Encouragement

Why is it that bad/difficult things always come in 3's. Since Monday, we've found out about 3 people in our lives that could use some encouragement and our prayers.

My Dad has worked with Eddie for as long as I can remember. Dad runs Galaxy, Eddie runs the IGA group. They are different as night and day, but Eddie and his entire family are the nicest people you could ever meet. I found out on the way home yesterday that Eddie's mom suffered a pretty major stroke. Dad didn't have a lot of details, but she's in Winston and stable.

Reggie is the guy in our group that we always joke with about "he knows a guy". It doesn't matter what you're talking about he knows someone that can help you out or knows everyone through someone else. Guess that's what happens when you have a native Charlottean as a friend (a rarity in Charlotte, ha). Anyway, one of Reggie's friend was in a horrible car accident over the weekend and is improving, but will not be 100% for a long time. The car flipped several times and he wasn't found for a couple of hours. Reggie said this morning that his friend is finally able to talk, but they have no idea when he'll be walking again.

As many of you have probably seen on the news in Charlotte, one of my old dealerships, Rick Ford in Clover, SC, had a very bad fire the other night. The owners actually lived at the dealership in an apartment and the dealership was one of those original Ford dealerships you don't see very often anymore. Tori's Dad used to work there and has checked in with them. It looks like right now they're just on auto-pilot, but everyone is safe and sound. Not only have they lost their business and home, but a small town has lost a landmark, and many people are now without jobs.

The symbol at the top is the Japanese sign for encouragement. Please keep all of these people in your thoughts and prayers. It's amazing what a little encouragement and thoughtfulness can do for someone else.

"A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships."
Helen Keller

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
Philippians 3:13

I couldn't say it better. Here's to what lies ahead.

Stumpted.....

I am totally befuddled. I really have no idea what to write today, but since we haven't posted in a few days I feel like I need to put something on here. I'm just glad to have a couple minutes to breathe at work. We've been swamped today. That's the price you pay for getting bank holidays-you're off, but no one else is.

Let's see....guess I could talk about our weekend. I'll try to do the short version.

Friday: Arpa for dinner and then across the street to see "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". Dinner was wonderful. Food, service, atmosphere......excellent. I urge everyone to try this place in downtown Charlotte. It's a tapas restaurant so you can get a lot of different things too. The show was good and funny....kind of cheesy, but most Broadway shows are. Now if we could just get that personal zamboni......and some other "great big stuff"!

Saturday I headed to Southpark and had lunch with Flip and got some shopping done.....or tried to. The mall was packed!! Saturday night we just hung out at the house, cooked some steaks, and watched the game. Go Heels!

Sunday we did a lot of running around. Rooms2Go outlet, Linen's n' Things, Target, Great Clips, Kohl's, Harris Teeter, then home. I'm just tired remembering it. Tacos at home and our Sunday tradition of watching "Extreme Home Makeover".

I had yesterday off, so I did some stuff around the house, met the warranty guy at the house, and did some shopping. Had a "comfort food" dinner last night of Mac n' cheese and pintos when Mike got home and then we tackled the bathroom. We finally have towel rings. Whoopee!!

Now it's back to the real world. Have a great week everyone!

Man, Tulips Drink A Lot of Water

I thought I'd steal Kathryn's idea and show you the flowers I got yesterday from Mike. They have really opened up overnight. I can't take them home or Lucky will eat them, but it's a nice addition to my corner of the gray cublicle world. Tulips are my FAVORITE.....and I'm not sure if Mike knows this, but my great-grandmother's middle name was Iris. When I got them yesterday I was reminded of her. Thank you again!! You know how much I LOVE flowers, and getting flowers. Now I just need to figure out which ones to plant at the house. Ideas anyone?


We had a nice and quiet Valentine's Day. We continued our tradition of cooking at home. Last night Mike made the chicken he made our first V'Day. We're saving going out for tomorrow night. I got "Dirty Rotten Scoundrel" tickets for V'Day and I'm really looking forward to it!

I know it's a Hallmark holiday, but I love Valentine's Day....and not just for the gifts, flowers, etc..... I think it's important for us to take a day just to let those we love know how we feel. I've always loved that my family calls each other on V'Day to say hello and "I Love You". It's amazing what those words mean to us. Thank you to G'Ma Dot and Dad for my cards.....you do too much.

So, on Valentine's Day (and every day), remember to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.

I'll leave you with two phrases that we don't say often enough.......to Mike, my family, and friends.......

"Thank You"
"I Love You"

Happy Valentine's Day!

"Valentine"
Martina McBride

If there were no words
No way to speak
I would still hear you
If there were no tears
No way to feel inside
I'd still feel for you

And even if the sun refused to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart until the end of time
You're all I need, my love, my valentine

All of my lifeI have been waiting for
All you give to me
Youve opened my eyes
And showed me how to love unselfishly

I've dreamed of this a thousand times before
But in my dreams I couldn't love you more
I will give you my heart
Until the end of time...
You're all I need, my love, my valentine

And even if the sun refused to shine
Even if romance ran out of rhyme
You would still have my heart until the end of time
cause all I need is you, my valentine

You're all I need, my love, my valentine

Happy Valentine's Day Sweetie! I Love You!

Those crazy kitties......

I know. It's been a week since we posted. Here's some pictures of the "children" to show you we're still here. We've pretty much been home bodies the past week or two. Isn't that the best sometimes?

For those of you that have met Lucky, you know he's a big boy. When he fully stretches out he can put his paws flat on top of the counter. Here he is "helping" Mike cook the other night. Mike opened the package of fish, and Lucky went nuts!





It's time we admitted our secret.....Patches has a water fetish. If there is water on anywhere in the house she wants to be in it or near it. Her new thing is to sit in Mike's sink....well pretty much either one of us is in the bathroom. Saturday she kept trying to drink my bath water and fell about half way in. It was hilarious.



We've taken waaaaaaaaaay too many picture of the "children" lately. They're just so darn cute.


Mike, Flip, Brian, and I went to the Checkers game on Saturday night. It was my first hockey game and we had a blast.....even if they got beat. We were right behind the glass and had the players smash into the glass in front of us several times. Whoever invented this sport was not right in the head.......and we think football is dangerous. I'm hooked though, we're going to try to make another game before the season ends. Go Checkers!!


Well, better run. Got lots to do before the game to get ready for tomorrow. So until next time....Go Heels, remember Gilmore Girls comes on after the game tonight (I'll save my rant on this since the Heels are on the CW 2nite), and Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!

P.S. Was stuck in a training class today where the trainer taught us common sense for 8 hours on how to treat clients. Why do HR departments think anybody gets anything out of these long classes? I've never seen a group run so fast when he finally put us out of our misery and let us go.

Lessons Learned

Lesson 1: BB&T Equipment Finance does not close on snow days. What's up with that? I thought that was a rule in the South.








Lesson 2: The scoreboard at Hibriten High School does go over 100. I went for Kristen's Senior game Friday night and the girls got trompled. It was 105 to 32.....or something like that. The final score was too painful to look at and remember.





Lesson 3: Debbie 2 (woman on the left) should come with a warning label. We had waaaaaaaay too much fun watching Carolina lose on Saturday (I don't want to talk about it). We're still waiting on our apology from Roy....let's hope we don't have a reason to drown our sorrows on Wednesday night too. Go Heels!

Lesson 3, part B: If you go to a bar to watch the game in Hickory, you will run into someone you know from high school. Will I ever learn?!?!

Thank you again to Daddy and Debbie 1 for entertaining me all weekend. It was a really fun trip home. I even got to see some real snow (the kind that stays around) on Sunday morning when we went to Blowing Rock for brunch. Not much other news from home. Let's see.....Downtown Lenoir is actually really starting to shape up, got to see the neighbor's florist shop that she opened in Granite Falls (and meet her precious dog), all the grandparents are doing well, and we're still keeping everything crossed until Kristen hears back from Chapel Hill.

Stay warm everyone! Think sandy beaches and drinks with umbrellas in them. It'll be here before we know it (at least that's what the groundhog said on Friday).