Three-fer Thursday: Southwest Library+Bull Street Gourmet and Market+Tutti Frutti

One of your favorite features is back again!  It is Thursday (at least for a few more hours), so I'm going to tell you about three great places to go in Durham that can be combined for a great day with the kiddos.  This time, we had to bring in Hope Valley Square, the shopping center in South Durham that keeps adding new, cool things to do all the time.  (Why didn't it have any of these places when I lived there 10 years ago?)

Our morning actually starts just down Shannon Rd. from Hope Valley Square shopping center at Southwest library.  It's been newly renovated and is definitely a fun place to head to sit and read and check out books from their expansive kids section.  Or you could head over for one of their fabulous storytimes. (We particularly like Terrific Tales with Miss Amy Tuesdays at 10:30 but there are plenty of other offerings listed at http://host4.evanced.info/durhamcounty/evanced/eventcalendar.asp?) 

After you sit and peruse the books for a while, you might be getting a bit hungry.  So, our next stop is Hope Valley Square for a delicious lunch at one of several great restaurants.  We chose Bull Street Gourmet and Market because they just opened, and we are really anxious to have some of their delicious pimento cheese again!  They have sandwiches and salads and a kids menu.  Or, if you're not that hungry, they have coffee and some pastries.  So, you can sit and enjoy your lunch with the kiddos then check out the shopping side of the store.  There you can pick up some candy for the kids as a treat for later and a bottle of wine for you, also as a treat for later!  However, I would definitely save the candy because we still have one more stop on this Three-fer.

After your delicious lunch, pass by the post office, or mail something if you would like, and walk a couple of storefronts down to Tutti Frutti.  Tutti Frutti was voted by our readers as your favorite frozen yogurt stop in the area, so it's the perfect was to end this Three-fer.  It's self-serve so you can get as small of a serving as you would like, but the yogurt with your choice of toppings is the perfect way to top off the outing.

Variations: If you are feeling the need to burn off a little energy instead of heading to the library, you could head to Old Chapel Hill Road Park which is just a few miles down the road for a little outdoor playground fun at this brand new Durham park.  (However, be forewarned, at the time this post was written the closest parking to the playground is closed so you would have to walk from the main park parking-a bit of a hike).  For another variation on the lunch portion of the outing, you could head to Only Burger, Pops Backdoor South, or Rick's Diner's new location all in Hope Valley Square just a few storefronts away from our frozen yogurt treat.  If you can think of other fun variations to add in, please let us know!

When to go: While we typically would head to the library in the morning, then stop off for lunch,but you could also do this Three-fer in the afternoon and follow up the library with some dinner (keep in mind Bull Street closes early on the weekends.  We recommend finding a storytime at the library that fits your family and working around that for this outing.

What it'll cost you: The library is free (unless you have overdue books like I do occasionally).  Bull Street's meals are between $7 and $10 for adults and $4.99 for the kiddos.  Tutti Frutti charges based on weight, so you're looking at about 30 cents per ounce.  We find it usually ends up being cheaper than many of our dessert options.

What to bring: typical diaper bag necessities, library card, bag for checked out books, appetite and sweet tooth

Happy Three fer Thursday, and if you have an idea for a Three-fer that we haven't thought of yet, please let us know!

Happy Holidays from the Stir Crazy Moms

We hope everyone is having a great holiday this year no matter how you are celebrating.  As the stocking sit happily bulging on the mantle and the children are busy dreaming of sugar plums upstairs in their beds, I just wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a happy holiday and a lovely new year!

We have had a wonderful year thanks to our fabulous readers at Stir Crazy Moms.  We've had a great time bringing you information about all the fun to be had in Durham and around the area with your kids.  We've loved hearing from all of you, so please keep your comments coming.  We certainly don't know everything that goes on in the area, and your help keeps the blog going.

This year we've had contributions from several new bloggers and always welcome contributions from you.  So, if you'd like to write a post or two just let us know.  We've also had 12 awesome giveaways from great local businesses.  Keep reading for more great giveaways in the new year, and if you'd like to give away something, just let us know!  We've gained more followers, fans, and friends and we are thankful for every one!  Posts keep coming and we are continually amazed at how much there actually is to do around here.  We're looking forward to updating some things on the site with the new year, so if you know of anything you'd like us to add please let us know.

This had really been a labor of love-we love our kids and we love Durham.  Thanks for everything!  We will not take a few days off to enjoy Christmas, and we'll see all of you wonderful readers back before the New Year!

The Mad Hatter Bakeshop and Cafe

While you're out doing all of your holiday celebrating, light watching, and shopping, you might need a little refreshment.  So, we thought we'd bring you this report about The Mad Hatter.

What it is: The Mad Hatter is a delicious little bakery and cafe right next door to Duke's East Campus and under a mile from other great kids stops like Playhouse Toys, The Regulator Bookshop, Blue Corn Cafe, or Elmo's Diner.  When you first walk in you can see a display of delicious little cookies and brownies that are perfect for a quick sweet treat or snack.  Around the corner you can find delicious cakes and cupcakes which can be made to order for anyone.  If you're in the mood for a little more food you can also order delicious breakfasts, lunches, or brunches with items like sandwiches, wraps, salads, and much more.

On my most recent stop, we were just in the market for a sweet treat to bolster us in the middle of some marathon errand running.  The cheesecake brownie that we found was heavy, sweet, and completely decadent-perfect for mommy and delicious for my son as well.  We've also ordered custom order birthday cakes from them in the past and they have been delicious as well.  We haven't sampled the mealtime fare? Has anyone sampled it?

What we liked: We love the pastries!  Every sweet thing that we have tried from The Mad Hatter has been delicious!

What we would change:  We tried to sit down to enjoy our cheesecake brownie after we purchased it, but seating was on a first come first serve basis and there was no room.  We were there at about 11 on a weekday and the seats were full of people working on computers either by themselves or in groups.  That is probably a result of it's proximity to Duke.  I would imagine it would be really crowded on a weekend morning.  Has anyone checked it out then?  Maybe the time to go would be when students are out for holidays and the summer.

Website and other important information:

Website: http://www.madhatterbakeshop.com/

Address: 1802 W. Main St, Durham, 27705

Phone Number: (919) 286-1987

Hours: Monday-Saturday: 7am-9pm, Sunday Brunch 8am-3pm

The Red Hen

Okay, attention all you last minute holiday shoppers...this post is for you!  Actually, it's for anyone looking for another great place to buy kids items and clothing at reasonable prices.

What it is:  The Red Hen is a resale store that recently moved from Carrboro to its new home in University Mall.  I was in Chapel Hill the other day, had to head in to check it out, and was glad I did.  They had clothing for girls and boys, a handful of toys, a good selection of shoes, and quite a large maternity section in the back.  I'm sure the selection varies a little bit because it's a resale store, but I'm sure those sections remain fairly constant.  In addition, they had a few new toys and a large area for kids to play next to the dressing rooms.

I headed in not looking for anything in particular.  However, I needed one more toy for my son under the tree.  I spotted a ride on alphabet train.  It in great condition-they had contained all the extra pieces in a plastic bag with a nice ribbon, and the price was awesome!  While they might not have the best selection, if you can find an item you want, the price is definitely right.

The Red Hen is a little different than a typical consignment store.  They buy the items outright from the sellers.  You can check out their website for specific details on this process.  

What a great addition to University Mall!

What we liked:  We loved the fact that it is a resale store where you can not only find good quality, great bargains, you can sell your own items to make a little money of your own.  Plus, they gave me a reward card where you can get $20 off if you spend $200 in the store, not a bad deal.

What we would change: As a result of the resale aspect of the store, selection varies, and just because you find something one day, you may not find it the next.

Website and other important information:

Website: http://theredhen.com/

Address: The University Mall, 201 South Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Hours: Monday-Saturday: 9am-6pm, Sunday 1pm-5pm


(This Stir Crazy Mom should have a new camera under the tree, so stay tuned for more pictures.)

Santa at Southpoint Mall

What it is:  It's definitely a tradition with our family to go see Santa at the mall every year.  I love to look back at pictures of me from my childhood wearing all manner of frilly dresses sitting on Santa's lap with my sister.  So, I have continued that tradition with my boys.  This year, we headed back to Southpoint to visit Santa at the mall, but there are many other options in town. (We'll get to those later.)

We initially stopped by on the weekend, but the line was far too long.  It stretched all the way around the display and people looked like they had been in line a LONG time.  They had camped out with activities and snacks for their kids.  We weren't quite up for that, so we decided to head back on a weekday.  This time, the line was MUCH better.  It looked pretty short, but it still took longer than I thought.

Once we got to the front of the line we were ushered in front of Santa.  I was trying to get both of my boys on Santa's lap, but after much screaming, I realized my youngest son would have none of it.  However, they did let me take all the snapshots I wanted of my oldest with Santa.  The big guy handed the boys some coloring books as we left and we were done.  Afterward, we could have stuck around to wait and see the professional pictures that they had taken and purchased some, but we headed off instead.

What we liked:  While I'd heard rumors that they weren't going to allow us to take our own pictures this year and the signs said something to that effect, they didn't mind and we were able to capture the moment ourselves.  It was nice that they let the kids sit on Santa's lap without charging just for the experience.  However, it was also nice that you could purchase the professional pictures if you wanted.  In addition, there were signs offering pet pictures with Santa on given nights.  That would be a nice option for anyone who's furry friend needed a little visit with St. Nick.  :)


What we would change: The lines are always pretty painful, so I would definitely recommend a weekday.  In addition, I felt like everyone involved could have been a little more helpful and hands-on with the whole process.  They just stood back and didn't give us much guidance at most times.


Website and other important information:

Website: We know that there are so many options for your mall Santa visit, so we wanted to give you information on them all.  Head to http://durham.macaronikid.com/#axzz1gr8duyfw for information about when and where you can find Santa including information on Santa at Southpoint.

December Giveaway Winners!

This is fun!  This time I get to announce 4 winners to the December giveaway!  The winners are:

*Pampering Basket-Brandi Miller Almario
*Baby Care Basket-Mimosaflame
*Sample Basket #1-Too Much Good
*Sample Basket #2-Melissa Weeks

If any of these lucky names are you...just send us an e-mail at scmomsgroup@gmail.com and we will get you your wonderful basket.  Thanks again to Andrea and Arbonne!  Have a Happy Holidays and look for more great giveaways in the new year!

California Pizza Kitchen

We have been to Southpoint Mall countless times with the kids.  However, we hadn't been to this little stop since before we had kids.  So, we thought it was high time to check it out again.

What it is: California Pizza Kitchen is a restaurant specializing in pizzas with unique and different toppings.  It's located in the outdoor section of Southpoint Mall.  We headed on over after a little play time at the play area one weekend morning.  Our group had three toddlers, two of which required high chairs, and one infant, and they easily accommodated us with little wait in a nice booth in the back with lots of room for twitchy toddlers to stretch their legs.  They gave us crayons and a kids' menu with activities to do and things to color.  The menu selection for the grown ups was filled with pizzas, pastas, and salads.  We selected the BBQ chicken pizza and the thai chicken pizza, our two favorites from our pre-kid outings.

The kids menu was also nice.  We ordered a mac and cheese and a pizza to split for our little ones as well as a side of fruit which you can add on for $1.  When the mac and cheese came we realized we definitely didn't need to order two meals.  The mac and cheese could have fed the whole family!  Plus, the waiter offered to bring the kids' food out before the adults which is always a nice touch and keeps the toddlers from completely melting down.  The meal was finished with another nice touch: they took our plates in the back to put the food in to-go containers when we asked-not necessary, but a nice touch.

What we liked: We liked the portion size of the kids menu and the add-on options like fruit and edamame (which I wish my toddlers would eat).  We also liked how they were familiar in dealing with small children and knew what we needed-like bread to start the meal, crayons, and our toddler food brought out first.

What we would change: Our meal ended up being fairly expensive for one of our family meals out.  However, this would have been helped had we only ordered one kids' meal which definitely would have been enough.

Website and other important information: 

Website: http://www.cpk.com/

Phone Number: (919) 361-4200

Address: 6910 Fayetteville Rd Ste 154 Durham ·(at Southpoint Mall)

Glazed Expectations

So, it's become a holiday tradition to take my children to a paint-it-yourself pottery place and make ornaments for all of the grandparents.  This year was no different.  So they might be a little bit young, but we still enjoyed ourselves and came home with lovely handmade gifts. I can't wait to continue this yearly tradition and watch and the kids are able to do more and more painting themselves each year.

What it is:  This year we found a new spot to head to in order to make our masterpieces.  This was Glazed Expectations in Carrboro.  It was a little tricky to find on the rainy afternoon that we headed down.  It's tucked away in an office-type building, and in the pouring rain, it was a little hard to find.  Once we made it inside, it was warm and cozy and such a nice contrast from the cold rain outside.

They were having a birthday party the day we headed over so when we walked in we saw a table full of young kids, probably 4 or 5, all with aprons, anxiously awaiting the opportunity to pick out their paint colors and get started.  It seemed like a great idea for a birthday party to us.  However, a party was not our mission on this day.  We were there to pick out ornaments.  They had many ceramic items lining the walls from which we could choose, ranging from inexpensive to way out of our price range.  We headed to a nice assortment of Christmas ornaments and picked out those we would paint for their grandparents.  (Keep in mind at this point I definitely kept my 18 month old in his stroller to keep him from finding something breakable.)

After we picked our ornaments we were able to walk up to a wall filled with an assortment of paint colors and select our favorites.  I was impressed with the selection and my oldest son and his friend LOVED the glitter paints.  They had acrylic and glaze options so you could leave it there to have it fired or just paint it and take it home.  We chose the take-it-home option-it makes it much easier for busy families.  We then headed back to the table and the boys got to painting.  While the painting itself was quick, they liked what they did and had fun, especially when my oldest got to mix paints together on his palette when he was done.  While it was a bit stressful for me as the parent of young toddlers in a pottery studio (can you say-"bull in a china shop"?)  a good time was had by all, and we made beautiful ornaments for our family.

The studio also offers summer camps and classes as well as birthday parties.

What we liked:  We liked how kid-friendly the studio was.  Unlike some of our previous experiences, they really seemed to welcome our children there.  I also loved their huge paint selection which gave us so many fun colors to choose from.  They seemed prepared for kids and happy to have them there.  It was also nice to have the opportunity to take the ornaments home right after we made them instead of having to leave them there to be fired and pick them up later.

What we would change: As I said earlier, it can be difficult to take little ones to a pottery studio.  You have to constantly keep your eye on them to keep them from breaking something or painting where they shouldn't.  Plus, they finish their painting very quickly.  While our one- and three- year olds were finished extremely quickly, the other family at the table had four- and six- year old sons and they had amazing attention spans and focus on their creations.  In addition, as with other pottery studios in the area, this studio charges a sitting fee of $6 dollars for each child.  While this isn't much if you do multiple pieces, when you just do one small ornament, it really increases the price.

Website and other important information:

Hours: Check the website for hour as they change seasonally and with holidays

Website: http://www.glazedexpectations.com/

Phone Number: 919-933-9700

Address: 205 W. Main St, Suite 104, Carrboro NC, 27510


Photos:

1. The wall of paints

2. The set up on the tables

3. I thought these were cool...you can paint pottery and put photos on it!

December Giveaway-Arbonne Gift Baskets

Happy December!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season.  While my family is having a great time this December, I'm also feeling incredibly busy.  Tomorrow is the Santa Train, then making homemade Christmas presents and buying presents for the preschool teachers this weekend.  There's a lot to do and not enough time to get it all done.

Anyway, we thought we would help our lovely readers make this season a little more relaxing with our December giveaway.  Andrea Hirth, one of Durham's local mom Arbonne representatives, is offering several Arbonne gift baskets which you can win for a little much needed pampering for yourself or give as a gift.  Here's the best part.  We're not just offering one gift basket we're offering 4!  Thanks Andrea!

Arbonne itself is a company that sells skin care products based on botanical principals.  Here's a description of the four gift baskets from Andrea and Arbonne!  The first basket is a pampering basket including FC5 Cooling FOot Cream, Unwind Bath Salts, and Ginger Citrus Sugar Scrub.  Andrea uses these products at her Foot Spa Girl's Night In parties!  The next basket is a Baby Care Basket including ABC Herbal Diaper Rash Cream as well as Hair and Body Wash.  The final two smaller sampler baskets will include FC5 Shampoo and Conditioner, RE9 Anti-Aging Products, and some other goodies.

If you'd like to win one of these fabulous baskets simply comment on this post on facebook or the blog.  We'd love to hear about your favorite thing to do during this time of year with your family.  Then, we'll randomly pick one winner for each basket.  You will have until Wednesday, December 14 at midnight to enter.  Enjoy!

If you'd like to contact Andrea about purchasing or finding our more about Arbonne products just e-mail her at ahirth@myarbonne.com or visit her website at http://andrea.myarbonne.com.

Bull Street Gourmet and Market

The Hope Valley Square Shopping Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite shopping centers in Durham.  It has been recently renovated and with the renovations came Pops Backdoor South, Ricks, OnlyBurger, and Tutti Frutti.  Now, you can add Bull Street Gourmet and Market to that list. 

What it is: Bull Street Gourmet and Market is a combination gourmet and specialty food store and a cafe.  My son and I stopped by the other day and found a great little addition to the shopping center.  The gourmet foods section is not large, but there are lots of yummy items to catch your eye.  There is a wall of candy with lots of unique goodies starting at prices as low as 10 cents, perfect for your kids sweet tooth.  My son was especially eyeing the gourmet lollipop stand.  Then, across from the candy section is the wine section, perfect for the parents.  A little further back is an area with lots of gourmet sauces and other goodies.  Then, in the back of the store is a refrigerated case with gourmet sodas and some refrigerated dip including their fantastic pimento cheese spread which I sampled.

The other side of the store was seating for their cafe.  Their menu included lots of delicious looking salads, sandwiches and breakfast items.  They also have coffee and some pastries.  They have a kids menu with selections such as a PB&J, BLT, and other kid-friendly items.

What we liked:  We loved the candy section with little cheap items like the 50 cent chocolate flavored straws for milk that we bought as a treat for my sons.  It would be a great place to stop after a trip to Southwest library for a little treats or lunch.  I can't wait to head back and try the pimeto cheese. Plus, the spread was reasonably priced at $2.99 for the tub.


What we would change: The candy and other gourmet treats were all fairly grabbable, so I might bring the most grabby toddlers in a stroller. :)

Website and other important information: 

Website: http://bullstreetdurham.com/index.php

Address: 3710 SHANNON RD, DURHAM, NC, 27703

Photos: 

 1. a view from the doorway

 2. candy, candy, candy

 3. The cafe section

 Mmmmm, wine

Walmart

What it is: That's right, I'm posting on one of the most widely known stores in the while country.  I know everyone knows that Walmart is a huge supercenter store that sells anything that you could possibly need from groceries to car parts to baby essentials.  Why then should I include them if you already know about them?  I just wanted to let you know about the new location that just opened up off of Martin Luther King near its intersection with Roxboro.  We stopped by the other day and wanted to fill everyone in on what we found.
When we first walked in, we noticed that it just felt smaller than some of the other Walmarts we had been in.  However, while it felt smaller it seemed to have all of the sections that we were used to in a Walmart, including a fairly large grocery section. 


What we liked: The new location makes it more convenient for lots of shoppers.  However, our biggest draw in going to Walmart is that there are just some items there that are so much cheaper than other stores.  Our biggest find recently has been the GoGo Squeeze portable applesauces.  My toddlers both LOVE these and they're so convenient.  At Harris Teeter, we pay $2.99 for a four pack, but at Walmart you can get them for $2.29.  Savings like that make it worthwhile for me to head over.  Has anyone else found any other items that are a really great bargain at Walmart?

In addition, we've also been stopping in at the Walmart in the New Hope Commons Shopping Center at the intersection of 15-501 and I-40.  If you haven't been in there in a while, you might want to give them another try because the store is recently renovated and much more pleasant to shop in now.

What we would change: Walmart is what it is.  It's not a local store, and it doesn't have interesting, unique local items.  Plus, it can be hard for you to find what you need in such a big store.  In addition, I was wondering if the smaller size of the newer Walmart might affect its selection in certain areas.  Has anyone found this to be true?


Website and other important information:

Address: There are 3 Durham Walmart locations including their newest store:
1. 5450 New Hope Commons Drive
2. 1525 Glenn School Road
3. 1010 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

Website:  www.walmart.com/

Top 5 Frozen Yogurt Shops

This has been one of our most closely contested polls yet.  Since there are so many new frozen yogurt places popping up, we had to ask you, our wonderful readers, for your favorites.  Here are your results:

1. With 38% of the vote Tutti Frutti is your favorite frozen yogurt place in the area.  It's a self serve frozen yogurt spot located off of Shannon Rd. in the newly renovated shopping center with Only Burger, Ricks, the post office, and Pops Backdoor South.  So, there are plenty of reasons to head that way!

2. In a close second place with 30% of the vote is Local Yogurt.  This yogurt spot specializes in local ingredients and a unique assortment of toppings.  It's located in the area of town near Q-Shack, Rockwood Park, and Little Gym so there are plenty of places to combine with a trip to this sweet stop.

3. Moonberries comes in third place with 16% of the vote.  That's pretty impressive considering this self-serve frozen yogurt stop really just opened.  It's located near Target by Southpoint so those in South Durham can enjoy some frozen yogurt goodness.

4. Fourth place with 7% of the vote is another South Durham stop, Sweet Frog.  For this yummy self-serve stop, head to the Southpoint area in the shopping center with Babies R Us, McAllisters, World Market, and Portrait Innovations.

5. And last but not least with 6% of the vote is YoPop our one entry from Chapel Hill.  This self-serve location in Chapel Hill near MLK can satisfy your sweet tooth if your over in that area.

Thanks so much for everyone's contributions to this poll-we had the most responses we've ever had!  Stay tuned and please help us out with our next poll soon!

Tornado Follow-up: Part 2

**Here is the second part of  Lynne's follow-up to her post last week about the tornado recovery efforts in Stonybrook.  This entry is from our friends at Discovering the Southern Part of Heaven.  Thank you so much to Lynne for sharing her story with us!

Today's post comes from Lynne, one of those who volunteered on the ground in Stonybrook. This post picks up where last week's post on the Tornado Follow-up in Stony Brook left off.  

We'd like to again thank our friends at Notes from a Mom in Chapel Hill, the Stir Crazy Moms of Durham, and Tarheel Takeout, for helping to spread the word about disaster relief related to NC's tornado outbreak in April 2011.

empty lots remain

Hopefully you’ve seen the first part of this story.  Writing and talking about these events still humbles me.  They were the hardest words I’ve ever needed to write.  Part II is an update.  So if you helped out after the tornadoes or even helped spread the word to others, keep reading.  I wanted to shout from the rooftops all the good that has come since April 16, 2011 and how Stony Brook looks now.  I also wanted to highlight one family who still needs prayers, support, and a helping hand.  I don’t do this for any reason other than to say that just when you think life is bad, maybe it is just our perspective that needs tweaking.      

After, when most others have forgotten, I wondered what happened.  So often we donate immediately, then go on with our lives in our microcosm of family and close friends.  I couldn’t do that.  Life didn’t throw a water pipe burst at me two years ago to have me walk away now.  I remembered how I felt and how much I relied on friends and my community for guidance, housing, and – let’s face it – money.  Most residents in Stony Brook didn’t have insurance when they lost everything.  Try telling that to a child, that their bed and their favorite toys are no more.  I remember my two-year-old refusing to sleep in his crib in our new apartment for 3 weeks because he wanted to go “home”. 

So continues my desire to aid the Stony Brook families, to hasten their return to normalcy whether at Stony Brook or another place where they create a new normal.  There are still many families receiving aid, although the mobile home community looks better than it did before.  A few sites sit empty, a reminder of the tragedy.  But the fall leaves on the remaining trees paint a multi-hued picture of home for current residents. 

(CIR - Centro Internacional de Raleigh - deserves complete credit for helping me reconnect and tell the following story).  See more about this fabulous, compassionate organization here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC_giQI3YsM

One particular family has stayed with Stony Brook and kept positive and faithful through their ups and downs.  The home of J, C, and their two-month-old has taken repeated nature-related beatings in the past 7 months.  They are fixing their home for the third time.  First, during the tornadoes they had severe roof damage.  They live behind the area where those precious children died.  Second, after Hurricane Irene in August, a branch pierced the roof and split the trailer, reaching all the way to the floor.  Most recently, during a cold morning awake early with a newborn, a fire ignited underneath their home in its ductwork.  The smoke and fire damaged the HVAC system, floor, external parts, and walls.  They are repairing bit by bit (without insurance) while also paying rent on the land, renting another mobile home, and saving for a new HVAC system and the inspections that will make their home livable again.  They invited me into their home, proud of their work but aware that there are still huge hurdles to undertake.  This family works hard and will make it, because they have done so before.  But it makes this writer wonder how much hardship one family can be dealt. 

I was only one volunteer, and I am still only one.  I had the privilege of connecting to this blog (Discovering the Southern Part of Heaven) and my friend Katy at her blog, Stir Crazy Moms, to help spread the word.  These blogs and the Durham Mothers Club collected donations, clothes, and money and funneled volunteers to the site.  So begins my friendship with this blog’s author (KV) in fact, which I believe happened for reasons difficult for my earthly brain to Brook because we had one goal.  So please, if this speech does nothing else, let it connect you with what’s important.

From my commitment to Stony Brook has come new friends and a new world of understanding of what it means to truly help someone. I know that some groups will be the victim’s voice when his or hers isn’t loud enough. I take comfort in that as I hug my family tonight. Life throws unpredictable events at us, and I choose to embrace them and see the good in every situation, because I know that I am blessed. I truly feel connected to each and every person that helped in Stony ant in life, and let it make a difference in someone else’s life. 

If you would like to help the family mentioned above or any of the other families still recovering at Stony Brook North Mobile Home Park, you can reach me at lakunc@yahoo.com.  I’d love your feedback via the comments section, and please forgive me for this article’s length!

any photos and names included were taken and printed with permission.