tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10827402728887631882024-03-02T09:52:49.818-06:00Pigs 'n ButtonsPigs are cute. Buttons are useful.
Hope these ramblings prove to be a little of both.Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-9499922386327395182023-11-26T13:49:00.005-06:002023-11-26T13:49:59.794-06:00Get to Know Valerie Mangrum<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Portfolio sounds a little stuffy. Let's just call this an extended elevator pitch.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx7MclSINidXnkTK1w-pj-0wOCatWw5__vlG7hwB7id39Watsgt_DRFoIB0G9y8feDTWaJoXQK3b_ahQplf8w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">mangvale@gmail.com -- GET IN TOUCH -- 615.668.1708</div><br /><p><br /></p>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-31266498694111221002021-04-15T08:23:00.002-05:002021-04-15T15:38:55.580-05:00Gonna Party Like It's My Birthday...('cause it is)<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Knowing my birthday was coming up, someone at work asked me what my favorite age has been thus far. I responded with a quick, “oh, I’d have to think about that one!” but I will say that question stuck with me long after we parted ways. Perhaps she was being clever and trying to ask discreetly how old I am. I’m young (or old) enough that I don’t care who knows my age. I’m turning 47 tomorrow. There you go, Debbie, and anyone else who is curious. I have always prided myself on living in the moment and doing my best to appreciate as many steps and breaths along the way as I could. It occurred to me that Debbie’s question might have multiple correct answers.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">There was the original <i>birth day</i> — the day I was born. That was April 16, 1974. Richard Nixon was president and had a few more months in office before his resignation. As my parents were driving to Baptist Hospital in Nashville (and it will </span><span class="s2" style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration-line: underline;">always</span><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"> be Baptist Hospital to me and the legions of people born there), they likely listened to Elton John and Cat Stevens and The Hollies on the radio in their blue Oldsmobile Cutlass. Box office classics included Blazing Saddles, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and, arguably the finest sequel ever made, Godfather II. As they wheeled Mom back, Daddy likely sat in the waiting room, smoking, and reading headlines about the Patty Hearst kidnapping, the Vietnam war winding down, and the upcoming Rumble in the Jungle.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjln1DwKbWncQ72epAseVKTqKUL8kUtuqaMMKYY8CypH7qt1UnuHwq5jWBkRt0FNSqbpYwXdmERCK7fdA7RgZu3tnD8GjsNnJwhNqWjEPjoyu5nvXDLZj6Sw1PSafpM-K41i-YcMqXNxPi9/s630/IMG_4085.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="442" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjln1DwKbWncQ72epAseVKTqKUL8kUtuqaMMKYY8CypH7qt1UnuHwq5jWBkRt0FNSqbpYwXdmERCK7fdA7RgZu3tnD8GjsNnJwhNqWjEPjoyu5nvXDLZj6Sw1PSafpM-K41i-YcMqXNxPi9/w225-h320/IMG_4085.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eagan, Party of 3</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I had the requisite McDonald’s birthday party when I was maybe six years old. You knew you’d arrived when you either had or got to attend a McDonald’s birthday party. You got to go in the exclusive party room. There were paper hats and those little packages of shortbread cookies and fried pies with apple-flavored lava inside. And one of the characters would come out to delight you and your guests and have pictures taken. I seem to recall Grimace being on hand, mostly because I’ve spent the rest of my life wondering what Grimace is.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_EeUmmwTOkxEg5fpzrL8fNWE7vBfD6iyFDH1PAOm6ZiZLKo0D1rzbFH2rlfC2Dp0K08WqzKQT94Zb3hIMWZRQDp3SbUdOjlBCkMuR1EW6gmMYXa86frU15icIbz3kky4428NS5Nr79OM/s400/grimace.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_EeUmmwTOkxEg5fpzrL8fNWE7vBfD6iyFDH1PAOm6ZiZLKo0D1rzbFH2rlfC2Dp0K08WqzKQT94Zb3hIMWZRQDp3SbUdOjlBCkMuR1EW6gmMYXa86frU15icIbz3kky4428NS5Nr79OM/s320/grimace.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, what is it?</td></tr></tbody></table><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Ask any of my childhood friends to this day, and they will regale you with stories of my third-grade birthday party at Swensen’s. <a href="http://swensensicecream.com/" target="_blank">Swensen’s</a> was a Nashville restaurant that served burgers and ice cream. I just looked them up and there are still a handful of Swensen locations in Florida, Texas and California. I have vague memories of sitting at a long table with all of my classmates, laughing and eating ice cream sundaes. But, through the years, I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me and recounted how much fun they had at that birthday party. Sadly, that wouldn’t be my last birthday where my guests remembered more details than me. Or, when I made an ass of myself with some ice cream.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">For my Sweet Sixteen, my parents staged an elaborate surprise picnic for me at a local park. As most surprise birthdays go, the planners are so bogged down in keeping the surprise that they fail to acknowledge the day <i>at all, </i>leaving the honoree feeling utterly shunned and forgotten. All was forgiven, I suppose, when we arrived at a picnic pavilion decorated to the hilt and flocked with a “This is Your Life” quality cast of characters including friends, family, former teachers, and old neighbors. There was a bonfire and weenie roast and the kids played volleyball and ran around the adjacent woods. Party favors included candy, yo-yo’s and ticks.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I’m sure I did something for my 21st birthday, but nothing comes to mind just now.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">For my 30th, I was pregnant and Mangrum threw a surprise party for me at a local restaurant. Mom was in the hospital and it wasn’t looking good. In fact, following the party, I went to her house and cleaned their bathrooms in preparation for visitors to be stopping by in the coming days. She rallied and would hang in there for a few more months. It was a definitely a time of uncertainty and hellos and goodbyes.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_M3ovGnEXHUSb0OkByNDBOgOFUhofXST0R3XPcnga-frcIAfJhEE4zDv0MGmXw3D1gI9TinKyIO3L2qg6QQD3Qfz6OJKZo89G_lA10yb5DKgMQjPTf0qgz132pgEsd_D0r_MPKpw0Gq3/s1280/30bday.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_M3ovGnEXHUSb0OkByNDBOgOFUhofXST0R3XPcnga-frcIAfJhEE4zDv0MGmXw3D1gI9TinKyIO3L2qg6QQD3Qfz6OJKZo89G_lA10yb5DKgMQjPTf0qgz132pgEsd_D0r_MPKpw0Gq3/s320/30bday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy 30th</td></tr></tbody></table><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">My 40s were ushered in with a Sips n’ Strokes party. A limo picked up a few girlfriends and me for a night of wine and painting. Through the course of the evening, I had aspirations of being an artist, opening up a Sips n’ Strokes franchise, helping our limo driver, Byron, reconnect with his estranged brother, and, finally, making the room less spinny. You know what they say…you can’t paint in your 40s like you did in your 20s.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXKBIoLThU-_c2Uh3-UgJv8oKB3Hx6rd4VVKxt7irp-bLEV_HV9Ffu3NkqnVsxDCSAEg9rY3nziC37mAHA76vweuqBAP2kgyzapYVg_coTut-DA4SrZnmBKZ6SpfdJ6smXIn93JoXdUR7/s960/sips.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXKBIoLThU-_c2Uh3-UgJv8oKB3Hx6rd4VVKxt7irp-bLEV_HV9Ffu3NkqnVsxDCSAEg9rY3nziC37mAHA76vweuqBAP2kgyzapYVg_coTut-DA4SrZnmBKZ6SpfdJ6smXIn93JoXdUR7/s320/sips.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least I didn't cut off my ear.</td></tr></tbody></table><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">My best birthdays, though, will always be the ones that include my favorite things: fruit tea, my favorite people, a walk at Radnor, quiet time in my soft clothes and a high-quality white cake with Breyer’s chocolate ice cream. When it comes down to it, I’m a simple girl.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Thank you in advance for the birthday messages on Facebook. I will respond to each and every one of them and say a prayer for you. If we’re friends on FB, I’ve prayed for you before, but know, as always, you’ll get a personal response tomorrow and a special prayer.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">And, to know me is to love me and if you know and love me, you know I know and love animals. If you have some extra change in your pocket, please consider throwing it at Critter Calvary Rescue. They rescue pups from some of Tennessee's high-kill animal shelters and help find them their fur-ever homes. Because of them, we've had the honor of living with some of God's best angels right here on Earth.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s2" style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.crittercavalry.com/"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">https://www.crittercavalry.com/</span></a></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">And now…fruit tea. Cheers!</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WucK1xwVyoXJD5UBpfspjtpcLSba6cc2dHaBKNOrLpTcZ-CG2yglfmieyd2VyGY8loq00Fjw9gWiVaNCRuu87evUpcnJJlpfvS-PDPGxP4P3m7EQdlfsPkqtennkvINdldDolbpbhjB9/s1283/car.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WucK1xwVyoXJD5UBpfspjtpcLSba6cc2dHaBKNOrLpTcZ-CG2yglfmieyd2VyGY8loq00Fjw9gWiVaNCRuu87evUpcnJJlpfvS-PDPGxP4P3m7EQdlfsPkqtennkvINdldDolbpbhjB9/s320/car.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first home. And my first ride.</td></tr></tbody></table><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-41362011477091119332021-02-23T21:10:00.004-06:002021-02-23T21:10:50.793-06:00Happy Birthday, Mama<p>If you know me, you know I'm not sentimental. I don't have Christmas tree ornaments or stepping stones that say "Because someone we love is in Heaven, there's a little bit of Heaven in our home." I don't relentlessly post about how much I miss my Mom. In fact, in the almost 17 years she's been gone, I don't speak of her often, though not many days go by when I don't think of her, talk to her, or catch glimpses of her in a stranger, my daughter, or even my own self. So, today, on what would have been her 79th birthday, don't look for any "wishing you a happy birthday in Heaven" post from me. I will, though, share just a few pictures and memories in honor of my mama.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIlWFm3Iyc8gwmSNjXcSoBuxCev4LxfTKMonxLmppDxkdrZwIpjDpNQ8iloCHAW1gS2ivzhA9alxsYVtdEIHyR5hmUEFFi2tKrDAubMmL0GCj_upnK8QePoRpu_gkFax4IWwprsBM_9rr/s1607/thom+pat+wedding+061866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1607" data-original-width="1286" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirIlWFm3Iyc8gwmSNjXcSoBuxCev4LxfTKMonxLmppDxkdrZwIpjDpNQ8iloCHAW1gS2ivzhA9alxsYVtdEIHyR5hmUEFFi2tKrDAubMmL0GCj_upnK8QePoRpu_gkFax4IWwprsBM_9rr/w320-h400/thom+pat+wedding+061866.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wedding, June 18, 1966</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Though I used to joke with her about how old she was, they actually did have color photos when she and Daddy were married. They'd asked a friend of the family or relative to be their photographer and he chose to shoot their wedding on black and while film because it was classic and pure and truer to the art of photography. Mom never forgave him and despised her wedding pictures from this day forward. She kept this cream colored album that contained maybe 20 pictures total that comprised ALL of their wedding photos hidden in a drawer and would say, "uggh, what is that doing out?" when she'd walk by and see me leafing through it. I always thought I'd wear her dress one day. When the time came around for my own wedding, I realized I didn't want my wedding dress to be either "borrowed" or "something old." That and I'm pretty sure I couldn't have zipped her dress. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aVgxDC7hDH-oJO5zkID3aQZ66nxNZawNwXmRFkaUL2XR0cbdvgxX66jrpQF6cFQgKpCGIoF8YhYIyYuLiuRP3ocsCb-Y67PNzHi9H2vGJT7pC5NqWKOj6jrCrUl1_QKNQM23eE8kzTzY/s299/t+v+p+1978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="244" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aVgxDC7hDH-oJO5zkID3aQZ66nxNZawNwXmRFkaUL2XR0cbdvgxX66jrpQF6cFQgKpCGIoF8YhYIyYuLiuRP3ocsCb-Y67PNzHi9H2vGJT7pC5NqWKOj6jrCrUl1_QKNQM23eE8kzTzY/w326-h400/t+v+p+1978.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;">Thom, Valerie & Pat, 1978</span></div><div><br /></div>This was originally part of a photo strip from a photo booth but somehow this is the only remaining picture from that event. I love it because Mom and Daddy look so young and happy and baby Valerie...well, I pretty much look the same today in most photos. Some combination of RBF and mild confusion. People often ask me what it was like being an only child. Was it lonely? Did I get bored? Did I miss having siblings? Yes, sometimes it was lonely. Yes, like any kid, I occasionally got bored. No, it's hard to miss something you've never experienced. Although, strangely, I always longed for and even asked for an older brother. These two made life fun 'round the clock. Maybe they were worried about paying bills and were tired from working at their jobs but I never saw that. I always had someone to cuddle with, to sit in their lap, to read to me, to play a game.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivugMIMwUkVecGdvV3IONe6cRahdtEytKd_IAomvMJoJfLzEHtgrBaFKScp4Qse9QyyBumdMGP399WYJf0b8Th0exWs6sUgUVi3clIoZK0YgtZvk04nNenbg2IujkJ-WD6k0F0b4FVa7gm/s604/pat+valerie+1980+maybe+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="475" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivugMIMwUkVecGdvV3IONe6cRahdtEytKd_IAomvMJoJfLzEHtgrBaFKScp4Qse9QyyBumdMGP399WYJf0b8Th0exWs6sUgUVi3clIoZK0YgtZvk04nNenbg2IujkJ-WD6k0F0b4FVa7gm/w315-h400/pat+valerie+1980+maybe+copy.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">February 24, 1980</div><div><br /></div>This was on Mom's birthday, 41 years ago, at my grandparents' house. Mom lived for four things: traveling, going out to eat, the weekend, and birthday celebrations. She was a bit like Garfield. Maybe it was being raised by Depression-era parents and not having much growing up. But birthdays -- hers, mine, anyone, really - were a HUGE deal. There was the requisite Becker's cake (seen pictured above) and ice cream, and we usually pulled out the good dishes.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutUreLNIbS2VseKxmhnwGksQzgz1K5R6PSVQlSdXfINKr8G16HTmdRXzWmkbshWbKDUjscQun4TRFjiU5FTa6sHJ9ioifxYkPNA81RchfMYlrotOJhojQ0di02ATaOGF5rYLMeeOgo__n/s367/P+%2526+T+Lee+Smith+wedding+2000+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="367" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutUreLNIbS2VseKxmhnwGksQzgz1K5R6PSVQlSdXfINKr8G16HTmdRXzWmkbshWbKDUjscQun4TRFjiU5FTa6sHJ9ioifxYkPNA81RchfMYlrotOJhojQ0di02ATaOGF5rYLMeeOgo__n/w400-h336/P+%2526+T+Lee+Smith+wedding+2000+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wedding of a friend's child, 1998</div><br /><div><br /><div>This is how I'll remember her...smiling, with Daddy, enjoying being with friends, hair just so and fresh lipstick. People have asked me through the years what I would say if she and I could talk once more. It's a bizarre question, really. I mean, depending on the circumstances, I might say a not nice word followed by "you scared me!" or I might say, "is this Heaven?" But truthfully, I would probably make up some excuse as to why I wasn't wearing lipstick. She would put on a fresh coat just to go check the mail so she would not understand why I wear lipstick maybe once a month and even less now because of stupid COVID and these dang-blasted masks. Mom was ahead of her time. She used to drive me crazy when we'd go out to dinner and we'd sit down and she'd whip out a little spray bottle of hand sanitizer and do her hands, the menu and the table. She was regularly ahead of her time.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, in recap, don't be sad for me because I lost my Mom when I was 30. Be happy that I had her for three decades. Don't be sad for Bird because she never knew Mom. She knows her really well. And, if you still have your mama, stop reading this and give her a call or shoot her a text just to say hi, just because you can. And it will totally make her day.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFGjxS3GTgoO99oMjFT_SSEd8yP_1MjIDstOYQRwGee5KhzDKOqtcCe5CYnCV32E9TGLQD-BPOpE7RD5uTLxJmIPH4b1g36JyeuMO_IWKvF3M8G8vUbw4JhyIi_yOwqZvcrB8OWy1Td4k/s773/weep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="773" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFGjxS3GTgoO99oMjFT_SSEd8yP_1MjIDstOYQRwGee5KhzDKOqtcCe5CYnCV32E9TGLQD-BPOpE7RD5uTLxJmIPH4b1g36JyeuMO_IWKvF3M8G8vUbw4JhyIi_yOwqZvcrB8OWy1Td4k/w400-h259/weep.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-43165541655561361322020-10-16T07:14:00.002-05:002020-10-16T07:14:35.970-05:00Mountain Mama<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Dolly Parton and I have a lot in common. The commonalities I’m willing to acknowledge publicly include an appreciation for books, a no nonsense approach to going about one’s life, and a deep revere for her birthplace, the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee. As a Nashville native, we headed to the mountains like people in California head to the beach or people in NYC head to the Hamptons. It was a favorite destination for weekend getaways and longer vacations.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">O</span><span style="text-align: left;">ne thing I love about visiting the smokies is that no two trips are exactly the same. There’s always a new restaurant popping up, you might see different wildlife on different visits, and the scenery- the breathtaking, jaw-dropping, amazing views change not only with the seasons but with weather patterns and from month to month and day to day. </span></div><p></p><p>Driving in, we often take back roads and this is my second-favorite scenery. This slice of Americana offers a glimpse into the daily lives of people who have lived in the same area for generations and generations and are just busy doing life. I think of them as my state cousins, living and working just a few hours down the road.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJpNHZAjw0HhQ7aJjH00ZYF-XktHVOowBhNaoPRVZFJ0vJLSOoEs5CCGA-jGmVX2JE9FMSk6CVbTFUEPB_FlnRF290VVUGFZ4nOa1zoa26cHGcUOInldiZ4ghjj6E1bIRsWfDnwW8_oRx/s2048/5D1392F9-08FA-41C5-A07A-05109C24331E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJpNHZAjw0HhQ7aJjH00ZYF-XktHVOowBhNaoPRVZFJ0vJLSOoEs5CCGA-jGmVX2JE9FMSk6CVbTFUEPB_FlnRF290VVUGFZ4nOa1zoa26cHGcUOInldiZ4ghjj6E1bIRsWfDnwW8_oRx/s320/5D1392F9-08FA-41C5-A07A-05109C24331E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0gColRkoJTh_4AqfPjZY_JVXDsNKwRJrL1iCCEjtGiRPcnavCTrXSCxIOdDeUNrQOrOtAHSYKtjNtpn91uPJytTtZqaAO_GFs5m597Ie8_KlEADjjnBCa9_x7qrXsVq7Qqsq3Unu4p91/s2048/9F28EEC9-B7D2-4AF2-AC31-8428AEBEF9DE.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0gColRkoJTh_4AqfPjZY_JVXDsNKwRJrL1iCCEjtGiRPcnavCTrXSCxIOdDeUNrQOrOtAHSYKtjNtpn91uPJytTtZqaAO_GFs5m597Ie8_KlEADjjnBCa9_x7qrXsVq7Qqsq3Unu4p91/s320/9F28EEC9-B7D2-4AF2-AC31-8428AEBEF9DE.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5pghP2BiFUkzvNGsfJ8qA0FBRhG3G-cthpuH5L5R-xRfm1WaVn2qV4cKq9zoEwY-RfAB9-9U9PNhUlnJxen-5GFKJ02QBqIFwLv5yrc2tmnC-vmqNK-1wvMcPywySQDLits8TItE3y0G/s2048/24D16C20-F933-44D3-A939-9DD42140B185.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5pghP2BiFUkzvNGsfJ8qA0FBRhG3G-cthpuH5L5R-xRfm1WaVn2qV4cKq9zoEwY-RfAB9-9U9PNhUlnJxen-5GFKJ02QBqIFwLv5yrc2tmnC-vmqNK-1wvMcPywySQDLits8TItE3y0G/s320/24D16C20-F933-44D3-A939-9DD42140B185.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmBE2FI3-OPpkmHHT8-qjfdlFL7gP4cPAFRYEbdLrmHUYWxFUMUVNCqRkjSvS3X-X53ST4m9SIfCRNYwfTXm33iB4JnQL3E20YKL6_flbEaAzbdmwOVvapS3l-uGhmuuerH93waKH7pXF/s2048/698A5EDF-777A-4699-B08F-10A0F509BA41.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmBE2FI3-OPpkmHHT8-qjfdlFL7gP4cPAFRYEbdLrmHUYWxFUMUVNCqRkjSvS3X-X53ST4m9SIfCRNYwfTXm33iB4JnQL3E20YKL6_flbEaAzbdmwOVvapS3l-uGhmuuerH93waKH7pXF/s320/698A5EDF-777A-4699-B08F-10A0F509BA41.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3GECn6WAzUte7OlZ6K4WH4uSbIvSx9tOIq140Nmc6vdA9IcVbQeKXagvkCSShIOw2XHrc0PdRwKQ8HhTmhnRkCvgUcX3tX7ZaCt5E-ULWB5Jplr7FHTYD-xeZ3woZliMzpP9818yszEE/s2048/946DF23D-C79F-4196-88A3-5209EE10F95C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3GECn6WAzUte7OlZ6K4WH4uSbIvSx9tOIq140Nmc6vdA9IcVbQeKXagvkCSShIOw2XHrc0PdRwKQ8HhTmhnRkCvgUcX3tX7ZaCt5E-ULWB5Jplr7FHTYD-xeZ3woZliMzpP9818yszEE/s320/946DF23D-C79F-4196-88A3-5209EE10F95C.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbCZtWJi2e9BGZKknIxgDffJlXzHUJRIqhreTdiEkwFlQFJ1IYGnQxeu9mMoI1PD7LDFlc-RxNobubsxIqvcyKLItFOpPWR2qJLioEa__mWKGzDSC85MnFDa7NBTZp-Sk0ibQXy0sNlVk/s2048/49146F08-63A7-4010-A310-59F213CE76FB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbCZtWJi2e9BGZKknIxgDffJlXzHUJRIqhreTdiEkwFlQFJ1IYGnQxeu9mMoI1PD7LDFlc-RxNobubsxIqvcyKLItFOpPWR2qJLioEa__mWKGzDSC85MnFDa7NBTZp-Sk0ibQXy0sNlVk/s320/49146F08-63A7-4010-A310-59F213CE76FB.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p><p>For me, visiting this place, with the people I love, is pushing a great big “reset” button I sleep better, I breath more deeply, cares and worries slip away and I’m a child again, looking for bears and wondering if it’s too early to eat some fudge. I have to sign off now as it’s time for pancakes. Happy Fall, y’all!</p><p><br /></p>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-75141500000467904382020-03-29T20:12:00.000-05:002020-03-29T20:16:56.522-05:00I'm Coming Out<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Tomorrow marks the end of my quarantine. That is, until my governor decides to change his current path of willy-nilliness and halfway addressing current issues and supports the shelter in place effort so many other states have already employed and countless healthcare providers have strongly recommended as a way of truly flattening the blasted curve.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Politics aside, my period of quarantine ends tomorrow when I return to my job after being on an involuntary, two-week quarantine because I was around someone who was around someone who was around someone who tested positive for COVID-19. You read that right. On March 13, I was sent home from my job because of a third-degree exposure. As a textbook introvert, I did not look this gift horse in the mouth, but, rather, ran home and yanked off my bra, slipped on my soft clothes, threw my hair in a bun and didn’t look back. For two glorious weeks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The first week was my child’s spring break. We watched Netflix and made cookies and played games and went for walks. It was like a warmer Christmas break and one without all of the materialism and decorations to put away.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This past week, my child began remote classroom with her school. As she sat at a desk in front of a computer for 8+ hours per day, I did my best to give her space and peace and quiet by holing away in my bedroom, snacking, watching Gilmore Girls and Fantasy Island and Nat Geo and HGTV, and, when all else failed, taking long naps. It was glorious.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I saw this meme and it really resonated.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">No, it didn’t catapult me into action, but it resonated. Yes, I flipped my closet from cold to warm season clothes. I listed some pieces on Buy/Sell/Trade and Poshmark. I organized the pantry and laundry room and tidied the fridge. I put the dry cleaning away. I even found a website called <a href="https://www.duolingo.com/" target="_blank">DuoLingo</a> that is a free language learning site. I decided to brush up on my French skills. I am now back to intermediate level and can order two croissants in a bakery again. What’s still lingering on my to do list that I just didn’t quite get to? Well, the same things that have been there for six months or more: dust bathroom light fixture, dust baseboards, deep clean this and organize that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’ll tell you what I learned during this experience:</span></span></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My days started much like they did in my PC (pre-Corona) life: coffee, pets, couch, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trusting-God-Day-Daily-Devotions-ebook/dp/B0076DDGPK/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3EIH9QZZHIZCQ&keywords=joyce+meyer+devotionals&qid=1585530597&sprefix=joyce+%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-2" target="_blank">devotional</a>, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/" target="_blank">news</a>, scrolling FB and Insta.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">I’m really good at napping. I mean, seriously good.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">I love my family and they love me. There is some sound wisdom, though, in the statement “distance makes the heart grow fonder.”</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Whether home all day during quarantine or coming home after a long day at work, I am a classic “early to bed” girl.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">I miss and apparently need routines.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">I love being around my pets all day. I think they shared the sentiment.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">I’ll state again, I have mad napping skills. I mean, I could maybe give a Ted Talk.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And the biggest discovery I’m taking away from this whole thing is riddled with common sense and I’m sure everyone else has been doing this all along but it’s new to me so I’m sharing it in case just one of you isn’t already doing this:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I run the dishwasher every night. Now those of you who aren’t third generation only children may be thinking, “well, duh.” But it’s just three of us here. And what used to happen was I would tidy the kitchen at night and look at the dirty dishes and think, “well, it’s not enough to fill the dishwasher so I’ll just wait to run it.” What would inevitably happen, though, would be the next night, more dishes would appear and they wouldn’t all fit in the dishwasher so I would get caught in an endless cycle of the washer being full and the sink having dirty dishes in it. Now, I run the dishwasher every night. Now, no, I’m not going to run it with a plate and a glass in it but if it’s more than half full, it gets the green light. The average dishwasher uses 4 gallons of water, so I figure this exercise is worth my happiness and mental wellness.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’m going back out there tomorrow. I won’t lie -- I'm scared. I’m not really scared about getting sick myself, but I’m really scared about bringing it home to my loves. So, as exciting as it will be to bring a paycheck home again, I pray that’s all I bring. Y’all stay well out there. No hoarding paper products or baby piglets or whatever the next “it” item is, okay?</span></span></div>
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-34914896702051667942020-03-23T09:37:00.004-05:002020-03-23T09:37:56.984-05:00Tales of a co-worker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTH53Um2EVzheLejcoMOAWf-QxLk1jhVFqN7A6bafqkDCaV3NM8_SupNXi6ZGStVDBkZjL-uMmFuziX3gmGdmyFGGXgcBGCM6f3Vfqs15sFWDJod4wN1kgKpGS_4MWSHumjspzhrZHxnv/s1600/snoopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTH53Um2EVzheLejcoMOAWf-QxLk1jhVFqN7A6bafqkDCaV3NM8_SupNXi6ZGStVDBkZjL-uMmFuziX3gmGdmyFGGXgcBGCM6f3Vfqs15sFWDJod4wN1kgKpGS_4MWSHumjspzhrZHxnv/s320/snoopy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I saw a meme the other day that suggested, for a quick laugh, that you should replace the phrase “my dog” with “my co-worker” since many are working from home these days. You then were encouraged to plug in all of the activities/adventures of your pet in place of a co-worker during these strange Corona Virus times.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I don’t have the ability, at this time at least, to work from home so I’m just doing some of my other jobs which include being wife, mother, daughter, pet owner, maid, laundress, decorator, tv watcher and napper.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">With that said, here’s my co-worker, Penny:</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQudIj3wgU4xKcFDjqJQzBcoXSzD85f989_D_UeHrlkbW7hPbq6cncHllPth5n7uhMJqETzZTRlBd6uoj-RhP84141AYm4awrk1wTd3SgGtctXPJ2FpRG0-vTILCftwAIWTnW_gxcUVal0/s1600/penny+022820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQudIj3wgU4xKcFDjqJQzBcoXSzD85f989_D_UeHrlkbW7hPbq6cncHllPth5n7uhMJqETzZTRlBd6uoj-RhP84141AYm4awrk1wTd3SgGtctXPJ2FpRG0-vTILCftwAIWTnW_gxcUVal0/s320/penny+022820.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker just pulled a sock out of the laundry and brought it into another room to chew on it. </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker just took a dump in the dining room because it’s raining outside.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker has asked me several times if it’s time for dinner. My answer was, “no, not for a couple of hours still.”</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker just spent a long time licking her foot.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker is fast asleep. And is apparently having a dream about chasing a bunny.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker tooted and then acted like nothing happened.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker routinely asks for belly rubs.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker is looking out the window at some squirrels.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker just licked a place on the floor.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker just tried to get in the trash until I caught her and redirected her.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker got in a stand-off with a cat at the water cooler.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker likes her ears rubbed.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">I just trimmed my co-worker’s nails. I might clean her ears later.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Took my co-worker for a walk this morning. She peed in every single person’s yard we passed.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker just asked to go out. I asked her not to dig in the mulch and get muddy.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker just watched a dog on TV with intense curiosity.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">When I eat, my co-worker sits very closely and stares while licking her lips.</span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-kerning: none;">My co-worker just tooted and then seemed scared by what had just happened.</span></span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Good luck during these uncertain times. I’d love to hear about your co-workers. Wash your hands, don’t touch your face and be well, my friends.</span></span></div>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-54561984828150583332019-07-23T02:04:00.000-05:002019-07-23T02:04:05.304-05:00Insomnia: a Haiku<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Insomnia</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sleep eludes me now</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But somehow that will all change</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In the afternoon</span>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-8959889996729633962019-05-04T22:38:00.000-05:002019-05-05T22:40:31.095-05:00Hope in Little Rock: Day 3Day 3 had us stopping by the Clinton Presidential Library before heading home. Now, one of the greatest things about Man and me is that we do not agree on everything -- particularly politics -- but we've never let that get in the way of a perfectly good friendship. Washington, we are here to answer your questions when you're ready.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijq48g7QKvw_elP-8ykD3RWDc2EPIw5i6fq6V88sHUKqXPOJ8OSmzSvHp1vEpIpsIeocTzz_B506jQyKS2V4lXDYlxSYa7qpSPg6LE1YjvEQO4NGiiZDSdyOgU4T9kzBWPiDbl5Anp-mNt/s1600/IMG_2831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijq48g7QKvw_elP-8ykD3RWDc2EPIw5i6fq6V88sHUKqXPOJ8OSmzSvHp1vEpIpsIeocTzz_B506jQyKS2V4lXDYlxSYa7qpSPg6LE1YjvEQO4NGiiZDSdyOgU4T9kzBWPiDbl5Anp-mNt/s320/IMG_2831.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First, as we were entering the museum, a tandem bike race passed us. Have you ever?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2h29aoUTB54MPNaUZymGtqVcuFxO28ZEsbDwuJCBCAK_fw8ZDA8mKCOoP2i0qra1NuLX0E1v9s98WiwxeV25g97bRWdtubpdhqcfv5QH9QkT9RcgJ4tyfh_8-9FmyHKIFgmtMl439JD49/s1600/IMG_2832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2h29aoUTB54MPNaUZymGtqVcuFxO28ZEsbDwuJCBCAK_fw8ZDA8mKCOoP2i0qra1NuLX0E1v9s98WiwxeV25g97bRWdtubpdhqcfv5QH9QkT9RcgJ4tyfh_8-9FmyHKIFgmtMl439JD49/s320/IMG_2832.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAw9Yv17e7Gv27OK6ATTFnLTd9dFI9YY2Yl2GinZXPVvPstZs6E__3b1oGVnnQ9n5qt8ot6X6Szf2hinYNPuO9nUu1iDIM1j9Y4a_u9f6UKLmbgI40MdmdszLWPnR5FBGAl1VuzPNsdJ1D/s1600/IMG_2833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAw9Yv17e7Gv27OK6ATTFnLTd9dFI9YY2Yl2GinZXPVvPstZs6E__3b1oGVnnQ9n5qt8ot6X6Szf2hinYNPuO9nUu1iDIM1j9Y4a_u9f6UKLmbgI40MdmdszLWPnR5FBGAl1VuzPNsdJ1D/s320/IMG_2833.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my kind of math. Show your work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3c4Co2s7tDqZLMzQ31cO3ZKk6e357b8bxOAfFzIqRYNpsixRgM-y7qFv8_4bY4QgYtj0aVywWrFUOzbw1neCGdPa4fKzAKH-gPhjMRYiqA1asN_CoY5BeGagyc3pK5Dz5k3h7nyTpHVq/s1600/IMG_2834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3c4Co2s7tDqZLMzQ31cO3ZKk6e357b8bxOAfFzIqRYNpsixRgM-y7qFv8_4bY4QgYtj0aVywWrFUOzbw1neCGdPa4fKzAKH-gPhjMRYiqA1asN_CoY5BeGagyc3pK5Dz5k3h7nyTpHVq/s320/IMG_2834.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can take the girl away from editing but you can't take the editor away from the girl. My eyes are constantly looking for an error - call me a glass half empty kind of girl. But I did immediately spot that Hillary's name was misspelled on one of her badges. Seriously, people?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkd6bYs9VlNZCriCxEUvHzNoKtu7ZBFh3AjM7nlJjMyvqp74vwnHqFgJpvV0GDFr74-lFIgT-0uhH_up3DuKn2zrFKCGOBSFga2mRns6NyYIdrOz4cpiv9t_pBzxvJOyWE2EC5onO4D3c/s1600/IMG_2835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkd6bYs9VlNZCriCxEUvHzNoKtu7ZBFh3AjM7nlJjMyvqp74vwnHqFgJpvV0GDFr74-lFIgT-0uhH_up3DuKn2zrFKCGOBSFga2mRns6NyYIdrOz4cpiv9t_pBzxvJOyWE2EC5onO4D3c/s320/IMG_2835.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even I can admit he wasn't all bad. One of the first bills he signed was the FMLA allowing people to take off work following the birth or adoption of a baby.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRlG1ZZtpu-9w-jadJ1Mnt1UeUnp7lGUgQNSBFnsuMyA9I51q2j-FlVZCzLbRwCBYHRuYEOg4cD7aJtpepipVMt1fc7SntUjdWcLqEuP2katn0Tu9fpM4IoIH_XOBRRwiQbArfVmrITSC/s1600/IMG_2836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRlG1ZZtpu-9w-jadJ1Mnt1UeUnp7lGUgQNSBFnsuMyA9I51q2j-FlVZCzLbRwCBYHRuYEOg4cD7aJtpepipVMt1fc7SntUjdWcLqEuP2katn0Tu9fpM4IoIH_XOBRRwiQbArfVmrITSC/s320/IMG_2836.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was one in a succession of presidents who proudly showed off his four-legged relatives.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghu6Zjda4lAf_qPoQAmzPChRhEcxCP0wHMJxpCWebC6PmjsFkf9l7gMuOw_lkniHqc7rfSSqM92ClQkCGh5nRaBugEXHQsydO9jF94uq9uvTNk0attW4RB1DH2bHWu3P3gilJtcHx6ZNDh/s1600/IMG_2837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghu6Zjda4lAf_qPoQAmzPChRhEcxCP0wHMJxpCWebC6PmjsFkf9l7gMuOw_lkniHqc7rfSSqM92ClQkCGh5nRaBugEXHQsydO9jF94uq9uvTNk0attW4RB1DH2bHWu3P3gilJtcHx6ZNDh/s320/IMG_2837.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictures weren't allowed in the replica of the Oval Office [insert eye roll] but on the coffee table between the two couches was a piece of moon rock gifted to Clinton by Neil Armstrong. Now, don't ask me if this was all on the up and up. I can't help but think this wasn't truly Neil's to be gifting in the first place. Nor, however, is it NASA's but they currently maintain ownership of it. Anyway, the moon rock sat there and President Clinton was known to point it out during particularly heated discussions and say, "You see this rock, it's been here for 3.6 million years, so let's all calm down. We're just passing through here and it's going to be fine."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtWBM_h1Eh0G5vtP3ysIRxqDpbt7V4U8xJsmZNGaN7ABalLW5SdNwKGhkm8Chgccd1oWQVmCS8SJ0OokOMPecY6ttPvU3-ak_sL5cAThT_S9T90nq1gDmUpIDbNJ0e6DzYKgRRV0oalq5/s1600/IMG_2838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtWBM_h1Eh0G5vtP3ysIRxqDpbt7V4U8xJsmZNGaN7ABalLW5SdNwKGhkm8Chgccd1oWQVmCS8SJ0OokOMPecY6ttPvU3-ak_sL5cAThT_S9T90nq1gDmUpIDbNJ0e6DzYKgRRV0oalq5/s320/IMG_2838.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way out, we were forced to enjoy an art installation by an artist who makes art from trash and debris that has floated up on the coast of Oregon. As we exited, there was a place where you could fill out a little card and write what you are doing to save the environment. Several people said "I'm quitting using plastic straws." But this one jumped out at me. I'm not sure she was quite on point with the whole assignment, but I liked her words all the same.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAlmtkwVvMkwu-VjN1m-KyYw3EtA64UNdUS08EmeuSk892uySQMBLh2027KIQJcPBYMsG8pdOShIy83cltWK_jv8B13CrHHF5Q_dEVDvz4NrlsZlw87rS5xnQn6KaxFa9sbfZiUf35sK2/s1600/IMG_2840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAlmtkwVvMkwu-VjN1m-KyYw3EtA64UNdUS08EmeuSk892uySQMBLh2027KIQJcPBYMsG8pdOShIy83cltWK_jv8B13CrHHF5Q_dEVDvz4NrlsZlw87rS5xnQn6KaxFa9sbfZiUf35sK2/s320/IMG_2840.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then outside, on our way to the parking lot, there was this little gem tucked into the grounds. When Anne Frank was locked in her apartment hiding place for two years, they had only a small window that looked out into the world. From this window, she could see the sky and a bit of a tree that grew outside that apartment. The tree outlived Anne and survived for many years following the end of the war. It took ill, though, just in the last few years and died. They were able to salvage just a few saplings from the tree and the Clinton Library was honored to received one of these saplings so that her tree could live on and continue to inspire and provide hope to those who saw it.</td></tr>
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<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-90442542920407602952019-05-03T22:16:00.000-05:002019-05-05T22:17:05.583-05:00Little Rock, Day 2: Part 2After we toured P. Allen Smith's estate, we headed back into Little Rock and visited the Central High School Visitors' Center. Central High is still there and a functioning high school. In fact, classes were letting out for the day as we arrived. The visitor center is located across the street, as is the Mobil station, preserved and looking pretty much as it did that day, 62 years ago, when nine black students, later dubbed the "Little Rock Nine," attempted to enter the school and attend classes, effectively starting the process of ending segregation. This is their story.<br />
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Following this, we worked in a little R&R, napped, refreshed, then headed to the most delicious Italian dinner at Bruno's Little Italy.</div>
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<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-81486082400661666982019-05-03T21:50:00.000-05:002019-05-05T22:00:18.652-05:00LITTLE ROCK of ages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: large;">Day 2 in Little Rock. Today was the reason for this trip, our visit to P. Allen Smith's home and estate where he lives and films his TV show. I'm shocked that as many people (120!) were there today for the tour because I've still not told a soul about him and they knew who I was talking about. I'm going to let the pictures do the talking but cannot say enough things about Allen or his home or the tour. It was a lovely experience start to finish.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Arriving at Moss Mountain Farm, home of P. Allen Smith</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We arrived and were greeted and shown the restrooms and instructed to go through the hospitality tent to enjoy homemade cookies and coffee and water. The tables were already set for lunch.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Warning sign upon entering estate.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BYOk9Sf4d5FfUv-wgfBbT9vkcCBU_bYfwEhQuxQ9LPYASOm3QqncPRXyjKWG-7yCD4v4CQhjx2kxnEOoD4EqDqsJfPjQtaFPfIs-t_vuKOU8RLVrfAHq6VrVrfjgzW19yCevH8NTsBKj/s1600/592028DB-2573-4CAC-8135-4BB11CAD8548.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BYOk9Sf4d5FfUv-wgfBbT9vkcCBU_bYfwEhQuxQ9LPYASOm3QqncPRXyjKWG-7yCD4v4CQhjx2kxnEOoD4EqDqsJfPjQtaFPfIs-t_vuKOU8RLVrfAHq6VrVrfjgzW19yCevH8NTsBKj/s320/592028DB-2573-4CAC-8135-4BB11CAD8548.jpeg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Homemade cookies greeted us</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjZP4VdywJjZrpIYje21rOi1Jarhjd5gu7Xcs9rJL-emrxFVOF7O-vasQEtKHFVJZ3Mj5Zu0VhhO74P927_BHE097z9-r3R9xFj2wHqDVf-Sgk0SZH6nDcqcS6B8-EV2C5wQTInhi1OdN/s1600/man+and+valerie+in+front+of+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjZP4VdywJjZrpIYje21rOi1Jarhjd5gu7Xcs9rJL-emrxFVOF7O-vasQEtKHFVJZ3Mj5Zu0VhhO74P927_BHE097z9-r3R9xFj2wHqDVf-Sgk0SZH6nDcqcS6B8-EV2C5wQTInhi1OdN/s320/man+and+valerie+in+front+of+house.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Me and my person. They split the large group into 4 smaller groups and off we went.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtDtM1hRNjwDSexLo-mRmJr-Qtvp2pZSbt5aF7IPGzB2bysA7fkTVHy0ja_ArqALwjQwiRozih5gjo302HGQLvZL5r3ICPCUJ47NFKU3dHYYbslXgwmU4RCZFAkSE2gWBYtzS5-hSMnp5/s1600/allen+crowd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtDtM1hRNjwDSexLo-mRmJr-Qtvp2pZSbt5aF7IPGzB2bysA7fkTVHy0ja_ArqALwjQwiRozih5gjo302HGQLvZL5r3ICPCUJ47NFKU3dHYYbslXgwmU4RCZFAkSE2gWBYtzS5-hSMnp5/s320/allen+crowd.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I gotta be honest. I kind of thought we'd be there with between 10-20 people, 25 max. Imagine my surprise when we discovered there were 120 people there for the tour on our day!<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqedvgf0YUTmgvigxFI5B00NylzxSd6Yfa5cyxQ4AsN8oHZd51uF368MT6G7n5iKqVApkQSTLFKT8W-egN27LbjJ6uLNRBzrhiaUcCeuPrrCV5oD7jdh6yQ9pHCPjHT8H6PdGoXIKkc58N/s1600/looking+out+over+estate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqedvgf0YUTmgvigxFI5B00NylzxSd6Yfa5cyxQ4AsN8oHZd51uF368MT6G7n5iKqVApkQSTLFKT8W-egN27LbjJ6uLNRBzrhiaUcCeuPrrCV5oD7jdh6yQ9pHCPjHT8H6PdGoXIKkc58N/s320/looking+out+over+estate.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The sky was overcast all day but the rain held off and the temperature was perfect. Allen's property is 300 acres and we walked roughly 50 of those or 2 miles.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRC8UQdEMFa9elVhRtecYW5ffrgFZBkJvkHvD8YnFHT3SAYEfzcmWayKvPwI0_yQh__5uWk3n6gibG3-uedphRoSaA0GBdwIBBDX0SDb1B0hB5TXUA9C1Gl2XpijVNMFzwysRSM9PxPjj/s1600/man+and+v+on+tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRC8UQdEMFa9elVhRtecYW5ffrgFZBkJvkHvD8YnFHT3SAYEfzcmWayKvPwI0_yQh__5uWk3n6gibG3-uedphRoSaA0GBdwIBBDX0SDb1B0hB5TXUA9C1Gl2XpijVNMFzwysRSM9PxPjj/s320/man+and+v+on+tour.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We quickly realized we were outclassed in every way possible on this tour. There were people -- men and women -- who had traveled to see and raised their hands to ask questions not just about the countless shrubs and trees and bushes and plants that Allen has in his gardens, but extremely specific questions about one very specific variety of a certain type of plant. We just nodded and smiled.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMnq8tZktxlZUnZpyscOwFU-XFB7eQmfWJfprXKwtsKuujJMLsVMqmAMuwp3DVvotScAxwrFkmD-zqoNtgRTHJhYlu9vBWUxRTqVNPY85r42Z6RSntuwBQCY4cJ9Wyaxn0NDXqDd-XdQp/s1600/outdoor+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMnq8tZktxlZUnZpyscOwFU-XFB7eQmfWJfprXKwtsKuujJMLsVMqmAMuwp3DVvotScAxwrFkmD-zqoNtgRTHJhYlu9vBWUxRTqVNPY85r42Z6RSntuwBQCY4cJ9Wyaxn0NDXqDd-XdQp/s320/outdoor+kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">They profess that Allen lives there and calls this estate home most of the time. We were quite incredulous - especially when we traipsed through his personal areas of the home such as his bedroom and bathroom and kitchen. But there were certain areas, such as this beautiful outdoor kitchen, that make it easy to picture him entertaining friends.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKLhX8_OTKCB4K2WPv6GdfAA2HYQ4pRUAbmGI67hlbl7xpuI7c4b4S5lot7e6LA_o0p_D1JNo3jYgU512JthI0_wd_AQxJhzKPnsdALbCMI4Klqzac4fS1LDDMwS88CMJylG7BGMOCU7f/s1600/sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKLhX8_OTKCB4K2WPv6GdfAA2HYQ4pRUAbmGI67hlbl7xpuI7c4b4S5lot7e6LA_o0p_D1JNo3jYgU512JthI0_wd_AQxJhzKPnsdALbCMI4Klqzac4fS1LDDMwS88CMJylG7BGMOCU7f/s320/sheep.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Passed these sheep and the tour guide explained that they're a specific type of sheep that does not require shearing. At a certain point, they "drop" their coats and begin the process all over.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw7zhULjBpw0iMVpJxHyUTZw3AQjXy4BNeW-A4HVQUOoQJe7rW6VLU4i6yzga68oHj471pwSqOER288HekQTw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3GvxSJQBw-jfegm14gWVh6ycY16GstsWKIpjgSHSDnEmdgClArMqG8lfuEDGLbEdVj57nazt1gYpQ0WqewsawEXumnFP6xnX-7w9tpom0_bRiMWXzgWlfai8mTed7ZxfXIH05Ew5Iy1a/s1600/IMG_2746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3GvxSJQBw-jfegm14gWVh6ycY16GstsWKIpjgSHSDnEmdgClArMqG8lfuEDGLbEdVj57nazt1gYpQ0WqewsawEXumnFP6xnX-7w9tpom0_bRiMWXzgWlfai8mTed7ZxfXIH05Ew5Iy1a/s320/IMG_2746.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">One of two "drying houses" on property. They seemed to be octagonal in shape and were simply a structure used to dry various plants, inside and away from the elements.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7oV9IbJKFLJ25b2py6J8AU5wgq_6yIPaWIK0PRBjzL2DIVvRhwa4ps6thOWvLlI2mUU526pJ5o7rkQuPWx1Wif8xjXd1d3vMGIBek8d0qytj9G86ky3uGogU8DSQmkji9oBtz8RD-tdo/s1600/IMG_2747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7oV9IbJKFLJ25b2py6J8AU5wgq_6yIPaWIK0PRBjzL2DIVvRhwa4ps6thOWvLlI2mUU526pJ5o7rkQuPWx1Wif8xjXd1d3vMGIBek8d0qytj9G86ky3uGogU8DSQmkji9oBtz8RD-tdo/s320/IMG_2747.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Inside of the drying house<br /></span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJROgVeZITM-j0OMFSdYaAP9wDGIs3s347kGA4-XcxCzLm8gWcCm_oWa22UCx8DU3Yre7PvHuvneNlSl41jJyYGoCyRU_eq2O6t0_cqbXjsO4KodfhJZGAiyvOapJIAycpfb79gTYgnQy/s1600/IMG_2748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJROgVeZITM-j0OMFSdYaAP9wDGIs3s347kGA4-XcxCzLm8gWcCm_oWa22UCx8DU3Yre7PvHuvneNlSl41jJyYGoCyRU_eq2O6t0_cqbXjsO4KodfhJZGAiyvOapJIAycpfb79gTYgnQy/s320/IMG_2748.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Still inside the drying house<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpMi_Lfz4qGlvZV9_NEsf1QUuuYFM1r4eZ29HOl5ktvMChgdquNCbgNumAzXxpvmJ-lti9nFZ3bcTIpSAbVnKb-YmilyZ2HHkOax63uO7__12JNuy6C3KT74HURQHjWskNidQKBjoGD_N/s1600/IMG_2749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpMi_Lfz4qGlvZV9_NEsf1QUuuYFM1r4eZ29HOl5ktvMChgdquNCbgNumAzXxpvmJ-lti9nFZ3bcTIpSAbVnKb-YmilyZ2HHkOax63uO7__12JNuy6C3KT74HURQHjWskNidQKBjoGD_N/s320/IMG_2749.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Looking at the back of the home. There are three levels and two screened porches. That top one is a "sleeping porch" that you'll see a bit more of in a little bit. It's outfitted with 3 twin beds and a lovely tub for taking a bath al fresco.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2257dcBeQ__CEf-g6DalO5XRLBPNE7e1dGI5bQwWqy9gX6ucSoEtJ_9pxU31FnrletVIoi-aIuo_wvg9WJdrfBz_KsXk6PIRWR-_ErO4XhMNz8rqmRZ9QFvg8uxPqBXYlwp8bw7sw7JnI/s1600/IMG_2750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2257dcBeQ__CEf-g6DalO5XRLBPNE7e1dGI5bQwWqy9gX6ucSoEtJ_9pxU31FnrletVIoi-aIuo_wvg9WJdrfBz_KsXk6PIRWR-_ErO4XhMNz8rqmRZ9QFvg8uxPqBXYlwp8bw7sw7JnI/s320/IMG_2750.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij06HjdwA19cUTWCrnV_DIZrltAF3cmUSR12jILpq7k_kxSBa6NyZw6Yu-7N6pDvVkYSl843VxrchJarCLnQOXxCKMI7PkFysACU0qu5JgUe-bc0hsnlND0oraYMOrlkOGfT3SoiJIdtPu/s1600/IMG_2753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="959" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij06HjdwA19cUTWCrnV_DIZrltAF3cmUSR12jILpq7k_kxSBa6NyZw6Yu-7N6pDvVkYSl843VxrchJarCLnQOXxCKMI7PkFysACU0qu5JgUe-bc0hsnlND0oraYMOrlkOGfT3SoiJIdtPu/s320/IMG_2753.jpg" width="239" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Walking the grounds. That's our guide, Diane. She was lovely.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qmCaV0vnfQ4iSK5htEzehkMkttk_iM0IU28_L9LsW4wG8iyCxCgpkMwlN38PSrpfIF1ns2m26ckTtrbBkMYC1xH3b71vKYnUlMm0iVKEGVIsKe3vjcWESzPtT1xeEFutKoGW6fXc63Rv/s1600/IMG_2754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qmCaV0vnfQ4iSK5htEzehkMkttk_iM0IU28_L9LsW4wG8iyCxCgpkMwlN38PSrpfIF1ns2m26ckTtrbBkMYC1xH3b71vKYnUlMm0iVKEGVIsKe3vjcWESzPtT1xeEFutKoGW6fXc63Rv/s320/IMG_2754.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Allen is puppy friendly, though we saw none while we were there. He apparently has some large beasts that are unleashed at night to patrol the property and keep any critters out of the gardens.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqZNLLAHGlhzdAPsM18_OuPg9Zw2CzxHNnS4NwofsFpwiFKqOnzrO3o7zI6DL-GxloUeT_MHviL39xIKc0bmlEM1ZeLvI8WnY4zXIgDmIDYrhBRCJiJ69AVW6WbKV_5gB7db_bAXw6rSs/s1600/IMG_2755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqZNLLAHGlhzdAPsM18_OuPg9Zw2CzxHNnS4NwofsFpwiFKqOnzrO3o7zI6DL-GxloUeT_MHviL39xIKc0bmlEM1ZeLvI8WnY4zXIgDmIDYrhBRCJiJ69AVW6WbKV_5gB7db_bAXw6rSs/s320/IMG_2755.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The demographics were all over the place. There wasn't one definitive demographic group. We had men and women and the ages ranged from a few children (whom I'm sure would have rather been ANYWHERE else) then early 20s to maybe early 80s. There were people who kept mostly quiet and didn't speak much and then a few who asked too many questions and questions not for the good of the whole. Whoever said there's no such thing as a dumb question really has never gotten out and experienced life. If you've ever been on a tour, in a work meeting, a brainstorming session, or in a public Q&A, you know that's just not the case.<br /></span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegV_ln15JtvxlGQGK4DZwQa8hFmG3JRLFz_mGrcz3vvsSp3ghqVKtFngMCsp3UcP5QmqC5eMdJ9hEk9aP1S46ypPOU-kJU38YCmqEFcysIsHaUE7AKR2F4C2FW2F2Ni7hHWsqiVS1bvqn/s1600/IMG_2756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegV_ln15JtvxlGQGK4DZwQa8hFmG3JRLFz_mGrcz3vvsSp3ghqVKtFngMCsp3UcP5QmqC5eMdJ9hEk9aP1S46ypPOU-kJU38YCmqEFcysIsHaUE7AKR2F4C2FW2F2Ni7hHWsqiVS1bvqn/s320/IMG_2756.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I truly don't know if it was staged or not but we turned the corner during our tour and there was the man himself, caught taping a segment for his show.<br /></span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAu9TK-Zfi-oFFX96snVPAgxW8hloXoJ24rQZMplwQCZvM5ZUtTa04108x45b_sRD7hRBgFS3KLDX2RihTjDyNvGoMWCP6DCYf83uK814YnxziNgfjXXveBe7HmCEzp90poo1t4bxQWbk/s1600/IMG_2757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAu9TK-Zfi-oFFX96snVPAgxW8hloXoJ24rQZMplwQCZvM5ZUtTa04108x45b_sRD7hRBgFS3KLDX2RihTjDyNvGoMWCP6DCYf83uK814YnxziNgfjXXveBe7HmCEzp90poo1t4bxQWbk/s320/IMG_2757.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">He came up and spoke with us, asking Alison "and from where did you come today?" She answered, "Nashville," as they shook hands (she said they were buttery soft but it was a nice, firm shake). He responded,"mmm...Davidson County. I like counties." Then he stepped back and talked to us about edible flowers and the garden that we were about to enter.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgdfmiiyYYNt01tfL4t8HR0fBQ2d1_3QnKnzDAH8fo10mmy-SM7udhcx1tm-T_zFH5L_gtobG5KG1j7lUkWNOjC0zGxe4zLfKzS3p5exA1L5de-IF4NpvlRkrOKpIqgznex-K7tebd2bd/s1600/IMG_2759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgdfmiiyYYNt01tfL4t8HR0fBQ2d1_3QnKnzDAH8fo10mmy-SM7udhcx1tm-T_zFH5L_gtobG5KG1j7lUkWNOjC0zGxe4zLfKzS3p5exA1L5de-IF4NpvlRkrOKpIqgznex-K7tebd2bd/s320/IMG_2759.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Watching Allen eat a pansy while talking to us about edible flowers.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEiuTeLmw2aiRoT0D-2F5ob0hYQJ4bmlNId0xH8aK4cG55Q3CSKMCqicAnVLkXK5m6n9epQaWK7AtS-WG_WwyDnQD52_KLFgqMjl6mzQMV0HTpaPoYxARRazczFRBfSy2RZQ5JM_v57CY/s1600/IMG_2760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEiuTeLmw2aiRoT0D-2F5ob0hYQJ4bmlNId0xH8aK4cG55Q3CSKMCqicAnVLkXK5m6n9epQaWK7AtS-WG_WwyDnQD52_KLFgqMjl6mzQMV0HTpaPoYxARRazczFRBfSy2RZQ5JM_v57CY/s320/IMG_2760.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We might very well be in an upcoming episode of Allen's show.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7iF0ceTIMBepRiKBX2AboHAT9Glj1kJCMiJEt_upTCpUwXFqp_8FvgYJV0UIG8l_aGSPocTTIrxuxRRPkgdN4u73DDxqPXlNKyCSeV3Y7TsDWeG15uHFVClrVyYwgh3HJZ-PomESbcDw/s1600/IMG_2761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7iF0ceTIMBepRiKBX2AboHAT9Glj1kJCMiJEt_upTCpUwXFqp_8FvgYJV0UIG8l_aGSPocTTIrxuxRRPkgdN4u73DDxqPXlNKyCSeV3Y7TsDWeG15uHFVClrVyYwgh3HJZ-PomESbcDw/s320/IMG_2761.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Snack time</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oItqMLSu9SNvI_-OKXAFASQ6TG1HoX_iA2Xg-BmlCLOtWXfDbJ_K4kCLWnPGzN0H_-sOAnSXA5NV4PxBwIhgG7Sna8diSpbBN_E6_HoddOwXnP78vB_mdjRlZF1bhyDS6JjJC16Khuk_/s1600/IMG_2762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oItqMLSu9SNvI_-OKXAFASQ6TG1HoX_iA2Xg-BmlCLOtWXfDbJ_K4kCLWnPGzN0H_-sOAnSXA5NV4PxBwIhgG7Sna8diSpbBN_E6_HoddOwXnP78vB_mdjRlZF1bhyDS6JjJC16Khuk_/s320/IMG_2762.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Our group examines a garden</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EjXcpRdvelJrsVppTNta8Qw5wcmoZgghz-wBRFpEEJm8Xkhyr73mlgbT0L03SAuQOc50tl4pAfHoJW7sIIQnNshNNLbpeQrWrjYgoxfkpELVYWiykcVQvgSqisHq85UPhly76ULwTy-g/s1600/IMG_2763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EjXcpRdvelJrsVppTNta8Qw5wcmoZgghz-wBRFpEEJm8Xkhyr73mlgbT0L03SAuQOc50tl4pAfHoJW7sIIQnNshNNLbpeQrWrjYgoxfkpELVYWiykcVQvgSqisHq85UPhly76ULwTy-g/s320/IMG_2763.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To say each garden and path and trail we visited was manicured is a bit of an understatement. Allen's property is flanked on one side by the Arkansas River, providing beautiful views.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNoy9u5f3CfWiDNwjFFOrmIofiumrq9EEUdG5r0z-peu70H9UrGJ5JpB3VHLrkxrkxi_BIXENYZaI3Lbos0uHSTt1R2gK3ElcRUEXUHRtw0-SED6u3u0FHnMnetCH7q_vJXUiLNMNiP8E/s1600/IMG_2764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNoy9u5f3CfWiDNwjFFOrmIofiumrq9EEUdG5r0z-peu70H9UrGJ5JpB3VHLrkxrkxi_BIXENYZaI3Lbos0uHSTt1R2gK3ElcRUEXUHRtw0-SED6u3u0FHnMnetCH7q_vJXUiLNMNiP8E/s320/IMG_2764.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Did we stop and smell the roses? Yes. Over and over again.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN0Sa0xiXLcId_2FUxvyCgNt9LUxAeQqbwskoMaVBDXitA2v-ocIAkX5UL2nAhnvrh1QN0xKM0qP3fARCWPa_dj-S6sq1QgahOAnAJeJthJt7NxkDD0avweM6eRKfEKKeeXXeLi7N6OGF/s1600/IMG_2765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN0Sa0xiXLcId_2FUxvyCgNt9LUxAeQqbwskoMaVBDXitA2v-ocIAkX5UL2nAhnvrh1QN0xKM0qP3fARCWPa_dj-S6sq1QgahOAnAJeJthJt7NxkDD0avweM6eRKfEKKeeXXeLi7N6OGF/s320/IMG_2765.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhR1xoLOfRtUtlFETwFUNqH_YEWJHuN06SO6iVw8z4a7I1urACAwXLD-rZ7HrAwxVPDb9IVsKmvDYoAGcriBC49QhbLeOXn_1cMPW7CLkJgqHUFuU9IkxXTN9H176fZsqw_kfRREtFlSZ/s1600/IMG_2768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhR1xoLOfRtUtlFETwFUNqH_YEWJHuN06SO6iVw8z4a7I1urACAwXLD-rZ7HrAwxVPDb9IVsKmvDYoAGcriBC49QhbLeOXn_1cMPW7CLkJgqHUFuU9IkxXTN9H176fZsqw_kfRREtFlSZ/s320/IMG_2768.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Beautiful garden "rooms" were decorated with "furniture" including sculpted shrubs and statues and babbling fountains<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwP3yYMONsvib54ZRvxSEMhExTKYqHqnUEupkjBg0AyI65RUecAs4HRiHzEF2YecQMPrmEI5CEOcIw_9f2fow' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMT3bC0SRqKPhLdEH4KtyL9pnaUyGwoStFCRNHPRNCsjM6pAgge8Mcl2W0ZaOhMeiBY5puawfSGvaK274uTDM2MbfOiJNXn01BobBbv1lgnblgE6Mkb3CJpzqBbQwdn8eemgUFmOV6ZpV/s1600/IMG_2770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMT3bC0SRqKPhLdEH4KtyL9pnaUyGwoStFCRNHPRNCsjM6pAgge8Mcl2W0ZaOhMeiBY5puawfSGvaK274uTDM2MbfOiJNXn01BobBbv1lgnblgE6Mkb3CJpzqBbQwdn8eemgUFmOV6ZpV/s320/IMG_2770.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Finally, it was time for lunch and we were hungry and ready to sit and rest. Lunch was a delicious salad with grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, olives, new potatoes, cucumbers and a divine vinaigrette, some really good iced tea, and a delicious buttermilk pecan pie.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaHWTMi4oxpm7FWdJWTx6ymzhgpa8aOqRMNv_pSq7geoL-4bWv5SFnQGQmBQv8Zt07NeM39Y_HwJOL56dEvMqLmTwmVUz5NPEL3R8RZKKQNYawCiSyLROyGTUY2jlvPC9ePHMXo4a_eyr/s1600/IMG_2787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaHWTMi4oxpm7FWdJWTx6ymzhgpa8aOqRMNv_pSq7geoL-4bWv5SFnQGQmBQv8Zt07NeM39Y_HwJOL56dEvMqLmTwmVUz5NPEL3R8RZKKQNYawCiSyLROyGTUY2jlvPC9ePHMXo4a_eyr/s320/IMG_2787.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">At lunch, we looked over and there was Allen dining at an adjacent table. We both admitted we were glad he didn't sit with us as that would have been nerve wracking and a lot of pressure keeping up a proper conversation with him. I would have been forced to answer truthfully when he asked me about my spring planting and say that I bought a fern at Costco a couple of weeks ago and, so far, it's still alive.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When he was finished eating, he took and welcomed us and then took questions from the audience.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWeJVT2M5H74KkrgDzZ7wk9JhRBXmDCSfu12c_POxsSuApOozLtKpbBlrVOP5NmyiLfEmhLqUcwzn0yxv17gnEqL-MFbHkYkkqmlZPzF8ZZnfYVuPx-qmk8dT8PaZNT2oDwwfCNLzpzGF/s1600/IMG_2792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWeJVT2M5H74KkrgDzZ7wk9JhRBXmDCSfu12c_POxsSuApOozLtKpbBlrVOP5NmyiLfEmhLqUcwzn0yxv17gnEqL-MFbHkYkkqmlZPzF8ZZnfYVuPx-qmk8dT8PaZNT2oDwwfCNLzpzGF/s320/IMG_2792.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Q&A was followed by a demonstration of peony arranging. It was like watching a magician tell a story while fiddling with balloons and then at the end of his story, he's constructed the Battlestar Galactica. He was just waxing poetic about peonies and then BAM! he's constructed a gorgeous arrangement.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrOYbY8MRRsXE9V0HOULYd_-FIMpeUyRrjJToQaXULIqKRs-id3B3Bzc1WjVEfk5UsvehyyNHhR_XcyWO3xerDmnQzi8tbvMm7OA205WkiMUnBxRG6WUHt1LNxAhxVVypjfRFsGF0vZ2b/s1600/IMG_2793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrOYbY8MRRsXE9V0HOULYd_-FIMpeUyRrjJToQaXULIqKRs-id3B3Bzc1WjVEfk5UsvehyyNHhR_XcyWO3xerDmnQzi8tbvMm7OA205WkiMUnBxRG6WUHt1LNxAhxVVypjfRFsGF0vZ2b/s320/IMG_2793.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">After lunch, you could have your picture made with him, get an autograph, or have him sign cookbooks and recipe cards and garden tip books.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-txtAOS4-ETprJAVZfKe-Sq-ym9Af5WWF0nL5UYyQmWGVD9Seu6Hm6cjbNvNHwndl5Pemp6oYbNeo4zbfDUxxyg1H899o_9Y-Swqg2NAXTK_UnkZ52g1vc5koUe_RW71yy-UTMN2sipn/s1600/IMG_2794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-txtAOS4-ETprJAVZfKe-Sq-ym9Af5WWF0nL5UYyQmWGVD9Seu6Hm6cjbNvNHwndl5Pemp6oYbNeo4zbfDUxxyg1H899o_9Y-Swqg2NAXTK_UnkZ52g1vc5koUe_RW71yy-UTMN2sipn/s320/IMG_2794.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLTboo4exhbrzoSfJmuRWsqhS3NQFBbfSXqn5lr926DThK-S7ZLdD2RTBMaEbShD1kS9KrgNMR1SDsEIinxL0-Px7WYzsedLjUwvCQPcSFim45k-LECIeYEBOlcpqC5zh3IU9dxuTzkpS/s1600/IMG_2771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="753" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLTboo4exhbrzoSfJmuRWsqhS3NQFBbfSXqn5lr926DThK-S7ZLdD2RTBMaEbShD1kS9KrgNMR1SDsEIinxL0-Px7WYzsedLjUwvCQPcSFim45k-LECIeYEBOlcpqC5zh3IU9dxuTzkpS/s320/IMG_2771.jpg" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This statue greeted visitors as you entered the home and the tour guides seemed really excited about it. When Allen found or acquired it, it was in a state of disrepair, missing a hand and nose and the head was detached. He found a renowned statue repair artisan who was able to put her back together.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oXhiUksN7HE2m29gs0kYlx5_eDTjGy8LXyxMOV38KmiSv2tlxEHtQ13fRLv8J9uiqDQ_zJVQIqgeeYnCwRbDYisiGyt2EqB8STak3ogfJ46pBB746s-MPDbF3Hm9IxI9-EhXN7VregvD/s1600/IMG_2772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oXhiUksN7HE2m29gs0kYlx5_eDTjGy8LXyxMOV38KmiSv2tlxEHtQ13fRLv8J9uiqDQ_zJVQIqgeeYnCwRbDYisiGyt2EqB8STak3ogfJ46pBB746s-MPDbF3Hm9IxI9-EhXN7VregvD/s320/IMG_2772.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">There were fresh flower arrangements all throughout the house, with flowers picked from the various gardens on the property.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKr3AR7Rk5cYX87H_hh0GFY0pAJVGPi7CGCDFRMY6tjatUsCTXJmgYcGY3pF8QVrt-3Bo1HEjmxFq45KOEGwUicZr_TE7EeCh1BUSYCheDD9cRMzaEGCZAxdqZ8FceRV3_ef4GAQWENEoK/s1600/IMG_2773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKr3AR7Rk5cYX87H_hh0GFY0pAJVGPi7CGCDFRMY6tjatUsCTXJmgYcGY3pF8QVrt-3Bo1HEjmxFq45KOEGwUicZr_TE7EeCh1BUSYCheDD9cRMzaEGCZAxdqZ8FceRV3_ef4GAQWENEoK/s320/IMG_2773.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Again, one of the most striking parts of the tour is that we were traipsing through this poor man's personal home. Now, don't misunderstand. He made roughly $11,000 gross today before expenses so he's not running a charity here, but still. The volume of people basically nosing around his home, touching pillows and looking here, there and everywhere and just invading his inner sanctum made me more than a little uncomfortable. We really wanted to peek inside his fridge but resisted.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4QflnGUHieNht5xoOfjhkPMy-OIh3eaJF8-jhQ_wxVXKkvIarKbRmS7rvdT1qPGxNZANBXpSswJ_-34pyLBr73kjLvFkXgVL6h6sCz6oarc0_J8T0Rjo1DusRkvLDh-D7wzMgm67t_Fz/s1600/IMG_2774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4QflnGUHieNht5xoOfjhkPMy-OIh3eaJF8-jhQ_wxVXKkvIarKbRmS7rvdT1qPGxNZANBXpSswJ_-34pyLBr73kjLvFkXgVL6h6sCz6oarc0_J8T0Rjo1DusRkvLDh-D7wzMgm67t_Fz/s320/IMG_2774.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSchDkV73AEEdxdRLffyrxanLRimGWTrWxP3w5QC_irvN9eFj10Oj33cnubWG20jozxqm7hcVWX_4TUo7lYOxhV7bn0fsE_5RsrGo8JMn6zYtaCTnP2SVj56LeH5lrlGSx4za3TBOON2D/s1600/IMG_2775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1280" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSchDkV73AEEdxdRLffyrxanLRimGWTrWxP3w5QC_irvN9eFj10Oj33cnubWG20jozxqm7hcVWX_4TUo7lYOxhV7bn0fsE_5RsrGo8JMn6zYtaCTnP2SVj56LeH5lrlGSx4za3TBOON2D/s320/IMG_2775.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This is a photograph of a charity event where Allen was invited to decorate a table. He realized that he needed something spectacular for the centerpiece so he chose a pair of taxidermied swans. How did he acquire them? Well, he has several ponds on his property and decided he wanted swans to grace one of them so he bought two swans. Unfortunately, they were both males and immediately took to fighting once they were placed in the pond. The next day, a gardener reported that the swans had in fact drowned each other during the night. Allen has a reputation for never throwing anything away so he stored the swans in a freezer for 8 months, not sure what to do with them. Then this event came up and he decided this was the perfect way to use them.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwfNWFDB8jsG5XnDq_b1bRG8aAg54w03P_cngyWALqTrRkxs1_-GBptrwdSO8u7yuAQXWT1azkvfUj-sJfCoM6-KulQoFQeiHF7I1M-P-o1vwn_Ba34LVyXUFReebmsWZUuW5_a6ikZgq/s1600/IMG_2776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwfNWFDB8jsG5XnDq_b1bRG8aAg54w03P_cngyWALqTrRkxs1_-GBptrwdSO8u7yuAQXWT1azkvfUj-sJfCoM6-KulQoFQeiHF7I1M-P-o1vwn_Ba34LVyXUFReebmsWZUuW5_a6ikZgq/s320/IMG_2776.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Breakfast nook</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5C3tUy3R6mDFyr_ya1MnZrwF3uI5dczbSuddTcrQUHXipNs6Cm8WySqTyg-IaigIGArqHK-pVUUqRrEpMH8mYfAWN1QtLR7D_2hbdc9nzE-eABnoTjn-Mf51r-viCRQsus9bo0N8-BfX/s1600/IMG_2777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5C3tUy3R6mDFyr_ya1MnZrwF3uI5dczbSuddTcrQUHXipNs6Cm8WySqTyg-IaigIGArqHK-pVUUqRrEpMH8mYfAWN1QtLR7D_2hbdc9nzE-eABnoTjn-Mf51r-viCRQsus9bo0N8-BfX/s320/IMG_2777.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This is the middle deck that you saw on the back of the house earlier. Look at those views.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFxp8fLIaUUNds9YJO8KDiSvgsNQnCwt3gquSPdim-25gdnldNQImTNi2E-l99h6J70qjzSzjjY2Oo_tr_yKiwYJy37TykYTnzcPwgHIdw_aJqE3FVQx1Q0DhEHTciUcjydkXvGkEh3g2/s1600/IMG_2778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFxp8fLIaUUNds9YJO8KDiSvgsNQnCwt3gquSPdim-25gdnldNQImTNi2E-l99h6J70qjzSzjjY2Oo_tr_yKiwYJy37TykYTnzcPwgHIdw_aJqE3FVQx1Q0DhEHTciUcjydkXvGkEh3g2/s320/IMG_2778.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Sitting area on middle deck</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObWVh-cCpkOCj48f5C31CIHIs22R8V3ofQkoyKGhYcPBWBHHxfBKTUm9gRhGt1u9o_DsMH54XtBn4FJPucPg5v8jQoeStbB28Cvl0IYsw9zLXLbGpDXMoLx_zgjCgDOuTniK0OpCVslJi/s1600/IMG_2779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObWVh-cCpkOCj48f5C31CIHIs22R8V3ofQkoyKGhYcPBWBHHxfBKTUm9gRhGt1u9o_DsMH54XtBn4FJPucPg5v8jQoeStbB28Cvl0IYsw9zLXLbGpDXMoLx_zgjCgDOuTniK0OpCVslJi/s320/IMG_2779.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Allen had a postcard with this Indian chief's portrait on it. I've already forgotten his name, but he stood quite tall at 7'1" so Allen had the post card blown up to actual size.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_nysZzMqxw6v0fFTMI3xO3pJFRTlW7rgggUXLL_ApcOBXZrY7rKZBhUiFws6U1fRR99Ly4VtdLUOApMPBWBktmW_nfyQsYmaSrcBJ9gDjB1icTyEEwnPFmM6O8ImW5stdFHJM8bymV_V/s1600/IMG_2781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_nysZzMqxw6v0fFTMI3xO3pJFRTlW7rgggUXLL_ApcOBXZrY7rKZBhUiFws6U1fRR99Ly4VtdLUOApMPBWBktmW_nfyQsYmaSrcBJ9gDjB1icTyEEwnPFmM6O8ImW5stdFHJM8bymV_V/s320/IMG_2781.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Reading nook. That is an actual bear skin but I guess it's not a rug per se.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7G4Ld44_lOx-seQGBfKK9pIyV0NkNMy4S5famBc0-s6IETE8BxuAVwmDxV4W64BtjVXFAt3iN4OvaZ9ZnvQIt538FmuTX4CylDxh3REbz430NyjcYH6GLYcFhS-szvDrPFZlv71L9U-3h/s1600/IMG_2782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7G4Ld44_lOx-seQGBfKK9pIyV0NkNMy4S5famBc0-s6IETE8BxuAVwmDxV4W64BtjVXFAt3iN4OvaZ9ZnvQIt538FmuTX4CylDxh3REbz430NyjcYH6GLYcFhS-szvDrPFZlv71L9U-3h/s320/IMG_2782.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The "sleeping porch" on the top deck. At first there were 6 twin beds here and Allen, upon seeing it, said, "this looks like a Civil War hospital. Remove three of them." The breeze was lovely and I could absolutely imagine sleeping out there one crisp, autumn night.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMAeiZU8zlzisScwsUtFvV7FLcVCbvu8kUQC1tK4zADoD36csRK_zcSLWpAUfWdf2_7tOL6wNV359rNXKwprisnYu9RPGsqbyrzH4TIZF0bKgzVDcQ_WWhBmGEsa23UzlHZqVnjWA4ZG4/s1600/IMG_2783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMAeiZU8zlzisScwsUtFvV7FLcVCbvu8kUQC1tK4zADoD36csRK_zcSLWpAUfWdf2_7tOL6wNV359rNXKwprisnYu9RPGsqbyrzH4TIZF0bKgzVDcQ_WWhBmGEsa23UzlHZqVnjWA4ZG4/s320/IMG_2783.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">He's just an average man. Puts his pants on one leg at a time and uses Aveeno, just like Jennifer Aniston.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9msnRqTEJeCmXN66qWJnanrEyLXQbbYH51WPo1vZfmQzpCaPTKutP2BTyJw_PbsXVxtByAPGjIkcQMZ8Mp0ho8OA4boBFzKMQXaMsIPcDytW3y9CgvjYqar9a2myyMLuuksQtbMww_9M/s1600/IMG_2785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9msnRqTEJeCmXN66qWJnanrEyLXQbbYH51WPo1vZfmQzpCaPTKutP2BTyJw_PbsXVxtByAPGjIkcQMZ8Mp0ho8OA4boBFzKMQXaMsIPcDytW3y9CgvjYqar9a2myyMLuuksQtbMww_9M/s320/IMG_2785.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A swan in happier times. And every apple in the house (and there were dozens upon dozens) was real.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhNNb0kBZHYvbNIZF3dAIEHFbpg_9kIIs-Kbnvo3pyLwwkCP9HsxfZjBO5a3NEbFQSCEtxC22IZGfiu2Z0sxM8hC_I0N6haHNFrpKm_nEiXt3ndFHvplIoqNbrcYP7cyHB2x6jzFANqiV/s1600/IMG_2795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhNNb0kBZHYvbNIZF3dAIEHFbpg_9kIIs-Kbnvo3pyLwwkCP9HsxfZjBO5a3NEbFQSCEtxC22IZGfiu2Z0sxM8hC_I0N6haHNFrpKm_nEiXt3ndFHvplIoqNbrcYP7cyHB2x6jzFANqiV/s320/IMG_2795.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">On the grounds is also a guest cottage, which was cute and sweet and thoughtfully decorated.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnSoXoHVmc0ZpXWmSNaFAUJKYCk1yZKGdgI4Tnm3gpEzSrbW4KF1QzvZHAD461NTZTBWE-8gWVEcAT6_AeQHGOVhnqXwUToEan-uXtzKg4Lq2uL0_nHoKxK5X-JHYD00C7tuNpICIJUXW/s1600/IMG_2796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnSoXoHVmc0ZpXWmSNaFAUJKYCk1yZKGdgI4Tnm3gpEzSrbW4KF1QzvZHAD461NTZTBWE-8gWVEcAT6_AeQHGOVhnqXwUToEan-uXtzKg4Lq2uL0_nHoKxK5X-JHYD00C7tuNpICIJUXW/s320/IMG_2796.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Caught snooping again. Garnier Fructis.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Gn8eZ9RH9LB30y-toOsbZJcnk9ykgyTASWbQVF0pzf7lbOPnOHjWV14NuxiAtuk1-6jhhpCoNBE_xVhNx4truFFfqTcElJx6p8yvkXPZyePlaahfuWPUVw987VM5OR1gZ5kLtupNgcnx/s1600/IMG_2799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Gn8eZ9RH9LB30y-toOsbZJcnk9ykgyTASWbQVF0pzf7lbOPnOHjWV14NuxiAtuk1-6jhhpCoNBE_xVhNx4truFFfqTcElJx6p8yvkXPZyePlaahfuWPUVw987VM5OR1gZ5kLtupNgcnx/s320/IMG_2799.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If he's known for something other than beautiful gardens and a green thumb, kitchen tips and expert decorating advice, it's raising chickens. He had many different varieties, but I just took a picture of a couple of interesting looking ones. Please don't ask me what kind these are.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBh5Inumy1hUnPOU3y4k70DY6qHpRAqpqXGvVu3tEiUGh2S1g4Y9MO2KlXA6hZZbzT_If2SKvkA8ToeVClFeW8HIR_eVmtK3EISsY-GtOPX6sBISIJlKf884GE0oUUx6eVdWjps9ftG_Au/s1600/IMG_2800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBh5Inumy1hUnPOU3y4k70DY6qHpRAqpqXGvVu3tEiUGh2S1g4Y9MO2KlXA6hZZbzT_If2SKvkA8ToeVClFeW8HIR_eVmtK3EISsY-GtOPX6sBISIJlKf884GE0oUUx6eVdWjps9ftG_Au/s320/IMG_2800.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6LrTpyaLtCkizQpOXdt8WkoWb8ZY4keYxYBjXKoA1nXfOX-iwZ8PJmIedrhWgBfx1aTaephmqiG-PDDm2HtyfOlTWhaUkM-TjI-y6DR2abr1QPzo4WV65Nx2uW3ybpHg8WS7opRrC7ls/s1600/IMG_2801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6LrTpyaLtCkizQpOXdt8WkoWb8ZY4keYxYBjXKoA1nXfOX-iwZ8PJmIedrhWgBfx1aTaephmqiG-PDDm2HtyfOlTWhaUkM-TjI-y6DR2abr1QPzo4WV65Nx2uW3ybpHg8WS7opRrC7ls/s320/IMG_2801.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vdk5ggI0FCH3haJe-zsAvCUsW0jT2AH_bN9x9XMsesMaij2vD7dJRqFdAyM7Sh4B4PMderwa4ya_8l-8FUzc5KqRvcyFSXsbQasgA7o6EbiqBB9WPVLfD73XpD2d-rwyN6z5sVDkdvrX/s1600/IMG_2802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vdk5ggI0FCH3haJe-zsAvCUsW0jT2AH_bN9x9XMsesMaij2vD7dJRqFdAyM7Sh4B4PMderwa4ya_8l-8FUzc5KqRvcyFSXsbQasgA7o6EbiqBB9WPVLfD73XpD2d-rwyN6z5sVDkdvrX/s320/IMG_2802.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lv1gyyo108OxezWU0sVetR0D_Qj8GTqujkY0O9HgOAStb8uU2-j3Ws83v0PbtjBxxNLB18Efnjv0G5cld94-ffLcppUdvNEsSkGa1Yw127eZsNYpyTHMADTMz5qHJ3XTu4e_xXsw_B9G/s1600/IMG_2803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lv1gyyo108OxezWU0sVetR0D_Qj8GTqujkY0O9HgOAStb8uU2-j3Ws83v0PbtjBxxNLB18Efnjv0G5cld94-ffLcppUdvNEsSkGa1Yw127eZsNYpyTHMADTMz5qHJ3XTu4e_xXsw_B9G/s320/IMG_2803.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPLWaDWjLTa9awiRJfzybjzPLazKetCuYGQloOJlpYaqaA6gxl9MLJljrbpCtKZUqXZHD-qwEku1Pabg98sVKDQ8Iu9DPZyb7nTrMSI47DXK3U5h4RsJTtDlY1eQ99t-fkJUoKt9TWAhS/s1600/IMG_2806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPLWaDWjLTa9awiRJfzybjzPLazKetCuYGQloOJlpYaqaA6gxl9MLJljrbpCtKZUqXZHD-qwEku1Pabg98sVKDQ8Iu9DPZyb7nTrMSI47DXK3U5h4RsJTtDlY1eQ99t-fkJUoKt9TWAhS/s320/IMG_2806.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFeQJItfByTEGmWys_xLQ62dLlWMLM8po4e5CWyKZUYaO_-pyUHBQ-uzpr_28ZMEVueQI_VeC3N7WZLgMFsTec-FhyphenhyphenPGu4v0EnkB_m1jCPoKx-oaV2ZwnFivCpWMTUp5XAhINRPb9YFo-/s1600/IMG_2807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFeQJItfByTEGmWys_xLQ62dLlWMLM8po4e5CWyKZUYaO_-pyUHBQ-uzpr_28ZMEVueQI_VeC3N7WZLgMFsTec-FhyphenhyphenPGu4v0EnkB_m1jCPoKx-oaV2ZwnFivCpWMTUp5XAhINRPb9YFo-/s320/IMG_2807.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Chicks</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Kk1yivBrpizcDb-PjjU1LclY4mPVC1YGOsht8zHbou1J40KwRAYumWCj1NQrWL4Gy1RO-wzDQQ8kiokCLU77h3T7u6j8KGW0bKRoU3IK_-ylwrgQcjuhy0A7ORKIXkGdZCpclW8tBoig/s1600/IMG_2810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Kk1yivBrpizcDb-PjjU1LclY4mPVC1YGOsht8zHbou1J40KwRAYumWCj1NQrWL4Gy1RO-wzDQQ8kiokCLU77h3T7u6j8KGW0bKRoU3IK_-ylwrgQcjuhy0A7ORKIXkGdZCpclW8tBoig/s320/IMG_2810.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Allen paints as a side gig and is, of course, amazing as I really don't know anything he's tried his hand at and failed. This was in the restroom, seemingly very much an afterthought, but I found it lovely and so representative of the sweeping vistas we saw while on our tour.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Webster defines a friend as "<span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a;">a </span><span class="one-click" data-linkid="nn1ov4" data-term="person" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start;">person </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a;"></span><span class="one-click" data-linkid="nn1ov4" data-term="attached" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start;">attached </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a;">to </span><span class="one-click" data-linkid="nn1ov4" data-term="another" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start;">another </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a;">by </span><span class="one-click" data-linkid="nn1ov4" data-term="feelings" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start;">feelings </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a;">of </span><span class="one-click" data-linkid="nn1ov4" data-term="affection" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start;">affection </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a;">or </span><span class="one-click" data-linkid="nn1ov4" data-term="personal" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start;">personal </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a;"></span><span class="one-click" data-linkid="nn1ov4" data-term="regard" style="color: #1a1a1a; text-align: start;">regard." All I know is I'm so blessed to share this ride with her and beyond grateful that she's my person.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65iqZO125_zj549Pgf3yGcUpGcRCInb_Trr47v8vvwswWQDMuCuGmYyW-wMmkrSeZSu4gw_ES4GUgOhpV6278BEmzMJXzbVIQcIEhIO8w72cKW7FN1ZKMUdtgkACYpBFRF2cyNvq4xckM/s1600/friend1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="530" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65iqZO125_zj549Pgf3yGcUpGcRCInb_Trr47v8vvwswWQDMuCuGmYyW-wMmkrSeZSu4gw_ES4GUgOhpV6278BEmzMJXzbVIQcIEhIO8w72cKW7FN1ZKMUdtgkACYpBFRF2cyNvq4xckM/s320/friend1.jpg" width="216" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTlr84FehMrcsQu5fCnA1OicQWAfSrf9qMOM54u-ucns2hm5LIVsi6icnC8AIWYJ1G-9wZaqZ3Xi503Oy2anDd69_T_jaW9HEqQWkaDCNoQUi6bHlobrlNJMx8JqEmEEHnxwsaPt3TFn_/s1600/friend2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="868" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTlr84FehMrcsQu5fCnA1OicQWAfSrf9qMOM54u-ucns2hm5LIVsi6icnC8AIWYJ1G-9wZaqZ3Xi503Oy2anDd69_T_jaW9HEqQWkaDCNoQUi6bHlobrlNJMx8JqEmEEHnxwsaPt3TFn_/s320/friend2.png" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-51520425107784567902019-05-02T22:34:00.004-05:002019-05-02T22:44:16.637-05:00Little bit country, LITTLE ROCK n' roll<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Man and I left today for our next road trip adventure, this time to Little Rock, Arkansas. The number one question we get is "why?!" which makes me feel bad for Little Rock. The answer is this guy:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPV_k3NGZvNQqsl1Ew6Sy6NAPWnnT3H6ESl22fcSce1EyXcLMGLkvY8Wh1QAV-UcvhJZ5A1ERITaTvV04FsryV-nICR056TQwI-8nfsw_Si82k_jzUmNvS9-A4lFmKzAReCdgz96scMUfM/s1600/30657D0E-CAC1-425E-8C7F-7A1A37CFE913.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="381" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPV_k3NGZvNQqsl1Ew6Sy6NAPWnnT3H6ESl22fcSce1EyXcLMGLkvY8Wh1QAV-UcvhJZ5A1ERITaTvV04FsryV-nICR056TQwI-8nfsw_Si82k_jzUmNvS9-A4lFmKzAReCdgz96scMUfM/s320/30657D0E-CAC1-425E-8C7F-7A1A37CFE913.jpeg" width="304" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That's P. Allen Smith. He's a TV show host, grew up in Tennessee, and <span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 16px;">uses his Arkansas home, Moss Mountain Farm, which The New York Times hails as a “stunning estate,” as an epicenter for promoting the local food movement, organic gardening and the preservation of heritage poultry breeds. You can visit the estate where he lives and tapes his show, enjoy tours, demonstrations and an estate-style lunch on the grounds. That's what we're doing tomorrow. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 16px;">Today, we stopped in Memphis and visited Ikea and the Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma Outlets, we screamed like little girls when a rock flew up and cracked our windshield, we had dessert at both lunch and dinner and didn't feel one ounce guilty (or heavier), we got settled in our adorable Air BnB, and we enjoyed dinner at Samantha's Tap Room. Delicious!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lunch at the Ikea cafeteria</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kitchen at our house</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the homes' bathrooms. Such a charming home. Original wood floors, solid wood doors, original plaster walls, high ceilings. And this claw foot tub. Love. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-24876319246105287382019-02-28T16:02:00.000-06:002019-02-28T16:05:48.689-06:00Thursday Thoughts<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Today is the last Thursday of February, the shortest month of the year, or as I like to call it, “spwinter.” Here in middle Tennessee, especially during transitional times of the seasons, we just never really know what to expect. Tennessee has long been heralded for its mild climate and four-season weather, however what visitors and transplants aren’t told is that during transition times, when one season is ending and another beginning, we often experience all of the seasons at once. Yesterday, it was almost 70 degrees and sunny. People were walking their dogs and their kids, enjoying being outside in short sleeves and throwing frisbees at both. Today? We’re back in UGGs and parkas with a high of 43. ’Tis the season for layers and a punchy “roll with it” attitude. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I think of my geographic ancestors, namely the Cherokee who inhabited my little corner of the southeast United States and called this area “Tanasi” 500 or so years ago, and I wonder if they, too, dealt with such climate conundrums. Did they take off to gather food or spar with another tribe and pack extra animal skins in case the weather fluctuated wildly from one day to the next? Was the chief saying to his wife, “come on, we’ve got to go, everyone is waiting!” and she replied “I’m looking for my fur-lined moccasins. I want to have them just in case?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Well, enough waxing poetic on weather. Here are my highlights for you.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3TaxKYXQw30UEScAf0AmlGJzToVUea3PVvWIGqA1OfRQf4z_xO6YGeczs6knovsYD09kL0J8yPqtDH1PVbhVHa1U9QLeWBn7eDaGMEI0NBpOxdpS_c-5mSADtVqClmcV-Y_C4D2421nO/s1600/polish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3TaxKYXQw30UEScAf0AmlGJzToVUea3PVvWIGqA1OfRQf4z_xO6YGeczs6knovsYD09kL0J8yPqtDH1PVbhVHa1U9QLeWBn7eDaGMEI0NBpOxdpS_c-5mSADtVqClmcV-Y_C4D2421nO/s320/polish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Essie Nail Polish & Speed Setter</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span>I used to be an OPI girl. Then I spent way too much time and money getting gel manicures. Then I went <i>au naturel</i> to get them back healthy again, but that was kind of boring so I discovered Essie and it's been a game changer. I do it myself, it's cheap and easy and anyone can do it. I recommend pairing an Essie polish with their signature "Speed Setter" top coat. This stuff is amazing. No base coat required. Just swipe on two coats of your favorite Essie color, waiting 2-5 minutes in between. Then one coat of Speed Setter and you're good to go in five minutes. I know. I don't just toss about a phrase like "game changer." I mean, in 15 minutes or less, you can go from drab and boring to polished and going potty or digging in your purse. It doesn't get easier than that, girls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My favorite <a href="https://www.essie.com/" target="_blank">colors</a>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">My go to is "Without a Stitch." It's a purply </span>gray and works year 'round.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">For a bit deeper color, "Chinchilly" is still a purply gray but just a little darker than "Without a Stitch."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"Ballet Slippers" is your classic, neutral pink.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And "Bordeaux" is a lovely burgundy that will serve you well from the first chilly night in fall all the way through winter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To complete your at-home salon experience, I recommend a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Haosda-Hand-Clean-Brushes-Handle/dp/B078WLKL4M/ref=sr_1_24?keywords=nail+brush&qid=1551388733&s=gateway&sr=8-24" target="_blank">nail brush</a> to clean under and around nails, invest in a good <a href="https://www.amazon.com/MAKARTT-Professional-Files-Double-Washable/dp/B01E3PAM9Q/ref=sr_1_5?crid=JHWIB4MPQ9P&keywords=emory+boards+for+nails&qid=1551388982&s=gateway&sprefix=emory+board%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-5" target="_blank">emory board</a> for shaping, a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mudder-White-Buffer-Sanding-Manicure/dp/B0716QYFYN/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=nail+buffer+block+medium+grit&qid=1551388880&s=gateway&sr=8-6" target="_blank">buffer block</a> for smoothing the nail surface and preparing it for polish, and I only use 100% acetone <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cutex-Nail-Polish-Remover-Regular/dp/B000YJMPPA/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=cute+nail+polish+remover&qid=1551389074&s=gateway&sr=8-13" target="_blank">polish remover</a> - no time for anything else. A little dab'll do ya.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05fsnH9V-2XUioYNdK1rw1-6w7IwQ0IIxWIOx35nz1JBsJFAV8XeCmKKFlUEP_MEyPAY_LfQmJf4csODzVmVBgAgbtYDZpV2q8LGmxT0I20FVrq_sJv_HN48CzLy4FNiBpUQiMPFXPk7c/s1600/old+audrey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="982" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05fsnH9V-2XUioYNdK1rw1-6w7IwQ0IIxWIOx35nz1JBsJFAV8XeCmKKFlUEP_MEyPAY_LfQmJf4csODzVmVBgAgbtYDZpV2q8LGmxT0I20FVrq_sJv_HN48CzLy4FNiBpUQiMPFXPk7c/s320/old+audrey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Audrey Hepburn</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Well, Daddy and I enjoyed another </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Mobituary, </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Mo Rocca's lovely podcast, today, and it was on Audrey Hepburn. I learned some things about her that I'll share that you </span>might<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> not </span>have<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> known either:</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">She was 5'7" and wore a size 10-10.5 shoe. But that waist remained a steady 20."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">She survived WWII and the Nazis. Barely. Her parents were fascist, Nazi sympathizers though she was always part of the Resistance. She almost didn't survive Nazi-occupied Holland.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">She died on the same day as Bill Clinton's inauguration and her passing went mostly unnoticed in the shadow of this other event.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">She and Katherine Hepburn are not related. Not even a little bit.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">She's a member of the elite EGOT club, having won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, an Oscar and a Tony.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">She wasn't Truman Capote's first choice to play Holly Golightly. Like all the Kennedys, he had his sights on Marilyn Monroe but her acting coach advised her not to take the roll of a "lady of the evening."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">She and Anne Frank (yes, that Anne Frank) led extremely similar lives and were born the same year. Anne's father, Otto, once traveled to Audrey to ask her to play Anne in a movie and she politely refused saying simply that she had lived through the horror once and that was one time too many as it was.</span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otto Frank, Audrey Hepburn and Otto's second wife, Elfriede Geiringer </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"It's that wonderful old-fashioned idea that others come first and you come second. This was the whole ethic by which I was brought up. Others matter more than you do, so don't fuss dear; get on with it." </span></blockquote>
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--Audrey Hepburn </div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Voxer</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Voxer<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> is an app and if you talk on the phone or text with a friend daily (or wish you could), then you need this app. It's hard to </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">describe but I'm going to try. It's like a verbal text. They describe it as a "walkie-talkie" app and that might work, too. My bestie, Man, and I use it almost daily in place of texting. It's nice because you can say more than you might over text but the recipient still has the ability to control when and where they listen, unlike a traditional phone call or voice mail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Here's an example of a Vox between us:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Person #1: "Oh my goodness. I just tried to go to Fresh Market to get the Meal of the Week and couldn't find a parking spot!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Person #2: "That stinks. Publix has their organic chicken breasts on sale for $2.99/pound."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Hey, it's not prolific. Just a really neat way of communicating with another human without having to actually <i>talk</i> to them. And it's free.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Milk Bone Treat Ball</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Picked up one of these for each of our pups. One loved it and figured it out in a couple of minutes. The other decided it was just too much work.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I bought this little eye pillow at a local </span>day<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> spa several years ago, but it's available on the Nordstrom website. It has the softest, removable cover and houses an insert filled with flaxseed and lavender. It </span>smells<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> heavenly and I like the weight of it as compared to a traditional eye mask. I fall </span>asleep<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> with it most nights covering my face and wake up with it under me or over by the pup. She </span>would<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> prefer the beef flavored one, but it didn't sell well at the salon.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Finally, February is Heart Health Month. Here are some ways you can spread the love:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www2.heart.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=donatenow_heart_alt&s_src=pmxsem19&ploc=9013117&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0frOganf4AIVzo-zCh0LpwETEAAYASAAEgJw8fD_BwE" target="_blank">Donate</a> to the American Heart Association </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Take a CPR course. Did you know that mouth-to-mouth is no longer recommended as part of basic CPR? That sound you hear is all of us germaphobes sighing in relief. <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/cpr" target="_blank">Find a class</a> near you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Know the <a href="https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/never-ignore-symptoms#1" target="_blank">signs</a> of heart disease. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Quit smoking. Like, seriously, today.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Follow the Heart Association’s <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/The-American-Heart-Associations-Diet-and-Lifestyle%20Recommendations_UCM_305855_Article.jsp#.XHhM1HeZPq0" target="_blank">guidelines</a> for healthy eating.</span></span></div>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-33304280137917648792019-01-31T03:43:00.002-06:002019-01-31T03:49:39.826-06:00Thursday Thoughts<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Thursday is my day off so it seems like a good day for a blog post. As the new year is underway, I thought I’d share a few of my current favorite things.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">London Fog</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2YMuBgiXXRASVLA1CMJPwNBAolEvrWf6id16Um5PYHohDjy4fzHm1etDtaO4CJ28jGkmaJfceu5JCfkUbW7IurmAx5sT026WdBnShP6FJ7WmVPJXm9UXNB9XnTeweg-ejdnRdkC_RzQf/s1600/londonfog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2YMuBgiXXRASVLA1CMJPwNBAolEvrWf6id16Um5PYHohDjy4fzHm1etDtaO4CJ28jGkmaJfceu5JCfkUbW7IurmAx5sT026WdBnShP6FJ7WmVPJXm9UXNB9XnTeweg-ejdnRdkC_RzQf/s320/londonfog.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A friend recently turned me onto a hot tea-based beverage known as a <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/tea/london-fog-tea-latte" target="_blank">London Fog</a>. She said it was a nice alternative to coffee at Starbucks and still packs a little punch with a nice, warm embrace. This concoction featuring Earl Grey tea, vanilla syrup, a subtle hint of lavender, and some steamed milk promised a bright, citrusy spark of Italian bergamot blends for a frothy reimagination of a classic Earl Grey tea. I tried it a couple of weeks ago and really liked it. Other than it costing $17 (I exaggerate but not by much), it was a lovely experience. I’ve found I can recreate it at home pretty easily and much more economically by brewing one Tazo Earl Grey tea bag, tossing in a tablespoon of sugar and a splash of milk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Podcasts</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’m late to this game, I realize, but I’ve just discovered two podcasts that I’m really enjoying.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">First, Mo Rocca has a new one called </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mobituaries-with-mo-rocca/id1449045549?mt=2" target="_blank">Mobituaries</a>. </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I listened to the one entitled “Sitcom Deaths and Disappearances” with Daddy last Thursday as we were running errands in the rain and it was really good. The theme was about characters on sitcoms that just vanished inexplicably or when actors were replaced mid-run without so much as a mention to the passing of the torch (think Darrin Stephens on </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bewitched</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> or Becky Connor on </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Roseanne</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">).</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The second podcast I’ve taken to enjoying is Melanie Shankle’s </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-boo-cast/id262921699?mt=2" target="_blank">The Big Boo Cast</a></i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">. Melanie is an author I’ve developed quite the crush on. She’s written a series of memoirs including </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Antelope-Living-Room-People-Sharing-ebook/dp/B00E1O7EX2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1548927304&sr=8-7&keywords=melanie+shankle" target="_blank">The Antelope in the Living Room: The Real Story of Two People Sharing One Life</a></i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">, </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sparkly-Green-Earrings-Catching-Light-ebook/dp/B008PX2142/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1548927304&sr=8-5&keywords=melanie+shankle" target="_blank">Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nobodys-Cuter-than-You-Friendship-ebook/dp/B00LPQOJSM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1548927304&sr=8-3&keywords=melanie+shankle" target="_blank">Nobody’s Cuter Than You: A Memoir About the Beauty of Friendship</a>. </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My favorite of hers so far, though, is</span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Church-Small-Things-Million-Little-ebook/dp/B06XYVQ1RK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1548927304&sr=8-4&keywords=melanie+shankle" target="_blank">Church of the Small Things: The Million Little Pieces That Make Up a Life</a></i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">. Melanie is a girl after my own heart:</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">she’s Southern, loves Jesus, and is just trying to do life while being a decent friend, wife, mother, and daughter. Check her out. You’ll laugh. You’ll think.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> A friend described listening to Melanie and her friend who is the co-host of this podcast as akin to eavesdropping on someone having lunch with a friend and it's true. All the juice and none of the guilt. I'll have what she's having.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwCd0HxKKqzyO5KQNpXqbZ18RrgfcKtItqrB5JGGdjC1BQrb154ajw4gu_gej6vRMbiQC0GIra04Sa7l_nGh4AALYNsHmISKBcvKh6gKuUhi7bxUIU4V9-KKY2D0L-J9yyGIOrth2QpJM/s1600/absorb.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwCd0HxKKqzyO5KQNpXqbZ18RrgfcKtItqrB5JGGdjC1BQrb154ajw4gu_gej6vRMbiQC0GIra04Sa7l_nGh4AALYNsHmISKBcvKh6gKuUhi7bxUIU4V9-KKY2D0L-J9yyGIOrth2QpJM/s320/absorb.png" width="282" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Because I’m old. A couple of months ago, I hurt my knee. There wasn’t an exciting story or event around it. It just happened. For any youngsters who happen to be reading this (and I define “youngster” as 39 or younger), I must say this again and again with zero sugary coating:</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">it all falls apart after 40. Everything. Apart. This apparently includes the warranty on your joints. I finally went to ortho and did a brief stint in PT and am happy to say I’m not limping around like a 90-year-old any longer, but occasionally, especially when I’m going to bed, this one knee gets a “twinge.” Not a full blown hurt, but just a little “hey there, I’m here and thought I’d keep you from peacefully drifting off” kind of thing. I can remember my parents always having a then-glass bottle of </span><a href="https://www.absorbinejr.com/products/pain-relieving-liquid/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Absorbine Jr</a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">. on hand. Bright green, deliciously smelly, and with a weird little sponge applicator tip, it was simply enchanting. Some things never change. Well, the glass bottle is now a BPA-free plastic bottle but everything else is the same. Anyway, I’ve found a little dab’ll do ya and I can sail away to dreamland smelling to high heavens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Poshmark</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWekjZVYKJmb8c1Lph9HZAPHG0CDFfLHfmXoWjrHqdxjHmvCFnvoaHxMmqIDarpvhNIBcKNx1QDNRhLAMGQ8UmWdoIond06n3EBy_ndBFXrM95ouoRpJsKnAdPGALu0W47I5e13fYvYRg/s1600/posh.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1000" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWekjZVYKJmb8c1Lph9HZAPHG0CDFfLHfmXoWjrHqdxjHmvCFnvoaHxMmqIDarpvhNIBcKNx1QDNRhLAMGQ8UmWdoIond06n3EBy_ndBFXrM95ouoRpJsKnAdPGALu0W47I5e13fYvYRg/s320/posh.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Well, I fought this one for a good while, but I’ve since explored, discovered and become addicted. <a href="https://poshmark.com/feed" target="_blank">Poshmark</a> is a shopping app where you can both buy and sell new and used clothing, jewelry, shoes and accessories. I avoided it for the longest as I didn’t need one more temptation to buy such items. But, the first of the year is a great time to clean out that closet and if you need some inspiration, just catch one episode of “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” on Netflix. This little Japanese gal will have you folding and tossing and thanking things and sparking joy all over your house. Basically, you need to keep one pair of pants and two shirts and throw everything else away. Try listing it on Poshmark, though. It’s quick, simple, free and I have to admit, it’s pretty validating and thrilling when you get a notice than something has sold. You set your price, the app sends you a label to print, you pack that sucker up, slap the label on, drop it in the mail and it’s money in the bank.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Trader Joe’s Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87zTOfPACBZjYODHb4EIcO7x2biAvoR_mlaz4o_bfU9q78DV5KmS5bfuQO9EE-PZ7k5Qm2RZ1j9jpzquKdRl6gE0Lgt0gJrg9hZxMdRZ22GpWdJpil0Tj44f_7iPe6y2xnAWgzehW9Czw/s1600/hnd+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87zTOfPACBZjYODHb4EIcO7x2biAvoR_mlaz4o_bfU9q78DV5KmS5bfuQO9EE-PZ7k5Qm2RZ1j9jpzquKdRl6gE0Lgt0gJrg9hZxMdRZ22GpWdJpil0Tj44f_7iPe6y2xnAWgzehW9Czw/s320/hnd+cream.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I discovered this lotion before the holidays and it’s simply amazing. It’s cheap (because it’s at <a href="https://www.traderjoes.com/" target="_blank">TJ’s</a>), it smells divine, it’s moisturizing while not being greasy and it lasts for quite a while, even through a hand washing or two. The only downside is it comes in a metal tube, which just seems unnecessarily bothersome. You have to take care of it, not toss it willy nilly in your purse, and be diligent when dispensing it and not just squeezing from the middle, but otherwise, it’s a wonderful product.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tardigrades</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYP7bjXhFqLhYiKE46CF8FcGtAY7zNndvQj4qkMG4LaCFfeCSyVybg0UJhaYee7VW5ApnRDYv_1uhgoz1wkITD1QXJvciqtSz639SfoPAqAyKCMLKVhKTCo-k0wVXca2EUOZi287VITAF/s1600/moss+piglet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYP7bjXhFqLhYiKE46CF8FcGtAY7zNndvQj4qkMG4LaCFfeCSyVybg0UJhaYee7VW5ApnRDYv_1uhgoz1wkITD1QXJvciqtSz639SfoPAqAyKCMLKVhKTCo-k0wVXca2EUOZi287VITAF/s320/moss+piglet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Finally, I learned about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrade" target="_blank">tardigrades</a> this week and it’s completely changed the way I view the world. Tardigrades are a microscopic organism known colloquially as “water bears” or “moss piglets.” Although smaller than a grain of rice, they resemble bears in their appearance and movement. They reside in moss near water sources such as creeks and rivers and were discovered in the 18th century. How on earth a scientist in the 1700s discovered such a thing is beyond my comprehension. I cannot think of these creatures and not immediately think of the Whos when Horton came to their rescue. A whole city of tardigrades could exist on a single clover!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I hope you’ve have a great week and have exciting plans for this weekend. For those of you here in middle Tennessee, I hope you enjoyed the blizzard that we experienced yesterday for 45 minutes and go ahead and pull out your swim suits as it’s going to be 70 this weekend.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Blessings and fruit tea,</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Valerie</span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">Disclaimer: I've put a whole bunch of links in here to apps and products galore. If I was more applied or enterprising, I'd find out how to make money off of such a thing, but as it turns out, I'm just a helpful person with a servant's heart and I just don't like </span><span style="font-family: "georgia", "times new roman", serif;">figuring</span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"> out how to do new things so enjoy the links and </span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>know I'm not getting a fraction of a penny if you should buy something on the other end.</i></span></div>
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-82150111612317303562018-12-08T18:28:00.002-06:002018-12-08T18:32:52.631-06:00All I Want for Christmas...Is for Everyone to Calm Down<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Let’s all ho-ho-hold on a minute and calm way down.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If you haven’t heard, it’s 2018, which means we all get in an uproar over any and everything. The latest thing we’ve gotten our knickers in a twist over is the beloved Christmas song, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Apparently, the #metoo movement and all easily-offended people have decided that this is the year we start banning holiday songs that disagree with our sense of right and wrong. Is it a strange song? Yes. Does it evoke images of Bill Cosby with lines such as “hey, what’s in this drink?” You bet your puddin’ pops. But should we be able to look the other way and just enjoy the classic? One would hope but who knows?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We aren’t supposed to listen to “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” anymore as it promotes bullying. And “White Christmas” is harboring white supremacist notions. Hearing this makes me wonder what else we might have been turning a blind eye to.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” probably isn’t sensitive to the homeless.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” excludes the overweight population.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” simply mocks the global warming enthusiasts.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Santa Baby” is downright mysogynist and doesn’t empower women to make their own way, instead forcing them to rely on a man (in a red suit).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Elvis’ “Blue Christmas” is exclusionary of the other colors. And don’t even get me started on the offensive nature of the Porky Pig version.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree…” where do I begin. Offensive to other genres of music and other holiday decorations.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?” Offensive to the other 364 days.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Last Christmas” is offensive to <i>this</i> Christmas.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"Jingle Bells" single-handedly diminishes two-or-more-horse AND closed-style sleighs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Little Drummer Boy” could hurt the feelings of a Large Violin-Playing Gal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“Do You Hear What I Hear?” is just asking for lawsuits from the hearing- and visually-impaired community.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” is offensive to all other animals and is especially hurtful to crocodiles and rhinosauruses.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I wonder what would happen if we, instead of being offended at every possible turn, looked for the positive, the good? Instead of pointing fingers, what if we gave high fives? Instead of scrutinizing, what about celebrating? And instead of being hyper-sensitive, what if we were hyper-positive and kind. In an effort to not exclude anyone or hurt anyone’s feelings, this behavior has the opposite effect. While we’re all busy tip-toeing around on egg shells, terrified of a misstep that will set off a land mine of accusations and insensitivity, we’re creating a culture of <i>less</i>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When I check out at a store, the clerk isn’t allowed to bestow a holiday greeting on me and, in turn, I don’t extend a “Merry Christmas” or a “Happy Holiday” for fear of offending them. So I wind up muttering “thank you” and going about my way. And it’s here where less isn’t more, but just, well, less.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">All year long, I look forward to the few weeks at the end of the year when people are a little bit nicer, a little kinder. I like the acts of giving and receiving. I enjoy seeing my neighbors’ decorations and putting up my own. I take delight in both sending and receiving cards. And the music? Well, it’s as much a soundtrack of my life as it is my holiday. When I hear the old classics, I’m immediately taken back to my childhood, lying on my stomach on the living room floor, staring up at the Christmas tree. The laughter of souls long since departed wafts through the air, mingling with the scents of home cooking. I see prettily-wrapped gifts and remember a kinder, gentler time. There’s music playing. Wonderful, magical music. And all I think is I couldn’t love these people, these memories, or this time of year more. Let’s get back to this level of sensibility where the only snowflakes are the ones on our noses and eyelashes.</span></span></div>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-90175811079536329542018-06-02T08:12:00.000-05:002018-06-02T08:13:33.371-05:00The Art of Quitting <div class="s3" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.2;">
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<span class="s4" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">Whether it</span></span><span class="s4" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s4" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">s from a job, a marriage, a friendship, or an obligation, the act of walking away is an art form.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">A friend of mine recently shared that, after a few years of participation, her child was choosing to leave a sport in which she had been very active. Although not solicited or warranted, there was an unspoken sense of apology, embarrassment and the need to explain in the air. I assured my friend that I, too, had walked this path with my own child, that it happens, it</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">s fairly commonplace these days, and there was no need for shame or explanation. It got me thinking, though, about our children, the busy lives they lead, and the oppressive pressure we, as a society, place on them to commit and then follow through. How many times did you hear </span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">“</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">quitters never win</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">” </span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">as a child? How many times have we forced our child to see a sport or activity they didn</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t like through to the end? When I look at my own track record, I can</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t help but feel just the slightest bit of hypocrisy.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">Take, for instance, the time I considered quitting my job to work from home, making, selling and delivering gift baskets. That was two different quits at stake there and a whole lot of poor planning. There</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">s the time I signed up for three sessions of kick boxing and thought I might want to get certified and </span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">become</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;"> an instructor. I completed one class. Thinking further back, I remember wanting to set up a lemonade stand. It was a hot summer day and I decided to try my hand at entrepreneurship. I set up a shaky card table at the end of our driveway and a metal lawn chair with some very questionable webbing. We didn</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t actually have any lemonade but I found a packet of Kool-Aid and promised my mother I would return her prized Tupperware pitcher. With a roll of quarters, a stack of cups, a poster announcing my venture, and the equivalent of hummingbird food, I took off for my corner office beside our mailbox. And I waited. And I waited. The relentless sun beat down on my head as the realization that we lived on a cul-de-sac and traffic was all but non-existent sank in. I put up a good fight as I sat there and sipped more than half of my inventory, but after eight or nine minutes, I cut my losses, packed up my shop and headed back inside. Maybe my first foray into giving up was offset by my self-induced sugar high, but I feel like I was able to shake it off fairly easily. No one berated me or lectured me about following through. Maybe they should have.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">During my school years, I added to my resignation resume with abbreviated turns with dance, baby sitting, and an ill-fated stint with a local Jazzercise group. By college, I was a semi-pro. Didn</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t like a class or a professor? Drop it like it</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">s hot. Don</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t like a boss or a co-worker or the hours at a job? Another minimum-wage shift awaited just around the corner. Reading a book that</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">s slow and seemingly going nowhere? Return that sucker to the library and check out two others in its place. Boy trouble? Don</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t get me started.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">Is there value in seeing something through to its end? Of course. In fact, I think it</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">s one of the cornerstones of our society and civilization as we know it. State what you</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">re going to do and then do it. Plain and simple. If you sign up to volunteer at the bake sale, you</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">d better darn well run through the grocery on your way there, replate those cookies on your own platter and walk into school with your head held high. If your child decides after two games that soccer isn</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t their sport and they don</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t want to go back, I think the response is, </span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">“</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">hey, buddy, I hear what you</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">re saying. I</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">ve tried activities before that I didn</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t enjoy once I got started, too. Here</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">s what we need to do, though. I need you to finish the season out. Your coach and the other players need you. If you still don</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t like it at the end of the season, we</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">ll take all of your equipment to the second-hand sports equipment store and get pennies on the dollar for what I paid for all of this and we</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">ll move on to the next venture. And, if you decide you actually like it, then it</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">s a win-win.</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">” </span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">Let</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">s be honest. When we sign our littles up for all these teams, are we truly thinking they</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">re going to be the next Serena, LeBron, or Tiger or are we wanting them to make friends, be active and learn to work with others? If they can</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">t end the season with a college scholarship, maybe they can walk away with the pride of accomplishment and the value that seeing something through to its end brings.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">Throughout my life, one of my guiding principles, one of my North stars when faced with the dilemma of cutting bait or seeing something through is taking Kenny Rogers</span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">’ </span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">advice. The art of knowing when to fold them, hold them, walk away or run is just that </span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">— </span></span><span class="s5" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13.199999809265137px;"><span class="bumpedFont15" style="font-size: 1.5em; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">an art form. There is a time and place for everything. Mid-July at the end of a cul-de-sac will never be either of those things. Now, excuse me while I enjoy a nice glass of Kool-Aid.</span></span></div>
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-22102362350807953102018-05-13T05:42:00.000-05:002018-05-13T05:42:38.034-05:00When the One You Called Mom and the One Who Calls You Mom Never Met: Reflections on Living the In-Between<div style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleTallBody; font-size: 17px;">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My mother passed away 14 years ago, roughly two weeks before my only child entered this world. Was it rotten timing? Yes, it's never fun running around trying to find something to wear to a funeral at the last minute, especially when you're relegated to maternity clothes and are roughly the size of your first car. At eight and a half months into my gestation, I faced the very real possibility that my water would break as I stood in front of everyone I'd ever known and a handful of strangers. I stood on swollen ankles shoved into pumps like fence posts, praying the eulogy would be the only thing I delivered that day. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Funerals make well-meaning people say the craziest things. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"She looks so peaceful."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">(She looks embalmed.)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"You're so brave."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">(Brave is jumping out of an airplane; I was pushed.)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Well, this was just a terrible time for her to pass."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">(Yes, you're right. Why couldn't she have held on until Christmas?)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The recurring comment I received that blistering week in August, and continue to receive to this day, is lament over my unborn child not having the chance to know my mother. Although they've never met in the flesh, rest assured my daughter knows my mother. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If the physical and personality attributes they share aren't enough, my sweet girl has been regaled with stories of her grandmother throughout her life that have left a lasting imprint upon her. Despite them passing in the revolving door of this hotel we call life, I've taken every opportunity to share stories, anecdotes, words of wisdom and a few tall tales about the woman we call "Grandmama." Ask my daughter from where she got her quick temper, her dimples or her love of sweets, and she'll proudly say "Grandmama." Ask her why we have cookbooks taking up space in our kitchen cabinet in the age of Pinterest and iPads and she'll tell you, "because those were Grandmama's." And, if you catch her on the right day, she might even wink and point out the irony since "Grandmama wasn't even that good of a cook."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Keeping family histories alive, even as cast members leave us, is critical to subsequent generations knowing who they are. Helping connect the dots from past to present ensures the future's tapestry will be tightly and beautifully woven. Passing along pearls of wisdom, insight and memories is a gift that, literally, keeps on giving and is the responsibility of those of us here in the "in between." I've done my best to make sure that just because these two ladies never met doesn't mean they don't know each other. </span></div>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-56517424162196536482018-05-04T06:27:00.002-05:002018-05-04T06:31:39.096-05:00Training Day<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My dog, Bailey, and I did some training yesterday. She taught me a pretty good lesson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Bailey is your run-of-the-mill pound puppy, no one, discernible breed and full of street smarts and wariness. We have no idea how old she is -- just how long we've had her. And in the five years she's lived with us, we've taught each other a lot of good lessons. For instance, we've taught her that humans can be kind, that she'll always have enough food and doesn't have to fight for it, and that cats aren't an indoor type of squirrel. She has shown us gratitude for second chances, unconditional love, and how to lick our feet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When she first came to us, we spent money hiring a professional dog trainer to try to acclimate her to <strike>the real</strike> our world and she was taught basic commands such as "come," "sit," "stay" and "down." All of these are fine and dandy but I guess we needed a more advanced class for her with commands such as "don't bark relentlessly when someone is at the door and that someone lives here" and "just pee because every time we let you outside, we don't have 20 minutes for you to sniff every bush, plant, and blade of grass."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">One command I've taught her over the years that I'm pretty proud of is "car." Here's how it works: it starts with me parking in the driveway instead of the garage. I'd like to tell you it's because I had just unloaded a bunch of groceries or I had the wherewithal to park by the door in preparation for my imminent departure. The truth is sometimes I'm lazy and don't want to ascend the 17 steps from the garage into the house, so "car" is handy when I've done this and she gets to go for a ride. When it works well -- and it has -- I say "car," open the front door, she walks out and stands by the car waiting for me to open the door and she hops in. As we drive off, I pat myself on the back for being able to wrangle this wild creature's innate desire to run all over God's creation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Then there are times it doesn't work as well. I say "car," open the front door, and she's run around the house and in the back yard or is two neighbors over or no where in sight. Then I have to walk all around the house and sometimes the neighborhood looking for her, calling for her, getting sweaty and getting mad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Yesterday was going to be one of these type of days. The door opened and she was off like a flash, as if I hadn't said "car" at all. I debated what to do. I considered briefly just leaving. I was that mad. Then I decided, "no, I'll find her and take her back in the house and she won't get to go. That'll show her." Then I realized she probably doesn't have the capacity to understand bitter punishment, so I did something more rational.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I hopped in the car, drove around back, saw her head pop up out of a tuft of ornamental grass, lost all my senses, sat on the horn, then got out yelling like a banshee. "GETINTHECARWHATISTHEMATTERWITHYOUGETINTHECAR!!!!!!!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Tail tucked, head down, she slunk back towards the car. As she neared, I made a grand gesture with my arm for her to "getinthecaryesthiscarwhatisthematterwithyou" and I grazed the door frame with my hand. We drove off with me steaming, my knuckle hurting, and her pouting in the passenger seat. When I examined my hand to see if I had, in fact, broken my finger in this episode, I saw a tiny cut and a stream of blood trickling its way down my hand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">At the first stop sign, I added some additional thoughts. "Every time the door opens, doesn't mean it's hunting season. Sometimes it just means it's time to go."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"You need to listen."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"You shouldn't run off like that."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">She listened obediently.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">By the first red light, she got an ear rub. By the third red light, she was sitting full upright, ears back in their normal "one up one down" position, and she was smiling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And then I wondered to myself, "why was I so mad? She's a dog and she was just doing what dog's do -- running, sniffing, and whatever she does to my hostas." It was then that I realized just how silly my whole reaction and tirade had been. I pictured her scolding me for doing things that come naturally to me. "Why are you napping? Are those Oreos? Again? Seriously?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Lesson learned. Good girl.</span>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-26490684480640932912018-04-28T23:39:00.002-05:002018-04-29T08:19:52.060-05:00Atlanta: Day 3This being our last day here, we took on the day and the city with an energy and fervor that would have shamed Sherman. The day started at <a href="http://www.oaklandcemetery.com/" target="_blank">Oakland Cemetery</a>, Atlanta's famed resting place of many famous sons and daughters and thousands of not-so-famous. Now serving a dual role of burial grounds and city park, it is a rich dichotomy of the living and dead. There are beautiful horticulture displays, gardens, and large, ancient trees that were there long before any of the residents were born and will be there long after those residents' descendants join them. There are people jogging and walking dogs and strolling the grounds. The city is just a few blocks away so you hear the cars and the trains and the din of people.<br />
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We opted for a walking tour which was supposed to be about an hour but was more like an hour and a half. Our tour guide, Marvin, was as much an enigma as the place itself. His crisp Magellan fishing shirt and friendly, robust knowledge of the cemetery, its occupants, and the city in which they all reside lay in contrast to his self-described Atlanta roots and his Southern drawl. When he pronounced "history" with two syllables, I felt like we were in good hands. </div>
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Next on the agenda was the<a href="https://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/" target="_blank"> Jimmy Carter Presidential Library</a>. Jimmy may have been a proponent for peace and civil rights, but I'd have liked him to push for better signage at his library. We finally made our way in and began the tour. As with many of these type establishments, the tour began with a short film. But this one wasn't narrated by just anyone. No, it was narrated by someone who thinks he was president, Martin Sheen. </div>
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Look, most of you know where I fall on the political spectrum. There's left wing and yellow dog and middle-of-the-road (aka, "undecided") on one side and on the other, there's right wing, tea party, far right and then far Valerie. Until the last little bit (the last 10-18 years, give or take), Carter typically made the list of "not the greatest Presidents." But no one can argue that he seems like a genuinely nice person. A good guy. If anything, I would say that he was too nice to be a politician, let alone leader of the free world. </div>
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Exhausted and needing to eat (President Carter, if you read this by some small chance, I'd like to suggest some directional signs on the campus of your library to indictate where one should park and extend the on-site cafe's hours so it can be open on the weekend), we headed home for a late lunch and a long, spring's nap (second only to its cousin in the winter). </div>
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Dinner tonight was at The Southern Gentleman. I wanted to like it. I really did. It was in a high-end retail district, flanked by Hermes, Jimmy Choo, Louboutin and Tom Ford, I thought we might dine with the rich and famous. Instead, we dined with the overserved and disengaged. Some of our fellow guests talked too much and laughed too loudly. And the staff, from hostess to server, were just a bit standoffish and distant. The food was fine but this diner thinks it could have been finer. </div>
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The bookend of our day was a short drive out of the city to a community theatre for a live stage production of <i>Godspell</i>. As we planned this trip and researched events and happenings that would happen during our stay, I came across this option. Intrigued, I tried my darndest to find out what exactly <i>Godspell</i> was. Fearing it had the sacrilegious blasphemy associated with "Jesus Christ Superstar," I went into it with more than one serving of trepidation, yet something pushed me forward. It was delightful. If you get the chance to see it, go. It's a depiction of several parables (mostly from the book of Matthew), set in current day and to modern music with lyrics from well-known hymns, it was beautifully done and truly a religious experience. Here's to the weekend of trying new things and getting outside of my incredibly small comfort zone. </div>
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We head home tomorrow. It's been great fun, but I miss my dog, my people, and my bed. Oh, I suppose I'm supposed to say "in no particular order." There. I said it. ;)</div>
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-60757833416284341692018-04-27T22:36:00.003-05:002018-04-27T22:42:34.476-05:00Atlanta: Day 2Other than college, I've not lived in an apartment and this Air BnB has opened my eyes to just how good I have things, all snuggled in my suburbanian hideaway. For instance, as I lay in bed around midnight last night, missing my dog and tossing aimlessly, I began to hear horns honking from the parking garage. It was the millennials' way of saying, "honey, I'm home" as they returned from their Thursday night revelry. Remember when Thursday night was just "pregame" for the weekend? Then I heard someone walking their dog outside, which included some yip-yapping followed by someone whisper-screaming, "shush!" Finally, you have the doors slamming and the walls rattling and what I can only assume is an apartment of Sumo wrestlers upstairs breaking in new shoes. This cacophony of sounds makes me long for the familiar sounds of home: distant lawn mowers, the AC running, the sound of Amazon backing out of my driveway...oh, wait. My husband may read this.<br />
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Today, we started by meeting a high school friend who calls ATL home for breakfast. She suggested a placed called the Flying Biscuit and I thought something with such a whimsical name had to be good. Then I checked out their menu online and was sold when I came across an item near and dear to this Southern girl's heart (and waist and hips): creamy, dreamy grits. That wasn't just me waxing poetic. That's the actual menu item-- creamy dreamy grits. And to quote the old lady from Titanic, "it was. It truly was." We had great fun catching up and visiting. There's something special about a friend who has known you most of your life. And there's something extra special when months and sometimes years go by in between visits and you're still able to sit down and jump right back in. </div>
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Our next stop was a tour of the CNN Studios. This behind-the-scenes tour took us backstage and gave us an up close view of the control center, the newsroom, the various anchor desks and explained the process of how a tip or idea makes its way onto the air. As a bonus, we rode the world's tallest free-standing escalator up eight stories to begin the tour and our descent down through various stops and studios. </div>
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Lunch at Corner Bakery was followed by afternoon siesta time.</div>
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Dinner tonight was at Twelve Eighty. This establishment is on the site of and across a courtyard from Atlanta's Symphony and the High Museum. This was perfect since we had tickets for a show after dinner. From the outside and even from just inside the door, it looked pretty unassuming. If you've ever in desperation utilized the on-site cafe at an art museum, picture that. But our meal was delicious and cooked perfectly and it was a surprisingly fine-dining experience so I was pleasantly surprised. </div>
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Following dinner, we made our way across the plaza to see Rob Lowe. Yes, Rob Lowe as in the Outsiders and West Wing and the weird cable or Verizon commercials and Parks and Recreation and Brothers and Sisters. He stood on stage for 55 minutes, telling stories that can only be described as enthralling. I can't do them justice but I can point you <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Only-Tell-Friends-Autobiography-ebook/dp/B004OA62VS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524885928&sr=8-1&keywords=rob+lowe+stories+i+only+tell+my+friends" target="_blank">here where you can buy his book and probably read an excerpt</a>. This was followed by 20 minutes of Q&A, which was equally entertaining and interesting. </div>
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This morning on the way to breakfast, we saw a homeless woman near a bus stop, bending over and picking up cigarette butts, collecting them in a cupped hand. While waiting at a red light, I watched her and thought, "I guess she's going to try to smoke whatever is left on each of these." But then something surprising and totally unexpected happened: when her hand was full, she walked over to an adjacent trash can and threw them away, shaking her head in disgust at people's laziness and disregard.<br />
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"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18</div>
Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-23606481673051410552018-04-27T06:29:00.000-05:002018-04-27T14:42:16.635-05:00Atlanta: Day 1Well, my bestie, Alison, and I are off on another adventure. If you missed the last one, you can visit <a href="https://pigsnbuttons.blogspot.com/2016/02/washington-dc-day-1.html" target="_blank">here to see how we took on the nation's capital</a>. 2018 finds us in Atlanta and we're excited to share the trip with you. <br />
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Being one of the most change-averse people I know, I made a vow to be open-minded (take deep breath) and try new things (easy, girl) outside of my comfort zone (ok, here's a lunch sack...). The first exercise was in our lodging. Rather than find a comfy/cozy Westin, we opted to both experience Air BnB for the first time. After hours of searches and asking various hosts a litany of questions ("the front door doesn't appear to have a lock. Does it lock?"), we selected an apartment in Buckhead, Atlanta's way of saying, "I got ya, girl."<br />
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When we arrived in ATL, our first stop was lunch at The Varsity. It's unassuming in a "we've been open for 90 years and for 24 hours/day" kind of way. The prices were reasonable and the food was good and utterly unhealthy.<br />
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As we headed south today, it was with some lingering trepidation that I took off, still wary that this whole Air BnB thing is just a front for human organ trafficking. The "check in" process did nothing to alleviate my fears as we met our host in a parking lot, he handed me the key and gate clicker to our place, and then instructed me to follow him as we drove to the apartment. Reluctantly, I followed the order, wondering to myself what was it I read recently about how to call 9-1-1 from your cell on the sly. Was it press and hold the start button? No, I think it was press the start button like five times. Oh, who am I kidding? I've never done anything sly in my life and in the unlikely event that I would actually need to try to execute this maneuver, I'd more than likely snap a pic of my feet, then the last words I'd hear would be Siri saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't understand your request."<br />
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We parked. He led us inside the building and to our door and motioned for me to use the key. As I was thinking, "well, here it goes. This is it. I hope my family knows I loved them," he watched me open the door and said, "well, ok, then. Have a nice visit." Non-event.<br />
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After counting our organs and being grateful that we still had all that we came with, we made a Target run. Forgetting we weren't in Nashville anymore, Toto, we marveled at the two-story Target and enjoyed the process of navigating the two floors with our carts.<br />
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For dinner tonight, we tried <a href="http://buckheadrestaurants.com/restaurant/bistro-niko/" target="_blank">Bistro Niko</a>, a wonderful place that Zagat calls "a casual but upscale 'hot place' that makes you feel like you're sitting in a cafe in Paris." Indeed.<br />
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Alison and I have been friends since we were in kindergarten. As far as I know, we've never liked the same boy and never voted the same way. But it's these differences that make our friendship all the more unique and rewarding.<br />
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<i>Editor's note: Alison would like you to know that we have voted the same in at least two presidential elections</i>.Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-2943730364826323582018-03-31T03:06:00.000-05:002018-03-31T07:42:02.324-05:00Not Seeing is Believing <blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">29 </span>Then Jesus told him, <span class="woj" style="box-sizing: border-box;">“Because you have seen me, you have believed;<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26897AP" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26897AP" title="See cross-reference AP">AP</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="woj" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">John 20:29</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="woj" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span>
<span class="woj" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Of the four Gospels' accounts of the Easter story as we know it (accounts detailing Jesus' final hours on earth from His arrest and crucifixion to His burial, resurrection, and ascension), each offer their own unique take and perspective. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="woj" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span>
<span class="woj" style="box-sizing: border-box;">There's <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+26-28&version=NIV" target="_blank">Matthew 26:28</a>. Matthew is very detail-oriented, which I commend. I don't want to just hear that Jesus broke bread with the disciples. I want to know what kind of bread, what color the napkins were, and if someone knocked over their goblet while telling a story. Matthew offers some rich detail in his account. His observance and recording is appreciated. In this Gospel, we're blessed with this final promise:</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="woj" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">"And surely I am with you<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-24216U" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-24216U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> always, to the very end of the age."</span></blockquote>
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</span><br />
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<span class="woj" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Matthew 28:20</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">For those of you who don't care about the china pattern or what sandals the disciples were wearing, there's Mark's account. Straightforward and concise, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+15-16&version=NIV" target="_blank">Mark 15-16</a> offers more of a bulleted list and timeline of the events. We're told as a footnote that earlier texts and versions of Mark's account are even shorter. It is suggested that the original version only included the first half of chapter 16, making it roughly 25% less than what we have today. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Luke, a physician by trade, offers another detailed account. If Matthew was observant of people and places, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+22-24&version=NIV" target="_blank">Luke 22-24</a> provides more detail on the process, the how and why. One of the themes that I've always found interesting is the mild chaos that surrounded Jesus' final hours on earth. I'd like to think if I was about to undergo great suffering and humiliation and untold pain and fear, that at the very least, I would be surrounded by those closest to me, and that they would keep it together. I know this is a lot to ask and so did Jesus, I suspect. When the guards come for him in the garden, one of his disciples decides to go all tough guy and swings a sword, cutting off one of the guards' ears. We're told in all of the accounts that Jesus says, "aww, now look what you've done!," (I'm paraphrasing) but Dr. Luke goes on to tell us what happened next:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text Luke-22-49" id="en-NIV-25914" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">49 </span>When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-25914AW" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-25914AW" title="See cross-reference AW">AW</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span> <span class="text Luke-22-50" id="en-NIV-25915" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">50 </span>And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.</span><span class="text Luke-22-51" id="en-NIV-25916" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">51 </span>But Jesus answered, <span class="woj" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">“No more of this!”</span> And he touched the man’s ear and healed him."</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="text Luke-22-51" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Luke 22:49-51</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I can only imagine how this would have been noteworthy to a physician.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">In the final Gospel, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17-20&version=NIV" target="_blank">John 17-20</a>, we have my (as well as many </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">others') favorite account. John is a wordsmith so, as someone who enjoys playing with written text myself, I appreciate his </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">woven tapestry. He was the only one present with Jesus in </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">the garden, overhearing and poignantly capturing His prayer for all ages. It's a fairly detailed accounting in its own right, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">however, like any author worth his salt, John teases us with a hint that there's even more to be said:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="text John-20-30" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">30 </span>Jesus performed many other signs<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26898GY" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26898GY" title="See cross-reference GY">GY</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26898GZ" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26898GZ" title="See cross-reference GZ">GZ</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text John-20-31" id="en-NIV-26899" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">31 </span>But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26899HB" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26899HB" title="See cross-reference HB">HB</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and that by believing you may have life in his name."</span></span></span><br />
<span class="text John-20-31" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">John 20:30-31</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text John-20-31" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Now the mention that Jesus performed many other signs that were not recorded by John here is intriguing enough, but the other sandal drops at the end of the next chapter. Buckle up:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text John-20-31" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text John-20-31" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">25 </span>Jesus did many other things as well.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26924AE" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26924AE" title="See cross-reference AE">AE</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written."</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="text John-20-31" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">John 21:25</span></span></div>
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<span class="text John-20-31" style="box-sizing: border-box;">[mic drop]</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="text John-20-31" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="text John-20-31" style="box-sizing: border-box;">So, as you celebrate this Holy weekend, I hope you are blessed by God's unending and unwavering love and that you find hope and peace in the promises made and fulfilled by Jesus' love and sacrifice for us. Here's to new beginnings, rebirth, 2.0, and new chapters. Just remember when you write yours, I want details. All of them. </span>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-46472379765495577332018-03-28T01:49:00.000-05:002018-03-28T06:15:01.427-05:00Living with ExcessWe just returned from a trip to Florida's Gulf Coast for our spring break. Our go-to spot is in Rosemary Beach, nestled among about 20 different little mini-cities on beautiful 30A. Back in the late 80s when I went on my first spring break that I remember, this area was no more than a fishing village that happened to have yet-undiscovered clear water and sugar white sand. Destin was where people started going and, over the last 30 years, the scene has spread westward away from what is now the hustling tourist trap that Destin proper has become. If you just travel 20 minutes or so to the right, you'll encounter places with names such as "Watercolor," "Alys," "Inlet Beach," and "Rosemary." Here, you'll find a lot of new money, multi-million dollar homes and multi-billion dollar developments, shops with over-priced fare and restaurants boasting a who's who of up and coming chefs.<br />
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The real allure for me, though, is the sincerity of the place. A lot of the locals are just that -- locals. Born and bred, if not right there, then close by. They have a vested interest in the area's success. And a tangible pride for how well it's doing. There's a chill vibe that is simply contagious. No one is in a hurry. There are more bikes than cars on the road at any given time. The people are friendly. It seems like a close-knit community, despite the fact that from March-September, a good majority of folks are just there for a week before returning to their real lives.<br />
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Although it's steeped in and replete with wealth, a modest Average Joe, middle-incomer can feel at home. Well, that is until you're reminded of your place on the "haves or have not" scale. This happened to me on our second beach day. We had rented beach chairs for our stay that came with two wooden chairs, a small table, and an umbrella, all lovingly set up prior to our arrival each day by a young, tanned, and seemingly higher-than-the-proverbial-kite dude. These set-ups are spaced maybe three feet apart so you have the opportunity to get to know your neighbors, either outright by speaking and being friendly or, as I prefer, indirectly by slyly spying and observing.<br />
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On this day, I noticed my neighbors on either side were displaying extravagant, outward signs of their prosperity. To my left, a young couple, early 30s, enjoyed a day at the beach with their two kids, approximate ages three years and five months old, and their nanny, a young girl in the 18-22 years old category. To my right, an older couple, late 40s-early 50s, with the woman carrying an $1,800 Louis Vuitton purse. On the beach.<br />
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I took some time from enjoying watching my child play at the beach to study these two case studies on either side. I made up detailed and interesting back stories for both. I imagined the Nanny family was happy to be on vacation after a long winter of being pregnant and then stuck indoors with a toddler and a newborn. I conjured images of Purse sending their youngest off to college in the fall and settling into their new "empty nest" chapter.<br />
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But then my thoughts turned dark. I wondered what Nanny's man did for a living, assuming the wife didn't work if she couldn't be bothered with watching her children while on vacation. I wondered how many other $1k+ purses Purse Lady must have and how this one became the "I don't care - I'm just going to the beach" one.<br />
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As I sat there acting as judge and jury on these two parties, it occurred to me I was living a life of excess, too, and I didn't like it. Here I was, seemingly getting away from it all, and I was plagued by envy, an abundance of negative thoughts and opinions, and judgement that surpassed Wopner, Judy and God Almighty. "Who am I," I wondered? "Where do I get off?" And "what business is it of mine what anyone else does?"<br />
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No one.<br />
You don't.<br />
None.<br />
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And then the real judgement began. "Why aren't you in better shape?" "Why aren't you more tan?" "Why did you choose family over career?" "Why is your hair not pulled back in a sleek pony with an Hermes scarf?"<br />
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There it was. An almost unbearable amount of self-doubt. It's a wonder I made it down all those stairs with a load like this. But here's the great thing about a day at the beach: your problems, in whatever form they may come, are absolutely dwarfed by the sea. The ocean is known for its many healing properties, the least of which isn't its ability to remind you how small you, and every woe, is. There's a vast body of water out there that connects to every other body of water on this blue marble on which we live and it was all created by an even bigger God. That's reassuring. There's peace in that. A tangible, soothing peace.<br />
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And just like that, I felt my cares lifted, my soul unburdened. And I thought, "Nanny, Purse...we're going to have a good day because, ultimately, we're sisters all formed from the same Father. And we're good enough."<br />
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<br />Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-63609591347809559642017-11-23T06:12:00.003-06:002017-11-23T06:16:58.920-06:00Grateful for Jellyfish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQgdx76f_wHPE6glP31MOk0p4nTAHYPD2EgbLyvLCBt2L4brvUipE-6bAEBx4m0rKokRlpneiP7wktiEq-I58g75f0XwAjvo-7E6bjR1X8AZcJ4qSJPHa81OKsktZblvQrUXY2cCY-x1M/s1600/jfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQgdx76f_wHPE6glP31MOk0p4nTAHYPD2EgbLyvLCBt2L4brvUipE-6bAEBx4m0rKokRlpneiP7wktiEq-I58g75f0XwAjvo-7E6bjR1X8AZcJ4qSJPHa81OKsktZblvQrUXY2cCY-x1M/s200/jfish.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I listened to a podcast earlier this week that got me thinking about Thanksgiving. And jellyfish. And God’s amazing, immeasurable love for us. Stick with me and I’ll tie it up with a neat little bow for you, OK?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The podcast was underway as I found it but the topic was about speed, velocity and acceleration to be specific, and what scientists have recently discovered as an off-the-chart statistic. Acceleration is measured in “g’s,” as in “g-force” or “gravity.” When you think of “g’s” you might think of astronauts or sports cars but things a little bit closer to us, or below us, can also be measured. The speaker gave some examples. For instance, if you were to hold a pencil up and drop it over a desk, it will fall at approximately 1g. A sports car will max out around 3g. (My Honda is closer to the pencil, for those of you keeping track.) But the sting receptors of a jellyfish (the mechanism that triggers a “dart-like” object to shoot out of the tentacle when provoked and sting the victim) move at <i>one million g’s</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So all this “hard to comprehend, off the charts” talk had my mind spinning and wandering this week of giving thanks. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRH2NwNY4RxJedPFQLaSLolgKlyCTuWcmq5c4he34E3Dj7CY8J78xV4xnTLyzcPby3I-cqDGzNwmAI9O8p3rW5UW3FjHy3vp5dRG_CIQqCBEtO0Xr732R_hnXpo1nKp8f2RFaAEiihvpD/s1600/mangrums+boston+101617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRH2NwNY4RxJedPFQLaSLolgKlyCTuWcmq5c4he34E3Dj7CY8J78xV4xnTLyzcPby3I-cqDGzNwmAI9O8p3rW5UW3FjHy3vp5dRG_CIQqCBEtO0Xr732R_hnXpo1nKp8f2RFaAEiihvpD/s200/mangrums+boston+101617.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston, October 2017</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Yes, I’m so very grateful for my family - my darling girl who makes my world go ‘round, my precious husband who provides for us in countless ways and is truly my best friend, the three grandparents my daughter has who love her with abundance and support and who are relatively healthy and blessed, my husband’s sister and her family and the cousins she provides my only child so she’s not so, well, </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">only</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByNVC8OjJoYK26LH7VzdIwmWeZeEJzyaMhqFjehhfz0AVkL4LkVQYlJTSPKguHaOk2kz7xM8-ijHCYSpYiAejTr5McZ9ZZsqSnUmnfnoIDYkqfeUbBMWMAgeaIst-mEzD61CWEaRLPIzG/s1600/t+c+church+march+2013+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByNVC8OjJoYK26LH7VzdIwmWeZeEJzyaMhqFjehhfz0AVkL4LkVQYlJTSPKguHaOk2kz7xM8-ijHCYSpYiAejTr5McZ9ZZsqSnUmnfnoIDYkqfeUbBMWMAgeaIst-mEzD61CWEaRLPIzG/s320/t+c+church+march+2013+a.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PieDaddy and Calleigh, 2013<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVodAXAsM6r-gcJMPwlwJ1y0Io3vsEI6hSwFXWzyI62Bhi5XLzdmW0Zvcz7jGWKx4hA2-z2mpzClf9-fAPOFlDEZQLU0Q0uPgnsUB2jLqYkSpbxQYDfXVxsF7itJLEGyih9qdhJDDgeNle/s1600/brenda+james+cousins+bird+dec+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1128" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVodAXAsM6r-gcJMPwlwJ1y0Io3vsEI6hSwFXWzyI62Bhi5XLzdmW0Zvcz7jGWKx4hA2-z2mpzClf9-fAPOFlDEZQLU0Q0uPgnsUB2jLqYkSpbxQYDfXVxsF7itJLEGyih9qdhJDDgeNle/s320/brenda+james+cousins+bird+dec+2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppa, Gamma & Cousins, December 2016</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat and Valerie, 2002</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’m thankful I had my Mom for 30 years of my life and that she’s still with me today, just differently, and that she is able to influence my girl through photos, memories, recipes, dimples, and in innate likes and dislikes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’m thankful for our jobs that provide meaningful work and financial stability. I’m thankful for the roof over our head, the cars we drive, the clothes we wear. I’m thankful for the food we have and that I, nor anyone in my family, has ever wondered from where our next meal was coming. I’m thankful to be an American and a Southerner. I’m thankful for the freedom of speech and religion and the right to bear arms. I’m grateful for our forefathers and foremothers who came before us, paving the way for the life we know today. I’m thankful for the military, past and present, who have protected our way of life and sacrificed immeasurably for our comfort. I’m thankful for pets and that I can share my home and my life with them (“dog” backwards is “God,” after all).</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’m thankful that </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Crown</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> is coming back on December 8. I’m thankful for friends — those doing well and those struggling. Those who come seeking a shoulder and those who always have a shoulder ready. Those who say, “girl, don’t even get me started.” Those who make me laugh. Those who appreciate the joy in finding a pen that writes well, a glass of wine, or some “Mommy time.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">But there is something for which I’m grateful and that without it, none of this other stuff would exist and that’s God’s love. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We know His love for us is great, maybe even immeasurable, but it’s so big we truly don’t have the capacity to understand it. Think about that for a minute.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Thanksgiving, jellyfish, God’s love. There you go. I’m thankful for each of you and wish you the warmest of Thanksgivings as you eat and spend time doing what you love.</span></span></div>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-64594309138434689182017-10-19T09:52:00.000-05:002017-10-19T09:52:09.619-05:00#ThankfullyNotMe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">The <i>#metoo</i> movement has swept across social media over the last couple of weeks, bringing awareness to the widespread epidemic of sexual harassment and assault. Here’s my beef: those two occurrences are </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">light years</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"> apart. Galaxies. It's not comparing apples to apples. It's comparing apples to tennis shoes. Imagine one friend saying, “I’m an apple.” And the other responding, “oh, I once was wearing tennis shoes and passed by someone with an apple.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They’re simply not the same thing and it frankly makes me incredibly uncomfortable to lump the two together. In this iGeneration, rife with countless social media platforms and outlets, we users get caught up in movements. It’s 21st century crowd mentality and, I’ll admit, sometimes it’s fun to jump on the latest bandwagon. It’s why I posted a video of someone dumping a bucket of ice water over my head a few years ago. It’s why I posted “dirty beige” in response to the call for us ladies to all post as our Facebook status the color of the bra we were currently wearing to bring awareness to Breast Cancer. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Have I been the victim of sexual inequality and harassment? Yeah, absolutely. I dare say I don’t know any females who haven’t. But have I been the victim of sexual assault? Thankfully, no.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Harassment comes in more colors than dryer lint. For instance, the male math teacher who told me “girls struggle more with math than boys do.” I believed him. There were the sixth grade boys who thought it was fun to pop girls’ bras and the coaches and teachers who looked the other way or shrugged it off as “boys being boys.” At the age of 23, newly married and in my first real-world job, I asked for a raise at my review. My male supervisor acknowledged that I had met all my goals, gone above and beyond, and was a terrific asset to the team. But I was denied a raise because “your husband probably makes pretty good money so y’all are fine.” That was 1998. After working tirelessly on a presentation and leading the team who developed it, I was told at the last minute that a male teammate would be leading and giving the presentation as the client “has a bit of a boys’ club vibe and we think it will sell better coming from Ted.” And, last but certainly not least, is a pervy little squirrel I worked with who offered free workplace shoulder massages and tried to kiss the top of my head. Strangely, after bringing this to the attention of our boss, one of the owners of the company, he realized our profits weren’t meeting the annual goals and there were layoffs, including my position. Stranger still, pervy squirrel was unaffected. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes, pay equality and the wage gap are a real issue. Creeps like Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein exist and so, too, do the nameless, faceless cohorts who abide, turn a blind eye, and enable. Am I a feminist? No, I’m not. In fact, I’m much harder on women than all of the men in my life. What I am is a female with strong opinions that I mostly keep to myself until I’ve had enough and, this time, I felt like I had to set the record - and the facts - straight, because Alyssa Milano didn’t*.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">* The #metoo movement began when fairly inconsequential, typical liberal actress Alyssa Milano used her Twitter account to encourage women who’d been sexually harassed or assaulted to Tweet the words “#metoo.”</span></span></div>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082740272888763188.post-35071401068885032342017-06-22T14:14:00.002-05:002017-06-22T21:09:58.620-05:00Bonnie Mangrum Obituary<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>MANGRUM, Bonnie — (~February 2000 - 21 June 2017)</b> Bonnie Mangrum (nee “Ginger #2) passed away surrounded by family on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. She is survived by humans, Thom Eagan and Jason, Valerie and Calleigh Mangrum, fellow canines, Joey Eagan and Bailey Mangrum, felines Figaro and Bobby Mangrum, and Pickles the Hedgehog.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We don’t know when Bonnie was born or exactly how old she is. A rescue pup, she found us at an adoption outfit out of PetSmart called “Abandoned Angels” in September 2000. After waiting for our chocolate lab, Brinkley, to outgrow his puppy stage and after countless chewed pillows, comforters, door frames, baseboards and half of one unlucky couch, our vet suggested two options: a lifetime of anxiety medication or a friend. We chose the latter. Living in a small starter home, we knew our second fur child should be smaller in stature and we set off that day to bring home a beagle. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Brinkley was in tow and each prospective candidate we introduced him to went a little more badly than the previous. As we were leaving, the woman running the adoption clinic told us to stop back by the next time they were going to be there as they would have new animals from which to choose. As we spoke, I looked behind her and there were a handful of dogs in crates, locked up and not being paraded around like the others. When I inquired who they were and if they were already adopted, she laughed a dismissive laugh, waved her hand and said, “oh, those? They’re not the most adoptable. They have issues of one kind or another.” That’s the first time I saw Bonnie, who was labeled “Ginger #2” as there was already a Ginger who was sporting a bandana and being walked out front on the sidewalk. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xaksNnMjpJEpNxfiXa49r3-1ICkkYAau8VSuXynzeXFcbBXM-rXFs-RBGaQUalLisKdcAY6vj-fCRiTkptUGn7NNUgxuEFBqnZ_zswxVv4g7Id-EHQ_ENd1T30uOhqR00BGA1BDGceJJ/s1600/bonnie+2000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1163" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xaksNnMjpJEpNxfiXa49r3-1ICkkYAau8VSuXynzeXFcbBXM-rXFs-RBGaQUalLisKdcAY6vj-fCRiTkptUGn7NNUgxuEFBqnZ_zswxVv4g7Id-EHQ_ENd1T30uOhqR00BGA1BDGceJJ/s320/bonnie+2000.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Bonnie's adoption picture, 2000</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I asked if we could see Ginger #2 and the woman shrugged and reluctantly opened her door and pulled her out. The deal was done. My heart melted immediately, Brinkley didn’t try to eat her, and they were getting ready to pack up for the day. We were told that Bonnie had been brought to the shelter under some unknown or better-not-discussed circumstances and that she had likely been the victim of some abuse in her early days. We lied on the adoption paperwork and said we had a fenced in yard. I whispered to her on the ride home that she was safe, she would be loved, no one would ever hurt her again, and that she would not suffer one more day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I held her on a towel on my lap as we drove home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In the days and weeks that followed, we found that, rather than preventing Brinkley from making messes and being destructive, Ginger #2, renamed Bonnie, was just making her own set of messes. One night after coming home from work to find yet another pillow victim and a puddle in the floor, I called the adoption agency and said I just didn’t think this was going to work. The woman explained a schedule conflict and said she was out of town and could I give it another week until I returned her. In that week, Bonnie completed the task of completely and irrevocably stealing my heart and I felt ashamed for years to come for considering returning her. God works in mysterious ways indeed.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t9UAmoMMvo_qLwYH5_fVI7rrtJbm23XPNuOdsVuETu1KxJuj6hCMx2SZi_T93Le-v4woezeGeC9oSnM8Fu7TZ6R65lswlQd0Il0pTZTQwISGpkxq3ibkvDQU_Y5vgRv9weWvsA81H1cA/s1600/bonn+2000+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1412" data-original-width="1396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t9UAmoMMvo_qLwYH5_fVI7rrtJbm23XPNuOdsVuETu1KxJuj6hCMx2SZi_T93Le-v4woezeGeC9oSnM8Fu7TZ6R65lswlQd0Il0pTZTQwISGpkxq3ibkvDQU_Y5vgRv9weWvsA81H1cA/s320/bonn+2000+b.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Christmas Card photo 2000.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Bonnie and Brinkley soon became the best of friends, vying for the same couch cushion, jockeying over positions in the bed, playing tug of war together with a rope bone, and snuggling rear to rear while napping.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvMuFUCm-fk8Ar2ZDiNVpQbG2rQoYZJEH7u6cfrveU7GX4nNC7s5LQUhlqMDxAVXzAM9NM_onek4j0u8WXAFIBcVQNvqYDszxMrtttnEZtucxXFjPRe3RVcgjt_EVyXOOtaiwlK3kA4MD/s1600/1+bonn+sept+2008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="604" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvMuFUCm-fk8Ar2ZDiNVpQbG2rQoYZJEH7u6cfrveU7GX4nNC7s5LQUhlqMDxAVXzAM9NM_onek4j0u8WXAFIBcVQNvqYDszxMrtttnEZtucxXFjPRe3RVcgjt_EVyXOOtaiwlK3kA4MD/s320/1+bonn+sept+2008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">We had this huge, couch-shaped dog bed in our living<br />
room and they occasionally let humans use it.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Bonnie’s loves in life included treats, being held, kisses, eating chicken, and going for rides in the car.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAYiEJquViwsdJXKwkpyKG57cZwwTEuOqLBgrN27879GcHPPC2pkccPckS4DKpCNscEJB51Z43xIDjUnphh_zcfQZ9gqnvGI4ZDfulNP1-In1hM4VNXqWBZT9tS9DYSBorKi2us-oR9f6/s1600/bonn+2001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1348" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAYiEJquViwsdJXKwkpyKG57cZwwTEuOqLBgrN27879GcHPPC2pkccPckS4DKpCNscEJB51Z43xIDjUnphh_zcfQZ9gqnvGI4ZDfulNP1-In1hM4VNXqWBZT9tS9DYSBorKi2us-oR9f6/s320/bonn+2001.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Christmas Card photo 2001</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Bonnie was a friend to all, accepting a new baby, the cats as they entered our lives, and even a hedgehog.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IQYq9PiSf55xoaMMAtVQV0iXxO8Ed988f1Lw44k7B6uIOAfW2eC5mENHCCXs73EQn32H-hyMDqjYD9WR9nvTCYl9Fh16HLFT-BabKA9hf-ir8w2fkrSdJZ5wqOoO6zm4ZrcVeL-k1F_3/s1600/bonn+2002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1439" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IQYq9PiSf55xoaMMAtVQV0iXxO8Ed988f1Lw44k7B6uIOAfW2eC5mENHCCXs73EQn32H-hyMDqjYD9WR9nvTCYl9Fh16HLFT-BabKA9hf-ir8w2fkrSdJZ5wqOoO6zm4ZrcVeL-k1F_3/s320/bonn+2002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Christmas Card photo 2002</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmI73rtdVyniHwl1J9016oSfrNGjHhphpLzZ88gTef5bF-v0s2BDpsLMBRa7zNk4zW_Eaimqlf7f9LKnG0jGkY8nq-Z_IOihexiRMpfyahsZB0NHIgF1pMbhHwgM-fHf65k_Ije1diKL6/s1600/bonn+2003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="1147" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmI73rtdVyniHwl1J9016oSfrNGjHhphpLzZ88gTef5bF-v0s2BDpsLMBRa7zNk4zW_Eaimqlf7f9LKnG0jGkY8nq-Z_IOihexiRMpfyahsZB0NHIgF1pMbhHwgM-fHf65k_Ije1diKL6/s320/bonn+2003.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Christmas Card photo 2003</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOxoPYLBlQSqvXSB7wrrDDmFpZoylfS6vjcq2mZOQhyphenhyphendJrRGUu73QdijNFFcrWlDPcOAs3ROqjB3FMgLM6NJPB2eH6OOOpTgVvOcMRvKhb0HvH6qsa8M9F40RP3_w71HHFgWvqIgP_IHJ/s1600/bonn+2004+d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="927" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOxoPYLBlQSqvXSB7wrrDDmFpZoylfS6vjcq2mZOQhyphenhyphendJrRGUu73QdijNFFcrWlDPcOAs3ROqjB3FMgLM6NJPB2eH6OOOpTgVvOcMRvKhb0HvH6qsa8M9F40RP3_w71HHFgWvqIgP_IHJ/s320/bonn+2004+d.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Things are about to change<br />
July 2004</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54Ez1ijGJNcIs3L-2u9mRXQWFipCJ-QZM2apx_K-lQxWptz-6NkTiqdXT930D5o8-xNB0e-Fx3WeIGOHpMu4VrN7-8YY08VEZsypCknASZeI2lDbx6WuCHS6tG0bxQb1U_yo_67kbola8/s1600/bonn+2004+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="991" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54Ez1ijGJNcIs3L-2u9mRXQWFipCJ-QZM2apx_K-lQxWptz-6NkTiqdXT930D5o8-xNB0e-Fx3WeIGOHpMu4VrN7-8YY08VEZsypCknASZeI2lDbx6WuCHS6tG0bxQb1U_yo_67kbola8/s320/bonn+2004+b.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Someone new.<br />
September 2004</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqICW6-uSuM34lqFhn-O3IRJSHJfntmKfoJM7N_Dd2Cm0OkE5yJuLlyM2t1pSNMxXnfBDiB8CZOr-yGICieoLt6Y65JX4klllxLBiKA7gV6-jDDMUy381hinfzooJH8AydndQqW94R54td/s1600/bonn+2004+c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="1190" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqICW6-uSuM34lqFhn-O3IRJSHJfntmKfoJM7N_Dd2Cm0OkE5yJuLlyM2t1pSNMxXnfBDiB8CZOr-yGICieoLt6Y65JX4klllxLBiKA7gV6-jDDMUy381hinfzooJH8AydndQqW94R54td/s320/bonn+2004+c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">After neutralizing the threat, Bonnie found this new<br />
addition would be a good friend.<br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr741ypELtoP9Pka-5yzDOKxen1JeMaPBi5xFr3TnLVD-lKt76wQU3ZRQgDngaSk-mLc-1Sfw8L3dhgtvaqKwYrctc2YwOafaMtKbXfFa7k6kWdX-thFy10XNNonpQRcxZeaixsWorZsfj/s1600/bonn+2005+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1280" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr741ypELtoP9Pka-5yzDOKxen1JeMaPBi5xFr3TnLVD-lKt76wQU3ZRQgDngaSk-mLc-1Sfw8L3dhgtvaqKwYrctc2YwOafaMtKbXfFa7k6kWdX-thFy10XNNonpQRcxZeaixsWorZsfj/s320/bonn+2005+a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Making room for one more</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzQsLo4mo5FzOL_4zjsd-vSXyi9TnXQKGYz7NIWDIlos2WhFaRM5ljUmD9Q_M3CrsxBycpywqhVyuT5VE4tQEXQsloA1cjUMbPAPsi12YP15E8Ct2k2aqOGe9C2IdB8OstK5CcqyJ1Bys/s1600/2+bonn+oct+2008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="604" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzQsLo4mo5FzOL_4zjsd-vSXyi9TnXQKGYz7NIWDIlos2WhFaRM5ljUmD9Q_M3CrsxBycpywqhVyuT5VE4tQEXQsloA1cjUMbPAPsi12YP15E8Ct2k2aqOGe9C2IdB8OstK5CcqyJ1Bys/s320/2+bonn+oct+2008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Celebrating another year, 2008</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">After losing Brinkley in 2011 at the age of 15, Bonnie enjoyed being an only dog until rescue Bailey came into our hearts and home. Bringing a new family member home, especially one with an abusive past and trust issues, is always a tightrope walk. We learned the hard way that a slow introduction cannot be underscored enough and Bonnie wound up on the receiving end of a warning blow from Bailey over territory. The girls eventually worked through their issues, order was restored, and they became buddies.</span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwye8yBQNehBlPJ_hV9Fm7FPpl_0hd5gLEePXNO2ewkAPmRmdT-UED_zdx5h14WY9HLEVFiVLGe3H7whlJCNpi65MaEYaU9-YgUP6A9mbRqCQm_3KrSc0DsbZY1gwGVmh44WaQP98uLDG/s1600/10+bonn+dec+2013+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwye8yBQNehBlPJ_hV9Fm7FPpl_0hd5gLEePXNO2ewkAPmRmdT-UED_zdx5h14WY9HLEVFiVLGe3H7whlJCNpi65MaEYaU9-YgUP6A9mbRqCQm_3KrSc0DsbZY1gwGVmh44WaQP98uLDG/s320/10+bonn+dec+2013+a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vLkgSP9OARhqOMVI6LKVYe-VmCbhUT38IA5mdLCenuJA8Qla-PEk33D0dKOt1_xE9iVvz4HEC_tmDg3Uphjzdy8tWaoEKQoHqaqvcHbhcvNKGHuajkvSXoyI7mhuJjOaGX1y3vkd8zKn/s1600/11+bonn+dec+2013+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vLkgSP9OARhqOMVI6LKVYe-VmCbhUT38IA5mdLCenuJA8Qla-PEk33D0dKOt1_xE9iVvz4HEC_tmDg3Uphjzdy8tWaoEKQoHqaqvcHbhcvNKGHuajkvSXoyI7mhuJjOaGX1y3vkd8zKn/s320/11+bonn+dec+2013+b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">December 2013<br />
I think this is going to work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">No one believed how old Bonnie was, beginning around the age of 12 or 13. In disbelief, we would be asked, “are you </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">sure</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> she’s that old?” My answer never changed:</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">“no, we don’t know exactly how old she is. All I know is how long we’ve had her.”</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEor0zscl9V3UWVtxAUxnQj15WBwBvkh8eLGMM05LdERujZ-86eETSsPKDnrDm-SpH9tbPmVr2RvRLqktDvwTcuyUDSd8puxg9YkdIJeldAJcc0OGlv12lMZx0TR_yC0u81773DjfD8ZUA/s1600/7+bonn+july+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEor0zscl9V3UWVtxAUxnQj15WBwBvkh8eLGMM05LdERujZ-86eETSsPKDnrDm-SpH9tbPmVr2RvRLqktDvwTcuyUDSd8puxg9YkdIJeldAJcc0OGlv12lMZx0TR_yC0u81773DjfD8ZUA/s320/7+bonn+july+2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">July 2012</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyZ9crThUYY13ms6DgR6Pq3mLK_G86u7JDLS2ofDfDR66LEMnA4vYq4SJ4IZdRyfZHtbFS6zInDvssLdYznZdHwG3e4UrDktz1_JrjwMJ34z9iHJ-QD5JXR49h1-_Gk9KzyZV72Cgc4gl/s1600/9+bonn+april+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyZ9crThUYY13ms6DgR6Pq3mLK_G86u7JDLS2ofDfDR66LEMnA4vYq4SJ4IZdRyfZHtbFS6zInDvssLdYznZdHwG3e4UrDktz1_JrjwMJ34z9iHJ-QD5JXR49h1-_Gk9KzyZV72Cgc4gl/s320/9+bonn+april+2013.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Bonnie loved me immensely.<br />
She loved chicken more.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGIXOE74nt-MlxI-dfvn1pkdQXkfrlH67Z4H_M_IhOrguG7qVuDBpQoajx4tRtcFgJTL9cMb7XueW69697VtW6vCq93PW5hZPuIpR9OeaehZZsyAJGddbLXoobmjUEOpr_bnjeU5fXQut/s1600/12+bonn+jan+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGIXOE74nt-MlxI-dfvn1pkdQXkfrlH67Z4H_M_IhOrguG7qVuDBpQoajx4tRtcFgJTL9cMb7XueW69697VtW6vCq93PW5hZPuIpR9OeaehZZsyAJGddbLXoobmjUEOpr_bnjeU5fXQut/s320/12+bonn+jan+2015.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">January 2015<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUheUENnVKwi5y8LdWLPYb2-1ucgWwTjMXEz3PFEgtViArW1keLgqerPjOSGfeiPe6ZL4a8bflXwxG3_-Qz1DaKjLXndmn5vvhcoXv62-OH8pXE8CN4vrylmtNm_NS05npl-S_GY_epKN6/s1600/bonn+nov+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUheUENnVKwi5y8LdWLPYb2-1ucgWwTjMXEz3PFEgtViArW1keLgqerPjOSGfeiPe6ZL4a8bflXwxG3_-Qz1DaKjLXndmn5vvhcoXv62-OH8pXE8CN4vrylmtNm_NS05npl-S_GY_epKN6/s320/bonn+nov+2015.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">No shame here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1bsVhyphenhyphen1qfz8Oxyc5MqtqNFpJse-xUJky2kgncg_uIO5MrYNwNDNU0EIWPxA5yiCIi7ybZeQfMlrENCbLfxosUyeC4ClChZK1u2EyHsCgPFsHad6GnhuPPRlgtwc6k87l05Op4hOiWPWX/s1600/14+bonn+dec+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1bsVhyphenhyphen1qfz8Oxyc5MqtqNFpJse-xUJky2kgncg_uIO5MrYNwNDNU0EIWPxA5yiCIi7ybZeQfMlrENCbLfxosUyeC4ClChZK1u2EyHsCgPFsHad6GnhuPPRlgtwc6k87l05Op4hOiWPWX/s320/14+bonn+dec+2015.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">December 2015<br />
Joey joins our family.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABfXBp7zungAGnUxSgMSuY-q866xF2S56PkJC2Bp_1HimSsDi0PSlN_ClSqDRnJxqtTaqYimP_-WXmARQPF1WPJfvl_6Usm5dajDQ36fTFzrt7PElmrmw3i95OE_wog8IhN-wyHba6zAi/s1600/15+bonn+dec+25+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="960" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABfXBp7zungAGnUxSgMSuY-q866xF2S56PkJC2Bp_1HimSsDi0PSlN_ClSqDRnJxqtTaqYimP_-WXmARQPF1WPJfvl_6Usm5dajDQ36fTFzrt7PElmrmw3i95OE_wog8IhN-wyHba6zAi/s320/15+bonn+dec+25+2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Christmas morning, 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9wktwqN7nW_wf21Ll5UxPawJEVDjIw2MJ_Mb4UlBR4ZTZqzdRDFx-oV_r8owK4q7aGFHW-D598HO4ssg1uWW-uC6paKymKlXzrARvcj3HJdcFquwqMDUfVmnkTfAgx9JCeYubCYKz81R/s1600/16+bonn+dec+2015+c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9wktwqN7nW_wf21Ll5UxPawJEVDjIw2MJ_Mb4UlBR4ZTZqzdRDFx-oV_r8owK4q7aGFHW-D598HO4ssg1uWW-uC6paKymKlXzrARvcj3HJdcFquwqMDUfVmnkTfAgx9JCeYubCYKz81R/s320/16+bonn+dec+2015+c.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Sleeping bottom to bottom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hoahOLoX9LRQ0Zu_zNGEIEn6ss7UryFLHm0jDTVuq74HimCcTAzDmjv0317i_ItOUzDs4SB8DBy22EDORjXAhFQndKNBPmMldNm25BY4w057oOhRBjarfPu7CYmIdRVf2znEBLHNARuG/s1600/bonn+bath+2015.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hoahOLoX9LRQ0Zu_zNGEIEn6ss7UryFLHm0jDTVuq74HimCcTAzDmjv0317i_ItOUzDs4SB8DBy22EDORjXAhFQndKNBPmMldNm25BY4w057oOhRBjarfPu7CYmIdRVf2znEBLHNARuG/s320/bonn+bath+2015.jpeg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Bath time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDp_iLhAstGtUYWWNP-xA6ySgnHaUNZlzSPgPk4Giv2TeBN3ggg8esGnlKSYdCkASXmAuz0ncrY0hbcnI8mNPrhyphenhyphenbFZYE9OrZoKbxUi1OyaNm0vwmwuT6aewuwEluVSt0ml3ygdEF8zYQp/s1600/bonn+2014.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDp_iLhAstGtUYWWNP-xA6ySgnHaUNZlzSPgPk4Giv2TeBN3ggg8esGnlKSYdCkASXmAuz0ncrY0hbcnI8mNPrhyphenhyphenbFZYE9OrZoKbxUi1OyaNm0vwmwuT6aewuwEluVSt0ml3ygdEF8zYQp/s320/bonn+2014.jpeg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Time to go<br />
Bonnie was always up for a ride</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Around age 15, her joints, hearing and sight all began to fail her at the same time. She was mobile up until a couple of days ago. Her sight gradually slipped away. She didn’t hear me whisper “I love you” daily for a few years.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLKT9DpWZyH1l0bdMRsmxcqBRxs7KdTehZNSCtoQE2bepx1H4mcQtAxyp1wmUWkXYHVxQwiDWXVWBmFhm-_FzGtkygKJlJsjv6uTTLbvjkrOTI_kAl3Ilgxer4ecRwAw04yaur_P03sGJ/s1600/bonn+valerie+may+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLKT9DpWZyH1l0bdMRsmxcqBRxs7KdTehZNSCtoQE2bepx1H4mcQtAxyp1wmUWkXYHVxQwiDWXVWBmFhm-_FzGtkygKJlJsjv6uTTLbvjkrOTI_kAl3Ilgxer4ecRwAw04yaur_P03sGJ/s320/bonn+valerie+may+2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Camping, May 2016</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7W1CdHWAl3BI1yyXpKMZu2ZYsOCPW4zulUGCVWbgoVdaOnn_CsbRY7hn3XDGzN4VeWa1fL7b_EfiWni0TEK07hyphenhyphencI8J7ER8Mq5Uh01VvjU8zoPNL4-H3vePWr7g4py1yfRzMaoGc4i9xm/s1600/bonn+062117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1508" data-original-width="1131" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7W1CdHWAl3BI1yyXpKMZu2ZYsOCPW4zulUGCVWbgoVdaOnn_CsbRY7hn3XDGzN4VeWa1fL7b_EfiWni0TEK07hyphenhyphencI8J7ER8Mq5Uh01VvjU8zoPNL4-H3vePWr7g4py1yfRzMaoGc4i9xm/s320/bonn+062117.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Saying goodbye<br />
June 21, 2017</td></tr>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">On Monday night, she took a turn and I watched Tuesday as her light slipped away. Wednesday, I held her on a towel on my lap as we drove to our precious vet, <a href="http://www.hillsboroanimalhospital.net/id-0944;jsessionid=FA36EA73D39BB4EB7D37D9B84B3664C3" target="_blank">Dr. Lauren Wall</a> at <a href="http://www.hillsboroanimalhospital.net/" target="_blank">Hillsboro Animal Hospital</a>. Dr. Wall helped us say a final farewell to this amazing dog. As she departed, I whispered in her ear that she was safe, she was loved, no one would ever hurt her again, and that she would not suffer one more day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Thank you, Bonn, for 17 wonderful years of puppy love. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGn615ATpAxOb1ebtDCtaXdZTBy8fki5e-2AaYc97D65-ZuvGG2cH52HlhsdX3AhBHDFT5WIVBU1WdzRi21lFMXpWdxsgXOGKWnaMNtR1os51JhBFxJPmb9tUtN_bTuWsYW-gldx0a9tN2/s1600/bonnie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGn615ATpAxOb1ebtDCtaXdZTBy8fki5e-2AaYc97D65-ZuvGG2cH52HlhsdX3AhBHDFT5WIVBU1WdzRi21lFMXpWdxsgXOGKWnaMNtR1os51JhBFxJPmb9tUtN_bTuWsYW-gldx0a9tN2/s320/bonnie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." -Psalm 4:8</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><u>Special Thanks</u></span></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia", "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.hillsboroanimalhospital.net/id-0944;jsessionid=FA36EA73D39BB4EB7D37D9B84B3664C3" target="_blank">Dr. Lauren Wall, Hillsboro Animal Hospital</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia", "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://noahsarkanimalhospital5.vetsourcecms.com/" target="_blank">Noah's Ark Animal Hospital & Boarding</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia", "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.mysecondhome.com/?mm_campaign=ggl&gclid=CMaq357w0tQCFYYvgQodo_oEmA" target="_blank">My Second Home</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia", "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://nutrish.com/dog/dry-food/zero-grain-turkey-and-potato" target="_blank">Rachel Ray Nutrish Zero Grain Food</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia", "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://naturvet.com/product/hip-joint-soft-chew-bag/" target="_blank">NaturVet Hip & Joint Soft Chews</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia", "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.publix.com/pd/publix-deli-fried-chicken-tenders/RIO-PCI-120517?ch=6.6.4" target="_blank">Publix Deli Chicken Tenders</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia", "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://doggroomingbrentwood.com/home/4173406" target="_blank">Bill at Brentwood Grooming</a></span></li>
</ul>
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Valeriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13903634002688714614noreply@blogger.com0