Zoey

What’s that concept about man’s best and most loyal friend is typically your furry friend?  Well, that’s always held true for me during my lifetime, as I’ve been blessed with a number of furry friends – Pepper, Aggie, Marlowe, Bernie and Lizzie just to name a few.  But aside from Marlowe, who was my childhood best friend and protector, Zoey Katherine has been my adulthood best friend and partner in crime. 

In late 2003, some of my relatives found Zoey and her brother abandoned as puppies and they took them to nurture for a few months until they decided they couldn’t keep them, along with their other critters.  Initially, after Marlowe died in 2002, we pondered not getting another dog, but when my Mom called me to tell me that my relatives had some puppies they were giving away, I was surprised and immediately went down to check them out.  Zoey was a tiny little thing, solid black with a small patch of white below her neck and her ears perfectly flopped over like a Lab, but her face was much too pointed for her to be a full Lab.  Her little brother was tan, brown and black and had a lot of the characteristics of a German Shepherd.  How I would choose between the two, I had no idea.  So, I decided that when I put my hand in the crate, whichever one sniffed me first would be the one I chose – and that ended up being the girl. 

She was initially called Blackie, but I wanted her to have a real name.  Dad wanted me to name her Katie, but I was hung up on The West Wing at the time and named her Zoey, after one of President and Mrs. Bartlett’s daughters.  But to compromise, I allowed her middle name be Katherine for Dad, ha!  As she grew older, her ears did a transformation and completely stood straight up like a Shepherd.  The vet said that she was obviously a Lab/Shepherd mix, but additionally something else because she wasn’t quite as big as a true Lab/Shepherd mix.  But contrary to Marlowe, who would kill snakes and anything else, Zoey was very skittish because of whatever she may have endured prior to my relatives finding her.

The thing that most amazed me about Zoey was just how smart she was, in particular when it came to finding my purple Firebird, which is the only car she will actually ride in.  The first time I noticed this was when we were leaving the vet one day and I told her let’s go find the car.  I was standing still and she started pulling me in the direction of the Firebird.  The next thing I knew, she had gone to the driver’s side door (which is always the door she preferred to get in) and she stood on her hind legs and put her paw near the door-handle, almost as if she were saying ‘look, Mom, I found the car first!’

My sweet Zoey, yes she is sweet although I know to some of you she’s showed her teeth and barked severely at you, turned 14 in September of 2017.  That’s quite an old age for a dog of her size, and she’s the longest living dog that I have ever had.  Sadly though, I can tell she’s starting to wind down.  She’s lost a lot of weight and just seems to sleep more, but even when I let her out, she still has her get-up-and-go speed. And of course, she still loves to ride in the Firebird even though I have to help her in and out now.   I know that when she passes this will hit me harder than when Marlowe died.  He passed away while I was gone to Boston, but I had an idea he would.  I was still younger, and while it was sad, since I’m older and Zoey has been more like a child of mine, it’ll hit me harder than his passing, at least I think it will. 

Nonetheless, pets are our furry friends and ultimately our family members, too.  They can always bring us such comfort when we need it the most.  I know I’ve often ranted with them about issues that I’ve faced, and while they don’t verbally respond, it does seem that sometimes they listen, well until that squirrel catches their eye and they go running off after it!  Cherish you time with your furry friends and make sure to spoil them as much as possible!

Zoey was absolutely addicted to Candy Corn!!!

We spoil her so much that she gets her own swimming pool in the summertime!

Yow

If you’re familiar with collegiate women’s basketball, I’m sure you’ve heard of Pat Summitt, Geno Auriemma, Muffet McGraw, Kim Mulkey and numerous other coaches. But, I can almost guarantee that you’ve also likely heard the name Kay Yow. Whether it’s because of her being the legendary, Hall of Fame Head Coach at North Carolina State University (Go Wolfpack!) or from the ongoing Play4Kay initiative games held each year to raise awareness for all types of cancer, her name ranks right up there with the other top coaches. Her legacy has been imprinted upon countless souls around the world – not just her impact as a coach, but also as a friend, mentor, influencer and advocate.

Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, being the daughter of a graduate from North Carolina State University, I was surrounded by all things Wolfpack Red.  I remember vividly watching NCSU women’s basketball games on television, as well as Coach Yow and Nora Lynn Finch’s television show and subsequently listening to their radio show.  As a youngster, there was nothing more that I wanted than to play basketball for Coach Yow.  Sadly, a shoulder surgery in elementary school that caused extensive damage prevented me from playing any sports (you can see one of my prior blog posts where I went in to much more detail about that incident).  But even with my basketball career aspirations being sidelined, I still looked up to Coach Yow and Nora Lynn as a strong influencers in my life.

For many of us, dates are significant in our lives.  We can easily remember exactly where we were when September 11^th, 2001, happened and so many other poignant events that stand out to us can be remembered instantly.  I’ll never forget where I was on January 24, 2009, when it was announced that Coach Kay Yow had succumbed from her fourth round of cancer.  I was sitting at a Smithfield Chicken & BBQ restaurant eating lunch with my good friend Tiffany.  ESPN Sports Center was playing in the restaurant and a breaking news story came on announcing the passing of Coach Yow.  Almost immediately, I felt like a portion of my childhood had ended, but I knew her legacy would continue to spread and reach so many souls, just as she had done over the years at NC State.  Yet in that same moment, I knew that I would take it upon myself to not only encourage people to donate and support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, but I also felt the need to devote a good portion of my free time to attending numerous women’s basketball games to continue to help grow the sport.  I felt it was the least I could do to keep Coach Yow’s flame burning.

Sadly, I never got the opportunity to meet Coach Yow in person, which was one thing I always wanted to do, and possibly something I still regret to this day.  Yet, even though I never met her I felt I knew her, and deep down, I know for 100% certainty that I will get to meet her one day in Heaven – that may be a more joyous meeting than an earthly meeting had ever been.  Coach Yow possessed a strong faith in Christ, and she was not afraid to share her passion and love for Him, which is such a powerful testimony to her character and I know it impacted me almost more than her leadership influence.

During the month of February, I challenge you to try to find a local Play4Kay event, whether it’s at a university close by your hometown or even a local high school team. Try to make it out and support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. You can visit www.kayyow.com to learn more information on the fund, as well as her life.  We all are impacted by cancer in some way, shape or form, so we can all work together to support a great cause to help aim to find a cure, and continue to keep Coach Yow’s legacy going. 

I’ll close this blog with some of my most favorite quotes and sayings by Coach Yow.  I hope each of you will find these challenging and meaningful in your own lives, as I know they have been for mine.

“Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.”

“I will, not I’ll try.”

“You can’t change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails.”

“When life kicks you, let it kick you forward.”

“Don’t wallow in self-pity or you’ll drown.  Swish your feet and get out.”

“It’s what’s inside that counts.”

And Coach Yow’s life verse is one that we can all live by.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

X-Files

If you’ve ever heard the phrases “The Truth is Out There” and “Trust No One,” then you likely are going to immediately know what this blog is about – one of my all-time favorite TV shows, The X-Files!

If you’ve ever been scrolling through your TV channels, you’ve likely at some point ran across The X-Files or else, you’d recognize it immediately by the infamous whistle and somewhat creepy theme music, which to me has almost become second-nature to me.  It has become one of the most iconic theme songs, at least to me, of all time, and a show that is both thought provoking, challenging and stimulating.

Years ago, when The X-Files first debuted, my Mom was the fan, and I thought it was absurd to watch a show about little green men or human-like mummies who inhabited the sewage systems in New Jersey (although, that could possibly be plausible in New Jersey – sorry to all my friends from New Jersey!) 

But nonetheless, I just couldn’t wrap my mind about why she was so intrigued by the show.  As time would have it, I eventually forced myself in to watching it, and was immediately hooked.  Yet as time continued to progress, my mother gradually quit watching the show, but not me as I couldn’t get enough of it – baby’s with tails, creepy looking humans, genius children with super-powers, super soldiers and of course the governmental conspiracies!  

Contrary to what many people believe, the show isn’t always about big eyed aliens or little green men that inhabited the country or Area 51 and Roswell, New Mexico.  The X-Files is centers around a branch of the FBI whose purpose it is to research and explain unusual and paranormal activity.  Yes, at times, that may include UFO sightings or little green critters roaming the planet or even alien abductions, but there have also been some quite challenging, thought provoking and controversial episodes over the multitude of years and subsequent two movies in which the show aired.  

The X-Files revolves around two essential characters of Agent Fox Mulder, the ultimate believer in the paranormal world, and Agent Dana Scully, the medical doctor who is also the initial super-skeptic.  Years ago, I aligned myself with Scully, as I was quite skeptical of paranormal activity of almost any kind.  But after re-watching so many episodes over the years, I started to realize that Mulder had some valid points.  I’m not saying I believe in aliens or have seen any UFOs, nor have I been abducted by aliens (that I know of, ha!), however when it comes to governmental conspiracies (or conspiracies of many kinds, for that matter), you better believe I am well-open to believing anything is possible.  In the world that we live in, there are often paranormal activities or unexplainable events that occur, even on a daily basis.  Have you ever had any strange encounters? 

Amazingly enough, The X-Files has just returned again for its 11^th season.  The series first aired in 1993 and ended its run in 2002.  Yet after so many questions were left unanswered from the prior nine seasons, FOX brought the series back in 2016 and now again in 2018 for two additional seasons.  To say I was excited to learn of its return was a massive understatement – I could hardly contain my excitement, as I felt my younger years were coming back to life, and Mulder and Scully would be back in our homes on a weekly basis for a little while and not in re-runs!  Last night was the premiere of season 11, and while I won’t discuss any spoilers here, let me just say my mouth was wide open at the end of the episode, and I can’t imagine what may happen this season! 

So, even if you don’t want to believe or you’re not sure about the paranormal experiences, I think you’ll find something in The X-Files that you might enjoy.  Who knows, watching the show may cause you to start questioning some things that are going on in today’s society!  So, do you want to join Team Mulder or Team Scully?  The truth is out there, somewhere!

Wonder Woman

Several years ago, as I was standing at the check-out window at one of my doctor’s offices, I overheard the gentleman say “you look just like her.” At first, I ignored him thinking he was talking to a co-worker, but when I realized that he was looking at me, I raised my eyebrows and shook my head in confusion before responding, “Who?” He smiled and shook his head laughing in astonishment and said, “Wonder Woman.” I was baffled because at that time, the only Wonder Woman that I was truly aware of was the comic strip version and I thought to myself that there was no way that I looked like a comic strip character!

Over the course of the subsequent follow-up visits, he continued to make the same remark, and then lo and behold I started to get the same comment from random people scattered here and there. Curiosity killed the cat, and I started doing some research to discover that there was an actual Wonder Woman television show (albeit before my time!) starring Lynda Carter. A friend of mine allowed me to borrow her DVD set of the series, and I watched it with somewhat fascination. Upon my initial watching of the show, I could see where people would see a possible resemblance because of us both having dark hair and light blue eyes, but I was more struck by how awesome Wonder Woman was.

Oh! What I would do to have an invisible airplane or have the capability to simply twirl around and turn into a superhero with incredible wristlet bracelets warding off bullets, her lasso of truth and her tiara that could be used as a boomerang, among her many other amazing talents!

Wonder Woman was a fascinating television show, and I absolutely loved the character for her strength and resilience. It was an overall fairly clean show, and one that the family could easily watch and enjoy. I ended up going out and purchasing the DVD series myself. Lynda Carter was a true beauty (and she still is), and I envy her in many ways. She was perfect in the role as Wonder Woman. And while I don’t mind being reminded of our similarities, there is no way on Earth that I would wear her wardrobe as I do not have that much self-confidence.

Many have asked me if I’ve seen the new Wonder Woman movie, and the answer to that is no. Most everyone that I have heard who has seen it thoroughly enjoyed it. And, while I feel pretty certain that I would enjoy it, as well, my only gripe is that the new Wonder Woman doesn’t have blue eyes!

At least now, when people tell me that I remind them of or look like Wonder Woman, I can always know that they are referring to the lovely Lynda Carter! We all supposedly have a twin somewhere in the universe, which is a scary thought for some people! Who have you been told that you resemble or that you remind someone of? I’ve been told quite a few people, but Lynda Carter seems to be the top contender for repeated occurrence, and I’ll take that as a high compliment!

**Post-writing update: since the initial writing of this blog, I ended up watching the Wonder Woman movie during a cross-country flight. To be honest, it wasn't exactly what I suspected. While it was a decent film, it didn't actually grasp my attention as I assumed it would. I still prefer the original Wonder Woman series over the latest movie, and yes, I'm still upset she doesn't have blue eyes!!**