Cheers to 32 Years of Traveling Around the Sun....

32 years ago today was Thanksgiving Day 1980. I don't remember any details about that day, but I do know that it was a cold day in Paducah, KY, Jimmy Carter was the Commander in Chief, and the world was still in awe of finding out who shot J.R. My parents, who may have been looking forward to a festive meal with friends and family, were relieved to finally meet their baby, whom they had been told would enter the world sometime around Halloween (true story).

This past trip around the sun has been a great one. I got to kick one off my bucket list and watch my Cats cut down the nets, made a career change, and made memories with friends who are like family and family who are like friends. Here's to the next trip around the sun!

I think that the best thing about these 32 trips around the sun are the souvenirs that I got along the journey. The privileged that I was given to live in many places and learn that there are many walks of life that keep this world turning. The opportunities that I have been given to travel and experience different people and cultures. The education that I have earned and the career that I have built and the children I have met along the way that have taught me more than I can teach them. I am also grateful for the people who have come in my life and stayed as well as those who came into my life and left...they all served their purpose and made all these trips around the sun interesting.

So cheers to another year of traveling around the sun. Here's to the good, the bad, and the ugly. Without it, things would have just been boring.

Happy Birthday Mamaw!

Today marks the day of what would have been my Mamaw's 87th birthday. It was on this day, that many years ago that she made her arrival in Clarksville, TN. it was her arrival that paved the way for me. It was the beginning of her journey through adventures with her sisters, chasing dreams, falling in love, raising a family, and becoming a MaMaw. Her feet left this world with her, but her footprints are in my heart forever.

MaMaw in the middle with her brother Bubba and sister Lucille

There are so many things that I wish that I could tell her. Things like that sometimes on Sundays around 3 in the afternoon, I wish that I could pick up the phone and talk to her like we always did on Sundays around 3. I wish that she knew that I have a new teaching job this year and I could tell her about how much I love it. I want to tell her that sometimes when mom and I are watching a trashy reality show simultaneously and texting about how awful some people are, that we always mention how MaMaw would have gotten a laugh out of it too. I wish that I could tell her that I've tried really hard to make white gravy the way she told me how, but I realize that it's hard to imitate perfection. Most of all, I hope she knows how grateful I am that she came into this world 87 years ago and that every time I see a rainbow, I think of her and know, that some how, she is thinking of me too.

V is for Voting...

I waited on purpose to make this entry. Today is a special day for so many Americans. It is the day where we exercise our right to go to the polls and make the choices that we feel are in our own best interest. I will refrain from getting political, but I hope that every American made the trip to the voting booth today. It is crucial to make your voice heard. There is never an issue that "doesn't apply to you". Even though it may not have a direct effect, the indirect one will always be there. 

I guess I've always been a nerd. I remember being fascinated by politics as an early child. There is just something about it that I have always loved. Happy Election Day everyone!

Music Mondays......

One of my favorites to keep me going!

U is for Uncertainty.....

Again... apologies for the hiatus. Life has been crazy busy. New job that comes with new learning experiences along the way. As I head along on this journey though the alphabet, I am on the letter U. Which is a very difficult letter to match with something from my life. But alas, I settled on uncertainty.

Life can be so random at times....and so uncertain. Some days, there is so much uncertainty in my life, that I can hardly even wrap my head around it. I am uncertain where I will be in a year, much less 10. Hell, I'm even uncertain if I will make it through a week or even a day sometimes. But, because I am a firm believer in seeing the glass as half full, I stop and think about the things that are certain. Things like that I am fortunate to have a career that I love and wouldn't change for the world. I am certain that all my life experiences, the good, the bad, and the ugly, have made me a survivor and the person who I am.

As much as we would like for everything to be certain in our lives, there is a bit of excitement that comes along with uncertainty. Sure, sometimes, the uncertain things can be the things that blindside us on a random afternoon...changing our world forever. However, they can also be the things that catch us off guard in a good way. The days where we wake up board and end up having the time of our lives.

I think I'll settle on a good balance of certainty and uncertainty in my life. Variety really is the spice of life!

T is for Teaching!

"In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and highest responsibility anyone could ever have."

-Lee Iaacocca

Teaching...it's just what I do. It's not just a "job" or a paycheck. It's my career and my craft. For reasons unknown to many, society has a double standard of teachers. People will praise you and say what a noble profession that it is. Then they will turn around and say something like "Those who can't teach". What many people in society fail to realize is that we work hard....far beyond the 8-3, 9 months a year calendar you see. We take things home with us.....paper work, projects, ideas, and sometimes worry and concern for our students. We spend evenings crafting new ideas and our summer breaks perfecting them.

For myself, teaching is something that I strive hard to perfect. I work on it each and  everyday of my life. I am no where near perfection. Each and every day when I walk into my classroom, I hope that I learn just as much from my student as they learn from me. Many times, they teach me so much about the world around me. They teach me that Santa is real and that you can buy candy with money from the tooth fairy. They keep me up to date on the latest Disney shows and newest cartoons. They help me remember what it's like to learn something for the first time and recall the joy and excitement of the the journey through childhood and making new discoveries along the way. Most of all, they make me realize, that it's the little things that count...that sometimes we have to slow down and take things one at a time, but keep our eyes on the bigger picture.

One time, someone trying to be snarky about teachers asked me what I did. My response, "I teach people how to manage their finances". I then kindly explained to them that I taught them how to read and write, hold a pencil to one day sign their name on a check, count numbers, identify coin value, add and subtract, and so much more. It goes back to taking small steps while looking at the bigger picture. In order to successfully manage money one day, you have to start with the basics....holding the writing tool to sign the check.

Everyone has a favorite teacher that they carry with them in their heart forever. Mine was my 4th grade teacher Mrs. Bach. In a class in undergrad we had a professor who gave the best advice for future teachers. It was simple. Think of the teacher who inspired you the most and try to be half as good as them. I have never forgotten  those words and I hope I can find success in my career and leave footprints in a students heart the way she did mind. And for the record, I don't remember reading, writing, and arithmetic from her class. I remember a teacher that found the best in every child, helpped those who struggled, and pushed those who excelled. She made each and every child feel special..including me. Most of all, she made a difference in my life.

A lot of people seem to be "Waiting for Superman" these days. But the real superheros are already in the classroom. And to those who think its easy. It's just about as easy as making water out of wine.

S is for Sisters....

The bond between sisters is a very complex one. They are everything from best friends to worst enemies. They keep secrets and tell you the truth. They laugh and cry together....and everything in between. (When you think about it, it almost has the elements of a prime time drama).

 

Christmas 1981

My sister, Kellie and I are no different from most sisters. Growing up we were civil and cordial, but still had our share of fights over trivial things such as bathroom time, taking the dog out, watching tv, and who was cuter: Donnie or Joe (OK....that argument is still in progress).

NKOTB-NOLA

2008

 However, we have both made enough trips around the sun to become adults and best friends. Our lives are vastly different and opposite in many respects. She is very neat and organized and I "misplace" things often. She is rather quiet while I am loud and can't wait for the next party. She loves to read while I love to write. She's is a Ph.D Chemist and I nearly jumped for joy when I took my last math and science test ever. Even though we are opposites in many respects, there are somethings that keep us bonded. Such as our unrequited love for NKOTB, die hard KY basketball fans, and a secret guilty pleasure: The 16 and Pregnant/Teen Mom franchise. In addition, we are both "vertically challenged" and I am the "tall one" checking in at 5'2.

MaMaw and PaPaw's Front Yard

Mid-80s

Nice Jam Shorts!

Now that I am grown, I realize how lucky I am....many people never know what it's like to have a big sister. They don't have anyone to show them the ropes for life, pick them up when they're down, keep secrets from mom, and make them laugh when they want to cry. We may not always see eye to eye...but we are always heart to heart! Love you Sissy!

2012 Final Four

Semi-Finals Game

R is for Rainbows....

I absolutely love a rainbow and my love for them goes deep into the memories of my childhood. As a child (and truth be told as an adult) one of my favorite movies is "The Wizard of Oz". sidebar: which is ironic because my sister still hasn't seen it in it's entirety due to a fear of flying monkeys. My favorite part of the movie has always been when Dorothy sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". A fond memory to compliment that is my mom singing this song to and with me before going to bed on many nights.

No matter how many years have come and gone in my life and no matter how old I am, I still get excited each time I see a rainbow. Last summer when my MaMaw passed away, my dear old friend Jennifer, told me how when ever her mom and aunt see a rainbow that they say it's their own mother and Jen's Granny sending a little hello. Her telling me this was ironic on a few levels. The first being that I don't really go around telling people how excited I get when I see rainbows. Another being that on Jennifer's wedding day when the bridal party got to the church, her aunt told us that Granny was there because she had spotted a rainbow. The last bit of irony is that in the year since my MaMaw has left this world when my life seems to be spinning in and out of control, I have looked up into the skies to see a rainbow. I just smile and think to myself "I miss you too MaMaw".

                           
Not long ago when I was trying to make the decision to change jobs and take a step in a new direction in my career, I walked out the door to find the best rainbow of all....a double rainbow. I just smiled and thought to myself "Thanks for the good advice".

Q is for Quotes.....

I love quotes. What I think is so interesting and remarkable about them, is that they stem from something people just said on a whim...without thinking. But to at least one person at that moment in time, their words became unforgettable. Words that were inspiring and meaningful. 

Often when I am up late trolling on the web and come across a quote I like, I will save it into my phone so that I can look back on it...sometimes just for fun...sometimes when I need reassurance. So here is my gift to you. Some of my favorite quotes. Hope the they inspire  you as much as they have me. 

                                                     
                                         


                                                     

                                                                   

P is for Patience....

Patience is sort of an oxymoron in my life. My cup overflows with it for some things....and for others the amount I have could fill a thimble.

Not to pat myself on the back...but as a teacher for children with special needs....I have the patience of a saint. I adore my job and the lives of others that I get the privilege to intertwine with. When it comes to teaching, my personal philosophy is that everyone has to be the best person that they are capable of being. I will teach, reteach, teach again, and do back flips to make sure that a child learns something. And no matter the teaching challenge, I never loose my cool....I keep my eye on the prize.

Now there's the flip side of my patience. When it comes to some things...I'm worse than a kid at Christmas. If I know I am going to get something....I want it and I want it now. I usually wait until the gas light comes on because I just don't like having to stop at a gas station. And don't even ask me to wait in a line somewhere...it won't be pretty.

But I guess that's what life is all about....a little bit of patience and a little excitement. I wouldn't have it any other way than to embrace my career and take the time and do it well...and not be able to sleep the night before Santa comes.

O is for Orleans.....

.....as in New. The City of New Orleans has sort of a circular meaning for me. The very first time I went to the Big Easy....I wasn't exactly thrilled about it. Although it seems like only yesterday, but when in reality it was some 17 or so years ago when I found out that my life as I knew it was over. That my family would be leaving the State of Kentucky.....the only place I had ever called home and what I always envisioned calling home forever.

I can still remember the thickness of the humidity when I got off that plane the first time we went to NOLA to scope out a new place to live. My photographic memory helps me to remember that it was President's Day weekend and the Big Easy was in full swig with Mardi Gras.

A few short months later, we move there and made a new home. It took a lot of getting used to for me. New culture, new people with new belief systems, a different and unknown way of life. Even though I was only 14....my life as I knew it was over.

Now years and even decades have come and gone and I am still living in South Louisiana only a short drive from all the thrills, bells, and whistles that NOLA has to offer. Although there are some days that I wonder what might have been....what would have been different. But I have made peace with the issue and I know that it's my own personal belief system that things happen for a reason. I may not have known the reason back in 1995....but now I see it.

Had fate never led me to make the move, I would have missed out on memories with friends that will transcend my life time. The lives that I have touched as a teacher may never have been touched (and my life not touched in return). I may not have ever kicked watching my Cats cut down the nets off the bucket list. 

Life is what we make out of it....the good...the bad...and the ugly. Questioning life and why things happen is a lot like rocking in a chair in a wind storm.....wears you out but gets you no where.

N is for New Beginnings!

No...I have not left my trip down the alphabet behind. It's been a crazy 2 weeks for me and my life and career took an unexpected turn for the better.

For the past 9 years, I have been a special education preschool teacher. The past 4 of those years I have taught a reverse mainstream preschool class which has both children with and without special needs. It was the best of both worlds for me and I loved every minute of it. However, it was always in the back burner of my mind to try something different. So at the beginning of the summer I decided to put it in the hands of faith and drop off a few resumes.

A few weeks ago, I woke up to a voice mail in regards to a teaching position. A teaching position that was not in preschool, but would still be working with children with special needs. I went in for an interview that afternoon and had to wait an agonizing 5 days to hear back and receive an offer for the position.

The decision for me to change schools, change teaching settings, leave the world of preschool behind, was not an easy one for me. I knew preschool forwards and backwards and it had become my craft. But after much thinking and pondering, I decided to be a risk taker and take on this new journey. I am no longer a special education preschool teacher, I am now a 1st and 2nd grade special education resource teacher.

As nervous as I am, I am hopeful and confident that I will be successful is this new track in my life. I'm ready to take on this new beginning! I just hope some of my teacher tricks work just as well for bigger people!

Life is full of beginnings and endings. But for every door that closes behind us...there is a new adventure to find behind the next door.

M is for Mom!

Like most (if not all) mothers and daughters, our relationships has had it's ups and downs. There were occasions where she had to yank me around and put me in my place...and I probably deserved it. There were also times where I talked back and told her she wasn't the boss of me (she might have deserved it a couple of times....but not always). However, over the years, through the good and the bad, through laughter and tears, I am so happy that my mom is one of my best friends. We may not always see eye to eye but she is the first person I go to when I need to laugh, cry, share gossip, just chat, or need a pep talk.

We have a special bond that I will forever cherish in my heart. We are both compassionate worry warts who worry about things that are beyond our control, love to people watch, and enjoy trashy reality television. Our relationship is very unique and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm not sure how many mothers and daughters out there both worry about other people and share a dirty joke in the same conversation...but I'm glad we're two of them!

L is for LAUGHTER!

Who doesn't love to laugh? Actually, a lot of people don't....and those people generally get on my nerves. But I think it's safe that I'm certainly not one of them. I love to laugh...so bring on the funny.

I grew up around laughter. Everyone in my family loved to laugh. My Mamaw had a very distinct high pitched laugh and even during her final days when she was at her worst...she found something to laugh about. Albeit there were times when what she laughed about was not always appropriate...she never lost her ability to laugh.


I think it's safe to say that I got that trait from her. Even on the worst days of my laugh I have found something worth laughing about. I think laughter is the gasoline for life and helps keep you charged.  And if you don't believe me....let the anecdotal evidence speak for itself. Phyllis Dillard, Bop Hope, George Burns....they didn't exactly live the healthiest lifestyles but they sure did live for a long time. Personally, I think it's because they lived, laughed, and loved.

K is for Kentucky Basketball!

This one probably comes at no surprise to people. And I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I L-O-V-E Kentucky basketball. Unless you're a die hard like myself, you'll probably never fully understand it.

Kentucky basketball fans are a strange mix of being passionate, energetic, obsessed, crazy, and die hard. It's a fan base like no other....you have to know it to love it.

Kentucky basketball is also something that helps keep me in touch with my roots. Even though I am far away from my upbringing in the Bluegrass State and I miss it terribly, having Kentucky basketball helps to fill that space in my heart.

Sister Celebrating #8

Every now and then during basketball season, I long to be back in the Bluegrass...drinking some blue beer and watching the game with a few hundred close friends. But since I can't, I have to settling for cheering on the boys from my couch.

Who says you can't go home again? I go home every single time I catch a game!

This past April, I got to see the Cats return to Gr8tness in person as they cut down the nets right down the interstate from me in NOLA. I refuse to think it was a coincidence. Faith brought me there.

J is for Jokes!

I have not forgotten about my blogging trip through the alphabet. And today's letter is J for jokes. I love a good joke. Hell, I'll be honest, I love a good dirty joke. I grew up around people who loved a good joke...especially my grandma. Even in her old age...she still loved a good dirty joke. 


But you know what I don't love? Two things. When you tell a joke and you consider it "your" joke....and people steal it. You know, sit there and tell the joke right in front of you and take all the credit for the funny? I also don't like when I tell a joke and people don't get it or are too stiff to laugh. At that point, I just want to say, "It's a joke...get over it"

My Best Friends Wedding

My apologies for being absent from the blogging world. My personal world has been crazy busy...but I'm back and I'm ready to write!

One of the things that has been keeping my busy was one of my very best friends in the whole world, Jennifer's wedding.

Jen and I met somewhere around the turn of the century when we both pledged AOII our freshman year at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. We became instant friends. We share so many memories and so many good times....it's impossible to name them all. But one of our best memories led to her forever happiness.

AOII Stop and Go Fashion Show Party

2003

Jennifer, Katie, Andrea, Erica

I believe it was Mardi Gras 2007 and we went to a local bar where some people were ending participating in a beer run. An older man who was a participant kindly asked us for a dance. Never being ones to pass up a good time....Jennifer and I obliged. Next year, same bar, same beer run, same booth, and as faith would have it the same little man spotted us and asked us for another dance. This time he had his nephew Chad along for the ride. Long story short....they met and fell in love and this weekend they became Dr. and Mrs. Richard.

Mardi Gras 2007

Me & Uncle Don sharing a dance

The wedding was beautiful and I was honored to stand by Jennifer's side as her and Chad exchanged their wedding vows and became husband and wife. The girls spent the day looking their best, sipping on mimosas, and laughing. The reception was a blast and in typical fashion...we partied until they kick us out.  I wish Jennifer and Chad all the best in the world...but I want Chad to know...I loved her first!

And to Jennifer...thank you for being one of the greatest friends I've ever had. You've seen me at my best, held my hair back for me at my worst, helped me laugh and cry, heard my secrets....and still stay friends with me anyway. And here's a few things that are between us: pouring beer without foam, Leesville toga parties, no hotel reservations, wrong taxi cab phone numbers, pool lessons at the bulldog, late night road trips, watching the sun rise, New Years Eve in NOLA, designated driver punishment, stealing the cheese and sausage plate, the lost earring from the 80s party we found a year later, and giving strangers rides.  But most of all, this one's for you:

I is for Ink Pens!

Ink pens are very interesting. They come in packs of 10, even 20, yet no one every has one.  There's that conundrum of when someone asks that million dollar question of "Does anyone have an ink pen"? Then suddenly arms and hands start flying through the air and digging in every crevasse around and then suddenly, in almost a fist pump of victory, holds one up high in the air. Then half the time it doesn't work and you start shaking it and scribbling it in a fit of mercy in hopes that finally some ink will show up on your page. People get possessive of their pens too. Ever asked someone to use their ink pen and they say "Make sure you give it back....that's my favorite pen". As if they will somehow no longer be able to write if they do not have that pen in hand.

Although we live in a technological age and may not write with an ink pen as much as we used to, I still love a pen and paper. As much as I love blogging and social networking, I still love watching that stroke on paper when I'm putting down my thoughts. I see it as a semi-permanent way of making my mark on the world. No one can read  except me and it's my choice if I want to share it with the world. Sometimes my thoughts show up in cyberspace...and sometimes they are between me and my ink pen. 

Ink pens are a necessary evil...we always need them...but yet there is never one around when you need it. Hope this blog reminds you to have your ink pens handy and in working condition!

H is for Hometown!

The word hometown is defined as "The town (or city) where you grew up or where you have your principal residence". However, my journey has been a little different than most, so it's hard to answer people when they ask me where my hometown is. I have lived in many places and each one of them has a significance in my heart.

I was born in Paducah, KY on Thanksgiving Day 1980 and it is the place where my journey began. Even though I am very far away from that small river town in the Bluegrass State, it will always have such an important meaning in my life. It's a place where there isn't much to do, but when I go there, I have the places I love to visit. It has the best BBQ you'll ever put in your mouth, is home to the National Quilting Museum, and holds my childhood memories of hotwheel races at the summer festival, t-ball games, and riding the rides at Noble Park.

Paducah River Front 2007

Then there is Northern Kentucky where I spent my middle school years. Out of all the places that I have lived, it is by far my favorite. The three years that I spent there were some of the best years of my life. The Northern Kentucky area is very unique. You have all the comforts of small town living with the Metropolitan area of Cincinnati a stones throw away. My memories of my time there are filled with sledding down hills, family nights at the ballpark, and soft serve ice cream and Icees at the Ameristop. 

Northern Kentucky Riverfront overlooking Cincy Skyline 2008

When my years in Kentucky came to an end, my live in the dirty south began. When I was a freshman in high school we headed out to the Big Easy (the Northshore suburb of Mandeville to be exact). And let me tell you, there was nothing easy about this. Not only was I going through an early teenagers angst of bitterness over moving, I was in complete culture shock. It was like every way of live I had ever known was gone. It was hot as hell all the time, the food was different, the people were different, the complete day to day way of life was different. But as the years came and went, things grew on me and Mandeville soon became the keeper of memories for me. It is the place where I learned to drive, the place I went on many first dates, and the place where I came of age. All in all....not too rough after all. 

Katie and Jen NOLA 2007

And my final stop in my list of hometowns, is my current location of Lafayette, LA. I made my maiden voyage in Laffy when I chose to come to college here in 1999. Although I doubt I will live here for the rest of my life, like all of my hometowns, it holds many memories for me. I went to college here and met some of the best friends I could ever ask for, made memories (some of which I can never reveal), got my first teaching job, and much much more!

AOII Romp in the Swamp....sometime around 2002

I think it's easy for anyone to see why I don't just have one "hometown". Or maybe I've just reinvented the definition!

G is for Google!

Personally, I think that the Google search engine is one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century. I mean, how many times a day do you find yourself wondering about something and then you utters those two words "Google it!".

And I must be honest with myself and the rest of the world, there are times late at night when I get bored and I find myself wandering around Google looking up random information, facts, and to clarify things I have wondered about. It's safe to say that my Google knowledge has brought me luck on many bar trivia nights!

Music Mondays....Get Out Your Raincoat!

F is for Friends & Family!

I absolutely adore and cherish my friends and family. They are the links to my past and the keys to my future. The more trips around the sun that I take, I realize more and more just how meaningful these relationships are. It's important to have someone who understands us inside and out, who knows all our secrets, who knows out good points and bad, and still love us anyway. I'm very grateful for all those I keep close to my heart!

Sisters at the Final Four

Friends at the NOLA Red Dress Run 2011

Family Picnic in MaMaw's backyard...sometime in the 80s

E is for Earrings!

There is nothing in this world like a good pair of hoop earrings! I love me some hoops. The bigger the better (but not THAT big....don't wanna be THAT girl). I got beer from my dad, coffee from my PaPaw, NKOTB from my sister, and hoop earrings from my mom. Like me...she loves a pair of hoops.

There are many reasons that I love hoops. They go with pretty much everything and when is the last time you heard of hoops going out of style? NEVER! I also love the convenience of just throwing in some earrings and feeling completely accessorized.

D is for Donnie Wahlberg!

Ok....I know that this entry seems a little bit juvenile, but I am a firm believer that as adults, we all need an outlet. We all need something to help us escape from the world's harsh realities.  Mine just happens to be boy bands. Like many women from my generation, I was a New Kids fan. I still remember the first time I found out about them. My older sister Kellie and her friend were listening to the Hanging Tough album in her room. In traditional little sister fashion...I crashed the party. They told me I had to pick a favorite (because you know that everyone had to have their designated favorite). My sister had already claimed Joe and I'm not sure who her friend had picked...but my boy was going to be Donnie Wahlberg. Now that I'm grown....I've come to realize that he was a great pick for me. He's edgy, the bad boy, easy on the eyes, and looks great with his shirt off.

I will even admit, that although I am now a grown woman, I still get excited when I see him. Last year when they came to Lafayette, a little piece of my girlhood dream came true. Kellie and I were on the 6th row and Donnie himself was pretty much in front of us throughout the entire performance. And although I knew that this could embarrass my sister and possibly myself, but I had always said if we got close to the stage that I would make a sign. I did and it read "Donnie, I've waited a long time to say this. You're finally single, I'm finally legal, Let's do the damn thing". Mr. Wahlberg not only saw the sign, but pointed to it, winked, and gave me a pelvic thrust. Now, I realize that's just part of the show for him...but in my girlhood mind, the sign made him just as happy as it did me.

And if they tour again...I have to raise the bar and think of another sign......

C is for Coffee!

Before I get started...I do realize that people say all the time that they love something more than anyone in the world all the time. And while I'm sure that there are some people out there that love coffee more than me...I've got to be close to the top of the list of people who love it the most. And I'm a REAL coffee drinker. While I do enjoy the occasional latte, there is nothing better than me than a hot cup of black coffee. No cream...no sugar....no fancy flavors. Just good old fashioned black coffee. I've been a coffee drinker for an extreme portion of my life too. I started drinking it around the age of 4 or so. My PaPaw loved a good cup of coffee and in the mornings when I'd go to his house before school....he'd make me a cup to help me get my day started. As an adult. I'm very happy to say that I'm glad that many of my memories with my PaPaw began and ended with a cup of coffee!

B is for Beer!

Ok...I know that headline might sound bad. But I mean that I love beer in the best way possible. I don't just sit around and booze it up...but there is nothing better than an ice cold beer on a hot summer day. And I must say that I came buy it honestly....I get if from my dad. He's a beer guy too. My first trip to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis was when I was 4. It turned out to be a bit disastrous when my older sister, Kellie, told me that the escalator would swallow me whole if I didn't step off in time. To make a long story short.....I freaked out....held up the tour...and had to be carried. And now that I'm older, I'm willing to make the assumption that the people behind me in the line were not happy that their free beer at the end of the tour was being held up due to a kid scared of moving stairs.

ABCs of Me! A is for Australia!

I love to write. It's something I have always had a passion for. However, as much as I love to write....sometimes I am absent from my blog because I'm just not sure what to write about. Sure...there are always things on my mind....but I don't always want to share them with people and I know people are always interested.

However, I have been wanting to write more and make it a daily thing for me....it's fun....it's therapeutic...and it's a great way to share my story. So in an effort to write more I set out on a Google search to find blogging ideas. And after searching long and hard...I finally landed upon an idea that I liked. The ABCs of me. For the next 26 days I will take a trip through the alphabet and showcase something about me to correlate with each and every letter of the alphabet.

And since I'm going in order, my first entry is about the one place in this world I am dying to visit. AUSTRALIA! I am completely fascinated by this country. I have always been intrigued about it, the people, the culture, and the sights that there are to see. I think that koalas are the cutest things in the world and I am drawn in by the way the Aborigones maintain their sacred culture and still live side by side with the modern Australian world. Although I haven't made it there yet....I will one day.

Music Mondays! Can you feel it?

An oldie....but a goodie!

Jennifer's Final Fling......

One of my very best friends, partners in crime, and keeper of my wildest, deepest, and darkest secrets is getting married. I couldn't be happier for her and Chad. One thing I have learned from my experiences in coming of age is that a group of girl friends take the news of a friend getting hitched far better than a group of guy friends. We don't see it as the end of the world...we see it is a happy time and a reason to celebrate. It's an opportunity to wear fancy clothes, get your nails done, and celebrate......but girls like a good party too.

This past weekend I hosted Jennifer's bachelorette party in the Big Easy. Jennifer and I have a rich history in NOLA. Throughout our friendship which has spanned over a decade, we have engaged in many New Orleans adventures. They include hand grenades, karaoke, shots, watching the sun come up, and moments that would make our mother's cry. So...I thought it was only fitting that I honor our friendship with one last NOLA night.

We started out bright and early with a dozen Meche's donuts and a SUV full of eager girls. We got there and started the day off right...day drinking. Hand grenades at the Tropical Isle....it was grand. And for those of you familiar with this New Orleans staple...they now come in regular and skinny.

Before our adventure began we found out that not only is Channig Tatum is opening a bar on Bourbon Street...but the very fine Mark Wahlberg is in the city filming a movie...this is what I consider to be the backdrop for the most epic weekend ever. Although Mark and Channing were not fortunate to find out what it's like to party with us....we had a great time imagining what it would have been like....I like to think they would be please! *Mark is my second favorite Wahlberg. However, I think he would have been the perfect consolation prize to Donnie*


From there, we headed to our hotel...got ready....had cupcakes and champagne and then head out to eat. We went to Emeril's NOLA restaurant right off the quarter. Had some cocktails and a great dinner and then head out to Bourbon Street....probably the street that holds the most secrets in America.

Our night started off low key at the famous Pat O'Brien's piano bar.....we were ready to go with hurricanes and penis straws (a bachelorette party staple). While we were there some guy asked who was getting married. I said all of us...that we were polygamist....the joke went over his head...but  I thought it was rather cleaver.

Then it was to one of our faves....Cat's Meow. It's filled with drunk people attempting to sing karaoke. One think that always amazes me about a karaoke bar is the variety of songs. There is always someone who sings a love song...someone who sings an old school hip hop...and then one guy who sings a song no one wants to hear.

As the night progressed....we bar hopped to a few hole in the walls and ended the night with a Lucky Dog. Overall....wonderful weekend. I would like to call it Jennifer's last fling...but personally...just cause she's getting married....I think she still has a few keg stands left in her!

Music Mondays!

Loving this song right now! Brings up so many memories!

BYOBP (Bring Your Own Baby Pool)

2007

American Reunion: A Movie Review

"Growing up happens when you start having things to look back on..."

-Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

I don't usually do movie reviews. I'm not really a movie buff. Sure, I have a Netflix account and watch movies from time to time, but I've never really been one to have to rush out and see a movie. I'm usually that person that has never seen the movie that EVERYONE is talking about.

However, recently I went to see American Reunion, because I love the American Pie franchise (for several different reasons). One, I'll admit it, I love raunchy humor. Hey, at least I admit it. Also, as odd as it may sound for a movie franchise of this nature, I grew up with them.

I remember the summer of my senior year, going to see American Pie. Just like me, the cast was part of the class of 1999, ready to take on the world. They were going through the same things I was. They were finding out who they were, who others were, and starting to develop a curiosity about the opposite sex.

American Reunion, as it's name suggests, takes place as they all come back. And again, I can relate to what was going on at this point in their lives. I know how it feels to come back to a place and transcend back in time. Wishing that you were young again, but coming to the realization that that period in your life has come and gone. I know what it feels like to have a chance encounter with someone and for feelings that had come and gone to come back again. But much like in the movie, we all realize that the past is the past and although feelings may never change, circumstances do. And unfortunately sometimes we have to accept the fact that even though the feelings are there, lives are in different places.

One thing that stood out to me in this movie is when they went back to their old high school haunts. They questioned if the way kids acted had changed, or if they had just gotten older. I think that anyone has had to come to this realization as they experience the coming of age process. As much as we sometimes want and try to hang on to the way things were, we must come to accept that situations change...others change...and we change.

And like the characters in the movie, I didn't realize that I was growing up and that life was changing...it just happened one day. I think that one of the hardest parts of growing up is letting go of what was...and accepting what is to come.

Music Mondays!

Heard this while driving on the other day. It's one of my favorites...put a smile on my face!

A Million Dollar Memory

One of the hardest and often most difficult facts of life is that death and dying is part of the process. No matter how much we prepare ourselves, no matter how old or sick a person may be, we are never really ready to say good-bye and let go.

Last summer, I lost my MaMaw. Although she had been ill and suffering for much longer than any human should have to endure, I still wasn't ready to let go. My MaMaw was and always very dear to my heart. She was truly one in a million. She had a fierce temper, witty sense of humor, and a heart of gold.

In my Christmas stocking this past year, my mom gave me the best gift ever. A hand written recipe for that my grandmother had written years ago for her famous Million Dollar Pound Cake. It was a treasure that I wouldn't trade for the world.

My MaMaw loved the kitchen. It was by far her favorite room in the house. Many of my memories growing up are set in her kitchen. They stem from homemade breakfast before school, family dinners, and conversation after a wonderful meal.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of my MaMaw. She was always so proud of me and her entire family. I have long wished that I could share one more talk with her...hear her one of a kind high pitched laughter...hear one of her stories about Clarksville.

I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with her hand written recipe, but I knew I wanted to be able to cherish it forever. So I decided to get it framed so that a piece of her could be forever in my kitchen and forever in my heart.

Her kitchen was more than a kitchen. It was the setting for many stories that define myself and my family.