem like a big deal to most of you, but to me it was a long dream come true! The kids, the junk food, the band, the cheerleaders, ESPN, the alumni, and the sea of Carolina blue…I was in awe…
I’m not sure how long you have to live in a “new” place or what, exactly, you have to do to officially “come from there” but after that silly college football game, I thought to myself “I’ve arrived - I’m a Carolina girl”!!! I mentioned this to my preacher the Sunday after the game - he’s originally from the Northern Neck of VA. He said he thinks one has to attend a Nascar race in order to truly reach Carolina status - at least that’s what the men at church told him. I said if that’s the case, I’ll NEVER officially be a Carolina girl!!! Sorry race car fans!!

Regardless, I will forever be grateful to my husband for making this memory with and for me. He knew I had this little tiny hole in my heart and it was his desire to help me fill it. And I’m sure this will just be the first of many UNC football games. Second to being true Wildcats (DH went to UK), we are by geographic default Tarheel fans - true, Carolina blue Tarheel fans.

I hope this little Tarheel fan stores this memory safely in her heart. I just wish her parents knew how it warmed me so that they were exposing their child to such good, wholesome fun so early on… Without even knowing it, they may have planted the college seed in this little girl. We can only wait to see what her life holds.

Go heels!!!

“Kapow!!!”

Yep, that about sums it up. We’ve been hit again here in the country. I was laid off from my job this past Monday. I knew better than to stay in my field… but that job came along and I wasn’t getting any response or positive feedback or offers from any of the local government jobs I’d applied for and time was running out for us. So, I signed up.

You know that “gut” feeling you get? That nagging feeling that won’t leave your thoughts? Just this constant churn deep within you that something’s simply not right?

I had that feeling the entire time I was employed with this company. Even though I was a telecommuter, I’d never felt so micro-managed! I always felt like I was being observed through a microscope. I woke up every day praying that I’d have a positive day because I never felt confident that I’d have a job at the end of the day. I HATED working like that and having those types of feelings! I’ve been in commercial leasing for more than 12 years, in a variety of capacities. But I’ve never felt such pressure as I have over the last 4 months.

I had recently learned, also, of what I considered shaky business practices, involving the “confiscating” of any commission I earned. It upset us (me and my DH) so much so that we agreed I needed to move on and away from this organization. Little did we know that just a few days later they were going to make the decision for us.

I did learn that I was one of 5 employees who were laid off. I am selfishly taking some perverse form of comfort in knowing that I’m not alone in this journey and that it wasn’t due to lack of performance on my part (which I knew it wasn’t but you know, you start questioning your work ethic, self esteem and overall worth as a person…).

I am fearing this lay off more than the one back in January simply given the state of our country’s economy. We all see the news and read the papers - this is not a good time. I am more determined now than ever to land a position within my local government. Somehow, someway I am going to get the message across to these people that I am what they need. What is the issue with these people that they don’t believe I am looking to 1) make a career change and 2) realize I’ll need to start at the bottom to do it and 3) am willing to take the pay cut to get my foot in the door???!!! Oh, it is so frustrating!! If any of you out there in blog land have experience or tips in this arena, PLEASE, PLEASE share them with me - I am ALL ears!!

I am taking stock that, despite my batmobile has been flatmobiled, I have my faith. And I’ve taken to heart two messages Robin Roberts recently shared on GMA earlier this week: “Make your mess your message” and “Position yourself for performance - show up”. Despite my recent position, I have to practice what I’ve always preached here and I have to continue to find the wonderfuls in my life and all that I’m so grateful for. We are in for a hard struggle but I’m prayerful that we will be able to ride this storm and come out the other side still with our home intact, our health and a stronger people because of it. I can’t help but feel like I’ve let my DH down - we are, after all, a team but it seems as though he’s had to carry us alone more times than I am proud to admit. But if there’s anyone in this world I would have to go through a crisis with, it would be my better half. He is my pillar of strength.

So, please add us to your prayer list and bear with me as I try to keep my chin up every day.