A First for Everything

I am sure that every blogger on the coast is blogging about the same thing today...

Earthquakes and Hurricanes.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

I was grading math assignments when I thought I heard a large airplane in the distance. I noticed because its very rare to hear an airplane in my neck of the piney woods. The sound grew louder... and somehow, if sound can have feeling, the growing rumble felt oppressive, foreboding. I looked at the dog, who on most days is afraid of her shadow. She was not bothered at all.

Then the cupboards started to rattle and I could feel vibrations through the floor.

I ran to the stairs to find out what in the world those kids were doing that would cause such commotion. Did they have music on that would make all that noise and racket?

By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs they were making their way down.

"Mom, the whole up-stairs is shaking!"

And I knew. I knew something was amiss.

The shaking stopped. Lasted less than a minute...

Its amazing the thoughts you can think in less than a minute.

I'm ashamed to say my first thought was sinister... thoughts of explosions and terror came to my mind. Something, someone was under attack...

The minute is was over, I felt shaken, and began to doubt.  I wondered if I had made it up. Maybe somehow my imagination had conjured something that wasn't quite real. I quickly got on Facebook (after-all thats the first place you should run when you fear you are losing your mind) to see if any of my neighbors had felt it too.

Immediately my friend Heather replied and said she had felt it too.  I felt so relieved. I wasn't crazy! (at least not today.) But I was shocked. Heather is a neighbor in heart, but she lives 25 miles away. Certainly whatever had happened was big. Honestly, I thought it might have been an earthquake, but I figured it highly unlikely. We don't have earthquakes in the East.

But it was.

My first earthquake... in the state of North Carolina.  May it be the last!

Our state was not preparing for an earthquake, but for a hurricane named Irene. Thankfully, us inland peeps should only get some rain and maybe some wind (at least as projected today), but I am making sure we are prepared. I'm making whole-wheat bread today. I bought extra coffee last week. We have three 10-gallon water bottles and enough toilet paper to get us through until next Christmas.

Its all about essentials, my friends.

Talk to me: Where were you during yesterdays earthquake?

You don't live on the East Coast? Well, if you were preparing for a hurricane, what one item would be in your survival kit?

What I Did on My Mother's Day Weekend: An Essay (Of Sorts)

 It had been a while since our little family of four had had some time together.

No phone. No TV. Just us chickens, and 72 hours of togetherness.

We were long overdue.

Thursday morning we threw the kids in the car and headed to Mt. Airy, or Mayberry if you will, to visit the home of Andy Griffith.

As you can see in the picture above we immediately took our kids to the Mayberry jail - to show them what would happen should they choose a life of crime.

Unfortunately, the plan backfired....

...they cuffed me...

...and threw me in the slammer.
Happy Mother's Day!

Just down the street from the old Mayberry Jail is an emporium and antique mall.

My kids L-O-V-E antique malls. Which is sort of funny, but it works for us. Last year at this time we took them to an amusement park and they both said they liked it but probably wouldn't want to go back. Which is just as well. Antique stores are cheaper...usually.

The only hard part about antiquing is that The Mister and I couldn't believe some of the wares were truly  antique shop worthy. You know, things like 8-track tapes and vinyl records.

The next picture is one of my husband having a "teachable moment" with the kids.

 This is the first time my kids have ever seen a vinyl record.

As we set that record down and walked away The Girl asked, "Did you even have TV's when you were my age?" 

Rotten kids.

Of course we had TV's when I was a kid! However, I did have to walk to the TV, barefoot, uphill both ways, just to change the channel.

There was so much to see and of course we had to try on every hat...

...and lay on every lounge.

She LOVED all these old couches. 

Shopping worked up a good appetite so we took the kids to Barney's Cafe for lunch, followed by more shopping at the Emporium. To kill some time before checking into the cabin I picked up a latte at the coffee shop and the kids got milkshakes at the Mayberry Soda Fountain.

We also ran into the Barefoot Prophet. He was very nice and gave us great directions to the Post Office and told us that he had gone without shoes for 18 years. He said, "I'm known around here as the Barefoot Prophet. Do you take the internet? Cuz I'm on the YouTube. Just punch in 'The Barefoot Prophet" and you will see me there."

He was a very nice man. Wish I had taken his picture.

We finally made it the River Rhys Cabin, where I promptly put on a pot of coffee and set down for a spell.

It was a lovely little cabin with a warm and homey kitchen.

 And a sweet little table that was perfect for our family of four...

Often we banished the kids to their loft...

So we could enjoy some peace and quiet of our own.

Of course we didn't spend too much time indoors...we spent a lot of time on the front porch watching the kids wrestle and sipping the local wine.

We played games. We have a tradition of playing Clue on vacation, and this year The Boy finally won!

We also had visitors. The neighborhood dogs came every morning to say hello, and our residential animal lover was in puppy heaven.

 Two at the front door....

...Two at the back.

When I grew tired of sitting on the front porch...I sat on the back.

 It was difficult to look out to such scenery, but I prevailed.

Speaking of scenery...we hiked Pilot Mountain and took in the sights. 

(The vista was nice to look at too.)

The trails were easy and light...

 The Rhododendron so bright we had to wear shades.

 We scaled walls...

 ...hung from cliffs.

...and leapt from granite mountains in a single bound.

 We laughed....

 ...and laughed...

 ...and laughed...

It was good to be together.

What Would You Do For A... Creamsicle?

I'm pretty sure that heaven will be a lot like North Carolina.

There will be beautiful tree's and the glory of seasons.

We'll be able to frolic in the mountains (without worry of bears).

We'll swim in the sea (without worry of sharks).

To say that I love this beautiful state would be an understatement.

There is one fatal flaw: (for the second summer in a row) I cannot find Creamsicles.

All right, fatal might be a tad dramatic, but I can't find them.

Anywhere.

Actually that's not entirely true.

I did find the slow-melt, sugar-free, mini-size Creamsicle bars, to which I say: what! and ever!.

Listen. Why do we have to go an mess up a perfectly good and delicious treat by trying to make it "good for us?" Its ice cream people!!

And I don't even want to know what they do to make it "slow-melt."

For heavens sake.

Absurdity.

Just give me the fully-loaded, high sugar, real cream, regular-melt deal. Its not gonna have time to melt anyway.

Wow. I should just tell you how I really feel, huh?

Anyway, like I said, North Carolina is God's country... but I'm pretty sure heaven will have Creamsicles.

Sweet Surprises

If you know me in real life, you probably know that I love mail. 

Well, lets back up the boat.....

I like fun mail. 

Especially fun mail in the form of packages.

Not only do I enjoy fun mail but I also have a bit of an obsession with paper, most specifically pretty stationary.

Allison from Slice of Heaven sent me eight of the the sweetest hand stamped cards. They were so beautiful that I had to show you how talented she is:

Thanks Allison! This was the first "contest" I ever won on the internet (and I've been here awhile) and I didn't even have to "enter" in this one! 

Since we are talking about things that are sweet...

The magnolias are just gorgeous right now. 

They are so southern; So incredibly hearty, and yet beautifully delicate. 

At church Tuesday night a friend gave me the one pictured below. At first I wasn't sure what to do with it because it was all close up and looked kind of like a light bulb with foliage. She told me to put it in some water and it would open up. Sure enough, come mornin', it looked like this:

I was so surprised! I hadn't realized that they were so fragrant but when I walked into my kitchen, filled with dishes and a crazy mess, it smelled citrusy and fresh. So I closed my eyes and pretended it was as clean as it smelled, and it made me feel happy for the privilege of waking up in North Carolina. 

This morning while I was running I would catch a whiff of that lemony scent and just knew I had either passed a magnolia tree or was comin' up on one. I'll miss that smell when the blooms are gone.

This morning I took our dog out for a walk and realized we have some sort of wild blackberry/raspberry bushes in the woods across from my house. I wonder if I could actually pick them? Do any of you southern girls know if raspberries could actually be growing "wild"? That would be VERY cool! 

(Could I sound more like a city-girl?)

OK, I must get laundry and the house tended to today or I will be forced to work on the weekends, and I make it a point not to do work on the weekends (as much as possible, anyway).

Happy Thursday! 

Greetings from North Carolina!

Hello! Hello!

How are y'all doin?

We are up to our eyeballs in unpacking and humidity and green, green landscape. But we are finally here.

The last time I posted we were in Tennessee and were about to visit Dollywood.  We went and had a lovely time, and even Kona the Wondermutt was able to have some fun at Doggywood, the canine resort for pets who like to travel.

Yes. Our dog stayed at the on site dog hotel in Dollywood. Darril and Marie, please stop laughing. You should take Truck (the Dog) sometime. He would love it, I'm sure.

Truth be told, the day away from our mutt was much needed. Seven nights in hotel rooms with that cantankerous canine was "fun" (kind of like a root canal), but everybody needs a break now and then. She did actually do a good job traveling, and she only threw up once. I won't go on about my relationship with my four legged friend because when I write about her I get hate mail. 

And I don't like hate mail.

Have a mentioned we are in NC???

I have a ton of pictures. But haven't yet had the chance to sit down, what with all the unpacking, and starting up school today, but I just wanted to to tell you that I am alive, and my North Carolinian accent is coming back.  Just this morning I told The Mister I was "fixin' to go to the store, and did he want p'tatahs for suppah? Cuz I might could get some." 

Oh I kid!  Because, honestly, I think the North Carolinian accent is really the sweetest accent there is. It truly melts my heart. 

And y'all, I had forgotten how nice the people are here. Yesterday when I went to the grocery to pick up a few quick items, the lady at the check out counter greeted me with a "Are ya ready sweetpea?!"

OH! AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL!!!!

You might need to be sitting down for this...they built a new Starbucks just 4.74 miles from my front door. Just 4.74 miles!!

And it's a drive thru!

I drove by it on Saturday, but showed great self control and didn't go in. I decided to wait until Sunday so I could take The Mister by for a look-see. 

When I showed it to him, his exact words were: You better start saving your money. Your gonna need it. 

And then he bought me a grande, skim, Cinnamon Dolce latte. Cuz he's good about keepin' me in my habits. 

Anyway, I just wanted to say Hello! I am looking forward to peeking in on all you bloggers out there soon!

La Vida Dulce!

Movin' on Up, To The East Side...

...Of the Country.

In the last few months I have hinted around about big things happening in the La Vida Dulce household. 

The Mister and I have been praying over some big decisions that we needed to make since before the New Year. 

I have been wanting to write about them, but because of the sensitive nature of my husbands job, (and the fact that he works for an often slow moving government: and all the military wives said "Amen!") I didn't want to bring y'all in the know until everything was completely official.

If you are new to La Vida Dulce, then you may not know that we are a military family who has moved all across the southern part of the country. Since 1996 we have moved five times. 

In less than seven short weeks, we will move again.

Sixteen months ago we jumped on an opportunity to move to The Desert Town where both The Mister and I had been raised.  We were excited to get back, but we were also very sad to leave our home in North Carolina. 

We knew that this is where we needed to be, and yet were very confused when our house in NC wouldn't sell. We prayed and hoped, but things never worked out the way we planned.

God orchestrated the renting of our NC house to an empty-nester couple who are friends of ours. It worked out perfectly, unlike anything we could have put together our self (as God's plans tend to work). 

I am intentionally being vague when I tell you that after several months of working at this job, it became clear that The Mister didn't want to retire here, so he began to see what opportunities would open up within the next year. 

Imagine our surprise when there was an opportunity in NC, in the same town we had lived in before!

I am excited to tell you that we are moving back to NC in less than seven short weeks.  Back into The House That Would Not Sell; The home I adored.

One of the things that is hard about moving is leaving family and friends behind. There is an excitement on our part to look forward to a new adventure (especially this time when we know a little bit of what that adventure looks like), but we are also awesomely aware that those who are left behind are often left with a void that isn't easily filled. 

Many years ago, when I realized that my marriage would most likely require a lot of moving, I made a decision to make my home "any place The Mister had to go." Because home is not really about where you are living, but who you are living with. 

I believe that this attitude (which came through learning the hard way) is why I have enjoyed friendships all over the country. Getting involved in the lives of others is sometimes painful, and yet it is one of the greatest joys of being a military family.

So now begins what I call the "Time for Goodbyes".  It's a bittersweet time. Although this time it doesn't seem quite so bad because I know I will be back here to visit, whereas the other places we have lived I never knew when the opportunity to go back for visits would come.

It's at times like this that I am grateful for this platform, because things here will be the same...and my friends around the country can still have a cup of coffee with me as they visit the blog...

Now comes the busy time as we plan logistically for another trip across the country. It is certain to bring lots of blogging fodder and excitement!

La Vida Dulce!

NASCAR and Tampax

I have seen a couple posts out there in the bloggers world that have to do with NASCAR.  I decided this might be a good time to share my NASCAR experience.

In March of 2005 we moved from North Texas to North Carolina.

I had been given all sorts of advice by kindly friends on how to adjust to living in the deep south.

One friend in particular, LJ, whom I love (in spite of the story I am about to write) was giving me all kinds of advice.  

I met her back in the day, when she was pregnant with her first baby. I was the leader of our Mom's Group.  In the 6 years I led that group she was the one that kept us all laughing. 

She's a kidder, that gal.

Now, she had been to NC, to attend a NASCAR event, and she was very clear that I would need some survival skills (so to speak); some "how to's" of being a proper North Carolinian.

First, she told me that I needed to have a driver. 

This information immediately formed a picture in my mind that had me sitting, Driving Miss Daisy style, in the back of a car.

I had no earthly idea that she was talking about NASCAR drivers, like Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (oh Google, you are my friend).

Her second piece of advice was to try and conceal the fact that both The Mister and I drive foreign-made cars.

Third, she assured me that every sweet Carolinian Gal she had ever run into at the NASCAR was wearing a tube top. She knew I didn't have one, so she thought I ought to know.  

I've saved this next bit of advice for last, because this was the part that got me into trouble...

In her desire to fill my innocent mind with all things NASCAR, we had a conversation that went like this:

LJ: Kellie, you'll have to have a favorite car too. I like the Tampax car. Cuz, ya know, it just isn't fair that the guys are always being represented by that Vee-agra car (that's Texas speak for Viagra). It's about time they put a car out there that says: Women like NASCAR too.

Me: Oh...sure...You're right.  

Only I didn't realize she was kidding.  

So fast forward to Easter Sunday a few months later, when I am having lunch on a sprawling lawn in NC with my new church family. The Mister is in conversation with another couple seated elsewhere. I sit down with a family I don't really know, and they're talkin' NASCAR. I'm quietly trying to eat some salad when the husband looks up at me and asks (in between bites of BBQ) what my favorite car is?  

OK now. I realize that what I should have said was: "I don't keep up with NASCAR."

But of course that isn't what happened.

Instead of ignoring that little humungous desire to make new friends; that insatiable desire to impress my new church-going peeps; rather than stomp down my strong compulsion to just be liked, I calmly said, "I like the Tampax car." Then I took a bite of biscuit.

After those five little words escaped my lips, every single bit of movement stopped at that southern table.  They all stopped chewin'. They all stopped talkin'. 

I knew something was amiss, and I could have used a real big swig of Carolina Sweet Tea, but the pitcher was dry. 

The husband says, "Uh, there is no Tampax  car."

I say, "Oh no. I'm sure there is. My friend LJ told me that's her favorite car."

At this point I can hear stifled giggles.

He says, "Hmm-mm, nope. There is not a Tampax car. I think your friend was pulling your leg."

A moment of clarity quickly flashes in my head and I think to myself Yeah, I guess she just might have been.

I am not sure how I recovered that one.  I am sure I laughed about it, because I am pretty good about laughing at my own expense. Cuz really, in that kind of awkward situation, what can you do?

So that is my entire experience with NASCAR.

I should get tube top and sew this across the front:

Don't be a Boob.

Keep your mouth shut.

La Vida Dulce!