Day 16- for a man who cooks



This meal was my Valentine's Day meal...yummy!

 Yummy! I am so thankful for my good man - who cooks! He is such an amazing cook. Today, after a long day at school, I come home to a yummy meal of grilled fish, seasoned to perfection, jasmine rice and peas. This meal is my favorite!

When David and I met, we laughed often at our reversed roles. In college and our early years of marriage, I hated to cook. So, David and I agreed that he would cook and I would clean up. After our first few years of married life, I quickly realized what a mess he makes when he cooks! Whew!

Though we share the cooking responsibilities a bit more equally now (he cooks during the week, I cook on  weekends and when I am out of school on breaks), I love that he cooks! I love my man!

Day 15 - another late post

I have decided that the weekends are almost too busy for my to post on my blog! On Sunday David and I worked on more yard work after church. David built a grape arbor. I had to laugh when one of the ladies at church commented that David "must be from Carolina" because everybody she knows in Carolina has a grape arbor. I sure do look forward to having some yummy grapes. Unfortunately, we have to wait until next summer.

We also hung David's bird feeders. Hannah and I bought him a new bird feeder for the backyard as a birthday present. We also planted a pink dogwood tree. Next we will plant our garden - I can hardly wait!

Today I am thankful for quality time spent with my man working in the yard! :)

Day 14 - posted late

Today I am thankful for yard work. I had so much fun working in my yard this weekend. I was busily cleaning my house on Saturday morning when I saw my dad come down my driveway on the blue tractor. I came outside to see what he was doing - he was clearing the brush out from my front yard. The land where we built our house used to be a field. There is a creek that serves as the boundary for the property. Over the years, it has become overgrown with brush - vines, briars, weeds, ivy. We started clearing the yard mid-morning. At 5:45 when we finally stopped, we had cleared off at least 20 more feet for the yard. David worked on pulling up the silt fence from the construction of the house. Thankfully the tractor was a tremendous help. Actually, rephrase that, my parents, especially my dad, were a tremendous help. Doing yard work was a great family activity and we had so much fun together, especially when I got to drive the tractor. :)

Day 13 - posted late

I love living in Richmond. When David and I were first married, he carried me off to Greensboro, NC. Though moving away from home was great for our marriage, I missed my city! When we moved back to Richmond just before Hannah turned a year old, I realized why I missed Richmond so much...I love seeing people I know while I am out and about running errands, dining out or shopping. Take last night for example...David, Hannah and I met Amy, Matt and Jack for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. While we were there, I saw 14 people, 11 of whom were former students. I really do like seeing my former "kids" - and often they are the ones who see me first and come up to speak to me.

Sometimes it drives David crazy when I see people I know, especially if he is in a hurry. When I know I need to accomplish a task quickly, I typically avoid Mechanicsville...haha.  I think that if I had started teaching school while we were living in Greensboro, I would not have been so homesick. When we lived in Greensboro, I hated going out because I never saw a familiar face. As a school teacher you not only teach a crew of kids each year, but you become involved with the community and your fellow teachers.  I am definitely a social person - I thrive on interacting with others. David, on the other hand, is my homebody.  We make quite the pair ;)

So, today I am thankful for my city - Richmond. Not only do I love the sights and sounds, but also the people who live here - my family, friends and students!

on the 12th day of thankfulness

When I was in high school, I worked as a courtesy clerk at Ukrop's. One of the company's core values was treating others as we personally liked to be treated. otherwise known as the Golden Rule. Supreme customer service was expected of employees 100% of the time. That foundation of respect for my fellow man had been instilled in me from the time I could walk and talk. My parents always expected be to respond to my elders politely as well as carry on polite conversation. Working at Ukrop's continued to remind me of my respectful values. Now when I am shopping, I have come to expect that same type of customer service. Though Ukrop's is now closed its doors, I am thankful for the values the company instilled in me as well as its other 1000+ associates.

Throughout college I kept returning to Ukrop's for seasonal work as a cashier. I could always count on my job during my breaks, so, when David and I moved back to Richmond, it was only natural for me to turn to Ukrop's for a job. As a full-time associate in HR, I worked as the education and training coordinator for new associates. I enjoyed teaching the core classes to new associates. Though there were many days spent sweating while setting up the Tarragon Room, the hard work paid off! When I taught those classes, I could tell I held the attention of the people in the room. When I realized I commanded their attention, my dream of being a teacher resurfaced. Thanks, Ukrop's, for reminding me of my dream. When I told Bobby Ukrop that I was leaving, he told me how proud he was of me for pursuing my dream. What a compliment to know that the president of such a great company was one of my biggest cheerleaders. :)

Day 11 - health

My paternal grandmother, Nana, lived to the ripe old age of 93. Save a few days when she had to stay in the nursing home for a quick rehab, she lived in her own house until the last few days of her life. My maternal grandmother, Grandma, is now 93 and lives on her own. I find it remarkable that these two strong, independent women, who were both widowed, continued to live life virtually uninterrupted with health issues. Often my little aches and pains are silenced when I remember there are so many in our world who daily suffer due to poor health. I am so thankful to be healthy! As I grow older, I hope I will continue to draw inspiration from my grandmothers and their good health.

Today, I am thankful for good health! Cheers!

Day 10 celebrating birthdays

Happy birthday, David! Today I am thankful for DAVID! Thank you, David, for loving me without question!

It's hard to believe sometimes that David and I have been together for almost 17 years...how time flies. Within three weeks of meeting David, I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. What an amazing ride it's been so far! I look forward to celebrating his birthdays for the rest of his life. :) I love you, baby.

Day 9 - on time!

Tomorrow is David's birthday, so today I am thankful for the union of his parents! Though I never met David's dad, his family has faithfully provided us with a better understanding of his strong character. David's mom did such a great job raising him - thank goodness I not only married a man of morals and values, but also a man who is unafraid to show his emotions.


Today I am thankful for the union of parents, especially parents married because of love.

day 8 - late

day 8  I am writing this blog on my droid so please forgive my errors.

Today I'm thankful for unexpected visits from friends. Over the last few weeks, I've had two unexpected visits from old, dear friends. I love the opportunity to show my friends my new house while spending time catching up on the events in their lives. I also love that I now live so close to my friends. I didn't realize just how much the 25 miles distance really impacted me before. Now I treasure the times that friends just drop by. There are many times people will see us in the yard and just stop by. I LOVE it!

Day 7 - posted a day late

Day 7 was a day spent full of thankfulness for my ability to read. Honestly, I was lost in a book almost half of the day. There are few things better than letting yourself become completely absorbed into a fantastic book. I have often thought that most things I need to know in life I read in a book....the Bible, romance novels, mysteries, non-fiction, children's books...just to name a few.

Recently the faculty at Atlee was asked to provide a title of our favorite book from high school or college. I loved so many books that I am not sure I can come up with one title.

I am currently reading a historical fiction, Broken Jewel, by David Robbins, a local Richmond author. Last weekend I finished (finally) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I have four other books on my coffee table waiting patiently for me. Two of the books were written by Bill Lohmann, another local author. I try to read daily, including the newspaper. I subscribe to Richmond Magazine, and I used to get the Rolling Stone. Though the Rolling Stone is a bit raunchy, the writing in unbelievably good.

6 days of thankfulness

Today is Friday! I hate to keep going on about the bad week I've had, but seriously, this week was rough. I am looking forward to the weekend and our warm weather. :) 

Today I am thankful for God's perfect timing - and His gentle reminders of our purpose. David, who has also had a rough week at work, receives a daily Bible verse on his phone. The following was his verse for today - I thought it was quite fitting for this week:
Colossians 3: 23-24
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

These verses were certainly the reminder that I needed today. Today I am thankful for God's perfect timing (and His sense of humor).

Day 5 of thankfulness

Wow! Another rough day - I guess God knew I needed to be reminded of my blessings when I started this blog. Let's hope that the next 25 days will be a little easier.

Today I am thankful for my student, Emily, who is the editor of my school newspaper. As an publications' adviser (yearbook and newspaper), I often teach students for four years. It has been a blessing to watch Emily mature from a shy student with little self-confidence, to a young lady who excels as a leader.

In the last issue of the paper, Emily wrote an article about the school superintendent's retirement (after interviewing him for 45 minutes before writing the article). Earlier this week I received an e-mail from Roberson congratulating Emily for her well-written article. Today we had a search committee meeting for the new superintendent. Emily attended this meeting both as an interested student and journalist. She participated in the forum and offered her opinion. For a young lady who was so shy, she has come a long way!

So, today I am thankful for Emily, my newspaper editor-in-chief.

Day 4

Today was one of those days - a day where you feel completely overwhelmed and the work just keeps coming.  So, though I said I was going to try to avoid writing about material objects, I am breaking that rule today.

Today I am thankful for my earrings. My earrings are long, dangly, sparkly, girly earrings. And, they match my sweater perfectly. I received several compliments today on my earrings and those compliments certainly helped me smile.  So, today I am thankful for my earrings.

Thankfulness - Day 3

Currently I am training for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k. Unfortunately, I am NOT in good shape. To remedy this problem, I am training for the 10k. Though I am not as faithful as I should be about training, I am certainly improving - and the ache in my legs and thighs prove it! :)

So, today I am thankful for good pain as it is a reminder of fitness and the ability I have to exercise.

Day 2 of thanks

Today I am thankful for sacrifice.

37 years ago today, the world lost a father, husband, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend.David's dad was killed in the line of duty as a police officer in Greensboro, NC after responding to a suspicious subject call. David was 8 days shy of turning a year old.

Over the 16+ years David and I have been together, Valentine's Day has come to mean something so much more than a Hallmark holiday. It is a day to remember the sacrifice one father gave to protect his community (and, in a greater sense, his family).

AGC - End of Watch - February 14, 1974
<3  Heaven gained another angel this day

Thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice on the cross - one day I will finally get to meet my father-in-law because of Your sacrifice for my sins.

30 days of Thanks

Ok, so I know that this month is definitely NOT November - traditionally the month during which we pause to be thankful - but, I have made the firm decision to find something for which I am thankful each day for the next thirty days. I hope to post every day, even if it is just a quick thought. Though I cannot predict what each day will bring, I hope to steer away from material items and instead focus on the things money can' t buy.

Today I am thankful for Sunday afternoon walks with my dad.

About a month ago I walked to my parent's house and found my dad working outside on the car. I convinced him to put on his tennis shoes so we could get some exercise. An hour later, we emerged from Grandma's woods after an adventure down memory lane. We started off walking through "the big pasture" and entered her woods near the wheat field. I could not believe the amount of ivy that had grown over the years in the woods. It covered the ground and trees and continued to ramble its way to the "Big Creek." There Dad stopped to tell stories of how he and Granddaddy used to drive the green farm truck on the road beside the creek. Now only snippets of the road remain. I found two old trashcans which raging flood waters had carried downstream, plastic bags hanging in tree branches marking previous flood waters, and tangled brush caught in the barbed wire.

Even with all of the mess (ivy, trash cans, plastic bags, brush and briars), his stories rang in my ears.

Now, each Sunday afternoon, we meet to walk - or complete some other task he deems necessary. Last week we washed and vacuumed my SUV.

I am thankful for times spent with him.