Quote of the day

"You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

-Christopher Robin in "Pooh's Grand Adventure - The Search for Christopher Robin"

I found this quote printed at the top of a marathon training flyer on my brother's refrigerator last weekend. I love the quote, but I'm including it here because I'm so proud of Todd and Maria for their commitment. The race is in November. Please join me in wishing them both luck!!!

Sunday at Reynolda Village

Sunday brunch at the original Village Tavern in Reynolda Village is a Glazener tradition, one that we've kept up since I moved back to NC in 2003. Last weekend's visit did not disappoint. The food is consistently wonderful and so is the service. The waitstaff aims to please! For example, Abby quickly developed an intense love of black olives as a toddler, so we would always request a ramekin (which soon became a bowl) of olives for her. We often had the same server wait on us and she came to know Abby as "the little olive girl."

It's an open setting at VT, so it's kid-friendly and the quaint atmosphere is lovely. While not as necessary now that Abby has reached the mature age of 7 (HA!) we often entertain the child by distracting her with random photo ops, as evidenced below.



This distraction is so easy, as Abby is a fabulous "sharer," so once her photo is taken with someone she has to get a photo taken with everyone else. My favorite on this Sunday is her pic with Fuzzpa.



After brunch, we always visit Reynolda Gardens, a short walk from Village Tavern. Maria snapped this photo of Abby and Wolfgang at the gazebo along the way. Check out the size of those elephant ears!


From there, it's straight to the fish pond. We've always called it that even though there hasn't been fish in it for years, but there are often water lilies and lily pads.



On most occasions we take a group photo, too, but I was happy to avoid that on this particular Sunday. Wolfgang did not allow me my requisite amount of sleep the night before, and the evidence was etched across my face. The copper plate below is from the front of the bench on which we've taken many group photos. I'd never even read it before, but on Sunday it caught my eye and I loved the inscription.



The photo that follows is taken on the other side of the garden, facing the bench, which is under a little shelter. I took this picture because I liked the way the large plants kind of framed the view of the bench from afar. I know it's not a great photo (I don't have the greatest camera or photography skills), but I like the view!



On our way out, Fuzzpa spotted a frog in one of the fountains and scooped it up so Abby could check him out. Abby loves bugs, reptiles, spiders and all other creatures, and she's not afraid to get up close and personal! Below, you'll find Abby holding her new little friend in her hand.

Animal Rescue Site Shelter Challenge & Free Kibble!

Vote for your favorite local animal shelter and it could win one of the following four grants:

Grand Prize: One $25,000 grant
Runner Up: One $10,000 grant
State Winners: Fifty-four $1,000 state grants
Weekly Winners: Eleven $1,000 weekly grants

You can vote once a day through midnight (PST) December 14, 2008. See challenge rules and grant details at the Animal Rescue Site. After your daily FREE "click to give," the link to vote will appear above the thank you message displayed. You can find your local shelter by using the city and/or state filters.

I placed a purple button on the right side of my blog, which links to the Animal Rescue Site. The button can be found under the "blog archive" list. I hope you'll make a daily habit of clicking AND voting!

I also encourage everyone to play "bow wow trivia" at Free Kibble to feed hungry dogs. This site was started by a 12-year-old and her success is amazing. Playing is free and kibble is donated whether you answer correctly or not. A banner icon link for "Free Kibble" can be found on the right under "the pooches" (photo of Bailey and Zoe).

Both of these things are easy to do, FREE and will help animals in need!

The Determined Chef

My niece Abby had her 7th birthday party on Saturday at the Young Chef's Academy in Winston-Salem. Upon arriving at the party location, I was a little apprehensive after seeing that the only two employees present appeared to be no more than 16-years-old, and they were to be responsible for entertaining 17 children ages 7 and under (with the exception of model-child Ben Esposito, age 9. Seriously, you should all be so lucky as to have a kid like him).

The two teenagers in charge soon proved me wrong, as they had complete control over the group (for the most part), thanks to seating charts and a few onlookers (myself included) who were not shy about checking the behavior of party guests. The two instructors began the class with some tips and instructions and then had the kids try their hands at measuring "the perfect cup of flour." Granted I'm no chef, but these weren't really CUPS of flour...no matter. Instructor #1 (as I will call her since sadly I did not get either of the 2 girls' names) showed the kids how to do this. She carefully measured, tapped and evened-off her "cup", flipped it over, and then firmly tapped the bottom of the cup until a perfectly molded mound of flour was deposited into her palm.


Then the kids were challenged to do the same. The series of photos below depicts Abby on her journey for "the perfect cup of flour."

The beginning...


The face of determination and irritation...


The face of realization that achievement is in sight...


SUCCESS!



Then we have Abby with her cake and blowing out her candles, followed by Ben Esposito with sister Sara and a partial-Jay shot. GORGEOUS!





And the most loveable, flour-moustache and all, was Max. Honestly, I think I took a dozen photos of that kid. He wasn't the happiest camper, but if you offered a hand he took it willingly. He's a full-blown sweetheart, and absolutely beautiful!

Tar Heel Dog

These photos are from 2006, but I thought they'd be appropriate here. My assistant says she thinks Bailey looks like an old man, and he is. He'll be 11 in December! But he's a Tar Heel Dog all the way...





This last one is just funny. Bailey looking coy...

Recycle caps with Aveda

We all know that plastic bottles are recyclable, but many people might not know that the caps on these bottles almost always are not. Aveda is trying to change this.

Earlier this year, Aveda announced that stores would collect plastic caps from customers between March 10th and May 10th, and any customer with 25 caps or more would get a free sample of an Aveda product. My friend Jeni told me about the program after she saw the announcement in SHAPE magazine.

Since I often use a plastic water bottle several dozen times before recycling it, I had a HUGE collection of caps (for when I misplace a cap and need one) stashed away in a box. So I gave out my caps in sets of 25 to my friends so that they could get their own free samples! But after May 10th came and went, I was already in the habit of collecting caps so I kept right on collecting. I soon realized I had stashes of caps everywhere, and when I gathered them all together I found I had over 200! (That sounds like a crazy amount, but I should clarify by saying that this included any and all hard plastic caps, so they were from shampoo, drinks, detergent, lotion, coolant, bleach, etc).

So sometime around the middle of June, I e-mailed Aveda to find out if they would still accept caps – no freebies necessary – I just wanted to help recycle. When they said yes, my friends started bringing me their caps, too. I took a large bag to Southpoint in July, but hadn’t been back until last night when I hauled an overflowing Target bag, brimming with caps into the store.

Since I wasn’t sure they would really want all those caps, I felt a little weird about bringing in such a big bag, but I was pleasantly surprised by the sales girl’s response. She was quite grateful, but the best part was that she told me Aveda has already begun selling products packaged in bottles utilizing the recycled caps they collected over the last year. I felt so green at that moment. Thank you to Jeni, Kathy and Kerry for contributing regularly to my cap recycling effort!

I plan to keep it up until they turn me away, and I encourage others to save caps for their local Aveda store.

High Anticipation

I must be a dork because I am SO excited for my niece's 7th birthday party this weekend. Obviously I am too excited to wait until the actual event to post photos and news, so this is just a quick post to say, 7th b'day party shenanigans will be reported next week! Heeee!

Quick and easy pawdicure

Zoe's claws have always been outrageously long, and I have a hard time trimming them because (a) like most dogs, she hates it; (b) her feet are so tiny that they are hard to grip comfortably and securely; and (c) her claws are black, so I have no hint as to where the quick is, and that makes me more hesitant to clip off enough to make the ordeal worth it.

Unfortunately, I have not been successful at teaching her not to jump excitedly all over me every time I return from even the briefest of absences. If I'm wearing pants this isn't such a problem, but if any leg is exposed, I end up with angry red scratches all up and down my legs. Even my niece Abby knows that she should be wearing pants if Zoe is coming to visit!

So my friend Kathy bought a Pedi Paws Pet Nail Trimmer and let me borrow it for a test run. I know they're only $20 each (and at BB&Beyond you can use a coupon for 20% off) but I didn't want to buy one if Zoe won't let me near her with it. Bailey files his own nails on the pavement, so he is a self-pawdicuring dog.

Kathy was nervous about me trying it without the instructions, but her worries were unfounded. I wouldn't say Zoe enjoyed the process, but she didn't cry or squirm too much and the little nail trimmer safely and efficiently trimmed down and smoothed her nails beautifully! I will definitely be purchasing one of these babies for myself. Thanks Kathy!

Quote of the day

"Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple."

-Gene Wilder in "Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory"

Zoe: Tiny Guardian

My Zoe is an angelic, wee puppy-like girl who brings joy to my every moment in life. Since the first day I brought her home she has been by my side, always right under my feet. She's an alarm clock and a security system, a companion and a guardian.

I suppose I should clarify that all of the aforementioned qualities are those Zoe possesses when she is with me, and ONLY me. What I mean is that when I have guests Zoe is a demonic, disillusioned (thinks she's 10 times bigger than she actually is) little girl who becomes the bane of my existence. Case in point, my old friend Jill came over last night to go to dinner. As expected (much to my chagrin) Zoe treated her like an intruder who had come to kill me.

Thankfully, and as on most occasions, she relents after 20 minutes or so, or at least until the visitor rises to leave. It's like Zoe has a motion sensor. Any slight movement (even mine) triggers her panic reflex. In fact, last weekend I made the mistake of suddenly grabbing her to give her a love pat, and having awoken her from a snooze, she reacted with obvious alarm, distress and aggression. No, she didn't bite me - hasn't ever tried - but she let me know she was not happy with me.

Despite the annoyances of her over-protective tendencies, I must admit that I do feel safer with Zoe in the house. Bailey is worthless when it comes to being a guard dog (he'd befriend ANYONE willing to pet him), so "guard duty" is entirely Zoe's domain, and one in which she is relentless! When I go outside without her, she jumps up into one of the window sills and keeps both eyes on me until I re-enter the house. Even if she's in the deepest sleep in her plush dog bed, if I get up and go downstairs for a glass of water, she is not far behind me.

The following quote is perfect:

"My little dog, a heartbeat at my feet." -Edith Wharton

Hostile Takeover

I cannot believe the size of the anthill that has completely taken over one of my azaleas. I noticed it for the first time on Friday as I was whizzing out of my driveway, late for work as usual. My super-quick glance did not afford much insight into what I’d seen. On my way to work I even contemplated the possibility that the mound was a huge steaming pile of dog doo, courtesy of a neighbor’s pet. As I am one of the only neighborhood residents who performs the humiliating task of picking up poop on a daily basis (x two!), I have become accustomed to necessarily watching my step at all times. And yes, I have found more than one steaming pile of dog doo in many of my ornamental bushes. Argh!

In the four years that I’ve lived in my house, the ant infestation (usually more of a problem outside than in) has been inconsistent. I believe it was my first year here that they were particularly bad. I remember because my poor neighbor, who at the time mowed my lawn for me because he borrowed my lawnmower to do his own, mowed over an enormous fire ant hill and was bitten about a hundred times. OUCH!

I shy away from using chemicals in my attempts to kill the heinous pests, but I felt no guilt as I reached for an old bottle of Bayer Advanced Lawn Fire Ant Killer Ready-to-Use Dust that I purchased on close-out for $1 at Home Depot a couple of years ago. It has worked for me in the past, so here’s to hoping my azalea survives the brutal assault and that the ants move on or die off!

I spent a considerable amount of time looking for more natural, non-toxic remedies online, but there were so many that I gave up and reached for the quickest solution. The following are some of the recommended “homemade” ant killers I found. Please let me know if you have successfully used any of them to rid your yard of pesky fire ants!

1. Baking soda and white vinegar; vinegar alone; or a mixture of dish soap, water and vinegar.

2. Instant grits – spread around each mound, but only when it is dry, as the grits are supposed to remain dry after application.

3. Boric acid alone; and/or mixed with sugar or molasses.

For those who are interested, I have used TERRO’s indoor and outdoor ant baits and they work well. I just think this mound and another close by are way too big and exposed to be defeated by a few ant baits! I’m also afraid that the aforementioned neighbor’s dog might wander over and eat them.

Paper (n)or Plastic?

I am just as guilty as the next shopper for not always remembering my own bags, but I do really wish that more people would adopt the message on my World Market bag that states, “Paper NOR Plastic.” Even more so, I wish that baggers at stores didn’t feel the need to double or triple-bag anything that weighs over 3 lbs.

In my mind, the problem with plastic bags isn’t rooted in their composition. Plastic bags have become an ecological nightmare because they are used in alarming excess (as noted above regarding double and triple-baggers) and although they’re recyclable, I would guess that maybe 1 in 10 plastic bags gets recycled. Maybe even less than that.

I’d like to note that with the exception of Target bags (they fit my bathroom garbage cans perfectly) I am a very dedicated recycler of plastic bags. In fact, on any given day one might find a dozen or so in the back of my car, awaiting my next trip to the grocery store. And as for the aforementioned Target bags, I try to limit my disposal of them by consolidating trash and only tossing those that are overflowing or exceptionally dirty!

I’ve recently made a concerted effort to keep at least one reusable bag in my car for unexpected shopping trips, but on the occasions that I forget, there are a few stores that sell very reasonably priced bags on-site.

Whole Foods sells wonderful sturdy bags made out of recycled plastic bottles. These handy bags are fabulous because they are large, shaped like a traditional paper bag, the handles are strong and they sell for 99 cents! I also like the messages printed on my bag. You can read the front message in the photo, but the side panel reads, “Every plastic bag can take 1000 years to degrade.” My hope is that when these bags are used, the messages will encourage others to adopt the practice of shopping with reusable bags.

The smaller green bag in my photo is from Harris Teeter and is actually a wine carrier. It is made of 100% non woven polypropylene, divided into six sections to keep bottles from clinking together and they are FREE! Of course they can be used for more than wine, but the sections prevent them from being used for items wider than a typical wine bottle.

The cotton bag is from World Market, and the message on it is my favorite! Although this bag is the priciest of those pictured ($2.99), it is probably the sturdiest and can be thrown into the washing machine for cleaning. Anyway, $2.99 is a small price to pay for helping to keep our planet a little greener.

Weaver Street Market also sells canvas bags, and I swear the cashiers there are the most talented baggers ever. I know that sounds silly, but those people can safely pack more items into a bag than any person I’ve ever seen, and no, they are not slow at doing it. WSM must make all of their employees complete some kind of detailed training course in bagging. I wish they’d train those who work at Kroger and Harris Teeter!

So, in closing I’d like to hear from the very few people who read this blog.

1. Do you own at least one reusable shopping bag?

2. If so, how often do you use it instead of plastic or paper bags?

3. What prevents you from using reusable bags instead of plastic or paper?

4. What (if anything) would encourage you to shop with reusable bags more often?

Tar Heels fall to the Hokies

I really hated typing that. Even more so after having to endure the Virginia Tech fans screaming, “Let’s go” (pause) “HOKIES!” at the back of my head as I exited Kenan stadium. I could go into a tirade about how I think the referees were full of hallucinogens for the extent of the game, but that would be pointless. The game is over.

On to more pleasant things:

We were excited to see Taylor in attendance, as she and Abby became fast friends last year. Taylor’s family and friends have tickets for the seats behind us again this season. While l admit I don’t even know their first names, I can say those guys are TRUE Tar Heels and genuinely friendly. The two guys who usually sit directly behind us are hilarious and they love Abby. Actually, they’re often teasing her, but it is all in fun. They are among the loudest fans in our section, but they are pretty good about keeping their exclamations PG-rated. However, I do recall an occasion last season when quite a few expletives slipped, but in his defense, he covered Abby’s ears with his hands before shouting them. Of course she could hear him, but I suppose it’s the thought that counts!

I had the chance to meet up with an old friend, Josh, at half-time. He has season tickets, but he doesn't get to come to all the games so we've only seen each other there twice. Now that I know exactly where his seats are, I hope to run into him more often! (I really hope that doesn't make me sound like a stalker).

Last night’s game was frustrating, so expletives were expected. This was the second time in the last five years the Tar Heels lost to Virginia Tech at home by a field goal. It didn’t help that T.J. Yates sprained his ankle during the third quarter. (I really hope he’s back for the next game!) It really didn’t help that the Heels were penalized for 121 yards.

I thought I might not be as annoyed today as I was last night. I was wrong.

The Heels travel to Miami next week for a 12 pm kick-off. A couple of photos from last night’s game are posted below. The first is of Taylor and Abby, followed by one of Abby and me, with bro in the background.

Quote of the day

This post should probably be titled either "All that I don't know about football," or "Embarrassing ADD fan moments."

Play is at the west end of the field and Carolina is on offense. The next thing I know, play is at the other end of the field and I am clueless, so I ask Todd, "Why is everyone all the way back here?"

He responds, "The quarter ended. Do you want to take that back?" HA!

I do have ADD and I know nothing about football, but usually I'm not quite so ditzy. Will post a couple of photos and a brief recap from a bitter loser tomorrow.

Automobile karma? jinx? or just bad luck?

I think my Love My Ride post jinxed the health of my beloved automobile. She's had two recent bouts of extreme fever - the first episode occurred exactly a month ago, the second last weekend. After the second I knew I had to drop my wait and see attitude and have my girl checked out, so I made an appointment for her at our usual shop, WASP Automotive. I really love those guys. They provide top-notch, honest and trustworthy service at very reasonable prices. (Of course if you live closer to downtown Raleigh, I also adore Tao Auto, with which I trusted my CR-V exclusively before leaving NC for Michigan in 2000. Note: Both WASP and Tao specialize in Japanese makes).

At WASP, I'm pretty sure customers are left to the luck of the draw when it comes to the mechanic assigned on any certain day, so I was extremely pleased to be met by Kevin when I arrived, as he rescued my air conditioning a couple of years ago. He is thorough and extremely courteous, and that is a HUGE plus in my opinion, because women don't often get respect in these types of situations. But I suppose I should add that I've always been treated fabulously at WASP. For example, the very first time I took my car there it was for an inspection. I had not been in the waiting room for five minutes before Pete came in and said, "We've got a problem." Without too much back-story, I will try to explain why this statement sent me into panic mode.

Apparently the CR-V (or mine at least) has a bit of a faulty alarm system. I used to work at Michigan State University and parking was far enough away that one could not hear their car alarm sounding. Well, mine went off all the time. I'm sure there are people at MSU who noted my license plate and planned severe vandalism of my car, although I'm happy to report the old girl was never a victim of such. But with the lack of required inspections in MI, those of us with every intention of returning to a state requiring such inspections were often met with the news that repairs (and many) were in order. The fact that no one in Michigan cared that my horn - after extreme repetitive use - was no louder than the bleat of a baby goat quickly became a major issue.

Case in point, upon moving back to NC, the old gal was due for an inspection and she failed miserably. While most of her shortcomings were not all that disturbing, I must say that having to order a new horn was humiliating. You might not think so, but if you say it out loud, "Yes, hello, I need to order a new horn for my car," I promise you'll feel a bit weird. Having the Honda sales rep laugh at me - openly on the phone - did not help. She probably thought I was one of those obnoxious people who lay on the horn at anyone for the slightest reason, so therefore I deserved to suffer the cost of a new horn. By the way, I'm not at all like that.

My horn - original and current - has collectively been put to use a maximum of 35 times in 11 years. I'm one of those people who will let the person in front of me sit at a green light for 2 minutes before I'll honk. In my mind, everyone makes mistakes, so far be it from me to point out the mistake of the person in front of me on the road who may very well be perfect in every other aspect of his or her life. This is not for me to judge. (By the way, the aforementioned situation is one of the only ones in which I display any patience. Do not be fooled - I am NOT a patient person). I have entertained a tangent, pardon me.

Anyway, back my to explanation for loving the WASP guys. All Pete really wanted to tell me was that my registration had expired. Here enters the superior customer service aspect (especially since I was a first time customer). Pete drove me to the DMV, waited for me to renew my registration, then drove me back to the shop and inspected my car. He did all of that with a huge smile on his face and without hesitation. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought that was fabulous!

I digress even further. Back to the original reason for this post. Kevin informed me that my baby CR-V had a cracked radiator and non-functioning fan and both had to be replaced. Boo hiss!!! Even so, the old gal was fixed up like new - oil change to boot - in about three hours, and that included delivery of the necessary parts. Thank you Kevin! CR-V has 137,864 miles under her hood (as of this post) and I expect her to travel 85,000 or more before she's done. My fingers and toes are crossed!

A Swingin' Wednesday Evening

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I exercise at Kerry's neighborhood gym between 4 and 5:30 p.m. While I get to work out in a fairly new, almost always empty gym; Kerry views my perk as a benefit to her because I often stop by the house afterwards. I'm really just an "extra" capable of entertaining Felton on the evenings when Robert has to work late or out of town, but I LOVE spending time with that boy. I love that when they come upon my car in the recreation center parking lot or in their driveway Felton yells, "Tracey's home!"

So spending Wednesday night with Kerry and the Burleigh kids was a true treat for me, as always. Felton enjoys playing on his swingset in the early evenings before dinner, so after my workout Kerry and I took Sydney and Felton out for a swing. I was surprised, not only to get a photo of Felton, but that he asked me to take it!


(By the way, pardon the photo quality, the photos posted here were taken with my mobile phone). The last time I tried to take a photo of Felton with my phone he began to bat it away with his fist while screaming, "No picture!" I guess the key on this occasion was that Felton saw me photographing Sydney, so he said, "I want to see Felton." ie. He really just wanted to see himself on my phone...not have his picture taken...so cute.

Sydney has a serious "stranger danger" complex so the fact that I can't see her every single day makes her a touch frightened of me, hence the absence of a smile in the photo posted here. In fact, Kerry told me that on Tuesday when it was pouring rain, she was wearing a rain coat with a hood - one that Sydney had not seen her in before. When Kerry opened the door and came around to get Sydney out of her car seat, the poor girl screamed in terror. She didn't even recognize her own mom!


One person Sydney always recognizes and watches with eager enthusiasm is her brother, Felton. Below is a photo of Felton pushing Sydney in her swing.


While it might be harder for members of Kerry's family, I find immense comfort in the fact that Felton looks so much like her late brother Kurt. He's got those "Bolstad" eyes. I think we're all still waiting to see who Sydney will favor, but no matter, both kids are beautiful just like their parents!

Sleeping Beauty

As described in a previous post, Charlotte (Kile's daughter) is truly an angel. Unfortunately, the photos I took of her last weekend were almost exclusively snapped while she was in dreamland, but look at that sweet gorgeous face!



As perfectly described by Kile, Charlotte is currently in the "Why?" stage of her young life, but what is unique about Charlotte is that she often seems to think about what she's asking. It's not just, "Why is your name Tracey?" or "Why are you wearing those shoes?" Don't get me wrong, she asked me a gazillion questions, but most of them were entirely sensible and she remembered the details learned during her inquisitions well enough to associate them with later conversations.

For example, one of the first things that Charlotte learned about me is that I have two dogs, but that only one dog came with me to her house. After explaining to her that Bailey was spending the weekend with Kerry (fabulous woman and Bailey fan extraordinaire), she quizzed me. "What is Kerry's dog's name? How big is it? Does Zoe like Kerry's dog? Does Bailey like Kerry's dog? Do they love each other?" (All of these questions were covered on Friday).

On Saturday when she heard me talking about Bailey, she said, "But Bailey is at Kerry's house, with her dog, they're not here." Then later when she was telling me how Charlie and Esther are brother and sister, she said, "Like Zoe and Bailey."

While I realize this doesn't necessarily guarantee Charlotte a Mensa membership, I feel like she's pretty bright for a 3-year-old. I look forward to spending time with her (and the rest of the Stewarts) ASAP!

Quote of the day

"You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that."

-Charlotte, in "Charlotte's Web," by E.B. White

Weekend Party on Sherwood Avenue

I traveled to Charlotte on Friday to spend the weekend with my old roommate and long-lost friend, Kile. She and her family live (only for a few more weeks!) in a lovely home on Sherwood Avenue. The family includes Kile; husband Brent; nearly 4-year-old beauty, Charlotte; 14-month-old cutie-pie Max; old girl Esther (Yellow Lab); wildman Golden Retriever, Charlie; and old girl Kitty, the crazy cat.

The weekend was incredibly perfect - tons of fun, lots of catching up, and reunions with other old friends. On Friday night, we managed to get Kile's mom Cissy to come over with her two dogs, Inca (Chow) and Taos (Samoyed), pictured below. Inca has been around since before Kile and I met, and Taos entered the picture in the late 90s.




I hadn't seen Kile and crew for about eight years, but we easily fell into our old banter, all the while filling in the gaps of the past several years. Below we have Max, an amazingly photogenic cherub who instantly stole my heart. I could spend an entire day just watching him toddle around the house, always in search of unattended food and other stray items.


Next we have the lovely Kile and the angel Charlotte


Charlotte is a great kid - very curious and alert - and I swear one day Kile and Brent are going to make a fortune by somehow bottling the color of her gorgeous hair.

Saturday we spent part of the day recuperating from Friday's night of indulgence and late night chatter. Later that afternoon I got to visit the house that Kile and Brent just purchased (on that very day) and into which they will soon be moving. The house is incredible, and even Max and Charlotte appeared to be ecstatic about the new digs. In the back yard there is a "play house" - meaning a truly mini house that has electricity, tables and chairs, and a loft complete with a nook for sleeping. When Charlotte saw it, she walked over to it and said, "I love it, I hug it" and wrapped her arms as best she could around the door. It was hotter than blue blazes in that little house, but we still had to practically drag her out of it when it was time to go back to the house on Sherwood.

Saturday night, Brent and Kile graciously agreed to host another little reunion with my old friend Cristy and her family. Cristy is a high school friend who I haven't seen since the mid-90s. She and her family don't live far from Kile, so they came over to Sherwood for dinner and some catching up. Cristy's family includes Cristy; husband Will; soccer star Masun; and sweetheart newborn William (pictured below with Cristy, followed by a photo of Cristy and Masun).



Kile's cousin Bennett and his wife also joined us. They absolutely adored Zoe, probably because they have a tiny dog of their own. While Zoe didn't draw any blood over the weekend, she managed to get in a few attempted nips. Thank heavens none of them resulted in disaster.

I was so bummed when I got home and realized I didn't get a single photo of me with Kile! But I did get a pic taken with Cristy, who appears to be exceptionally tall...it is a deceptive photo :)



Today we lost track of time while combing the city for gas, perusing photos from the last several years and laying around watching Bambi and Peter Pan with Charlotte. After some traffic delays and minor auto trouble I finally made it home, only to realize I already miss everyone!

Celebrating the Life of Christopher Glenn Reuther

I thought it would be appropriate to post the message that was passed out to the attendees at Chris' funeral, May 2007. This lovely message was printed, along with a photo of Chris, on business-sized cards. Mine has been tacked to a bulletin board in my kitchen ever since.

Christopher Glenn Reuther
January 3, 1973 - April 24, 2007

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rain fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
may God keep you in the palm of His hand.

A little peace...

Chris Reuther, a dear friend to many, was murdered in late April of 2007 while en route to visit the University of Hawaii Law School. A local man, high on crystal methamphetamine, fatally punched Chris in the head on the night he arrived in Hawaii. Though more than a year has passed, we at EHP continue to deeply mourn the loss of our friend.

The sentencing of Chris' killer - announced yesterday - brought about a touch of closure, though I know it is no consolation to his mother...or the rest of us. I dream about Chris often. I catch myself taking second glances at my office doorway because I could swear he just whipped by to check his inbox. I remember the exact pitch of his voice, and his laugh. I will always miss him. Always.

Photos from Holden

Maria uploaded her Holden Beach photos tonight, so I quickly copied the thumbnails for posting. All of these photos were taken the first week of August 2008. First we have a photo of the Glazeners, minus Maria (who is taking the photo) on the dock ramp at Provisions on Holden Beach. (Todd, Mom [Grammy], Me, Abby, Dad [Fuzzpa])



Next, a photo at Bonefish Grill at Myrtle Beach. We've started a tradition of going "tax-free" shopping at the outlets, followed by dining at Bonefish on the way home. Great service, great food, good times.



Abby and I on a prime hunt for olive shells. Maria and I studied the tide tables with nerdy efficiency in an effort to collect olives by the bushell.



The last two photos were taken on the night of our last visit to Provisions for the summer of 2008. I know we'll be back next year.


Maria & Abby





Todd & Abby

Skinny Bitch

One of my good friends recently read "Skinny Bitch," by Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman. The book is described as, "A no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous!" After realizing the authors' recommendations are rooted in avoiding processed foods, refined sugars, hydrogenated oils and the like, my interest was slightly peaked. Avoidance of the aforementioned poisons has been at the top of my father's soapbox for a while now, so my brother and I have tried to make a genuine effort to show him that we aren't ignoring his pleas for us to swear off diet soda and other "splendafied" or otherwise unnaturally morphed foods and beverages. Therefore, my curiosity isn't rooted in the "skinny" so much as the "healthy."

These ladies aren't completely full of crap, but women hoping for some kind of miracle diet will be quite disappointed. It's a very one-sided, biased account that claims vegetarianism (which I am by no means against!) is necessary in order to be "skinny" and healthy. The book even states, and I quote, "In order to be skinny, you must be a vegetarian."

Having been described as skinny, tiny, small, wee, itty-bitty, etc. for more than the past 15 years of my non-vegetarian life, I can tell you that Tracey is not sustained on twigs and berries alone. And no, I do not exercise like a freakshow. I'm lucky if I do 90 minutes of cardio a week.

I do not eat red meat (I'm allergic), I don't like to eat pork and I almost never do, and vegetarian meals are almost always my preference to "meaty" meals, but I do not think that has everything to do with my personal size. I thank my dad for my eternally skinny legs (I could gain 75 pounds and I would still have skinny legs...just like his), and my intake of extremely limited amounts of fast food (it's gross anyway), fried foods and junk contributes to my satisfactory BMI.

I guess my point is that each individual has his or her own specific genetics on their side (or not!), so the few pages I read of this book just rubbed me the wrong way. Knowing that Ms. Barnouin is a former model and Ms. Freedman is a former agent for Ford Models doesn't ease my feelings of skepticism.

If women adopt the "Skinny Bitch" way of life and find success, I say, "Woo Hoo!" But I don't think I'll be recommending this book or it's "diet" to any of my friends.

Bless the Child

My dear friends Marian and Nelson baptized their second daughter, Ella Vicki Rhodes, this morning at Orange United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill. I almost never go to church, in fact the last time I went was for Sydney's baptism in March of this year, but I usually enjoy myself on my rare Sundays of worship. Today was no exception.

The church was quaint and pretty modern for one built in 1832! The sermon was delivered by Rev. Arthur Trout, who was visiting from Cape Town, South Africa. Afterwards, some of the messages offered by the Senior Pastor were a little over the top for me, but not so much that I was put off. Of course as I was exiting the church, he stopped me to thank me for my attendance. His gratitude was so sincere that I felt a touch guilty for internally gasping at some of his comments during the service.

But anyway, I'm neglecting the point of this post - Miss Ella! Especially for a six-month-old, she was so well-behaved during the entire service. Too bad our seats were near the back, meaning that I got more shots of the back of folks' heads than anything else. This first photo shows Ella with the Senior Pastor, D. Ray Warren. Be sure to notice Nelson on the left, beaming with pride, smiling ear to ear. (You'll have to click on the image to enlarge it to really be able to see Nelson).



After the service, I joined the family and friends for brunch at 411 West on Franklin Street. In attendance: Marian and Nelson, along with Katie and Ella; Rachael and her kids Ethan and Anna; Marian's mom and dad; and Nelson's father and girlfriend.

Photo of Rachael and Anna below:




Photo of Ella in standard pose - thumb in mouth with other hand on top. I feel she is either blocking her embarrassing thumb-sucking habit or blocking outsiders from removing said thumb.



Ethan, Katie and Anna were almost exclusively entertained by throwing pennies into the fountain on the patio, which gave the adults some time to catch up. At the conclusion of a delightful meal, we eventually all met up at the Rhodes' place for cake - a delicious cake - one made of all organic ingredients by the wonderful Weaver Street Market.



After cake, Marian's parents, Rachael and I launched into a series of conversations about pets, home intruders, coyotes, overindulgence and lessons in guns and ammo. Hilarious tales all around.

Just prior to leaving, I asked Marian to take a photo of me and the "blessed child." Ella is truly an angel baby in every way!

Sleuthing with Emma

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I am dogsitting Emma until the middle of next week. Bailey, Zoe and I arrived last night to something a little strange - a wide-opened front door. It was after dark and the porch lights weren't on so I couldn't see the door lock, but when I fumbled around with the key, the door just pushed opened on it's own - it wasn't even latched!

After I thanked God that Emma was still in the house, it didn't take me long to freak out. (I should mention here that Kerry's neighborhood has had a few break-ins recently). Not only is Kerry's house huge, but as I mentioned earlier, at the time it was also very dark...and quiet. I could hear my heart beating. That's when I realized that despite how scared I was, I was going to have to search the whole house before I could settle down.

Emma and I surreptitiously crept through the entire house, every room and closet, with both a 10lb handweight and a mini maglite in my hands. We thankfully found nothing, and the fact that Emma didn't seem anxious put my mind somewhat at ease. I'm hoping that Felton somehow opened the door just before they left for the beach and Kerry didn't notice. It remains a mystery at this point.

Emma and Bailey slept at the foot of my bed last night. I will make sure they do so again tonight, and I may even leave the bathroom light on!

Dog Sitting and Canine Frenemies

Beginning this evening, I will be dog sitting my dear canine pal Emma (tall, lanky, doberman-like beast, pictured right) and Bailey and I are eagerly anticipating our time with her! Notice I did not include Zoe in that statement of anticipation. Emma loves Zoe, but Zoe does not like Emma. In fact, Zoe REALLY does not like Emma. I don't blame Emma for Zoe's aversion - I think it is a dominance/size issue - completely understandable since Zoe is a mere 7.5 lbs to Emma's 75+lbs. Nevertheless, as previously stated, Bailey and I ADORE Emma.

I suppose I shouldn't find their encounters so humorous, but it is very difficult to keep a straight face when viewing a "meeting" between Zoe and Emma. Imagine this: tiny dog skitters across the floor; house-dog (Emma), keenly aware of fresh blood (and tail) in her territory is beckoned to high alert. Emma easily closes in on the scent and corners tiny dog, who finds no escape other than to frantically chest-bump herself against her parent (me) in an attempt to escape fierce doberman-like lanky beast known as Emma. Really it is pathetic and I should be flogged for finding the humor in it that I do, but I can't help it. Perhaps knowing that Emma is a tall, lanky, doberman-like beast with whom I would trust my life makes all the difference.

Crow Lake: a book review

Author: Mary Lawson, 291 pgs.

One Amazon reviewer summed this book up pretty accurately, "If 'Crow Lake' was turned into a movie, it would be a melodrama on Lifetime or an after-school special. It would not be the 'gorgeous, slow-burning story' the cover claims it to be."

"Crow Lake" is the tragic story of the orphaned Morrison children (Luke, 19; Matt, 17; Kate, 7; and Bo, a toddler), left to fend somewhat for themselves in a northern Ontario farming community after their parents are killed in a car accident. Kate is the narrator, and the story is told through a series of flashbacks and flashforwards.

While the method of storytelling wasn't so much annoying by itself, I found the far too frequent suggestions of tragedy/scandal not-yet-revealed to be anti-climactic, repetitive and reminiscent of some of those trashy Danielle Steel novels I read as a teenager that were chock full of phrases like, "things would never be the same...and they both knew it..."

Quick synopsis: dreams were shattered, sacrifices made, resentments set in, and some flourished while others remained trapped in a past life.

Don't get me wrong, the book was entertaining and a quick read (much like the aforementioned D.S. novels), but I just wasn't drawn in. I found Kate to be one-dimensional, often annoying and self-pitying; even the fact that she lost her parents at age seven did not make me want to care about her.

Bo was a delightful character who added welcome comedic relief to an otherwise somber story. My favorite part was when Luke attempted to potty train her. As Luke trailed behind her screaming, "Do you want to wear diapers forever?!" she marched across the room and stuffed her toddler potty into the garbage. Luke, beside himself, sunk to the floor with his head in his hands. Bo turned suddenly, placed her hand on Luke's head and said, "Don't cry Luke," and padded off. Later Matt and Luke laughed when they realized "Don't cry Luke" was Bo's first complete sentence!

Upon finishing the book, I decided that the only character who could've narrated the story to my satisfaction was Matt. Matt was smart (the "cleverest" according to his teachers), compassionate and level-headed. He was wise beyond his years, and while I disliked Kate, I adored their relationship's part in the story. Very touching and sweet - Matt is the brother that every girl wishes she had.

At the end, I wondered, "Really? Is that it?" But I suppose the fact that I plucked this selection from my father's vast collection of random Costco purchases made me like it a little bit more than I should've...because it was free, yet brief entertainment.