Charlotte's Gallery Bar Has Your Favorite Brand Of Scotch-Plus 39 More

Charlotte's Gallery Bar Has Your Favorite Brand Of Scotch-Plus 39 More

Still life in a our fire pit

Check out the impromptu still life I discovered frozen in our outdoor
firepit this morning. I swear there was no staging. Looks very Christmasy
doesn't it?

Mom quote

“To be successful when you’re sweeping you need to look at the floor, not the ceiling.”

 

 

Tiffany's Baby Shower

Click here to view this photo book larger

Smith Family Thanksgiving

Click here to view these pictures larger

Mugs

I asked my kids to pick my mug for coffee this morning and tell me whey they picked it.  Isabel chose a mug and said it was because the design looks like sea shells, which reminds her of when we go to the beach together and how much she really likes going to the beach with me.  It’s cool to see a pot through a kids eyes.

 

This guy is a genius...

http://www.livingthemap.com/Living_the_Map/Living_the_Map/Living_the_Map.html

 

And no doubt having a blast.  Wish I’d thought of it (15 years ago).

Change

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

          -Mahatma Gandi

Clinton and Gore, Together Again

A must read article.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/us/politics/06gore.html?hp

 

Wow.  I remember the promise of hope, the excitement, the disappointment, the anguish, the worry, the anger, and finally the disgust…

 

Interesting how events and emotions that seemed to fill our minds, the airwaves and every waking moment can be wrapped up in a well-written, one-page article.

 

Carbon Leaf

Debi and I saw Carbon Leaf last night at the Visulite Theater in Charlotte. It was one of the best live performances we’ve ever seen (and we’ve seen a few). We’ve been listening to their music for a couple of years now and both enjoy it immensely, although we’re still debating who “discovered” the band.

This was our first time seeing them live -- you know how some bands sounds great in the studio but then suck on stage? Not these guys, they were amazing. Their set (which went on for almost two hours) contained a good blend of old & new songs and they mixed it up a bit so that it wasn’t the same thing you’d hear on an album.

I might call their sound Celtic Rock, but each album has its own character and feel. If you look online, their albums might be classified as Folk, Alternative, Rock, Bluegrass, and Blues but trying to pigeon-hole these guys is focusing on the wrong thing, just enjoy the music.

Their talent is more than creating rhythmically catchy tunes with some studio magic. I find the lyrics refreshing but real; they evoke a shared imagery of having “been there.” The band, especially the lead singer Barry Privett, puts emotional content behind them - the composition is sublime.

You can find them on itunes or at www.carbonleaf.com.

Wild Kingdom...

We've seen an increase in wildlife around the old homestead lately.  In the past couple of weeks we've had bunnies in our backyard, a guinea bird in our front yard and today I found a 'possum outside in our recycle bin.  Crazy.

Self Expression Through Art

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BCXMq4B8VU

 

Maybe I should have had a hot pocket instead of taking pottery classes.  LOL.

 

(got this link from Ron Philbeck’s blog).

 

Amelia (a butterfly) in Hansel & Gretel

Mother's Day with the Joneses

Amelia's Puppy Party

Neighborrow

Doesn’t seem to have caught on just yet, but it’s an interesting concept.

http://neighborrow.com/

 

Kentucky Derby In The Mountains

Here are a few images from our weekend trip to the mountains to see the Races. The Lembergers were there too. The pretext for the get-together was to watch the Kentucky Derby (which we did). We had good food and drinks (some more than others) and we had a fine time. Amelia even picked the winner of the Derby, Mine That Bird. At 50:1, it's too bad we didn't put some money on that horse. If you're interested there are a few more photos of the weekend posted at http://www.oursmithhill.shutterfly.com/.

Went to a croquet tournament yesterday, hosted by Jason & Sarah Lane. It was quite warm early in the day, but with a spot of shade and an occasional breeze it turned out to be quite a nice day to be outside. The gin & tonic might’ve helped to relieve the heat of the day too.

This being my first croquet tournament, I had no idea what to expect. There were ladies with big hats, gentlemen with bow ties, and there was even a seersucker suit. The food was was delicious and the bar was well-stocked (did I mention the gin & tonics?). The croquet lawn was perfectly manicured and the court set.

All of the Lane's careful preparations were secondary to the rivalry. Would the Bradfords win for the 4th straight year? Could the participants conspire to keep them from the victory? The early rounds were civil at least, but the final was filled with adrenaline, trash-talking and debates over rules.

The reigning champs were out in the semi-final round. The final consisted of the Lanes, the other Bradfords and the Roberts. The Lanes got off to a strong start, then faltered and fell behind. The Bradfords were playing the strong & steady game, while the newcomer Roberts took an early lead. In the end, the Lanes made an incredible comeback but ultimately it would not be enough. The Roberts of Charlotte stole the victory and the right to wear the Pink Jacket and wield the Golden Mallet for the coming year.

It was a load of fun and great to visit with friends, old and new.

Below are a few of my favorite images from the event. Here is a link to all of the photos (all 193 of them) for those who are really interested… http://yorkcroquet2009.shutterfly.com/

Rock Hill School District Challenger Program

The Challenger after school program has been cut from the budget as of June 4, 2009. This program serves all children in the Rock Hill school district but Rosewood Elementary International School has one of the largest student enrollments. Without this program, parents will have to find alternative programs for their children. It’s a decision that will have a big impact on OUR community.

Here are some links to the Herald Reports:
http://www.heraldonline.com/front/story/1288708.html
http://www.heraldonline.com/front/story/1285235.html

How you can get involved: You can attend the District Board Meeting to voice your opinion.

The Rock Hill District Three Board meeting is Monday, April 27th at 6:00pm at the District office, located at 660 N. Anderson Road, Rock Hill, SC 29731. This meeting is open to the public. Business meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month, January through November, in the district office. Citizens are always welcome to attend, but for those who can't attend, a tape of the meeting is shown on Cable 18 at 6:00 p.m. on the first two Tuesdays and Thursdays following the meeting.

You can respond to the Herald poll at www.heraldonline.com. The Challenger poll is on the right side, about ½ way down the page. The question is “Should Rock Hill schools eliminate the Challenger after-school program as a cost-cutting measure?”

Please attend the meeting and voice your support of the Challenger Program. Don’t be afraid to share your opinion!!

Isabel's Art

The hand represents the people of the world, grasping for the secret to achieving happiness and equality. The squiggly lines represent the long and sometimes tangled history that each person brings to bear upon the world in which we live. And the circles represent the outside influences in the world, constantly tugging at our hearts and minds. The black and white symbolize man’s eternal struggle between good and evil. The purple represents the magical hope of a child that all people can come together and join hands in peace and unity.

Ok, so I just made that up – but that might be what she was thinking when she drew this.

Work

Funny how important the topic of work becomes when the economy is bad. In good times, we take them for granted, but now they are prized. I have a pal who has been out of work for about 5 months who was offered ( and accepted) a job today. In a perfect world it's probably not the perfect job but my pal is happy to have found one. Here's hoping that it turns out to be the perfect job and good luck to all my other pals who are still looking!

Horoscope

I don't often read my horoscope, but I just happened on today's. Wish I'd read it before leaving the house this morning. It said:

You may be working extra hard today, yet to no apparent avail. It's possible to become so discouraged that you even consider giving up. But this is not the best time to quit, for you are probably closer to the finish line than you realize. And once you cross it, others will acknowledge the valuable contributions you have made all along the way.

A tiny ray of light on the horizon...

http://obssqueeze.blogspot.com/2009/03/breaking-news-theres-good-news.html

Hope it sticks. Looks like the DOW is off to a good start this morning.

Letter to President Obama from the AH&LA

http://www.ahla.com/uploadedFiles/AHLA/government_affairs/Letters/AHLA_Letter_to_President_Obama_3-09.pdf

Send Rush a message

I got an email from the DNC saying that they're going to put up a billboard in Rush Limbaugh's hometown in response to his comments that he wants our President to fail. They are solicting ideas for slogans for the billboard.

Here are a couple off the top of my head:
Don’t RUSH to judge; give our country a chance.
Don’t RUSH to hate; give hope a chance.
Ring around the rosie… Rush says we ALL fall down.
Suck it Limbaugh!

Here's the link if you'd like to share your suggestions:
http://www.democrats.org/rushbillboard

Frosty

Snow Day

Our Snowman

Smile!

Mad Science Night was a BLAST!

Cotton Candy

President Obama

A new president... it's been a long time coming. I am hopeful that we can come together as a nation in a spirit of bipartisanship, commitment and service to put our country back on track.

I haven't really had a chance to absorb the content of his speech, would like to read it again later when I have time. I've been curious about, but haven't heard much about President Obama's speechwriter, then I found this. Interesting.

Anyway, here's the inaugural speech.

Full transcript as prepared for delivery of President Barack Obama's inaugural remarks on Jan. 20, 2009, at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.

They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Fun in the snow...

There wasn't much of it, but the kids were so excited to see the snow this morning.

And then it all melted.