Life's a Beach, Part Deux

Yesterday's post was all about business at the Beach; today's is all about fun!

Before the event at the House of Blues, Sister and I explored Barefoot Landing. We didn't shop a lot, but sure enjoyed posing with this crazy bear at Teddy Town!

After the conference ended on Thursday, we went to the Hwy. 17 Tanger Outlet and shopped for a few hours. We finished about 5 p.m., which didn't leave much time to go to the Hyw. 501 Tanger Outlet, which closed at 7 p.m. Since it was such a beautiful day - nearly 70 degrees - we went back to the hotel and walked on the beach.

I LOVE looking for shells - it's like therapy for me. We searched the shore 'til the sun went down and found some great treasures.

And look at these neat bird tracks we saw! The picture doesn't do them justice. It was so cool.

The next morning, we got an early start, HOPING to get home early. We spent the first hour looking for a Starbucks. We finally found one inside a Target, and Sister was a happy camper.

We were fueled and ready for the Hwy. 501 Tanger Outlet. We got there at 11 a.m. and didn't leave until almost 5 p.m. Beth did better than I did, but we both really helped the local economy. Better than shopping, almost, was the fun we had on the kiddie rides there at the outlet!

After several stops on the way home, we finally made it back to Columbia around 10 p.m. We picked up the pooches from Momma and Papa Bone's house and headed home. We were so tired that we didn't unpack, but went straight to bed! Look how happy the dogs were to be back in their own beds!

The next day, we slept past lunchtime! When we finally unpacked, I was shocked to see our stash!

Another fun Sister Act adventure!

Life's A Beach

I'm just getting back from a few days at North Myrtle Beach for the Keep SC Beautiful Leadership Forum. I know going five days without a post was tough, so I thought I'd share some photos from the trip!

We stayed at the Avista Resort in North Myrtle Beach. Except for the parking being across the street in a very tight parking garage, it was a nice facility. This was the view from our room.

The Forum was lots of fun, too. This is my friend Carolyn from Dorchester County making a presentation on cigarette butt litter prevention. Great new haircut, Carolyn!

One of Richland County's Litter Control Officers, Florence E., received an award from the SC Litter Control Officers Association. Lt. Chris C., one of KMB's Advisory Board members, also spoke at that conference.

We had an awards presentation/dinner at the House of Blues. This is me with the Blues Brothers car!

This is the award that KMB won! It's the GOLD level, the highest level, of course!

After the presentation, there was a murder mystery! Sister actually participated by finding the first clue! Jackie and her husband were only one of four winners for the night!

It was a great conference, and I'm so glad we went!

Tomorrow, look for a posting on the "Sisters Shopping Adventure."

Oscar Gets One Right

I missed most of the Oscars last night - I was watching the Law and Order: Criminal Intent marathon on Bravo - but I was I ever relieved to see that Eddie Murphy DIDN'T get the Oscar.

I don't care how good he was in Dream Girls! The man who starred in Norbit and sang the 80's one-hit-wonder "Party All the Time" had no business even being nominated, much less winning.

Call me a snob, but I'm still trying to get over Jamie Foxx, aka In Living Color's Ugly Girl Wanda, getting one! Yes, that's him in the blonde wig!

More Great Quotes

...from my "Hey, Girlfriend" page-a-day calendar:

"If I'd observed all of the rules, I'd never have gotten anywhere." Marilyn Monroe

"I never stop to plan. I take things step by step." Mary McLeod Bethune

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." Coco Chanel

"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different." Coco Chanel

"A change of lipstick now and then is relished by the best of men." Anonymous

Going Back to My Roots Update

It's only been three weeks since I decided to try "going back to my roots." I think it's actually been about six or eight weeks since I've done color, though, and that is a long time in my world!

For those of you who don't see me every day and worry that I'm totally gray, you can see I'm not in this photo taken this weekend. But if you get close up, you can see some silver!

The day before this picture was taken, I saw an old friend of mine who commented on how much she liked my "highlights." I had to tell her to look closer - they were GRAY highlights!

So, it's not as bad as I thought, yet, and I haven't broken out the color yet, either. Wonder if I can last another three weeks? And will you even notice? (I know I will!)

Poppy the Miracle Dog

About 10 days ago, my friend Kayren called with bad news about her dog, Poppy. He had been diagnosed with a liver disorder and was virtually just given days to live! I e-mailed many of you and asked that you include Kayren and Poppy in your thoughts and prayers, and some of you have asked me how Poppy is doing!

I'm happy to report that Poppy has amazed Kayren and his vets by experiencing a miracle turnaround!

I was able to visit with both of them for an hour or so this weekend, and as you can see from these photos, Poppy looks great! We visited for a while in our cabin, and we could hardly contain Poppy - he wanted to get out and walk!!

Kayren reports that he's still on some meds, but that he appears to be out of the woods! She appreciates all of the e-mails, thoughts and prayers and is convinced all of the good vibes played a big part in his recovery!

If you want to e-mail Kayren and Poppy, you can contact them at
kayrentaylor@yahoo.com.

Personalized Kleenex

Okay, this is too cool! I LOVE having my Winnie on a Kleenex box!

You, too, can create your own Kleenex box!

Imagine the possibilities!

Higher Power, Higher Calling: TRUMC Sr. Hi Retreat

I know you've all been anxiously awaiting the post on the Senior High Retreat I help facilitate this weekend! The Reader's Digest version: I survived and even enjoyed it! Read on for more details!

Ten students (ninth-twelfth grade), TRUMC's Youth Ministries Director and I set out for Saluda, NC on this bus late Friday afternoon. (Luckily, I have not received TRUMC training to drive the bus, so I got to ride shotgun!) I got a quick introduction to the kids, one of who said, "Hey, we're dressed alike. I like the way you dress!" This was a good sign!

Jillian, TRUMC's Youth Director, and bus driver extraordinaire.

Another, Morgan, handed out valentines to everyone on the bus, and even had one for me! The valentine included a cool "Hello Kitty" tattoo, which I put on the next day. Morgan also ended up being one of the girls in my cabin, and she was very cool.

We stopped at The Beacon on the way up, and I survived the firing line! The Beacon has a few more options now, so I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, baked beans and unsweetened tea in this cool cup. Everyone else got the "a-plenty" option, which included a huge mountain of fries and onion rings. As some of you know, I haven't eaten a french fry in almost two years now. I didn't even miss them, but I stressed "a plenty" before we got there! By the way, the man on the cup is the one who actually took our order.


We arrived at Cabin Fever about 9 p.m. on Friday. My three cabin mates were Lacey, Georgeanne and Morgan. We were assigned to the High Top cabin. We had about 30 minutes to unpack and then went back down to the main cabin for the first session. Lights out at midnight, and was I ever ready!

High Top Cabin

The High Top Hotties

I was supposed to have my own room at High Top, but when we walked in, we saw that it was a loft. I think Georgeanne and Morgan thought it was really cool, but feigned concern for me to get it. Georgeanne said something to the affect that she knew her mom wouldn't want to have to climb up a ladder to go to bed, but quickly added that her mom was a lot older than me. I was actually more worried that I'd wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, forget I was in a loft and walk off the ledge, so I quickly gave up the loft!


This was my actual room at High Top. Aside from the cabin decor, it really doesn't look much different from my room at home. Messy and all.

And this was the living area. You can't tell it from this picture, but I started a MEAN fire Saturday afternoon that lasted all evening and kept us very warm!


Speaking of the weather, it was COLD! We got some snow flurries Saturday night and woke up to a dusting Sunday, but not enough to even crack somebody upside the head with a snowball!

This is the main cabin, where all of the sessions happened. What happens at the retreat stays at the retreat, but suffice it to say that it was thought-provoking and moving and a good time, too. The theme was Higher Power, Higher Calling. The Bible verse that we used as a theme was from 1 Timothy 4:12 "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

On the way home, we stopped at Fuddrucker's for lunch. I had a cheeseburger but again resisted the fries. (Even though I was tempted by a lone fry that ended up on my plate!) More tempting was the arcade that had Galaga. I talked one of the girls into playing with me and was amazed at how well I could still play after 20-something years! This is me with some Merlin fortune telling machine. I could only pose with him as I'd blown all of my quarters on Galaga!


We got home around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, and I quickly drove home and dove into bed for a long, late afternoon nap. But it was a great time, and I hope that I'm able to do more with the TRUMC youth in the future.

Make It Your Drink

Check it out: www.mystarbuckstshirt.com/


Beth got a shirt on her first try. It took me longer. You have to be at the Web site right at 1 p.m. They run out fast.


I can't wait to get mine!!!

I'm Doing WHAT? And Headache is Gone

If I haven't old you lately, I have a GREAT DOCTOR - Dr. WORD! He called in Imitrex this morning for my Valentine migraine. I left work after the Chamber Board meeting to pick it up from my favorite store, Walgreen's, and took one in the parking lot. By the time I got home and changed, I was out, and by the time I woke up about 5:30 p.m., the rest of my migraine was GONE! Hooray!

So, this weekend, I'm CHAPERONING a senior high retreat from my church. WHHHHAAAAAT, you might ask, especially if you heard about my last experience with senior high youth several years ago, albeit from another church. But this one if only a weekend retreat, a couple of hours away vs. several states, and we're doing self-discovery vs. hard labor. That AND we won't have one bathroom per 30 people. We're actually going to Saluda, NC and staying in cabins (what, I don't seem like a cabin girl), and it's supposed to snow. I'm looking forward to the entire trip, and promise to take plenty of pictures for the blog. Check back Sunday night to see how it actually turns out!

Oh, did I mention that I have a trump card? My best friend Kayren lives in Saluda, NC, and is only a cell phone call away! I have placed her "on call" for the weekend should I start getting "interrogated" like I did during the trip to Crank's Creek, Kentucky! Just kidding! (Kinda! Kayren, keep your phone ON!)

Next Best Thing V-Day Night

Since I had to miss the Billy Joel concert, I did the next best thing. Okay, well, about the fifth next best thing, but it was pretty good. I curled up with my favorite man - WINSTON - and watched Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Life is good, and my bubby is the best.

Got a GREAT idea for a bedside table for my "new" bedroom: a stack of three old suitcases, each smaller than the next. You know, Holly Golightly lived out of suitcases, and had a similar arrangement in her living room. Must start shopping Goodwill for old suitcases!

Starchicks Celebrate Valentine's Day

Fun, fun, fun Valetine's Day morning at Starbucks!

The Starchicks, dressed for Hearts Day. You can't see them, but Beth had on hot red pants!




I decided to celebrate the day in high style, and created personalized Conversation hearts for the Starchicks and friends. These are Roxanne's Conversation hearts. (You'll have to ask HER about Tahitian Treat!)

Roxanne made me pose for this. The rose is from Papa Starchick, who goes to work way to early to join us, and probably wouldn't anyway. Too many girls and stuff!

Speaking of Papa Starchick, Mama Starchick DID join us! She is hiding behind someone's jacket here because she was the only one not wearing pink or red! She also might be trying to hide the heart tattoo (temporary, of course) on her neck! Only when she left did she call and ask, "These tattoos DO come off, right?" She said later that night that it was hard to remove! (I'm sure her co-workers at Eastminster Presbyterian loved it! We also put one of her wrist that said DANGER!)


Sister's temp tattoo said "Stop! In the Name of Love." She flashed her palm all day.




Roxanne and I doing the Starchicks thing. LOVE Rox's new pseudo-Farrah Fawcett do! Makes me want to grow my locks out...

Honorary Starchick Bob and Starfriend Annie catch up. Thanks, Annie, for the Valentines nuts. As you saw, there are plenty of nuts at Starbucks!!

We didn't quite get enough pictures of the Starfriends! Thanks to everyone who came and made Valentine's Day special: Butch, Mama, Annie, Dolly, Aaron, Tracey, Chris and baby Ranier! Did I miss anyone??

The day was not without heartbreak, though, as the headache I started the day with turned in to a full-fledge migraine by noon. I went home and started taking double doses of my migraine meds. Unfortuately, I didn't get any relief until after 9 p.m. and ended up missing the Billy Joel concert. Very sad.