Valentine's Day in Port Orchard

Imagine you hit a home run this year and surprise your Valentine with a sweet treat from Carter's Chocolates & Ice Cream, located at 160 Bethel Ave, Port Orchard, WA. You may be thinking 'Oh Chocolate, Smocholate, why should I buy chocolate for my Valentine like everyone else?'.
A good question! Now see picture below for the answer.

Imagine giving a box of chocolates and the box itself is edible! And you thought a hollow bunny at Easter time brought joy, just you wait! How about some hand crafted truffles made with the finest ingredients? Not a truffle person, that's okay, there's a lot more! Carter's also hand crafts the turtles, frogs, peanut butter cups, s'mores bars (OH! YUM!), brownies, cakes, home made marshmallows and much more that they make at their location.  OH WAIT! There's even more. HOMEMADE ICE CREAM. Enjoy Ice Cream made locally with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Carter's decadent chocolates may be purchased in small to large amounts (discounts for purchases of $100 or more) and the Ice Cream is hand packed for those who would like to take it to go. Carter's also sells T-shirts and delicious things like jars of Carmel Sauce and Hot Chocolate Mix. You'll also find art on the walls from local artist Shelly Wilkerson and a selection of local foodie products.

If you've already made your purchase for Valentine's Day, stop by anyway and check out the shop if you haven't before. It's a great place to bring the family for ice cream after dinner or an afternoon out (or, hint, hint, maybe even on Valentine's Day!).  I love to support local business and Carter's is a perfect example why.

Carter's Chocolates began at the South Kitsap Mall in Port Orchard in 2008 by a Chocolatier named Matt Carter. Their current location has been serving up goodies to happy folks since their move in 2011. A huge supporter of the community, you will find Carter's Chocolates among the vendors at most any local event. The chocolate and ice cream shop also holds fundraisers for Relay for Life and other charities close to the hearts of local residents.  They'll also be one of the anchor tenants at the upcoming Port Orchard Public Market. Matt, the owner, is a personal friend of mine, yet I write this blog not out of friendship, but because of Carter's quality and consistency and well, let's face it, Valentine's Day is tomorrow.  Store hours (this time of year) are Weekdays from 10am to 6pm, Fridays & Saturdays from 10am to 7pm and they close up shop on Sundays during the winter months (so remember to buy goodies you'll need on Sunday on Saturday).

Pardon me, I need to go eat some chocolate truffles now.......

Back in the Saddle again...

This is going to be a personal blog. I'm telling you now, so if you don't want to read about my personal life you can skip reading this one....
It's been an incredibly long winter (and yes, I realize it's not over yet). In mid-November I had a hysterectomy and the recovery process was long, both physically and mentally. I was on light-duty rest with no lifting for 6 weeks so I had plenty of time to think, relax, think and relax some more. It wasn't easy for me. Generally, I am one of those people who is on the go most of the time. Even my friends joke that I never sit down at home. The surgery changed that. I sit down a lot more now. I listen to my body a lot more.  I am also a much nicer person now. Let me clarify, I've always been 'nice' but I had some frustration issues that weren't playing out so well for those around me. Let me give an example: I like to take shoes off in my home. If someone comes to my home and does not heed the sign that says 'remove shoes' I used to go berserk. I know, it sounds really silly and it is, although I can't tell you how many times I have felt genuine frustration and anger over situations like this. It wasn't intentional, it was just happening. I think I was waiting for and looking for someone to tick me off. This makes me sad. I can't help but wonder if this was a result of 'walking on eggshells' for so much of my childhood. Although I have always been a happy person, I can honestly say, I'm a lot happier now and I don't have a angry monkey on my back. It's a nice feeling.
This winter hasn't just been about recovering from surgery, it's been about overcoming and getting over things (or trying to). Late December brought the death of a long time friend and also one of my dearest sisters. A few weeks after her death, she appeared in my dream and I can still see her eyes looking into mine as she held the sides of my face and said she loved me. I've lost some amazing people in my life and had many dreams, but never one of this magnitude.  In early January my car died when the engine blew up on the way home from a perfect getaway weekend. The end of January my little dog almost lost his eye when it popped out of his head. Oh and in the end of January I also filed for divorce. Like I said, it's been a long winter.
As I write this blog, I'm excited to be 'back', it's been a long road to get here.  Last year I accomplished some amazing things and this year I'll accomplish amazing things too. The major difference is I've shed a lot of (deep hidden) anger and resentment and am ready for the next phase in my life.  Is this exciting or what?!

Roller Derby 101

Most of us have seen the movie 'Whip It' starring Drew Barrymore. The Definition of roller derby seems synonymous with crazed violent woman knocking each other around. The modern roller derby, however, is a true sport governed by rules and regulations. It's a game that involves skill, speed and agility. While most sport teams have camaraderie, these roller derby woman have also built a community in this female dominated sport. In addition to immensely toned legs and buttocks; team members use the following words to describe this fast-paced game of athletics: confidence, empowerment, self-esteem, strength and a place 'to be yourself'.  Roller derby woman come from all walks of life. I met with two such woman in preparation for this blog, 'Brawlyanna' and 'Octopus Prime', a waitress at a five star restaurant and a Jr. High School Science teacher respectively. Their team mates includes a Military Veteran, a Nurse, a Policewoman, a Detective, a Stay-at-Home Mom, a Jewelry Appraiser, a Legal Assistant, a construction foreman, a Pet Sitter and a Full-time Student.

Now that I've painted the picture of extremely successful, capable woman, I'll focus on getting down to the basics of the game and what local roller derby teams mean to Kitsap County.

Roller derby actually first started in the late 1800's as a test of endurance staged over a grueling 100 miles. It's colorful history at the turn of the 20th century evolved into a game of strategy as it remains today. Although it's popularity seemed to die out after its first peak in the 70's, this sport has continued to evolve and expand to what it is today. To read more about roller derby's colorful history, check out what wikipedia has to offer at this link.

The game of women's roller derby is governed by multiple organizations with rule sets- sometimes a roller league may adhere to more than one set of rules. The two rule sets I'll talk about today are the ones used around here- The Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) and USA Roller Sports (USARS). WFTDA was organized originally in 2004 as the United Leagues Coalition but was renamed the Women's Flat Track Derby Association a short time later. USARS is the national governing body of all competitive roller sports and has been around since 1972. Both organizations focus on roller derby as a legitimate sport and put safety of the players in the forefront. (Side note about the term 'flat track'- flat track refers, as you may have imagined to a flat track vs a bank track that we often see in movies. A flat track can be set up anywhere vs the bank track has an intricate set up of under braces and generally cannot be moved once set up).
Modern day roller derby is made up of two, 30 minute periods. These two half hours are divided up by 'Jams'. The 'Jam Clock' goes for a minute and a half to two minutes (depending on the set of rules being followed) in which time 5 players from each team protect their 'Jammer'. It's the Jammers responsibility to score points- actually the Jammer is the only team member that can score points. When the clock starts the Jammer from each team start behind the pack and must work their way up forward to score points. The players of each Jam are rotated in and out of the game. (This is the nutshell of the game- to really get an idea of the skill and strategy involved, you'll have to watch a game).
Kitsap County has five Derby Leagues, four of which are governed by WFTDA and one, Port Orchard's own team, Port T'orchard is governed by USARS. The Port T'orchard team recently took third place in a Regional Tournament and are now eligible to compete in the USARS National Championships in Oklahoma in October. This local team doesn't have much time to raise the $7,000 to fund the trip and they need the Port Orchard Community's help!
You can help support these amazing woman athletes by pitching in a few bucks- here's the link.

For the Good of the People

I'm blessed to be able to do many things in life that I feel passionate about. Yesterday I was very honored to speak at the South Kitsap Rotary groups lunch on a subject I have accidentally neglected to write about here in my Blog. Not for lack of enthusiasm- just for lack of time.

A few months back I met with Jennifer Hardison, Executive Director of the South Kitsap Helpline Food Bank and pitched an idea I had called 'Pick and Pass'. The idea is to collect the fruit that would otherwise go to waste from fruit trees. Last summer I started to notice all the fruit on the ground around Kitsap County and it broke my heart when I know the food bank is working so hard to feed people of the community that need some help. It seemed so simple- Pick the fruit and pass it along to the Food Bank. I was (and still am) in love with this idea. I couldn't make it happen last year, but this year, after an approval from the Helpline's Board of Directors, the program is up and running. To date, we've collected just shy of 100 lbs of plums and 85 lbs of apples- and more fruit is in the works to be picked!

I do think of myself as a 'do good-er' but the Pick and Pass idea comes out of something much deeper than just trying to be a creative and worthy person in my community. Back in the 1980's when I was about 15 years old, my family fell on hard times. I can clearly remember getting up early on Saturday mornings, getting in our family's GMC Suburban and driving an hour to the closest food bank with my 3 sisters, brother and Dad. The six of us volunteered for 8 hours each Saturday for what seemed like years (although I think it was just about 6 months). We would help accept food donations as they were dropped off, organize it on the shelves and do just about anything to earn the food we would come home with at the end of the day. I can remember walking through the door at home with boxes of food and the excitement we all shared for the food that would feed us for the next week. It wasn't embarrassing, it wasn't humbling, it was hard work that gave us an essential part of life.

Then I got older and society got to me. Any hard times I experienced without food became embarrassing and accepting food from the food bank was a humbling experience. I can accept the humble feeling because I think that shows appreciation and we need more of that in this world. What I can't accept is the feeling of embarrassment. Having food, to me, is the right of every human being. It saddens me to think that so many people struggle on a monthly basis to make ends meet and feed their family. It's my hope that through awareness society will one day understand that good people need help from time to time. Hard working people. Young people. Old people. Everyone needs help sometime, right?! Why should the need for food be embarrassing? In Kitsap County 80,000 people struggle to put food on their tables.

Pick and Pass isn't just about about picking fruit and donating it. It's about spreading the word, that we, as a society need to be mindful that we should all do what we can to help others without judgements or preconceived notions. I'll let the karma get the people screwing the system and I'll just keep spending my time doing what feels right in my heart.

Little Free Library - NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

That's right! My Little Free Library (Charter #7500) is finally finished and opened for business! What a relief to finish this project! I taught myself how to use a circular saw and finished the retrofit on the inside. There are two compartments. The one in front is for kids and around the right side is for grown-ups. The drift wood stick on the front right side acts as signage to direct those who do not know the sides of the library. It's stocked with books thanks to the generous donations of my friends.
When it was finally mounted, I stood there starring at it in awe and suddenly burst into tears. The happy,  joyous kind of tears. Finishing things I say I will is of utmost importance to me and when projects take so long to finish I start to panic a bit. My husband tells me it's already had users which makes me happy although I must admit, I am looking forward to seeing someone use it myself.
It was listed in my past post about this, but just in case you are looking for more info, check out www.littlefreelibrary.org and please, by all means, come by and use the library yourself! It's located on the corner of Division St and Harrison Ave.

Little Free Library

About a month and a half ago I heard about something called LittleFreeLibrary.org - It's one of the coolest things ever. Little Free Library's are popping up all around the world. My official registration number is 7500. The organizations' goal is to have more libraries than Carnegie. Now that's a big goal (and at the rate Little Free Library's are popping up, they'll reach that goal!
I'm working on my little library and it's become far larger of a project than I could have imagined. Not only did I increase the size of my little library (generally they are about one foot by one foot) but I had this cleaver idea to make a mini library diorama in the top part of it. I've always loved diorama's and this one beats any shoe box craft I ever made. I'm not real keen on using power saws, not because I am without skill, but because a good work area for wood working at my home is non-existent.
I don't like having projects hanging over my head for long and this one is going on a month, so I'm a bit frustrated, but I'll get there. Thanks to my dear friends the diorama part is finished....now phase 2 starts- getting the sections completed for the books. My little library will have both a children's section and a grown-up's section. Below are pictures of my project so far. When it's finished, I plan to have a little block party to invite friends and neighbors. I'll keep you posted!

This is the corner of the front yard I reconfigured for the Little Library.

Of course I had to add a sign to let neighbors and passers by know what I am up to.

I got this little chicken coop on Craigslist for $20.

It's multiple openings will make great sections for kids and grown-ups.

This is the start of my diorama. I started by painting little books on the shelves.

More painted books.

The little diorama before it went into the little library roof top.

A peek through the little hole to see the diorama.

We closed off one of the three doors - this will be the
back side of the little library.

You know you haven't written a Blog in a while when......

I went blank for a minute when I went to login. What? How could this be? Truly, it's been THAT long since I've written a Blog! So long, that, I almost forgot what my username was. This makes me sad.

My excuse is not without good reason though....

It all started back at the end of May when I headed down to Northern California to help my sister. Actually it was a bit more than help, I actually had signed on to be gaurdian of my 8 year old niece for the month when my sister was attending a special project. I had rented a truck to drive down to Chico where the weather is HOT even in May. 108 degrees to be exact. Okay, well, that wasn't that hot every day, but you get the picture. My sister left a few days after my arrival and the plan was for me to stay with my niece until her school was out then head back to Washington. Negatives of the trip: A/C went out in the rental truck. Radiator died in the rental truck and I spent an entire day in the shop baby sitting the shop manager who was more concerned with weekend ahead than about the fact I was in a strange town in a rental car. Got it fixed, finally (and yes, the rental company paid for it. and No, they couldn't just swap out vehicles, because it was a little local company) Positives of the trip: Reconnecting with family I hadn't seen in a long time. and Swimming in my sisters lovely pool while I was there.
I get back to Washington on the 11th of June- rushing to get back to film another episode of my show 'Port Orchard Living'. Once home, I was told by the Production Company that their schedule had changed and that we couldn't film during the week anymore and that the next couple weekends weren't good either. That put a wrench in my upcoming series plan. Okay, plan B. Now working (volunteer) with BKAT (Bremerton Kitsap Access Television) on a show called 'Cruising Kitsap'- Stardom may be in my future yet. (although I am still a bit sad about the current demise of the 'Port Orchard Living' show). My niece and I did lots and I mean LOTS of cool stuff while she was here. I could even say I may possibly be the best tour guide in the world (but perhaps that's pushing it...)
My sister finished her project and came to Washington for a week (again, tour guide- yes, I rocked it!). My niece and sister both left Monday. Today is my 3rd full day without a child around. It's really quiet in my world. I filmed with the new show the day after they left and yesterday I did some errands and yard work. Today I'm meeting with a friend about a volunteer project idea I have and possibly meeting with a new client also.
I never understood the term 'empty nest' until now- and I only had a kid for a little over a month.....