the hoppe pad

Friday, February 19, 2016

Bits of Everything...(yep, some randoms)

Valentine's Day came and Norah made little bags of goodies for her classmates. They turned out really cute!

Jeff and Norah went to the Daddy/Daughter dance and had the best time. It was the third time they have gone...it is so cute!! Here are the pictures from 2013, 2015, and then this year! (She did not go in 2014)

She is growing up so fast...slow down!!! :)

Jeff's brother Allan and his wife Robyn came in town and brought Norah her Christmas gifts. So she was all about getting her new Lego kit together and making crystals.

On Valentine's Day...this came up on Facebook...cannot believe that is Norah two years ago! Again time is going too fast!

Norah and I saw "Kung Fu Panda 3" over the 3 day weekend and really liked it. Cute movie.

Norah and Jeff made me dinner on Valentine's...I literally did nothing. Norah did the table, Norah and Jeff both helped with dinner, and Jeff even cleaned up after...it was so nice!

Norah made a menu of the items on the paper that was on the place mat when I sat down...it was really sweet.

Finished reading "Fates and Furies" the other week. Before I read this, I knew that there were a lot of mixed reviews and I can see why. The writing style was not good for me. Very choppy but yet I wanted to keep reading and see what happened. So it is not a book that everyone will like but it had some good points. Not my favorite but was interesting at points...was just okay for me.

There is a lot of politics going on around here and I have been re-watching "The West Wing" so of course I need this mug to carry around. :)

"Cooked" just came out on Netflix and I'm excited to watch it and see what it is all about.

This is random...saw this and love the wallpaper on the one wall.I would love to do that for a bedroom wall!

Okay wine...so I am really only drinking like once a week or so and I drink either red wine (duh) or vodka these days. However, I can not drink the famous Apothic wine anymore. I literally couldn't even drink a glass of it last time it was offered. So anyway I've still been trying different ones...I tried this and it was really good. :)

Oh and an arm update...sling is gone. Bending is going well, straightening is still not there all the way, twisting isn't there all the way, and obviously not lifting heavy things...but so much better. I can now dry my hair and get dressed with ease...the little things!! :) Back to the doctor in a week for a check up on it and hopefully that will be it! Fingers crossed!

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Thursday, February 18, 2016

Sad news of losing a friend...

Yesterday I went on Facebook and saw a new post regarding the Class of 1996 class reunion (even though I graduated in '95 my true class is '96.) They had posted a spreadsheet with all the classmates and contact information asking if anyone could fill in the blanks. I opened it and looked straight for my old tennis partner who I actually had been looking for recently. I got to her name and it had printed "deceased" beside it. The tears were immediate. After asking around and trying to "google" all I could...I found out that Emily Bevis died November 23, 2005 at the age of 27 from what seems to be possibly a brain disease. I cannot tell you how saddened and heartbroken I am to hear this news.

When I was 20 I was in an interview for my internship and they asked me if I had any regrets so far in life. I quickly answered, "No, as all decisions I had made had gotten me where I was that day." As I have gotten older, I do have regrets and the regret I feel about my relationship with Emily is big. I cannot decide if I feel more regret that I did not know she died in 2005 so was not able to be a part of her goodbye or that I was not a good enough friend when we were younger. If I had been a better friend...we may have stayed in touch more. I hate that I did not keep in touch with her.

She and I played tennis for more hours than you can imagine. We practiced, played tournaments together as double partners, against each other in singles, played on a high school team together, and roomed at tennis camps in the summer together. I have been telling stories about her lately and it reminds me of such happy times. She was truly an amazing girl with a heart of gold. I do not think I ever heard an ill word out of her mouth except for maybe one time I heard her yell at her brother. :)

I wish I had a picture to share but I do not have any here. My yearbooks were damaged in some moves and honestly I do not think I have them anymore. Pictures were not taken with such ease in the early 1990s so if I have any...I'm not sure where they would be. But the moments we spent together are clear as day in my head and heart and I will never forget her. She was a very special person and I know she is in heaven right now playing tennis with someone...and winning. So today when I take Norah to tennis...I will stay to watch and remember all our good times we shared together.

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Monday, February 1, 2016

Weekend, amazing book, and TV...

This past weekend by sweet friend Julie came in town with some of her friends and I got to go to dinner with them. Love some Julie!

Last week was not fun..my arm was still really swollen at the beginning and I couldn't really do anything. I couldn't even sub and basically I was at home and bored. So of course it was reading and TV time.

I have never read a book by Stephen King in my whole life ...but I finally did and I LOVED 11/22/63 (this is not his usual genre). It was awesome! I read it in just days...being that it is 800+ pages...that tells you something. His writing it awesome. Even though it sounds like a strange concept...time travel and trying to save JFK from assassination...it has a lot of components in it ranging from romance, suspense, etc. I love all the details and research that went into this book too. Seriously I am a huge fan of this book and recommend it to everyone! Go read it now! I'm so sad that it is over...best book I have read in awhile.

Then I found out that they made a TV mini-series for the book that will start on Hulu on February 15, 2016. The only thing is the two previews I saw for it...you can tell that they have changed it a lot from the book so I'm not sure if I can watch it yet. I loved the book and afraid it won't live up to it!

I got these two books for my birthday and even though it is hard to read anything after finishing such a good book...I think I will try them out.

And TV...I needed something random to watch last week and started "New Girl" on Netflix. I find it pretty funny so that is happening.

Well tomorrow is my CT scan for my arm and we will go from there! I'm so over wearing a sling and not using my arm!! Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Friday, January 29, 2016

Trip to the mountains...including a broken arm!

So last Friday we ventured into the winter storm...Jonas and drove to Banner Elk, NC/Sugar Mountain. We went with friends and stayed in their family's condo. It was a crazy ride up there in the snow but so cool! We couldn't believe we made it and it was such a fun adventure!

Norah was so excited about the snow! She loved playing in it!

Those are some cute kids!

Loved having a glass by the fire. I miss our fireplace in Charlotte so much!!!

They loved sledding around the condo...it was her favorite part!!!

Snow Fort was made!

It was a gorgeous view from our balcony Sunday morning!

The girls went to ski school

Jeff helped with a snowman!

My 38th birthday was Monday and Glenn remembered candles...very sweet!

Of course the Panthers game was watched and we are SO EXCITED about our Panthers going to Super Bowl. Yeah!!!!

of course...the arm story. I broke my arm on Saturday ice skating with Norah. I fell and to avoid falling on my back...I landed on my left elbow. I felt really bad that I had to go to the hospital but since I couldn't move it...I was pretty sure I had done something. So a sling and pain medication was given to me and I made it the rest of the weekend. I went to ortho doctor Tuesday when I was back in Pawleys and I am scheduled for a CT scan this coming Tuesday in which they will decide if I need surgery. So in the meantime...I wait and cannot use arm. Hoping the healing process speeds up!

Needless to say, no more winter sports for me!!!

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Thursday, January 14, 2016

TV, a book, a movie, and the sad loss of Alan Rickman

Jeff and I started watching "Jessica Jones" on Netflix. It is entertaining. We have two more episodes to go. I really like Krysten Ritter and David Tennant (aka Barty Crouch, Jr.) in their roles.

I have not started watching "Mozart in the Jungle" yet but have heard great things about it. It might be the next series I watch...

And starting Monday night..."War and Peace" mini-series will start and I cannot wait to watch it! I hope it is as good as it looks!

"Lifetime, A&E Network and HISTORY will air the limited series event based on Leo Tolstoy’s enduring novel War and Peace. Simulcasting in the US on the three networks on January 18, 2016, "War and Peace" features an all-star cast including SAG Award® and Film Independent Spirit Award winner Paul Dano ("12 Years a Slave," "Little Miss Sunshine"), Lily James ("Cinderella," "Downton Abbey"), James Norton ("Happy Valley"), Golden Globe® winner Gillian Anderson ("The X Files," "Hannibal"), Oscar®, Golden Globe and BAFTA winner Jim Broadbent ("Moulin Rouge!," "Iris") and others."

"Set against the backdrop of Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia, "War and Peace" is a story of passion, romance, scandal and deceit surrounding the rising and falling fortunes of five aristocratic families – the Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, Drubetskoys, Kuragins and Rostovs – in the waning days of imperial Russia."

I finished reading "The Seven Sisters" by Lucinda Riley. I thought it was a good book and loved reading the descriptions of Paris and Rio. You can tell that this is going to be the first book in a series so there were things that were not explained fully yet. Enjoyed her writing and look forward to reading something else by the author.

Went and saw "The Revenant" last night and it was intense and gruesome at times. The acting was great and filming of scenery was beautiful but it lacked a lot of plot. If you read the true story that this is based on...this is one incredibly tough man and Leo plays him well! Wow! Glad I saw it but not one I could watch again.

When I found out that Alan Rickman had passed away today...I was deeply saddened. Something about all his characters that he played...I loved the way he played his roles...his voice, expressions, sarcasm. I now want to re-watch "Sense and Sensibility," "Love Actually," and of course binge watch the Harry Potter films. He is such a big part of Harry Potter and I cannot think of anyone else that could have played Snape's character. His scene regarding "Always" in the last movie is my favorite. He will be greatly missed.

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Monday, January 11, 2016

Little bit of this and that...

We made it through the first week of school. Norah got a Christmas present in the mail and it was legos! She loves legos! She immediately put it together and started playing with it!

Had a new wine...it was delicious!

Got this lip gloss based on a recommendation and it really works! Lasts a super long time and stays shiny and does not bleed. Even got the color "rebel red" that I would have never picked but was the one recommended and it is fab!! L'oreal Infallible Lip Gloss

Norah had a friend over to play and then we headed over to burn the Christmas trees! We have done this each year we have lived here and it is really fun!

I did not watch the Golden Globes but of course went on People.com the next day to check out all the dresses. These are my favorites in no particular order...