Three Year Update

I did this initial questionnaire back in March of 2010, so I figured hmm...why not re-answer the questions three years later and see if anything has changed. The 2010 answers are in "italics" and the 2013 answer are in "bold" -- this shall be interesting, ha!

1. What is your name spelled backwards? Retsof Htiderem ; Retsof Htiderem

2. What did you do last night? Went to a jewelry/fashion party with some friends from church ; Went to dinner with my parents, came home & watched Muffet McGraw and her Notre Dame Fighting Irish play basketball while monitoring the UConn game via twitter

3. What was the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? Something work related ; A photo from one of the games last night

4. Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery? No why on earth, pray tell, would I do something stupid like that? ; That still remains a no; and what a stupid thing that is

5. When was the last time you swam in a pool? Sunday, February 28, 2010 -- and it was so much fun!! ; Honestly, I cannot remember the last time I swam in a pool; but I am thinking maybe the summer of 2010

6. What are you wearing? Had to bring the winter clothes back out since Spring just can't seem to arrive in North Carolina -- khaki kourds and a black turtle neck ; Black dress pants, black Underarmour long-sleeve shirt under a lavendar rhinestone DKNY shirt with a grey glittery belt and of course, black heels -- Chris Dailey would be SO proud!

7. How many cars have you owned? 2 ; 3

8. What is the type of music you dislike most? Rap ; Rap and Jazz

9. Are you registered to vote? Yes ; Yes

10. Do you have cable? No, we have that little thing known as the converter box ; We now have DirectTV, thank the Lord!!

11. What kind of computer do you use? At work, I have a Dell; at home I have a Dell, two Gateways and some really old thing that I am not sure if it is even a brand ; At work, I THINK it's a Dell but honestly who really knows; at home, we still have a Dell and two Gateways, we finally got rid of the old clunker

12. Have you ever made a prank phone call? Yes, when I was much younger ; Yes

13. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? I have already bungee jumped ; I wouldn't mind giving sky diving a try -- I am a little bit of a dare-devil

14. What is the furthest place you ever traveled? The Bahamas or New Hampshire, whichever is further away (ha!) ; well, I am thinking that would now be Texas

15. What's your favorite comic strip? I don't really have one ; Don't really pay any attention to comics

16. Do you know all of the words to the national anthem? Yes ; Yes

17. Do you shower in the morning or at night? At night, but do my hair in the morning ; Same answer

18. What is your favorite pizza topping? Cheese, please ; Still prefer cheese, but you can add a little pork sausage too

19. Chips or popcorn? Probably popcorn ; Popcorn

20. What cell phone provider do you use? Verizon. ; Verizon

21. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? No, but I do eat them ; Ummm...NO!

22. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? Not hardly ; No, that's just not for me

23. Orange juice or apple juice? Orange Juice ; Same answer

24. When was the last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Wow, it's been a while ; Maybe over the summer

25. Have you ever won a trophy? Yes, several ; Yes, I have

26. Favorite arcade game? Skee ball ; Skee ball, one of the basketball games or the jump rope game

27. Ever ordered from an infomercial? No, not that I recall ; No

28. Sprite or 7-UP? Ugh, neither thanks ; Don't really like either

29. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work? Fortunately, no ; No, I have had a dress code, but it didn't involve wearing uniforms

30. Last thing you bought at Walgreens? Probably Claritin ; Photos, Diet Coke & Candy

31. Ever thrown up in public? Not that I know of ; Not unless I did when I was a kid

32. Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love? Hmm that's a tough question :) ; Okay, I'll admit it, right now being a millionaire sounds pretty good!

33. Do you believe in love at first sight? No ; Still no

34. Spongebob or Jimmy Neutron? Neither ; Really, no preference

35. Did you have long hair as a young kid? Yes ; Yes

36. What message is on your voicemail? I have a few saved ; My personal phone has NONE, I erased all of them (thank God); at work, I do have one saved from a very nice lady who had some kind words to say to me -- that's a rarity these days

37. Where would you like to go right now? To sleep, ha, I am so exhausted ; Hmm tough question, but probably to a basketball game or I wouldn't mind going back to Texas, but I would love to go to London and Italy

38. What's the name of your pet? Zoey Katherine ; Zoey Katherine and Maggie Moo

39. What kind of back pack do you have, and what's in it? I don't have one other than my mini-back pack purse ; I have a plain black one, but I only use it when I am going on vacation, so nothing is in it right now

40. What kind of tennis shoes do you have? I have several different pair: New Balance, Nike, Adidas, Skechers, etc.
; Shoe freak over here has too many -- two pair of Nike basketball shoes, two pair of "regular" Nike; a flaming orange pair of Adidas, two pair of Puma; a pair of Skechers and a pair of New Balance...I am sure there are probably more

Like a Bridge over Troubled Water

Bridges have always fascinated me. How can such a structure be built over crevices, valleys, water, other roads, etc.; support the incredible weight of trains and cars, and yet still manage to stand firm? Sure, some bridges have collapsed but the ones that have withstood the test of time, probably have millions of stories that they could tell.

I will never forget the first time we went to the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. I had seen a picture of the bridge on the back of their US State Quarter and a friend had given me a postcard of it. I was amazed! This massive bridge was, for many years, the world's longest steel bridge (3,030 feet long across the New River and New River Gorge); and has an impressive height of 876 feet above the river. (The Washington Monument itself could be placed in the river and not reach the top of this bridge.) While on the way to Long Island, NY, we went to West Virginia (don't ask about the reason we went so far out of the way), and one of our stops was to see the New River Gorge Bridge. I was driving and upon driving across it, you really have no realization upon what you have just driven across. There is a park where you can stop and hike thru the mountains to obtain different views of the bridge, and I was awestruck. It was almost paralyzing to realize that you had just driven across such a beast. Pictures cannot do this structure justice; you have to see it in person. Can you only imagine the stories that the New River Gorge Bridge could tell -- the winter weather conditions it has seen, the people who have jumped from the bridge (hold up, let me clarify, they have a day each year, where people will bungee jump from the bridge!)...oh!, what stories this gorgeous structure could tell, if it could only speak.


Most bridges are man-made, but there are some that have been here since the world was created, these are (as I call them) God-created or God-given bridges. One of those is the Natural Bridge in Virginia. This State Park features a variety of caves, waterfalls, animals, hiking trails, etc., but the main feature is what is referred to as the "Natural Bridge". The formation of the mountain rock creates what appears to be a actual bridge of sorts. It is quite a beautiful sight. A small stream of water runs beneath the bridge and that adds to it's natural beauty. Can you imagine what stories this all-natural formation could tell -- the people who have visited it, touched it, etc. It is amazing to see the beauty of God's creation.


Probably my most favorite of all bridges is what I have always referred to as "My" bridge. It is located in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, and it is an centerpiece for the city. The historic drawbridge in downtown Wilmington crosses the Cape Fear River connecting New Hanover and Brunswick Counties. It is what I always refered to as the gatekeeper of the city. Wilmington is one of the port cities within North Carolina, and for the large vessels to get into the downtown area (which they don't do as often as they used to), the drawbridge has to raise so the ships can pass beneath. As a child, I was always amazed to be sitting on the ramp leading to the bridge watching the bridge raise and lower back into position, as ships passed beneath. A few years ago, we were fortunate enough to be in Wilmington when the U.S. Coast Guard's infamous Tall Ship "Eagle" sailed into downtown. The "Eagle" is so tall that the drawbridge had to raise to it's maximum height, and even at that height, the "Eagle" just barely squeaked below.
Can you only imagine what stories the historic drawbridge can tell?

Most of the time when you cross over a bridge, you are typically going to be crossing over water or sometimes over other roadways, train tracks, etc. But if you take a glance below you, you can often see things that are relatively calm, but occasionally, you may see turmoil below you (ie: troubled waters), but we are soaring above the trouble on the bridge that is standing tall and firm. Similarly, we could look at our lives as a bridge -- we are going to pass through "troubled waters", but if we are able to stand strong and firm, we can continue to press forward and move past those tumultous times. At times, our bridge might get shaky, but if you have your faith locked firm, you will get through those rough times and "sail on, silver bird, sail on by". So keep your head up, and travel on -- don't let people or situations bring you down, and in the end, you will have some great stories to tell!

Why Basketball Matters...

As many of you know, I am a dedicated and diehard Women's College Basketball fan. So many people have asked me why I like basketball so much, particularly women's basketball; or they'll comment that "I've got it bad" because my "addiction" is so strong. Basketball has always meant a lot to me, but within the past year or two, I feel I almost owe a debt of gratitude to the sport for saving me from myself (keep reading, you'll see why!).

Growing up in North Carolina, the heart of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the ultimate heart of basketball domination (Duke, UNC and NC State), I was surrounded by the sport from day one. I remember the day my parents bought me a basketball goal for the backyard. I was so excited until a windstorm blew it over and my dreams crashed much like the goal came crashing to the ground. But, thanks to my wonderful neighbor, he had an idea of how to keep it firmly planted in the ground, and to this day, some 25 years later, that goal post is STILL standing -- surviving Hurricane Fran and all! As a youngster, I would play basketball on the lumpy ground surrounding my goal with high aspirations of making it big. I used to pretend I was Bobby Hurley or Christian Laettner (from Duke) or, as I used to call them 'my boyfriends', Chris Corchiani and Tom Gugliotta (from NC State). I NEVER pretended I was a TarHeel, nor did I EVER want to play at UNC -- Chapel Hill was the "bad" territory and you just did NOT go there.

I vividly remember watching games (mens and womens) on television -- ALWAYS ACC games (nothing else mattered); we would even have parties at school during the ACC Tournament -- I was in high Heaven come the month of March! I recall how intently I paid close attention to all NC State Women's Basketball games whenever they would come on TV. Growing up, I absolutely loved, idolized, adored Coach Kay Yow. She was my hero and I wanted to do anything I could to play basketball for her; I used to sit and watch games and I would say "One day, I will play for Coach Yow, one day I will play at Reynolds." When her radio/TV show came on, I would just freeze in place and listen wholeheartedly to everything Coach Yow or Nora Lynn Finch would say, they were my role models and I wanted desperately to learn the sport of basketball well enough to play for the both of them.

But as life so often does, I was thrown a curveball.......

In the Third Grade, I had to have a fairly intense surgery on my right shoulder. I had a birthmark that was the size of a half-dollar which continued growing; it was a pre-cancerous type that had to be removed immediately. When the surgeon began the operation, he realized that, what was thought to be a surface mole, was actually rooted to the base of my shoulder blade. The surgery was quite a bit more extensive than anticipated with multiple layers of stitches. The doctor stated that more than likely I would not be able to play sports due to the location of the scar and for fear that the shoulder may rip apart. Talk about a devastating blow -- my shooting arm is no longer going to be able to shoot; my lifelong dreams are no longer a reality. I was crushed to say the least. Devastated. Heartbroken.

Looking back, I don't know precisely whether the doctor was saying I would not be able to play sports for an extended period of time versus indefinitely. But either way, I just didn't want to risk any more injury. Throughout my school years, I still had to participate in PE classes, but I honestly developed a hatred for PE class. The only time I enjoyed PE was when we could play football, bowling and of course, basketball. Because of my somewhat significant stature, the coaches kept trying to get me to play volleyball and basketball for the school; but how do you explain to them, that you can't play or maybe you have a fear of playing? During PE classes, the girls in PE hated playing me in basketball because I would block all their shots and I also led our entire class in "who could make more three-pointers" (that helped me obtain extra credit points to get a better grade in PE). With my passion for sports lost due to injury, I turned to music -- I learned to play the piano, handbells and started singing. Did I find a new passion? Maybe to some extent but my heart always belonged with basketball.

I still continued to follow basketball, but my intense passion for it had somewhat diminished. I still adored Kay Yow but I also started to become a fan of Pat Summitt and of course, had a strong dislike for UConn Women's Basketball (that has since changed!) I guess you could say I went from an avid fan of basketball to a casual fan. Part of me almost feels that I let the sport down by not continuing to support it even when I couldn't play it. But years later, that would all come full-circle.

One shocking note, I NEVER went to a game at Reynolds, Cameron, Carmichael or anywhere...I NEVER saw Kay Yow actually coach a game in person. I NEVER was able to meet Kay Yow. The only time I ever saw her in person was when I was sitting in the waiting room at a hospital and she and her staff walked in to visit someone. At that very moment, basketball re-entered my life; my world stopped -- my mouth fell wide open and I looked at my Dad and stammered "that's, Coach Yow!" He nodded a reply and I totally had forgotten the reason I was at the hospital in the first place. That was the only time I ever saw her. At that moment, I realized I never lost my passion for the sport, I had just buried it deep within.

Sadly, not long after that, I was sitting in a restaurant and turned to look at the TV when a breaking news statement appeared that Coach Kay Yow had passed away (at the same hospital where I had seen her in). I was horrified. One of my childhood icons had passed away. I lived in regret for weeks, months that I never had been to Reynolds to see her coach. From that day forward, I changed that entirely. My first time inside of Reynolds was for the campus memorial service they had for her; I was back a few days later for my first women's basketball game; I attended her funeral; then I immediately attended every single home game the NC State Women's team had for the remainder of the season, including my first Hoops for Hope game. I determined that while I was not able to have played for her, I would make sure that her legacy was carried out and she would not be forgotten.

During the next few years, the number of games I attended and locations of games dramatically grew. I wasn't necessarily just an NC State or ACC fan anymore (though my heart belongs to the ACC Conference); I was determined to do what I could to help promote the sport and make more people aware of it. During the midst of this entire journey that I began to create, two more tragedies struck me -- I unexpectedly lost my job & a close friend. While neither were basketball related, all this happened close to the start of the 2011-2012 basketball season. I was entering all phases of emotions during this period, experiencing the highs and lows, but mostly the lows. What in the world was I going to do to get out of this funk? is a statement I asked myself repetitively. And then came basketball...it came back with a full-force. I started playing more in the backyard, I started playing one-on-one and I attended more games than I ever could have imagined ... 29 games, 3 states, tournaments galore! To say that basketball saved my life, no, that's not necessarily true. Basketball provided an escape for me. I was able to go to an arena, engross myself in something totally different, which allowed my mind to be distracted from what was going on inside my head. So to an extent, I feel I owe something to the sport of basketball. I turned my back on it many years ago; but it's always there.

We often turn out back on things in our life; but in the end, somewhere deep in the confines of our heart and soul, it will always be rooted. It just takes a few trigger moments to bring it back out. Basketball is only one thing that has done that for me; there have been others.

Currently, I am now a season passholder for all NC State Women's games. I have met some wonderful friends at the games and those friendships I will cherish -- we have a common bond we share. I have had the opportunity to see many great coaches lead their teams to victories, as well as meet quite a few of the coaches themselves. I have been blessed to be able to travel to various arenas to take in different atmospheres of the sport. But I have come to realize that while I do love and dedicate myself to the ACC, I do like many other teams, as well; and surprisingly my dislike for UConn and Geno Auriemma has faded (a big thanks in part goes to Chris Dailey for that). UConn is no longer enemy number one. I do have a few teams that aren't my favorites but for the most part, I enjoy watching all women's basketball games. The biggest highlight over the past few years is that while I never was able to meet Kay Yow, I have met the next best thing in Nora Lynn Finch. She is a wonderful person who has made a big impact on my life from a child to present day. I am honored each time she stops to say hello to me or greets me with a warm hug. She may currently be working for the ACC, but to me, she is still just Nora Lynn. I am so grateful to have gotten to know her better over the past few years; memories I will cherish forever!

So, if you've never been to a women's basketball game, you should go!! You don't have to be a fan; just go to support the school you hold dear to your heart; and go to support a dream of Kay Yow's to grow the sport. Matter of fact, go to a game during the month of February where we are having a lot of "Play4Kay" games with money going to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Find a reason to support your school, conference or just go to support Kay Yow and help her legacy live forever and beyond basketball! Hoops for Hope is coming up February 17th at Reynolds. Come join us as the Wolfpack Women host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets!

Let's Wrap it all up....Days 21-31

Day Twenty-One ~ Peace -- One Christmas song that I have always liked is Vince Gill's "Let There Be Peace on Earth"; wouldn't that be lovely if that could happen? Sadly, I don't think it ever will, but we can always dream of peaceful places and things that make us feel better. Christmas is a time when we do feel at peace -- maybe it's spending time with friends and family; but it is a peaceful season. A peaceful season that gives us the most comfort and peace thanks to the wonderful gift that we were given, Jesus!

Day Twenty-Two ~ Tradition -- Our big family tradition, ironically, usually always does take place on December 22nd, celebrating my Grandpa's birthday. This year he turned 94 years old, wow! He is still in relatively great health and still drives. He is even still mad that he cannot go back to work. (Now if only most people were like him!) This year we celebrated Grandpa's birthday at my cousins' home. It's the one time of the year that most of the entire family actually can get together. Hope that tradition will continue as long as we have Grandpa, I'm still holding out that he'll make it to 100!

Day Twenty-Three ~ Scarf -- Don't even ask about these wacky pictures. I decided than have the standard picture of a scarf draped around ones neck, I'd just do a variety of ways you can use the scarf. They are good inventions as they certainly do keep us warm this time of year; now we just need a Frosty the Snowman to put one around his neck!

Day Twenty-Four ~ Favorite Part of Christmas Eve -- Usually my favorite part of Christmas Eve has always been riding around local neighborhoods and viewing their display of luminaries throughout their communities. However, sadly, this year, not many people put out the luminaries -- whether it was due to the weather or just the lack of spirit, that somewhat disheartened me. So, I guess my second favorite part of Christmas Eve is usually baking the Christmas goodies. Though half of mine did not turn out as well as I had hoped this year, I still enjoyed sampling them!

Day Twenty-Five ~ Morning -- Ironically, Christmas morning at our house is usually quiet. Mom has gone off to her Dad's house to get prepared for the big family Christmas lunch; Dad is watching something on TV and I'm attempting to sleep and then get dressed. But I did snap a quick picture to prove that Santa did indeed arrive!

Day Twenty-Six ~ Grateful -- We have many things to be grateful for and I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with family over the holidays, as well as for the gifts I received. On the 26th, they were calling for extremely severe and rare weather for our part of North Carolina, including the threat of tornadoes. I am grateful that that weather did not make it to us and am grateful for the Lord's protection.

Day Twenty-Seven ~ Nighttime -- Everytime I see a moon, I am reminded of Rhonda Vincent's wonderful song "Missouri Moon" and while I have never been to Missouri, I am sure the moon in Missouri is as ever beautiful as the moon of North Carolina. The song for me is "My Heart Will Always Be in Carolina".

Day Twenty-Eight ~ Words -- Words surround us every way we turn -- we are constantly seeing them on TV, billboards and signs as we drive the highways of life, they're blared at us thru the radio -- words are everywhere. A few months ago as I was beginning to work on my 2012 Scrapbook, I made a 'wordle' of a variety of words that highlighted 2012; that's what I chose to use for my picture on this day!

Day Twenty-Nine ~ Sky View -- Nothing really needs to be said other than we have one beautiful world and nature surrounds us and we need to exhibit it more. I love this beautiful blue sky that we have. I snapped this through the window as we were driving down to Smithfield for dinner.

Day Thirty ~ Winter Wonderland -- Well in my part of North Carolina, we don't get a lot of snow, but when we do, it literally paralyzes us. I don't like it so much (since I hate cold weather), but it is pretty to see. So my Winter Wonderland of 2012 was basically just giving all my snowglobes a shake or two!

Day Thirty-One ~ Fun -- Happy New Year's Eve! While everyone was out and about partying and celebrating ways to bring in the New Year, I was at home not feeling that great. So Mom & I decided that we would turn on the TV and play Monopoly. We have quiet a collection of Monopoly boards, but this time we decided to just stick with good 'ole NC State Monopoly. And yes, in the end, Mom did end up winning! Happy New Year, Everyone!

The Photo-a-Day Challenge Continues on into Part Four!

Day Sixteen - Outside Christmas Lights -- One thing that I love about Christmastime is all the variety of decorations. Our family has a tradition of riding around to multiple neighborhoods, towns and cities and viewing everyone's decorations. Our first stop this year was over in the Historic Oakwood neighborhood in downtown Raleigh. These older, rustic homes are always lovely to view and a place that I always want to see every year. I never understood why I wanted to go there every year, but Mom made the comment while we were riding around that when I was just a month old, one of the first places they brought me to view Christmas lights was in Oakwood. I thought that was very neat and maybe why I like to go there so much! It is so amazing to see how the variety of outdoor decorations have evolved over the past few years. I cannot wait until we go out again this weekend and look at more areas and their light displays! (And yes, I realize I posted more than ONE photo for Day Sixteen!)

Day Seventeen -- Presents -- My motto has always been (as it should be for most) that is is better to give than to receive. Yet, of course, we all do love to receive presents, who doesn't? Under our tree already, even back in November, we already had a few presents piling up. As a kid, you used to get a ton of presents, but as we get older, we realize that either we can already buy what we want or just don't need as much as we used to think we did. But no matter what we receive this year, we should always be thankful. Even if you get something you may not 100% like, don't gripe and complain because someone put some time and thought into pondering your gift, be appreciative of them even thinking about you in the first place!

Day Eighteen -- Stockings -- Yes, so I cheated on the "stockings" picture. Sure I could've taken a picture of Mom's lovely nutcracker themed stockings that she has so wonderfully hanging on our mantle at home. But no, I decided I would just take a picture of some that were on sale in a store. I hope this Christmas that everyone finds some wonderful treasures hidding in their stockings!

Day Nineteen - Candy Cane -- A feature that we see on most any store shelf this time of year are Candy Canes. It is amazing to see how many different kinds and flavors of Candy Canes exist these days. But, personally, I still love the "original" candy canes or else the cherry-flavored ones. Here Mom had her Candy Canes displayed in a votive with the angel watching over them!

Day Twenty -- Tree Topper -- We may be one of the only families who does not have an actual topper on our Christmas tree. Most people have angels or stars or something; but we have some gold, glittery leaves sticking up at the top. But that does not compare to the awesome original tree topper that is already placed up in this tree that I pass each day on the way to work -- mistletoe! A holiday original just waiting for the right couple to pass underneath!