The Best Neighborhood in the World

I was lucky to be able to grow up in the best neighborhood in the world. The neighborhod that I grew up in did not boast large prestigious houses with perfectly manicured lawns, high HOA dues, a gated entrance, tennis courts, or even a community pool.


 This neighborhood did however understand the true meaning of the word neighborhood. My neighborhood realized that a neighborhood was a community of citizens who weren't so much worried about keeping up with the Joneses as they were concerned about helping the Joneses. When times were hard the neighborhood banded together and helped eachother out. When times were easy they would kick back on the deck and drink a cold beer together and enjoy the beautiful scenery. In my neighborhood my Mom never baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies without sending a plate over for the neighbors and the neighbors never returned the plate back without making sure it was filled with delicious banana chocolate chip muffins. My mom never had to worry about me being in my house by dark because our neighborhood was safe and there was always someone looking out for me. One neighbor who was concerned with cars driving too fast took matters into her own hands. She would go so far as to jump out and scare cars into slowing down to ensure our neighborhood was a safe place for kids and pets to play. When my dog escaped the fence(which was a weekly,sometimes daily occurrence) there was always someone standing outside of our door smiling patiently to return her. My neighborhood even had its own Posse which consisted of all the neighborhood boys. Us girls of the neighborhood would like to think that we were "unofficial" members of the Posse since the boys never hestitated to call us whenever they needed extra players for a game of kickball or football. Every season in my neighborhood was a new adventure. Spring consisted of fishing the banks of the creek. Summer meant swimming in the creek and late night games of capture the flag. With Autumn came trick or treating and every neighbor knew my name. I can still to this day remember which house gave out which candy. One house in particular handed out healthy apples and as hard as we tried to avoid that house our Moms always made us stop by so they could see our costume and give us a healthy treat. Winter brought sleighriding and once we got too cold we always ended up at someone's house to warm up with hot cocoa and watch movies. Our neighborhood was perfect because we were close enough to town that we could walk to the Fair, but not too close that fairgoers tried to park in our driveways.


Most people who haven't had the privilege to live in this neighborhood have a negative feeling towards it. Whenever they hear the name mentioned they automatically associate it with a bunch of crazy nature lovers who refuse to move to higher ground. When I hear Fernville I think home. The one thing that turns so many outsiders away is the one thing that draws the members of this community in...the water. What the outsiders do not realize is that there is something so serene and peaceful about the smell of the creek in Spring and the sound of the geese in Summer. 

Man is not an aquatic animal, but from the time we stand in youthful wonder beside a Spring brook till we sit in old age and watch the endless roll of the sea, we feel a strong kinship with the waters of this world.   -Hal Borland

So to those who think it would be so easy for the residents of such a beautiful and peaceful community to leave...think again. How easy would it be for you to leave the best neighborhood in the world?

Lucky

Normally the main focus of my writing is on all of the "unlucky" situations that I happen to find myself in. Today I am shifting my focusing to how lucky I am.


What a week this has been. So much flooding throughout the northeast. My heart goes out to all of those who have lost everything in this flood. Seeing so many who are without homes makes me realize how lucky I really am. Yesterday marks the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I think about all of the people who lost their loved ones on that fateful day in September. So many innocent lives lost in that act of terror and so many innocent lives given to help save the innocent. With my husband being a police officer I automatically think of all of the families of  the emergency response teams involved that day. I have had many times that I have been waiting anxiously for a phone call to know that my husband is safe. I cannot even begin to understand the fear and sadness when they waited and waited for the phone call that never came. I am so thankful for this country and those who have given their lives or will give their lives if needed to protect it.




So many things to be thankful for today...

My family- I am so thankful for my wonderful family. I have been so blessed to be part of such an amazing family! They have always been there for me. There is no such thing as a perfect family, but thank God for that because how boring would life be if every family was perfect?! 




I think this is Joe giving me payback for all those years I tortured him..I think he might still be bitter from the time I sprayed Clorox in his eyes..



My husband- I truly believe in the word "soul mate". Those who do not believe this have grown impatient and settled for less than love. They have never found that one person who literally turned their whole life upside down. So thankful that God has given me an amazing husband who loves me the way I am..quirks and all!!  Our last 3 and a half years together have been amazing! We have had our share of ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade those years for ANYTHING! I am so proud and lucky to be his wife!

My bestest friends- I am so grateful to have some of the best friends a girl could ask for! Friends that have been there for me through thick and thin. We have had some great times together!! And I apologize for all of the "unlucky" situations you had to suffer through as a result of being my friend!!

Janice- All of the numerous back up incidents we had together..of course I was always driving!! I will never forget the time I backed up into your Dad's truck and thought I put a huge dent in it! I was so nervous to tell him what happened and when I finally got up the courage he told me there was already a dent there before I hit it(of course he waited to tell me until after I had worked up a sweat).


P.S. So sorry for body slamming you for stealing my ice cream! Well, not really..you did deserve that one!


Laura- I am really sorry about the "confederate" 50 bill that I accepted and misinformed you that it was a 100 bill! Thanks to me you almost sent the wrong person to jail that da!! Not funny at the time but can't stop laughing today! Also, thank you so much for not firing me for accidentally writing Unita "Bath" on Unita Scott's receipt!






Nora- all of the "food-related incidents" we experienced together. The time I almost choked to death on baked beans and the time I almost drowned in sweet tea that came out of my nose! Thank you for always being there to lend a helping hand and to remind me "how embarassing" I was to you!

Stef- I know you will NEVER forget my last day in North Carolina!! Almost went back to Pennsylvania without my car!  We will just add that incident to my long list of "back up incidents".

Sarah- So sorry for the time I got you sent up to the Dean's office! Also sorry for being instrumental in the notorious April Fool's joke heard around the world that almost cost you your husband! Just think..that will be a great example of "pranking what not to do" to tell your kids someday! I can just hear it now..."telling your boyfriend that your Dad had a heart attack is NOT a good idea!

Mimi- I will never forget the day you came back to our dorm room at college and saw me sitting there smiling ear to ear. Your first response was,"You ate all the Christmas candy from our stockings, didn't you?!" To which I replied,"yes, but that was sooo LAST week..Daniel just asked me on a date!"


Sonya- Sorry that because of my bad luck you were also stuck at the top of the Nitro rollercoaster for over 30 minutes! Also, sorry for the time that I spilled spaghetti on that man at the spaghetti supper and you ended up having to clean him up since I was too afraid to show my face!





Katie- Thanks for all of the wonderful nights spent at El Cerro eating our weight in Mexcian food! Sorry for the time I almost killed you on the way to Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale because I ran a red light turning left!

My dogs- I love my 3 little dogs to death! I am so grateful for the lessons that each of these little guys have taught me.




Templeton

Templeton is my perpetual puppy. He has taught me that no matter how old you get you can still be a kid (or in his case a puppy) at heart. He has never stopped wagging his tail since the first time I saw him when he was 4 months old. He is now 4 years old and he is still wagging his tail.




Jeter

Jeter is my little rescue dog. He is such a tiny little thing and he has been through so much. He was abused by his previous owner and when we adopted him he was scared to death of us. Jeter has taught me that it is never too late in life to give your heart away and to trust. Today Jeter trusts me with his life. He would follow me through fire and not blink an eye. He has followed me into the ocean and even ridden a surfboard! He has taught me that it is never too late to trust someone who loves you!




Mephibosheth

Mephibosheth is such a quirky little dog. He is the most like me. His moods change daily, but he will always make you laugh with his antics! Last year he was really sick and almost died. When the emergency vet came to let me know that he had miraculously made it through the night she told me, " He's a little fighter. He battled hard all night to stay alive." I know he fought so hard to stay alive because he wanted to come back home with me. Mephibosheth has taught me perserverance. He has taught me that sometimes you have to fight tooth and nail to be with the ones that you love.






My Savior- I am so humbled, happy, and thankful that the Creator of the Universe sent His only Son to die for ME! Because of HIM I can enjoy this wonderful life He has given me and know that I have eternal life in Heaven with Him some day! What more could I want or need?!






 I have so much to be thankful for. I feel like the luckiest girl in the whole world!!!

It's Like Rain on Your Wedding Day!

It is early morning on March 7th 2008. My eyelashes flutter open and I instantly remember that today is the day that will change my life forever. It is my wedding day. My bridesmaids, Mom, brothers, nieces, Aunts, cousins and I are staying in a beautiful old house on the Neuse River in downtown New Bern, North Carolina. I instantly run over to the window to see the weather...rainy and windy. It is so foggy that I can't see anything past a few feet. Twelve hours earlier at our rehearsal it was picture perfect weather. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful 70 degrees. Today? Well, it could not be any more opposite. I knew ahead of time that my wedding day would not go off without a hitch! I mean, weddings always scream for disaster..and my wedding?! Well, need I say more?

Let's rewind back to December 17th 2006. My boyfriend Daniel and I had just finished up another semester of college. My favorite author is Nicholas Sparks. While we were in college, Daniel always used to surprise me with Sparks' newest book. Well, somehow Daniel found one book that I had not read yet. It is called "A Bend in the Road." The book is set in the beautiful town of New Bern, North Carolina. The way Sparks described the beautiful waterfront town with all of its historical charm made me wonder if a place like this really existed. I remembered telling Daniel that I wanted to go to New Bern. He always thought it was funny the way that I pronounced New Bern. I'm a yankee and I put the emphasis on the second syllable so it sounds more like a question. He is from North Carolina and he puts the emphasis on the first syllable and then runs it all together (try it..you will know what I mean).  Well, December 17th was the day that he was finally taking me to New Bern! It was freakishly warm for December. It was sunny and over 70 degrees. New Bern was exactly as I had pictured it.



We strolled down the beautiful historic streets of New Bern



We visited the birthplace of Pepsi




We toured a beautiful old church






We walked hand in hand down the beautiful waterfront



And then at sunset while we were in a beautiful white gazebo..Daniel got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife...and make him the happiest man in the whole world..

and...I said...









YES!!!

Let's fastforward to my wedding day. I am looking out the window thinking about all of the months and months of planning and preparing that have led up to this day. The plan was to become man and wife at the very gazebo where he asked me to become his wife. It is t minus 9 hours from the ceremony and it is pouring buckets with tornado-like weather. I can handle the light rain or even the heavy rain...but the wind?! Really?!  I am sitting here thinking," Rain, or no rain, I am still getting married today!"


It is now 1 hour from the ceremony...I am trying to have a good attitude about the rain thing..so I am focusing on getting myself ready..except that my makeup is not here!! All of my makeup that I have ordered for the wedding was in my mailbox..an hour away in Goldsboro!! Luckily, 15 minutes before the cermony started my in laws are able to get it to me..just in the nick of time! Phewww!!




I had the perfect view of the gazebo from the room where I got ready..

It is now time for me to go downstairs with my dad...he will be singing "I loved her first" after he gives me away. I am pretty sure he is more nervous than I am on the elevator ride down..

The peak of the storm hits just as I am about to walk down the aisle. I can hear the rain and the wind howling. I look out the window and it is as dark as night outside. I am starting to get a little bit nervous...

It has always been my dream to walk down the aisle to the beautiful sound of a violinist playing the Wedding March. Just as the doors open..I hear the violinist playing. But what he is playing..is NOT beautiful! The best way for me to describe the sound would be to compare it to a dying cat and then multiply it by ten. I am standing here waiting for him to take the queue and start the Wedding March..and I wait...and I wait..and then I feel a push from my wedding coordiantor. (If only I could turn around to see the nasty looks Miss Paula is now shooting my violinist). Seriously, how many girls do you know that have not walked down the aisle to the Wedding March?!  He actually wore a black shirt with blue pants and black Crocs..to a wedding!!! His music "samples" on his website were very misleading(as in he wasn't the one playing those samples). I took violin lessons for a few years in elementary school and I am pretty sure that I could play better than him!!

The pouring rain, howling wind, and screeching violin suddenly fall silent. I have spotted the man of my dreams waiting for me at the end of the long aisle. Every sound and every person disappears into the background and he is all that I can see. Suddenly everything that has gone wrong today is forgotten and all that matters is that I get to him...

The rest of the ceremony goes off without a hitch...well if we don't count my $180 hem that ripped out on the way up the stairs..


My brother Joe and my father-in-law perform the ceremony and my brother finally announces us as husband and wife..



We then ride off into the sunset(or would you call it a cloudset?) in our Cinderella carriage

 Today is August 15th 2011. I have been married for 3 years and 5 months. As I look out the window I cannot help but think of my wedding day. It is rainy and dreary. Right now I am listening to my Ipod and the song "To Make You Feel My Love" is playing and I am thinking about when it was sung on our wedding day... "When the rain is blowing in your face and the whole world is on your case...I could offer you a warm embrace to make you feel my love."

Some people say that rain on your wedding day means good luck..I think they are right.

"I could make you happy make your dreams come true.. nothing that I wouldn't do..go to the ends of the earth for you...to make you feel my love."



The NITRO

It was May 2004 and my graduating class (all 5 of us) went to Six Flags NJ for our senior trip. Now, most people would be elated to go to a theme park for their senior trip. Me? not so much! I would have been much happier to do anything ELSE but go to a theme park. My mission for this trip was just to simply survive. Now, don't get me wrong..I love a good thrill as much as the next thrill seeker BUT I can't help but wonder what all could go wrong. For those of you who are scoffing me right now...you obviously know NOTHING about me!


It was an overcast day in May and I was doing what I do best at a theme park...bench hopping. I sat at every bench in front of every big roller coaster at the park watching my classmates excitedly wait in line.I kept thinking some other scaredy-cat would join me on the bench and we could chat over an icecream cone about our hatred for theme parks and roller coasters, but no..it was just me! Even the kids half my age didn't even blink when they saw the massive roller coasters they were about to ride.My classmates were all laughing and joking when they got off of the rides and I made a pact with myself that I would ride one roller coaster before the day was over. I actually enjoy riding roller coasters contrary to what you might think reading this. I just can't help but think that I will be a statistic in the small group of roller coaster fatalities...


It was toward the end of the day and there were 2 roller coasters left to ride before we called it a day. The Nitro and the new Superman ride. I decided to put on my big girl panties and ride the Nitro. I was so over my classmates calling me a baby! I nervously waited in line...my stomach in knots! I just wanted to get it over with! Finally it was my turn. My friend Sonya, her brother(who happened to be our teacher) and I sat down ..and then it hit me..." I could die on this ride!!!" I jumped up to run away and my other 2 classmates(i won't call them friends) Skippy and Joel grabbed me as I was running down the line full of people! They drug me back, one of them actually sat on me while the other one put the harness down on me just as he jumped off my lap!!! A few seconds later..we took off!! Skippy, Joel, and Sarah were waiting for the next ride. Skippy and Joel looked quite smug as they waved goodbye to us!

It was the climb of death! It felt like it took forever as we slowly chugged to the top...233 feet to be exact!!! As we reached the top I felt the coaster go backwards a few feet and then click..click...stop. It simply stopped in mid-air!! I asked my teacher who had rode it before,"is this normal?!!!" to which he replied,"No!!"  That is when the panic hit me. I started hearing people behind me having panic attacks. We waited for 20 minutes!! At this point it was starting to rain and we were so high I cold barely see anything through the fog. All I could think was," If I ever live through this I am going to kill Joel and Skippy!!!"


After about 20 minutes, we saw someone walking up the million plus stairs to the top of the drop where we were. He said something "had gone wrong". All I could think was, " No! you don't say?! I am hanging here suspended 233 feet in the air for the past 20 minutes and everything is just peachy?!"  I still remember begging him to let me go back down the steps with him..I just wanted off of that ride NOW!  He told me I had to finish the ride! Another 10 minutes passed and the ride carried on...I had visions of our coaster flying off of the track and plummeting to my death! When the ride was FINALLY over our coaster came whipping through and Skip and Joel were laughing and Sarah looked like a nervous wreck! 


This could ONLY happen to me! Of all of the rides my classmates rode the whole day..I decide to face my fears and ride the Nitro and then it gets stuck! Why didn't it happen to Skip, Joel, and Sarah? I will tell you why..because I WASN'T ON THAT RIDE!

Gas Pump Botch

In honor of Father's Day I thought I would share this funny and special memory that I have with my Dad:


It was my junior year of high school on the first day of buck season which in Pennsylvania is always the first Monday after Thanksgiving. My dad and I were going hunting together. It was approximately 4:00 a.m. on a freezing Pennsylvania morning. Our plan for the morning was to stop and get gas in the truck, eat breakfast at Creekside restaurant, and then head to my brother's house which was where we were going to hunt. As we were pulling out of the driveway, my dad made a comment that I will NEVER forget. "Well, it's 4:15 if nothing happens we will be right on schedule." I thought to myself," It is 4:15 in the morning...there is no one on the roads at this time of the morning...what could possibly go wrong?!"  Boy, did I think wrong. If I had been told that this cold November morning would turn into a story that would be told on the first day of buck season for many years to come I would have never believed it.


We pulled into the gas station and up to the gas pump.  My Dad got out of the truck and put the gas nozzle into the tank. He then saw a sign that said, "pre-pay 12:00-6:00 a.m."  Who would have ever thought that this seemingly insignificant hand written sign on a piece of cardboard would vastly influence the chain of events which followed?


My dad went inside to the gas station to pre-pay and to buy a container of coffee cream. Meanwhile, I was sitting in the truck and had no idea of the pre-pay sign. I thought My dad had already pumped the gas and was going in to the store to buy creamer. All I remember is sitting in the passenger side all bundled up in my hunting garb and thinking how cold I was. I reached over and turned the key...everything that happened after that is now a blur. My dad's Dodge Dakota truck which is a STANDARD truck was IN GEAR. The truck took off with me in the passenger side. I felt like I was yet again, in a bad dream! It was like I was having an out of body experience watching with horror everything that transpired. I was dumbfounded! The only thing I could think of to do was lay down on the truck seat and try to reach the brake. Of course the stick shift was in my way and did not make this easy. As I leaped across the truck seat to hit the brake I accidentally landed on the GAS!


Meanwhile...my dad was turned around looking for coffee creamer when he heard the gas station cashier yell with horror, "who's truck is that?!" My dad turned around to see his Dodge Dakota whizzing through the parking lot with no driver and headed right for a shiny new VW Jetta( the owner of course was a businessman who was in line for his daily coffee) As if this wasn't bad enough..my Dad noticed that the gas nozzle was ripped off of the gas pump, but still in the truck's gas tank and was leaking gas all over the parking lot.


Meanwhile... I had FINALLY, praise Jesus found the brake!!! I was laying on the seat with my hand on the brake when my dad found me. He was so confused! He was not expecting to find me in the car. He actually had no idea what had happened to me or what had caused the series of unfortunate events. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" he yelled. All that I said was, "I got cold." (keep in mind that at this point I am still laying across the seat with my hand on the brake).  He jumped into the truck and I am pretty sure that I saw smoke coming out of his ears. He said,"Janel, oh my goodness. Oh my goodness what am I gonna do." I am not exaggerating when I say that he said this at least 5 times. He whipped the truck into reverse and jumped out of the truck to survery the damage at the pump. The gas nozzle and line obviously had been ripped from the pump. My dad jumped into the bed of the truck and tried frantically to reconnect the gas hose..no such luck. He actually ended up getting gasoline all over HIM in the process. He jumped back into the truck and sped off before you could say"let's get the heck outta dodge!"  


We drove in akward silence for about 15 minutes until we got to the restaurant where we were eating breakfast. We sat down and the waitress came to our table and asked what we wanted to eat and that is when it hit my Dad. He started laughing in her face so hard that she huffily walked away. When she came back he tried to explain to her why he was laughing, but he couldn't even talk. That is when I knew that I wasn't going to be in trouble. We laughed the entire breakfast and as we were leaving my dad said,"hey! I never did get my five dollars in gas!"  Anyone who knows my Dad knows that he always only gets five dollars at a time..lucky for him!


Once we finally arrived at our destination...my brother Jim walked out and asked,"why do you guys smell like gasoline and homefries?"  Dad and I looked at eachother and laughed. Dad said, "boy, do I have a story for you!!!"

Needless to say, we drove all the way to Benton and back on fumes. After our day of hunting we passed by the gas station and the gas pump had a black trash back and duct tape covering it. The sign said "out of order." 

To this day, my ears always itch on the first day of buck season. ;)

Beach Cruiser Bonanza

Two years ago on a beautiful, sunny, and seemingly routine day in Wilmington, my husband Daniel took me out to eat for my lunch break. Daniel noticed that I had a few minutes left before my lunch break was over and asked if I wanted to check out the bicycle shop in the strip mall next to my work.  I had previously mentioned to Daniel that I would love a hot pink beach cruiser for my birthday! (he earned major browning points for remembering).


We started looking at the bicycles and with the first price tag we noticed that they were definitely out of our price range. We were hoping to sneak out unnoticed by the salesman. We walked out the front door and just when we thought we were home free the salesman came up behind us. He asked if we were looking for anything in particular and Daniel briefly mentioned that I wanted a pink beach cruiser for my birthday. Of course there was a line of beach cruisers outside of the shop which we just happend to be standing by when he found us. There in the line of overpriced beach cruisers was the most beautiful bike I had ever seen! The perfect shade of hot pink with shiny chrome and it even had a basket! I could visualize myself whipping along the beach with my hair tousled in the wind with my little chihuahua Jeter sitting perfectly in the basket(hey, a girl can dream!)  

It was beach cruiser love at first sight! Just as the salesman pointed it out to us the shiny chrome actually winked at me just as the sun hit it! But my beach cruiser love quickly dimished when I happend to catch a peek at the $2,000 price tag! Before I even had a chance to say a word, the salesman asked me if I wanted to ride it. I immediately said, "no thank you."  Remember, I was in my office work clothes and of course sporting my ever present high heels and to top it off I hadn't ridden a bike in at least 15 years! Let us ALSO not forget my bad luck which always seems to follow me. Even my brief moment of childhood nostalgia wasn't enough to override my fear of humiliation. But the salesman just would not let it go! We went back and forth at least 4 times before I finally said, "fine,I will ride it!"  Inwardly I was chuckling because I knew it wouldn't end well and I also knew there was a very beneficial lesson to be learned for this salesman. All in all, I still hoped for the best.

As I climbed on the seat, I immediately noticed that it just didn't feel right. I am barely 5 foot tall!  I could hardly reach the peddles and the handlebars were spaced so far apart I looked like I was driving a Harley! My high heels and dress clothes did not help matters any. I immediately lost control and veered off of the sidewalk and into oncoming traffic. You could slide a sheet of paper between my bike and the car coming towards me as I whipped back on to the sidewalk just milliseconds before we collided!  Right now you are probably thinking to yourself, wow, that was a close call, but thank goodness you made it to the sidewalk.  But this, my friend,  was only the start of the fiasco. As you remember, I whipped back on to the sidewalk. Just as I reached the sidewalk, two girls just happened to be walking down the sidewalk towards me. All I can remember about these two girls is the look on their faces when they saw me barreling towards them: SHEER PANIC! I ended up driving right between them as they both dove out of the way just in time. Wooh! Another crisis averted! But again, a shortlived victory when I remembered that my high heels were hindering me from peddling backwards to hit the brakes. I decided to head towards Daniel and the salesman in hopes that they could help me stop.  I knew I needed to brace myself because this.was. not. going .to.end. well. The beautiful line of beach cruisers I mentioned earlier? Well, they broke my fall! I crashed into them going full speed and they all fell down like dominos! The only thought racing through my mind during the collision was,"MY HUSBAND IS GOING TO KILL ME!"

   As soon as I hit the ground I was so embarassed so I jumped up as fast as I could like a little kid and grabbed Daniel's arm for comfort. Then I surveyed the damage. I suffered minor cuts and scratches to both knees, elbows, and hands and a very bruised ego. The bike? Well, it suffered MUCH worse! I thought for sure we would be leaving the store with a $15,000 bill(being that there were so many bikes involved in the crash).  But all the salesman could muster was,"Well, I did  tell her to ride the bike."

I didn't say a word. Daniel didn't say a word. We walked solemly back to the truck. Once inside the truck, we both just sat there speechless for what seemed like eternity. Finally, Daniel broke the silence with "YOU FORGOT HOW TO RIDE A BIKE!"

The following month Daniel surprised me with a Wal-mart youth sized blue beach cruiser which he lovingly spray painted hot pink. The license plate reads "Lil' Jan".