Rawson Circle Unplugged

Possibly one of the  7 wonders of the world Should be Rawson Circle. Let me define... Rawson Circle: A  true historical neigborhood within Albany,GA where no home is exactly alike and neither are the residents. Eclectic, diverse, and committed. Inovative, inspirational, friendly, Fun and fantastic!! Defined by historical signs that say "Garden District"  etc., this small community within Albany truly goes above and beyond to connect with one another. Sunday evenings are spend at Larry & Alan's house where we gather for great food, cordial conversation, beer crafting and good times. There are no words to capture this intimate group and the bonds we share. Some things are better caught than taught I suppose.
With all this said, we recently headed off to Savannah, GA to celebrate Alan's big 5-0!! More than 20 of us set out on this journey with excitement in our hearts!What really astounded me was the number of former Rawson Circle residents who had traveled from near & far to gather and celebrate with us again. (Once a RC resident-Always a RC resident!!) The weather was soggy but that didn't seem to put a damper on our fun!! We were all together and that's all that mattered! The first night we met up for a ghost tour. While many in the group snapped pics of vortex, orbs and other such things, I was happy to have a drink and a good laugh with so many wonderful people!! We went from place to place hearing about history and seeing the beautiful city on a very foggy and mystical night. At times we laughed so hard we cried and some of us even got shushed by the "serious" tour takers in the front of the group:) (Rowdies in the back!!) We ended the night at the Moon River Brewery for food in the basement since our group was so large. Food and laughter was interupted by Alan singing "Rose colored glasses" and several others  telling funny stories about different occurances within the hood. It was one of those moments in life where you look around the room and want to hit the "pause" button so as to take it all in. The joy and life amongst our group that night was contagious!!
The rain persisted quite heavily on day 2, but with umbrella in hand we headed out to tour this great Southern city. We walked for hours-stopping for coffee, shopping, mimosas, art, culture, architecture, and pretty much anything we wanted. I was able to secure some awesome Dean & Deluca candies and met up with the group for food & drinks. After such a long, soggy day, a nap was in order but Not before a great cheeseburger from Five Guys!! After a power nap, we headed back to meet with the group before heading to the Smiles piano bar. The walk to the piano bar was very wet, but once inside we discoverd  more fun than you could imagine. Several neigbors found themselves on stage to perform and we had our own VIP section right in the front. It was one of the best times I have ever known! Lots of singing and dancing and laughter. As the night wore on and fatigue set in, the group trickled out. The rain had finally stopped and we bebopped down the street with Five Guys burgers dancing in our heads. After ingesting burgers,cajun  fries and cokes we took a cab back to the hotel and dreamed of the day we would do it all over again.

Sunday morning was greeted with crystal clear skies and sunshine. Oh, how we hated to go home. One more great meal at the Public House, a few pics, several horsedrawn carriges, and a daydream later we were saying our goodbyes. I'm patiently waiting for the day we can do it all over again!!!

Ohio Revelries and Disco Ball Dreams

There is something truly Magical about the people in the midwest. Im speaking mainly on behalf of Ohioans, seeing that's where I'm from. But seriously, there are some really amazing, hard working, genuine people from Ohio!! I can remember saying as a teenager how I couldn't wait to get out of there, but the older I get, something pulls me home. I first moved away to Naples, Fl. It was a glorious 11 years but as we moved further North to GA I found myself traveling "Home" more often. And guess what? I really like it in Ohio!! Going back to Cincinnati and Columbus are thrilling times!! Our last trip was completely epic!! We took a road trip for Thanksgiving and stopped at a few places in Tenn. along the way. But Ohio...Home sweet HOME. Maybe it's the awesome scenery as you are driving down that big hill into Cincy from Ky over the bridge. Maybe its seeing a real city with all it's grandeur-The Reds Stadium, the Bengals stadium, the beautiful skyline. All I know is that each time I arrive my heart sings. Yes the weather stinks most of the year, but nobody ever moved to the Midwest for the weather anyway. It's the people, the culture, the sense of community, the feeling of belonging and the FOOD!! Oh the food. Cincy is a German town and if there is any lack in sunny skies, they make up for it in their endless selection of ways to Pig out!! On our recent trip we were able to visit my parents and brother who live in a rural community near Miami University (Miami Ohio). They took us to dinner in a revitalized section of Over-the-rhine at a place called NADA. Hands down one of the Best meals we have ever eaten and the venue was Fantastic!! We got to kick around at the Historic Findley Market and I fell in love all over again. Oh how I miss a true Urban life!!! A few days of fun and we were off to Columbus. Meeting up with Aaron's sister & brother-in-law was such a treat!! Just being able to hang out at a small music venue in Granville the first night was pure bliss. The next morning was Thanksgiving and Aaron & I ran the 5K Granville Turkey Trot! What a great race!! The whole town comes out to support! If they aren't running or walking, they are cheering! There is no lack of turkey, Indian, and other crazy costumes which is quite amusing!! Thanksgiving is a whirl of 2 different grandma's houses and LOTS of food!! The evening is spent laughing with family and discussing the disco ball in Grandpa Harry's sunroom! LOL!! Who has a disco ball in their house? Our family does!! :) It's just a perfect symbol for the fun we have when we get together!! The fun doesn't stop with the disco ball either! There's Black Friday shopping at Easton-one of the Best malls ever! This is followed by my nephew's 1st Birthday party. But the next day is OHIO STATE/michigan....me, Aaron and Brent bundle up and head out. It's snowing like crazy and as I'm standing around the fire at the tailgate with friends, O-H-I-O being chanted all around me, I find myself thanking God for bringing me back HOME

Moving Forward

Ever feel like you are in the twilight zone? Like you are somewhere between nowhere and no-mans-land? That's how Im feeling lately. Ever have that feeling like life is swirling all around you and you are in the eye of the storm where you can see the turbulance?  That's quite possibly where I am. Im in a strange place with familiar faces and activities yet my heart is pulling  me in other directions. It's an ucomfortable place because while it's calm right at this very moment, one step in either direction is sure to shake things up. I can see the swirling  clouds and the lightning all around me, but where I am the sun is still shining. Yet, oddly enough, I'm discontent. And with this strong feeling of discontentment I am compelled to move forward. I don't even know exactly where Im going but I am trusting God to lead the way and light my path. I have found myself here before and its familiar to me. It's a place that means that something extraordinary is about to unfold. I can just feel it in my heart. This feeling is much like giving birth. By 9 months you are definately ready for a change, but Not quite ready for labor & delivery. It's hard work and it's a road paved with pain and difficulty. But that day is inevitably approaching...It won't matter where you are or what is happening when the appointed time comes...

Looking Forward While Looking Around

I can Hardly believe it is 2013!! I'm a deep thinker- something that can get me into trouble. However, when I truly get quiet and reflect on my life, it's almost hard to imagine how much time has gone by!!My "babies" are teenagers and bigger than I. I often read posts or blogs about families with young children and I can't really relate. We started our family VERY early and while others were building careers we were building sandcastles at the beach with our two beautiful girls. Now, the tables have turned and I have truly realized that our children will only be at home for a few short years before bounding off to college. Sierra is 15 and has 3 years of High school left. Our youngest, Hannah, has 4 years ...That's NOT alot of time. Just coming to terms with how quickly the first 15 years have gone is mind boggling!! With all of this said, I realized that with much of our lives we spend SO much time focusing on the future that the present passes us by like lightning!! I hear people say things like, "I can't wait until I ...." We all do this, but this year I want to make sure that I'm looking around while I'm looking forward. We have so many great things happening each day but yet we often fail to see God's gift sitting right in front of us. Our eyes are set on the target and we fail to see the opportunity at hand. It's alot like driving a car-something we are attempting to teach Sierra to do....ANYWAY....You are always looking forward while driving, or atleast you should be. But at the same time, a good driver is always vigilant!! He/she is looking around, watching for other "bad" drivers, yielding to emergency vehicles, planning the route accordingly and Hopefully enjoying the scenery. I guess my goal is to Enjoy the scenery. Our life has been and will never cease to be an Amazing adventure. A beautiful roadtrip. The skies may not always be sunny, but I hope to make a conscience effort to see the beauty in each day.