Stop and Smell the People

Rockwell’s America is alive and well…

At the lower left the bonfire. Off in the distance is the city of Roanoke and the Roanoke Valley. And in between is our street-turned-sled-riding-hill.

Pleasantville, USA – Norman Rockwell’s America is alive and well in The Noke… AKA Roanoke, Virginia.

The snow started falling on our street at about 10:00 Friday night. Crowley was fast asleep and as I headed off to bed, I heard it. The sound of laughing children echoed up and down our frigid block. The sure result of an unwritten rule in Southern households. Never spoken, but clearly understood because snowfalls here are rare (most winters,anyway). Whenever it starts to snow, no matter the hour, even if you are snug in your pjs and under the covers, fast asleep… when the snow starts to fall, kids can, should, and must get up, get dressed and get outside! And so I fell asleep with a smile on my face as the giggles and shrieks of joy traveled up to our window.

The sled riding hill to end all sled riding hills is our street. The V-DOT (Virginia

Anna & Crowley staying warm...

Dept of Transportation) plows know better than to plow our street until the neighborhood has had a few days to turn it into a sled riding party that goes from 8 AM to 10 PMish… so long as school is cancelled.

I am writing this Sunday night and they’re still out there, squealing and hollering as they fly down our road on inner tubes, toboggans and Radio Flyer sleds. And it’s not just the kids. The little ones have to battle their parents for a sled! At the top of the hill, a bonfire warms up a circle of neighbors, keeping warm and laughing as one sled after another launches down the hill just a couple feet away.

Crowley and I kept warm by the fire, the Roanoke Valley sprawling out in front of us, as Mike “borrowed” a child’s sled and

Walk out my front door every morning and see a mountain! Just over that peak is the Blue Ridge Parkway...

made a number of runs.

It’s an amazing thing. All these neighbors gathered, kids running around giggling. I know nothing is perfect. None of these families is perfect. Including ours. But this feels so good, it’s as close I ever expected to get.

I wish you all could experience this… Anna

Poise

We start our day the same way everyday at the Redding household… with a cup of Illy coffee. No, this isn’t a commercial for Illy Italian coffee. But, once you try it, you’ll become an addict… like us. You’ll do ANYTHING to scrape together the money to buy it at 13 BUCKS a can! It is delicious, fine ground espresso beans that’s packed into a silver cylindrical can that makes you feel a little better about spending so much money for coffee. (But if the folks at Illy are reading this, pack that coffee in a pouch and save a girl a buck!)

Anyway, I was drinking my cup of Illy (prepared in a percolator every morning with two sugars)… and wandered into the basement.

That’s when I found it: A Poise box. Are you familiar with Poise?

On the shelf in the basement. So what?

They are bladder control “aids” for women. Adult diapers, basically. So what on earth is an entire box doing in my basement? Not just any Poise box, but a COSTCO-size box. And for you regular readers…no, I did not buy them for my various pregnancy and diet coke related accidents. Which means only one thing… that box belongs to Mike Redding. Wow! How far they fall.

“Hon?” I say.

“Yes.”

“Want to explain the Poise box in our basement?”

Silence.

I press on, “Do you have a bladder control problem?”

I had him cornered. Which is why he answered with the truth.

“No. I am storing some tools in that box. I got it from the grocery store in Charlotte and it came here on the moving truck.”

“So you’re telling me the movers carried a Poise box onto the moving truck and then from the truck into this house?”

“Yes.”

“What’s in it?”

“Empty Illy cans.”

“You are kidding me! How many?”

“50… ish.”

“WHAT? You are saving empty coffee cans?”

“Yes,” he says, “I can keep lots of stuff in those cans: nuts, bolts, washers, drywall screws, roofing nails. They have the screw-on

These cans were made for me!

tops. They are super sturdy…” He goes on and on about the usefulness of these empty coffee cans.

I look at him and laugh! “You have mental problems! You are already out of control with your sock collecting! Now Illy coffee cans?”

“I can keep socks in those cans if I want.”

Sigh.

And so it goes: strange adventures in marriage. If any psychologists are reading, please offer a diagnosis… please?  Anna

Am I late?

I’m a smidge late. That’s a lie. I’m so late I should be pregnant. I’m so late I’ve mourned the loss of my time and have reached the “acceptance” stage of grief.

I didn’t finish all my Christmas cards. Half my family didn’t get one. And I’m not even sure where I left off alphabetically. I’ll have to call them all to figure it out. It also means half my friends didn’t get a card. I was writing cards, and then a snowstorm hit and, well, we work a lot in big news events. That one ended and some guy takes four guns into a Post Office and starts shooting. Three hostages later it’s Christmas eve and I haven’t purchased all my gifts.

I haven’t even called the winner of the “Reader 130,000″ contest yet. Sorry, Nic. I’ll get there.

Me and my boys, Crowley and Trevor, Christmas 2009.

On the up side, I’m sitting on the couch watching football with my #1 Son, Trevor. And the cards and calls will have to wait until he leaves in a few days.

Trevor hasn’t seen Crowley (my #2 son) since his little brother was 3 weeks old! Now Crowley is almost 10 months. When Trevor last saw Crowley, Crowley had three basic tricks: he ate, he slept, he pooped. That’s it. Now he crawls, jabbers on an on in a magical language, hugs, giggles, plays peek-a-boo, shuffles along behind his push car (picture an old person with a walker), loves to eat meatballs and  gives high-fives. Coincidentally, those are all things I like to do.

I’ll catch up around President’s Day. Maybe.

Peace… MR

Baby Diaries: Preggo decorates for the holidays!

Welcome to a long overdue installment of Anna’s “Baby Diaries.” Here’s how these work: Anna writes them and I get to add my 2-cents wherever I like. My thoughts will be in [brackets and bold]. Enjoy…

Baby Diaries: Preggo decorates for the holidays!

You don’t often realize you are a lunatic in the moment, especially when you are six months pregnant. Just ask my friend Liz. Last year she was pregnant too. Not only did she address all of 2008’s Christmas cards, but she also addressed 2009’s! (Because, duh! Obviously she would be too busy with a baby and everything that had to be done before the baby was born!) [Welcome to my world.] As for me, this time last year, I could only think about one thing and one thing only! It wasn’t Christmas cards. [Again? Sweetie, a man my age has to pace himself. This is how we got pregnant in the first place!]

But, the thought antagonized me every time I went up and down the stairs… [She just can't resist me.] It’s the banister. It’s so bare. [Oh.] It needs a garland. [Crap. This is not going to be the night I was hoping for.] Not just any garland, but a magnolia garland. And not just any magnolia garland but a home made magnolia garland.

Only problem? We don’t have any magnolia trees in our yard.

I use the word ‘problem’ loosely because for Preggos, there are no problems…. I mean seriously, these are just things to add to Mike’s ‘To Do’ list! [Wait. Here’s where I say, “Welcome to my world.”]

“Hon?” Surely he knows what’s coming. This is how all of my requests begin with one word ‘Hon.’ [Requests? The question mark at the end of her sentences is merely formality.]

“Yes?” he replies. I don’t even know why he answers. He should really just run for his life! [Thanks for the tip.]

“Um… well… I want to make a magnolia garland for the staircase banister.”

“That sounds beautiful.” He wouldn’t say that if he knew where this was headed. [I knew. I was lying.]… Continue reading ‘Baby Diaries: Preggo decorates for the holidays!’

You’re never too old…

I walk out of my office to ask a producer a question and WHAMMO! Santa is just standing there. I grabbed a chair, told him to sit down and did what any 6-year-old would do. (By the way, he promised I would get what I asked for. Sweet!)

Behind the scenes in a newsroom as the snowstorm approached…

We knew Wednesday it was going to snow Friday afternoon through to Saturday evening. Forecast models were showing anywhere from 4 inches to foot.  That’s a big deal. A foot of snow will shut down Western Virginia.

We have four excellent meteorologists at our station. Their leader is Robin Reed. A man with almost 30 years of experience here in Roanoke. He’s seen it all. Forecasted it all. When he says it’s going to be big, it’s going to be big. On Wednesday when he alerted us to the approaching snowstorm he wasn’t impressed. He spoke matter-of-factly.

Thursday at our afternoon meeting of reporters, photographers and producers, Robin walked in and sat down to brief us. He no longer looked “matter-of-fact.” He said the forecast models have suddenly changed. That a foot of snow was now the low estimate. We could get as much as two feet!

I sat back in my seat and took a deep breath. Reporters and photographers started taking mental stock of their winter gear… boots, long johns, thermal socks…. Producers realized the last Christmas shopping weekend was now last weekend. The weekend ahead was going to be spent here at the station.

My News Director reserved a block of hotel rooms at the Courtyard Marriott next to the station. She knew some of the staff wouldn’t get home once the snow started Friday. We would be stuck at the station for the duration. Our Internet guru (a woman with whom I attended middle school in Ohio long ago) broke out a cot in her office. I set up a cot in my office… mostly for the weather team. On Friday morning, I packed up Anna and the baby and shipped them off to Charlotte. The family Christmas Party was Saturday night. We had no idea if I would make it.

Friday the snow started at 2 PM and stuck to the roads immediately. By Midnight we had a half a foot. I wasn’t going to make it to Charlotte. By Saturday morning we had a foot and a half.

Our news team met the snowstorm head on…. Continue reading ‘Behind the scenes in a newsroom as the snowstorm approached…’

Stop and Smell the People Holiday Gift Guide

Need a special Christmas or Hanukkah Gift? I’m here for you. I’ve traveled up and down the Carolina back-roads and discovered mementos with powerful stories attached. Give a gift, take a trip, that will never be forgotten.

1. Fit for a Queen (or King)

If you are not an engraving connoisseur, you are not alone! But when Anna’s first Mothers day rolled around, I knew I needed something special and I knew exactly where to turn. It was a story I told for The Carolina Traveler about a craftsman whose work is so special, he’s designed for the Queen of England and the late Princess Diana. And, best of all, he lives in the Carolinas now. His name is John Flitton. He’s a one-of-a-king highly accomplished hand engraver. And if you think there isn’t a difference between what John can do and what a machine does… you couldn’t be more wrong. When he inscribes a monogram or a date on anything… it’s transformed into a work of art. You’ll find John Flitton at Morrison Smith Jewelers in Charlotte. You can stop by their shop on Providence Road in Myers Park or order something engraved on-line (from jewelry to frames to cuff links, etc). Or if you already own something and want John to engrave it, e-mail him directly. Anna has a locket with her initials and Crowley’s birthday. It’s her favorite piece of jewelry and fit for a Queen!

2. All Aboard!

Trains are making a comeback. Lionel just released it’s Polar Express train which is sure to capture any child’s imagination. BUT, want to send that imagination into overdrive? Head to the Albemarle Music Store in Albemarle, NC. What do music and trains possibly have to do with each other? Nothing. Unless you visit this place. Walk upstairs in this Main Street store and you’ll find yourself in another world. The owners of this store are the ultimate train enthusiasts! And over the years, little by little, they’ve transformed every square inch of that second floor into a magical place that’s made up of tiny tracks, toy trains, villages, villagers, trees, bells, whistles and more than i can describe. It’s a feast for the eyes and hearts of all of us and especially children. The perfect place to visit and purchase your favorite model train! Even if you don’t buy anything, a visit to the Albemarle Music Store is well worth the trip! Call first to make sure the trains are running that day or night.

235 West Main Street

Albemarle, NC 28001

(704) 982 – 3815

3. Out of Your Gourd!

I first met the Gourd Lady in the late 1700s. We’re that old. After our story on Margaret Sparky Sparkman a.k.a the National Gourd Lady aired, The Tonight Show came calling and her next TV appearance was in the seat next to Jay Leno! A fixture at the Southern Christmas Show, it’s hard to beat Sparky’s Santa Gourd. Not a Santa collector? Don’t worry! The Gourd Lady has countless themes (penguins and snowmen) from which to choose! Click here to check out her website and make a connection.

4. The Gift of Addiction

Perhaps a bizarre title for this little holiday entry. But when you try The Mustard Lady’s Must Have Mustard… you’ll know what I am talking about! Leslie The Mustard Lady moved to Fort Mill, South Carolina, from Boston. She packed her thick Boston accent, giant personality and rare knack for creating absolutely addicting mustard. Her obsession started as a hobby and quickly grew into a business. No one knows her secret recipe, not even her assistant! A pack of Leslie’s Must Have Mustard is perfect for a hostess gift or foodie!

5. THEEEE Toy Store!

Forget that big fancy toy store in New York City. Hop in your car and head to tiny Brevard, NC. Right in the middle of town you’ll find the greatest toy store on earth, “O.P. Taylor’s.” Been there, love it. Everyone I know who’s been agrees with me. But don’t go there looking for the latest video game or electronic wizardry… this plays sells only toys that require something long stolen from today’s kids: imagination. Radio flyer wagons, hand-made wooden toys from Europe they have it all in this two-story maze of a store. Plan to spend several hours there. You won’t get board. It’s a true Santa’s toy shop!

Okay, people, get on it! Happy shopping… MR

Living LARGE… on our anniversary

Last year’s anniversary wasn’t just any anniversary. We were expecting a baby and  expecting him any minute. The nursery was ready… after obsessively sewing the curtains at six weeks pregnant and the rest of the bedding along the way. The car seat was installed and inspected by the Matthews Police department (we had only three mistakes). The bassinet that cradled my grandfather, father and me was waiting for our baby Crowley. Our bags were packed and by the front door.

“Anna,” Michael said, “how do you want to spend our anniversary?”

Three years have passed since we eloped in Italy, March 4, 2006. I thought about our first anniversary. We went with an Italian theme and headed to the opera. We fought the whole way. “I can’t believe we are going to be late!” I said (actually it was a shrill.)

“Anna?” Mike said in his I’ve-had-enough-of-this-conversation voice, “I was downstairs ready and waiting for you for 20 minutes!”

“Yeah, but you should have told me that I was going to be late!!” Ah the joys of the first year of marriage!

But nothing beats the time we were driving to the beach and he was slightly miffed and I said sweetly, “Um. Excuse me… could you roll down the window and let your voice out?” I thought he was going to lose it. But it was so funny and whacked out, I started laughing which only made things worse.

So how to celebrate year number three and no longer fighting about such insanity (99.9% of the time)? Anniversary number two was kind of hard to beat. A week at the Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC… days spent mostly in their amazing spa. They have created a subterranean cave, with stone ceilings that sparkle with starlight. So very many fireplaces blaze and crackle away while you swim in warm mineral water. As I am writing this, I am wondering what in the heck I am doing sitting on the couch here in Roanoke… I need to pack up the car and head to Asheville in a hurry!

So back to the question at hand. “How should we celebrate the fact that we made it through three blissful years of marriage?”

Oh let the magic begin!

At nine months pregnant… I was a little uncomfortable. I mean I felt a knot so low in my abdomen, I went to my doctor. “Anna,” he said in a matter of fact, no duh kind of way, “that’s the baby’s shoulder!” It’s one of those moments when you really get it. The birds and the bees and that a whole entire human baby is about to come out of… well, about to be born. And you sort of get a major reality check about how exactly that is going to happen.

So I was uncomfortable, tired…sooooo tired and ready to have my baby. Nothing else existed in my world, sad to say, including our anniversary. I wondered, “could we just skip it this year?” Of course I didn’t say that out loud. I didn’t want to hurt Mike’s feelings.

The views from the veranda were unlike any trip we've ever been on!

So I answered, “I want to go to Costco and buy new tires for the car.”

Yep. My how priorities change in twelve little months!

So on March 4^th, we got into the car (it took me a while) and drove up the road to Costco. It would take about 90 minutes for the tire shop to finish the job so we had the rest of the store to kill the time. The only drawback to this idea, I found, was the enormity of the store… and the location of the bathroom. It’s not centrally located.

But the magic of the trip was just beginning. Wait! I could see it from a mile away: an outdoor furniture section complete with a tented gazebo and chaise lounge. It was calling my name.

“The cushions are so cozy,” I thought as I put my feet up. I’m not sure

how much time went by. But I awoke to the sound of an iPhone taking my picture… Continue reading ‘Living LARGE… on our anniversary’

A Redding Holiday Tradition

Crowley was fascinated by the snow!

We woke up around 7am. It was the kind of wake up that hurt a little… partly because you were up so many times throughout the night and partly because it’s Saturday. We’re on a mission… get Crowley dressed and fed, pile into the car and head into the mountains looking for the perfect Christmas tree. Cue the Charlie Brown music.

Just as we walked out our front door, huge snowflakes started to drop from the sky! Perfect!

Talk about a picture-perfect day!

Crowley growled with excitement. (So did Mike.)

I’ve never visited a real Christmas tree farm until Mike and I were married. I love this tradition.

When we lived in Charlotte, we always started our Christmas tree hunt with a drive into the mountains and an early lunch at Louise’s Famous Rock House in Linville Falls, North Carolina. Our dear friends Sean and Tonia and their kids would meet us there. It’s a down-home restaurant serving up Southern staples while a fire blazes in the stone fireplace. Louise and her daughter Shirley make you feel like family and have plenty of recommendations of nearby cut-your-own Christmas tree farms.

Little man zonked out in a white out!

In Roanoke, we headed north on Old Blacksburg Road (HWY 311) into the mountains. The snow was really coming down but Crowley sacked right out. It was the kind of snow that sits like icing on all the tree branches. It made for a beautiful drive, speckled with gorgeous farms, 19^th century churches and even a one-room schoolhouse.

I did drive painstakingly slow. (I get carsick if I don’t drive so Mike automatically hops in the back with the baby wherever we go.) I used to drive 80 mph and talk on my cell phone. Not good. That was pre-baby. Now I drive 50 in a 55mph on a clear day. Add snow and you get a slowwww 25-mph tour of the mountains. Mike was just taking a deep breath to tell me to live

Cold but happy.

a little (I am sure of it) when I saw fresh tire tracks leading to a Jeep at the bottom of an embankment… Continue reading ‘A Redding Holiday Tradition’

The Show must go on… or not!

Crowley was 8-weeks-old. I bundled him up in a blanket and walked Mike to the door. “Call me as soon as your meeting is over,” I gave him a kiss and waved good-bye. Mike was headed to the TV station for a meeting with the General Manager. The topic: the future of The Carolina Traveler.

When you are the one at home with a newborn, needless to say, you aren’t exactly sitting on pins and needles… you are nursing, changing diapers, moving the laundry to it’s next step (it’s never actually done), shaking a rattle and strolling. But when Mike’s call came, it seemed a little quick. And from covering criminal trials, it’s the “guilty” verdicts that usually come back in 45 minutes. So as soon as the phone rang, I knew. It was over.

“Come home and we’ll deal with it,” I said, “It’ll be okay. It’s just a puzzle we have to figure out.” It’s a funny little thing about me; I am cool and composed in a crisis (it’s the little teeny weensy stuff that throws me for a loop – can you say neurotic?).

A few things were super clear to me in that moment:

1)    We only get one chance to experience Crowley’s infancy. We can’t just give it up to stress and worry and upset.

2)    I believe in Mike and his talent and I believe that when God put us together, he made a team. Together we would figure it out

I just wanted Mike to be okay. There is nothing worse than watching someone you love get hurt. Sometimes in those hurt moments, it’s hard to see the bigger picture. It’s easy to take a layoff and a show cancellation personally, especially when you invested your heart and soul into it for years.

While it was a blow, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. We were prepared.

A SERIES THAT INSPIRED ME

It was my last big project at WCNC as the consumer reporter. I called it the Financial Fitness Bootcamp Challenge. The idea was simple… teach the audience ways to get out of debt, plan for the future, right financial wrongs and take control of your money. We would do this by taking three viewers facing financial difficulties and pair them with financial experts to see who could make the most progress in 60 days.

It was life changing for me. Two points made by our financial experts made a huge impression: 1) pay off your credit card debt 2) save 3-6 months living expenses in case of job loss.

We worked very hard to live beneath our means and take care of those two objectives. It wasn’t easy.

We shared one car for 18 months. At first it was hard. I mean let’s just face it. I married Mike at 30-years-old. He is my second marriage. My first husband was my JOB. So, suddenly asking someone, “Hey, do you need the car tomorrow? I have some errands to run! Hey, you think you can hitch a ride with Andy?” well, it was weird. It was difficult for Mike too. At first there were more than a few heated discussions about car sharing… Continue reading ‘The Show must go on… or not!’