The Golfer's Special

Last week I had the pleasure of spending a long weekend at Myrtle Beach with Josh and his parent's. I like to call it my "trial run" for the week that is scheduled in July with the WHOLE family. Smile. I have to admit....I was a little nervous about spending four days with just the parents. But after just the first 5 minutes in the door of the condo.....I knew it was going to be a great time.

I can easily see where Josh gets most of his traits from while spending time with Pam and Bil (Josh's parents).

Bil is very easy going and loves to crack a wise remark when he can. But ever so the gentlemen, he is always making sure that everyone is taking care of. Very sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed our political conversations and how much better the world would be if he and I could just run it! Move over Obama! Ha! I have to admit....I am already missing our late nights in front of the TV watching the Fox channel (minus me snoring on the couch!) But of course...Bil also has other great talents too...so don't be fooled. I discovered that he can make a mean margarita, he's been known to crank out a few unique dance moves to "Brickhouse" and he also loves to stroll the beach for seashells (or at least that's what he told me he was doing on those long walks....smile).

Now, Josh's Mom is by far the glue in the family (don't tell Bil that or I won't get invited back!). She always made sure I was comfortable, well fed and well attended to (by her, Bil or Josh). You can't beat that service. Maybe I should start asking for that from my own family. Yeah right....who I am kidding! Pam was great to be around because she was always smiling and she is one of those individuals in life that just make you feel good. If she was not smocking for the next baby's outfit....you could catch her reading, napping on the beach...or talking to her sweet Jordan. I loved my time with Pam when Josh was not around. It allowed for us to talk about girl stuff and to really get to know each other. I loved those moments!

I have some fun memories of the weekend, but by far my two favorite are centered around food (shocker to anyone that knows me!). Two out of three mornings Josh and I were there, we ate breakfast at a local favorite, Akels. It has been around since 1975. Simple breakfast food, inexpensive and great service.

Well. I have to tell you on the first morning we ate at Akels, I was really hungry....REALLY hungry. So when I was looking at the menu, one of the specials caught my eye, 'The Golfer's Special'. Not that bad....three pancakes, three eggs and two sausage links. Well....clearly my eyes were bigger than my tummy! I could not finish the meal. But I NEVER heard the end of it from Bil for the rest of the vacation! That's ok...I will redeem myself in July! Ha!

My second favorite spot had to be Painter's Homemade Ice Cream. I made it clear very early on that I LOVE ice cream....so on our last night in town....we drove to one of the oldest homemade ice cream spots on the strip. Let me tell you....it was GOOOOOOD. I think when I go back in July, I made need to go a couple of times to test a few more flavors! Yum.

Overall the trip was great and for a girl trying to work her way into a super family....I feel privileged to have just had the opportunity to get some QT with Josh, Bil and Pam! Looking forward to Camp 52 in July and all that comes with it! Yikes?

JAR

p.s. Some information on the restaurants I mentioned above!

Akel's Family Restaurant
6429 N Kings HwyMyrtle Beach, SC 29572-3008
(843) 449-4815‎

Painters Homemade Ice Cream
2408 Highway 17 SNorth Myrtle Bch, SC 29582-4344
(843) 272-6934‎

2009 Susan G. Komen Race

As Josh and I got closer to the main fields where everyone was gathering, I could see more clearly the faces of the crowds of people. There were young, old, able, unable, black, white, skinny, fat, survivors, supporters of survivors, men, women, and everything in between. And it struck me that after all these years of doing this race (7 and counting) I never really stopped to take the time to appreciate all of the diversity in those that are affected by breast cancer. Or any cancer really.

The race was amazing, as I participated for the first time in the Raleigh region. Compared to the 10, 000 that I am used to in Winston-Salem, Raleigh had over 22,000 walk/run. Over 2 million dollars were raised and 1.7 of that is kept in the capital city. Usually in the past I typically go to the race and take in the experiences of the vendors and walk/run in the race and go home. This year I had very different experience.

Of course this year, I brought Josh with me and he was experiencing his first 5k and his first Komen Race.....so that was a lot of fun. But I personally did a lot of watching and "soaking" as I like to call it. As we would walk around the main vendors before the race, I actually watched the interactions of families, teams and supporters. I read t-shirts, watched as friends and families took pictures, I smiled as I would see a survivor walk by with a sign that said "survivor, 1 year or 20...." it did not matter. Survivor was all I needed to see. And when we walked the course, people were lined along the streets with banners and signs that had words of encouragement not only for the survivors, but for the walkers for fighting for a cure. One older woman sat on her porch all alone holding a sign that said," Survivor, 30 years and counting". She had to be a least 80 years old. I could not help but tear up and think of my grandmother. She was a 30 year survivor.

The whole race was exhilarating this time and perhaps it was the way I was supposed to have experienced it this time. You see, this year was my 7th year and I was beginning to get an "itch". Before the race, I was wondering if my time had run it's course for this cause. Because no one could walk with me this year in my family and because I had to go to a new city....I felt that there were too many "signs" that led me to believe that perhaps it was time for a change.

However nothing could be farther from the truth.

This race reinvigorated me as if I had just discovered this as my grandmother was slowly dying. The experiences that I had on Saturday were there for me to realize that I am needed more than ever to continue to help support the cause. I know that we still need to continue to raise awareness for funding, we still need to educate women for early detection and we need to keep fighting for coverage earlier. So I clearly see that my role is not over and my work is far from being over. What a gift I was given at the race, what a gift.

Perhaps the lesson for me, as with anything in life, is that every once in awhile it is healthy to stop and look at things from a different perspective. It allows me to clean out the cobwebs, shake up the creative juices and allow for the energies that once motivated me in the first place!

JAR

p.s. For more information on the Susan. G. Komen Foundation : http://www.komen.org/

Flying High

So if you have never had the experience of jumping out of the plane ....but always wanted to......but maybe never had the guts to do so.....I highly recommend that you try Indoor Skydiving first. Last week I had the opportunity to do just that with my co-workers on a staff retreat down in Raeford, NC (near Fort Bragg, NC). The experience to say the least was AWESOME! I literally had the chance to hover at 12o mph and experience floating and then "fly" at 160 mph. It was enough for me to be convinced that I indeed want to jump out of a plane (someday).

Perhaps I was meant to be in the Army or something....maybe my next career?

Regardless....I highly recommend the experience!

JAR

Change

Nothing in the world is permanent, and we're foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we're still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy.- W. Somerset Maugham

It's hard to believe that two years (this May) has already past since our family took our big trip across the big ocean. Mom emailed us all last week each day with memories from her journal. It was fun to reminisce about all of our fun adventures and think back to how quickly time flies. It was only yesterday that we boarded that long flight and took off for an 11 day whirlwind adventure to our home country Italy. Who would have thought we would have 1.) survived and 2.) had the pictures to prove we had the times of our lives. I can't help but smile when I think of our little inside jokes and stories that no one else will ever understand but the six of us. In a sense that was the last family trip we took before we our family started to grow and change forever!

While in Italy we had the chance to have a lot of "together time" while riding on the train and walking in the villages...so it was neat to catch up and really talk to each other. It was the first time in a long time that we had no real distractions and I rediscovered by siblings and parents. It was a real gift. I knew deep down that they truly had not changed and would never change at the heart of things....but that they would grow and move on in their lives. So for me, the trip was an opportunity to pause and appreciate each of them before they started their next journey's in life. At the time I probably did not appreciate the gift that had been given to me.....but I certainly appreciate it now. And for all those Italian meals where we sat around and talked and laughed....as the commercial says....priceless.

It's amazing to think in just two short years how much has already changed in our family. At the time of the trip, Joe and Kerry were not even engaged and now they are married. Lynn and Michael were just in the early stages of dating and now they are married. Mike had just graduated from ASU and was starting the MAP program at B of A and now he is a full-time associate. And me...well, I was hanging my hat up the School of the Arts and starting my job at the Broyhill Group. Now I am at Elon, I have my little guy Winston and I am dating a fabulous guy. Time flies and with a blink of an eye the world changes around us.

I am not so much worried anymore about changing....because I know it is the only thing that does occur for sure. I guess at times I just wish I could slow the pace down. However I do look forward to the times ahead and all the wonderful changes and transitions that our family will experience!

JAR