One Thing About Today...

One thing about today (Monday June 12) that I want to remember one year from now is how much I enjoyed spending the afternoon with my aunt, driving throughout our home county, collecting selfies in front of designated points of interest as we participated in a photo scavenger hunt sponsored by the Wyoming County Historical Museum.  

During the 42 mile roundtrip circle, we collected selfies at four predetermined locations:

1) At the Civil War Trail marker in a little community called Turkey Dip.

2) In front of the Wyoming County Historical Museum sign in Oceana.

3) In front of the Appalachia Service Project sign in Brenton.

4) With the bell that sits in front of the Wyoming County Courthouse in Pineville.

As my aunt and I leisurely drove around the county, we talked and caught up on things that have happened since I last visited in early April.  We enjoyed the sunny June afternoon, reminisced, and shared memories of some of the places we passed such as the drive-in movie theater, which no longer stands.  I also learned some interesting, little tidbits about my family that I didn't know.  

For instance, the local Appalachia Service Project headquarters (pic #3) is housed in a building that once was a school called Guyan Valley.  When I was in school in the 1980s, the school was for severely disabled students.  (This was during a time before inclusion existed.)  As we pulled into the parking lot, I mentioned that I remembered when it was a school.  My aunt did as well, adding that her sister-in-law work there during the late 1980s and, many years ago, before I was born, my great-grandmother and my great-aunt both worked there as kitchen staff.  Until that moment, I didn't know that.

The fifth and final location was participant's choice; the location simply needed to be your favorite spot in Wyoming County. Well, hands down, my favorite spot in Wyoming County is my parents' back deck, but I decided to take the opportunity and give a shout out to my former high school, Pineville High. 

Pineville High School no longer exists, it consolidated with Mullens H.S. in the late 90s, six years after I graduated.  The building now houses Pineville Middle School.  Excluding my childhood home and my grandparent's house, Pineville High is my favorite place in the county.  Although I don't believe that the best years of a person's life are his/her high school years, for I agree with Hall and Oats - there is life after high school, I still had a great high school experience and have many fond memories of my time there.  But, unlike most of my classmates, I also have many fond memories of Pineville High that were made long before I walked through those doors as a student.

Both of my parents taught at Pineville; in addition, Mom was always a sponsor of an extracurricular group, such as cheerleaders or Student Government, and Si was the varsity football coach. As you can imagine, I spent a lot of time in and around Pineville H.S. as a kid. I remember working the concession stand with my mom and amongst the high school kids and feeling so grown up. I remember attending bingo games and spaghetti dinners hosted by the Booster Club as they raised money to build a new football field house. I remember walking out onto the stage of the tiny auditorium, whose stage door was right across the hall from my mother's classroom, and staring out at the seemingly endless sea of seats. As a kid, the performance space seemed so enormous and I recall being utterly amazed at the fact that both my parents had sat in those very same seats that I then stared at when they were high school students two decades before.

Today was a day of reconnection not only with my aunt, but also with so many places that collectively make up what I call "home."  I want to forever remember this place and all that it has meant to me through the years.  

~~~~~

What's one thing about today that you want to remember one year from now?  Do you have a special connection to a place?

As always, thanks for stopping by!  Happy Thursday!

One Thing About Today... (Vol. 2)

One thing about today (Thursday January 5) that I want to make sure I remember one year from now is the overwhelming feeling of shock and sheer joy I felt this morning when, on a whim, I tried on my beloved, old, gray Marshall sweatshirt, an item I have been unable to wear for 5-6 years because it became too snug, only to discover that after losing 29 pounds, that I could wear it once again.

Losing weight is an interesting experience. One of the reasons why is because, in my opinion, one's mind doesn't necessarily see the changes that are happening to one's body during weight loss.  I know I've lost weight for I've seen the changes on the scale each week.  I've also seen the changes in the way my clothes fit and how many times I've tightened up my belt.  But, there are still times when I look in the mirror and my mind doesn't see the changes that have happened to my body; I still see the reflection of how I was in August.

This morning was a huge affirmation for me.  I know it's just a basic sweatshirt, but this one has always been a favorite.  I love the basic crewneck and the embroidered letters that spell out the name of my beloved alma mater in green. I've had this sweatshirt for over 20 years.  I was very upset with myself when I got the point of where I could no longer wear it because of the weight I had gained.  Two years ago, during a massive household item and clothing purge, I almost relegated the sweatshirt to the Goodwill bag, figuring why keep something that obviously no longer fit.  But, due to my sentimental nature, I just couldn't part with it.  

Today, I am so glad I didn't.  

One year from now, I hope I remember how wonderful this little non-scale victory, to use a popular Weight Watchers term, feels. 
  

What is one thing about today that you want to make sure to remember one year from now?  Please feel free to comment below.

As always, thanks for stopping by!  Happy Friday and have a great weekend!


Back in October, I composed a post entitled One Thing About Today as a part of the Back to Blogging Non-Challenge Challenge hosted by Alyssa @ Alyssa Goes Bang.  I enjoyed writing and revisiting that entry so much that I've decided to make it a regular feature here on my blog.

One Thing About Today... - Back to Blogging Challenge

One thing about today (Thursday, October 20) that I want to make sure I remember one year from now is how blessed I am to have spent the day with my grandparents.

As  a forty-something gal, I realize how fortunate I am to have two grandparents still living.  They are my maternal grandparents.  Being their only grandchild, I have and have always had a very special bond with both of them.

This afternoon, I went out with my 84 year old grandpa and we did what has been our thing for the past 30 years - we rode ATVs along the ridges and in the hollers surrounding my sleepy little hometown in the coalfields of southern West Virginia. 

About 5 or 6 years ago, I started treating every ride with my beloved grandpa as if it were the last.  I know that sounds incredibly morbid, but with him getting up in years, the reality is that one day a seemingly inconsequential ride will in fact be our last.  

So, every time we take a ride in the mountains, whether it's for  two hours or all day, I savor everything about the experience.  I take it all in - the beauty of the mountains, the blueness of the sky, the roar of the engine, the coolness of the wind on my face, and most importantly, the time with Grandpa.  My grandfather is a quiet man, but when we're out in the mountains, he's different.  He opens up and I see a very rare side of him that many do not.

Today, Grandpa and I rode for about three hours.  Even though we got a little turned around, had to do some backtracking, were forced to take a detour, and ended up covered in coal dust, I relished every second of our time together.

In the late afternoon, as my grandfather  napped, I sat outside with my 83 year old grandmother, whom I call Gran.  I was filthy, covered in coal dust from the ride, so I sat on her back steps.  After putting some turnips on to cook, she joined me.  As we sat there, we talked and enjoyed the unusually warm October weather.  We gazed up at the trees on the hillside behind their house where some of the leaves had already turned, but most were still green.  A few crows appeared, soaring high above in the currents, and they eventually descended to the creek to inspect the creek bank for food.  Periodically, Gran would go in to the kitchen to check on her turnips, but she when she'd return, we'd pick up our conversation where we left off.

Even though I can only remember fragments of what we actually talked about, the time spent together, talking about something and nothing and everything in between, meant the world to me.  

One day in the not so distant future, I will long for moments like today - perfect little moments carved out of a seemingly ordinary day, that, as it turned out, was in fact an extraordinarily blessed day.  I hope I never forget days such as this.


What's one thing about today (or yesterday) that you want to make sure to remember one year from now?  Please feel free to share.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Linking up with Alyssa @ Alyssa Goes Bang