Military Appreciation Night

Job Fair

Chamber Challenge 5K

April 9th is the 5K Challenge. Sign up and get all details here!

Horsin Around

The Atlantic Center for the Arts Horsin' Around Auction is April 12th. It starts at 11:00 am and runs until 3:00 pm. Get all the details here.

Goodbye

We finally said goodbye to my Dad this past weekend. It seems like forever that he passed away, it was actually 28 days. Why did we wait so long to lay him to rest? To allow family to get here to say goodbye. For my brother Rick and I it was very long goodbye, we sat through along time at the hospital and then what seemed like a too fast goodbye at Hospice. We planned his cremation, his funeral, chose pictures, quotes and what to say. We are still going through his things. Not even close on that one. How do you close a chapter on such a huge, happy, wide open life?

A very good friend who did not know him very well but attended his memorial said to me..."I did not know your Dad well but after seeing the pictures and hearing your brother talk about him I feel like I know him." Good, that is what we wanted.

The picture above was taken at the Prospect Gorge, we were on one of our outings with my cousins, not sure how old I was. Apparently I found a perfectly smooth, round rock. I gave it to my cousin. On Saturday they gave it back to me and said we want you to have this, to remember, as a memento. It is now sitting on my desk.

This is the Dad I choose to remember, the awesome Dad. The Dad who did everything with us as kids. Who loved my mother, his garden, his kids, his pets and his mother. Who taught us how to love our kids, our pets and our mother.

Rest in peace Daddy, Gramps, Dick. This is it.  I won't write about you anymore. I will love my kids, my pets and my mother. Thank you.  

Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday, April 4th is the Easter Egg hunt in Old Fort Park in NSB. The park is located at 210 Sams Ave in NSB. This hunt is divided by age group and is free. Children should bring a basket to collect the eggs. There will also be free hot dogs, drinks and other activities! The fun starts at Noon! 

Spring Sidewalk Sale

Edgewater Riverfest

The Edgewater Riverfest is this weekend! Get all the information on their website! 

Missing in Action

I have been out of touch for a few weeks and am slowly attempting to return a state of normal. After 13 days in ICU and about a day at Hospice my Dad passed away on Sunday, March 1st.

For the past year and a half he lived with us in New Smyrna Beach. He moved from the house he had spent over 20 years in with my Mother, put many of his things in storage and moved in with two teenagers. I always knew when he was coming because as he got older he shuffled his feet and his shoes squeaked on the tile. Every sentence started with "I have a question..."or "something is very strange." As you get older and start to forget things, there are a lot of questions and things are strange sometimes. He loved to go to Peggy's Country Kitchen for Goulash and JB's for a Shrimp Basket and Clam Chowder. He loved the NY Yankees, Syracuse Basketball and the Orlando Magic, his biggest complaint in the hospital was he could not watch the Magic Games (other than the food, he hated the food).

I mentioned I have teenagers, they fight, a lot. Many mornings before school he would come out and sing to drown out the fighting...other days he would wait til they left and come out and say..."is it safe?"...and laugh. He loved my chicken and would sit at the table and eat with my son and all his friends and talk about all kinds of crazy things. To their credit they listened and talked to him, never once did they roll their eyes or act anything but interested in what he was saying. A testament to some awesome parenting...

We were sitting around yesterday and my kids were remembering things that I had totally forgotten or never knew. When they were younger my parents would take them on road trips (separately of course). They would count the orange Schneider trailer trucks for the entire trip. My daughter would spend Friday nights at their house and watch old westerns in black and white with my Dad. She would make him popcorn and he would always tell her, "not too much for me Sammi." He spent hours swimming in the pool with them...driving them to practices, picking them up for me, taking them out to eat. Too many things to count.He loved those kids.

He had trouble walking distances the last year, every volleyball or baseball game I went to he said he wanted to go see them play. I wish I had made more of an effort to take him. I thought I had time. There is never enough time. Make no mistake..he drove me nuts the last year..but...I would love to hear those shoes squeaking across the floor one more time.

Kid's Night

It is Kid's Night this Friday night at New Smyrna Beach Sports Complex. Join the Cudas for a night of baseball & fun!

Shot Clinic