Category: life

A House Divided

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I am not a huge sports fan but I enjoy a good basketball game. This game (Utah @ Charlotte) has become a yearly treat for my family.

We live about 45 miles from Charlotte so the trip is an easy one.

The oldest child doesn’t do well in large crowds or with heights, so he decided to sit this one out.

We started our evening with dinner at Pinky’s Westside Grill. Pinky’s is a favorite of ours. Even when Matt and I were eating mostly a vegetarian diet, we could find fabulously delicious food at Pinky’s. It doesn’t hurt that the restaurant is minutes from the stadium.

We enjoyed the game and the family time. The kids pulled for Charlotte, Matt and I cheered on the Jazz. Utah took the win 120-102.

After the game, I treated the family to a trip to Amelie’s. The kids enjoyed macaroons, brownies and cookies while I ordered a small latte to keep me alert for the drive home.

So, I guess this trip satisfied #18 on my 40 things list. Overall it was a fun time and a great family adventure.

Sorrowful Saturday

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Today was supposed to be a lazy day. My intentions were to spend the day curled up, under a blanket, with a book on my lap, and a chai latte in my hand. Today was a cold day, bitterly frigid. Yesterday, was balmy and beautiful. The ping pong weather in North Carolina is giving me whiplash. Therefore, I had no desire to remove myself from the warmth of my blanket fort.

My brain had other ideas. This poem is running on a loop in my head. It’s been a long time since someone’s words cut me so deeply. My contemplations leave me no room to enjoy a good book.

“I’m not much of a love poet but if I was I’d write about how you have the audacity to be beautiful even on days when everything around you was ugly.”

This poem made me cry tears of longing, tears of sadness. This man describes his love so intensely that I feel like I can sense it or I feel like I can almost touch it but it is just out of reach.

“I know it’s gonna sound weird but sometimes I pray that God somehow turns you back into one of my ribs just so I would never have to spend an entire day without you.”

What is it like to love someone this much? How does it feel to want someone with such vehemence?

“I want to be your ex boyfriend’s stunt man. I want to do everything he never had the courage to do, like trust you.”

That last line pierced me. I’m still sitting in my blanket fort but instead of spending the day reading, I’m contemplating what it would be like to be the Starbucks girl on Del Mar Heights Road.

Excerpts from Love Poem Medley by Rudy Francisco

Dirty Hippie

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Today is going to be an exhausting day but I’m here for it. It’s currently 7:30 am on a Saturday morning and I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Durham, NC. I’m about halfway into my 3 hour drive to East Carolina University for a workshop. This coffee shop stop hits #32 and #18 on my 40 things list.

The atmosphere of this shop is totally laid back and just plain cool. They have a chalkboard wall, perfect for children, in the back with a sign promoting a weekly storytime. There is local art hanging on the walls. An eclectic mix of tables and chairs with plenty of seating inside and out. Trendy, coffee shop music playing overhead. Knowledgeable and helpful baristas. And a variety of local fare for sale.

I ordered an iced Dirty Hippie – black tea, cold brew, farm half and half and simple syrup. I also enjoyed the Mama Mia – a plain bagel with jalapeño cream cheese, tomato, and cucumbers. I grabbed a carrot Muffin for later.

Everything was delicious and the perfect fuel for my long day. If you’re near Durham and haven’t tried Bean Traders Coffee, add it to your list. I hope your Saturday is equal parts relaxing and productive. I mean, we all need balance in our lives.

Hiking Morrow Mountain

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Hiking Morrow Mountain

Morrow Mountain State Park

Albemarle, NC

I added another hike to #17 on my list of 40 things.

Last weekend, we traveled a little over an hour from home to a place I hadn’t heard of until the week before. I had planned on taking the boys for a hike at Lake Norman. Upon doing a little research to map out a trail, I discovered that the trails were currently closed. We were excited about the prospect of hiking and my youngest had already invited his girlfriend, so AJ and I started searching for an alternative.

Morrow Mountain State Park is located in Stanly County about 50 miles northeast of Charlotte. This park offers over a dozen hiking and horse riding trails. You will also find camping sites and cabins as well as areas for swimming, fishing, boating and paddling.

I took 3 teenagers on this adventure. We mapped out a 5.2 mile (out and back) hike. We each carried packs for our lunches, waters and snacks. I carried the first aid kit, extra water and the cameras. I also decided to strap the Go-Pro onto my pack. Much to my disappointment, I had grabbed the wrong SD card and only managed to get about 7 minutes of video. Side note, I am learning so much with each hike.

The first mile of the hike was straight down the mountain. During this stretch, I realized we would have to travel up this part at the end of our hike and wasn’t exactly looking forward to it.

At the first fork we took some time to study the map. AJ noticed that a horse trail would lead us to the lake. He asked if we could change our plans and head that way instead. I took another look at the map and noticed this would add about 2 miles to our already hefty hike. The kids discussed it and decided it was worth it. I figured we should be able to get to the lake around lunch time. The weather was ideal for a February hike. It was sunny and the majority of our hike was under the cover of trees. The horse trail provided us with lots of opportunities to dodge piles of horse poo but we also got to see about 8 beautiful horses and met some very nice people.

We made it to the end of the lake trail by lunch time and found 2 large fallen trees to rest on while we ate our lunch. Unfortunately the last 100 yards or so to the lake was blocked by thick brush and I didn’t see any reason to try to maneuver it. We savored our lunch overlooking an area near the lake and enjoyed nice conversation. The short relaxation time was welcoming.

After cleaning up our lunch trash, we headed back to finish the loop on the horse trail. The bottom of the loop was an easy trek. We crossed a small creek. We ended up shedding our outer layers after walking in full sun for about 30 minutes.

As we came up to the last fork we had a decision to make. We could take a longer, less steep trail or we could take a short very steep trail. I think the kids were ready to be done because they all voted the short trail.

The last bit back up the mountain was torture for me. I could not catch my breath and I kept telling the kids to go ahead and not worry about me. They didn’t want to leave me behind but I also think they were having just as much trouble putting one foot in front of the other as I was. When we finally crested the top of the mountain and saw the parking lot we all sighed a heaving sigh of relief. We were exhausted. We finished the day with 8.4 miles hiked. It was quite an accomplishment considering this was their first hike of the year. I was so proud of them and happy to be at a rest area with a bathroom.

We finished the day with ice cream from a local general store. Half the car fell asleep on the return drive home. I would say it was a successful day.

Hiking Hanging Rock

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Number 17 on my 40 Things List is to hike 25 locations in NC this year. This weekend, I completed hike #1.

A little over an hour from my house is Hanging Rock State Park. This beautiful destination is located in Stokes County, North Carolina, 30 miles north of Winston Salem. Hanging Rock State Park is full of breathtaking views and lots to do. There are over 20 miles of hiking trails, mountain bike trails, and horse trails. Swimming and boating is available on the lake in season. Fishing is available year round on the lake and Dan River. You will also find over 70 camping sites and cabins inside the park.

Since it was pretty cold (30 degrees F) when I woke on Saturday morning, I took my time making my way to the park. I arrived around 11am and set off on the Hanging Rock Trail. The trail entrance is at the visitor’s center parking lot and is approximately 2.6 miles out and back.

I completed this hike solo but there were dozens of people (and dogs) on the trails. This trail starts off slow with plenty of hills but ends with steps and a steep rocky climb that will leave you huffing. The pay off is definitely worth it. I am terrified of heights but I got close enough to get some cool shots. A young couple was nice enough to snap a picture of me. Even though the sign says the trail is 2.6 miles, when I completed the hike, my phone said I had hiked 4.36 miles.

I am extremely out of shape and this was a tough first hike but I am so happy I pushed through. This is a hike I will undoubtedly do again. I would also like to check out the falls trails at this park and maybe even plan a camping trip for a few days during warmer weather.

40 Things

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As I walk into this first week of 2023, a couple things stick with me. I will be 40 this year!! And there are some things I’ve been putting off.

We all do it. We get busy. Life happens. People and things demand our time. Honestly, it’s inevitable and I don’t mind it at all. I like being busy. I’m always one to add more to-dos to my list. But I am very guilty of putting off doing things for myself.

With that said, I have decided this is the year to get things done. I am devoting time to do things I want to do, things I’ve been putting off. I refuse to feel guilty for spending time and/or money on myself (within reason). I am compiling a list of 40 things to do this year, my 40th year. My birthday is in April but I am giving myself the entire year to complete this list. I’ve started adding things to my list in 4 different categories. I’m focusing on – health and beauty, adventures, home improvements and overall challenges. I do not quite have 40 items but by this weekend, I hope to have the list complete.

One of the challenges is to get back to blogging. So, look at this, I’ve already started checking one item off. My hope is that if I focus time on certain challenges this year, they will become habits and part of my daily/weekly schedule.

Here are my 40 things so far:

What do you think? Do you have suggestions on things to consider adding. Once my list is complete, I’ll break down the reasons behind each one and my motivation to get them done.

Happy 2023 friends.

February / March Brain Dump

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What a month it has been! Since using my planner, I’ve been ending each month with a huge brain dump and planning for the month ahead. I adopted this method to help start each month with a fresh start. I thought I would share this last brain dump with you guys.

  • I started a new job.
  • My wardrobe is severely lacking.
  • I’m coordinating a special event with another business owner for May.
  • We have teamed up with a bunch of other businesses for a March Business Crawl.
  • I introduced a new product to my store.
  • My youngest started football practice last week.
  • My stepdaughter is signing up for volleyball.
  • My oldest is thinking about running track.
  • All these sports make my brain spin.
  • I started taking courses on Skill Share.
  • We’ve upped our YouTube game.
  • I start CDL classes next week.
  • It’s time to start my garden and I’m nowhere close to being ready.
  • My shoulder pain is getting worse.

It’s so good to get all this down on paper or in this case a computer screen. Have you every done a brain dump? How do you brain dump? Do you want to know more about anything in this post? Comment below and let’s talk about it.

Planning in 2021

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One of my goals for 2021 was to be more intentional. To accomplish that, I have been planning my weeks and days in a planner. Now, I am no professional planner with fancy layouts and tons of cool sticker books. So, if that is what you’re looking for you are in the wrong place.

I found my current planner on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3rtNTfZ)

I like this planner because it gives me a monthly & weekly layout. I use the monthly layout to keep track of bills and appointments. I use the weekly layout to plan out my day. I like to prioritize my 3 most important task and then separate task based on business and personal. I also meal plan my entire week. For the month of January, I tried four new recipes each week. In my planner I gave each recipe up to 5 stars depending on how well my family liked it. I’m going to keep trying new recipes each week and the recipes that receive 3 or more stars will be added to the rotation.

This planner also gives me a “Checking In” page where I can talk about the previous month and a section to discuss “Wellness” and “Gratitude”. Each month also has a “This Month” page where I focus on three areas – Start, Stop and Keep Going. There is also a Notes section where I talk about my focus for the coming month.

After using this planner for one month I am extremely happy with it. I can also say that I have become more productive by being intentional and using this planner. I’ve also started using a Travelers Notebook. Look for a post talking about that soon.