Enter to win!

I have entered a few contests lately. And I have won! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The first contest was thru Edy's ice cream. My friend Pam in McLean told me about a contest where you write about your neighborhood for a chance to win an old-fashioned ice cream party for 100 people. Two months ago, Pam and I both received notice that we had won! Edy's says they have given away 6,000 parties in the last 4 years, and we are two of them - this Saturday, August 2nd at Kum-Ba-Yah pool in Lynchburg. Please RSVP to lukesmom1216@yahoo.com. More on this later...

I found the second contest when I was perusing SouthernLiving.com. Rembrandt charms asks for you to create the story of your life through charms - I was a runner up and started a bracelet for my dear friend Cindy Courtright. See http://rembrandtcharms.com/contests.

Finally, Dove soaps asked for customers to write about their mentors. They are invested in building young women's self-esteem (http://www.dove.us/#/makeadifference/default.aspx/). I wrote about a dear friend and writer, Betsy. Although we didn't win the grand prize, we received a very attractive blue pseudo-suede tote filled with Dove products and a "100% Real Beauty" tee shirt. Very cool!

I will keep you posted of additional contests I find. Perhaps we will all be winners! Feel free to send in your suggestions as well!

Leadership and Teaching

I am so proud of my niece Sara (and my nephew Ben - see "A mother's and aunt's pride" post). She is an very talented young woman, and I am so thrilled she has chosen teaching as her future profession. Please see her essay below that recently won her a leadership scholarship at James Madison University.


As I stand in front of four hundred band members with thousands of screaming fans behind me, I blow my whistle four times to begin the Marching Royal Duke’s half time show. The familiar sounds of “Mr. Roboto” resonate through the football stadium to the ears of the many fans who stay in their seats for the sole purpose to hear this band, fondly called “Virginia’s Finest”. As the show comes to an end and I step off the podium, I pause a second to take it all in and realize how much I’ve learned since becoming a student at JMU.

To many people, being a leader means being able to stand in front of a large group of people or tell others what to do in certain situations. While I believe that communication and delegation are two essential pieces to effective leadership, I also realize that there are many other qualities that make an effective leader. As a drum major for the Marching Royal Dukes, I have found that being a positive role model is one of the most important parts of being a leader. In this position, I am viewed not only by each of the members of the band, but also by members of the JMU community and Harrisonburg community as a leader of one of the largest and most visible organizations at JMU. As a role model, I strive to do my best musically, maintain a positive attitude under pressure, and keep lines of communication open with band members, leaders and instructors.

As Vice President Membership for Sigma Alpha Iota, an International Women’s Music Fraternity, I have refined many leadership qualities that will apply directly to my leadership style in the classroom. As Vice President Membership, I guide the new members of our fraternity in learning the information they will need to know about our organization. Through serving in this position, I have learned the importance in organization, dedication, and self-confidence. From a teacher’s perspective, I’ve also learned that my style of teaching can change depending on the individuals I am instructing. When I evaluated my teaching methods, I reformatted the way I taught the information to help fit the way college students learn. This was a valuable lesson for me as a leader, as well as an educator.

While there are many different leadership styles, there are also many different qualities that make a good leader. My leadership qualities of communication, delegation, organization, dedication, self-confidence, and being a role model, are just a few of the qualities that make me a proactive leader. I strive to work hard at each leadership position I serve. I also take each experience as an opportunity to grow, and I realize that no matter what I think I already know there is always more to learn. Each leadership opportunity is a chance for me to grow as a person, as well as a future educator.

Pajama Party in Richmond

For women only, although significant others may learn a thing or two by reading.
By Catherine Chapman Mosley
As (partially) featured in The Roanoke Times, July 20, 2008

We have all been there…in dire need of some girl time. Not just dinner out or a few hours at the spa… We’re talking a CONCENTRATED block of time to have good conversation, hang out time, wine (of course!), chick flicks, shopping, and pampering….

For my 43rd birthday, all I wanted was some time with my girlfriends. Laura from Raleigh suggested rendezvousing somewhere central, perhaps Richmond. Washingtonians Pam and Gail were also game for a getaway. I was coming from Lynchburg, so we all had a two-hour drive, except Laura who clocked in at three and a half hours. Finally, we were all in good negotiating positions with our significant others. The plan was hatched.

My husband surprised me on our fifth anniversary with a Romance Package at The Jefferson hotel in Richmond. When the ladies and I discovered their Girlfriends’ Getaway package, Virginia’s capital city appeared to be the ideal destination for us. Pampering, shopping and catching up – in no specific order – well, perhaps the pampering first. We commenced planning and anticipating our needed excursion.

The four of us do a combination of working, volunteering, mothering, step-mothering and house-managing. The time flew by to our coveted weekend. Along the way, we were contacted by hotel revenue manager Amy Clegg, who graciously scheduled our package amenities included manicures, pedicures and massages, based on arrival times. It was like having a personal assistant, someone else to take care of things for a while. Bliss!

Of course we needed to research restaurants and shopping areas. Enter Pam, UBER planner.

“I was at a party last night and one of the gals there came up from Richmond,” emailed Pam. “I asked her if she knew of any places to eat near the Jefferson Hotel. She thought and said: ‘hmmmm—that's in a really strange location. There aren't really any restaurants around there. And I really wouldn't walk around near the hotel at night. It's not a great neighborhood.’ (Which I guess is why the hotel concierge was having trouble coming up with any suggestions!) She said the hotel itself is fabulous and there are actually two restaurants IN the hotel—a fancy schmancy expensive one and a more casual one, both of which she said would be fine.”

We concluded that dining was not a top priority and that we would not stress about it. After all, this two-day/one-night excursion was about de-stressing! And managing to do as much as we could in 24+ hours...

Pam forwarded information on Carey Street shopping and on La Difference, a truly unique three-leveled modern furnishings store. A consensus solidified that these two destinations would be our priorities, since stores at malls like Short Pump and Stony Point Shopping Park are prevalent in Raleigh and DC. Being the only Pottery Barn-deprived sister, I conceded, which turned out to be an excellent decision.

The anticipated Saturday arrived. After missing my exit on Interstate 95, I was the third to arrive, shortly before 11 am. I found Pam and Gail lounging in the very ornate lobby, which revolves around a statue of Thomas Jefferson. A stained-glass “rotunda” ceiling and elegant décor welcomed us, and partly explained why The Jefferson is a 5-star hotel. We would learn that the service and amenities were equally deserving of this designation.

After some initial confusion about the actual elements of the girlfriend package, the front desk accommodated our early check-in and we could begin our 24-hour vacation. Our connecting rooms with two double beds each were ornate and spacious, and we were welcomed with spa baskets including oils, lotions and soaps from Molton Brown of London. We threw our bags in our rooms and headed back down to the spa, which Pam and Gail had already scoped out. Thus began three hours of cuticle clipping, massaging, polishing, chatting and continuous updates from Laura regarding her location. Note to self: Suggest GPS systems to her husband as well as mine for Christmas.

Freshly polished and renewed, we prepared for the next stop on our whirlwind jaunt. A complimentary shuttle transported us to Carey Street. After thoroughly questioning the driver, we discovered he was new to the Richmond area but loved the diversity and edginess of Carey Street, Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom. We were eager to check them out, but food would be our first stop as it was nearly 3pm, and we had all skipped lunch to fit in pampering prior to shopping. Can Can Brasserie had been recommended by the hotel concierge, so we headed that way noting our post-lunch destinations along the interesting walk down Carey Street.

Can Can was surprising packed mid-afternoon. The maitre-d led us to the only empty table within site and handed us very small menus highlighting a small selection of “café faire.” After scanning the meager selections, we noticed the diners next to us were reading larger menus, which meant more selections. We borrowed one of theirs and salivated over the additional choices.

“May we order from this menu?” Pam asked our waitress.

“It’s 3:00, and we’ve switched to our café menu. I’m sorry.”

“But these people are just ordering from the larger menu,” said Gail.

“They had reservations. But let me check with my manager.”

To no avail – we were relegated to the café faire and too hungry to go anywhere else. Despite the inflexibility on the menu issue, the atmosphere was excellent - an attractive high-ceilinged space strung with tiny lights, tiled in black and white, large mirrors on the walls - an authentic Parisian flare. And - maybe it was because we were starving – but the food was top-notch. The salads were simple but made with quality ingredients, and Pam said the Croque Monsieur was one of the best she’d had this side of the Atlantic. Laura fretted about what she’d do with the leftover half of her sandwich – but it became a moot point after she devoured the whole thing. We left Can Can refreshed, fulfilled and ready for shopping.

Stumbling upon Mongrel a few storefronts away, I remembered shopping in this one-of-a-kind store years ago. Their slogan sums it up: Cool Stuff for All Breeds of Humans. Jammed-packed with stationary, cards, unique gifts for children and adults, the four of us broke up and explored on our own for a good 45 minutes. Gail found some beautiful art deco note cards for gifts (including a set for me for my birthday, which I love), and I found the most unusual and creative coloring book for my five-year-old son. Scribbles (www.chroniclebooks.com/tarogomi) challenges children by asking them to use their own artistic skills and imagination to expand on simple backgrounds.

Our next significant stop was Que Bella, a high-end shoe boutique. We happened to wander into the store during the last days of its Winter clearance, and upon hearing the clerk explain what the red dots on the boxes meant, Pam leapt to the front of the store to snag the last pair of Cordani boots in her size that had been marked down from $440 to $89 like “a jackrabbit leaving its cage” (as described Gail). Laura and Pam also snagged a pair of can’t-live-without-‘em $395 Isaac Mizrahi leopard-print flats for $89. And, after hearing from the very friendly clerk that Charlize Theron had just ordered that same pair of Cordanis that Pam scored, even I was inspired to buy a pair that Pam said would last forever. (And I must say that I have felt like a million bucks every time I have worn them since.)

Our final stop was For the Love of Chocolate. What a great place to browse while waiting for our return hotel shuttle! If you want something unusual made out of chocolate, this is the place to visit. I was in search of non-chocolate sweets for my son, and I happily discovered a section of pirate candies. I even found some “Jewish Mother” gum for my next door neighbor and friend, which I knew would bring a smile to her face. Pam, Gail and Laura bought a combination of sweet sensations, including New Tree Cocoon cinnamon chocolate bars for which Gail was searching high and low all over DC and couldn’t find. Pam discovered elusive favorites like mini Sugar Daddys, Zero bars, and Nik-L-Nips. This goldmine of candy stores also carries edible novelties from the sublime (giant-sized Smarties rolls, Smarties chewing gum, marshmallow-flavored lollipops that look just like the campfire favorite - on a twig-shaped stick) to the ridiculous (candy “french fries” with strawberry gel “ketchup” - which even the 5- and 7-year old boys they were bought for declared “disgusting”).

Loaded with shopping bags and a natural high from a successful retail trip, the hotel luckily sent the van rather than the Town Car for our return trip. Uncorking a bottle of wine, we toasted our bargains and ourselves and launched into major conversations and catch-up. This was also an impromptu birthday celebration for me! What was talked about in Richmond stays in Richmond.

Two hours later, we decided to find some sustenance within the hotel. Delighted to find an empty table within a jammed-packed hotel bar, we also found some light fare including delicious green salads and soups. Of course I needed a cheeseburger fix after such a light lunch, so I “gorged” ahead.

The night ended with a viewing of 27 Dresses. The only real chick flick on the hotel’s in-room selection list, two of us fell asleep, which is the most accurate review I can give.

Awaking for a change to the sun streaming through the sliver of window between the curtains and not to my adorable barking puppy, I felt relaxed and renewed and ready for another day of female fun. Gail and Pam wandered down the Jefferson’s fitness center for their 30-minute massages while Laura and I caught up one-on-one over coffee in the room before our turn for the final pampering. The massage reviews were mixed – I enjoyed the deep tissue and surprising fell back asleep; Gail’s masseuse talked throughout her massage so her experience was less than spectacular.

Hungry again, we ventured down to the included American breakfast. Here was the big disappointment. While eggs, grits, hash browns, breakfast meats and pastries are wonderful any day, we would much rather have experienced the elegance of the Jefferson’s Sunday Champagne Brunch (http://jeffersonhotel.com/dining_sundaybrunch.aspx). Of course we could have paid additional for it, but at the price of the hotel package, we decided to save for the final shopping destination.

La Difference International Furnishings is truly different. Three floors of funky, modern, unique furniture and accessories require a good two hours to explore, if not more. At Pam’s suggestion, we began on the top floor, which includes the clearance room and “LaDiff Kid” to which I quickly gravitated. Pam and Gail took camera phone pics of potential buys while I wracked up a few cool additions for my five-year-old’s room. Where were wall decals when I was creating his nursery? After this purchase, his bedroom has become an underwater paradise of sea turtles, rays, coral, bubbles and sea horses on what were plain, blue walls. I have since ordered more wall decals for my son’s playroom – planes and clouds we attached to the ceiling – simple decorations that define a room and create atmosphere.

My final purchase was a sturdy, vertical Sapiens bookcase (starting at $179). Made in Italy, it is a wonderfully practical storage solution for his many books and much more cost-effective than the swirling, wall-mounted Bookworm (starting at $425) I was considering. Pam bought a beautiful wooden side chair for her office desk. Pam emailed us after the trip, “My chair is perfect with my desk! Matches great, fits great.” Gail returned to Richmond a few weeks later to buy a Swedish media console she saw that day. It now supports her new flat-screen television, which she said positively transformed the design of her living room. The store furnishings truly made a difference for us!

Loading up these final purchases, my girlfriends and I said our good-byes and promised to make this a yearly pilgrimage. Where will our next getaway be? Stay posted…

Girlfriends Getaway Package, The Jefferson, 101 West Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220, www.jeffersonhotel.com, 800-424-8014.
Grab a girlfriend and join us for a "Girlfriends Getaway". Your package includes luxurious accommodations for two (with two double beds, of course), valet parking for two cars, Molton Brown gift basket for two, a 30-minute massage, manicure and pedicure for each of you, full American breakfast and gratuities for two, early check-in and late check-out. Advance reservations are required for the massages, manicures and pedicures. (Taxes not included.) Deluxe Accommodations: $550, Studio Suite Accommodations: $650.

Carytown: A Mile of Style, www.carytown.org/merchants.html

Can Can Brasserie, 3120 Cary Street, 804.358.PARIS, www.cancanbrasserie.com

Mongrel, 2924 West Cary Street, 804-342-1272, www.mongrelonline.com

Que Bella, 3105 West Cary Street, 804-249-6110, www.quebella.net

La Difference International Furnishings, 125 South 14th Street, 866-4LADIFF, www.ladiff.com

A dog's purpose from a 6 year old

This was forwarded to me by a friend, and it is just so good I have to pass along:

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.

I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker,and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catching my throat as Belker's Family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's death,wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'

The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that , so they don't have to stay as long.'

Live simply.Love generously.Care deeply.Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

What to do with your kid's artwork?

I am a serious packrat, and a sentimental one at that. I cannot bring myself to throw away any of my son's creative projects. I found a wonderful portfolio for storage at the Plow and Hearth outlet just north of Charlottesville, but I also discovered a great idea while entering HGTV's Green Home Giveaway contest:

Find some matted frames at the Dollar Store and let your child select his favorite artwork to display. You can switch out the artwork and have "gallery openings" for your little Rembrandt. I think these might make super holiday gifts for grandparents also.