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Friday, April 29, 2011

Blessed to have known you.

April 28 the world lost an amazing person.
Kim and I were in high school together. We had a class with each other when I was a junior and she was a senior.
We were not that close, but she was hysterical. And always entertaining.

Kim was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 23 years old.
She fought a hard and courageous battle and impacted so, so many people with her story.

I'm just blessed to have known her.
Kimmie  (Kim Sibbach)

"May angels lead you in, hear you me my friends,
on sleepless roads the sleepless go, may angels lead you in.
So what would you think of us now? So lucky, so strong and
so proud. I never said thank you for that. Now I'll never have
the chance. May angels lead you in... "

Forever in our hearts Kim. We love you and are better people for knowing you.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Oprah did it again...

I've blogged about Oprah before... when she interviewed Portia de Rossi about her new book that talked about her intensely painful and physically debilitating eating disorder. Portia de Rossi did wonders for me during that interview... to read more about that go here: Thank you, Oprah.

**And Mama, because I know you're reading this... just print it out and read it another time. You'll thank me for it later... (It's about daddy...)**

And Dora, I know you're reading too... the ending may get to you.  :) But, I love you both.

I had DVR'ed an episode today and had no idea what it was about until I started watching it...
Charles "peanut" Tillman, a star quarter back for the Chicago Bears and his wife had a child 3 years ago who developed a heart condition that the only way to save the babys' life was a heart transplant. 400 miles away, another mother was losing a battle with her son who had developed a condition that was unknown. This mother decided to take her son off of life support and donated his heart. Her son's heart was what saved Tillman's daughter.

For anyone that really knows me, knows that my Dad had a liver transplant in 1988, I was 2 years old. My Dad had developed liver failure and the cause was unknown at the time (and still was when he passed away). The only option for a second chance of life was a transplant. Weeks later, prayers were answered and on January 24, 1988 Dad got a new liver. January 24th is my mom's birthday, and 3 days after mine. The years after the transplant were hard and difficult and he was in and out of the hospital because of complications. But because of someone else's loss, I was able to have my father in my life for 18 more years.
Without that, I wouldn't have known him the way that I did.

That was 23 years ago. Which seems impossible. 1, I can't believe I'm 25. but also because it just doesn't seem that long ago. I remember that time period. I remember living at my grandma's while my mom an Dad were in Richmond, VA at the hospital. I remember it. People and experts say that a person can't recall memories until a certain age... but I don't care what anyone tells me. I remember walking to the park with two neighbors while my mom and dad left to go to the hospital so I wouldn't see them leave.

Because someone else lost their life, my Dad gained his again. Of all of the things I've been given in the 25 years I've been on this earth, that has been the best gift of them all. The doctors said that the new liver would maybe last 7-10 years.
Guess what? It lasted for 18.
Dad passed away on December 23, 2006, a month shy of 19 years with that liver.
Because someone had chosen to be an organ donar, my Dad was able to see me grow up into an adult and got to see me graduate from high school and start to embark on a new journey in my life. He saw me go to 3 proms and sing at school and church. He came to the TEC weekend when I was a director for the HOOT and saw me go on my first date (not thrilled about it, but still). He got to see it. He was a huge part of my life and will always be, no matter what.

While he did get to see all of that, he won't get to see everything. He won't meet the man I'll marry, he won't walk me down the alise, he won't know his grandchildren, and he won't see me graduate (finally) from college.

That angers me. It's not fair that I was 20 years old when my dad died. And it's certainly not fair that he won't get to see everything I'm going to do in my life. But I've come a long way in the almost 5 years that he's been gone. I've been able to accept the things that he was able to see, and as much as it hurts and pains me that my wedding will be different than all of my other friends, I'm okay with it. It took 5 years to get to that point... And I still don't think it's fair, but that doesn't mean that I stop living my life because of it.

I've come so far in four and a half years. I'm 25, I'm in school learning to become a teacher which is truly my passion, I have the best friends a girl could ask for, and a slightly crazy but amazing nonetheless family that oddly enough, I wouldn't trade for the world. So many people have gotten me through the past few years, with out Cameron and Keri I'd hate to know where I'd be. Even though it didn't work between Cameron and I, he showed me how to live life. I was so afraid of life when I met him, he truly came into my life at the right time. And I'm sure my Dad had something to do with that.
He led me to other friends that I still have. He got me to see that I can control my life.

And I'll never be able to thank him enough for it.

I'll never be able to thank the person that lost their life to save my Dad.. but because of him or her, I was able to know my father.

So thank you Oprah, again, for making me realize how amazing my life has been. And how amazing this world and the people in it really are.

Monday, April 11, 2011

The after-Fest

For those of you lovely people that read the last entry... The store I'm working in this summer didn't open this weekend. (God Bless those contractors for not getting that job done... I was not ready to work during the middle of the Azalea Festival)

Speaking of the festival... I was successful at staying as far away from it as possible. And I only had a few enraged encounters with stupid tourists.... (From inside my car, of course).
One of the Gardens on the tour was in our neighborhood [naturally] so it was fun to navigate around all the crazies lookin' at those damn azaleas. And I had totally forgotten about this house on one of the streets that has a plant place... open to the public. Mom and I hadn't remembered that. But, it was a fun weekend with mom... That's really all I did was hang out with her. And let her spend money on me. :-D We may not be able to eat for the next few weeks, but my summer wardrobe is looking fabulous! (thanks mommy!)

I know I complain about the Azalea Festival... but it really is a good time. If you're into driving around and walking around someone else's yard and looking at pretty high school girls that are dressed in Antebellum Attire....
Okay, it's a fantastic time. I just didn't want to participate this year.
PLUS, I thought I was going to be working.

Instead, I hung out with my mom and watched "The Kennedy's" on TV every night. And it was fabulous. Oh, and we ate. A lot.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Azalea Festival Weekend

Any native of Wilmington, NC knows that the 2nd weekend of April means that you will lose your mind. Not because it's usually warm and nice weather... and that tourists have started coming out of the woodworks... but because of the Azalea Festival. Don't get me wrong, there's a ton of history and pride from our town for this festival. Most girls have a right of passage in becoming a woman by being chosen to be an Azalea Belle. This is what every girl, who's a native, and who also had a great connection to someone in the Garden Club longs for as a child as they watch the parade and see the Belles on the floats and in the beautiful gardens on the home tours. I know that's what I always thought.
"One day, I'll be on that float with the Queen."
For anyone wondering, I was on a float. About 50 floats away from the Queen. I got stuck with members of the hammerhead soccer team, their annoying mascot who made passes at me while in the costume, and two redneck beauty queens from the backwoods. But, being the Southern lady that I am, I sat there, parasol in hand, and waved to the crowd my rehearsed "Queen Wave" that Grandma Ann had been teaching me since I was about 4 years old. And I made my family proud.

This weekend, is the Azalea Festival. It's that time of year again... the time where Belles are everywhere, traffic sucks more than the Fourth of July (not an understatement), there are old couples lost on every street because they don't own a GPS and they can't find the next Garden on the tour, You can't get downtown because of the street fair-even though you want a funnel cake so bad that you'd risk anything (or anyone) for just a taste of that powder sugared doughy goodness....A time where Forest Hills (my neighborhood) gets so congested with traffic you can't leave your own house unless you take a bike or walk (and let's face it... that's never going to happen). A time where unless you reserve your parking place at the church a month in advance ($10- proceeds go to the mission trip) you'll end up missing the parade and kicking yourself for ignoring all of the fliers Emily put in the church bulletins and newsletters. Because now, you won't see the elephants parading down 3rd street, and you surely won't see the Queen.

Usually I run away from Wilmington during this time. Last year I was 3,000 miles away in the comfort of my own apartment with Cameron during the festival. The year before that I escaped to Asheboro because wouldn't you know it, 2 of the gardens on tour were ON MY STREET. I had no choice but to get out of there.

I would gladly stay in Lumberton this weekend.

But... I start my summer job this weekend.
My summer job that is in downtown Wilmington, on Front Street.
The job that is opening their newest store on Friday or Saturday.
Still not getting my point?
They're opening the store the weekend of AZALEA FESTIVAL.
Ok, I know I'm lucky to even have a job for the summer... but unless you've lived and breathed THE festival... you can't understand what this really means. If the store opens on time, scheduled for Saturday, that means my mother (bless her) will be driving me to work...Which most likely means that I'll be dropped off at the church and I'll be walking the rest of the way to work.

But, that's okay. Because I'll be at work. Earning Money. Which I desperately need. And downtown will be filled with tourists because of the festival. Which means more business for us.

Although I'm not sure how I'll be able to handle the smell of funnel cakes wafting through the air and into our store... Guess I'll have to just take some cash with me... At least enough for 5 or 6... ok, 10 funnel cakes. :-D

Aside from the craziness of "The Festival" I'm very excited for Saturday morning. I get to go to a baby shower for a WONDERFUL woman that I've known for 11 years. Traci was the director of the very first STW TEC weekend that I went to as a guest. I've always felt that Traci was a wonderful person, even back then. So I am very excited to celebrate her and her babies at the baby shower Saturday.
And yes, I said babies... as in twins... as in precious TWIN GIRLS!!!! Let's just say that I'm glad that my cousin Amanda is also pregnant, and also having twins.... because I'm not longer a Gap Kids manager, and I don't get the good discounts, ever. Amanda's twins aren't going to be as spoiled as Keller was. Which is probably a good thing... Plus, Keller was the first, and I was working at Gap Kids so I really had no choice. And I just couldn't be stopped. :)

So, in closing, I can't wait to see Traci! And I can't WAIT to eat a funnel cake... or 12.
No worries.... Tervis (Tervis Tumbler...for those who aren't educated in Southern-ness... read my other blog Get Educated)  will be close by and full of sweet tea, at all times. (Especially since it's going to be a hot one, so the weather channel says).

See what happened was...

Okay, so I was going through my phone the other day, deleting old emails, text messages and pictures that my phone took of itself or somehow I managed to take of my purse... And I came across a "Note" (aka sticky note application on the iPhone) and it read:
"Class of 2004 transcripts are not in the computer system."
I laughed. Then for the next 5 minutes I tried to remember why I had put that in a note.
Oh, that's right... It's dated August 11, 2010. 2 days before I was accepted to UNCP which means I was in the middle of fighting with New Hanover High School guidance system to get a copy of my transcript. Obviously, it all worked out... But the lovely lady (more like incredibly rude) in the guidance office told me that I would not be able to get a copy of my transcript because any transcripts before 2005 were not in the computer system.

Okay, I'm not ancient or over a hundred or anything, but for some reason this still offended me. Why 2005? What was so spectacular about that graduating class that you would start the new computer system with them? (And it was nothing really, I knew a bunch of those kids and '04 really was where it was at...). I know that it was just probably when they received the program. But it was all in the way the lady said it. Like 2004 was 30 years ago or something. It wasn't like my mom was asking for her high school transcript... Which, in case you were wondering, transcripts from her high school days are now kept at a satellite location downtown. (That info was on the transcript request form I had to fill out)

Anyway. I know I had done a blog before about the NOW Music tapes/cds/ 8 tracks... whatever. So I thought that this played along nicely. I'm not going to stop and post another new entry on what's going on in my life... perhaps most people reading this would actually care more about that than the fact that 2004 transcripts are just so old.

Friday, April 1, 2011

A weekend Adventure

Well, it's Friday and I'm in Lumberton... WHAT? I know, I'm usually sitting at dinner with mom by now on a "normal" Friday... but, alas, I'm going on a weekend adventure tomorrow!
Tomorrow I'm heading to Raleigh for the first leadership team meeting for STW TEC#42! I recently accepted the call to serve on another weekend. TEC is very near and dear to my heart... and I feel like I owe TEC my life. It's helped me through so many dark times in my life, and I've met some of (some of? no, they are...) AMAZING people because of TEC. So our first meeting is on Saturday so I'm headed there tomorrow morning. And I'm very excited to see some of the people that will be serving along with me... some of them I haven't

Then, after the meeting I'm heading to Asheboro to see Dora! Which I am VERY excited about!! I was able to pass through on my way back from Charlotte over the weekend of my birthday but I really haven't seen Dora since October! And we get to sit around and talk about teaching and education... boring? To you maybe!! But it's going to be a wonderfully entertaining night together.

AND... not to mention I'll be forcing her to take me to Sir Pizza for dinner. Okay, forcing is a bit much, I know... But seriously, you can't even begin to understand how amazing this food is until you've tasted it yourself. Believe me, I was once one of "Those" people. When I went with Cameron to meet his parents after we had been dating for a while, he took me there for lunch one day. And, I'm a pizza lover, but this has got crack in it, or something... it's just SOOO good. And their Sweet Tea?? FORGET IT!!!! Delicious. All around. And if you're lucky to have a leftover box (Cameron and I never did... but I get to this time I hope!) You have to make sure your name is on it in the house of the Potts. Or else the little brother (KENDALL) may get into it. Even though he'll swear he didn't do it, all while wearing a sneaky little smirk on his face. (That's when You calmly tell him you'll never do anything for him again-it works, trust me!)

I'm very excited to see who all is serving on TEC, excited to see Dora and talk the teacher talk, and even more excited for some ham and pineapple Sir Pizza and Sweet Tea!!!

And whatever you do.... and no matter what the person thinks that you are with (Cameron)... Don't you DARE forget that TO-GO cup of SWEET TEA!!!!