“If you are a dreamer,come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic-bean-buyer. If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!” | |
Pairs well with: "Welcome to My Life" by Melissa Ferrick & "Southern Girl" by Amos Lee
(Like a good sommelier knows how to pair food with the perfect wine, I am attempting to pair each blog entry with the perfect tune(s). Don't be fooled, though. For this, too, requires copious amounts of wine consumption. If you don't know the artist or haven't heard the song, I highly recommend checking it out on iTunes. You can thank me later!)
Greetings, dear readers! It's been a while, hasn't it? For those of you reading for the very first time -- welcome! And, thanks for stopping by. For those of you who read in the past -- thanks for returning. And for those of you who have, accidentally, stumbled upon this blog -- here's a little Cliff's Notes version behind its existence: girl agrees to walk 60 miles in 3 days with friend battling breast cancer; girl also agrees to raise money for breast cancer research; girl decides to start blog to include (& keep) generous sponsors involved in the life-changing event; this is that blog. I (girl) hope you stick around!
I started this blog in 2011 just a few short months before I walked in my very first Komen 3 Day. I came up with the idea when I was brainstorming of ways to say thanks to the many generous friends & family who donated money to help me reach my fundraising goal. I was stunned when I saw just how many people were willing to put pen to paper and write check after check to help me hit - and surpass - my $2300 goal! The generosity was both humbling & inspiring. I wanted to do something, too, and not just walk the 60 miles and write a thank you note afterwards. I wanted to make sure every donor knew exactly what this event was about and what my experience was like during those 3 days.
Last year, in 2012, I decided to skip the blog in order to focus all of my time & energy on planning a fundraising party, Cocktails for a Cause. Most of Team Diamond Stone came in town for the event & it was a huge success! We raised almost $4000 in one night & got to celebrate with old friends & college buddies (Cati & Alice hadn't been back to Hattiesburg since they graduated). It was well worth the effort and I felt that the in-person toasting & talking included our sponsors more than my blog would anyway.
Here we are, year #3, and I'm back. And this year it's all about ME! I decided to start writing the blog again for a few different reasons, but the main one is because of the significance of this year - specifically the day (Oct 18) that the Atlanta Komen 3 Day event begins: My 40th Birthday! Ouch (and that's not just what I anticipate saying over my blistered feet after the first 20 miles on that monumental day)!
When I began thinking of topics to write about, I figured a good place to start would be to just update everyone on what's going on in my world. I'm still a drug rep in my day job. And, yes, I'm still a back-scratcher, toy-train-track-builder, juice-pourer, pancake-maker at my night & weekend gig. I've, also, added superhero-soccer-player (we like to play in our costumes here), blanket-fort-engineer & hikes-through-the-neighborhood-guide. whew. I didn't realize just how good I am at multi-tasking!
To give a better, clearer picture (no pun intended) I decided to start carrying my camera with me during the day. Most of these shots were taken during my workday while I was in the field. My territory is all of south Mississippi. Basically, I travel from the Louisiana state line to the Alabama state line and hit all the towns in-between.
This was such a fun "exercise" for me. I knew there were some amusing things that I see & drive past every day, but until I started looking - specifically - for photo ops I didn't quite appreciate all the beauty & humor & amusement there is all around me every single day.
Brotherly love (they are all sound asleep)
A Southern Summertime Staple = Snoball
(and for the record my favorite flavor is 1/2 grape & 1/2 cherry)
Another Southern Summertime Staple = Beach Time with the Family!
Sweet Summertime
The out-of-towners need reminding!
The 12 year old boy in me made me stop to shoot this pic! heehee
This sign is located at Ocean Marine - a boat sales lot!
What else do I need?!
Please check out the spelling correction
I pulled up right beside this old fella. His window was rolled down, his truck was running and he was SOUND asleep! Thankfully it was in a parking lot and NOT on a highway!
Highway to the Danger Zone
(and, yes, I did help this little guy to the side of the road)
(and, yes, I did help this little guy to the side of the road)
Lucedale, MS
Things that make you go hmmm....
Do you sense a theme here?!
Just in case you missed the memo
Gulfport, MS
Because nothing says "Come on in! Relax & Enjoy yourself!" like a man-eater and its razor teeth
My Baby Einstein
So there you have it. A day in the life.
What I want you to do now is start snapping shots of life in your world.
Drive slower, take a walk, read the signs, smile & say cheese! (And, if you would...share them with me!)
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