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Thursday, November 19th, 2009

This story is not Sanford.

The story of Shaniya Davis is tragic.  It is disgusting.  It is scary.  It is many things.

It is NOT Sanford.  Everyone I know is just as shocked as me that this happened here.  I am heartbroken for many reasons about this story, not the least of which is the fact that this town I love, my adopted home, has entered the national spotlight for this, of all things.  Those of you watching on CNN, on Nancy Grace, on other national news stations don’t see what I see.

I see a place that has so many wonderful people that they were turning away volunteers for the search.  The people of this town wanted to bring that little girl home to her family, one way or another.  There were many, like me, who couldn’t handle the actual search and offered other help.  They even had to turn away those types of volunteers.

I was at the park with a friend the afternoon she was found.  I needed to get out of this house and the park seemed like a good place to be.  There, the other moms were just as horrified as we were by the news.  Sickened, shocked, and scared.

Now that I’m a few days removed from this, I see that I have no reason to be scared.  This was the result of fantastically horrible parenting.  Someone who was obviously in over their head, who didn’t realize the profound gift that motherhood is.  While I’m certainly not Mother of the Year, I think it’s safe to say that there is no way I would ever sell my child into prostitution to support my drug habit.  (Obviously this is all alleged at this point, but it sounds like they have a good reason to charge her with that.)  Lee County isn’t some hotbed of child prostitution or human trafficking.  This was a result of the actions of a few bad people.  I will certainly continue to be vigilant but I refuse to live in fear.

And I have hope.  Because in the midst of this terrible story, I’m reminded that for every one bad person there are many, many more good people.  People who are just as horrified by this as I am.  People who feel this overwhelming need to DO something to fix this even though they don’t know what that something is.  People who are heartbroken for and cried real, painful tears about this little girl they’d never met.

I feel like I need to reassure myself and everyone else that Sanford is a beautiful town.  Not necessarily because of the scenery (though there are some beautiful places here!), but because of the people.  Please don’t let this one story color your opinion of us.  We are not the Shaniya Davis story.  We are so much more.

Posted in News/Current Events, Sanford | 3 Comments »

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Election Day

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Posted in Politics/Government, Sanford | No Comments »

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

Helping Hand Clinic

Today I’m typing with a sore arm, and I’m grateful for it!  I have the Helping Hand Clinic here in Sanford to thank for this soreness.  A couple of months ago, I found a mole on the back of my upper arm that fit almost all of the definitions for suspicious.  It was Asymmetrical, the Borders weren’t clearly defined, the Color wasn’t uniform, and though it wasn’t large, it’s Diameter grew after I first noticed it, so it was Evolving.  Having a grandmother who died of melanoma and having already had a mole removed that had some abnormal cells in it, I am a little paranoid.  Some women are diligent about doing self breast exams, I’m diligent about mole patrol.  (Though I’m now becoming more diligent about the SBEs, too.)

I tried to sit back and watch it, knowing that we don’t have insurance and couldn’t afford to have it removed right now.  I didn’t say anything to anyone, but it continued to grow and change and I knew I needed to have it checked.  A friend had sent me the information about Helping Hand several months ago in case I needed it.  And then my husband came home and told me that he’d heard about a woman who’d had a melanoma removed for free through the clinic.  He had no idea I was concerned about this mole, so it seemed like God was nudging me to call them and see if they could help.

They referred me to Sanford Dermatology and I had it removed Thursday.  Biopsy results to come, but I feel strangely confident that everything will be fine.  I cannot say enough good things about the clinic or Sanford Dermatology.  I am so grateful to them for the service they provide to people who are in a bad situation.  I am hopeful that one day I can pay them back for the treatment I received.  In the meantime, if you have the means, please consider sending them a donation so that they can continue to provide help for people who are uninsured.

Posted in Health, Sanford | No Comments »

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

Saturday Morning in Sanford

My husband had phone duty at the real estate office this morning, so I was left home alone with 3 kids who have tried my last nerve all week long. I knew that someone was going to come out of it scarred if I didn’t get out of the house this morning, so we loaded up in the minivan and headed downtown.

My first stop was the Farmer’s Market. Unfortunately, they’d already sold pretty much everything. Good for the farmers, bad for us! So then I decided to walk up to Added Accents and see if Amy had any goodies available.  Their new store looks great, and I was super excited to find that they have bECO Baby Carriers!  I’ve been wanting one for a very long time, so as soon as I have $140, I’m going to go get one.  I did have money for some chocograhams, so I let each of the boys pick out a treat and got myself one, too.  There were also several boxes of cake truffles, but I resisted the urge. (Sorry, Amy!)

Then I got the bright idea to hit the library since we were already downtown…anything to kill time.  The kids were all behaving well so I thought we’d push our luck just a bit and see how things went.  Unfortunately the library is closed this weekend, which is apparently the worst.thing.ever. to a dramatic 6 year old boy.  I swear, you’d think someone had just shot his dog!  I was disappointed, but it certainly didn’t warrant the reaction he had.  At that point, I decided it was time to just go home.

It was sort of disappointing in that there were no fresh veggies left and that we couldn’t get any books, but it was nice to have a morning out of the house, knowing that I can manage them all myself while we’re out and about.  Next week maybe we’ll get up earlier.  And I’ll even try to fix my hair and put make-up on so I don’t scare people I meet!

Posted in Sanford | 3 Comments »

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Fun Stuff Friday — The NC Zoo

Because I am having a hard time coming up with things to write lately (which is why you’ve been egtting nothing but inane rambling posts, if you get anything at all!) I’m going to start something new.  I’m still working on my system, but this is attempt #1 at a more regular blog post.

As a family, we’re always looking for fun (inexpensive!) stuff to do near Sanford.  Fun Stuff Fridays will be sharing the things we’ve found that we enjoyed.  If you have additional suggestions, please let me know!  I’ll review each one we’re able to try out and let you know how we liked it.  First up: The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro!

The zoo is about an hour away from Sanford.  To get there, we drive up Hwy 42 (aka Wicker St or Carbonton Rd) and follow the signs.  This is the quickest route I’ve found.  It takes a bit longer if you take Hwy 421 to Hwy 64 like they recommend on their website, so if you’re comfortable with old 2 lane highways you can save some time.

We’ve purchased a family membership.  It’s a great deal and we save money if we make just 2 zoo visits during the year.  We love going, so it’s not hard to make that trip 3-4 times a year or more.  The savings really add up!  And the zoo is great…they have all kinds of animals.  Elephants, giraffes, lions, chimpanzees, seals/sea lions, polar bears, and much, much more.  It’s over 5 miles of trails and nice and hilly so you get a good workout in.  (Especially if you challenge your children to race you to the top of every hill like I did last time we were there!)  It’s been the first zoo that each of my children has been to, so it holds a special place in my heart for that reason.  I have a picture of my oldest son on his 1st birthday with an elephant statue, and now we take a picture of all 3 kids with that same statue every time we go.

Take the drive and check it out.  It’s worth the time and money!

Posted in Fun Stuff Friday, Parenting, Reviews, Sanford | No Comments »

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

Let me introduce you to my new obsession…Smartipants!

Several weeks ago, I found out about a new cloth diaper that was just released.  After reading more, I was really intrigued and dying to try one out.  We didn’t have the funds to purchase one, so I took a giant leap and emailed the company asking if they’d give me one to try and review in my blog.  This can be hard, because if you don’t love it you’re potentially hurting a company that was so cool that they gave you a product that you need/want!  Anyway, they were kind enough to send me a diaper to try and now I get to give you my review!

I’m going to start out by saying that I loved my Smartipants!  There was absolutely nothing to worry about because they totally lived up to my expectations.  Can’t recommend them enough, really.  If you’re looking for an easy cloth diaper, it doesn’t get better than this.

Now, to go through the top 3 features that I really liked…

  • First, they are easy, easy, easy to care for.  One thing I despise about my other pocket diapers is pulling the insert out to put it in the pail.  Gross, especially if there’s a poop.  Just last week somebody in my house (probably me!) forgot to take out an insert before washing.  It got clean enough, but didn’t dry in the time the other diapers dried.  Not a huge deal, but certainly a pain in the rear I’d rather not deal with.  With Smartipants, you don’t have to do this.  You put them in the pail in one piece and the insert comes out in the wash!  I was skeptical, but it really did work.  They call it the Smart Sleeve and it’s awesome.
  • Second, they have snaps.  I am not a huge fan of hook and loop closures.  Every diaper I’ve ever had with H&L closures ends up getting yucky and looking worn after only a few washes.  It frustrates me that no matter how careful I am to use the washing tabs something always gets hung up in the washing process.  This leads to diapers looking more worn out than they should!  Smartipants have snaps to prevent this, and plenty of snap settings to make it a truly one size fits all diaper.  My skinny kids could have worn these from birth!  The other OSFA diapers I’ve tried didn’t fit until they were about 10 pounds, which can mean a long wait for them to actually fit.  This isn’t a problem with Smartipants.
  • Third, the price can’t be beat.  right now they are selling a pack of 3 (including 3 inserts) for only $36.95.  This is a really good deal for an easy diaper that can be used from birth to potty training.  If you are a mom who intends to cloth diaper or just want to get a feel for it, the price is a good way to explore the option without making a huge commitment.  And then when you’re sure, it’s a great price to pick up additional diapers when you can.  As for myself, I admit I’m saving up my pennies to order a couple of packs of these.  I’m still building up my diaper stash and had intended to buy another brand but will stick with these now!

As for the additional information you might want to know about a cloth diaper, I’ll try to do a quick rundown!  The construction was good and I was impressed with the sewing.  No loose strings or weak seams.  This can sometimes be an issue with even the pricier diapers and I was glad to see that wasn’t the case here.  The absorbency with one insert was excellent and perfectly adequate for my heavy wetter.  The single diapers come with 2 inserts (or additional inserts are sold separately) but I felt that 1 was plenty for us.  If you use them overnight you may want to try 2, but I’m not sure it would be necessary even then.  I didn’t find that they were any more bulky than our other OSFA insert diapers, though of course they’re a bit more bulky under clothes than a disposable.  I certainly don’t think you could find anything that fits slimmer than this in cloth.  They also have some very pretty colors.  I especially want a purple one for my little Violet!  I would like to see more colors (especially brights!) as they become more popular because I find that to be one of the most fun things about cloth.

Overall, I could not be more impressed.  I still love my other diapers, but Smartipants get a solid 10 from me!  Thanks to Smartipants for the free diaper and a great cloth diapering product!

Posted in Money/Finances, Parenting, Reviews, Sanford, Sites to See | 2 Comments »

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Big doings in Sanford this weekend!

It starts with tonight’s “Screen on the Green.”  They’re showing the Ant Bully at 8PM in Depot Park.  Then tomorrow is the opening of the Farmer’s Market, finally!  I can’t wait to get some good, locally grown fruits and veggies.  And I hear Amy will be there with some things that aren’t quite as healthy. ;)

Then Sunday is the big bike race, the 5K, and Springfest.  Registration for the 5K starts at 6:45AM and it begins at 8:15AM.  I would do it but I have commmitments at church that morning.  I could probably finish in time to hit the 2nd service, but I don’t want to take the chance!  Next year I will definitely plan on it.  The kid’s bike race starts at 1:30, and there will be vendors and other fun stuff in Depot Park from 11AM-5PM.  We really enjoyed watching the races last year and are so excited that it’s grown so much this year, despite objections from grumpy old antique store owners!

More info is available on all of these events at the Downtown Sanford website.

Posted in Sanford, Sites to See | No Comments »

Monday, April 6th, 2009

Convertible Weather

When I was 16, I became the proud owner of a little blue Dodge Shadow convertible.  I’d been driving a Mazda minivan for nearly a year and had whined and whined until my dad relented and decided to find me something smaller and more suited to a teenager.  It was a fun car and I really enjoyed driving it for 6 years.  But it got old, the top started to leak, and I needed something a bit more reliable and “adult” once I graduated college and started my professional life.

So I traded it in for a nice, reliable, boring Mazda 626.  And that was a great car, too.  It served it’s purpose until I got pregnant with my oldest and we decided I needed something bigger to haul all the “stuff” that came with having a baby.  That one was an SUV.  And then when I got pregnant with #2, I got a minivan which I still have and LOVE, to be perfectly honest.

But on days like today, when spring has sprung and it’s warm and sunny I really miss that convertible.  Just a little bit.  The problem with convertibles is that they just won’t hold 3 carseats and frankly, I’d miss the kids a lot more than I miss the convertible.  Maybe someday I’ll have another one.  (And just to be clear, that’s another convertible, NOT another baby!)

Posted in Me Stuff, Parenting, Sanford, Sites to See | No Comments »

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Mexican Coke

Most people of a certain age remember the debacle of “New Coke.”  To this day, the story is widely used in marketing and business classes as an example of what not to do.  Conspiracy theories abound about the real reason for the switch, and one of them has to do with sugar.  Before 1985, Coca-Cola bottlers supposedly used only real sugar in their formula.  When New Coke was introduced, they switched over to high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS.  It was cheaper and had a sweeter taste, which was what they were trying to achieve with the reformulation.  Only it bombed. I can still remember the slightly “chemical” taste of New Coke and how truly awful it was.  As everyone knows, they reintroduced the original formula a few months later as Coca-Cola Classic and the company rebounded completely.  But people said there was a difference…they didn’t use real sugar anymore.  They had switched to HFCS and most people didn’t notice because it had been a while since they’d tasted the original version.

After 24+ years of drinking Coke with HFCS, I just accept the taste now.  I don’t notice that slightly chemical flavor anymore.  But nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to the original version.  I still love my Coke, but it’s not quite the same and I’m not sure it ever will be again.  I’m not necessarily anti-HFCS.  I think it’s bad for you, but I won’t go so far as to call it evil like others do. Sugar is pretty bad for you in excess, too.  The problem is that HFCS is everywhere and in everything these days.  As with everything, moderation is key.

A while back, my husband stumbled upon some information that said Coke bottled in Mexico is still made with real sugar and he had been on the lookout for some since.  He didn’t tell me about it, so when he picked up a glass bottle of Coke in the Mexican food aisle at Piggly-Wiggly a couple of weeks ago and started reading the label, I was puzzled.  When he pointed the ingredient list out to me, I decided I had to try it! So we bought a bottle (for $1.19…it’s a tad pricy) and took it home.

After it was nice and cold, I poured some into a glass to try.  I was a little hesitant, but it was so good.  I am not great at explaining this, but it was “lighter” than regular Coke.  Not as thick, somehow.  Not overly sweet, just the right balance.  And it reminded me of how good Coke used to be.  I was instantly taken back to my childhood, the days when Coke was a treat for us on the rare occasions that my mom bought some or when we went out to eat.  It was that good!

I’m told that you can buy it in bulk at Costco.  We don’t have a membership there and I think the closest one is in North Durham, so it’s not very convenient.  But if you’re local and want to buy just 1 or 2 bottles, Piggly Wiggly does have them.  They’re in the Mexican food section, on the very bottom shelf in the back of the aisle, near the meat.  A friend told me that the closest thing to the original Coke formula is actually kosher Coke, which is available during Passover in some markets.  Sadly, I have a feeling Central North Carolina isn’t one of those.  I may be wrong, though.  If anyone knows where to find some kosher Coke, I’m happy to taste test it and give my opinion!

(And just for the record, I don’t believe in any of the conspiracy theories out there about New Coke.  As a former marketing professional, I just cannot see a company taking a risk like that.  Snopes.com claims that they were using HFCS before the switch, but there’s a lot of information out there that states otherwise.  I think the truth probably lies somewhere in between!)

Posted in Food/Recipes, Reviews, Sanford, Sites to See | No Comments »

Friday, March 27th, 2009

The Museum of Natural Sciences

Since intersession is almost over and we’d done practically none of the educational things I’d had big dreams of doing, we got our butts in gear yesterday and headed to Raleigh for a day at the museum.  We chose the Museum of Natural Sciences because it sounded the most interesting for a 6 year old.  Admission is free, so except for the gas we burned on the trip and the $4 parking fee (oh, and the coffee I had to buy to stave off a caffeine headache) it was free family fun!  We left Sanford after an early lunch at home and were able to see the entire museum and make it home for dinner.

I don’t have the energy to write a full review, but some of the highlights were:

  • The 5 whale skeletons.  It gives you an amazing perspective of the true size of these animals!
  • A giant ground sloth skeleton.  I never really thought much about them, but assumed they weren’t much bigger than a sloth you’d see today.  So very wrong on this one!  They were HUGE!
  • Various dinosaur bones and skeletons.  My kids love dinosaurs, so they really enjoyed these.
  • The “Meet the Animals” show where they brought out real snakes for the kids to see and touch, as well as explaining why we shouldn’t be scared of them.  (That didn’t stop me from nearly having a panic attack when he pulled out the first snake, though!)
  • Seeing many venomous and non-venomous snakes behind glass, so they’re a bit easier to identify out in the real world.  The only venomous snake that’s common in Lee County is the copperhead, by the way.  And now that I know what one looks like, maybe I won’t freak out if another benign snake gets in my house!
  • The giant *live* cockroaches.  We frequently saw palmetto bugs (which is a nice name for giant, ugly roach) when we lived in SC and those things terrified me, but they’ve got nothing on the ones we saw yesterday!
  • The Discovery Room where the kids could play and touch everything.  They really enjoyed that.
  • The Living Conservatory, which houses butterflies and other living things.

We thought it was a great little trip and both of the boys enjoyed it.  I’m not sure they learned much, but it was a lot of fun and certainly more educational than sitting around and watching TV, which is what was the most likely thing to happen since it rained pretty much all day.  Worth the drive, for sure!

Posted in Free Stuff, Parenting, Reviews, Sanford, Sites to See, Travel | No Comments »

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  • I am a mom to 3 living in Sanford, NC. I am a wife. I am a student. I am a Christ follower. I am a friend. This is the craziness of my life.
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