Heather and David

David and I did GREAT at today’s ORA Swap and Sell. We arrived at 7am to set things up to be ready for the public at 8am. Even before 8am, people were looking at our stuff and interested in buying. The first hour and a half was very busy followed by a 45 lull or so. The sale was supposed to finish at noon so at 11am, we marked everything 50% off and made a big sign. People loved that and we started to sell more and more. With 20min left, everything on the table was 50cents or less. In the last 5min, everything was 25cents or less. We didn’t want to take anything home with us so a quarter was just fine!

The best thing I did was go around to all the tables and vendors when there was 20min left and tell them about the BIG markdowns at our table. Hey, you can’t beat 50cents! We had a HUGE swam of people…and they went crazy when we marked the last of it down to 25cents. I think we made $40 in the last 20min alone on knick knacks and old clothes. It was awesome. Between the stuff that we sold for ourselves, my parents, and our friends Alex and Grace, we made around $325. Not too bad!

And, I only bought one thing. The table behind us was selling some glasses that I was interested in, and I bought 4 at a dollar a stem. On my table…they probably would have been $2 for all four. HA! That’s probably why we sold almost everything we had!

Anything that didn’t sell, we donated to a church down the street that was going to have a garage sale for their youth group. They were then going to use the funds for inner city missions.

All in all…a great day!

Tomorrow, David and I are participating in the ORA Swap and Sell. In essence, it’s a giant garage sale put on by the employees of the Savannah River Site where David works. We get a 3×6 table for all of the stuff we want to sell, and the event is open to the public from 8am to noon this Saturday.

We’re having to get a little creative on the display of our items because once I mentioned it to my parents, I came home with a carload of their stuff to sell too! David and I have pots and pans, clothes, purses, shoes, pictures, VHS tapes, and other things that we’re hoping to get rid of. And, what doesn’t sell is going to the Salvation Army on the way home.

And, the good thing about working the ORA Swap and Sell is that I won’t have time to shop the ORA Swap and Sell. I don’t need anymore stuff! Even if one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

I went running with my dad this weekend, and I noticed the most extraordinary thing…the smell of jasmine and honeysuckle. The entire length of my run was peppered with the beautiful plants. It was amazing. It almost helped me to forget that my legs were hurting!

I love Spring in the South.

We have a tradition in my family that Mother’s Day is not just a DAY but a WEEKEND. Celebration started early this past weekend when David and I came into town on Friday afternoon. David and I got our hair cut at an awesome salon in Atlanta and wandered around Perimeter Mall waiting for my parents to get home from work. My mom was also getting her hair cut at the salon, and I went to meet her and hang out while giving hair cut consultation.

On Friday night, we ate dinner at Uncle Julio’s Case Grande. It’s the BEST tex-mex in Atlanta, and I ate my weight in tortillas. I didn’t think I’d be able to eat again for days, but to my surprise, I felt perfectly content to eat chicken wings and potato skins from the $3 Cafe on Saturday night! hehehe During the day Saturday, David and I hung out with my dad. My mom was in school that day doing coursework for another certificate to add on to her Masters in Education. Pretty cool…once she finishes these courses, she’s only 30 credit hours away from a PhD. She’s one smart cookie! I’m so proud of her.

On Sunday, the fam all gathered on the porch for morning coffee and cards before we picked my Grandmother up for lunch at the OK Cafe (awesome southern veggies — 24 hours/day!). I don’t get to see my Grandmother too often, and I cherish these times I do get to spend.  She’s 85 years old, and I treasure our moments.

One of our favorite places in my parents’ house is the porch. It has a comfy couch and chairs, and the room has windows on all sides. We open them up and let the cool breeze in scented with lavender and roses from the backyard. It’s heavenly. Spring is perfect because it’s not too hot yet, and you could really just sit there all day with those you love.

It was a GREAT weekend, and I really enjoyed seeing my family.

Well, I thought I had finally found an animal that I’m not allergic to…the chihuahua. And, while I am almost symptom-free, I am still allergic to their saliva. Weird! I found that out while horsing around with Money last night. He gnawed on my hands and managed to lick my neck and forearms. A little while later, tiny whelps showed up in those places…and they itched like crazy! I must have scratched them during the night too because this morning, I have a red and purple rash looking thing on my neck! Yuck! I guess I’ll have to leave the horseplay to David, and I’ll just love on him and pet him. 

All I can say is “Wow, what an amazing city!” Savannah is like being in Europe, the deep South, and colonial America all at the same time. It’s a great walking city and has one of the largest (if not THE largest) historical districts of any city in the US.

David and I went there this past weekend for the first time to meet up with my brother, sister-in-law, Joelle, and my parents. They were all going in town for the wedding of one of my brother’s childhood friends. David and I were not invited to the wedding, but we were not about to miss an opportunity to hang with the fam and see an new city!

On Friday night, David and I got there first, checked into the hotel, and went down to River Street. We stopped into River Street Sweets and got some of their famous pralines and taffy. So good! Then, we danced on the street to some local jazz music.

On Saturday, my dad, my bro, and I went running through the parks. It was beautiful…best 45min running I ever spent! Then, we waited in line for reservations to eat at Paula Dean’s restaurant. Soul food…it was so good! We ate fried chicken, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, biscuits, and peach cobbler. YUM! I think I gained five pounds just sitting at that table!

Then, while everyone else was at the wedding, David and I walked around town taking pictures. We got some great architectural shots as we walked for about 4 hours. That evening, we all went back down to River Street for some fun and then sat in the hot tub and pool for the rest of the evening.

On Sunday, my dad, my bro, and I all ran again (gluttons for punishment, yes) and then we took a trolley tour of the historic district. It’s amazing how many old homes are still intact! AND, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has purchased several of those buildings for restoration and to use as offices and classrooms. Their campus sprawls across the entire city. It’s the only school in the US where you can get a degree in historical preservation. Cool stuff!

It was great getting to see my bro and sister-in-law. I haven’t seen them since my birthday in September, and I missed them so much! Having them living so far away is for the birds! I hope we get to see them again soon! I know we’re planning on July 4th weekend and a beach trip later that month. Should be fun to see them so often!

Sorry I’ve been so delinquent in posting over the last few weeks! Things have been busy! David is doing well. He had his next doctor’s appt today, and he no longer has to wear his brace. He is way ahead of the curve in terms of healing and getting back to normal. He’ll even be joining me at the gym this week to do upper body exercises. So far so good!

David and I have also been busy hanging out with our friends, Alex and Grace. They are moving back to China in about 2-3 weeks, and we’ve been enjoying the last several days we have with them. They are so much fun! They also have a cute chihuahua named, Money. David and I are dog-sitting him tonight while they are at dinner. Money loves to snuggle with me, but loves to play with David. Money could hardly stand it when David got home tonight. I’ve never seen a dog’s tail wag faster! So cute. They played for about 30minutes before dinner tonight, and then Money took an after dinner nap with me. Makes me want to get a chihuahua of my own! I’m allergic to most animals, so it’s amazing that I’m not allergic to him! He’s precious.

I’ll be sending updates shortly about my trip to Savannah this weekend too. I had the opportunity to go there and hang out with my bro, sister-in-law, and parents. It is such a beautiful city, and it was such a fun weekend! Stay tuned…

What if everyone in the city of Detroit died?

That’s the impact malaria has on the world EVERY YEAR. Around one million people, including 750,000 children, die from malaria, and it’s completely preventable!! Due to poverty, families can’t afford to buy nets or pay for treatment.

Today, 3,000 children died from malaria…but with ten bucks, you can make a change.

Ten dollars provides a mosquito net that will protect a child from mosquitoes for THREE YEARS. It also provides education and treatment for those who have malaria.

Tomorrow, April 25th, is World Malaria Day, and Anne Jackson has issued a challenge over on her blog to donate $10 and purchase a net for a child through Compassion International. Her challenge is 50 NETS between now and the end of the day tomorrow. Let’s blow that goal out of the water!

Go here to her blog for the links to make a donation. Let’s all make a difference today!

Temperatures right now…

Aiken, SC — 72°F
Ballston Spa, NY — 81°F

What’s wrong with this picture?

Just got some exciting news from my cousin, Travis, about his band Miss Fairchild! MTV called to say that they will be using portions of their song, Vanilla Place, on upcoming editions of their show, The Real World!

That’s incredible!  My cousin…the rock star.  :-)  Awesome.