An amazing server made our night….
A spur of the moment decision took us to On the border. Well we were not sure what to expect with the restaurant being so slow, but we went for it anyway. There were a few brave souls on the patio, we opted for the dining room.
Shortly after getting our guacamole live I was freezing. For those of you who don’t know I’m always cold. Our wonderful server Heather suggested we move to a table in a section that had a fireplace. She started the gas fireplace just for us. Then she set the table closest to the fire for us. A short time later I was warm and cozy. Heather also demonstrated an outstanding knowledge of the menu and what was in each of the dishes. This was very impressive to me as I can’t eat pork. She knew what it was hiding in, and was ready with suggestions.
So perfect entrees ordered clear of food allergies, and a warm cozy place to sit. I was in heaven, or at least heaven on earth. Our entrees arrived exactly as ordered customizations and all. I was once again impressed. Why? It seems I’ve had issues at almost every place I’ve visited in the last few months. Even fast food places have been giving me grief.
When it was clear I was not going to finish my food Heather went and got to go boxes, even making some fresh tortillas for me to enjoy with my food at home. She went a step further and brought separate containers for my beans and rice. I was once again impressed. I did at one point speak to her manager Joe just to tell him how about the wonderful service she was providing.
I don’t talk to managers about average service but I have long ago made it a rule that outstanding or awful service will result in me having a conversation with your manager. I also tip accordingly, so yes Heather earned an nice tip for her outstanding service. I think we need a lot more attentive servers like her. She turned an average night out into the perfect date night.
Thank you Heather.
I’m saving that for ….
I was looking through a number of photos and items from my mom’s old house. My mother passed away a few years ago. Many of the items I found were still brand new in the packaging. She was always saving it for something special. Well I’ve decided that if I buy something for a special occasion that it had better have a date.
I have been a Flybaby that’s a follower of Flylady for over a decade. I have decluttered many times only to regather some but not all of what I rid myself of. So it is getting progressively better, but I gasped when I found a shirt I’d been saving that was ruined and it still had the tags on it.
Flylady teaches us that if you don’t love it don’t keep it, set it free to bless someone else. So I’ve decided to make that my focus with a twist. If I buy it have a date for which it is being used, if I can’t come up with a date or event don’t buy it.
I have heard tell of many stories where a loved one passes away and upon going through their things they find several that were never used. I don’t want to be that statistic. I don’t need an event to use a pretty teacup, any day can be made special if I’m wearing the shirt with the rhinestones. Is there a rule that says I can’t use a table cloth on a Thursday? Since I don’t think any of these are true I’m going to free myself up to use those special items or set them free to bless someone else.
A note about flylady. It is a whole life organizational system. It teaches you how to set your life up for success. It helps you break down even the largest of tasks into 15 minutes sized chunks and how to spend an extra two minutes to keep your bathroom clean. It wont tell you how to get rid of a stain, it will teach you how not to have a kitchen full of dirty dishes. It will let you have friends and family over even on the spur of the moment.
I could go on for pages explaining how Flylady has changed my life, but I won’t, at least not on this post. All I can say is I went from the worst housekeeper / manager ever to company ready on 5 minutes notice. No it didn’t happen overnight, but it did happen. Seriously give it a try, they even have tips for getting kids and how to keep their rooms from being the land of the lost.
Why I refuse to hide the fact that I’m a US Army Wife.
First let me state that in my unsolicited and semi informed opinion ISIS or ISIL (same group two names) is a terrorist group. Their goal is to create terror and chaos in the region and cause fear throughout the world. They post videos of their violence online for a number of reasons. Some of the most obvious reasons are: an attempt to influence the actions of the countries fighting against them, to recruit new members who aspire to such evil, lastly to terrorize everyone. They want us to cower and hide in fear.
This is the definition of terrorism from the online merriam-webster dictionary. “
ter·ror·ism
noun \ˈter-ər-ˌi-zəm\
: the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal
So ISIS wants us to be frightened. While I think there are lone wolf terrorists here in this country right now, I will NOT change my social media profiles! I will not hide the fact that I am married to a member of the US Army. I refuse the give them a victory over me. I will proudly hand out my business cards that proclaim I am an army wife. I will still wear shirts and hoodies that tell you about my spouse. I refuse to let ISIS terrorize me. I will admit that my husbands battalion motto has influenced my decision. Hearing the entire battalion of soldiers call out “No Fear, Sgt Major, No Fear.” is quite inspiring. If they are not showing fear as a spouse I will also show NO FEAR.
I have been both encouraged and criticized for this approach. I understand that each and every military family will have to make their own choices in the face of threats this group of evil doers have been making. I am not saying that my choice is the correct on for everyone, I’m saying I will follow my heart, and not let an army of evil doers, who are largely half a world away terrorize me.
“I didn’t want to bother you.” What it really means to me.
Okay as some of you know I have become a wheelchair user. I have noticed several things after this change occurred in my life. I was once a very active volunteer. First I was told that a handicapped accessible museum did not want or need wheelchair users as volunteers. So I thought about fighting this but decided to just move on and spend my time where I would be valued. So I moved on to try and volunteer with the FRG (Family Readiness Group).
I kept hearing the same refrain “I didn’t want to bother you with…”
This frustrated me beyond belief. If I’m reaching out offering my time you are not bothering me. I soon decided that “I didn’t want to bother you” actually translates to “I didn’t think you could do be of any use since you are in a wheelchair. That is very offensive. So for a while I just hid and ignored the world. Yes, I admit that was not the best idea, but I needed time to adjust to having wheels.
So after getting a new ultra light chair I found even more freedom and abilities. I decided it was time to get back out there. I moved forward with the knowledge that I would have to work 5 times as hard as my cohorts since they were walking. I had to prove I could make valuable contributions from my chair.
I set out to get any and all certifications I could so that I would be more valuable to the FRG. So far I have 5, a 6th will come soon. I have been welcomed by the new leadership of the FRG and made some wonderful new friends.
In short I’m saying don’t tell someone you didn’t want to bother them, if they are offering you help. It’s no bother they want to be included. Just because someone is a wheelchair user, don’t count them out, they know their own limits. They can probably do more than you think. If you think something is to difficult for them, ask don’t assume.
My husband will be deploying next year my biggest concern is how to get the trash can to the curb and back. Yep thats it, the trashcan. He knows his job I can take care of myself, the rest is just noise.
PDQ a company that does it right!
Like most Americans I eat more fast food than is responsible, but I recently found a new favorite. PDQ, I was blown away by the food, they make it all fresh, and the quality shows. The staff is friendly and outgoing and downright amazing. As if awesome chicken tenders weren’t enough, they are hands down the most wheelchair friendly business I have visited! No comparison, not even handicapped accessible hotel rooms are this easy to deal with.
I went in with my husband and found my favorite soda machine the Coke Freestyle (tm). As if getting my strawberry powerade zero fix wasn’t good enough when I pointed out that a person in a wheelchair would have difficulty reaching several items on the condiment bar the management went right to work to figure out how to solve the problem. I was back two days later and it was vastly improved. I was shocked that a company could or would react that quickly.
A few days later I was in the drive thru, I was amazed once again. There was no scratchy speaker the deal with! This was a hugely refreshing change. You pull up and place your order at a window with a real live human being. They eliminated the order confusion of the scratchy speaker box. They also have small menu’s to hand out at the window so everyone can read it instead of leaning over each other to read the sign.
I have food allergies and never need to worry here, they will customize anything for me. This includes their salad dressing! what a pleasant shock. Yes even their dressing is made fresh. How many restaurants, let alone “fast food” can say that?
Everything I have eaten from PDQ has been outstanding. They can even satisfy that craving for a turkey sandwich any time of year. Now burger devotes they don’t have any beef, but even my beef loving husband enjoys their chicken sandwiches and salads.
The only downside, if you can call it that is that they are not drive thru in 30 seconds or less, but you can’t cook chicken to order that fast anyway. Oh I almost forgot, you are not an order number here, the staff uses your name for your order.
Oh and before you ask they didn’t ask me to write this blog post, but I was so blown away I just had to tell everyone about this amazing place.
Vape vs Cigs
The debate over vaping or electronic cigarettes is raging. Those of you who don’t vape may have heard nothing. However I quit smoking after a few years due to vaping. Why did it help? I had something to puff on, it had fun flavors, I can get any level of nicotine (within reason) I want. I asked my husband what he thought of vaping vs smoking, keep in mind hubby is a non smoker. Here is his list:
- His clothes don’t smell like cigarettes
- He’s not kissing an ashtray
- Vape won’t burn holes in clothing or furniture
- We can stay in non-smoking hotel rooms
- He doesn’t see a cloud of smoke come out of my van when I open the door.
- He doesn’t hear me cough every morning
Okay so I agree with his thoughts I don’t want to go back to cigarettes. Okay I tried the e-cigs that look like cigarettes before I went to an actual vape store. I hated the cigalikes and knew there had to be something better out there. After three days of hating the cigalike I wandered into a local vape store. What did I find?
- Two knowledgeable ladies, Jennifer & Julie
- A pleasant smell
- Jennifer and her cohort Julie had the patience of saints.
- They answered all of my questions, I was there for almost two hours.
- Lots of fun colors and choices, all designed to guide me away from cigs.
- The store doesn’t allow anyone under 18 to enter.
I left with 1 battery that was good for 8-9 hours of vaping, a bottle or two of juice and something to hold the juice. All went well for a day or so then the battery died just when I needed it most. Well the lovely duo of Jennifer and Julie had tried to warn me of this and sell me two batteries, i thought I’d do okay. I was wrong. I ran back the vape store the very next day and got a whole second kit. That was about a year ago. Well my collection has continued to grow as you can see.
My Vape Box
I went so far as to give a good friend his own beginning vape setup. I’d rather smell like melons, snicker doodles, butterscotch, or mint than a cig. So I say give vape a chance…
If you bought something from a gas station and tell me you don’t like vape, I’ll tell you to visit a vape store before you decide anything. In fact visit two different vape stores.
The hardest lessons
I’ve found myself getting a crash course in showing not telling. I never realized how much of it I did. Well it’s all getting fixed now.
Before
A man wearing a custom-made shirt and expensive trousers walked through the living room, contemplating his new business venture. He knew that security should be increased but was hesitant to do it; he was reluctant to involve outsiders. He then strode down the hall and opened a door that gave the appearance of a closet. Once inside the empty closet, he flipped on a light switch, then opened the door at the back, which led to a tunnel. He walked through the well-lit tunnel, emerging in a large storage building.
After
Angelo paced in the living room as he contemplated the hazards of his new business venture. He paused a moment to fiddle with the gold cufflinks his custom made cotton shirt sported. The cuff links were one of the few things he treasured, a gift from his father on his graduation from university. The reinforced French cuffs this shirt held was the only way these golden orbs stood out out properly.
The second lesson I’m learning quickly is to include more of my characters internal thoughts and internal dialogue.
Before
Daphne Flowers sat in the back of the limousine as it turned onto West Executive Avenue. In her lap was a locked blue pouch that contained the presidential daily brief, or PDB. Daphne hated her overly feminine name and had insisted using only her call sign Jaye for her entire seventeen-year career in the Central Intelligence Agency.
After
She exited the vehicle holding up the blue pouch and showed it to Steve Phillips, the SAC or special agent in charge of the presidential security detail. Phillips walked over to her and said “Morning Jay, another day another briefing.” Jaye nodded and felt an inward sense of relief that he had not called her by her birth name Daphne Flowers was not a name for the head of the world’s most well known spy agency.
Well I’m glad this is getting fixed, it is making my novel stronger. My novel is being subjected to the fire of editing, hopefully for the last time.
Hickory tree, plaque at Freedom Memorial Park to commemorate N.C National Guard units – fayobserver.com: Local News
This WWII Vet is an amazing man, I wrote a blog about Edward Middleton’s story previously.
The plaque commemorating the troops of the 30th
I’ve decided to honor a WWII vet who is truly an amazing man. First let me say that I know this man personally. I have volunteered with him at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville North Carolina.
Ed was born in Baltimore Maryland in 1919. He grew up during the Great Depression. Ed was forced into the role of breadwinner at age 12. He took odd jobs delivering groceries and newspapers. He then went to work in a glass factory. He was drafted in 1940 at the age of 20. He was stationed at Logan Airport in Boston in an Air defense capacity. He then went to Ordinance school and received his commission as an officer in 1943. He was then assigned to the 30th infantry division known as “Old Hickory” and took part in the D-Day invasion. He then went on to Normandy, and the Battle of the Bulge, Mortain and St Lo. His part of the Battle of the Bulge took place in Ardennes-Alsace Offensive, near Malmedy, Belgium.
Upon returning from WWII he went to work for the Coast Guard as a civil service employee working under two Admirals. He worked for the coast guard for thirty plus years. He finally retired early late 1970’s or early 1980’s.
He and his wife ran a Bed & Breakfast in Luray VA, then moved to Thomasville GA setting up yet another Bed and Breakfast. After suffering some medical setbacks he and his wife moved to Fayetteville NC to be near his son Kirk in 2005. His son Kirk was working for the US Army as a contractor.
Ed is currently still active in his community. He is a member of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry and volunteers his time at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. Where he can be found in uniform most Fridays in the WWII section near the glider.
I had the honor of meeting this amazing man during my time as a volunteer at the museum. So this is one amazing man, who is still serving his country in his own way. I’d like to present him with a book of postcards thanking him for his service.
A Thank You Brings a Smile
Well for those of you who follow my blog you know I haven’t been writing, in fact I’ve been asking you to write postcards and send them to me. This past Saturday I was part of a very special ceremony. I wanted to thank a WWII Veteran. I started by asking fellow members of Soldiers Angels for postcards and then writing a blog about Edward Middleton a 94 year old WWII veteran. Well it seems my postcard book has made a splash.
Here is the link to the Army’s news feed, complete with photos.
WWII Vet Edward Middleton
I must first thank everyone who took time out of their lives to send me a postcard.
I must thank the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team (formerly the 30th Infantry Division) for their participation. SSG LeCompte, (and the other members whose names I’m sorry I don’t have) did an awesome job.
Last but not forgotten my husband Sgt Feinstein who helped me every step of the way.
I don’t do this for the recognition I just want to make a difference.
What is ahead
Well I’ve been very busy of late. Hence my lack of blog posts.
I’m almost ready to publish my book. I’m hard at work getting everything in place. I’m still on the fence as to wether I’m self publishing or going the agent route. I’m probably going the self publishing route for my first book, we’ll see after that.
I’ve got a ceremony for a WWII veteran coming up on January 11th.
The date has been changed numerous times due to circumstances beyond anyones control, there was the holidays, then the death of a local medal of honor recipient.
I’ve got a few other things I can’t blog about because some of the people involved follow my blog posts.
I’m working on finding just the right cover for my book, and what I hope is the final series of edits.
I found an editor I think will be fun to work with as far as plot lines. I have to also mention all of the hours my Dad has put into editing my novel. He’s awesome.