Happy Holidays! 
Well, Hanukkah and Christmas seemed to breeze right by, the "end of the world" passed us by and no word of zombie apocolypses (is that even a word? can you have more than one apocalypse). Anyway...we are getting ready to look into 2013; normally that is considered an unlucky number, but I'm sincerely hopeful that this New Year, will really be a "new year". I am hoping that there was some truth into the "rebirth" that many have been talking about with the expiration of the old Mayan calendar. What, with all the death and sorrow that has happened in our world in 2012, my greatest wish is that 2013, will bring a spiritual awakening to the human race.

As my family gets ready for some quiet reflection and preparation for the new year, I wish you and yours a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous 2013. Happy New Year!

Little things

You know, I started this
Blog Back in August and told myself I would make this a daily ritual. Then school, work and the daily grind got in the way. And here it is December 2012. Yeah, 2012 was a crappy year for my family. Between medical issues with my husband and having to put my 15 year old buddy (my cat) Sox to sleep, I thought nothing could get worse. But you see the light at the end of the tunnel, and there's always someone else that has has a worse day than you in this world. For us here in the States, it's been those affected by natural disasters and human tragedies this year.

Each time I heard about those worse off than me, I wished I had the means to just get in my car, with my dogs, and just provide whatever help I could, yet bills and job duties wouldn't let me. Then the unspeakable happened. Less than a week before one of my favorite holidays of the year, a young man barges into a school and took the lives of innocent children; Children who were getting ready for holiday parties, cookies, snowflakes and presents; holiday lights and happy times with brothers, sisters, moms and dads and other friends and family...
A neighbor in this small CT town erected wooden angels for each life taken, while a man and his dog handed out free hugs. Yet here in NC, we are well into our semester exam week, and as I greet my students this week, it's hard for me not to just break down, and help them realize that there's more to this life than tests; and every day we are given is a gift....not iPads or Wii's or the latest iPhone.

I leave you with this; something I was trying to wrap my brain and thoughts around when offered the opportunity to write a note to the Sandy Hook community.

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Look for me in Rainbows

Time for me to go now, I won't say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, way up in the sky.
In the morning sunrise when all the world is new,
Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you.

Time for me to leave you, I won't say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, high up in the sky.
In the evening sunset, when all the world is through,
Just look for me and love me, and I'll be close to you.

It won't be forever, the day will come and then
My loving arms will hold you, when we meet again.

Time for us to part now, we won't say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, shining in the sky.
Every waking moment, and all your whole life through
Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you.

Just wish me to be near you,
And I'll be there with you.

Music and lyrics: Conn Bernard (1990)

Concrete Floors' Adventure Part II

The All Important Sponge Roller

So here are some before photos of our hallway, and one of the major keys to the project: The sponge roller. This really allowed us to get a nice mottled finish on our floors. A big shout out to the Dibble Dabble Life Blog and Young House Love Blog, as some of our inspiration came from them to start this project we've been wanting to do a VERY LONG TIME! I was really surprised by how easy and inexpensive this project was. No that is not to get confused with the fact that it takes some time, but then again we decided to go and paint our walls while completing this project, since if we messed up the floor before we stained it didn't matter did it? We even have a full gallon of stain left - we didn't need but one gallon to do both the living area and the hallway - the can said it only covered 250 square feet, we found it was much more coverage than that. So if you know of anyone needing a gallon of Warm Shale Semi-Transparent stain from Behr, send them my way! The big thing you will use a large quantity of is the polyurethane - go with a water based polyurethane, because it dries quicker and it doesn't have the awful smell! I was proud to say our project was a very low VOC project as well. Off to try our next DIY: The brown paper bag floor.

The hallway pre-stain, but after exterior paint has been applied.

Still Staining! We are not quite finished with floor yet (have hallway to go), and I've been busy with back to school, so I've been a bit slack with updating my blog. Stay tuned though - we're almost finished!

Back in the 'Boro

Well after a very relaxing and first visit to NC's Southern Outer Banks, or SOBX as they are known, I've decided to shock myself back in the real-world by tearing out my carpets in our house! What a better way to get back "to the real world" then to completely uproot and move around furniture, tear out carpet, scrub floors, paint walls and stain concrete slab (oh yeah and we are laying flooring too-- eventually). Overall I have to say its been a good venture for us. Final project: to stain our concrete slab. We picked up the stain today at Home Depot after looking at many other options. I will post before and agrees on next post!

Free (or nearly free for all) in Beaufort

Well, after a week in Beaufort, we've made a list of all the free (or nearly free) things you can enjoy:
1. Walk the boardwalk
2. Enjoy a sunset
3. Visit Radio Island for a day at the beach
4. Window shop the local stores
5. Visit the NC Maritime Museum
6. Watch them build wooden boats
7. Take a boat ride to Rachel Cardon Estuarine Reserve and see the wild Banker Ponies (on certain days the volunteers run a ferry around the reserve and it's free but donations are accepted. For more info: http://www.nccoastalreserve.net/About-The-Reserve/Reserve-Sites/Rachel-Carson/58.aspx
8. Enjoy the live music on the boardwalk in front of Queen Anne's Revenge and Dock House.

Nearly free:
1. Rent a kayak from Beaufort Inlet Watersports ($10/hr or $60 full day) and explore Taylor's Creek and the surrounding areas
2. For a short drive (30 minutes), visit Cape Lookout National Seashore Visitor Center on Harker's Island and enjoy the drive to and from (also a great place to picnic)
3. For about $15 per person take a ferry to Cape Lookout lighthouse, Shackleford Banks or Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve
4. For the cost of a beverage, enjoy the locals at the Rhum Bar, Backstreet Pub or Royal James Cafe.

**with the exception of #5 and #7, these are even dog-friendly activities!

Beaufort really is America's Coolest Small Town

Having the opportunity to hang out in Beafourt (that's Bo-Fort), NC for a few days. This town definitely deserves all recognition of being a cool small town. Great location on Taylor's Creek with great views and an abundance of activities to enjoy! The weather has been fantastic thus far. We are off with "the girls" to enjoy a leisurely walk around town and see what kind of other neat things we can explore. Antiques shops, the Maritime Museum and people watching are just a few of the "no cost" activities we've enjoyed so far. Stay tuned for specifics....

Out on the Boat!

This summer I've been fortunate enough to travel to some pretty fantastic places during my summer break as an educator. As I'm writing this, I'm sitting here at UNCW at a teacher workshop sponsored by MBARI. We have had a jam packed week of learning the latest research in marine science and even had the opportunity to head out on the R/V Cape Fear. It's been a whirlwind, fantastic trip thus far. UNCW is a beautiful campus with so many opportunities to get in touch with the local ecosystem just by walking around. Millipedes, bullfrogs, birds abound in the pine scrub here on campus.

So I've been wanting to do this for awhile, and I kept putting it off until now. I love to journal, photograph, eat good food and enjoy a good beverage every once in awhile. And.....I love to travel and learn new things. I'm not afraid to take a risk now and then (I planned and executed my wedding and reception without a planner and survived!), and I also make mistakes (but hopefully I learn from them). All of this while still managing to pay the bills, going to work and deal with the daily grind. Life's too short however, not to enjoy the beauty around you! So as I share some of my "trips" to great places both far away and close to home, maybe you'll find something that triggers the wanderer in you. Enjoy!