V is for ...

VINTAGE

I was recently looking up ideas for my letter “V” blog post since I certainly wasn’t going to do a blog on many of the other “V” words that exist, and I was really struggling with an idea of what to post since this blog series has to have pictures of things that relate. I decided that “V” was simply just going to be a challenge. I asked several of my friends for help, and even their brains were stuck. I pondered doing a blog on “Voting” but I’ve already done one of those in the past, and I am really not ready to go political again! So, I was just about ready to throw in the towel and skip on to “W”. Yesterday, I was having a really, really down day and one of my friends texted me trying to cheer me up. I am not sure what it was about the text message she sent me because it had nothing to do with the topic nor blog, but the word “Vintage” just popped in my head while I was talking to her. I immediately started perusing through some recent photographs and found a few that I thought might be appropriate. So props to my friend for helping me though she really has no idea she did – and she certainly isn’t vintage, she is classy!

Anyways…

When you think of the word “Vintage” what comes to mind? Maybe something antique? Something cherished? An old dress or a piece of jewelry from many decades ago? Countless things can come to mind when thinking of vintage items. I loved one of the descriptions of the word vintage that I found online: “vintage is used to describe something that is not new but that is valued because of its good condition, attractive design, etc. or something that is made or done by a particular person.” Some vintage items may not look that attractive or appealing to the eye, but everything is in the eye of the beholder, right? Everything is special to someone in so many different realms – items that could bring back memories from your childhood or some ancient artifacts from history or eras gone by. Vintage items bring out a feeling of curiosity in a lot of us, so looking through the many photographs I have taken over my life, it was hard to select just a few to display.

Now for me growing up in rural North Carolina, I was accustomed to seeing many a tractor driving down the highways and many hard-working, dedicated farmers plowing and tending to their farmlands. Tractors of all sorts and kinds exist – from small lawn/garden tractors to large ones used to disk up the hard soil in preparation of the next planting season or destroying of the after-harvest. I was always intrigued by tractors and just how many different brands and sizes there were. I will never forget my Grandfather’s ancient Cub Cadet small tractor. He used to drive that thing all over our family land. I used to dream of driving the thing because it always reminded me of him. After he passed, we continued to use it, until we donated it to someone to use for parts. It was sad to see it go. Going to a recent Agricultural Festival brought back a lot of those memories. There was a countless array of old tractors on display for many to see. Beautiful tractors that are still in pristine condition and some that show some wear and tear from hard, labor-filled days in the farm fields. The smell of fuel and the sound of those antique engines just brought a sense of my childhood back to me seeing all those tractors in the fields. Sadly today many of those fields no longer exist because they are being overtaken by shopping malls and housing developments. I suppose it is just a sign of the time that the old farming days are becoming a vintage item in and of themselves.

There is also just something about old bottles that I find to be quite alluring. When you go on walks through the woods or even occasionally along the shore of the beach, you will likely run across some bottles of some variety. It makes you truly think how or why those bottles are in the places where you find them or how long they have been awaiting for someone to discover them. Message in a bottle, anyone? Back in their day, these precious bottles were brand new objects that carried joy to whomever was using them; now to us, we are intrigued by them and want to keep them on a shelf to cherish their unique design. I often wonder what item that we throw away today might be cherished and considered vintage by generations that follow us? We have a collection of bottles at home that my Dad loves to collect and clean. Some we leave in the condition that we found them, while others we like to clean up and display. I often ponder if there is any monetary value to any of them, so I can sell them and get some extra money (ha!). But in reality, they do make a nice display, too.

And then of course one of my ultimate favorites is the sound that comes from an antique piano. Wait, what?!? Pianos can sound different, you say? Absolutely! I have played the piano since I was a wee little thing and I have played a variety of pianos and while they all have the same note connotation, each piano can contain its own unique sound. My Great-Grandmother had a very old piano in her home and I used to love playing on it as a child. It was massively out of tune but none-the-less just the way the reverberations came out the piano had a very distinct sound that stays with you throughout your life. Sometimes the older pianos are much more entertaining to play on. Their sound makes me think I am in some far away, small country church in the mountains or in the valley playing to a congregation as they sing along to the old shape-note music. I love the touch and feel of the older pianos. Just think of the heritage and history that has used those pianos for entertainment. So many memories live within the bodies of the beautiful instruments.

Days gone by should be cherished. However our society today has almost gotten to the point where they mix vintage and nostalgia together as one in the same, when in reality they are not. Vintage items have a history that extends deep within. We should not forget the history behind each vintage item that we encounter. At one point they were brand new items to someone, and equally someone worked very hard at crafting those items. Vintage should be respected and revered. Let us not forget where we came from and where our history resonates.

U is for ...

UNUSUAL

Don’t you just love it when people say you have unusual characteristics? For me personally, I am often having people tell me that “you have an unusual taste for clothes” or “you have an unusual appetite” or “you have unusual eyes” or just anything that pops in to their minds they always seem to associate it with being unusual. Part of me has often wondered whether I am really that unusual or just exactly what do they mean when they refer to me in that demeanor? Obviously, everyone’s connotations for varying words and subjects are going to be interpreted differently, so I just try to let it roll off my back and think of it as a positive comment in some diluted aspect. But nonetheless, it piqued my curiosity, and I thought that I may as well look up unusual in the dictionary to determine how off-balance people think I truly am.

Merriam-Webster Online defines “Unusual” to mean the following:
1) not normal or usual;
2) different or strange in a way that attracts attention;
3) not commonly seen, heard, etc.
Hmmm…okay, well I personally hope that top definition does not apply to me. I have often considered myself to be quite a normal individual who just happens to be surrounded by a bunch of crazy people; but who knows, maybe I am the crazy one and they are all normal? (I really seriously doubt that, you just need to come hang out in this nut farm for a day and you’ll see quickly how unusual and just ridiculous some individuals can be!). But anyways, I think the definition that Merriam-Webster utilizes appropriately describes some oddities that I have found over the past year. Their characteristics seem to mirror this definition almost to a tee. Therefore, I have decided to dedicate this little letter of the alphabet to some of the things that I view as unusual and maybe even a little weird. So, here we go!

The intriguing yet unusual Cucurbit!

Most of my unusual candidates depicted in this blog all come from the same place – the North Carolina State Fair, a place that I love with my body, soul and spirit, yet it is a strange place with unusual exhibits and highly abnormal people! I remember last year when I was walking around in the Flower and Garden Show, I ran across this HUGE “thing” that resembled a cucumber. I immediately snapped a picture of it for my friend who is addicted to cucumbers (that, I still do not understand – she is unusual in her own special way but I still love her!). But the more I stood there and looked at it, the more I thought “What the heck is a Cucurbit?” because I know for sure, this is not something that is grown at my Wake County home. (It must be from JoCo or some neighboring areas – all this unusual there!) The Cucurbit is one of those items that is so unusual that you aren’t really sure whether to classify it as a vegetable or a thing! I even did a little research on the internet and ironically the only definition I could find to describe it was a plant within the gourd family. Hmmm….okay, then what exactly is the purpose of this steroidal-type cucumber? Obviously for this individual, it was a blue ribbon! But hey, if you can win a ribbon for something so unusual and relatively unknown, go for it! Maybe I need to grow a curcubit this year?!?!?


Unusual faces in unusual places!!

There seems to be some popularity lately with putting random faces on random things. When we go to the mountains, so many of the pottery places are now putting these weird, unusual looking faces on to mugs, pots and various pottery items for you to purchase. Now my Dad thinks these things are awesome and he has bought quite a few of these pottery faces, but I am actually kind of freaked out by them a little bit. I don’t particularly like walking in to my living room to see a one-toothed man staring me down from the side of a coffee mug with these really big bug eyes – that just seems rather freakish to me! So you can imagine my reaction when I see unusual faces on the side of PUMPKINS at the State Fair last year. Now don’t get me wrong, the individuals who craft these items are highly talented because I could not carve a face on the side of a pumpkin or on a piece of pottery to save my life. I am lucky enough to be able to carve my name on the side of a tree! But, these pumpkin faces just overwhelmed me. I couldn’t figure out how the pumpkin would not rot faster by cutting some of its outer shell off. Again, Dad was just in awe of them; while I maintained a safe distance as if the creatures might come to life and attack me! If one of those things winked its eye at me, y’all would’ve heard me hollering slam in Michigan! So it never fails that unusual faces will pop up in unusual places – always be on the lookout!!


The “what in the heck” is this unusual looking bread?!?! Seriously!?!?!

And just when I thought life couldn’t get any weirder, I found this …In all honesty, this little bread creation is highly unusual, but it is also kind of cute. (It doesn’t freak me out quite like the pumpkins). This is where the definition about attracting attention applies for unusual because this bread creature definitely brought customers to the table! I go over to this booth to buy some of their absolutely delicious white chocolate chip baguettes and when I look down on the table this bread creature immediately grabbed my attention. I am assuming it is supposed to be a spider since it was relatively close to Halloween, but partly it kind of resembles a sweet little crab. Either way, I thought it was highly peculiar and just could not resist taking its picture. My question ultimately would’ve been did someone actually buy and eat the thing? Hmmm…I am assuming it was merely decorative, but in this day and age, there is no telling!


This just goes beyond unusual – decorated SWEET POTATOES?????

Okay, let me retract my previous statement of “and just when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder...” this display of unusualness just went over the top, seriously! I have NEVER in my life witnessed such unusualness put on display quite like this. I mean I guess that saying “anything goes” is highly applicable in the South, but really, who takes a perfectly good sweet potato and decorates it?? Wow! Okay, in hindsight, it was a kids’ competition at the Fair where they decorate vegetables and enter them in competition, so I will grant them a little slack and grant them some points for creativity – a sweet potato mouse and a sweet potato baby? That is rather clever and even cute, but it is still really unusual and just flat out weird. How do you exactly come up with the idea of “hey, let’s take this fresh sweet potato and turn him in to a mouse…on a trap!” -- that is just what blew me away!

In many ways, we are surrounded by things unusual – it could be an unusual looking car or food or even the person in the cubicle next to you (no comments there, as I mentioned earlier, I’m surrounded – though it may not apply to a handful!) or it could be that your definition of unusual totally differs from someone else’s. Either way, I suppose we should just embrace the unusual as that seems to be becoming a more normal in today’s society. And if you want to say I have unusual clothes or whatever else, go right ahead, that just means you’re leaving someone else alone and I will find a way to spin it in to a positive! I don’t mind being called unusual, but I actually would prefer another “u” word – UNIQUE! But, as Alfred North Whitehead said:

“It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.”

T is for ...

TONY

When you think of people with the name Tony, some of the following names may come to mind: Tony Danza, Tony Hawk, Tony Bennett, Tony Blair or Tony Romo. Each of those Tony’s are significant in their own limelight, but rather than writing a blog on everyone that I know named Tony (which would be a lot), I decided to pick one of my favorites and write the blog on him – Tony Stewart. (Yes, some of you close to me may have thought I would’ve chosen another Tony, but we’ll save that for a later blog!).

Tony Stewart is better known in the sports arena by his nickname “Smoke”. He received that nickname when he used to drive the Home Depot number 20 car because he used to have quite the temper on and off the track. And, it is because of that temper and his past reputation that I’ve been asked a million times “Why in the world do you like Tony Stewart?” Well, the answer to that is honestly “I don’t know”. I’ve been a NASCAR fan off and on my entire life. I grew up a diehard Dale Earnhardt, Sr. fan, but when he tragically passed away, I turned away from NASCAR for a few years. When I returned to the sport of NASCAR, it was hard to find a new favorite driver because the sport is not the same without Dale. The more I watched, the more Smoke began to grow on me. Usually I am highly turned off by swag and arrogance, but with Smoke, it just drew me in.

In 2010, I attended my first “official” NASCAR race at the All-Star Race in Charlotte. I was so excited to see Tony race – win or lose, I just wanted to see him! Before the race, we had pit passes and were able to walk around in the pits and see various drivers and pit crew members, tour victory lane, etc. As we were exiting Pit Row, I noticed that the SPEED Channel was conducting an interview on the platform above. I immediately knew it was Tony up there being interviewed – I could tell by the top of the back of his head. My friends doubted me, but boy, were they surprised when he descended the stairs and walked right past us. I was literally speechless – couldn’t even form words to ask for an autograph or anything. Sadly, Smoke did not win that race, but I was still pleased nonetheless to have seen him!

In 2011, I went to Martinsville two times, and developed a real love for that track. During the fall race, Smoke was in contention to win his third NASCAR Championship. He and Carl Edwards were literally neck-and-neck in a dead-heat to win the championship. We had seats so high up that we could see the mountains in the background. All the other races I had attended at Martinsville, well, let’s just say Tony had never finished that well. So with a few laps to go, when he was in second place, my heart skipped a beat – the only bad part, Jimmie Johnson (ugh!) was in first place. I told my friend that if Tony could get past Jimmie at the drop of the green flag, he would win the race. She looked at me like I had five heads. The green flag drops, I close my eyes and start praying … Smoke nudges ahead just barely of Johnson and gained the lead and I nearly plunged off the bleachers jumping up and down screaming because I knew what was coming next!

Yes, folks, I would witness a race where my favorite driver would win. It is amazing to go to a race and see your favorite driver, but to be at the track and witness your favorite driver actually WIN a race, is a pretty amazing experience. Needless to say, we rushed as close to Victory Lane as we could get. AND to make things even better, Tony did go on to win his third NASCAR Championship. Way to go, Smoke!

In the more recent years, Tony has had his ups and downs. He sustained a pretty severe injury last year that kept him from racing much of the NASCAR season and he has not competed up to par this year. Win or lose, I am still always going to be a Tony Stewart fan. Whether it’s his personality, his ability to drive or some unknown factor that I cannot pinpoint, he will always be my favorite. Hey!, I used to dream of marrying him – wonder if that could still possibly happen one day? I doubt it, but a girl can dream, right? Way to go, Smoke on all your racing accomplishments!


**Oh and for those of you who want to know – here is me with another one of my favorite Tony’s.**

S is for ...

Songs from St. Somewhere

“Somethin’ bout your dog
Sittin’ by your side
If you had a bad day
She ain’t gonna run and hide
Just a-waggin’ that tail
Grinnin’ that grin
Somethin’ bout my dog
Makes her my best friend…”

There are days when we just need to be reminded that something so simple, even as simple as our pet dog or cat can bring a feeling of peace and tranquility in to our lives, especially on rough days or days when we are feeling down in the dumps. Each time I hear this song, “Something ‘Bout a Boat” I am reminded of a life of ease and relaxation, which so many of us lack these days. That song is on Jimmy Buffett’s most recent CD “Songs from St. Somewhere” which was also the title of his 2013-2014 tour. We were able to see Jimmy Buffett in concert in April in Raleigh during the final leg of the “Songs from St. Somewhere” Tour. Like him or not, he is an excellent musician and his songs have that soothing island feel to them. They make you want to be lying on the beach listening to the ocean waves lap up against the shoreline; or else be sailing away on a boat out in the middle of the Caribbean.

I’ve grown up listening to Jimmy Buffett’s music, and his music is one reason why I picked the Spanish name Margarita to be my name during my two years of Spanish class in school (alas, there is not a Spanish equivalent name for Meredith). Margaritaville has always been one of my favorite songs and places to eat. (I cannot wait for the new Margaritaville to open on The Island in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.) However, if you’re like most Buffett fans, it is so very hard to pick one favorite song of his because he has so many amazing songs. I have a whole playlist on my computer that is nothing but some of my all-time favorite songs of his, but I am still constantly adding new ones that I hear.

I was excited to be able to see him in concert. I had always wanted to, but the opportunity never arose where I was able to go. Buffett concerts are always lively -- the festivities in the parking lot where everyone decorates their cars and you name it gives the tailgating experience an island atmospheric theme which provides a colorful kick-start to your evening of fun. Once you are in the gates and in your seats, the beach balls start flying. Then the music cranks up and everyone has a grand ‘ole time. ( Just be aware, that while some of us (like me) don’t drink or smoke, you may go home smelling like you did because some people just get a wee-bit overwhelmed and intoxicated – I will never understand how they get up and go to work the next day!) He brings a down home feel to all his concerts. I was super excited at all his North Carolina references, especially to the little, big town of Buies Creek, home to Campbell University, my alma mater! Forget NC State, UNC, and Duke, even ‘ole Jimmy Buffett knows the true fun happens in the Creek!!

But overall, the Jimmy Buffett concert experience is one everyone should have once in their lives. He does an excellent and fun-filled show. The music makes you want to sing-a-long or dance around. And of course you want to people watch and just share some laughs at what all the crazies around you are doing. So slip on your FINS, make some CHANGES IN LATTITUDE AND CHANGES IN ATTITUDE, and set sail for MARGARITAVILLE – but, don’t forget to eat at CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE before you set sail!

“Ain’t it crazy how somethin’
Seems like nothin’ at all
Take a big old room
Make it seem so small
Seein’ windows where there are walls
Makes a whole lot of something
Out of nothin’ at all”

R is for ...

RIBBONS!

Growing up in the Raleigh area has always put me at the heart of many North Carolina things – the Legislature, Governor’s Mansion, the Capitol Building, but most importantly the North Carolina State Fair. I have always had a fascination and love for the Fair. It is one of those prime events that no matter what is going on in my life, I will rearrange my entire schedule not to miss a day or two or even the entire ten days of the State Fair. As a child, I remember always walking through the exhibits and seeing all the ribbons that individuals won for various entries they had submitted. I always wanted one of those ribbons, but as a kid, I didn’t really understand how to do all the entries and compete for a grand prize. I used to dream of winning a ribbon of any color; just to have a ribbon from the North Carolina State Fair would be the icing on the cake to me! Of course, deep down, I always desired to have a Blue Ribbon aka First Place, but I kept thinking to myself “what in the world am I good enough at to win a blue ribbon for?” Starting in 2010, I finally got up the nerve to enter some entries in the North Carolina State Fair; and each year since, I have been blessed and honored to win a number of ribbons – including two blue ones!!! I thought I would use this blog (letter “R”) to share my ribbons and the stories that go along with them! This is not meant to be a bragging rights blog, but one of admiration and honor of achieving an accomplishment I have dreamed of since childhood.

2010 – Honorable Mention in Scrapbooking, Category Theme: Kids

As I mentioned above, 2010 marked the first year I ever entered any item in the North Carolina State Fair, and I was no longer a child – I was just shy of turning 28 to be exact (now you know how old I am, but it’s just a number and the Fair makes me a kid at heart!)...Anyways, I had joined the scrapbooking craze that was sweeping the nation, but by no means, did I consider myself very good at it. The State Fair allows you to enter scrapbooking pages based on Hobbyist, Professional and Youth, and they have up to nine different themed categories to choose to enter, so I decided that I would give it a shot and test the waters. In 2010, they allowed us to enter in two different categories. I chose to enter in Travel/Vacation and Kids. I did not even anticipate winning anything; I was just going to be honored if they even chose to hang mine up (at times, due to the volume of entries, they cannot display them all). My Travel page was on a trip I had taken to Bald Head Island and it was displayed but did not receive a ribbon. I was okay with that because I did not consider it to be any of my best work. My Kids page was based on a friends’ little daughter. I was tickled pink to say the least when I saw that I had a ribbon. It may have only been an Honorable Mention, but hey! that was a ribbon from the North Carolina State Fair!! I felt like I had accomplished something in life!

2011 – Fourth Place in Scrapbooking, Category Theme: Kids;
Second Place in Cakes, Category: Flavored Mock Pound Cake

After winning a ribbon in 2010, I just knew I had to continue entering. I decided that may not ever achieve the blue ribbon, but that was okay. The fun and thrill that comes along with walking through the State Fair looking at exhibits and seeing something you made hung on display for the thousands and millions to see, is just overwhelming. I think I got a wee-bit carried away in 2011 though because I entered in scrapbooking, card making, photography and cake baking – a little bit extreme, huh?! This year, for whatever reason, we were only allowed to enter in one scrapbooking category, so I chose to enter in the kids category again capturing Makayla’s first trip to the rodeo. I was surprised and honored to have won Fourth Place and a Pink Ribbon – the ribbon even matched the page. My ultimate surprise came when we went over to the building containing all the baked goods. I was nervous as a cat because the rules and guidelines for how you are judged on your food is very strict and I did not have high hopes; plus, I had just started experimenting with baking cakes, so I thought what is there to lose. Staring at all the cases of cakes I wondered how were you ever to able find your own cake since they all looked so similar. Someone asked one of the ladies working there if she could help us locate my cake. She told us what case it was in and said it is the one with the RED Ribbon. I just stopped in mid-step and thought “did she literally just say RED?” Sure enough, I found my cake and hanging down proudly was a RED ribbon. I had just won SECOND Place at the State Fair for my made-from-scratch cake!!! That was the most unbelievable feeling in the world. I will likely never make a cake like that again my whole life!

2012 – Third Place in Scrapbooking, Category Theme: Travel/Vacation
First Place in Scrapbooking, Category Theme: Military/Tribute

To say 2012 was overpowering was likely an understatement. I entered three items in various baking categories, none of which placed but all my critiques were positive and very helpful. And, additionally, I entered in three scrapbooking categories: Kids, Travel/Vacation and Military/Tribute. I had been perusing thru a magazine and saw an idea for a poster to display on your wall to chronicle all of our travels, and I decided to turn that idea in to a scrapbook page, as I had already had a lot of adventures over the 2012 year. I was so honored to receive a Third Place ribbon on that page. It was a lot of hard-work to make that page, and it was such an honor to continue to my climb each year. My Kids page did not earn a ribbon that year, but that was okay, too. As I continued to view my competitors’ pages, I could not locate my Military/Tribute page, so disappointment hit me as I thought that maybe had not displayed it. That was until I turned around and ran smack in to a blue ribbon at my eye level hanging astutely on my Grandfather’s page. Immediately tears welled up in my eyes, tears not for winning a First Place, Blue Ribbon, but tears for the page itself and the story behind it. My Grandfather, William “Bill” Foster, was a quiet man who helped many a person but shied from all honor and recognition. He was a very humble man, to say the least. I decided to take a collection of his photos from his World War II days in Europe and make a page to honor him. When I realized I had won a ribbon on the page I did in honor of my Grandfather, I was overcome with emotion – and to realize it was a First Place ribbon, I had no words. I had to leave the building before I burst in to tears, but I immediately got on the phone with family and friends to share my excitement. During the Fair that year, each time I went, I would go see my Blue Ribbon to touch it; I just could not fathom that I had won an actual Blue Ribbon at the North Carolina State Fair – what an honor!!

2013 – The Year of the Trifecta
Third Place – Scrapbooking, Category Theme: North Carolina
Second Place – Scrapbooking, Category Theme: Pets
First Place – Scrapbooking, Category Theme: Military/Tribute

After winning a Blue Ribbon in the 2012 North Carolina State Fair, I seriously pondered not entering anything during 2013. I had started a new job and was extremely busy; so time was going to be an issue and I had accomplished my dream many times of over of winning a ribbon at the Fair. But ultimately with the thrill of it all, I couldn’t resist. I set a new goal for my scrapbooking competition – second place! I had already obtained the blue ribbon, now I needed to aim for Second Place, as that was the only ribbon I had not received in Scrapbooking – rather odd to aim for Second Place, huh? I went in to the 2013 State Fair with the realization that I may not win anything at all, and that was fine with me because I had my blue ribbon and I was content. Little did I know that 2013 was going to surpass 2012 and just completely floor me – I nailed the trifecta, so to speak, winning a ribbon in each category I entered – it honestly cannot get much better than that! I received Third Place in the newest category a North Carolina theme, which I did a 30 year look-back of my adventures at the Fair from a child to the present. I received Second Place (yes, goal achieved!) in the Pets category on the story of survival of my sweet Bernie Puggles (which has been previously blogged about). But most shockingly for the second year in a row, I won a First Place ribbon in the Military/Tribute category. It was such an amazing experience and feeling to do a page dedicated to all those servicemen who sacrificed so much during World War II, and to win another ribbon for that was just incredible.

Through all of my experiences, I have learned to never give up on a dream, as one day it may come to fruition. I dreamed as a child of winning one ribbon at the North Carolina State Fair; never in my wildest dreams would I have realized that I would have won eight! I am extremely honored to have won so many, no matter what placing they were in. Many have already asked what am I planning for 2014 – will I enter again? If so, what categories? Will you continue your reign as the Military/Tribute queen? The answer to all those questions remains unanswered. Usually by now, I would have a game plan laid out for my entries, as we have to sign up by September (which is still a little ways off), but I will seriously have to do some planning this year. I would love to three-peat in the Military/Tribute category, but I believe it is time to pass the torch on to someone else (not to mention, I am running out of black & white WWII photos, ha!). I am already contemplating another cake, but we shall see. But to each of you readers, take a step out of your comfort zone and try something new – enter in a competition or just try something new, you never know when you may be rewarded. Dream big and aim for the sky! Never give up on your goals, dreams or anything – keep trying!

Q is for ...

QUIET...A QUIET HABITAT

In today’s world, it is so hard to find a quiet place, much less an actual quiet moment, to just sit and reflect on whatever topic is currently occupying our thoughts. With the constant hustle and bustle of today’s society from cars zooming up and down the roads honking their horns, to noisy people talking non-stop or making all sorts of unusual sounds, it is very hard to concentrate and focus. At times, we all need to find a place to escape to that can be our quiet habitat. Maybe it is at your house somewhere with the TV and radio turned off; maybe it is on a nature trail out in the woods. At some point, we all crave the quiet solitude to either let our minds concentrate or just shut our minds off completely.

We are surrounded by noise – whether it music, the humming of machines, people or whatever – noise exists constantly. For those of us that can hear, we are blessed with the sense of sound and even though we do crave quiet moments, we should be grateful for some noise because if we were hearing impaired, would we desire a life of silence all the time? I am sure some hearing impaired people would probably love to have a little noise in their lives, but this day in age, sometimes the noise and words we hear, they might be grateful they don’t have to hear it.

For me personally, I like noise at times, but at other times, I want things to be quiet so you can almost hear and feel the stillness. Sometimes, I love just going out on the back deck as night falls and listening to the sounds of nature. They are not as intrusive as the sounds of people. Birds chirping, insects buzzing and humming and just the rustic sounds of nature – it almost brings about a peaceful feeling. We lack that in our lives and if you live in the city or suburbs, you are very lucky if you can find a place of silence and stillness where you can enjoy the sounds of nature.

One of my favorite places to go obviously is Tennessee. When I am in the Great Smoky Mountains, it almost feels as if time stands still. Time is not of an essence, but rather, time is non-existent. You just take your time and enjoy the scenic beauty that surrounds you. Taking a drive thru the mountains is often quiet relaxing and exhilarating. I often like to go down the motor nature trails as they take you high in the hills to beautiful scenic overlooks where the sounds that surround you are all nature. And even though that does provide “noise” it is almost a peaceful noise that you do not mind invading your quiet habitat. Many times the people you encounter along the way also seem to be attempting to unwind and find their quiet universe, but of course, you will also find your rambunctious folks here and there. But overall, it is nothing compared to home or work. It is peaceful place; it is quiet – you just feel that time stands still and you can just take it all in and absorb what surrounds you. I have found my trips into the hills to be quite relaxing and enjoyable. It is nice to escape the hustle and bustle of my daily life.

I encourage you to take some time this week to find your quiet habitat. Sit back, relax and just enjoy what surrounds you – whether it is the sounds of nature or the sounds of silence. Just relax your thoughts and body and let your quiet habitat lead. God blessed this Earth with some beautiful creations, we need to get out and enjoy that while we can! Just pretend to be like a big black bear, find a tree limb to curl up on and take a snooze … ahhhh, what a life!

P is for ...

PAT

When you hear the word “pat” many connotations come to mind such as patting one on the head, but to me, when I hear the word “pat” there is only one thing and one person that comes to my mind – PAT SUMMITT! If you have no idea who Pat Summitt is, then I really pity you and maybe you have lived under a rock for a portion of your life. Pat, as she often told her players to call her, is, in my mind, the greatest college basketball coach of all time.

Pat grew up on a farm in Tennessee and knew the meaning of hard work from an early age. She played basketball in school and in college. She was a stand-out to say the least, so much so that she even made the 1976 Olympic Basketball Team. She has a heart and passion for the sport of women’s basketball and desires to see it excel and grow. At a very young age, Pat was offered the Head Coach position for the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers women’s basketball program. At that time, the Lady Vols program was not very prestigious, as it was struggling with finances and trying to gain standings in the nation. Pat didn’t allow what their program lacked to hinder her from transforming her team in to a national powerhouse that was feared by many opponents. And it didn’t take long for Pat’s transformation of Tennessee to take place…

In four seasons under Pat’s leadership, Tennessee earned its first number one ranking in the nation and earned its first trip to the Final Four (though in 1978, it was known as the AIAW, which later became the NCAA). Pat was making a name for herself and she was still merely at youngin’ at only 26 years old!! Throughout the 1980s, the Lady Vols continued to achieve dominance by winning numerous games and countless SEC Tournament Titles; however the NCAA National Championship kept eluding the program. That all changed in 1987 when the Tennessee Lady Vols defeated powerhouse Louisiana Tech and claimed their first NCAA Championship. Fortunately for Lady Vols’ fans, the NCAA National Championships did not stop in 1987. In all total, while Pat was the Head Coach, she led the Lady Vols to an impressive EIGHT National Championships, including three back-to-back-to-back championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

The year 2011 is a year that Pat Summitt fans will never forget. Prior to the start of the 2011-2012 basketball season, Pat announced that she had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. I remember when I first heard the announcement that I was in disbelief. Less than two years earlier, we had loss legendary coach Kay Yow to breast cancer. Now another giant in the sport of women’s basketball had contracted another debilitating disease. I was crushed – this couldn’t be happening to Pat, no, not heard of all people. I just couldn’t believe it, nor did I want to believe it. Sure, she wasn’t dying of cancer, but to see someone who was so intelligent, so courageous, so fierce and so passionate about a sport suffer from a draining disease, that was just hard to comprehend. But, then to surprise us all, Pat announced that although she had this disease, she was still going to try to coach and be a part of the Lady Vols program.

As much as a fan of Pat Summitt as I always have been, I had never actually seen her coach a game “live” in person. I would always watch their games on television and cheer proudly for them, especially in their heated rivalry games against UCONN. So with Pat’s announcement, I told my parents that no matter what, I had to go see the Lady Vols play and it had to be in Knoxville. Appropriately, on my birthday, November 13, 2011, my parents treated me to an early season game of the Lady Vols vs. Pepperdine at the infamous Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. I was in Heaven – surrounded by orange again singing proudly along to “Rocky Top”. During the game, you could tell that at times Pat would struggle, but you definitely saw the fire still raged within. Her infamous glare that she would give to her players was still very present; it even sent shivers through fans in the stands. It was an amazing experience to see Pat coach and of course see Tennessee claim another victory! Sadly, that would end up being my only game that I would be able to see Pat coach, as she ending up stepping down as Head Coach of the University of Tennessee program at the conclusion of the season in April 2012.

Even though Holly Warlick has done an amazing job with the team, it is still hard to watch a Lady Vols’ game and not see Pat. It is hard to go on to the campus in Knoxville and not see Pat or feel her presence. Yes, she still attends games and does still work-out with the team, but you can still feel her absence. The University of Tennessee and the Lady Vols’ program paid an awesome tribute to her by dedicating the Pat Summitt Plaza right outside of Thompson-Boling Arena to her. Pat will always be a Lady Vol – whether she is sitting in the stands cheering for the team or outside in the plaza watching over the arena as players and fans come and go.

Pat Summitt is a true legend in women’s basketball and college sports overall. She ended her career with an astounding record of 1,098 wins and only 208 losses. That’s an 84% win record!! You definitely didn’t want to face Pat and her Lady Vols as there was a good chance you would lose. Pat currently holds the record for most wins by any NCAA coach. Whether you like Pat or not, you have to admire her passion and heart for the sport of women’s basketball. Pat’s records will likely be broken, as in the eight national championships have already been surpassed by UCONN with nine, but isn’t that the point? Set records so someone tries to achieve them and break them? Records are meant to be broken, right? Even if her 1,098 coaching win record is beaten, no matter who may beat it, they will not be Pat Summitt. There will never be another person who has the impact on the sport that Pat did. I continue to pray for her progress as she fights this disease and pray that a cure can be found. Pat Summitt has a foundation that was founded to help the fight for Alzheimer’s and her motto is Fierce Courage – may we all have that courage to fight no matter what battle may come our way so that we can leave a lasting impact upon those around us, as well.