The Tooth Fairy

Now for the rest of the story...

So after all the commotion & drama on Wednesday with losing the tooth, we got a call that evening from the school -- one of the teachers had the after-school kids scrounging around the floor on their hands & knees until they found Isabel's missing tooth.
Isabel and her tooth were re-united yesterday. She was so excited and proud. She put it under her pillow as soon as she got home - she wasn't going to take ANY chances on losing that tooth again. In addition to the tooth, she also left this portrait of The Tooth Fairy under her pillow.

She was beyond thrilled this morning to find a Sacagawea dollar & a glittery note from The Tooth Fairy under her pillow. Now she's trying to decide what to do with her dollar. I tried to convince her to invest in real estate, but she said, "Daddy, I don't need to buy another house, because I'm always going to live here."

So cute, sweet and innocent.

I'm writing this all down because I'm going to want to remind her of this when she's a teenager.

How many times can you lose a tooth

Isabel has been waiting for a tooth to get loose. All of her friends have lost teeth; several teeth in fact.

When I noticed a loose one last night she was thrilled. She was supposed to be in bed but kept getting out of bed with stall tactics. Her intent was to stay up until Daddy got home from pottery to share the news. It worked and she was able to show him the wobbly tooth.

The next morning she couldn't wait for it to fall out. After a long explanation about how it could take a long time before it actually falls out...it fell out...today, in school, while she was walking down the hall.

Her teacher gave her a tooth necklace to hold the tooth and keep it safe until she got home. Unfortunately, the top of the necklace is not very tight.

She lost her tooth, AGAIN, in art class.

Her teacher, Ms. Bloom, wrote a note to the tooth fairy.

Another teacher, Ms. Mullinax, cut out a tooth-shaped replacement tooth and wrote a note on it for the Tooth Fairy. Isabel lost the cut out on the way home.

So Mommy cut out another one and tried to remember what Ms. Mullinax had written.

Isabel is finally convinced that this is sufficient for the tooth fairy. (I was afraid she was going to insist on getting it notarized)

To say she is estatic would be an understatement. The sides of the teeth next to the one that fell out have never been cleaner.

Etta Belle Zorries

Etta Belle's has reopened on the web! Please take a moment to visit Mary Anna's shop on Etsy. Etsy is an online marketplace for hand-crafted items!

Check it out: www.ettabellezorries.etsy.com

Tell your friends!

Wicked Itchy

A yankee friend of mine was telling me how she used to get hives when she was stressed and how they were wicked itchy. I missed most of the rest of her story because I fixated on "wicked itchy." It's fun to say. Go ahead, try it. I think it would make a good name for a heavy metal band.

I hope we elect a president who can:

• GRACEFULLY get us out of this debacle of a war in Iraq
• Repair the damage Bush has done to our country’s reputation around the world
• Help get the economy back on track
• Improve the quality and availability of healthcare and healthcare coverage for all Americans
• Get America to do its part in protecting the earth and its resources
• Restore our individual rights, freedoms and civil liberties that have been trodden upon in the name of Patriotism, Religion and Moral Values
• Properly pronounce the word NUCLEAR

I found one website that offers a side-by-side comparison of the candidates positions on the various issues, it is VoteUsa.org. It seems fairly objective but I'm not crazy about the format. Can anyone recommend another resource?

HILARIOUS: Hawaii Chair

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/2008/01/hawaii_chair.php

There's A Hole In My Sidewalk

CHAPTER 1
I walk down a street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost… I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes me forever to find a way out.

CHAPTER 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t belieive I am in the same place.
But, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

CHAPTER 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in… it’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

CHAPTER 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

CHAPTER 5
I walk down another street.

by Portia Nelson

Kiva & Pottery again

Have you heard of Kiva? Kiva is in the microlending business. I think it’s a great way for ordinary people to help others in a direct and meaningful, without a huge investment. Check it out.

Well it was back to pottery class this week. It's my first time taking the intermediate class. It's only been about 5-6 weeks since my last class but I almost felt like I was starting over. I couldn't even get my clay centered on the wheel! Boy, did I feel like a dummy.

I don't know what it is about this clay, I guess it's much more firm than the recycled clay I used for so long. I haven't quite figured out yet what I'm doing wrong. Maybe I'm not exerting enough pressure? Ron is a good teacher; he was very patient and helpful. I hope he doesn't demote me back to the beginning class. I did manage to make two medium-sized bowls.

It's a big class - 11 people, I think Ron said. I haven't met everyone yet but they seem like a great group. There are some very skilled potters in my class. I'm gonna try not to sit next to any of them.

Bush: One Year To Go

My Bush countdown calendar tells me that exactly one year from today, the new president of the US will begin his/her first day in office and Furious George will be OUT.

The anticipation is a bit like when I turned 15 and was counting down to the day that I could get my driver's license.

I just happened upon this webiste with Bush countdown merchandise (I'm convinced you can buy ANYTHING on the internet). I got a real kick out of the Fire Bush Hot Sauce:
http://www.bushslastday.com/collectibles.html?gclid=CNKehMeTiJECFRQYsgodvTD_Fw

Good bread, good meat...

Well, here's a tip on the good bread part anyway... It's a book called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I ran across it on Ron Philbeck's blog. Sounds like the perfect thing for me, cuz I love me some good bread. Mmmm Mmmm.

I didn't know good bread until I moved to Italy. I was hooked & could always pick up a loaf of awesome bread at any market. You just can't buy good bread here so I'm always on the lookout for tasty and easy bread recipes. I haven't tried it yet, but Ron said he's tried it and it was good.

Aunt Ruby

She was funny as hell, she was a hippie & a rebel, she was a connection to family and a great friend & Aunt. I will miss her.

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on ourhearts.
And we are never, ever the same....Unknown.

Fresh Fish

Scientists predict that there will be no more seafood by 2048 unless we change current (unsustainable) fishing methods. How to know what fish you should buy?

Blue Ocean Institute FishPhone - send a text to 30644 with the message FISH in all caps, followed by the name of the fish you want to know about, and it'll fire back sustainability info on that species.

Oceans Alive - download a pocket seafood selector and check its up-to-date list for the skinny on the most and least sustainable fish.

NRDC - mercury info and another pocket-sized seafood selector that focuses on mercury levels.

from IdealBites.com

Bogus POTUS

I ran across a long list of Bush nicknames that cracked me up. Here are my favorites:

Bogus POTUS
Chimpy McSmirkster
Dim Son
El Smirko
Furious George
Gee Duh
George WTF Bush
Little Lord Smirkelroy
Occupant
Smirky McHandjob
Unelected Pinhead

Dear Mr. President

by Pink, featuring the Indigo Girls

Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me.
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind.
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You'd never take a walk with me.
Would you?

Politics

I have been trying to follow both parties in the race to the White House but I have to admit I've been paying more attention to the democrats.

I think it’s going to be a fight to the finish for the Republican candidates. It could get ugly (or should I say uglier). I don’t like Huckabee or Romney (too self-righteous and too slick). Either McCain or Giuliani would be better than Bush if we had to have a Republican.

As for the Democrats, looks like that one’s going to be a close call too. At this point I like Clinton for the job.

The more I hear about Obama, the more I realize that he's not the stand-up guy he would have us believe:

• The shady business with his house (I think there’s even more to the story).
• He claimed he would have no lobbyists in his campaign but the guy RUNNING his campaign in New Hampshire is a pharmaceutical lobbyist.
• In the debate on Saturday he bragged about a measure that he helped create to bar politicians from accepting meals from lobbyists. However, the law allows lobbyists to buy meals & drinks for a politician as long as he/she is standing up. I understand you have to make baby steps to get something accomplished but come on...

He says he’s different from other politicians, but he tells half-truths about what he has accomplished, makes promises he doesn’t keep, and obviously is interested in whatever he can get out of this for himself. Sounds pretty much status quo to me.

And if I hear the term "agent of change" one more time, I'm going puke (although I do think it would be a good name for a rock band).

It doesn’t seem that Edwards has the momentum to win the nomination. He seems a little slick too. I think that $300 haircut may have done him in. Maybe he’s too pretty -- maybe the American people want an ugly president. I do think it was pretty crappy for Kerry to publicly endorse Obama after Kerry & Edwards ran together in the last election.

Whatever happens I hope the citizens of the U.S. go into the primary and the general election with their eyes wide open (unlike the last presidential election).

MAKE POTS NOT WAR

Ok, everyone loved my MAKE POTS NOT WAR t-shirts that I made for a few potter/pottery-lover friends of mine. Several people have asked where they can get one - so here it is: http://www.cafepress.com/makepots. Tell your friends. THANKS!

AACK... petroleum on my lips??

I just discovered that Chapstick is made out of petroleum. I didn't realize that I've been smearing petroleum on my lips all these years. Gross. Who knew? I guess if I'd thought about it, I coulda figured it out. Aside from the fact that petroleum is a non-renewable resource, petroleum is a probable human carcinogen.

I haven't tried either of them yet, but here are some natural alternatives:

• Chapstick has a couple of lip care products that are made from natural ingredients.
• EcoLips that makes organice lip care products (found this on Ideal Bites).

It makes me wonder how many other products I use daily that are made out of petroleum or petroleum by-products.

Who ya gonna vote for?

I've been listening to all of the news about the presidential race (or as Jon Stewart would call it, the Clusterf#@k to the White House) and it occurred to me that I should vote in the Republican primary. I doubt I'm the first person to think of this, but I think it's a great idea.

For the most part, I think I can take whichever Democratic candidate gets nominated, but there are a couple of Republican candidates that would likely make Alec Baldwin move to Canada, if nominated. So my idea is that we should all vote in the primary of the opposing party. Who is the guy or gal you'd least hate to see in the White House?

I'm a genius.

Oh wait, I'm sure there would be some smart-ass like Howard Stern who would start a "vote for the worst" campaign and we'd wind up with Sanjaya in the White House.

Dammit.

Anyway, if you're still undecided and you'd like to know where the candidates stand on environmental issues, here's a link to a website that will shed some light (from a CFB, of course) on the subject. http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/07/06/candidates/

Fun & Facts

Here are a few links to things that I have received that I thought were entertaining or informative that I wanted to share (click on each heading for a link to the related website).

ELFIGHT – from Laura; her stepbrother co-created and starred in this short movie about good elves gone bad (click on the image to view the movie).

JIBJAB – from Diann; the 2007 Jib Jab year-in-review.

UNWANTED GIFT CARDS – check it out for some ideas of what to do with them.

DOLPHINS FIRE CAM CAMERON – from Debi; you have to feel a little bit bad for Cam Cameron - he walked into a bad situation that got worse with the injuries. And you can't help feeling that all of the turnover is only making matters worse. But we've come to expect that a coach who goes 1-15 for the season is going to get his walking papers.

SPEED RACER - from Danny; see the trailer for the Speed Racer movie. What a kick. For nostalgia, if nothing else, I will definitely watch this flick (it has some pretty big name actors).

BLONDESTAR - I don't recall who sent this to me, but it is a crack-up. My apologies in advance to all my blonde friends (you have to watch it all the way to the end).

2008

Well, here it is... 2008 (I'll refrain from making some lame, old-guy comment about my perception of the passage of time).

Whether or not you are a person who likes to make NY resolutions, most of us have the urge to look back at what we've accomplished (or not) and to look ahead to what we might like to do in the coming year. It's just one of those mini-milestone moments (like birthdays), that inspire introspection.

They say that the unexamined life is not worth living, so go ahead, examine. If you're so inclined, here's a link to a horoscope website from Mary Anna: 2008 Horoscopes. Mine was pretty heavy, I'll have to ponder & meditate on it for a spell before I can become one with it.

Anyway, here are some of my random thoughts/goals for the coming year:

Pottery: Practice makes perfect. Well, I don't have THAT much free time, but I'd like to make a decent mug with a handle. I want to learn more about surface decoration; then I might like to try my hand at making a plate & a pitcher.

Music: It's been a while since I've stretched my musical legs - I'd like to explore some new artists, stations, venues, maybe even genres. I haven't been to the symphony in some time; I'd like to do that. Maybe even try out an opera.

Art: Take time to appreciate other forms of art (in addition to pottery & music).

Reading: I love to read, but somehow never seem to make the time these days. I have a pile of books on my bedside table that I've been intending to read. Would like to read those and more.

Work: Do something interesting at work. Shake things up this year.

Family: Take time to savor every possible moment with my family. Not that I don't treasure every moment with them now, but we can always do better. More adult time with Debi and more play time with the kids.

Food & Health: Debi and I have made a pretty good start at eating better and in general trying to be healthier. I'd like to continue that trend. I should drink more water (but not from plastic bottles).

Multi-media: We've been putting this off for so long, maybe if I put it in writing, it will embarrass me into finally doing it... we bought the hardware & software to digitize all of our home movies and photos, taught ourselves how to do it all and we still haven't done it yet. I would REALLY like to accomplish that this year.

Politics: Like Jen, I would like to see us elect a president who will govern with intelligence, dignity, patience, compassion and understanding. A tall order, but I've got my fingers crossed.

Football: I would like to see the Dolphins at least have a winning season next year. I desperately do not want the Patriots to win the Superbowl this year (or pretty much any year).

Here's to a good 2008 for us all!

RECYCLE YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE

It takes years for anything, even organic things like Christmas trees, to breakdown in a landfill. Tree recyclers turn trees into wood chips, which can be used to help prevent erosion on beaches and hiking trails.

Some municipalities handle the recycling - all you have to do is leave your tree at the curb. Below is a list of some local recycling programs or click here to find a recycling program in your area. If you can’t find information about a recycling program in your area, check with the company handles your garbage disposal and recycling.

HOW & WHERE
Mecklenburg County Foxhole Recycling Center 704-341-4962
17131 Lancaster Highway CHARLOTTE, NC 28277
Service limited to residents of MECKLENBURG COUNTY
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/LUESA/Solid+Waste/Recycling+Drop+Off+Centers/nmeck.htm

Curb It! Curbside Recycling Program 704-336-2673
CHARLOTTE, NC 28202
Service limited to residents of CHARLOTTE
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Solid+Waste/CurbIt/Recycling/Home.htm

Mecklenburg County Hickory Grove Recycling Center 704-535-3781
8007 Pence Road CHARLOTTE, NC 28202
Service limited to residents of MECKLENBURG COUNTY
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/LUESA/Solid+Waste/Recycling+Drop+Off+Centers/nmeck.htm

York County Drop-off Site 803-628-3195
Odgen Road ROCK HILL, SC 29730
SOUTH CAROLINA

City of Rock Hill Curbside Program 803-329-5539
ROCK HILL, SC 29731
Service limited to residents of ROCK HILL

YOU CAN RECYCLE ALMOST ANYTHING
So you got a new TV, computer, or cell phone for Christmas and need to get rid of the old one? Click here to find out how to recycle the old one and just about anything else!

inspired by an article on idealbite.com

PFC Lemberger, Holidays and Pottery

It's a gloomy Sunday. I'm happy for the rain (my big cypress trees really need it). I don't plan on doing anything today but watch football; it's been a busy few days and I'm ready for a rest.

We went to Parris Island for Tiffany's graduation from USMC boot camp. I'm glad we were able to go, it was great to see Tiff for the first time in months. She was so grown up in her uniform. We got to visit with Tiff and her fellow Marine, Brittany, for about 6 hours on Thursday (Family Day). Tiffany and Brittany seem like unlikely names for Marines, don't they? The night before graduation was sort of a free night for them, so Tiff bought about $20 of candy and chocolate. I guess when you've been deprived that long you want to make sure you don't run out.

Unfortunately, the graduation ceremony was held indoors due to rain so we didn't get to see the pass in review on the parade deck. It was a moving ceremony nonetheless. We're very proud of Tiffany and are impressed at her discipline, fortitude and ability to get the job done.

We had a gathering of the Smith family last night at Penny's house. It was part graduation/welcome home party for Tiffany and part holiday party. As usual, there was a constant roar of noise to accompany the low-grade chaos. It was great to see everyone, even if it was only for a short while. The kids were adorable of course.

Tiffany has worn her uniform EVERYWHERE since getting home. I guess it's true what they say, those Marines are PROUD. She got up early this morning and ran 3 miles. I told her I don't even want to drive 3 miles before 8am. Here’s a pic of PFC Lemberger at Parris Island:

My brother-in-law (from New Orleans) and his crew are coming for a short visit today. It will be good to see them and visit for a while.

I was very happy to finish my mom's home movies. It's been a huge project and has taken far too long. I've been working on it for about 2 years. YIKES. We had some computer issues which delayed things (in addition to the usual procrastination, I guess). I transferred all of her old VHS tapes to DVD. I catalogued all of the video, added menus and did some editing. Mom’s movies made 10 DVD’s, plus I gave her a movie of my Aunt Willie’s pictures. Definitely a big job. Glad it's finally done. I hope the next BIG video project we do will be our own home movies (which was the reason we got into this video thing to begin with). I made a little box to put the disc in. I cracked myself up with the box set thing. Here’s my label:

I've been a little out of sorts lately. Cranky maybe? Distracted? Not sure what to call it. Maybe it's the busy schedule, noise, chaos, driving, etc. Maybe its work related. Or maybe I'm missing pottery. I haven't thrown anything in weeks. My next class starts in about a month. I can't wait. I'll be taking Ron Philbeck's class for the first time.

I don't want the holiday to be over, but I'm anxious for Xmas to come. I'm like a little kid - I can't wait for Debi and the kids to open their gifts. Luckily, Debi has more will power than me, so when I suggested today that she open a gift or two, she was able to resist. If it were up to me, I'm sure we'd have no gifts to open on Xmas day. The most fun part OF COURSE is seeing the kids' excitement on Xmas morning. I'm sure I'll be posting pictures of that (if I have the presence of mind to take some pics).

Speaking of gifts, I've been pretty happy with our holiday projects. Most of the gifts we gave this year were handmade by us. I love the idea of handmade gifts. It's so much more personal and meaningful; I have really enjoyed the entire process. I've already started thinking about what we might do next year.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

Fruitcake

Fins Win!!

Pottery Hobbyist

In the course of posting a comment on Jen's blog I referred to myself as a pottery hobbyist.

I don't really like the sound of "pottery hobbyist," is there another name for what it is that I do with pottery? Junior potter? Potter-in-training? Potter apprentice? Hack? LOL.

Expectations

I was traveling at the time; I lived in airports and hotels. I had developed that jaded outlook on traveling that many frequent travelers have – avoiding eye contact (and thus conversation) with your fellow travelers because you don’t want to get drawn into a mind-numbingly boring conversation with someone whose passion in life is collecting vintage bottle caps.

After a long day of training at hotel in Arizona I went to the hotel bar for a beer. I was happy to see that the place was deserted and that the bartender was not one of those chatty types who wanted to play twenty questions. I could enjoy my novel in peace and quiet.

To my chagrin, a vintage bottle cap collector came in and sat down next to me and started yapping endlessly. I was about to escape to my room when an older couple came into the bar.

I noticed them immediately. They looked to be in their early sixties; very fit & energetic. I was somehow drawn to them. I found myself tuning the bottle cap collector out and watching this couple. I don’t make a habit of gawking at strangers, but they exuded an energy that was magnetic.

I KNEW these were the two happiest people in the world.

It was odd… how could I be so sure of something I had no way of knowing? There was no logic behind it, just a gut feeling. I couldn’t contain my curiosity – I had to talk to them.

Exactly how does one strike up a conversation with a couple in a bar without seeming like a weirdo? I couldn’t think of a good way, so I simply walked up and said something like: “Excuse me. I know this is going to sound strange, but I noticed you the minute you walked in and I couldn’t help feeling that that you are the two happiest people I have ever seen.”

They laughed. Not the nervous laugh of two people trying to pacify a lunatic, but an “oh, we get that all the time,” laugh. We introduced ourselves; their names were Jan and Dan.

They proceeded to tell their story. They’d been married to each other for 3 years. Both were married before and widowed. They’d led reasonably happy lives before meeting each other & neither was looking to get involved in a relationship when they met.

They met on an airplane. They had both stayed out late with friends the night before and were hoping to rest on the flight home. When Dan took the seat next to Jan, she cringed. She said to the stranger, “I hope you won’t think me rude, but I’m not feeling up to having a conversation and would like to just nap during the flight.” Relieved, Dan responded “Oh thank goodness, me too.”

That was the beginning of a conversation that lasted for the duration of the flight. As they gathered their things to disembark, Dan nervously asked Jan if they could meet again sometime. Jan agreed and they exchanged phone numbers.

By this time, a couple other people had joined us at the bar. Their story and their telling of it entranced everyone, including the bartender.

After several months of enjoying each other’s company as friends they realized they were madly in love and were married. During the short time that they’d been together they had many adventures and lived every day to its fullest.

Dan talked about how they accepted each other completely. Jan talked about the openness and genuine affection they shared. My original assessment was confirmed, they really were the happiest couple I’d ever met. I thought this was some powerful kind of magic. I asked them their secret for happiness.

Jan leaned back in her chair while she pondered the question. Finally with a far-away & thoughtful look, she said, “expectations will be the ruination of the world.”

Aside from my fascination with the word “ruination,” it had an immediate impact on me. The more I thought about it, the more truth and meaning I found in that one little statement. When I reviewed my life, I found that most of my disappointments came as a result of having unfair or unrealistic expectations of those around me. Jan and Dan were right… expectations will be the ruination of the world.

I also learned that it sometimes pays to talk to strangers when traveling.

Random acts of (coffee) kindness

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- A customer in a South Florida drive-through paid the bill for the customer behind him on Thursday, and the chain continued throughout the day.

Drivers at a Starbucks Coffee in Pompano Beach paid for drinks for the people behind them all day long.

"Your drink has been paid for by the driver in front of you," a Starbucks barista told a customer.

The barista said she had one woman convinced that they were on the TV show "Candid Camera."

It all started with one customer's gesture of paying it forward.

"I think it's awesome," one customer said. "Spreads a lot of Christmas cheer."

The manager at the Starbucks said the idea has made his work atmosphere cheerful all day.

"Every customer that comes through the drive-through has been smiling and saying, 'You made my day.'"

However, the chain of kindness started with anger. Arthur Rosenfeld said the man behind him at the drive-through on Thursday morning was honking and yelling at him. So Rosenfeld, a Tai-Chi master, responded with a bit of Zen.

"It wasn't an idea to pay anything forward, nor was it even a random act of kindness, it was a change of consciousness (to) take this negative and change it into something positive," he said.

Here's a link to the original article: http://www.knbc.com/news/14856317/detail.html

Why we do what we do

In the course of our careers, I’m sure that all of us have wondered whether or not we are making a difference… doing something important and meaningful. The answer is YES.

Most of our customers require nothing more from us other than the product or service that they are purchasing. Occasionally though, we encounter a customer who needs a little extra attention.

One of our Spa Coordinators, Whitney, encountered such a customer on Saturday. Whitney received a phone call from a customer (we’ll call her Mrs. Bailey) who wanted to schedule a day in the spa. To an inattentive person this might have seemed like an ordinary call, but Whitney knew there was something special about this customer.

Mrs. Bailey told Whitney that she is a fourth grade teacher and has a big parent/teacher event coming up and that she wants "to feel like a princess." Whitney asked questions and explained the available services to help the customer determine her itinerary for the day.

Mrs. Bailey opened up to Whitney and told her, with great sadness, that her husband of many years had recently passed away. Whitney listened with compassion and could tell that Mrs. Bailey was still grieving.

In the year since her husband’s passing, Mrs. Bailey had let herself go. She hadn’t noticed or cared until, shortly after Halloween, she overheard one of her pupils say that she looked like a witch. She realized it was time to shake things up.

Whitney asked what kind of budget she had planned for her makeover; she replied that she was not concerned with the price because "this was a present to herself that is long overdo." Whitney filled a whole sheet of paper with notes, from medical issues to how many inches her roots had grown out. Together they planned an entire day of pampering that included a Swedish massage with targeted stone therapy, a hydrating facial, brow/lip/chin waxing, lunch, and finally a designer cut and color.

Mrs. Bailey’s story had touched Whitney’s heart. She told her co-workers and her boss, Bill, about Mrs. Bailey. Bill made everyone aware that Mrs. Bailey was to be given the VIP treatment when she arrived as well as a special gift from the Spa.

Unfortunately, Whitney was not able to be here when Mrs. Bailey came for her treatments, but Jessica and the other Spa staff members took great care of her. At the end of her day of pampering, Mrs. Bailey commented that she was completely relaxed and satisfied. She said that it was a great experience and raved about how wonderfully Whitney and the others had treated her.

She loved her thoughtful gift and bought some meditation CD’s to help her maintain this newly achieved level of serenity. Before leaving she told Jessica that this was her first wedding anniversary since her husband’s passing; they would have been married 38 years. She said that she is going to return to the Spa every year on her anniversary for a special day of relaxation and meditation.

We’re not feeding starving children or rescuing wildlife from an oil spill, but the work we do is meaningful. We can make a difference when we listen and care.

Visit with Santa

Amelia's holiday masterpiece

Isabel's holiday masterpiece

Tom Petty at the Superbowl

Tom Petty is doing the half-time show at the Superbowl this year. How cool is that?

Click here to read the Rolling Stones interview with TP.

Click here to see the Youtube videos.

Artist

Santa at Glencairn Gardens

On Saturday we went to Glencairn Gardens where Santa read a couple of books to the crowd. He treated us to a reading of Rudolph (the book is longer than the classic TV special it seems) and Frosty. It was a beautiful day for stories in a park.

Coincidentally, we met up with the Wheless family. The kids had a great time; they especially enjoyed the cookies & hot chocolate. Santa was in good spirits and looked great, but he had a bit more of a southern drawl than I recall. I guess Santa's been spending time at his summer home in the South Pole.

On searching for higher meaning...

Sure, I have doubts about the path I'm on and the choices I've made, but it is what it is. A friend sent me this quote...

"Sit down on the pillow of your own good life and be still. Stop searching, demanding, aching, casting about."

Good advice I think.

Turtle at computer

Debi was reading Amelia her bedtime book, when Amelia saw this picture she shouted "turtle on a computer!"
It's kinda like my computer at work.

Sign of the times

Are you annoyed by signs with unnecessary quotation marks? If so, you will enjoy perusing some of the ridiculous stuff on this blog: http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/.

And I'm sure I'll go to hell for this one: http://crummychurchsigns.blogspot.com/

I'm no artist

I was drawing with the kids the other day and I drew some pots I'd like to make:
Yeah, yeah... I'm no artist. I know. But the kids thought they were artistic masterpieces.

I've never tried a pitcher, but if/when I do, this is what I'd like to make (coincidentally, it looks a lot like a pitcher that Debi and I bought in Ireland on our honeymoon). The mug I've kinda made, but haven't quite perfected; I'm not sure the form is one that really floats my boat though. The bowl is similiar to the last bowls I made (except for the surface decorantion); I really like the shape.

I also drew a wicked cool duck-dragon. The kids thought it was very funny. It wasn't supposed to be a duck-dragon and it wasn't supposed to be funny, but hey, I'll take a laugh anyway I can get it.

Why parents are sappy...

What started as a diversion has now become a family tradition. It was the first year that my wife and I were decorating the Christmas tree with our 2-year old daughter, Isabel. She was racing around the room in excitement, knocking things over and stepping on lights. We realized we needed to distract her, so I asked her to help me unpack our special ornaments. As we unwrapped each one, I told Isabel that ornament’s story. Surprisingly, she listened intently as I talked about the special memory associated with each one. She loved every ornament more than the one before. We finished decorating the tree then it was bedtime for Isabel. I gave her a hug & kiss and said goodnight and she went off to bed with Mommy. Halfway down the hall, she stopped, slipped her hand out of Debi’s and ran back to the living room. She stood on her tiptoes and gave me a kiss on the cheek and said “thank you for all my presents Daddy!”

Semper Fi

We just heard from my niece Tiffany, she is in Marine boot camp and doing quite well. She had a rough start but is definitely in the groove now. She’ll be graduating in about 3 weeks, so she will get to be home for Xmas! I’m very proud of her – boot camp is no walk in the park. It’s an experience that definitely puts you in touch with who you are (I bet a lot of people in rehab or therapy could benefit from a couple of months in boot camp).

Thanksgiving & Pickles

We had a great Thanksgiving at the Lemberger house. Val & Steve were there. Everyone contributed to the good eats and boy, were they good. It was the perfect low-key, peaceful holiday gathering. It was a good day for visiting, eating and football.

On Friday, Debi, Penny and I went to a bunch of arts/crafts sales in the area. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I was thinking it was going to be more about art and less about crafts. There were at least one or two potters at each sale and enough other art to make it interesting. It was a nice enough day - chilly (the kind of chilly that makes you really enjoy a cup of hot coffee) and a little hazy. It had an almost otherworldly feel. Although it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, it was still fun and a good way to pass a day with family.

Debi and I strong-armed one little old lady into buying one of Jen’s pots at Sandy’s sale. Well, we didn’t actually force her – she really wanted it but just needed some help rationalizing the purchase. We were happy to oblige.

I bought an old magazine about the opening of Disney World (1971) for Isabel, an old needlepoint picture of a turtle for Amelia (she’s big into turtles), and a jar of homemade chow chow for my momma.

Debi bought a jar of homemade pickles that she just keeps going on about. She says they’re just like her Mimi’s homemade pickles. After she got them home and tasted them, she told me that she had a feeling about the grandma who was selling the pickles. She just KNEW they were going to be good pickles. Well, I guess they were good pickles because she ate the entire jar in less than 24 hours. WOW. Good lord, she’s got a pickle addiction. She actually got the lady’s phone # so she could get another fix. Next thing you know, she’ll be buying pickles in dirty back rooms of bingo parlors from little old ladies across the county. If she gets too bad we’ll have to do an intervention and lock her up in a cucumber-free facility. I hope it doesn’t come to that.

Clayworks Holiday Sale

Joey's Birthday

A couple of weeks ago we helped our friend Joey celebrate his 40th birthday. The big 4-0. Jen actually put 40 candles on the cake; it was ablaze. It took Joey and 4 little girls to blow it out.

jeff martin tumblers

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=140737955

Here are the tumblers we bought at the CPF. Este Libre (aka, I am a book) is the one I picked; Debi picked the Namaste tumbler.

Este Libre is Spanish for Be Free

Namaste is an ancient Sanskrit blessing:
I honor the place in you where Spirit lives. I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Truth, of Light, of Peace; when you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, then we are One.

Sanskrit is one efficient language.

Marjorie Hawthorne plate

This is the plate we bought at CPF. Maybe someday Debi will let me use it.

Carolina Pottery Festival (CPF)

Debi and I went to CPF last weekend in Shelby with friends Valerie and Mary Anna. That is one big pottery festival -- I couldn't believe how many people there were (potters and customers). I saw a bunch of pots that inspired some thoughts about things I might like to try and there was such variety in the work I saw there.

Most of my favorites that I saw there are the potters I already know: Ron Philbeck, Julie Wiggins, Adrienne Dellinger, Corine Guseman & Hal Dedmond. In my opinion, Ron's booth should have gotten the 'best in show' award - it had great feng shui and flow, unlike many of the booths I tried to squeeze into.

A new favorite potter that I found is Jeff Martin (Boone). I bought one of his tumblers (I'll try to remember to post a picture later). His work was striking (sgraffito in black & white, with a small splash of red). Jeff's tumbler is my new favorite drinking vessel. Debi and Val bought tumblers too.

Debi bought a dinner plate from Marjorie Hawthorne (Gaffney). She came close to buying at least 3 other plates before we made it to Marjorie's booth. I'm glad she waited... when she showed me Marjorie's plate, I knew it was the plate for us. I think it's a nice plate, but I don't know for sure, because Debi hasn't let me use it yet.

I got to see Rust Pottery (Gastonia, Fred & Debbie Rust) again. They have this one glaze that I fell in love with the first time I saw it. Debbie said the glaze was called pussy willow (266 on a dark clay body). It's a sort of grayish brown with a silky smooth matte finish. Unfortunately, the only piece they had left with the pussy willow glaze was a large planter, so we didn't get anything from them. We'll definitely be looking for them at the sales this weekend.

Goodall Pottery (Charlotte, Babs & Greg Goodall) had some interesting pieces. Debi and I were both very curious about their trumpet flower hose guards. I thought they were funky, upside-down candleholders at first. Hose guards - who knew?? I also really liked Babs’ cowboy plates.

Valerie liked Ray Pottery’s (Seagrove) work a lot. Their glassy red glazes were very striking & made their work stand out quite a bit. She would have bought a piece but couldn't get close enough!

Tom Seelos (Marietta, GA) had some interesting carved pieces. A lot of luminary-type pots that were very intricately carved. Looks like it would be a lot of work.

Valerie liked Skunk Hollow Pottery’s (Campobello, SC, Arthur and Debbie Chapman) incense burners.

I enjoyed Center Point Clay Studio’s (Asheville, Kathie Kline) blue/brown glaze combination. They also had some nice big mugs.

Valerie bought a fun piece from Gardner’s Dirty Dog Pottery (Morganton, NC, Betty L. Gardner) for a gift.

We bought a sort of art deco cat sculpture for Isabel from Connie’s Clay Creations (Candler, NC, Connie Bennett). We bought Amelia a turtle at the Barn Sale, so we go the cat for Isabel. Both the turtle and the cat have both been repaired a couple of times. I actually made a back-up cat and turtle for when they are busted beyond repair.

Debi loved Hog Hill Pottery’s (Vale, NC, Scottie Fox & John H. Post) semi-circlular vase. I thought they were weird looking. But then again, vases are not really my thing. They had some kaleidoscopes that were way cool. I’ve loved kaleidoscopes since I was a kid; combining them with pottery is a winning combination for me. Their Angel candlesticks caught our eye too. You knew they were angels, but they were subtle.

Val bought a bird feeder from Anne B. Thompson. Anne’s mom really loved my “Make Pots, Not War” t-shirt. We chatted a bit while Val was making her purchase and decided that George Bush’s time would be better spent taking pottery classes and that we’d take up a collection for his tuition. Wishful thinking. I liked Anne’s logo:

It seems we saw a lot of potters who had horsehair raku pieces. It’s funny how you don’t see a particular form or style for a long time and then it seems to be everywhere.

Anyway, it was a good pottery day and a fun afternoon with some friends. Thanks a million to Jen & Joey for watching the kids!

A short book by Isabel

I’ve been trying to figure out what to submit for the “I am thankful for…” feature on my company’s intranet. Of course, I am thankful for my family, my health and that George Bush can’t run for re-election, but I wanted to submit something different… maybe a multi-media representation of the things in my life that are important, maybe something poetic or artsy, maybe something that tugs at the heartstrings or possibly something funny.

Saturday night, one of my beautiful little girls wrote a book. This is not Isabel’s first book; no, she is a prolific author. But this is my favorite book to date. She wrote this book completely unprompted; she was simply entertaining herself with some crayons and paper while the adults were talking. When she read the book to us, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

When you read my little girl’s book you will know what I am thankful for.

Halloween 2007

We love our kids and we love taking pictures of our kids. Below are just a few of our Halloween adventures. Click here to view more photos of the hallowed eve.

I'm not a big Halloween lover, but I can get into the spirit (pardon the pun) of things and we did have a fine time. Amelia wore her costumes (sans red sparkly boots) to dance class and I have to say that she really has the superhero stance down pat. Isabel was a fine Little Red Riding Hood.

The kids had a great time and we had quite the crowd of trick-or-treaters at our house. Thanks to Aunt Penny and Uncle Marky for manning the candy bowl while we went trick-or-treating.

It was a good time and a relatively uneventful night except that there was some nutbag on the street scaring people with a real chain saw.

Oh, the first picture is one of Amelia playing with my costume (our next president).

Halloween Masks

Having trouble pulling together a halloween costume at the last minute? Click here for some very scary masks that you can print from Forbes.com.