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?!