tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10636605055570627642024-03-07T03:59:57.548-05:00Life in a Southern TownLeanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-37523892709234702422008-12-23T17:06:00.002-05:002008-12-23T17:21:29.334-05:00Merry Christmas!First of all, a big THANK YOU to all the folks who made the radio station's "Christmas in Jail" toy drive such a howling success! Same goes for all of you who made donations to our Hunger-Free Holiday food drive. It renews my faith in the human spirit to see such outpourings of generosity, especially in these hard economic times when so many of our friends and neighbors are suffering.<br /><br />That is why I choose to concentrate on the positive this holiday season. I've heard the greatest stories about people--everyday people-- "paying it forward." Buying the lunch for the person behind you in the drive-thru. Giving $20 to a complete stranger in the WalMart so they can buy a present for their kid. Filling up someone's car with gas, and so on.<br /><br />But let's not limit ourselves to doing good just at the holidays. Let's keep it going.<br /><br />Peace.Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-67834256432208382412008-11-25T16:18:00.003-05:002008-11-25T16:31:18.323-05:00What I'm thankful forFor my loving family. Not just Pat & John, but for my in-laws as well. They are awesome.<br />For my friends who are my family because they choose to be.<br />For my neighbors who have been there for me on countless occasions.<br />For my health and that of my family.<br />For a roof over my head and food to eat. There are too many who don't enjoy that luxury.<br />For a car to drive...and for gas prices coming down!<br />For my job and the opportunity to touch people's lives in it.<br />For the cool people I've met and friends I've made as a result of my job.<br />For the beautiful birds in my backyard.<br />For living in North Carolina.<br />For Lexington-style barbecue and sweet tea.<br />For the opportunity to travel.<br />For NASCAR...even this season.<br />And for the men and women who keep us all safe and make it possible for me to be thankful for all the other things!<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving.Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-8399461917553897322008-11-22T08:57:00.002-05:002008-11-22T09:02:42.448-05:00Snow-vember?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6PI_px6X6ajz4DoHzxEugkiLbsKfnQ6PuVPpL0R2nvKl2matK1GD6d5xNZQsIc-y3LaszrXwU4u_sU7syxK1owuLO83L1EBq3SwkQWwPN076gH2QJhyto0lF7BsIlvrrWXRGdiyTjWY/s1600-h/nov+snow+day.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6PI_px6X6ajz4DoHzxEugkiLbsKfnQ6PuVPpL0R2nvKl2matK1GD6d5xNZQsIc-y3LaszrXwU4u_sU7syxK1owuLO83L1EBq3SwkQWwPN076gH2QJhyto0lF7BsIlvrrWXRGdiyTjWY/s320/nov+snow+day.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271482032625518722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I cannot remember it snowing in central NC in November since I was in high school, but it happened early yesterday. Just a few flurries, but enough to get people around here excited. I can just hear all the transplanted Northerners laughing at us... I hope I never get to the point where I don't appreciate a pretty snowfall!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(photo courtesy of Clay JD Walker)</span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-67371980335702253172008-11-13T19:14:00.002-05:002008-11-13T19:19:03.290-05:00What the rest of you are missingI've always meant to tell the folks who don't get up as early as morning radio announcers what they're missing. A couple of mornings ago, a brilliant yellow, nearly-full moon hung low in the western sky. I didn't notice it until I got out on I-40 headed toward Greensboro and saw it following me in my side view mirror.<br /><br />That got me thinking about the other cool things I've seen on a somewhat regular basis at 4:30 in the morning: awesomely clear skies and meteor showers, wildlife - including deer, rabbits, possums, skunks, foxes and a suspected coyote, and a strange man who walks along the road with his shirt off.<br /><br />Y'all need to wake up earlier.Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-24692579095497610892008-11-09T16:03:00.003-05:002008-11-09T16:06:48.474-05:00OK, haters, time to stop.Just a note to all those well-meaning folks who keep sending me e-mails with "who is Barack Obama" or "antichrist" in the subject line: you can stop now. The election is over. The people have spoken. There's not a thing you can do about it except settle down, say a prayer for our new President and hope that God gives him the guidance to do the job. Circulating hate-filled e-mails is just not the Christian thing to do, so please stop.Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-72257696451994820442008-11-08T20:06:00.002-05:002008-11-08T20:08:13.211-05:00Cheap gas??OK, this seems pretty silly for this to be the first thing I've written about in (how many?) months, but I went to fill up my car with gas a couple of days ago and it only cost me $31 and some change!!! I felt pretty smart until somebody called the radio station and said they found gas for$1.99 a gallon in Asheboro. Now, if I could only be sure these low prices would last.Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-79799981104018523032008-02-18T19:25:00.003-05:002008-02-18T19:57:09.838-05:00I remember Mama<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Less than two weeks after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma, she was gone. My mother, one of the strongest individuals I've ever known, could not fight off this final assault on her broken body and passed away peacefully last Friday night at 8:40. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">For those who do not know Lee Nichols Upchurch, please allow me to fill you in on some of the details of her life. She was born November 10, 1924, in Durham, NC, the first child of Owen and Sara Nichols. Mama graduated in 1945 from Women's College (now UNC-Greensboro) with an undergrad degree in social work. The following year, she married Silas G. Upchurch, and embarked on a journey around the world, thanks to daddy's career in the Air Force. They lived in Japan, Germany and finally England, where I was adopted. They returned to the States in 1961. Only two years later, my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer and died in November 1965 at the young age of 45. My mother, with no marketable skills to speak of and a 5-year-old in tow, moved from Maryland back home to North Carolina and enrolled at Duke University. In 1970, she earned a Master's Degree in Education and started teaching. For most of her 20-year career, Mama taught 7th-grade language arts and social studies in the Durham County Schools. I am still amazed at her incredible will and strength, and the fact that she was able to pull it all together after being widowed so early in life. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Mama's downturn began shortly after retirement. It started with short-term memory problems and forgetting how to get to my apartment. It got really scary when she believed she was being followed, her car and phone were "bugged" and that people were living in her attic. The dementia that seems to affect so many of Mama's family was apparently coming home to roost. In all, we went through 15 years of mental illness and related hospitalizations, and I saw things that scared the hell out of me and made me fear for what her future would be like. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">In the summer of 2007, Mama finally had to move into a "memory care" facility because she was so confused about people, places and events. By October, we noticed a rapid decline in her physical health as well. This tough old broad was finally giving out. She entered the hospital in early February after we thought she'd had a stroke. No evidence of stroke was found, but Mama was aspirating when she tried to swallow, so doctors put in a PEG tube and released her two days later for recovery. Three days after that, she was readmitted and that's when blood work revealed the lymphoma-- which hadn't even shown up just the week before. On Monday, February 11, Mama was moved to <a href="http://www.hospice-careconnection.org/home.aspx">Hospice Home at High Point</a>. She died there just four days later. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">My family and I would like to thank the doctors and nurses at High Point Regional Hospital who took such good care of Mama, especially the ER staff. But a special place in my heart goes to the amazing people at Hospice Home. Their unconditional caring and devotion to what they do is unmatched anywhere. They enabled Mama to regain a lot of the dignity she had lost late in her life and kept her comfortable to the very end. Laura, Martha, Donna, Janice, Rodney, Brenda, Crystal, Sherry, Dr. Nelson, everyone...I cannot thank you enough. You are angels right here on Earth and you are truly doing God's work. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Mama, fly away, be free and I'll see you again someday. </span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-9148768928694930912008-01-09T16:27:00.000-05:002008-12-09T22:08:33.906-05:00My big fat redneck weekend!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTHMOe9yLZHp_ojW_5YJ8BNBwEeVJrc9xts_mrVQ9k5E7ZJ0dXd0vBzygG7h8145ySaNGrdorCE1d-xDrlGALZDxSe-wGZT4bAAzKJY2akQHmCW4BLkIeJOnYvWsMMiZI-mOj8xQYRfs/s1600-h/John+and+Dale.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 204px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTHMOe9yLZHp_ojW_5YJ8BNBwEeVJrc9xts_mrVQ9k5E7ZJ0dXd0vBzygG7h8145ySaNGrdorCE1d-xDrlGALZDxSe-wGZT4bAAzKJY2akQHmCW4BLkIeJOnYvWsMMiZI-mOj8xQYRfs/s400/John+and+Dale.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153594471658105442" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Gosh, how'd it happen that I haven't blogged in so long? I'm almost ashamed. But I have to tell you about a most excellent adventure I had last weekend. John and I (Pat decided he'd be better off working in the basement) took off Saturday and went down to </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://lowesmotorspeedway.com/">Lowe's Motor Speedway</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> and took what may well be the very best five-dollar tour a person can go on. For a measly five bucks you get a personal tour of the superspeedway, outside and in. Stacy, our fabulous & friendly tour guide, led us on an hour-long tour of the facility-- capped off by a 75mph van ride around the famous 1.5-mile tri-oval! She even stopped in turn one so we could feel the 24-degree banking. Most impressive. The Jeff Gordon racing school was going on, so we had the added thrill of stock cars whizzing loudly around the track. We got to stand in the winner's circle as well as the pits, and got a nice ride through the garage area, too. Afterward, I decided we just hadn't had enough heart-pumping NASCAR excitement, so John & I picked up a folder and followed the </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.daletrail.com/">Dale Trail </a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">through Kannapolis.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I have seen the Promised Land! Now, how long is it 'til Daytona?</span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-90018861474101150292007-11-08T14:55:00.000-05:002008-12-09T22:08:34.202-05:00In memoriam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBensnSHioEJTsh0AO3kWvAvRKjIkUdxTiv8UFvmYgyIyiOY6hyrZuQNOBeUEt_UhjdpdD3lWU5b83vth7xkGWv-sylLuWy0i0FMDqmmk5epsprk3ybWfSGms7l0cM97_zyBtg0DkuVrU/s1600-h/John+and+Boo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBensnSHioEJTsh0AO3kWvAvRKjIkUdxTiv8UFvmYgyIyiOY6hyrZuQNOBeUEt_UhjdpdD3lWU5b83vth7xkGWv-sylLuWy0i0FMDqmmk5epsprk3ybWfSGms7l0cM97_zyBtg0DkuVrU/s400/John+and+Boo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130564509972461058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We lost Boo Tuesday evening. She was the best dog we ever had.<br /><br />She was a Valentine's present from Pat to me in 1995. That day in February we had gone to the Guilford County Animal Shelter because our home had been broken into and the police officer told us the best advice he could give was, "Get a dog." From the moment I saw her, I knew she was it. This cute little ball of black fur with a white chin sat smack in the middle of her kennel and looked up at me with smiling brown eyes and a wagging tail. We walked out that day with our "first baby" and learned very quickly that she loved listening to Gordon Lightfoot, hated squirrels, and had to always be touching either Pat or me.<br /><br />She was the smartest dog I'd ever owned...housebroken in two weeks! Boo loved chasing a tennis ball and quickly evolved into an awesome frisbee catcher. She also loved going for car rides and went with us nearly everywhere.<br /><br />When John was born, her feelings got hurt. But after a few weeks she must have realized that he wasn't going anywhere, so she may as well make the best of it. While she didn't exactly warm up to him, she became very protective and would make a low, menacing growl whenever anyone walked past the house. When John became mobile, Boo was the first thing he went for. Why not? She was a gigantic, living, breathing stuffed animal! He would crawl all over her and I never once heard her make the slightest sound of protest. When she'd had enough, she'd just get up and move to another place in the house.<br /><br />In early October of this year, Boo was diagnosed with lymphoma. The vet gave us some prednisone to keep her comfortable and it really did seem to make Boo feel a lot better. Her appetite returned and she got playful again. But on Tuesday she couldn't even get up off the floor. When her breathing became labored, Pat rushed her to the vet. She died on the way.<br /><br />Boo-girl, we will always love you as our "first baby." I hope you're chasing frisbees in heaven.<br /></span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-86762799916464410762007-10-01T15:44:00.000-05:002007-10-01T15:57:25.849-05:00It's always fair weather!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It's as if God knew it was fair time! The temperature has finally dropped to comfortable levels, with that fall chill in the air. Friday was the first day of the Dixie Classic Fair, so the family decided to spend a night out. Even if you don't ride anything, it's a terrific place to people-watch. What always strikes me about the fair is the fact that you see all types of people: the fair doesn't discriminate and it appeals to everybody. John drags his parents out onto the midway to try his hand at the games of skill(?) and make me ride the Scrambler while Pat sits on a nearby bench. Pat enjoys the Village of Yesteryear; I always head for the livestock barn. I'm funnel cakes, he's Polish sausage and John always wants a hot dog and ice cream. One thing we can all agree on: the demolition derby! What's not to love about cars crashing into each other until their radiators explode? And when the evening got late, we even got to see a couple of girls in a fight and the police throw them down and put them in cuffs. It doesn't get any better than that...at least until next year. See all the fair action <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/leanne_nc/">here</a>.<br /></span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-1299896018365506962007-09-16T16:30:00.000-05:002008-12-09T22:08:34.411-05:00Oh, what a relief it is!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQagQxNUpMJY1-x88BOeD8VxQlnsw57HYzKCCljfn38jjr5spZgiEEzy8zpwhonkwG4j5VaGHfs0tvJqooeIQ3A4nnQBzH0Q6i6K8iS386RQ8kCVRLREoD3RB7P2aj6K-PyVx0touGGg/s1600-h/HangingGrapes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQagQxNUpMJY1-x88BOeD8VxQlnsw57HYzKCCljfn38jjr5spZgiEEzy8zpwhonkwG4j5VaGHfs0tvJqooeIQ3A4nnQBzH0Q6i6K8iS386RQ8kCVRLREoD3RB7P2aj6K-PyVx0touGGg/s200/HangingGrapes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110920868763924322" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Whew! At last, some cooler air. For the first time since I don't know when, we turned off the a/c and slept with all the windows open last night. Woke up this morning freezing! (It was in the mid-50s, but when it's been over 90 for the past month, 55 is freezing.) It was too pretty to stay home today, so we drove up past Yadkinville to our favorite little winery, <a href="http://www.swancreekvineyards.com/vineyards_laurel.html">Laurel Gray</a>. They're running low on the 2005 barrel-fermented Chardonnay, which is as good - if not better - than many California chardonnays I've tried. We even got to sample some of the Cabernet grapes which were just harvested. Very sweet and delicious. Support your local <a href="http://www.ncwine.org/">NC wineries</a>!<br /></span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-8606407281733043682007-08-15T16:41:00.000-05:002007-08-15T16:50:42.666-05:00Strange things around town<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I've been meaning to mention this for a while... we talked about it on the radio this morning. There are some weird goings-on around here. When Pat & I lived in High Point, I used to call High Point the "vortex of weirdness" because every time you opened a newspaper, if something strange happened, it seemed it always happened in High Point. Now I'm afraid the weirdness is overtaking Kernersville. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">For the last several months, some mornings when I'm going to work around 4:45am, there's this guy who walks (and occasionally staggers) along Kernersville Road in the pitch black, wearing only his pants: no shirt, no shoes. He walks not on the shoulder, but IN the road and WITH traffic. Where has he been? Where is he going? Needless to say, he has scared the wits out of me more than once when I come over the rise at Hastings Hill and realize I'm about to hit a pedestrian in the dark. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Another weird thing, which my neighbor Tonja reminded me of today, is the cell phone guy. He's an older man who stands in the parking lot of the trailer park across from the Kangaroo station -- all day, no matter the weather -- and talks on his cell phone. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">We also had a listener who wrote in that she regularly sees a woman driving a yellow Mini Cooper on I-40 in Greensboro who brushes her teeth while she drives. Chuck brought up a good question this morning: where does she spit? </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I'd be interested to know if there's anything else weird that you run into on a regular basis. </span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-66776628259277509972007-08-11T10:57:00.000-05:002008-12-09T22:08:34.589-05:00Waiting to inhale<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbRPJ9Eu2OUf2YPpWRmltvQy90rWcpj8dYmt2mEeW0IH9AvsQJ16fc0MNkzwslgH8FJn_M7iMGBTjlKZju42iAvu8KuBMx-C4Ow1Zr1a7wCk9vy0dbzUl9e7MXLyS_VSKXrUu1XVgeG4/s1600-h/sun.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097474738115507106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbRPJ9Eu2OUf2YPpWRmltvQy90rWcpj8dYmt2mEeW0IH9AvsQJ16fc0MNkzwslgH8FJn_M7iMGBTjlKZju42iAvu8KuBMx-C4Ow1Zr1a7wCk9vy0dbzUl9e7MXLyS_VSKXrUu1XVgeG4/s200/sun.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Enough with the 100-degree heat already! </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Actually, today's not too bad... it's about 80 and looks like it might rain. Might. The humidity is stifling, though... like trying to breathe through a hot, wet blanket. I talked to the folks in Pittsburgh last night and they've had an absolute deluge of rain, yet we can't get a drop. The grass is crunchy again and I'm making an extra effort to feed the birds now that they're bringing their brand new babies to the feeders. Seems like they're not finding a lot of things to eat in the woods these days. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>All together now, we're gonna pray for rain. </div>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-18023012121450859632007-08-02T15:03:00.001-05:002008-12-09T22:08:34.826-05:00The best day ever!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCP1FQtv_0SdXdKPK1mnhGTUeTvqWrqqQixkPxUlGczK5vEbobM4Kb_21c3H-7nDYqsUQNbc3lYSQve5l51x9cLFjCmojmf3TqJjKmsEtBzNgrMRlIN3zDEm5w1c-n-9PaHJkrrOBet4/s1600-h/DSCN0699.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094198176284865426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCP1FQtv_0SdXdKPK1mnhGTUeTvqWrqqQixkPxUlGczK5vEbobM4Kb_21c3H-7nDYqsUQNbc3lYSQve5l51x9cLFjCmojmf3TqJjKmsEtBzNgrMRlIN3zDEm5w1c-n-9PaHJkrrOBet4/s320/DSCN0699.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">We sure didn't expect this when we started out today. John wanted his grandparents, visiting from Pittsburgh, to see one of his favorite places -- the Richard Petty Museum in Randleman. Weeks ago as we lay snuggling before bed, John said to me, "Mom, I really want to meet The King." And today it happened. We went to the museum, never expecting it to be the day of Richard Petty's monthly meet & greet! John was sitting in the back room, coloring yet another picture of "The King" character from the movie "Cars" when through the front door walked the man himself. I told John he might want to come out of that room for a minute. We stood in a line of maybe 20 people before it was our turn for autographs. That child was so starstruck he could barely breathe. Richard couldn't have been nicer. He took time with each fan and truly made every one feel special. Thanks, King, for what John says was his "best day ever!"</span></div>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-43675000652753642532007-06-26T18:30:00.000-05:002008-12-09T22:08:34.984-05:00What I did on my summer vacation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5axtleBFsRiZ-J1RouEOgY3ABPKVpe2F66ry_VvkvB24icHQmLaw0dyK1B03PymSE34wKSVNMgqSjpoZft_p2KP3D-gjY_p8hnNa1Y5D1YkZ1aIravvaqnUR0y_EI6O1zXGRV2pzpzA/s1600-h/195_Delicate+Arch,+upper+view+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080523767917677762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5axtleBFsRiZ-J1RouEOgY3ABPKVpe2F66ry_VvkvB24icHQmLaw0dyK1B03PymSE34wKSVNMgqSjpoZft_p2KP3D-gjY_p8hnNa1Y5D1YkZ1aIravvaqnUR0y_EI6O1zXGRV2pzpzA/s320/195_Delicate+Arch,+upper+view+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We just got back from a week-long vacation to Utah. All I can say besides, "Wow! What gorgeous scenery!" is that I learned a lot. So I decided to make a list of What I Learned About Utah: </div><br /><div>- It's VERY family-friendly and the people are just soooo nice.</div><br /><div>- The liquor stores have an extremely limited selection ("What do you mean you only have six types of red wine?").</div><br /><div>- Everybody has either a camper or a boat and uses it regularly.</div><br /><div>- Utah drivers are the most polite bunch. Only once did I hear a horn honk and it was probably an accident.</div><br /><div>- There doesn't seem to be much in the way of ethnic diversity, just a lot of white people.</div><br /><div>- Never, ever try to run at an altitude of 10,000 feet.</div><br /><div>- Don't swerve your car while doing 80+ on the interstate. </div><br /><div>- Watch out for BIG potential roadkill - moose, elk, bears, etc. </div><br /><div>- Not many tattooed or pierced people.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Some vacation pictures are posted <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9311453@N02/">here </a>and more will be uploaded once they let me. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Still, there's no place like home... First thing I did when I got back was to go get some BBQ and sweet tea!</div>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-29812541344188296142007-06-04T11:28:00.000-05:002008-12-09T22:08:35.277-05:00A big thank you<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUGev0aUKu3JrZq-IQFonbUZr4V7MeDJqyIqXnXv2nQLzlyuXFdUurB1U1SyQ7-qyCLlr_6VL1vyeJAtuZbSfXwPuWmr5m00nSZCKgPqGbXKxlTeodGzMjpju8ol_XZm-6Gk5LglH-RA/s1600-h/Chuck+%26+team.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072249079165155074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUGev0aUKu3JrZq-IQFonbUZr4V7MeDJqyIqXnXv2nQLzlyuXFdUurB1U1SyQ7-qyCLlr_6VL1vyeJAtuZbSfXwPuWmr5m00nSZCKgPqGbXKxlTeodGzMjpju8ol_XZm-6Gk5LglH-RA/s320/Chuck+%26+team.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Never have I been so touched as I was by all the people who came out to downtown Greensboro last Saturday for the 2007 Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association. I had five new friends whom I'd never met before sign up to be on my team, the Forget-Me-Nots. It turned out to be a beautiful day for the walk -- thank goodness we got done early before it got too hot! The Association made over $67K of its $85K goal. If you missed the occasion, it's still not too late to donate and make a difference in the lives of caregivers and those who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. </span><a href="http://www.alz-nc.org/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Click here </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">for info!</span></div>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-77974987679520250672007-05-22T18:49:00.001-05:002007-05-22T19:04:45.760-05:00Forget me not<span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >At the same time the news was devastating, yet somehow a relief. Mama has Alzheimer's. We got the official diagnosis a couple of weeks ago after years of dementia and delusions that doctors were at a loss to explain, despite repeated MRIs and CAT scans. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >I now realize I have a calling. I will be walking in the Greensboro Memory Walk, a fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Association, on June 2nd. And during this time, I have truly found out who my friends are. Even friends I didn't know I had. After I talked about it on the radio, I suddenly had people wanting to join me on the walk-- people whose lives had also been deeply affected by Alzheimer's. Generous donations are coming in from friends and family.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >I have also found out that you might as well laugh as cry when someone you love has this disease. It's the only way to keep your own sanity when that person is slowly being robbed of his or her personality. It truly is an adventure. In the past two months, Mama thinks she has gotten married, saved someone who's been dead for two years from a fire at their home and taken Pat & John on a trip to New York. While the stories are harmless enough and even comical, I wonder how I'll feel the day I walk in and she no longer recognizes me. </span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-2246416997073313162007-05-13T18:37:00.000-05:002007-05-13T18:48:31.827-05:00The view from my deck<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am sitting on my deck on a cool evening while Pat mows the grass. I've been paying bills online - it somehow seems a lot less like bill-paying when you're doing it on the deck with a nice breeze blowing and the pungent-sweet scent of freshly mown grass in your nostrils. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now for the bird update. So far the past few weeks, we've spotted not only the usual residents (cardinals, sparrows, goldfinches, nuthatches, titmice and chickadees), but also the much rarer blue grosbeaks and indigo buntings. What a sight they make on the feeder alongside the brilliant yellow goldfinches and the vivid red cardinals! All three primary colors, right there. I enjoy them while they're here - last year they didn't seem to stay around much more than a month. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Under the feeder is a field mouse I've named Jerry, because he looks just like Jerry the mouse from the cartoons. He's brown with big ears and bright, dark eyes. He's worn a path from beneath the fence straight to the feeder pole and I like him because he keeps the ground clean. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I highly recommend birdwatching. It's less trouble than an aquarium and infinitely more entertaining than TV.</span><br /></span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-27637190925062303462007-04-24T13:26:00.000-05:002008-12-09T22:08:35.490-05:00Where's the ice?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrd71UwCQB8U-9cnEIzHoUEiP_cBz70girGSHWMwIMkzH4xODAV2bw9i3qQ_qkQSykhGslc820ZINmNRWjwm0YQWGYU6nG8LF8NJikDI9VDwncXQskqNlHqoxSm3vd5Os1gHJVAHnPnA/s1600-h/menu_iced_tea.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057063538065505458" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrd71UwCQB8U-9cnEIzHoUEiP_cBz70girGSHWMwIMkzH4xODAV2bw9i3qQ_qkQSykhGslc820ZINmNRWjwm0YQWGYU6nG8LF8NJikDI9VDwncXQskqNlHqoxSm3vd5Os1gHJVAHnPnA/s320/menu_iced_tea.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">OK, I've held my tongue long enough.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">One thing we've always been able to count on as Southerners is a lot of ice in our cold drinks. But ever since I moved back home from Pittsburgh in 2004 I've noticed what can only be described as a Yankee trend-- that cold drinks apparently don't need anything more than a scattering of ice cubes across the top of the glass. Used to be, you'd go to the drive-up, get your cold drink and it would be absolutely packed full of ice. My Yankee husband disagrees with this practice; he says you don't get all the Co-Cola or sweet tea you paid for. I say you need that fully-packed cup of ice to keep your drink properly chilled on a hot day-- or on any day, for that matter. Also if your sweet tea was just made and still warm, all that ice will help cool it off.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">The only reason this came boiling out of me today is that I went to the Wendy's drive-up today and specifically told them "no lemon and LOTS OF ICE." What did I get? A few measly cubes and a warm cup of sweet tea. Blecchh!</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">I say this is a Yankee trend because I noticed back in 1978 during my first foray to New York City that they put hardly any ice into the drinks. In Canada, I noticed they don't put any ice at all. So I figure the farther North you go, the less ice you get. That's why I looked forward to getting back to North Carolina after four years of tepid drinks in Pittsburgh. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">But now I find that so many Yankees have transplanted themselves here, the little-or-no-ice trend is apparently here to stay. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hey, South Carolina! Y'all got any ice down there?</span></div>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-30478359003097441722007-04-04T16:59:00.000-05:002007-04-04T17:23:45.678-05:00Postcards from the edge<span style="font-family:verdana;">I have debated whether to write about this for some time, but maybe it will help others who are going through the same experience.<br /><br />My 82-year-old mother was diagnosed at least 12 years ago with dementia. We don't know what caused it or how long it's actually been going on, but it really started manifesting itself a few years before her official diagnosis.<br /><br />I bring this up now because for the first time in at least three or four years, she's having delusions again. Now this is at the same time funny and sad - funny because it's easier to laugh than cry. Sad because Mama is a fiercely independent and intelligent woman who has always taken the world on her own terms.<br /><br />I noticed several weeks ago that she began talking about an elderly gentleman who lives in the same assisted living facility as she. She said he liked her, but she wasn't interested because he smokes and has Alzheimer's. Now, all of a sudden, she thinks she is married to this man (or getting married, depending on which story you get) and is outraged that we haven't invited him to Easter dinner. She absolutely gushes about how much she loves him. I decided to observe more closely to try and find out what's going on, so I took her to lunch the other day. In the middle of an otherwise uneventful lunch (during which she never brought up her gentleman friend), she blurted out that she had pulled a family friend out of a burning house 75 miles away the night before, then calmly added, "These vegetables are really good...they're crunchy," as if the needle had been picked up off a record album and set down in a different place.<br /><br />I have dealt with this since the early 1990s, but I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to do. The experts say not to encourage the delusions, but not to challenge them either, because the delusional person is apt to become even more steadfast in her beliefs. Just nod politely and say, "Uh-huh," I guess.<br /><br />Easier said than done when that person is your mother.</span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-61866192544398958702007-04-04T16:53:00.000-05:002008-12-09T22:08:35.701-05:00Who-who-who's there?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh7OIaq6V2AxUdj70RobBsxqa-WOJPHk3zs93GLE6sfdPJTfGWuamtVWxmTAuxKb90xM587F9UyTzTiI_I2W7mU3NGerL-Sn72mwVOliaepJF9O_ZcEkljiox9F11emMIqlQrr6iiS74/s1600-h/Barred-Owl-2004a--5x7-LR.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049695362210415874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh7OIaq6V2AxUdj70RobBsxqa-WOJPHk3zs93GLE6sfdPJTfGWuamtVWxmTAuxKb90xM587F9UyTzTiI_I2W7mU3NGerL-Sn72mwVOliaepJF9O_ZcEkljiox9F11emMIqlQrr6iiS74/s320/Barred-Owl-2004a--5x7-LR.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Like the swallows returning to San Capistrano... like the buzzards coming home to roost in Hinckley, Ohio... the barred owls are back in Kernersville! I guess it's a sure sign of spring. <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span>These owls have been hooting and carrying on the woods behind the house for the last week or two, like a couple of lovestruck teenagers. I mean at all hours. It's really very cool... like old friends returning from last year. Welcome back, owls!</span></div>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-2093591425319625802007-03-19T15:29:00.000-05:002007-03-19T15:40:50.585-05:00Ptooey!<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Hey, what's with all the spitting?<br /><br />I don't know if I've just been in the wrong place at the wrong time lately, but there seems to be a surplus of saliva among many of the men in this area. I'm stopped at the red light, the door of the truck in front of me opens and -- splat! -- out the door comes a juicy stream of spit onto the pavement just in time for the light to change. I'm walking into Wal-Mart and I happen to look down upon a wad of gooey spit glimmering in the sun. I turned onto I-40 at Sandy Ridge Rd. and up there on the hill at the RV superstore, a man hocks one over the chain-link fence. <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span>It happened again today... this time the offender was a dad walking up to the school to pick up his kid, who -- almost certainly if the kid is a boy -- will inherit this moist habit from his father.<br /><br />And note, I said <em>if the kid is a boy</em>. I haven't seen any girls spitting. Is this some kind of prove-my-masculinity thing among men? If anyone can explain it to me -- dryly, please -- I wish they would.</span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-30138466030327113832007-03-07T19:24:00.000-05:002007-03-07T19:33:00.037-05:00So close you can smell it!<span style="font-size:130%;">At the risk of rubbing it in to my northern friends who are still shivering in the snow, I spent two hours sitting on my deck late this afternoon, watching the birds and sipping a glass of wine. The sun was shining brightly, temps were in the upper 60s and a nice breeze with an occasional gust was blowing. Each day a few more leaves are popping out on the trees, the Bradford pears and crabapples are straining to bloom, the grass is greening up, and the frogs that live down in the creekbed behind the house are singing loudly. It's an exciting time and I'm looking forward to the day my feathered friends who flew south for the winter migrate their way back into my yard. Then it'll be spring for sure! I'll keep you posted. </span>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-74059835520014762502007-03-05T19:33:00.000-05:002007-03-05T19:41:18.674-05:00Donuts and spring trainingThe Stay Alert Safety Mets of the Kernersville Little League had their first practice this evening and I have to say, the six kids who showed up actually don't look that bad. It seems spring training has come early this year. Sure, we had temperatures in the low 60s today, but as practice started the sun was setting and winds were probably in the area of 20mph, causing Wesley's mom, Karen, and me to grimace more than once.<br /><br />Karen works for Krispy Kreme. I'm working on a plot to get all the chocolate-covered creme-filled donuts I can stuff down my neck. She says she could work that if I get her a couple of Kenny Chesney tickets. Sounds like a good trade to me! I have my doubts as to whether the boss would go for it, though...Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1063660505557062764.post-73252322618919897662007-02-25T15:11:00.000-05:002008-12-09T22:08:36.163-05:00A good day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWV5JzQu7DOEgL4MS3utfVGebdcikD4U877TdEAYAT-93WOgOe5a1GS050AiFJFH19_CS0VbPU801rimuaH4y-sY98UO1GyAT27nEQf-qVtX7kZuYsVDux7fY7jaHAgrCdtEMzTt8pjdg/s1600-h/Pinewood_Derby_Lightning.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035957105265218498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWV5JzQu7DOEgL4MS3utfVGebdcikD4U877TdEAYAT-93WOgOe5a1GS050AiFJFH19_CS0VbPU801rimuaH4y-sY98UO1GyAT27nEQf-qVtX7kZuYsVDux7fY7jaHAgrCdtEMzTt8pjdg/s320/Pinewood_Derby_Lightning.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="color:#990000;"> Lightning McQueen<br /></span></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6WlNXiQ2Tjae-xlng7BLSEMcKK40k0uCCBaq1m2X9xSPZO6djZHDDtFyl4UzpALDkjjTWqTbRwL98LAZHIj-jz7VyPDUwGpQCWpLAtWy6tTLlGgacRpX223Lgh-50YIaEP4pvLo2X4Q/s1600-h/DSCN0116.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035567620450948018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6WlNXiQ2Tjae-xlng7BLSEMcKK40k0uCCBaq1m2X9xSPZO6djZHDDtFyl4UzpALDkjjTWqTbRwL98LAZHIj-jz7VyPDUwGpQCWpLAtWy6tTLlGgacRpX223Lgh-50YIaEP4pvLo2X4Q/s320/DSCN0116.JPG" border="0" /></a><em><span style="color:#990000;"> Let 'er rip!</span></em> </div><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div align="left">Yesterday was an exciting day for my boy. First, after an early 2nd round defeat, John and his car, Lightning McQueen, managed to come back for a stunning 2nd-place finish in the Kernersville Pack #943 Pinewood Derby. He's now eligible to compete in the finals this Tuesday night and the Salem district derby on March 10th. Wow! </div><br /><div align="left">Second, John received Honorable Mention in the Crisis Control Ministry's Wee Care art contest, drawing a picture of his family eating breakfast. 12 kids from his school, Sedge Garden Elementary, were finalists in the contest. </div><br /><div align="left">Congratulations, John! Mom & Dad are proud of you!</div>Leanne Pettyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06740524011081403505noreply@blogger.com0