June 9, 2009
· Filed under General
So…it has been MONTHS since my last blog post. I think several times a week about things I would love to blog about. We have been to the beach a couple of times, moved into the new house, my granny has been *very* sick, Phillip is playing football now, etc., etc., etc. So where are those posts? I guess they have just drifted away into space with so many other things that are on my daily to-do lists!
I have several topics that I am determined to write about in the coming weeks. Some are:
1. My weight loss with Weight Watchers
2. The Couch 2 5K Program
3. Signing up for my first 5K (scary)
4. Gadgets (since moving into the new house, we have finally unpacked the gifts from the last 3 Christmas and the gadgets that have been boxed up since Jonathan and I got married) – There are a lot of new products that I absolutely love!
5. Ovarian cancer and my granny
6. Jonathan’s first “real” garden — He is so proud!
7. The changes with the confection company
8. Dancing with the Lee County Stars (…can you believe I am going to be a dancer — that is crazy!)
9. The Lee County Farmer’s Market
10. Downtown summer events
11. Our beach trips, past and upcoming
12. Some new amazing recipes
And there are so many more! So, if you see me on the street or Facebook or anywhere else, remind me to write a little when I get home!!
January 6, 2009
· Filed under Confection Company, Family Stuff, General, Lists, Melissa's Wedding
I am not quite sure if I am getting old and my memory is starting to go or if this has been a pretty boring year. I have sat here racking my brain trying to think of all the great (and even not-so-great) things that happened with our family in 2008.
- Probably the most exciting and time-consuming event was my sister’s wedding. We love our new brother-in-law, niece, and nephew!! They are a great addition to our family.
- We were devastated when I lost my job over the summer, but felt so blessed when I found a new one a few months later.
- This is the first year probably in my entire life that I did not go to the beach. The last time we were there was Labor Day 2007, which feels like forever ago. That is why one of my resolutions is to slow down a little and take more time for ourselves — a beach trip will definitely be in our near future.
- The family Savannah trip – The only place we did get to visit this year was Savannah in mid March for my Granny’s 76th Birthday. It was one of the greatest trips ever! Savannah has long been a special place for Jonathan and me, but now it is special for my whole family. He wants to move there so bad he can hardly stand it!
- THE Driver’s Permit — In October, Phillip got his driver’s permit. That makes him a grown up now — didn’t you realize that? Me either! He is doing a great job, however.
- Jonathan left the fire department – After 20 years as a volunteer fireman, Jonathan hung up his turn-out gear for the last time this year. I think, more than anything, he just needed a break. I actually hope he will decide to return in a few years.
- The Confection Company grew tremendously — In this failing economy, 2008 was actually a really great year for the Confection Company. We added a lot of new products, did several new shows, and now have the excitement of moving! I predict that 2009 will hold even more surprises!
- Another year and no baby — This is probably the saddest part of my year for me personally. Each year around this time, my mom tells me that this will be “our year” and “it’s going to happen…I just know it will,” but each year she is wrong (usually just about this; she is usually right about everything else), but I am praying will all my heart that this will be the year she is right and we will find a way to bring a new little one into our lives.
- Since Jonathan and I have been together, we have had a difficult time finding a church where we can both be happy. A nice blend of the churches from our past. Little did we know that a church unlike any other we have ever attended would fit the bill! Brick City Community Church has been a blessing to us both and I hope 2009 will allow us the time and resources to become even more involved.
December 31, 2008
· Filed under Confection Company, Downtown Sanford/Lee County, Family Stuff, General, Restaurant Reviews
As you can tell, I have been on a bit of a hiatus from the blog…not intentional might I add! The Confection Company had a very successful Christmas season, and it really kept me busier than anticipated. So much has happened over the last couple of months – I’ll try to squeeze a lot of it into this one post.
- We are almost moved out of Shops of Steele Street and the transition into Added Accents and Cafe 121 is occurring over the next couple of days. We are very excited to have teamed up with two fabulous businesses!
- New website — Amy’s is getting a whole new look! A wonderful website designer is in the process of finishing up the new site and I will post as soon as it launches.
- Christmas – Christmas was wonderful! I could not have asked for anything better. I think all four of us really enjoyed the entire Christmas season (along with our extended family). Christmas Day, as usual, was a whirlwind, but it was great fun!
- Breakfast at Myra’s – Myra’s Kitchen has started opening for breakfast Monday through Saturday. I few weeks ago Jonathan and I were able to get by there on a Saturday morning to try it out, and I am so glad we did! Myra knows that I do not eat eggs and that I think most French Toast tastes like bread soaked in scrambled eggs — gross! So, she made me the most delicious egg-free French Toast ever, and it was stuffed with cream cheese and pecans and topped with whipped cream. IT.WAS.TO.DIE.FOR! Jonathan had eggs (still gross), bacon and sausage (I know…can you say I had a heart attack three years ago?), home fries with onions, and a biscuit. He also loved everything, especially the home fries!
- Honey Baked Ham Store – About 5+ years ago, I started a new Christmas tradition for my mom. I always buy her a Honey Baked Ham a few days before Christmas. Jonathan and I ventured to Cary the day before Christmas Eve and he was kind enough to wait in the line that stretched WAY out the door to get THE ham! And it was well worth the wait. It was the best Honey Baked Ham we have ever had. Everything about it was absolutely perfect!
- Handmade gifts – When my sister got married in August, she was blessed with two amazing stepchildren – twins no less, a boy and a girl (10 years old). Two of my favorite gifts this year came from my new niece and nephew – a hand-painted birdhouse and a handmade “baking lady” ornament. I love receiving handmade gifts and these are two I will always treasure.
- The magical amazing fabulous Jawhorse – For literally months, I have listened to Jonathan talk about wanting a Jawhorse. Every time a commercial would come on he would drool in silence as he stared at the screen. Not to mention the full infomercial — the whole world would have to stop for 30 minutes (it feels like hours) while he watched it AGAIN! I would remind him that it was the same commercial/infomercial that he had already watched 50 times, but he would watch it anyway. We had agreed to only buy each other small gifts (which ultimately did not exactly happen), so I did not buy the Jawhorse for him for Christmas. Fortunately, the after-Christmas elves at our house ordered him one a few days ago and it arrived this morning! I cannot wait until he gets home and can open it up and try it out! I really hope it is “everything” he hopes it will be and it does not disappoint!
- Speaking of those “small gifts,” I was so excited that Jonathan gave me a set of Paula Deen Cookware. This is what I have drooled over every time we go to Sams. He was very generous this year — I also got a huge painting from the Carpenter’s Shop that I have had my eye on for a while and several other wonderful gifts!
- Shopping the day after Christmas – I had not planned to shop the day after Christmas, but somehow my sister conned me into driving us both to Apex. I have not been to SuperTarget in Apex in probably 5 years. We usually need to go to several other places in Cary, so we always go there if we need to go to Target. Boy am I glad we went…I had no idea there were so many new stores – Old Navy, Kohls, Circuit City, Home Depot, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, and the list goes on and on. SuperTarget, in my opinion, was worse than WalMart the day after Thanksgiving. People were pushing and shoving and reaching and grabbing. It was crazy. After a while, I had to get out of the Christmas section. I just could not take anymore. Melissa, however, is another story. She thrives in that kind of environment. I planted myself in the automotive section down the aisle and she would bring her “finds” and put them in the cart. If there was something I liked, she would go back to wrestle some little old lady to get one for me also (not really, but it sounds more exciting that way)!
- My musician – Phillip started guitar lessons maybe 7 or 8 months ago (I cannot remember for sure) and has really developed a great talent. We bought him a new book of songs that we like (luckily he likes many of the same things we do) and he has been breezing through it, serenading me with songs that I love. I am so proud of him!
There are so many other things that I am sure I wanted to write about, but I have to get back in the kitchen…truffles are calling!
December 9, 2008
· Filed under Confection Company, Downtown Sanford/Lee County, Family Stuff, General
Note — I wrote this a week or so ago, but apparently forgot to publish it!
I have missed my blog over the past several weeks. I often have good intentions and think of several things a day that I would love to write about, but somehow I usually get caught up in something else and never find the time to do it. It has not helped that the power cord for our laptop has basically died and I do not think I can find a new one locally. Ordering one on-line has also been on my to-do list, but has been neglected!
Thanksgiving: It was AWESOME as usual!! My granny, mom, sister, and myself all cook way too much, and everything was extra-tasty this year. Jonathan fried his famous turkey and there were no leftovers, which was really disappointing! Phillip spent his first Thanksgiving ever with us. In past years I have always been just a little sad on Thanksgiving Day when he couldn’t be with us, but this year we were complete. He spent lunch with us and Brandon was with us for our “leftover supper.”
I feel like we have so much this year to be thankful for. We have a great family and wonderful friends. We finally found a new church home this year. The list could go on and on!
Open House: I haven’t really had time to write since open house. It was a great success. We had a great turnout and met a lot of great new customers. We passed out lots of samples of Mr. Amy’s dips and many of the other new Christmas products. I think I will probably try to also have a spring open house this year.
Christmas and the Confection Company: I think I pretty much run off of adrenaline from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Eve (with a little break and then back to the adrenaline to get me through Valentine’s Day). I spent most of the weekend stocking the shop and putting the final touches on some new recipes I have been working on. I’m excited about the Christmas season at the shop!
Black Friday: Practically every Friday after Thanksgiving of my adult life has been spent battling other crazed shoppers with my mom and sister. And we are not your casual Black Friday shoppers — we are hard core, doning walkie talkies, maps of Wal-Mart — you name it and we have probably done it! But this year, I just did not have it in me! Last week truly exhausted me…between filling customer orders and preparing my personal Thanksgiving dishes, I was so tired Friday morning. My mom called with my 3:30 a.m. wakeup call and I could not manage to pull myself from the warm covers. The thought of the cold night (or rather early morning) air was not as inviting as it has been to me in past years! Maybe part of it was knowing that we have decided to drastically cut the amount that we spedn this year and I have really been having a hard time figuring out what to buy for everyone — or maybe I was just feeling lazy. Either way, mom and Melissa had a great time and returned with two cars loaded to the brim!
Upcoming events: So much coming up, but more on this later!
October 23, 2008
· Filed under Cake, Downtown Sanford/Lee County, General, Restaurant Reviews
There has been a lot going on over the last month or so and just not enough time to blog about it!
The first thing I had all intentions of blogging about was the Sanford Second Century reveal party. It was amazing!! First of all, I love the new logo, and the poem that goes along with it literally made me cry as they read it. I honestly love being a Sanfordian (if you would have told me that when I was 15 I probably would have laughed in your face — I thought I was getting out of the town fast!) and think our downtown is morphing into a fabulous “destination!” Secondly, the band was fabulous — The Band of Oz out of Raleigh. I had heard of them, but really did not know a thing about them…we were really surprised! It was hands down the best concert I have ever heard in Depot Park. I can’t wait until they are performing in/near Sanford again!
Next came the CIS Gala. As usual, we had a great time. We served Carolina Cake Truffles, cheesecake bites, pecan tassies, lemon bars, and almond English toffee. I always love that evening because it gives us a chance to spend some time with a lot of our regular customers that I don’t always get to see in person. I also finally met fellow blogger Emily Page in person and really enjoyed chatting with her — I felt like I had known her forever!
One of the new additions to the gala this year was Myra’s Kitchen — and she was a rock star! She and Buddy served meatloaf (the best ever!), chicken and dumplins (which Jonathan said were to die for!), peach crisp (which I was sad I didn’t get to try, but I have had it in the restaurant and it is delicious), and one of my favorites — her cornbread muffins. We were set up within earshot of each other, so I heard a lot of “where are you located” and “I will definitely be eating there!”
This past Saturday was ARToberfest in downtown Sanford, which I think was a great success for its 2nd year — especially considering the weather. We had our first really cool day, and it was windy! The wind made for a long day, but overall it was great. We completely sold out of toffee and truffles, and I finally got to meet Lindsay from Anyone Hungry and her new hubbie! They are the cutest couple ever and so sweet! I was also excited to see Kim Pritt (who has to be the best Sanford resident ever — she is at everything!).
October 23, 2008
· Filed under General
NOTE: I apparently hit save instead of publish with this last week, so it is a little late!
I’m feeling older than ever today! There is a funny thing about being a step-mom (or at least the kind of step-mom that I am!)…there is a point where you actually forget that you did not birth those children — and that in some cases it would have been impossible. Jonathan is a a few several years older than I am. So, of course, his kids are older. After my divorce, I swore I would not date anyone with kids — especially older kids! All you hear are the horror stories of blended families, and I just did not feel like I could deal with that at that point in my life.
Funny how God had different plans for us! Little did I know that the most wonderful man would walk into my life with what?!?! Two.children?? Not one, but two. And not toddlers or preschoolers, but a 17 and 11 year old! My initial instinct was to run, not walk, do not pass go, do not collect $200…but get the heck out of there! Boy am I glad I can’t run very fast! Little did I know that those 2 boys would become 2 of the greatest blessings ever bestowed on me by God.
Unfortunately, with Brandon at age 17, I missed many of the milestones in his early life; however, I did get to experience graduation — which was a wonderful day! But with Phillip, so much changes from 11 to 15 (more than I ever really thought about or realized). He is not the same little boy he was when I met him. And I remember the day I met him quite vividly. We did not want to introduce me to Jonathan’s boys until we knew that our relationship was solid. Jonathan made a very big deal over the fact that Phillip may not warm up to me immediately, that he would probably be pretty quiet, and that he would probably be a little timid. Wrong! He was “on” from moment one. He talked and entertained me and made me laugh…he is still entertaining me and making me laugh to this day!
I am so proud of the young man he is becoming. I am so proud of the stepson he is to me. They both could have rejected me — especially him (considering he and I have always had to spend lots of time together while Jonathan is at work; therefore, putting me in a strong disciplinary position), but they accepted me with open arms, and I honestly do love them like they were my own. Over the past few months, he has started guitar lessons and found his singing voice, and he is becoming quite the musician. He is a “good guy” and that makes me happy!
In just a few short hours, he’ll be going to get his driver’s permit —AAAAHHH! I am so very nervous excited!
July 24, 2008
· Filed under General, Melissa's Wedding
Well, it seems like the last few months have been so busy and crazy that I cannot find any time to blog!! I have missed it terribly. So many of the things going on in my life right now are not things I thought I should put out to the rest of the world!!!
I have spent the last week and a half frantically looking for a new job. I have been a medical transcriptionist since 2001 and really thought I would probably do that forever; however, I am losing my largest contract on the 31st of this month because the doctor is going out of business. I have cried until I have no more tears to cry! Working from home has been such a blessing. Jonathan has no idea what it would be like for me to leave the house to go to work. I have been a work-from-home transcriptionist since we met.
I have a few offers – one is a pretty far drive, another is still a stay-at-home transcription job, but the pay is less than half what I make now and I really don’t have a great feeling about the company. I faxed an application yesterday for a job that I really, really want, but have heard nothing – so, of course, I have convinced myself it isn’t going to work out!!
I would love a new transcription job, but they are becoming harder and harder to find — much of our work is being sent to India and other offices/hospitals are using electronic medical records. So, at this point, I am just looking for a job!!!
On a brighter note, we are now down to less than a month before my sister’s wedding. We are all so excited. Each weekend is another “wedding event,” which so far have been lots of fun! This weekend is full of wedding activities.
Another exciting happening around here the last few weeks is that our “baby” started driver’s ed last week! He finishes the classroom portion tomorrow and then…they will let him behind the wheel for his on-road portion. He’s definitely not the little boy he was when Jonathan and I met!
Hopefully my next post will be titled “I got a job!!!!!”
May 3, 2008
· Filed under General
Sadly, Jonathan’s grandmother passed away Wednesday. She was 97 years old and had lived an interesting life. She buried her husband, 5 children, and 3 grandchildren (and numerous brothers and sisters) — amazing considering that some people never have that many kids to begin with. I cannot imagine the pain she felt through all of those losses. But at the same time, I love to think of who she probably was in her “glory days.”
Unfortunately, I never had a chance to know Mrs. Matthews. Her health had already begun to fail by the time Jonathan and I met, but I am sure she was a firecracker in her day, as she fought harder to live than any other person I can recall. Today, I watched her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even a great-great-grandchild say goodbye and could see the pain on each of their faces. She had fought a long, hard fight and I was very impressed and amazed!
This was Jonathan’s last living grandparent. I too only have one grandma left – my granny. I came into this world with 3 grandparents and 4 great-grandparents. All 7 of them were amazing. Luckily, I was old enough when each of them passed on to have memories of each of them. But my granny, oh, she is a different story. She may as well be my other mama. I adore her and every single thing about her. She can make me laugh and she can make me madder than just about anyone else!! In so many ways, I feel like I am so much like her and in so many other ways I strive to be like her.
We live within walking distance of one another and our driveway joins hers at the road. So, each and every day I pass by her house. Some days I stop. Some days I get her mail in. Many days I try to bring her lunch or supper. And EVERY day I talk to her once, twice, or even more on the phone. She almost panicked today when mom told her that she heard soon Sanford would have a “no cell phone while driving” policy. She exclaimed, “but that is when my Amy Lynne calls me — when she is driving every morning!!” Mom quickly assured her that I would still be able to call with a Bluetooth (that was quite a contraption to explain) (even though I really hate them!).
My sister and I were talking about her upcoming wedding yesterday and noticed that Granny will be the only grandparent either of them have also. In some way, she has always been “everyone’s grandma.” For as long as I can remember, our friends and boyfriends always called her Granny and they all loved her like their own.
So, for some reason, there is just something about grandmas. I don’t know when it happens. I don’t think it’s the moment they become a grandma or even when they reach a certain age, but thank goodness it does!
April 30, 2008
· Filed under General · Tagged Concert, Jimmy Buffett, Parrothead
Every summer since Jonathan and I have been together I have asked him if he wanted to get Jimmy Buffett tickets. Being the great husband that he is, he would always say “if you want them, of course I will go.” I could always tell he really did not want to go. My “parrothead time” is usually reserved for when I’m alone or Jonathan would give in while we were driving the Wrangler to the beach or lying by the pool. When I would give up and have my own “Buffettfest” with Jonathan around, he would joke about the stupid gestures or silly little additions to the song and how he just “didn’t get it.”
This has always amazed me, as I think Jonathan is the epitome of a Jimmy-Buffett-loving Parrothead. I will never forget the first time we met – he was driving a green Jeep and wearing khaki shorts with a white shirt and brown OP flip flops. He is one of the most laid-back people I know. I could not believe the words coming from his mouth when he said “I don’t really care for Jimmy Buffett.” What!?!
Well…I believe the tides have changed!!!!!! After doing a cake for a long-time friend’s son last weekend, she offered two tickets to last night’s Buffett’s concert. They would drive (so no huge gas price in that giant Tahoe!) and there was really no reason not to go!! He didn’t put up a huge fight, as I think he knew he really didn’t have a choice! So, finally – finally I had my chance to bring Jonathan over to the bright side!
We left Sanford around 1:30 and arrived in Charlotte before 4. A sea of Parrotheads had already invaded the parking lot at the Verizon Amphitheater and it was a welcoming site! We quickly unloaded the vehicle and began setting up our little section of paradise. Everyone had their choice of a hat – cheeseburgers, margaritas, parrots, sharks; but I don’t think Jonathan was quite ready for that! He chose to adorn his typical navy blue Tar Heels hat, but did finally give in and put on a lei.
He was excited that he finally got to use his fancy new stainless steel tailgating grill I gave him for our anniversary last year. So, he quickly made himself at home. He befriended our neighboring group due to the use of a grill lighter, and as soon as the food was cooked, he wanted to go exploring! He was looking at Tiki bars and lawn games that he would just have to have for next year. We hadn’t even made it in the front gates yet and I could already see some parrot feathers starting to form!
When the gates opened, we were the first ones through the door. We had the perfect lawn spot right in the center of the stage. With each passing song and each beachball hit, I could see it happening! My Parrothead was born!!!!!!! It took a little prodding to get him to do his “fins,” but he chimed in on most every song.
On our long walk to the parking lot, he told me he couldn’t wait to be back next year!! Mission accomplished!
April 24, 2008
· Filed under General
I am so, so swamped today, but I had to sit down just for a moment to write about this beautiful day. I think I have been a “beach baby” since the day I was born! Cold weather is just not my cup of tea. I start looking forward to the next summer as soon as the first day of fall begins!
This spring has been so disappointing for me…until today!! I know that we need the rain, and as someone who grew up on a farm, I am completely aware of drought and what it can do. With that said, I was getting really tired of the rainy, dreary days!!
But today…oh horray!! The sun is shining. I walked out on my back deck to make some deliveries and the birds were chirping — it was amazing!! I had to stand there for a moment (even though, as usual, I was running late!) and watch the squirrels and rabbits playing. It was as if they too were excited to see this georgeous spring day!!
