HometownQuotes and Nashville… September 19, 2007

Several years in a row, Nashville has been selected as one of the hottest cities to relocate or open a business. I am so blessed to be in this amazing city, working for HometownQuotes, a company that is really making strides in its industry.

I just returned from a banquet where we received our latest award. Thought I’d share some photos from the past two awards receptions…Have a wonderful evening.

Music City Future 50 Banquet – Elaine, Hunter, me, Bob

Elaine and I at the Music City Future 50 Banquet

HometownQuotes Executives Accepting Best in Business Award from the Nashville
Business Journal

Ambrosha, me, Elaine revving up for the Best in Business Awards

The Salutiferous Effects of Home September 19, 2007

Salutiferous? Always on the quest to help folks expand their personal dictionaries, I feel I should let you figure out what salutiferous means…by yourself.

I’ll help you discover the definition of this scrumptious word by explaining that my previous trip home was just that…salutiferous. Because this trip home was a part of my working vacation, I still had to be available by phone, email, etc…I just didn’t have to be in the office.

Regardless, the trip was amazing. Here are a few reasons why…

• Home-cooked meals
• An incredibly reliable human alarm clock named Dad
• Girl time with Mom
• Father-daughter time with Dad
• It takes 7 minutes, maybe, to get to Wal-Mart and it’s on the other end of town
• It’s like laundry doesn’t exist
• The birds in the country sound better than they do in the city…who knows…
• $2.50 to watch a movie at the cinema
• 15 deer in my front yard/field
• Going to the only Mexican restaurant in town and seeing at least 8 people I went to school with
• Watching home movies, realizing my parents’ have the perfect blackmail videos for absolutely anything they would ever need them for…
• Sleeping in my own room
• Sleeping with windows open, falling asleep to the sound of crickets and coyotes howling in the distance
• Boating on Lusk Creek
• Working up a sweat on a hiking trail at Garden of the Gods
• and many more…

There’s nothing quite like going home. It brings peace, comfort and hope. Granted, times change and people change, but the healing, rejuvenating power of the familiar feelings conjured at home rarely disappear.

The melancholy mole story… June 26, 2007

 

Okay…some personal info…

During my visit to the dermatologist yesterday, I made sure he checked out some of my moles to be sure none of them were abnormal or needed to be investigated further. I have three on my chest. Two of them have always worried me more than the other one, but I definitely wanted a trained eye to diagnose them.

The most unsuspecting mole to me is the one that worried him them most…Apparently it’s darker in the middle than the other ones…so in three weeks I’m getting it biopsied. NOT looking forward, but I know it’s important to make sure everything is non-cancerous.

I’ve never had anything done like this before. Have you?

So that’s my melancholy mole story. This is not the end to the story – I still have to go through the biopsy. Hopefully that will bring good news, as well as an end to the story.

Anyway…just thought I’d share. Any suggestions? Comments?

Have a wonderful day.

The fruits of today’s labor… June 24, 2007

I just finished ironing my new curtains and arranged them around my window…yay! I have a new room! It’s amazing what a little color can do for you and your environment.

Today was great and very productive. I got up early…made some delicious scrambled eggs, turkey bacon and some blackberry jammed english muffins…then read a little bit. I went to the grocery store, then picked out these curtains at Linens ‘n Things. I splurged on a featherbed…!!! A girl’s gotta do that ocassionally, right?

This afternoon was spent with a wonderful friend. It’s always nice to have a spur of the moment visit from one of your favorite people. We updated each other on our lives’ happenings, sipped some sweet red wine…then called it an afternoon.

Tonight’s plans? Who knows? It will hopefully continue to be a productive day. There’s always something that needs to be done. Hope your day is productive too. Talk soon.

Wrangling with window treatments… June 24, 2007

Fortunately my room is decorated to my satisfaction…with the exception of my window…it’s incredibly drab on that side of the room. I’m on my way out the door to search for some curtains, curtain rod, tie-backs…all that stuff. I just hope I find everything I need in one trip. Who likes making more than one trip to the same store in one day?

I’ll be sure to post the “after” pictures…and photos of the apt. are on the way…
stay tuned.

Bernadette was BRILLIANT June 24, 2007

Bernadette Peters performed with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra tonight at the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall. Words can’t even describe how amazing this show was.

 

I’m amazed that I didn’t have to fly to New York to see her…or someone of her caliber…in a live stage show. This is one more reason I love Nashville. This city draws such an incredible assortment of entertainment…I’m so blessed to be here.

 

Every day I can’t help but think about how blessed I am. I’m blessed to live in a city composed of people that share my passion for music. I’m blessed to have amazing friends. I’m blessed to have the most loving parents in the world that always support everything I put my mind to. I’m blessed to have been given so many opportunities in high school and college that exposed me to the arts and gave me real world experience.

 

There are days when I get down in the dumps and realize I have a ridiculous student loan to pay off. I realize there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done that needs to be done. I wish I could have 10 more minutes of sleep. I wish I could always afford that cute dress that fits like a glove. The list could go on…

 

But then I realize how many things I’m thankful for…the many ways I’ve been blessed…I can’t even count them all…and everything else seems so miniscule.

 

Right now I’m thankful for the privilege of attending Bernadette’s performance tonight with one of my best friends. Bernadette’s performance of “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods brought me to tears. That song is so beautiful…and true…and worth leaving for you here…

 

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Careful the things you say
Children will listen
Careful the things you do
Children will see and learn
Children may not obey, but children will listen
Children will look to you for which way to turn
So learn what to be
Careful before you say “Listen to me”
Children will listen

Careful the wish you make
Wishes are children
Careful the path they take
Wishes come true, not free
Careful the spell you cast
Not just on children
Sometimes the spell may last
Past what you can see
And turn against you
Careful the tale you tell
That is the spell
Children will listen

How can you say to a child who’s in flight
“Don’t slip away and I won’t hold so tight”
What can you say that no matter how slight won’t be misunderstood
What do you leave to your child when you’re dead?
Only whatever you put in it’s head
Things that you’re mother and father had said
Which were left to them too

 

Careful what you say
Children will listen
Careful you do it too
Children will see
And learn, oh guide them that step away
Children will glisten
Tample with what is true
And children will turn
If just to be free
Careful before you say
“Listen to me”

Children will listen

 

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Thanks again, Bernadette, for a delightful performance. What a jewel. Thanks Nashville for being a portal for all musical genres…thank you for taking time to read this.

 

Have star-studded dreams. Night night.

 

So I never recapped. June 21, 2007

But now I am. My last post from was from Mother’s Day…this past weekend was Father’s Day…and the time with my parents was amazing. As usual. We found a great new hiking trail that I can’t wait to re-visit. Stones River Greenway. Never heard of it? Neither had I. But it’s definitely a serene place that is incredibly refreshing.

So I need to be more consistent with my blog postings…and I plan to be. I can’t guarantee they’ll be terribly amusing or entertaining or enlightening, just a little glimpse into my world and the way I see things.

My amazing roommate moved in within the past few weeks and we’re finally getting the place fixed up. Stay tuned for pictures of our place.

Until then. Be a rockstar. Night night.

PS: Promise to post again soon.

PSS: Please leave comments.

Happy Belated Mother’s Day… May 14, 2007

Per my previous post, I was home (in southern Illinois) for the weekend. I absolutely lose track of time when I’m home…and the time always goes by too fast. I’ll recap ASAP.

In Illinois for the weekend… May 12, 2007

There’s nothing better than waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and hearing sausage cracklin’ in the skillet. One of the many perks of being home with my parents.

It’s a beautiful, foggy morning in Illinois and the birds are chirping happily as I type this. They sound much better compared to the birds that perch outside of my apartment in Nashville. Those dang things are monotone…absolutely NO melody or variety to their chirping. They’re almost as annoying as my alarm clock!

Beyond the birds, it’s just swell to be at home with my parents – two amazing people that I’m so blessed to call Mom and Dad. They believe in me when I don’t believe in myself and are so so wise. I can only hope to one day be at least half as wise as they.

Well…the smell of bacon is wafting all the way down here to the basement…which means, breakfast is on table. Come and get it!

Have a beautiful day. I know I will.

Check out the effects of wearing high heels…AHHH! May 11, 2007